Andrew Ashbey of Lafayette, La., formerly played poker for a living through college and for a short time after he graduated. Normally a cash-game regular, Ashbey has earned more than $100K in tournaments throughout the gulf coast states. I recently had a chance to chat with him, and you can catch his blog at holdonetime.blogspot.com.
You no longer play regularly. Why the change and what do you do now? It was never something I wanted to do for a long period of time; it just ended up that way. But it allowed me to have the freedom to do whatever I wanted and not answer to anyone. Once I was able to get a job that paid enough money to justify not playing poker as much anymore, I chose that option. I wasn’t always a fan of the poker lifestyle and the effects it had on me as a person.
How often do you play now and where? I’ll play cash every now and then at L’Auberge Du Lac in Lake Charles, La., or around Lafayette, La. I try to play all the circuit main events around the gulf coast; I really like the structure of those tourneys and the prize pools are large enough.
When we’d be in Vegas during the WSOP each summer, I’d mainly play at the Venetian every day. The game there is always really good plus they have the most comfortable chairs and the best quesadillas ever.
What was your most memorable tournament experience? The $550 WPT prelim event I won at the Beau Rivage back in ’07 for $87,511. I had only been 21 for a few months and we decided to go for a week or so. I had run extremely bad over the course of that week. The morning of the tournament, I had decided to leave Biloxi, and a friend convinced me to stay at the last minute, which turned out to be great advice.
Who are the your closest poker friends? Tim “Ragin’ Cajun” Hebert and I came up at the same time, but he was always slightly ahead of all the other young players talent-wise, myself included. We would play at bars and cardrooms all over Lafayette. … When I finally turned 21, I started going on the road with him. He was my first poker friend that I would actually discuss hands and strategy with. I actually met (Jonathon) Poche through Tim back in 2007 and he became one of my good friends as well and is the only other person I really discussed poker with.
What do you like most about blogging about your poker experiences? I actually like blogging about going out, having fun, meeting people in Vegas, etc., a lot more than talking actual poker. Blogging about cash games every day is boring . . . I don’t really enjoy it too much outside of Vegas.
— Matt Stroud is Ante Up’s Louisiana Ambassador. Email him at matt.anteup@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @acadianapkrplyr and visit facebook.com/acadianapokerplay ers.
