In poker, a freeroll is a tournament where no buy-in is required to start playing. This allows all types of players to access the competition, alleviating the commitment of their bankroll and encouraging a better control of the chips, which can be used directly in the game without the need to commit to the payment of an entry fee.
Often, what the buy-in does is sift players by bankroll. Those who cannot afford to pay the buy-in will not be able to compete. On the other hand, a freeroll in poker allows any player to enter, skipping the buy-in.
What are freerolls in poker?
Poker freeroll tournaments are competitions where no entry fee is paid, but which clearly reward those who finish in the first positions. That is to say, in exchange for not paying the entry fee, those who are in the highest positions on the list can win a cash prize. Hence the popularity of poker freerolls: they require little to enter, and can offer a significant sum depending on how the prize pool has been enlarged.
Normally, these freeroll tournaments in poker form a system of satellite tournaments, which are used to play and obtain an extraordinary place in the Main Event. That is, those who are left out of the first qualifier have a second chance to register for the tournament, playing one of these freerolls. In poker there are few second chances, and this is one of the few that can be taken advantage of.
Strategies for poker freeroll tournaments
Considering the opportunity these freeroll tournaments provide, you have to know how to play them well. To make these freeroll strategies pay off, follow these tips and you’ll be closer to that coveted seat.
Play soft at the beginning
Poker freerolls are a good detector of impatience. It’s not uncommon to see that on the first hand a wild player has gone all-in, or they start bluffing desperately. This is a mistake you should avoid. Just by doing so, you will get the unwary to discard themselves. That’s already a first step!
Be aggressive, you have little to lose
Advising you not to be kamikaze doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aggressive. Because you have to be. Remember that in a freeroll you have very little to lose, so it lends itself to go a little further in these games. But always with your head, of course.
Keep in mind that, on average, the level of the players who play freerolls is quite low. Or lower compared to what you will find in the Main Event of the main tournament. Be aggressive, smart and merciless. It’s the right place and the right time to showcase yourself.
Strong hand, strong bet
If you have a strong hand, it’s time to punch the table. Don’t hold back, let them know. Take back your play. By being wild you’ll get the bets to start firing. Remember that freerolls are explosive tournaments, where all you have to do is give the others a reason to take the maximum risk. With your hand, you are quite likely to beat them if you play smart, so it’s worth a try.
Go for the big stacks
Your ticket to the tournament may be just a big stack away. These players, who are usually not good, but have managed to accumulate a large amount of money, usually do so by stringing together bad beats from others, or with a stroke of luck.
Big stacks almost always play every hand, and provoking them is a good way, with a strong hand, to make them start to loosen up. In addition, these players usually bet more heavily the more they lose in order to try to double the bet to recover previous losses, a mistake that always costs dearly. It is a good way to take advantage of them to climb positions and fight for that place.
How to play freeroll tournaments in PPPoker
These are just some of the many tips you can follow to win a freeroll tournament. As you can see, it is not only important to know what kind of competition we are in (knowing what freerolls are in poker is more theoretical than anything else, and only allows you to identify this kind of games and differentiate them from other tournaments), but how to make others start risking their funds to allow you to climb positions in the table.
Because it’s not just about winning the thing, it’s about amassing more reward money than the rest. In the tournament rankings the positions depend on the amount of prize money accumulated; therefore, places will only be awarded to those who occupy the top positions according to the volume of their rewards for their deeds in the freerolls.
It is clear, therefore, that a freeroll is a tournament where you can play hard. You have to be aggressive, intimidating, fast, ruthless to provoke your opponents and push them to make stronger and stronger bets.
To play freerolls on PPPoker, just enter the “Tournaments” section, filter your search and select those with no entry fee or buy-in to start enjoying all the action of these tournaments on PPPoker.