One of the luxuries of playing online poker is the endless number of freerolls offered by poker rooms on daily basis. A freeroll is a muti-table poker tournament which requires no entry fee and awards a set prize pool paid by the sponsoring room. The poker room may also give away various other prizes such as gifts and entries into other real money tournaments. Freeroll prize pools vary from site to site as the larger more well known rooms tend to offer smaller prizes compared to the new rooms looking to expand their player databases. You will find most freeroll prize pools range between $100 to $1,000. Depending on the popularity of the room, you will be up against a filed of 500 up to 3,000 players.
Below are some tips you should follow when entering a freeroll tournament.
1.) Time is Valuable: Even though a freeroll costs you nothing, your still investing several hours of time into the contest- therefore treat the event as a real money tournament. Many players are carelessly pushing all-in with marginal hands and simply try to double up early to build a large chip stack for the later stages. You should respect your opponent’s raises and be aware that many of them are going to commit their hand and push all-in. Unlike a real money multi-table tournament, instead of players starting out tight and conservative early in the game you will notice a loose aggressive style in the first couple of rounds.
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2.) Selective Aggression: Keep in mind you will be seated at a full table for the majority of the tournament with players being knocked out left and right. More importantly there will be new players moved to your table often and you be moved from time to time. This leaves little time pick up on your opponent’s playing style, strengths, or weaknesses. For this reason it’s important you play your hands strong and be prepared to be tested. If you’re playing pocket Kings or Queens and see a flop which helps, don’t slow play. Keep pushing the aggressive momentum with strong bets and if you are re-raised be ready to put your opponent all-in. Most players are willing to put their tournament life at risk on a draw and if you put them to the test they will likely pay you off.
3.) Table Position is Important: Anytime you are able to limp in from a strong table position you should take the opportunity. Say for example your dealt 10 J suited and you are last to act. Only one player has limped in, the rest have folded and the action is over to you- take the opportunity to limp in here. The small blind and big blind are most likely holding weak hands so your chances of being raised pre-flop are slim. Now if you are first to act holding the same hand with the betting just under way, best you fold your hand and not take the chance of being raised into a pot your have a marginal chance of winning. Position is critical as blinds increase fast and chip stacks are drastically changing, you should look for cheap flops throughout the tournament.
4.) Don’t Bluff: This is not the time or place you want to start showing off your bluffing skills. Most of the advanced players participating in a freeroll are often playing at multiple sites, several freerolls at a time. They are willing to call you down to the river with just about anything. If they are involved in a hand, they are most likely holding top pair, or better. If you are able to make the final table, and you’re holding a solid chip lead- then you are free to make some positional raises, semi-bluffs, buy pots, etc. Until that point, I highly recommend you stay away from the bluffing strategy until most of the field has been knocked out and you are down to the final stages of the tournament.
5.) Avoid Chasing: Keep in mind- being knocked out of a freeroll doesn’t come with the same sting as being felted from a $200+20 tournament. Instead of taking a financial hit and being limited with future tournament play, all you have to do is sign up again. For this reason avoid chasing. Players are playing in all-in mode most of the time. Chances are you will miss your draw and you will end paying the price on the river. If you feel you must chase, be ready to commit your entire stack to the hand and limit yourself with this dangerous strategy. In the end chasing during a freeroll will result in an all-in raise from your opponent putting your tournament life at risk on a draw.
Written by Dan Cooper
