Freeroll Strategy

[hackers238]

I've been playin the pokerchamps freerolls lately, since i don't play for much but microlimit online, and this offers a fun chance to win money. I was wondering if anyone has ideas about a different poker strategy for freerolls.

Because of the bad play and constant all-inning, I tend to play only top 10 hands for the first 30 minutes, which drops the field to about half. Then I begin to play more of my own game.

I've heard people say that you should play the same no matter how many people are left, because in the end getting last is the same as finishing on the bubble. I don't agree with this strategy.

Anyone have any other thoughts?

[omahilo]

in freerolls if I get like KK or AA and you got a raiser and caller in front of you, I will push them allin and you will get aleast one or two callers... builds you a chip leader then you can just wait and play your game. Other than that I usually play tight and wait but I like to double up early in freerolls to make it worth my time and not play 5 hrs and not get anything.

[eddo31]

i think that a freeroll is a significantly different situation than a real money tourney, and that you should adjust your play accordingly. from my experience in the prima freerolls, playing very tight early is key to making the money. as you said, half the field is gone in the first hour, and in that amount of time you have not lost a significant amount of money to blinds. if you play tight early, and then open up your game after the first hour you can place relatively easily.

this advice is aimed primarily at the huge (3000 entrants) freerolls that i used to play. these generally paid out a significant number of player (something like the final 6 tables), so you would obviously have to adjust your play if it was only the final 3 or 4 that got paid.

[Chutups]

In freerolls I just try to double up a ton early on even if I risk my chips, I hate playing for 5+ hours and end up getting nothing at all.

[Defendant]

Well...with all the crappy play out there early in freerolls you will get callers when you push KK/AA so wait for those.

Defendant

[hackers238]

Yeah, I find the same thing. I only play microlimits, so freerolls are obviously a draw for me because comparitively, thats a lot of money!

The Prima Freerolls (I play on Gaming Club) now allow either 6000 or 10,000 people, and pay about 130, making them pretty much a waste of time. I have had difficulty placing in them as of yet, and have won a combined $2 from those tourneys.

THe PokerChamps Freerolls are much easier to beat, but as I just started playing them I have yet to place in the money. They average 550 players, and pay out to 20th. I have finished 27, 29, and 36 last night... close to the money but not in it.

I think that my problem is playing tight at the beginning. I folded every hand for the first half an hour, and almost half the playing field was gone. Then I started slowly moving from only top 10 hands back over to my normal game. I also had a run of cold cards though, not a single hand or pocket pair for 35 minutes, and the blinds brought me down from 1000 to almost 700. I think that if I use this strategy again I will probably place in the money.

[TajaUk]

I dont mind going all in early to dbl up, but tend only to play top hands. This normally see's you through the first hour or so and within reach of the money. If you sit and wait for a great hand its normally worth the wait.

I have won 3 or 4 on the gaming network, 2 on ladbrokes and 1 on stars. They pay very well some of them. Whatever you do tho in them, u will need luck.

[hackers238]

By win, do you mean 1st, or place? If you won first then congratulations!

[Kidd7138]

I play in the Poker Champs freerolls a lot too and my general strategy is to play somewhat tight for the first 2-3 levels, but not to the point where I only see 5 flops I'm not blinded into. Usually I like to have at least 1,500 after level 3, from there on I'll play more aggressively and try to accumulate as many chips as possible until the playing field is really narrowed down. If I have a nice chip stack with ~40 left I'll usually start playing super conservative until I hit the top 20. At that point you usually have to start getting aggressive or the blinds will eat you alive.

[stussy2k]

depending on the set up , i play very loose early trying to get a fiar stack, then conserve a little at the end

[junYUN]

i hate freerolls...wading through 5000 people that play like crap is just not enticing

[GeoffM]

I would actually slow play and great hand I get, as many people within freerolls will get aggrevated that you are a calling station and may try to push you all-in to see if they can take the pot. Happened to me all the time when I use to play them, but I don't have the patience for them anymore.

[BlackCoffee]

You think freeroll tournaments are bad, try freeroll sit-n-gos.
I was in one where 5 of the 10 players were knocked on the first hand.
I wasn't involved but it was hilarious!

BlackCoffee

[sjay2k]

In free-rolls, you just have to play the bully. And yes freerolls are a good way to create a bankroll. I have a couple of accounts on Pacific which are both over $100 that i started by playing freerolls.

[Penguinfan]

Yep, I would rather play in a Stars 2+0 game than a freeroll anytime, they are mind numbing, and you HAVE to turn off the chat box in those things, people's intelligece are often equal to their playing ability.

[TajaUk]

But freerolls encourage players to stay at that site and deposit money there. The raked x amount of hands freerolls are a great idea,

[hackers238]

Speaking of bad freeroll play, I am currently in the gamng club $1000 freeroll that started at 2 pm, and I was just dealt AA in the Big Blind. it was raised to double the BB when it got back to me, and if I called there would be 4 people in the pot. So I re-raised to a total of 4x the BB. And the raiser re-raised me! We both went back and forth doubling the raise until the other two finally left the pot and until he was all in. I won the hand when he flipped over J4o!!! I wouldn't be surprised if the other players accused us of collusion!

[drewjax]

I agree with TajaUK. I hate the total freerolls at the Prima skin sites. but the ones that require 50 raked hands are much better. Instead of 5000 idiots, you get 500-800 players that at least have played poker, for money, in the last day. Place 2nd in one (several months ago mind you), and won $120. Just seems like a much better game to play in.

[Tilter]

Play tight and pretty much be willing to go all the way with like top pair and a good kicker. They will call and raise with nothing early. Its when you get 2-3 hours in that the competition gets decent, except for some of the maniacs who somehow manage to squeak through.

[drewjax]

exactly, its almost IMO like you play 3 seperate gears in those huge NL freerolls. I try to get some chips early, without putting much at risk. I mean the first 2 or 3 levels when the blinds are real low, and just trying to pick up a few hundred chips or so, not even trying to double up. then I really play tight, and let the idiots kill themselves for awhile, and only play truly premium hands. then when you get down toward the end, then you've gotta try to play the comlete game.

[hackers238]

Finally finished in one of those pokerchamps freerolls last night, 17 / 500. Now that they limit it to 500, its much easier than the 900 player games from before. I signed up for the one at 1:30, not sure if I wanted to play, but stuck it out and placed. Feels good .

[stussy2k]

i hate hte 500 cap. i mean, half of them are gonna be gone in the first 3 minutes, why not let everyone register instead of leaving me in the dark a few times.

[drewjax]

Are they still all only for $10 and $20? Its better than nothing of course, so for beginners ok, but really, are those really worth it?

[Kidd7138]

I don't think they're capping all of the freerolls at PokerChamps. I'm playing in the 11:30 right now and theres 587 people registered.

[hackers238]

They shifted caps up to 700 now, but theyre still capped.

I personally like the caps. Because I don't mind registering a little in advance, and it gives you a better shot at the money