The Atlanta Poker Club (APC) is made up of players from all walks of life with all kinds of life experiences.
Jason Cluxton is a 35-year old Texas Hold’em player who placed 4th in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Main Event at the Imperial Palace in Biloxi, Mississippi on November 9th, 2010.
Originally from Seattle, Washington, Jason has been in Atlanta for three years and has been playing with the Atlanta Poker Club since September, 2009.
Jason joined the Army in 1994, and was in the Second Ranger Battalion stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. He was in the Rangers until 2000, and then he went to the 101st Pathfinders and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2001. Jason did two tours of duty and was out of the Army in 2003. He then went back to Iraq that same year doing diplomatic protection and stayed in Iraq until August of 2008. He had many injuries resulting from being shot twice, and being hit by multiple roadside bombs. He recovered from his injuries at home in Atlanta.
This was a WSOP event that almost didn’t happen for Jason. He was playing online poker at his home the Friday night before the start of the Sunday event and had a night of horrible bad beats and as all poker players do at one time or another, he decided never to play again…and that included the trip to Biloxi and the Main Event on Sunday. It was late Saturday before he decided to head for Biloxi.
Jason said he was tired and didn’t feel he would do well in the Main Event until he saw fellow APCer Chris Gray. He told Chris that he “didn’t have any hope to do well” and Chris gave him a look that only Chris can give. The look that says why waste your time and just quit now. Jason realized his attitude needed a quick adjustment.
There were 270 players, and when the tournament started Jason was sitting next to a player who decided to fold his cards and then he thrust them forward with both elbows extended and that spilled Jason’s coffee onto the table, his chips, and his new iPhone 4, which proceeded to short out. His new iPhone dead, and Jason said, “I then knew I needed to win to pay for a new phone!”
Jason was asked about his style of play, and he said, “My play changes table to table. I’ll start a little loose but not necessarily agressive, and within half the tournament, I tighten up.”
Jason made it to the final table in this WSOP Circuit Ring Main Event and handled the pressure and bided his time. He never lost sight of the goal as he was going for a First Place prize of $95,253. Jason said, “I just use a different perspective to deal with that kind of pressure.”
We asked Cluxton how he felt play was at the final table of this WSOP event and if he had any advice for the rest of us and he said, “At the final table it was real, real tight. The loose players were gone fast. Weak aces do not have a place at any full table, and definitely not at a final table until you are about 6-handed, or on the button…and don’t call all your chips off with a weak ace. At the final table you learn not to play weak aces. It can cost you thousands of dollars.”
You started the hand that took you out in 4th place with pocket Aces. You must have felt good about your Aces when the hand started and your opponent had pocket Jacks. Jason said, “Felt like they were going to double me up. The Tournament Director announced that the other guy was at risk, but it turned out he had one chip more than me. If I won the hand, I would have doubled up and been in contention to take it down. As soon as the flop hit, 10, 8, 9, I walked off the stage and watched as a bystander.”
There was a 5 on the turn and all Jason needed to do was avoid either a Queen or seven on the river. The dealer burned and put out the Queen! And while Cluxton was eliminated from the tournament in fourth place, he won $31,295!
Jason has played in six WSOP events, and this was his third cash. He won $2,844 in Event #8, and $3,114 in Event #11 at the 2010 41st Annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Jason’s WSOP Profile
Jason will play in the WSOP Circuit Event in December in Atlantic City. When you earn points in the WSOP events, you can automatically qualify if you are in the top 36 points earners for the year (not including the ones who have already won their entry) for the Million Dollar Freeroll Bracelet Event in Las Vegas in May, 2011. Jason is five WSOP points from being in contention for a free entry.
Congratulations to Jason for his fourth place finish and good luck in December! Thanks for being a part of the Atlanta Poker Club.
