Ali Nejad

{{Short description|Iranian-American television personality (born 1978)}}

{{BLPrefimprove|date=March 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ali Nejad

| image = Ali Nejad.jpg

| caption = Ali Nejad in 2008

| nationality = Iranian-American

| occupation = Television presenter

| known_for = Coverage of World Series of Poker

| style = Host / play-by-play

| television = ESPN, Poker After Dark, and PokerGO

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|2|25|df=y}}

}}

Oliver "Ali" Nejad (born 25 February 1978) is an Iranian-American television personality, who has hosted several shows including Road Trip on ESPNU, and has been a fill-in host for UNite, also on ESPNU.{{Cite web |last=Blackburn-Evans |first=Gracie |date=3 September 2012 |title=I Follow: Ali Nejad |url=https://www.espnfrontrow.com/2012/09/i-follow-ali-nejad/ |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=ESPN Front Row |language=en-US}} In May 2014, Nejad began working at HLN and hosted the network's program The Daily Share. He also executive produced and hosted his own award-nominated show, The Social Life.{{cite web | title=A Travel Show With A Social Twist…HLN Debuts Its Original Series The Social Life, Hosted By Ali Nejad, Tuesday, Feb. 24 | website=CNN Press Site | date=2015-02-11 | url=https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2015/02/11/a-travel-show-with-a-social-twisthlntv-debuts-its-original-series-the-social-life-hosted-by-ali_nejad-tues-feb-24%E2%80%A8/ | access-date=2024-12-26}}

Though he has worked on-air since age 17 on a variety of projects, he is also known for his work as a poker commentator. Nejad was the off-screen announcer on NBC's Poker After Dark and the color commentator on NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship.{{Cite web |last=Blount |first=Chuck |date=23 June 2008 |title=Nejad makes name for himself on air |url=https://www.swoknews.com/nejad-makes-name-for-himself-on-air/article_ea67c176-b2da-5a39-8955-dc3b103b9a04.html |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=The Lawton Constitution |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Rinkema |first=Remko |date=31 January 2019 |title=Big Talk and Big Plays: Ali Nejad on Poker After Dark |url=https://www.pgt.com/news/big-talk-and-big-plays-ali-nejad-on-poker-after-dark |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=PokerGO Tour |language=en}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pokerafterdark.com/players/match_34/Ali_Nejad|title=Host With The Most|work=Poker After Dark|publisher=NBC|accessdate=26 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625164059/http://www.pokerafterdark.com/players/match_34/Ali_Nejad|archive-date=25 June 2010|url-status=dead}} He has also been a correspondent for ESPN's World Series of Poker coverage, a commentator for ESPN's Pro-Am Poker Equalizer series, co-commentator with Chad Brown on the Ultimate Poker Challenge series and with Daniel Negreanu on the PCA 2009 series.{{Cite web |last=Rosenbloom |first=Steve |date=9 August 2006 |title=Nejad's fork in the road |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/poker/post/_/id/817/nejad-fork-road |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} In 2014, he hosted Alpha 8 for WPT.{{Cite web |title=Ali Nejad |url=https://www.worldpokertour.com/tv_talent/ali-nejad/ |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=World Poker Tour |language=en-US}}

Nejad has made three appearances as a player on commentators' week on Poker After Dark. In his first appearance, he finished sixth after Gabe Kaplan flopped a set of 10s to his set of 4s. In the second, he finished second to Mark Gregorich and in the third appearance he finished fifth, again being knocked out by Kaplan. He is a former "friend of Full Tilt Poker" and former co-host of the Poker Road Radio podcast on pokerroad.com.