Introduction To Freeroll Poker Tournaments

There are various types of freeroll tournaments to play online. The most obvious of these is known as a new player free-roll tournament, designed as an incentive for new players to register an account. When you sign up with most of the online poker rooms, they will offer you freeroll entry tickets so you can experience the game, and then perhaps offer ongoing freeroll entries to ensure you stay with them.

Freeroll poker tournaments range from regular daily events with small cash prizes, up to huge global tournaments with thousands of players and great prizes. They cost nothing to enter, there are no buy-in or entry fees to play in the tournament.and time is all you'll lose. Some freerolls have entry requirements which must be met before free entry is allowed. You should make sure of the requirements with individual online poker rooms.

Many online poker players do find poker tournaments a little bit scary to play in, so these freerolls are great for new players. Prizes can range from player points and cash, to entrance into additional online poker tournaments or even a seat at one of many real life tournaments in places all over the world.

Your chances of success in freeroll tournaments depend on your ability to play them effectively. Because of their nature, there is a lot of loose play. Players have not had to pay an entry fee, so they can be less careful with their game. You'll find this especially during the early stages, when the less experienced players are still in. This makes some spectacular opportunities available to you, providing you use the most effective poker strategy. Of course, this also gives some potential problems because with many players betting on virtually any hand, it's difficult to get a read on those hands.

So, during the early stages of any freeroll you're likely to witness some wild play.

Players will make huge bets with rubbish hands, because they've got nothing to lose - and because they'll mistakenly be trying to get an early lead by playing any hand. Of course, you are trying to build a big stack, but the secret is in patient balanced play, taking the right risks at the right time.

Until the blinds rise, go all in with AA, KK, and AK suited. You're likely to get called and be favourite to win the pot. The risk is you get a bad beat, but it's cost you nothing. Be patient and wait for these hands, but you can also follow this strategy if you're in mid-late position and there has not been any raise of more than 4 times the minimum. In this case, you can add A-K off suit, A-Q suited, A-Q off-suit, and Q-Q to the list of hands to play all in.

Pocket pairs are also good to play in the early stages. If you're in mid-late position, raise up to 4 times the minimum with any pair over 6-6. If in early position, then call. You can also carefully play any suited hand with an A or K, and any suited connectors above 98 suited.

After the flop in the early stages of a freeroll.

Assuming other players stay in and you get to see the flop, you'll then need to know the best strategy for playing onwards. When you're holding top pair or two pairs, then bet 4 times the minimum - but fold if raised to more than 50% of your chip stack unless you have the top two pair and there's no chance of a straight or flush. If you're holding a pair but there are overcards, or a possible flush or straight, then bet twice the minimum.If you're lucky, and hit a monster hand on the flop - including trips, straights, and full houses - the best strategy is to slow play in an attempt to draw more chips into the pot.

If you miss on the flop, it may be worth throwing another big bet in. By playing only the right hands, the advantage will most likely still be with you.

Latter freeroll stages

Well, you've made it through the early stakes. Most of the inexperienced and loose players will either be gone, or sitting on huge stacks and now playing a tighter game. Your aim now is to make it to the money, remember that often it's not only first place that pays out a prize, but there will be cash for runners up as well. Now the blinds are bigger, and you won't be able to sit and wait or you'll be wiped out by the size of the blinds. Clearly, this doesn't mean playing with obviously bad hands, but position is important and this is something you can use. The strategy now is basically 'fold or raise'. Raising makes other players have to beat you, and doesn't allow them to get cheap cards. Remember raise or fold, if you can't go all in, then fold. The standard raise at this point are either four times minimum, match the pot size, the amount of the shortest stack, or in a head to head, the amount that your opponent has left.

At this stage, you'll find yourself up against some short stacks, where players may make desperate decisions. The strategy here is to force all in play if the situation is right. You may also find hands where a number of players seem to want a fight with all-ins. The right thing here is to fold unless you have a monster hand. Remember if one player goes out, you're one place higher automatically.

In these latter stages, the hands to raise with are AA, KK, and A-K suited from any position, with A-K suited a possible fold if re-raised and this will force you all-in. If you're in mid-late position, add A-K offsuit, A-Q suited, A-Q offsuit, and Q-Q. Raise to 4 times minimum with 9-9 or better. The other options are to call a raise up to 20% of your chipstack, or fold. You can also play off suit high cards such as A-J, A-T, K-Q, K-J, but should be prepared to fold on any re-raise. In early position, you can play pairs above 9-9 or suited connectors by limping in.

After the flop, if there is a pair, overcards, or a straight or flush possibility then call twice the minimum, and call raises up to 4 times minimum or 20% of your stack. Fold to any bets bigger than this.

With bigger hands try to slow play, but if there are no takers then put in a big raise and end it there. The idea is to prevent a bad beat from someone making a good hand on the turn or river. At this stage of the tournament it's important not to show any weakness. Because you're playing with big hands, and you bet big before the flop but miss, you probably still have the advantage. Going all-in will be required at least once and possibly several times in order to win, just make sure you have something worthwhile in your hand.

The final table

Well, now you've made it to the final table of a freeroll poker tournament. Focus now on finishing as high up as possible. Position and stack size should determine your actions at this stage. You will be in one of three positions regarding stack:

Serious short stack - this is where the next round of blinds will force you all-in. There are two ways to play - all-in or fold. In late position you can act based on action in front of you. With one or two players in front and neither has gone all-in, then go all-in with any ace or any pair. Also consider any single K,Q, or J. If there are more than two still in the betting, limit your play to pairs of 8-8 upwards, or Ax suited or unsuited, and Kx suited. In early position consider all-in with any pair or any A,K, or Q, unless there's an all-in already in front of you. If there's more than one then let them battle it out, unless you've got a monster AA or KK. When one goes out, remember you move up.

Short stack - you have enough for 2 or 3 more rounds of blinds. Now is the time for some different strategies. One win is all it takes to build up your stack. All hands will require an all-in or a substantial bet. You may consider using 40% of your stack for raises, or if you prefer a set amount. Take note of who is already committed to a pot, short stacks or big stacks. Play more hands in early position where there are few players behind you. With AA or KK, raise 40% or more of your stack. Fold if two players are already all-in in front of you, otherwise you can go all-in and hope to go heads-up. Raise nicely on pairs 88 aand above., but fold if reraised or someone goes all-in against you.

Comfortable - middle position or higher. There are basically two playimg options here - either play a lot of hands or fold a lot of hands. Use the short stack strategy if you want to fold most hands, but make bigger raises. Follow the same hand rules but raise or call the raises to everything you play. If you want to play a lot of hands, you need to limp in regularly, challenging all limping short stacks. Use any single A,K,Q,J, any pair, or any one or two gap cards, suited or not. This will only work on a tight table, as it's wild play.

Top stack - leading or second position. Your aim here is to challenge the short stacks to heads up when you can. Make them go all-in or just call their all-in bet with virtually any two cards. For all other players you can raise three or five times before the flop if they are limping. Play with pairs 8-8 and over, suited face cards and Ax suited. Watch your position and play aggressively if in first or last.

The last few players

The strategy at this point is to avoid confrontation. Let the other knock themselves out if you can.If they're not playing aggressively, then don't be afraid to get involved. You can bet 4 times minimum, or around 50% of your stack with single face cards and any pair.

Heads up

Raise every hand, but fold if you have a weak hand and its re-raised. Don't go all-in preflop unless you're holding AA or KK. Ideally you want a hand like 9-6 suited, and flop trips, a full house, or straight. Slow play if this happens. Only bet on the river if there's nothing from your opponent.