Every online poker player understands the idea behind a freeroll poker tournament — after all, they’re one of the things that online poker sites do better than any brick and mortar facility — but there’s more to these free poker tournaments than just throwing your chips into the ring and praying. We’re going to offer up five tips that will help you play better in them.
Play In Many Freerolls, Play Them Well
You may not be able to win every freeroll you play in (see the next item,) but since they’re free, you should give yourself as many chances as possible to win. Bovada hosts freerolls that award real money as well as seats in other events, so take advantage of our aggressive schedule and do your best, every time.
However, Losses Happen
Yes, it’s negative, but you have to be prepared to lose when playing in freerolls. Variance is much higher in freeroll poker tournaments and many times even the best players end up on the sidelines. Don’t focus on expecting to win every time, instead play your best and understand that it’s frequently not your fault if you lose.
In The Beginning, You Should Be Tight
The start of a freeroll is, in a word, madness. Players who use luck more than skill are going to push in right away with any two cards that look remotely playable and hope to double up as quickly as possible. This means that there’s a sharp drop off in the number of players and there are always going to be a few players with a sizable lead over the rest of the pack.
The thing is, these players aren’t going to win most of the time. Sit tight and wait for the good hands and wait for your turn to double up. Don’t take it personally if you end up busting out. As I said earlier, it’s only around the corner.
Some Players Sit Out
If you look around your table at a freeroll, you’re going to see some players that aren’t playing. This is because they’ve signed up for the tournament but missed the start of the event. His or her blinds are going to be up for grabs for anyone who raises preflop and doesn’t face any competition.
The Game Will Change
As we mentioned, the start of any freeroll is, for lack of a better word, a frenzy. That rapid drop in the number of players is going to slow down at a certain point, however and more skillful players will begin to actually play poker instead of depending on luck. Good tournament players are able to quickly identify and adapt to changes in the game.
The next time you play in a freeroll poker tournament, use these tips to help ensure that you have the best possible chance of making it into the money. It can take a while to get the hang of freerolls, so be bold and enter as many as you can. Eventually you’ll get the swing of them and pass those final hurdles to get into the money.