Iconic WSOP commentator Norman Chad is never short for words — or opinions. Known for his razor-sharp wit and ‘old-man-yells-at-cloud’ curmudgeonly charm, Norman at times walks the line between entertaining and incendiary, often delivering takes that amuse some fans and players and most certainly needle others.
PokerOrg caught up with the legendary commentator to get his thoughts on what makes a great poker broadcaster, whether Jared Bleznick impressed in the booth (after saying he could be the best commentator of all time), and if he’s actually friends with Phil Hellmuth, a player who is a frequent target of his trademark needles.
Jared Bleznick is a natural in the booth, says Norman Chad.What makes a good poker commentator?
It’s a little weird because we don't have a lot of history with poker commentating. It's pretty new. And many times, players just get thrown into the booth without any commentary background. I don’t think it’s the best idea for 90% of the players.
What are a few of the skills they need to do a good job?
It's knowing when to talk and when not to. I also enjoy seeing people create stories during the broadcast. Most of the time, a player will come in and just commentate on the strategy and go hand-to-hand. What they are not doing is looking at the big picture for the viewer.
And that’s an important skill?
Well, to connect better with your audience, it's good to give them stories to follow in the big picture.
You can provide them with more background information on what's at stake. Give the audience an update on how things are going in this tournament or cash game. Talk about how this guy's gotten the better of this other guy. It’s also good to have background on the players, if possible. That's some of what I think is lacking.
What did you make of Jared Bleznick’s commentary during the WSOP?
I enjoyed watching and listening to Jared as a commentator. He has a fun personality at the table and is an interesting person. Occasionally, you come across someone with a natural skill. Michael Jackson likely began singing and dancing at the age of 4 without any formal training. Jared shocked me. And almost like Nick Schulman, Jared was a natural from the beginning.
Everyone enjoys Schulman.
Nick is smart and funny, and he has a great voice. He didn't have much training when he began. But then they paired him with Ali Nejad, and it just seemed like they had been doing it forever. Jared is a natural because he's Jared. The personality is different. He's more frank, more brutal, more honest, and he just has a way of saying things. I told him that with some training, he could be really, really, really good.
How did he respond?
He told me he was learning from Brent Hanks. I immediately told him, ‘You're in trouble.’ If Jared keeps doing what he did, he's going to be okay. He could be even better if he takes it more seriously. I wouldn't change any of his energy or any of his frankness. You could tell he loves the game. He gets really emotional about what people are doing, and he has a lot of opinions. All of that is great.
Nick Schulman is a great poker player, an awesome commentator and a newly inducted member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Who have you enjoyed working with in the booth besides your cohort, Lon McEachern?
Antonio Esfandiari was perfect. He was suitable for the casual fan and more serious players. Yet the serious poker players actually would make fun of him because he simplified the game too much. Antonio has a playfulness to him. That makes it easier for some good back and forth in the booth. A commentator should be somebody you want to sit next to in a bar and talk to.
Anyone else?
Maria Ho is wonderful. Maria is a whole different animal. Because with Maria, it's definitely going to be more good cop, bad cop. Besides knowing the game really well, Maria is a great person. She's good. She's always going to be a sweetheart, and I'm always going to be over the top. She takes my stuff and can give it back to me.
Do you have a favorite moment in the booth from your Main Events?
We did all the shows in post for 15 years before we ever did a live broadcast. They're two different animals. The live thing is very different. You're in the booth for five or six hours for several straight days in a row. I know that if I have to play poker for 10 or 12 hours, I'll be exhausted.
It’s the same thing when you're in the booth that long. You come in the next day, and you can't even remember yesterday. It's very exhausting. But I love doing both live and the recording sessions in post.
You seemed to pick on one player more than most during many of the classic WSOP Main Event broadcasts, Phil Hellmuth. Are you friends away from the WSOP?
At first, we were not friends. I didn't even know Phil that much. I came in and saw things he did and thought to myself, ‘This is ridiculous.’ But he's the greatest World Series poker player of all time. He and I have been around for a long time. He was not friendly towards me at the beginning. He was upset with the things I was saying. He would tell me, ‘I guess you're kind of right most of the time, but why do you have to say it? My parents hate you.’
We eventually got friendly. He participates in many charity events, and I've had the opportunity to join him in several of them. I got to know Phil away from the table. Even though he's a handful, he's a sweetheart. All of his friends love him. I mean, the whole world always centers around Phil, whether it's on the table or away from the table. But away from the table, he's really easy to be around.
What’s the main issue you have with Phil at the tables?
Some of what he does at the table is still unacceptable and ridiculous. If you're the best player in the game, you're going to take some bad beats. So, by the time you're 40, 50, 60 years old, shouldn't you be used to it by now? Don’t you think you should adjust to it at some point? However, he has never adjusted because of his competitive nature. He's just screwed up in the head that way. To answer your questions, we are pretty good friends.
Follow Norman if you dare on X and catch his podcast Gambling Mad on YouTube.
