Close profile

Host With The Most

Ali Nejad knows what he’s talking about when it comes to poker

If you watch poker on TV, you're probably already familiar with Ali Nejad - whether you realize it or not. Besides providing commentary on Poker After Dark, Nejad can be heard on a wide range of other high-profile poker programs, including the Pro-Am Poker Equalizer, the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, and more.

How did Ali land such a sweet gig? Well, not surprisingly, it all started with a poker game...

While playing poker on a cruise, Ali happened to sit next to Mori Eskandani, who is a successful and highly sought-after tournament director. After chatting about the explosion in televised poker shows, Ali laid his cards on the table and told Eskandani about his ambition to become a TV broadcaster. Prior to making a living as a poker player, Ali had worked as a reporter for a NBC affiliate near his home in the San Francisco Bay area. Though Ali was making a name for himself as a high-stakes poker player, the idea of returning to TV was always in the back of his mind.

After watching Ali's audition tape, Eskandani realized that Ali's combination of broadcasting experience and poker skills made him the perfect choice to host a poker show, and immediately hired him to be the Master of Ceremonies for Poker Superstars. The following year, Ali was tapped for the same roll during NBC's coverage of the inaugural National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

Ali's affable style behind the mic and knowledge of the game quickly caught the attention of many poker show producers and thus, a new career was born. Ali has since signed on to a variety of other poker shows, and continues to host and provide expert commentary in a variety of formats, often teaming up with Team Full Tilt's Phil Gordon.

In addition to his years as a poker commentator, Ali continues to demonstrate that he knows what he's talking about, as evidenced by his impressive top-50 finish in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'em Event at the 2005 World Series.