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

Ashley Sleeth said:

My favorite overseas place to play by far is The Crown in Melbourne, Australia as part of the Aussie Millions tournaments series. There is so much to do! The Australian Open always happens at the same time and you can literally walk to the tennis courts from Crown. If you love breakfast and/or coffee as much as I do, Melbourne tops the list with an amazing variety of places to try. If you're more of a dinner date night person, they have you covered too. The property itself is huge. The poker room is full of friendly dealers and players; Aussies keep the table social and light-hearted. It has a mall, 'gold class' movie theater, food court, tennis courts and amazing high end restaurants. It borders the Yarra River where it does a fire and light show every night on the hour. The beach is a bike ride away. Wine vineyards line the drive all the way to where you can see hoards of penguins! It's just the best city for poker and makes busting tournaments feel quite alright.

Click to expand...

belladonna05 said:

I've done one trip and the Crown and walking the city outside the casino is a must! I loved it there, hope I can make it back one day. I dubbed the city New York, but with it's shit together ( and I love NY) .


I saw you make a cameo in the latest Brad Owen video, how well did you do in that game?

I'm retired so usually play the 1/2 cash games in Vegas, I've been told the 2/5's are much more profitable with much of the same play, what are your thoughts on that?


As a casual woman poker player I have one really burning question. How many dollars would you have if you had one for every time a guy at the table uttered "women can't play poker"

Click to expand...

Debi said:

How many WSOP events will you be participating in this year and which ones are you most excited about?

Click to expand...

Ashley Sleeth said:

I think I won a small amount at that Meet Up game. Nothing crazy.

I haven't played 1/2 in a while, but there tends to be more gamble at the 2/5 tables with a lot more money on the table. There are some pros at 2/5, but nobody who will make the game too tough for you. Give it a shot!

As far as your burning question goes: I've actually never been told straight up 'women can't play poker'. There have only been random comments about my play, but I've seen men get those comments too.

Click to expand...

Tammy said:

Ok, I was just watching your podcast on YouTube, and first off - you seem super fun and tell some great stories. I hope we get to hang out sometime, because I'm sure it will be a blast.


One question I have though, and this is totally random because it doesn't really have to do with poker (at least I don't think it does).... what is "Werewolves"?


For everyone else who may not have seen Ashley's podcast, you can catch it right here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHpdN_P9xGo

Click to expand...

belladonna05 said:

1. Nice to the little bit at the meetup.


2. I'll have to give 2/5 a shot in my upcoming trip, none around these parts but our 1/2 seems to turn into similar with button and utg straddles being the norm. plus the buy in is capped at the largest stack at the table which is usually over 1k.

3. It must be a regional hoosier thing, cause I'd have a huuuuge bankroll for every time it's been said to me (not that those saying it haven't in some small part contributed already)

Click to expand...

Debi said:

I know you are busy at the WSOP - but when you get a chance I have a question for you.

I didn't realize until I listened to your podcast that you are a dancer. Do you feel that dancing prepared you in any way for your future as a poker player? I know that you have to exercise a lot of control as a dancer. Also - dancing tells a story, so I feel there is some "acting" involved in a dance.

Have you ever thought about the possible connections to poker or am I stretching?

Click to expand...

Ashley Sleeth said:

Ask me anything

Click to expand...

Ashley Sleeth said:

If anyone is coming to the WSOP, I'll start posting my weekly schedule in this thread. Feel free to come say hi and introduce yourself

10/9- $1,500 Millionaire Maker (WSOP)
10/11- $1,000 Ladies Event (WSOP)
10/12- $1,100 MSPT (Venetian)
10/13- $1,000 NLH (WSOP)-->$1,100 MSPT (Venetian)
10/14- $1,100 MSPT (Venetian) OR Day Off

Click to expand...

johnnylawford said:

Hi Ashley, how did you start out with building a big enough bank roll to play professionally? Did you spend a long time grinding out smaller wins over time, or find a big score that let you move up stakes quickly?

Also, when do you decide to move up stakes? Do you ever take shots with 100% of yourself, or do you always sell action if you're buying into events outside of your normal buy-in range?

Thanks for this thread, good luck in your events!

Click to expand...

martinlgs said:

Ashley was very successful in tournaments.
For this year I will be looking forward to meeting you in person .. I hope to do so later.
Get out of Las Vegas with a bracelet

Click to expand...

Jillychemung said:

Any tips for the food at the Rio?
Quickest options?
Cheapest options?
Places to stock up on water/drinks/snacks to take to the table?

I'll be bringing some snacks with me but will want options to pick up more and of course I'd like to relax during the longer breaks.

Click to expand...

Ashley Sleeth said:

Hi Johnny-

I have an atypical poker experience purely because my backer is my fiancé, who won millions in just one tournament. He is also my coach and is very honest with me about when he thinks I'm ready for certain events. I've been fortunate enough to be able to play mid-stakes tournaments for the last few years, but will have to work really hard to move up to bigger buy-ins than what I currently play. When there is one big event, I sell to friends who I talk poker with on the side. I didn't sell a package for this WSOP because I wasn't sure what my schedule was going to look like. So if I lose across the series, I'll be in makeup (owe money to backer). If I win, I get 60% and my fiancé/backer gets 40%.

Click to expand...

Debi said:

It is definitely atypical and fortunate but - I love that you both still treat it like a business deal. Otherwise it could be awkward in your relationship

Click to expand...

Ashley Sleeth said:

Hi Johnny-

I have an atypical poker experience purely because my backer is my fiancé, who won millions in just one tournament. He is also my coach and is very honest with me about when he thinks I'm ready for certain events. I've been fortunate enough to be able to play mid-stakes tournaments for the last few years, but will have to work really hard to move up to bigger buy-ins than what I currently play. When there is one big event, I sell to friends who I talk poker with on the side. I didn't sell a package for this WSOP because I wasn't sure what my schedule was going to look like. So if I lose across the series, I'll be in makeup (owe money to backer). If I win, I get 60% and my fiancé/backer gets 40%.

Click to expand...