Guess who’s back, back again?
Norman’s back; tell a friend.
Unless you’ve been stranded in the Horseshoe parking lot since the WSOP started, you’ve likely noticed the return of iconic WSOP commentator Norman Chad.
Love him a lot or kinda hate him, Chad is bringing his signature mix of quirky quick takes, meandering observations, and verbal acrobatics to the World Series of Poker broadcast team once again this summer.
From OG to GG
Few people have witnessed the WSOP's evolution more closely and with more fervor than Norman Chad.
We first met Norman when he somehow bamboozled his way into commentating on ESPN’s broadcast of the 2003 WSOP Main Event, with his smooth-talking sidekick, Lon McEachern.
The duo and the game of poker won the lottery that year when a humble accountant from Tennessee turned a $86 PokerStars satellite into a magical run good and a $2,500,000 payday.
We catch up with Norman as he tries to slip away from the Paris ballroom to avoid two fans and zero paparazzi.
Norman stands just a few feet from the new state-of-the-art broadcast facility, where poker fans and players can enjoy the excitement of final table confrontations and ecstatic celebrations throughout the summer.
Chad is briefly stunned into silence by the WSOP’s massive ‘mothership’ neon layout, a rare moment of quietude for Norman. "It's crazy," says Chad. "This new broadcast space is 26,000 square feet, a football field long, which is just amazing."
The outhouse years
Chad takes a moment to reflect and share his appreciation for the original production facility shoot and layout. It was there, alongside McEachern, that he captured the unforgettable final table moments as the then-unknown and a very fortunate Chris Moneymaker won poker's most coveted title.
"When we started at Binion's, our production room was literally a small upstairs room on the fourth floor,” shares Chad. “All the ENG (Electronic News Gathering) crews would funnel into there. It was tiny, and unfortunately, the bathroom doubled as a toilet and a production area, which is not good."
Norman pauses, a broad smile breaking across his face: "This set in the Paris ballroom is just amazing. So, it's basically from outhouse to penthouse."
Chad will do what he does best this summer, and contribute to the WSOP's daily coverage throughout the series while playing a major role in ESPN's return to poker broadcasting of the Main Event.
"I'll be doing WSOP’s Poker Countdown Show, and I'll be doing more than that very soon," says Chad.
Why poker feels different now
It’s exactly what most fans (we can’t say all, it is Norman) expected and hoped for when it was announced that GGPoker was penning a deal to bring ESPN back as its broadcast partner.
And even though Norman was a small yet integral contributor who helped the game's popularity skyrocket 23 years ago, he’s quick to confess that he doesn't believe another 2003 is coming.
But what he does believe is that the core ingredients are in place for meaningful, long-term growth for the game.
"We had a confluence of events in 2003 that led to a huge popularity surge," Chad says. "We're not going to have that same kind of popularity again."
Despite these tempered expectations, Chad sees several reasons for optimism regarding the WSOP’s bright future. He notes that GGPoker's global reach and ESPN's return could be just what poker needs at this moment.
"There seems to be a confluence of events happening this year that bodes very well for poker. With GGPoker's worldwide presence and power, and with ESPN back in the mix for the next several years, that combination is going to bring more people into poker."
He's also hopeful that the game's player pool and fan base will continue to expand.
"I think the mixed games will grow in popularity also. And I think we're finally going to get more women into the game. That's been a very slow growth, but I think being back in the mainstream on ESPN helps a whole lot."
Guess who's back, back again?
Norman's back. Tell a friend. He's probably already told three.
Follow Norman on X and WSOP's YouTube channel.
Additional images courtesy of the WSOP.
