Ashley Sleeth (Vegas MTT pro)- Ask Me Anything About Playing Poker

thank you for your inspiration! There going to be sure a lot of new poker players that will learn from you

Hi Ashley, just watched your video about "quitting". Downswings are tough, but remember your a good poker player and your not afraid to play. The suck out vs the 9 3 of diamonds after flopping a straight was unfortunate. I was surprised to see the big 300 bet on flop, then the shove by the worst hand. That would have been a nice triple up for you. On the second session, nice lay down with the AK. Like you said, you saved yourself 1000 bucks. In the ladies event, crazy to see you get pocket J's three time in same tournament. I wish you luck in your 20K - 100K tourney challenge. I look forward to see your progress, you got this.

Thanks for your measured advice on Playing OOP against aggressive players! Very interesting.

Do you have any views on donk betting out of the big blind in NL Holdem cash games? I've only previously done it for the lulz, or purely unbalanced with strong hands to juice the pots, though I'm aware it's considered a legitimate play.

Is this a dangerous, advanced play? Should relatively, inexperienced players check all of their range?

Thanks, nbg

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for the AMA opportunity.

I'm Andreas and only playing poker somewhat more seriously since about a year.

With the help of CC freerolls and the learning material on here, I managed to win about 2k in the micro MTTs over the past year.

Although now I have the feeling, I am somewhat "stuck" since I know my game knowledge is pretty fair but I know it still has some leaks, which of course is pretty normal. I'm not the most motivated person when it comes to studying and somewhat unsure if I should invest in some supporting software, such as ICMizer or a paid HUD version (currently using H2N free).

What would be your recommendation software wise and any tips on what/how to study? I mostly post some hands here and read about GTO to improve my game but instead of throwing in a real study session, I often end up joining a few MTTs instead. 🙈

Would love some thoughts!

Thanks a lot in advance. 🤗

hello how can i improve my game level ?and how many hours should i devote to poker

Ashley Sleeth said:

Thanks for always being so supportive

Without looking at your hand histories, it sounds like your saying that your play style changes when you are only worried about winning. For some people, that means they tighten up too much OR they get a little too splashy. Try to identify how your play style is changing before you enter your next real money tournament. Then, make it a goal to take it one hand at a time, one decision at a time. Instead of worrying about winning the whole tournament, concern yourself with the one decision in front of you. People win tournaments by making the best decisions possible even if it means they could bust out of the tournament. If you are avoiding risks, remember that risk aversion costs you money in the long run so you might as well go for it

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Thank you for your answer. 💞
Yes, you are absolutely right: I think I really have problems with the style of play.🙉🙊🙈
I am more reasonable at the beginning, at the early stage of the tournament. Quite often I'm in the lead in the first half hour of the game.
But, with the growth of my stack, I become less reasonable in choosing the hands that I want to play, believing that I have enough chips for mistakes and the goal is not to increase the stack, but the desire to knock out players with small stacks.
As a result, I very quickly turn from a chip leader into a loser.

I tried to change my style and set small goals for myself during the tournament and I see that it works great, although I still make a lot of mistakes, I think I'm improving. 🙂
Question:
I didn't have a very good game yesterday.
I tried to lure the participant into a trap, but it didn't work.
And, although I understand that taking even a small bank is great, I feel that I did something wrong.
Could you comment on what I did wrong?

Hello Ashley, your poker journey is inspiring!
my question is where there times you went broke due to poker ? If there were how did you manage to overcome those times

Ashley Sleeth said:

Yes! If you’re in late position (button/SB) at the table, these are great hands to jam on 20bb. Once you get up to 25bb though, that starts to be way too many blinds to open shove and you’d prefer to go all in after somebody else has already opened. You can check out free preflop all in spots for tournaments on Floptimal to see more exact hands you can open shove on the button and sb for that stack.

I personally like to show up on time for the Main Event. It gives you the best chance of capitalizing on getting a table with more recreational players who overplay hands at a super deep stack depth. Plus, it’s the most exciting tournament of the year! If I’m going to pay $10k for one event, I like to get the most out of the experience.

For online tournaments, I give myself a rule of having 100 buy ins in my bankroll. So with $300, I’d suggest buying into $3 mtts and lower. Stick with an average field size of less than 150 people to reduce your variance or play SNGs for even lower variance If you play a turbo structure, you will be increasing variance slightly, but if you think you’re short stack game is sharper than your opponents, they’re a great way to increase your hourly

Hey Jim! Glad you’re here and thanks for the question
The $200 daily tournaments that happen around Vegas will have the highest ratio of tourists to pros. Once you get up to the $600 level, there will be a greater amount of pros (a third to half of the table on average), but still plenty of tourists too. For small buy in tournaments, you can’t beat the Wynn. The level of service and luxurious atmosphere as well as relatively low rake make it my go-to spot If you’re here in the summer or when smaller series are happening around town, I’d check out Aria, Resorts World and Venetian too. MGM also runs tournaments but doesn’t have as great an atmosphere as the others listed. GLGL out there!

Hi GHostL,
I decided to play more seriously in 2017. I loved playing tournaments and thought I could do well in them over the long run. I’m lucky enough to have a partner (Jesse) who is a very talented player and coach, so he has been the biggest reason for my improvement and motivation to keep learning. I’ve also invested in training courses on Run It Once, which have been super valuable and eye-opening. I also love watching final table replays of big events to see how the pressure of big spots affects people’s play, etc.

The games are much softer and action-packed in LA. Las Vegas tends to have lots of cash games pros that make the average table pretty nitty. I haven’t played cash internationally in a while, but my favorite places with good action were in Melbourne/Sydney and Johannesburg.

Hi najisami!
Thanks for your question. I’ve played in Morocco and South Africa Those are some of my funnest memories of playing abroad.
I’m not sure where you’ve seen me play, but when I play online, I always show the opponent’s stacks in BBs if the software allows it. If you’re talking about my live vlogs, I usually show the amount of actual chips they have and will refer to how many BBs they have in the voice over That’s mostly for time’s sake. It takes a lot of time for each graphic. Much easier to have less

Great question. Hypers are fun and super profitable if you can really good at two things: short stack dynamics + ICM. A lot of people still struggle with not knowing the real dollar value of how final tables or the money bubble should change the range of hands they play. If you understand those dynamics, you will be printing money off of the players who ‘punt it off’ so to speak. Dara O’Kearney’s book ‘End Game Strategy’ is a great read for brushing up on ICM awareness.

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Thanks for the info. ^^ I agree with you!

In your travels around the world which has been the most difficult tournament that you have had to play, do you remember any particular hand?

Hi Ashley, question, how do you respond after a loss or a bad beat in a tournament?

Hi Ashley!


For a European like me, it is a wish to take a trip to Las Vegas to play poker where the "big guys" have already done it.

I'm mainly interested in that
> whether the number of poker tournaments/players is relatively the same all year round or
> there are seasons (months) that clearly stand out based on the "action".

Also, I would like to know if there are any financial differences during the year, regarding
> the cost of accommodation
> the costs for casinos (cash games/ tournament buy-in)


See you...

Ashley Sleeth said:

Hi CardsChat members!

My name is Ashley and I'm so excited to join this community. I've been living in Las Vegas for 10 years now playing cash games and more recently, tournaments. I currently play $5/$10 on the Strip and higher stakes on live streams such as Live at the Bike. I'll buy in to tournaments as low as $300 and as high as $5k (with an exception for the WSOP Main Event, which everyone should try to play at least once!).

I have also traveled for poker events in many other parts of the world, including Europe, the UK, Australia, Canada, Africa and the Caribbean. I can answer a broad range of questions about playing live, traveling for poker events/series, playing on live streams or the general poker lifestyle.

My goal for joining CardsChat is to inspire new people to play poker and to encourage those of you who have a poker bucket list item to go out and do it!

Ask me anything

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Hi Ashley, Can you tell me how you control your poker face when you play in live, what tips can share with us to improve our game? Thanks.

Hello,
Awesome to send you an message.
What is your biggest win ever?

Welcome Ashley to CardsChat, I've seen some videos of you playing poker, I wanted to ask you how you can overcome bad beats? I have had a few that have left me almost bankrupt. Success and greetings from Venezuela.

Ashley Sleeth said:

I can’t find the CC thread where I wrote my answer, but my summary is this: Ladies’ Events were started to facilitate the growth of poker in a demographic that consistently only made up around 3% of tournament entrants. I played my first ever live poker game in a ladies event in 2012 because I felt less intimidated by the atmosphere. (I understand that beginners of any gender can feel intimidated trying live poker for the first time so I think that events catering to all rookies would help get more beginners into the game. That’s for another response though.) In ladies’ events where the buy in is different for men, I’m fine with men entering. It keeps enough out to basically be the same thing. (I personally wouldn’t find one or two men in a field of 200 women intimidating so the purpose of the event remains in tact for me.) I think it’s poor sportsmanship for the men to buy in, but if they’re paying 10x what I pay, I appreciate their donation to the prize pool. (Good luck to them beating that mark up!)

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Imagine how intimidating it is for a man to play in a field of 200 women knowing he has bullseye on his back, lol. If I ever played in a ladies event , even one with the markup, I would donate any winnings to a Ladies charity and I would let the Ladies at the table that eliminated me decide which charity.

Ashley, do you have a playlist that helps you get in the right mindset to play an MTT? If so, would you mind sharing some of your "anthems" or inspirational songs?

5TR8 FLUSH said:

Hi Ashley, just watched your video about "quitting". Downswings are tough, but remember your a good poker player and your not afraid to play. The suck out vs the 9 3 of diamonds after flopping a straight was unfortunate. I was surprised to see the big 300 bet on flop, then the shove by the worst hand. That would have been a nice triple up for you. On the second session, nice lay down with the AK. Like you said, you saved yourself 1000 bucks. In the ladies event, crazy to see you get pocket J's three time in same tournament. I wish you luck in your 20K - 100K tourney challenge. I look forward to see your progress, you got this.

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Thanks for the support! It’s funny how poker can be brutal at times, yet so rewarding when everything comes together.

nasty bent gorilla said:

Thanks for your measured advice on Playing OOP against aggressive players! Very interesting.

Do you have any views on donk betting out of the big blind in NL Holdem cash games? I've only previously done it for the lulz, or purely unbalanced with strong hands to juice the pots, though I'm aware it's considered a legitimate play.

Is this a dangerous, advanced play? Should relatively, inexperienced players check all of their range?

Thanks, nbg

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you’re welcome

There are certainly boards that are better for the big blind (ie. 875, 765) so you can lead sometimes. But if you don’t have bluffs in mind beforehand, you might be too heavily weighted towards strong hands when you do it. So yes, I’d stick to checking 100% as BB until you’ve picked out some bluffs ahead of time.

Andyreas said:

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for the AMA opportunity.

I'm Andreas and only playing poker somewhat more seriously since about a year.

With the help of CC freerolls and the learning material on here, I managed to win about 2k in the micro MTTs over the past year.

Although now I have the feeling, I am somewhat "stuck" since I know my game knowledge is pretty fair but I know it still has some leaks, which of course is pretty normal. I'm not the most motivated person when it comes to studying and somewhat unsure if I should invest in some supporting software, such as ICMizer or a paid HUD version (currently using H2N free).

What would be your recommendation software wise and any tips on what/how to study? I mostly post some hands here and read about GTO to improve my game but instead of throwing in a real study session, I often end up joining a few MTTs instead. 🙈

Would love some thoughts!

Thanks a lot in advance. 🤗

Click to expand...

Hey Andyreas,
It’s pretty common for poker players to want to PLAY instead of study It can be tough to do the off-the-table work. But I think of it as my chance to find cool new moves, learning as much as possible so that my next session is a ‘test’ on what I learned. It’s hard to feel like you’re making progress in poker. Studying and feeling more confident in certain spots (especially when you’re feeling stuck) is a great way to KNOW that you’re improving
I’d recommend starting out with a one month subscription to a site like RunItOnce or Upswing. Get their cheapest MTT option. Then, watch videos/take notes/ask the coach questions in the comments. You will notice the coaches using software in their videos. By watching them utilize the tools, you can get familiar with how to use it and THEN maybe you decide to buy it and study on your own. You will know which tools are going to be the most cost-effective for you at your current level. I hope this helps spark your love for studying Good luck!!

werty328 said:

hello how can i improve my game level ?and how many hours should i devote to poker

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This depend on so many things: what stakes do you play now and what stakes would you like to get to? Do you work a full time job, have family or other hobbies that take up your time? Are you familiar with poker software like solvers?
If you don’t have much time and are playing small stakes, buying subscriptions to the best tools/software in the industry will be a waste of your money. You can easily get a subscription to training sites like RunItOnce or Upswing and watch the basic coaching videos.
If you give me a bit more context for your personal situation, I can elaborate with more specific advice.

louuu19 said:

Hello Ashley, your poker journey is inspiring!
my question is where there times you went broke due to poker ? If there were how did you manage to overcome those times

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Hey lou,
Thanks for following along. I’m in the fortunate position to have never gone broke. I have been staked by my fiancé/coach the whole time I’ve been playing poker. I also have other streams of income so my financial situation will never be at risk if poker goes poorly. I also keep a decently strict bankroll management style. Occasionally, I’ll play in games that are WAY too big for me, but I view those as rare and valuable experiences for improving

kley126 said:

In your travels around the world which has been the most difficult tournament that you have had to play, do you remember any particular hand?

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Thanks for your question, kley After all of my travels, Vegas poker has definitely been the toughest. During the wsop or big series at other casinos, you’re going to be playing against some of the biggest names in tournament poker. It can be intimidating because they’re so good (and aggressive).

FRANCODAMI said:

Hi Ashley, question, how do you respond after a loss or a bad beat in a tournament?

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It depends on the buy in. If it’s a small tournament, I don’t think anything of it. I go home and play online If it’s a bigger buy in that I was taking a shot at (I.e. the $10k WSOP Main), I usually feel pretty defeated afterwards….sometimes for a few days. I don’t usually feel too bad about bad beats, unless I’ve taken a lot of them back-to-back over a long period of time. I get more upset about mistakes I made to bust.

x patrice x said:

Hi Ashley!


For a European like me, it is a wish to take a trip to Las Vegas to play poker where the "big guys" have already done it.

I'm mainly interested in that
> whether the number of poker tournaments/players is relatively the same all year round or
> there are seasons (months) that clearly stand out based on the "action".

Also, I would like to know if there are any financial differences during the year, regarding
> the cost of accommodation
> the costs for casinos (cash games/ tournament buy-in)


See you...

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Hi Patrice!
Yes there are definitely seasons when poker is more prominent in Vegas. However, it’s easier to point out when poker is slow: August is completely dead. Everyone leaves after the WSOP and many players take vacation in August. Plus, it’s super hot and nobody wants to be here January, April/May can also be slower times for poker in Vegas. Other than that, there’s usually a series in town or daily’s that are worth playing.
The best time of year to come financially is February/early March. But that’s because it’s still pretty cold and there’s nothing much going on in the city (but there are good tournaments at Venetian and Wynn during that time). So if you don’t mind the cold, that could be a good time to visit for cheap. The best months of weather are: April, May, October, November. The cost for rooms depends on the events that are in town.
Hope you enjoy your visit when you make it out here!

Gh0stL said:

Hi Ashley, Can you tell me how you control your poker face when you play in live, what tips can share with us to improve our game? Thanks.

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I tend to stay quiet and try to look at the board the whole time When I’m not playing poker, I’m usually quite expressive with my face so it’s easiest for me to remain stoic during a hand. If my opponent is taking a while, I try to focus on my breath and relaxing the tension in my face/neck/shoulders so I don’t give anything away.

marlledille said:

Hello,
Awesome to send you an message.
What is your biggest win ever

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3rd place in a huge $109 event for $85,000 on ACR

zer0c00l23 said:

Welcome Ashley to CardsChat, I've seen some videos of you playing poker, I wanted to ask you how you can overcome bad beats? I have had a few that have left me almost bankrupt. Success and greetings from Venezuela.

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Bad beats are definitely the worst part of the game. I try to make sure I’m playing small enough tournaments that I don’t run the risk of busting my bankroll. If I’m risking going broke, then the bad beats and losses feel WAY worse and wreak havoc on you mentally. So try to play tournaments that are within your budget. You can also reduce your variance by playing in smaller fields (150 players or less).

mattiebumpo said:

Ashley, do you have a playlist that helps you get in the right mindset to play an MTT? If so, would you mind sharing some of your "anthems" or inspirational songs?

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Anything Beyoncé! I immediately feel fierce and ready to battle when I put on her stuff. I just love a good dance vibe while I play. Anything uplifting is also good: Post Malone, Miley, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Lizzo, Bruno Mars all come to mind as artists that I frequently put on when I need a pick me up mid session

Ashley Sleeth said:

This depends on so many factors: what bets are you playing right now and which ones would you like to place? Do you work full time, do you have a family or other hobbies that take up your time? Are you familiar with poker programs like solvers?
If you're short on time and playing at low rates, buying a subscription to the best tools/software in the industry will be a waste of your money. You can easily subscribe to training sites like RuTonce or Upswing and watch basic training videos.
If you tell me a little bit more about your personal situation, I can provide more specific advice.

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Hello! I have free time after 18:00 to 23:00)) and one day off I play for small bets but I have ambitions I can double the bank in a few hours))

Hola Hello Ashley, nice to ciber meet you. hope you're doing well. I have a question for you.
I think that if you are reasonable good playing freerolls, I mean, if you can make good seasons wining some first places and doing good in general, making final tables and take some good ITM. You are probably good enough to do the same in high stakes.

I saw many good players on cardschat playing freerrolls and wining, and so bad players on high stakes. That my thinking was. If just that good players playing freerrolls could have the money and dedicated time playing on high stakes, for sure they will do good places on high stakes better than many people already playing big tourneys. What do you think?

Hi Ashley! My name is Anjali, I live in Socal. I'm new to this forum, thanks to you and one of the recent live-coaching youtube videos you did with Jesse. I've been playing poker recreationally for 12 years and only in the past few years was I tired of losing or being afraid of taking risks that I decided to shift, study, and become better. Your live coaching with Jesse has actually been very very useful so THANK YOU. I've learned so much! I also subscribed to Floptimal and a gto solver and over the past 2 months, have seen my play and results increase considerably. Your vlogs made playing poker and learning so approachable because that seems to be your vibe - joyful, open, and humble!

After years of saying I want to play in the WSOP, this will be my first year taking a stab at it, and it couldn't come at a better time, given all the learning and studying I've been doing.

A couple of questions...

I'm a coach in other areas, which tend to be more results-focused. In poker, the strategy/coaching seems to be mostly "don't be results-oriented" and rather making the best decisions in the moment (that lead to results), which is a re-frame but also has been very supportive... Would you agree? And what other mindset tips would you share that help with poker?

I also feel very drawn to playing in more women tournaments and being involved with more womens pokers groups - are you involved in any? Any suggestions there?

And finally, for now - would you ever consider meet-up games? Would be fun!

As I scrolled through this thread and read your thoughtful answers and as I watched your vlogs, thank you for all your dedicated time and honesty. Hope to cross paths someday!

Hey Ashley!


Thank you for your feedback.

You hit the mark with your answer. Perfect! It's exactly the information that interested me.



Thank you and all the best!

Hello how are you?
I was playing with some friends who are just starting out in poker. The cards on the table were J,5, Q, Q, Q in my hand 5, 3 and not his hand came 4.4. He said that he had won because when he leaves with the pair in his hand he is stronger when he does the fullhause. Could you clarify that?

As you play tournaments in early stages you are aggressive?

Ashley, hello.🙂
I was interested to know your opinion about the hand I showed you in my previous post, but you are being asked so many questions and it seems that due to the large volume of people wanting to ask you about something, you missed my question. I will be glad if you still answer.

Chica_bonita said:

Question:
I didn't have a very good game yesterday.
I tried to lure the participant into a trap, but it didn't work.
And, although I understand that taking even a small bank is great, I feel that I did something wrong.
Could you comment on what I did wrong?

Hand #996134090 - Replay Poker

Watch a replay of any hand played on Replay Poker.

www.replaypoker.com

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In the meantime, I thought I'd be interested, how do you feel about pocket top pairs?
The fact is that so many people complain that their JJ, QQ,KK,AA are losing. But, are pocket pairs really that good?
For example, I see a much greater perspective in one-piece connectors than in a pocket pair.

Hi Ashley!
Would you like to know if the MTT field is stronger in Vegas at smaller stakes (a couple of $100 bases) than elsewhere?
Thanks for your reply, you are amazing.