Thomas James Clouter was born in Albany, California, on Friday 13^th October, 1939. He is a professional poker player, and was inducted into the Poke Hall of Fame in 2006. He graduated from Jefferson High School in Daly City, where he had been a strong basketball, football, and baseball player.

Cloutier started playing Poker when he was 17. He had been a student at the University of Californai, studing under an athletic scholarship for American Football and Baseball. He was forced to drop out of university due to financial hardship, and was introduced to poker while he was working as a caddy at a local golf course.

Cloutier served briefly in the U.S. Army, and after his period of service he took up football again and played for Toronto and Montreal in the Canadian Football League. 

After an injury ended his football career, he sought alternative employment – first starting a food company, and then moving to Texas where he worked on oil rigs. He decided to play poker professionally when he found he was winning more from playing poker during time off on the oil rigs than he was from his job.

Cloutier has enjoyed a lot of success at tournament poker – he holds 6 World Series of Poker bracelets, and has achieved 55 money finishes in the tournament. He is also the only person to have won events in all three of the Omaha poker variants played at the World Series of Poker. So far he has never won the main event, although he does have two second place finishes, and is tied with Phill Helmuth for the most WSOP final table finishes, having reached the final table 39 times.

Cloutier has also racked up five money finishes in the World Poker Tour, including two final tables. His highest finish to date was 3^rd place in the 'Legends of Poker 2003' event. 

He is well known for being able to take in all of the action at a table at a glance. During an interview for the Party Poker Million event, he said that he may not remember your name, but if he has ever played with you, he will remember your style of game.

Cloutier writes for Card Player Magazine, and has also co-authored four books with Tom McEvoy. He is also the author of 'How To Win The Championship: Hold'em Strategies For The Final Table.

To date, his live tournament winnings total more than $9,000,00.