Fred Normand won the World Poker Tour (WPT) bestbet Scramble earlier in November and it was a moment of validation for the Canadian player who started when he was just 17.
Poker is an obsession for Normand — a hobby that takes him all the way back to playing with his friends when he was in his teens. It’s an all-encompassing activity, and he doesn’t have much interest in branching out right now.
Normand sat down with PokerNews after he bagged on Day 1a of the WPT Seminole Hard Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open here in Hollywood, Florida to talk about what’s next after he won $351,650 at bestbet in Jacksonville.
“Poker is what I like to do the most. I see friends from time to time, but your circle becomes poker.”
Fred Normand’s Top 5 Cashes
| Date | Event | Entries | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2023 | WPT bestbet Scramble | 1 | $351,650 | |
| June 2023 | WSOP $3,000 NLH | 5 | $177,732 | |
| October 2021 | $800 MonsterStack, Venetian | 1 | $54,126 | |
| June 2023 | WSOP $3,000 Freezeout | 11 | $44,823 | |
| June 2022 | $1,100 MonsterStack, Venetian | 2 | $32,202 |
Normand’s six-figure win in Jacksonville was the largest of his life so far, topping his fifth-place finish in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at the 2023 World Series of Poker. The victory was a long time coming for a player who’s been working towards his first big win for some time.
“To me, it was kind of a relief, you play and you hope to win one of those one day. Every time you play, you know it’s possible, but thinking you can win and actually making it happen is two different things.”
Normand grew up in a small neighborhood in Quebec City where he would join his older brother’s $20 sit-n-gos. It wasn’t long before Normand was deep into his new passion.
“I really liked the game and I became obsessed with it. But my approach was always wrong, not studying and not doing the right thing because my head was all over the place.”
“I was buying prepaid cards to play under age and I cashed for $7,000 when I was 17. That was big for me back then.”
The minimum age in most Canadian provinces is 19, but Quebec allows gambling at 18, which meant Normand didn’t have to wait long to devote his life to his new hobby.
Check out the PokerNews Podcast with Fred Normand
“I really liked the game and I became obsessed with it. But my approach was always wrong, not studying and not doing the right thing because my head was all over the place.”
There wasn’t a particular moment that changed Normand’s approach, but rather an increasing confidence from playing in cash games and tournaments. He began to study and devote his time to the finer points of the game, and it has paid off.
“I just try to put a lot of volume in and whenever I have doubts, I check with friends and software where I can analyze the information. Obviously, it’s never perfect but where I am not sure I try to look where I can get a clear answer on my thought process — putting volume in and trying to enjoy the moment. That’s the best for me.”
Normand isn’t goal-oriented. Poker is a tricky game and he keeps his expectations low. Anything can happen, he says, and you need a lot of lucky breaks to find success at a higher level.
As long as he’s healthy, Normand says he will make a big push in 2024.
“My back hurt last year, so I was out for a month or so. If my back is good then I will play a lot next year and be on tour a lot.
“I am playing here and then I am going to The Bahamas for the series there. Then I have to go to Wynn and I will take a week off before I attack next year. I’ll figure out what is best for me and where to play, but you will see a lot from me next year.”
*WPT images courtesy of SHRP/Joe Giron.
Live Reporting Executive
Las Vegas-based PokerNews Live Reporting Executive, originally from Chicago, IL