BY TOM SOMACH

Professional poker player T.J. Cloutier is the latest big name to be hired by Internet poker academy Poker School Online (www.pokerschoolonline.com).

Cloutier will serve as both a poker instructor and a poker writer at the website, the website announced.

Cloutier is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame in Las Vegas and is the winner of six World Series of Poker (WSOP) championship gold bracelets.

In addition, during his 51 years as a professional poker player, he has reached the final table of 39 WSOP events and has won 59 major poker tournaments, earning almost $9 million.

Cloutier, like fellow top poker pros Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson and Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston Jr., is a Texan, and excels at–what else?–Texas hold ‘em.

“Bringing new and talented poker players to the Poker School Online team is fundamental to our online education strategy,” said Tina Napolitano, Poker School Online vice-president.

“We want our Poker School Online students to benefit from the best minds in the industry,” she added.

Top poker pro Jennifer Harman is also an employee of Poker School Online.

She has won two WSOP bracelets, and came in second at Event #2, a H.O.R.S.E. tournament, at the recently-concluded inaugural WSOP Europe in London.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)