Comedian calls skills obstacle for gambling
If you’re a sucker for a good Norm Macdonald gambling story (like I am), then check this out from his buddy Rob Schneider.
“I played him in backgammon. We just played three games, and I was up $40,000. Thank God I started losing, because I was feeling bad,” says Schneider (who performs stand-up Friday-Saturday at Orleans showroom).
Macdonald may be one of the funniest comedians in history, but he isn’t known as a big gambling winner. He’s lost small fortunes quite a few times, according to Macdonald’s own stories.
Schneider says there’s a reason for Macdonald’s gambling deficiencies, which is that he’s just like most gamblers – they don’t win in the end.
“A bookie I met one time said something pretty prescient,” Schneider says.
“He said, ‘I’ve been a bookie for 35 years, and I’ve never met a gambler who won. God wants gamblers to lose. They may have a win here and there, but they’re going to eventually lose – and lose a lot.’ ”
Schneider gambles. And he says he and Macdonald share a very specific poker obstacle, because of their stand-up careers.
“Poker players don’t have to communicate. Norm and I have to talk to people. We have to be out there and do an hour and 10 minutes of material a night. We need social skills. Poker players don’t need social skills.”
In other words, comedians have to be characters by trade, which can impact their poker faces at the tables. But pro poker players are rarely colorful characters.
“I’ve never heard ‘poker player’ and ‘gregarious’ in the same sentence,” Schneider jokes.
Just so you know, Schneider has enormous respect for Macdonald (as I do).
“He’s a crazy bastard. He’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever known, though. I think he’s a genius,” Schneider says. (Agreed.)
Schneider is currently on TV in a CBS sitcom called “Rob.”
Similarly, Macdonald has been on sitcoms, but they have all been canceled fairly early.
When I ask Schneider why that is, he says maybe Macdonald’s shows didn’t have enough dumb people watching them.
“You have to get a lot of dumb people for your show to work on TV. That’s the thing, you know?” Schneider says.
“Nothing against people who watch TV, but if you get all the smart people, you’re gonna be off the air in two weeks. You also have to get less-smart people.
“Look at the Jerry Springer show. Smart people aren’t keeping that show on the air.”
Doug Elfman’s column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.
