WPT Career Stats
| Stat |
Rank |
Value |
| Tournaments Played |
15 |
59 |
| WPT Win % |
89 |
00.00% |
| WPT Final Tables |
36 |
2 |
| In The Money Finishes |
26 |
9 |
| WPT Career Earnings |
168 |
$497,485 |
| Player Rating |
1 |
0 |
T.J grew up with a love of sports and was an all-around athlete. He attended the University of California at Berkeley on a football and basketball scholarship. However, due to financial hardship, T.J. had to drop out of school to help his family. T.J. was later drafted into the army and this is where he learned how to play poker. After the war, T.J. decided to return the game he loved, football. He began playing in the Canadian Football League, and his career was moving forward until he was sidelined for good with a knee injury. Without a clear outlook for his future, he teamed up with his father and brother-in-law and put in their best efforts and started a company. The business had a difficult time staying afloat and eventually went under. T.J. decided he needed a change in life, and chose to move to Texas.
Moving to Texas ended up being a very profitable decision. On his days off from working on oil rigs T.J. played poker, soon he was making more money at poker than working. T.J. made the transition to playing poker full-time and his career as a professional had not simply begun, it immediately flourished. T.J. began winning tournaments and placing well in the money with outstanding frequency. In fact, T.J. has won well over 50 major tournaments and has earned 6 WSOP bracelets. Also, he is the only player in history to have won events in all three types of Omaha at the World Series of Poker. Since the first season, T.J made two World Poker Tour final tables and was granted a seat by the WPT at the 'Poker by the Book' final table for the top poker-playing authors in the world.
Poker success wasn't the only thing T.J. found in Texas. He met and married his wife of 20 years there, and he currently resides in Texas, the father of six children. T.J. is an ambassador for the game, and maintains an enormous level of respect from his peers. In addition to being a poker legend, T.J has authored several books tournament strategy and in 2006, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
