Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

I really like what Gabe Kaplan does on HSP - he's pretty informative and I can stand his crappy jokes most of the time. And of course Mike 'Shuffle up and deal!' Sexton has that infectious excitement about every hand on the WPT final tables.

Bottom of the list for me is Jesse Mae and that other idiot on Poker Den 24 hour Cash Game. They give no useful commentary at all and just sit there laughing at their own jokes the whole time. I really want to watch that game but they just make it completely unbearable!

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Bart Hanson, hands down. And he beats the crap, ability wise, out of all of the others. This guy can play! WSOP = 4 cashes, 2 FT

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Best:
Phil Gordon
Adam Schoenfeld
Greg Raymer
Barry Greenstein

Worst:
Norman Chad
Ali Nejad

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

The other 3 times this thread was done, I think the consensus was that Howard Lederer is the best.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The other 300 times this thread was done, I think the consensus was that Howard Lederer is the best.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

[ QUOTE ]


Bottom of the list for me is Jesse Mae and that other idiot on Poker Den 24 hour Cash Game. They give no useful commentary at all and just sit there laughing at their own jokes the whole time. I really want to watch that game but they just make it completely s.unbearable!

[/ QUOTE ]

I just want to punch that [censored] everytime he does that schoolgirl giggle.

I know a lot of Americans think your commentators are bad, but at least they can play the game and know what their talking about.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Padraig Parkinson - knows the game but is damn funny/entertaining as well.


.Z

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

1. Kaplan
2. Sexton
3. Gordon/Lederer..maybe leaning towards Gordon cause I don't think Superstars takes a lot of skill to commentate...buddy gets ace king and pushes all in first hand...pocket pair calls etc.

All three of these guys are very straight up. When someone makes a bad or great play they explain why it was bad or good. Gabe is definitely the best at analysis. Gives insight into what he thinks the players are thinking which is always enjoyable to hear. Sometimes he's dead on or way off but its fun to hear.

I don't think Ali Nejad is bad. He does well with a co-host like in the Heads Up Championship for example but on After Dark its just him announcing cards...making jokes to himself...a tough gig.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Kaplan has some way out thoughts on hands in on HSP. He's probably the best skilled.

Pure Entertainment TV: Norman Chad

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Best:
Phil Gordon
Adam Schoenfeld
Greg Raymer
Barry Greenstein

Worst:
Norman Chad
Ali Nejad

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll buy into most of these. Schoenfeld is irritating insomuch as he is yet another under-achiever who feels compelled to have smartass comment about everything and everyone. It is an irritating act, at best.

Raymer is a good mention. Not only does he have good communication skills but he is direct.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

I think Howard is great at saying what he thinks without belittling bad plays.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Am I the only one who likes Norman Chad? [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one who likes Norman Chad? [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Not at all. Chad is at the top of my list.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Best:
1. Bart Hanson
2. Gabe Kaplan (not for poker content but for color, funniest in my book, needs to shut up a little more though)
3. Howard Lederer ; his commentary at Poker at the Plaza is still some of the best poker on TV in history.

Worst:
Everyone else. Dear god they're bad. Norman Chad is funny like Pauly Shore and Dane Cook are funny.
Those guys on "Cash Poker" are sick bad too.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

1) Bart Hanson and David Tuchman

When the game was good they were brilliant.


I'm sure these two have helped a lot more peoples' game than any of the others.

Somebody give them a job already.



Also, as far as color is concerned, one word... "Bartgasm."

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

I like Mike Sexton. He has the 'voice' for it, plus he's definitely a good player & knows his stuff.

I don't mind Norman Chad...but sometimes he's like a broken record with his jokes.

One I really didn't care for was Mark Seif.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

I don't mind Norman Chad, he does decently with the little information he is given, and his jokes are reasonably funny every now and then.

As far as content, Lederer is pretty good, and Raymer the couple of times I have heard him.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

I'm still waiting for Chad to call marriage "the ultimate bad beat". I thought card players weren't supposed to tell bad beat storys.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

By the way, a question:

I love televised poker. I set up my TiVo to record anything poker-related. My problem is that I get mostly non-shows (e.g. blacked-out PPV events). I stumble across more televised TV on the road in hotel rooms than it appears is available on DirecTV. I thought I had a decent programming package. Am I missing channels or has there not been a lot on lately (other than the recent mixed Hold'em final table)?

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

I really dislike Mike Sexton. The guy is supposed to be a top pro, and yet some of his comments are so illiterate that he must be leveling us to get action in his games. "OMG, Vince, he has 3 big blinds and he's pushing all-in with AQo. His opponent has go to wonder why he bet so much, wouldn't he want to minraise and get some action if he had AA?"

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

1. Gabe Kaplan
2. Gabe Kaplan
3. Gabe Kaplan

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

My favorite is Norman Chad. Chad classics:

"This guy looks like a tourist that just wandered
into a restaurant where there's about to be a Mafia hit."

And at the 2006 WSOP ME final table:

*** Gold reraises to 5,000,000 ***
Lon M: "Lee's got that look: 'did he say 5,000,000?',
Cunningham's got that look: 'did he say 5,000,000?..."
Norm C: "Well, Alan doesn't look like a man who's raising!"

That one cracks me up every time.

Also, Kaplan is pretty hilarious.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Best: Kaplan, Lederer, Chad
Worst: Ali Nejad, Ali Nejad, Ali Nejad

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

best by a mile is Gabe Kaplan

i cant believe no one has mentioned the worst of all!

Michael Konik (mispelt im sure but he is fuktard anyway)
for those who dont know him the most recent work he did was on the Aussie Millions Cash game

i also cant stand that Jesse May he makes the 24h poker den the premier league and the irish open very hard to watch!

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Gabe is the best hands down.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Best: Gabe Kaplan and Norman Chad (his jokes are so over-cheesy that they really are funny)

Worst: The guys who do the EPT. Not only is there no humor or emotion, they also give really bad advice and suggestions during the hands.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Haven't seen Lederer do much commentary, but from what I've seen, I think he's the best out there. Gabe is definitely up there as well.

I think Nejad has improved a little, but I certainly could not stand his commentary in the early episodes of P.A.D.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

For all his faults, I think Hellmuth is the best color commentary. He has a genuine passion for the game that extends to every hand played, and has the knowledge behind it. His radio coverage of the wsop is the best there is.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

It's to bad some of these people never got a chance to hear Bart, and Dave at their best. No question these two together, are far and above anyone else on TV. One day these two will get a job, which is long over due.

$Clover

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Daniel Negreanu is good.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

GOOD:
Gabe Kaplan
Phil Gordon
Howard Lederer

BAD:
Norman Chad
Vince Van Patten

JURY'S STILL OUT:
Dan Harrington

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

The only one I don't really like is Norm Chad. And he's probably the only one that really can't play poker worth a lick.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

hellmuth is the worst, after he was hired on the celeberty poker showdown the show was cancelled before the season ended, pretty funny really, I cant stand looking at him or hearing the guy talk

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

That show should have been cancelled because of the lack of poker ability on it 90% of the time.

Hellmuth wasn't all that bad.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Kaplan & Chad Good [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Konik & Nejad Bad [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

I like Mike Sexton and think he's the best regular commentator (i've only heard greenstein commentate once). Norman Chad and Colin from EPT are both funny (Colin knows nothing about poker but he's funny anyway). I also think Ali Nejad is absolutely hilarious.

I can't stand Kaplan. I'm sure he's a nice guy but I don't like him as a commentator. VVP is what he is. No insight but he goes well w/ Sexton I suppose. Duthie on EPT is alright but you can tell he's a nit sometimes. He's floored at what seem to be standard repushes. However, his insight during other situations is excellent at times and I've learned a lot watching EPT. Gordon is a little too angry a person for me (you can totally tell at times).

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Hellmuth in shows without the hole cards (old WSOPs) was the best. With hole card cams Gabe has done a really good job on HSP, he is very good at telling you what is going on, "Daniel lost a big pot and is pressing here, this is normally an easy fold for him ect..." Also HSP is by far the best poker show ever so Gabe can show off his skills more than the guys doing donkaments. I would love to see Hellmuth on HSP.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

hellmuth and negreanu are the best players who commentate as well imo

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Norman Chad is annoying. he used to write for Arliss, so i guess that explains it all.

Re: Poker commentators: Best and worst?
 

Barry Tompkins and Michael Konik suck total ass.