Karen Norman Back on the Felt with Treats for All

By Sean Chaffin

It’s hard to be unhappy sucking on a Tootsie Roll Pop. At least that’s what Karen Norman has noticed. They’re sweet with that chocolate center everyone loves. Delicious. Many of those battling it out at WPT Choctaw probably remember getting a few in their Halloween sacks as a kid or enjoying one after hanging out with friends.

That childhood delight has returned to Choctaw as Norman plays Day 1a. As usual, her basket of Tootsie Roll pops hangs off the back of her chair – a treat for all who stroll by and grab one. Norman, 71, has become a bit of a lollipop humanitarian.

“Everybody has happy memories as a kid with Tootsie Roll Pops,” Norman said. “The basket holds over a hundred, and I have already gone through 500 in the three weeks that this tournament series has been here.”

Tootsie Pop Princess

How did this sweet tradition get started? The candy contributions stem from a broken leg Norman suffered a few years ago. At the time, Choctaw was holding tournaments in the former events center on the other side of the casino from the Grand Theatre. Her husband was pushing her in a wheelchair to the tournament area. As she rolled through the main casino floor, Norman says her throat became scratchy from smoke and she asked her husband to bring her some hard candy to help alleviate her throat discomfort.

“He brought back Tootsie Roll Pops,” Norman said. “They worked and I also discovered when I kept them in my mouth I kept my mouth shut and I played better poker because I wasn’t visiting so much. So I started carrying them in my purse in a plastic bag.”

Soon other players were asking for a lollipop and even requesting their favorite flavors. The requests became so frequent that she found herself digging out Tootsie Pops too often, distracting from her play. Aiming to please, she now has a basket with plenty of the candy available for others.

Encouraging Poker Moms

No stranger to poker success, Norman began playing seriously a few years ago. She has almost $87,000 in live tournament winnings, including winning a $230 preliminary event in 2016 at WPT Choctaw for $4,803. The win qualified her for a freeroll for an entry into that year’s championship event.

So far, Norman says her series has been going well and she notched a 23rd-place finish in a $230 event for $2,712. She won her seat in the championship event in June. Choctaw donated a seat to those who won the property’s Saturday tournaments.

Norman and her husband both play poker. They have four children and five grandchildren. While she says he is the better player, she is more patient. This retired accountant says being a mother helps at the poker table and she encourages more women to get in the game.

“I’m surprised more women don’t play,” Norman said. “A mom can be in the grocery store and hear a baby crying two aisles over and say if that baby needs a nap or that baby’s hungry. There’s a nonverbal communication that moms learn before kids can talk. I can’t define it. I can often make a good call when it seems stupid to call. I think it’s from being a mom.”

Norman hopes more women take advantage of these kinds of innate skills and enter more events, noting: “I encourage every woman I see.”

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and host of the True Gambling Stories podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @PokerTraditions.

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