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

[jason2626]

Big hay wants to know

How long did it take you to know you wanted to play poker full time. Do you have days you wanted to quit

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

Ashley, I have to say I love your poker blog. Please keep up the great work and dont stop doing them.

The only bad part is I wont get to meet you at the CardsChat meet up at the Colossus as I was unable to go this year. I will say watching your blogs it making me so home sick for Vegas and live poker. Best of luck at the tables.

Hopefully you can come out next summer!

Thank you so much for watching the vlog I'm glad you're enjoying them so far.

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

How long did it take you to know you wanted to play poker full time. Do you have days you wanted to quit

I actually went back and forth for years. I loved cash at first. Then, I got bored of the regs in Vegas. The 2/5 at Bellagio was a nitty game with hardly anyone talking or even trying to have fun. So I left cash games and worked a 9-5. I came back to poker a few years after that and decided to only focus on tournaments. Ever since, I've loved it!!

So to answer your question, I knew I wanted to play poker full time after 5 years of dabbling back and forth. Yes, there were times I wanted to quit or thought I didn't have what it takes. But constantly learning new things about this game is what keeps me playing. (Plus those times when you run really hot and can win something make all the down times worth it.)

 

[pirateglenn]

Hi Ashley,

its great to have someone onboard with CC with your level of playing live poker - my question is - what in your opinion has been the biggest changes you have seen in live poker over the years and what changes (if any) would you like to see - to attract and keep players coming back for more?

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

Hi Ashley,

its great to have someone onboard with CC with your level of playing live poker - my question is - what in your opinion has been the biggest changes you have seen in live poker over the years and what changes (if any) would you like to see - to attract and keep players coming back for more?

Hey Glenn-

Thanks for your question. One of the biggest changes I've seen in live poker is the emphasis on live streaming and individual content creation. I think Jason Somerville (aka JCarver on Twitch) had a major impact on the game in that way. He was the catalyst for changing how we view poker-- moving it away from TV/Costly production to the individual/grass roots type of content. I started a poker vlog because I believe that when beginner players see the ins and outs of life as a poker player, they feel more comfortable trying it out themselves.

Changes that I'd like to see going forward to attract and keep players returning:
1) I would like to see poker rooms embracing filming and content creation more. I believe it's one of the biggest drivers of NEW players to their rooms and thus should be encouraged. It markets their room, their staff and their customer service. Makes people feel familiar with the space before they ever step foot in that casino. It's a win-win.
2) I would love to see more surveys conducted that ask women what holds them back from playing poker at casinos and what would encourage them to play in the future.
3) I would love for vloggers/Twitch streamers to conduct their own surveys asking their following whether or not they made an impact on how often they played poker.

 

[pirateglenn]

Thank you Ashley

Hey Glenn-

Thanks for your question. One of the biggest changes I've seen in live poker is the emphasis on live streaming and individual content creation. I think Jason Somerville (aka JCarver on Twitch) had a major impact on the game in that way. He was the catalyst for changing how we view poker-- moving it away from TV/Costly production to the individual/grass roots type of content. I started a poker vlog because I believe that when beginner players see the ins and outs of life as a poker player, they feel more comfortable trying it out themselves.

Changes that I'd like to see going forward to attract and keep players returning:
1) I would like to see poker rooms embracing filming and content creation more. I believe it's one of the biggest drivers of NEW players to their rooms and thus should be encouraged. It markets their room, their staff and their customer service. Makes people feel familiar with the space before they ever step foot in that casino. It's a win-win.
2) I would love to see more surveys conducted that ask women what holds them back from playing poker at casinos and what would encourage them to play in the future.
3) I would love for vloggers/Twitch streamers to conduct their own surveys asking their following whether or not they made an impact on how often they played poker.

Thank you Ashley for taking the time out to reply to my questions - i agree that poker rooms could do so much more and are missing a trick somewhat with what they are not doing as opposed to the directions they are currently taking, i think the market needs to encourage all genders fully to participate and i especially liked your comment on surveying women on what holds them back - i play a great deal of live poker here in the UK and i can see the trend changing here but not as fast as it should!
Twitch is a powerful tool and again there is more that can be done here - its lead generation business and i would also like to see Vloggers/streamers offer more feedback.

 

[Tsjai]

Hi Ashley!
Thank you for your vlogs on YouTube.
My wife was interested in learning poker but she was very carefull. Now she is getting more motivated and comfortable playing after seeing your vlogs. So thanks for that!
Where did you buy/stole/received that CardsChat Cardprotector? That's a nifty little thing!

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

Hi Ashley!
Thank you for your vlogs on YouTube.
My wife was interested in learning poker but she was very carefull. Now she is getting more motivated and comfortable playing after seeing your vlogs. So thanks for that!
Where did you buy/stole/received that CardsChat Cardprotector? That's a nifty little thing!

Thank you!! I love hearing that your wife is interested in learning poker! I have a new video coming out for CardsChat's YouTube channel that talks all about what to expect when playing your first live poker tournament. I hope she gets something out of it and feels inspired to give it a try!

I was given the card protector by the one and only Debi here at CC

 

[cowboybebop]

I wanted to ask how do you play when you are irrtated.Any tips for the style of play.I always lose when im irritated so thats my big problem.

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

I wanted to ask how do you play when you are irrtated.Any tips for the style of play.I always lose when im irritated so thats my big problem.

Try thinking about your poker game on a spectrum from your A-Game (playing your best) to your C-Game (playing your worst). In your case, when you're irritated and playing poorly, that's when you know you're playing your C-game. Instead of comparing your C-game to those time when you're playing your A-game, focus on making your C-game better every time. If you tend to be too aggressive when you're irritated, try noticing that and actively give yourself a better reason for making the next play other than 'I'm irritated and don't have any more patience'.
(This concept is taken from Jared Tendler's book "The Mental Game of Poker". I highly recommend it.)

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

What's your best advice for players who want to play in a casino for the first time? My first 5 tips are in my newest CardsChat video on YouTube:

 

[Notsoyoungrich]

Hi Ashley,

I’ve never played live poker other than a few home games with friends. I live in Calgary and the wsop is coming in January. I want to dabble in it just to say I was there. How do I start? Do I try the first tournament see if I won money then pay to get into the main event? Or do I try to satellite to the main event through the live event? I’m so torn

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

Hi Ashley,

I’ve never played live poker other than a few home games with friends. I live in Calgary and the WSOP is coming in January. I want to dabble in it just to say I was there. How do I start? Do I try the first tournament see if I won money then pay to get into the main event? Or do I try to satellite to the main event through the live event? I’m so torn

That’s awesome! The answer to what you play depends on your bankroll for tournaments and if you have played satellites before. Satellite strategy is much different than regular tournaments so if you feel more comfortable at regular tournaments, maybe try playing the smaller events beforehand?

Either way, good luck at the tables and have a blast!

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

Happy New Year! I'm so excited for 2022 and continuing to meet all of you here at CardsChat.If you're interested in meeting in person, I'll be posting my monthly poker schedule so you can join and say hi!

January 2022:
1/12-1/24- Las Vegas- cash/MTTs at the Venetian and Wynn
1/25-1/31- Austin, TX- Brad Owen/Andrew Neeme/Doug Polk Meet Up Game week

Good luck at the tables!

 

[Debi]

Happy New Year! I'm so excited for 2022 and continuing to meet all of you here at CardsChat.If you're interested in meeting in person, I'll be posting my monthly poker schedule so you can join and say hi!

January 2022:
1/12-1/24- Las Vegas- cash/MTTs at the Venetian and Wynn
1/25-1/31- Austin, TX- Brad Owen/Andrew Neeme/Doug Polk Meet Up Game week

Good luck at the tables!

Oh that meet up game week in Austin sounds like fun! Will be excited to hear how that goes.

 

[AKQ]

Happy New Year! I'm so excited for 2022 and continuing to meet all of you here at CardsChat.If you're interested in meeting in person, I'll be posting my monthly poker schedule so you can join and say hi!

January 2022:
1/12-1/24- Las Vegas- cash/MTTs at the Venetian and Wynn
1/25-1/31- Austin, TX- Brad Owen/Andrew Neeme/Doug Polk Meet Up Game week

Good luck at the tables!

I'm soo jealous!!
Watch out for Neemes ABC poker and pick off Polks dumb semi-bluffs with big reraises on the TURN!
Have a great time and kick butt!!

fyi matusow gonna be there too

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

I'm soo jealous!!
Watch out for Neemes ABC poker and pick off Polks dumb semi-bluffs with big reraises on the TURN!
Have a great time and kick butt!!

fyi matusow gonna be there too

Haha okay I will. Thanks for the tip. And I didn’t know Matusow was going too. Should be a great time.

 

[blkmoney12]

Is this the type of live tournament I should be playing in?

Good morning to u Ashley Sleeth I need a bit of advice. I'm thinking about on February 11th playing at my local casino near Pittsburgh. It is a $500 Buy in tournament. I have not play any live poker in two years since the pandemic started or I should say close to 2 years. What advice would you give someone like me to get back into playing live poker and do you think that this type of tournament would be appropriate for me to enter. I'm very interested to hear your thoughts on this get back to me when you get this message it's no hurry thank you and have a nice day good-bye.

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

Good morning to u Ashley Sleeth I need a bit of advice. I'm thinking about on February 11th playing at my local casino near Pittsburgh. It is a $500 Buy in tournament. I have not play any live poker in two years since the pandemic started or I should say close to 2 years. What advice would you give someone like me to get back into playing live poker and do you think that this type of tournament would be appropriate for me to enter. I'm very interested to hear your thoughts on this get back to me when you get this message it's no hurry thank you and have a nice day good-bye.

Hey there! This is tough to answer without knowing a lot of other variables BUT I'll try. If a $500 buy in is what you normally played before the pandemic, I'd say go for it. You're only going to get back into the swing of things by playing. If a $500 buy in is a little bigger than you usually played, maybe you could play a smaller buy in beforehand to shake off the rust and feel better prepared for the $500.

Good luck!

 

[blkmoney12]

Something I for got to mention

Hey there! This is tough to answer without knowing a lot of other variables BUT I'll try. If a $500 buy in is what you normally played before the pandemic, I'd say go for it. You're only going to get back into the swing of things by playing. If a $500 buy in is a little bigger than you usually played, maybe you could play a smaller buy in beforehand to shake off the rust and feel better prepared for the $500.

Good luck!

Ashley Sleeth thank you for answering my post. There's a couple things in the post to begin with. First thing it is a freeze out and they're only taking the first 150 players the last time they did this it sold out before the tournament even began. I never played in a $500 Buy in Tournament in my entire poker life. Those are the details I forgot to mention. Most of the bank roll I have made in poker has been made online I have played live tournaments like Pub leagues and the casino tournament on occasion but never anything this big. So this would be a very brand new experience for me speaking to Twitch streamers who stream poker content. They say the $500 live by in tournament it's not as difficult as it would be if I play in a $500 tournament online. There is no smaller buy-in tournaments where I live this makes the decision even tougher how would you go about this say you. PS there are no satellites for this tournament.

 

[Vegas77]

Hi Ashley,

Thanks so much for doing this. I've been playing since I was 10 years old, but didn't get serious until a few years ago when I started playing online at WSOP. I pretty much got schooled there about how to really play poker, except I can't seem to get to a place where I can win consistently. I've won about 4 tournaments so far, nothing over $135 per win. I'm a girl and I want to kick ass on the poker table. What should I do?

 

[Vegas77]

Hey Tamra!
Congrats on all of your wins Sounds like you're doing some things right.

If you find yourself making 'stupid mistakes' a lot, consider jotting down what happened beforehand that led up to those bad plays. (Were you tilted? Were you getting tired? Were you card dead and then overplayed the first good hand you saw?) After a while, you might find a pattern and can stop yourself before the mistakes happen and reset.

Also, for me, if I pretend that I'm telling a friend what I think the opponent has throughout the entire hand, then I'm much less likely to make random plays.

hope that helps!

Hi Ashley,

Thank you so much. I like your advice alot about telling a friend, and I do find that after about 1.5 hrs in a tourney, I start to get punchy. Good luck to you and thanks again!! Tamra

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

Ashley Sleeth thank you for answering my post. There's a couple things in the post to begin with. First thing it is a freeze out and they're only taking the first 150 players the last time they did this it sold out before the tournament even began. I never played in a $500 Buy in Tournament in my entire poker life. Those are the details I forgot to mention. Most of the bank roll I have made in poker has been made online I have played live tournaments like Pub leagues and the casino tournament on occasion but never anything this big. So this would be a very brand new experience for me speaking to Twitch streamers who stream poker content. They say the $500 live by in tournament it's not as difficult as it would be if I play in a $500 tournament online. There is no smaller buy-in tournaments where I live this makes the decision even tougher how would you go about this say you. PS there are no satellites for this tournament.

It’s true that a $500 live tournament is much easier skill-wise than a $500 event online. That being said, if it’s a buyin that will make you too nervous to take risks while playing, it might be too big. Only you can know if your play will be negatively affected by the stakes. So all I can suggest is to just be honest with yourself and go from there There will always be another tournament down the road.

 

[Ashley Sleeth]

Hi Ashley,

Thanks so much for doing this. I've been playing since I was 10 years old, but didn't get serious until a few years ago when I started playing online at WSOP. I pretty much got schooled there about how to really play poker, except I can't seem to get to a place where I can win consistently. I've won about 4 tournaments so far, nothing over $135 per win. I'm a girl and I want to kick ass on the poker table. What should I do?

Hey! It sounds like you’re on the right track by playing online. It’s the best way to see lots of hands and get tons of experience. To improve quickly, it’s great to look at your hand replayer in between sessions (ideally with a friend who is better than you at poker or even a coach!) so you can spot mistakes. The key is to take what you learn off the table and apply it while you play! Once you get more practice applying those new lessons while you play, you’ll be winning in no time!
The best resources for you to study depends on your skill level and budget. For a beginner level, searching for free study tools on YouTube (like Solve for Why) or on CardsChat will help you right away. (As you get more advanced and are making money, it will make sense to start paying for advanced study tools.)

 

[whiskers77]

ideally with a friend who is better than you at poker or even a coach

I am just picking this now of your answer. I am wondering, how would you recommend about doing like this? I had already several friends here at CC about whom I thought,
oh, they are talented, but maybe they fail in brm or have some sort of tilt.
How would you help them?
And I always think, something needs to be done about this to help them to improve