"its only a freeroll"

I'll apologize up front as this may offend some ppl. I'm sorry, but i've heard this mantra so much i call it the idiot's creed. "It's only a freeroll". Everytime some1 gets lucky on a stupid play I hear it. Sure its a freeroll u didnt lose nething, but u also didnt win nething and wont like that u might get some lucky hands (usually against me), but just because its a freeroll doesnt mean u should play stupid, but some ppl just refuse to see that. To me its not the buy-in that counts its the prize. Maybe its just me that is in the minority?

As long as folks risk nothing, this is going to happen. I've seen people post that they play 10-15 a day so...

I've blown off steam in free games before, so I'm saying nothing.

Yeah, and when they're not beating you with their rags, their sucking out on me! . No, you are not in the minority at this site! And I agree with you, it's the prize at the end, but sadly there are just too many out there that don't get it.

I resemble this remark No really,
I have done this very very few times mostly in play chip rooms not freerolls, but mainly I agree with everyone here. People need to tone down their play at freerolls plain and simple.

I do try to play play as I would with real money but my style with money is really consertivative and I tend to be aggressive in a free roll. It allows me to practice different styles of play to prepare for cash tournments.

freerolls mess with you man, they are so crazy in there so you tend to start playing crazy yourself to survive and do something stupid like calling with a 33 pre-flop

With nothing at risk with very little to gain except $$$.
Yet when one risks absolutely nothing one is not going to care if they lose.

Well some people do the same crap when they have a lot of money.

Freerolls are just practice for me. I like to see what starting hands I am confortable using.

Can't just play 10 hands

i dont think its necessarily the prize because a lot of the freeroll dont have a huge payout. now if you mean the satisfaction of the victory as the prize, than thats a different story. and yes, i have played stupidly at times, especially when i find out that i have to go somewhere that i didnt plan at the time. i think the goal is to play your best game at all times, knowing that you made the correct decision and got your money in with the best hand at the correct time. you really dont have the ability to change the way other people play or the way the deck comes out. the only problem is that a lot of people know that you have to pick up a lot of chips to have a chance at making a final table in a freeroll, especially the HUGE entrants freerolls, that they are willing to take a risk-reward approach. i think freerolls are also a good time to experiment and try different things that you may not try when playing in a live game situation or a real money buy-in tournament. as long as they are free, there will always be some unbelieveable beats, not just bad, but remarkable!

well said - i was just a little upset with myself on a stupid call - but it is fun to play around with your table image in a freeroll....I had someone thinking i was an absoute idiot today and then floped two pair and knew he had high cards....unfortunately i timed out before i could bet and double up because i got him calling all my crazy hands. another time freerolls are okay because if you time out you arent losing real money....

Freerolls are like low limit rebuys. People play crazy a lot of the time. Yeah, sometimes there is a great payout, but I got busted out of the million dollar roll on Paradise by a guy who took me all in with 74 off, pre flop. How you gonna know? Losing a hand like that bugs the crap out of me, but what really gets me is when they brag about it! That just shows their lack of class and humility. I always invite them to play me in a cash game or heads up afterward, but I have yet to have a taker. That tells you something about them, too.

Dan

A strategy i use most of the time is sit out for the first 10-15 mins... Don't even watch. You won't lose much in the first blind level, and from what i have seen there will be about half of the players already knocked out. 1000 out of 2000 in most of the freerolls im in... Then you can play with the people that are serious about their play... Any comments?

The point of freerolls is to learn how to play like you would if there were money on the line. Anyone saying that phrase is not trying to learn, just trying to luck their way in to some free money.

i like that stradegy soadwes. i sort of do that for the first half as well but i just play super conservative, i will play a hand when i get one

I've done really well getting either close to the money, or just barely into it, but beyond that I've had very few big wins, especially lately. I don't know why, but the closer it is to the beginning of a freeroll, the better I do, and the closer to the end, the worse I do. It should be the other way around because of all the maniacs at the beginning that will deliver a bad beat to you if you play a good hand. At the end, I am the one who gets to receive a bad beat, even though I still see a lot of foolish all in calls. I know I've got to change my strategy at or near the bubble, any suggestions?

look learn loose look some more WIN

dan, this happens all the time. too many people think that they have the right to say whatever they want. the trend is all too apparent, just look at the way people act on the television tournaments. people bitch, whine and complain, even if its a freeroll...i mean it is free and it isnt costing that person anything, right? thats why i like players like doyle and phil ivey. they keep their emotions under control even though you know that they are burning up on the inside. remember the beat that moneymaker gave ivey in the last hand before the final table at the 2003 world series main event? ivey just walked off even though he was pissed off. i am a basketball coach. i was a varsity coach for 6 years and the lack of sportsmanship always amazes me. i am at a junior college right now, and it still happens to this day. i wish people would learn to win and lose graciously.

i agree with this strategy. there are a lot of times that you will encounter all-in maniacs early trying to build up their stacks. just stay out of the way and wait for the blinds to go up. wait for good cards and then make a play. eventually, the maniac will make a play when you have a good hand.