freerolls ruin your game

Freerolls with over 1000 runners are so boring that they are ruining my game. I play tight for an hour maybe double up gradually and then lose all the gains to a 50/50 I shouldn't have been in.Boredom sets in and I go all in with AK and lose to a low pair from EP....that's the pattern of my play lately.

I resolve never to play another FR with over 1000 in..the odds are too great, I'd rather buy in for a dollar or two to get a proper game.

there is no big difference between freeroll and 1$ buy in tournament!!

Boredom an issue...try playing a SNG tourney in the background. I do this all the time and it sure releaves the boredom especially with lots of those "zzzzzzzzzz".

The lower stakes are full of those players that think they can play and you will always run into the donks. Even at higher stakes this is true just means hes a rich donk.

Remember tourneys are a marathon! So if you find boredom is a problem (like I do) you need to find something to keep you occupied while playing them. Free rolls are for those looking to build their bank balances (small BR) and any semi decent player should show better profit paying low stakes games rather than a 3 hr freeroll (or longer in some cases).

GL out there!!

I'm sure some people will jump on me but I used to play a lot of the large Ultimatebet freerolls, the ones with 5000 entrants. My thinking was, they are free, they happen every hour or so, so why waste time? So, first hand, all in. If I won, then play very loose until my 1500 is up to 10,000. Then leave and sit out until the first hour was done. Come back after first hour and play normally. If you lose, so what? It didn't cost you anything anyway.

My freeroll record on Ultimatebet was not too bad in the ones that counted. The only ones I played in were the $500 bonus freerolls, I won one, came in 2nd twice and made the money quite a few times. I played in that one because it was like real money, you won $105 for winning. Not like the ones they run now where winning gets you $9 and entry into a $1000 tourney.

I've tried the same "strategy" on the 12000 Pokerstars freerolls but only made it to round 2 twice out of about 15 times entered. Never made the money in round 2, guess I played too tight every time.

Ted

Just played a $3 + .30 rebuy, $2500 GP

That was as bad as the worst freeroll I have ever played.
Not one but many players allin with little or nothing, only to rebuy if they didn't luck out.
Really Sick! Can't compete with fools with deep pockets ...

t1

Big difference
Many
fewer players and over quicker.

I enjoy playing in the freerolls, they are fun but require a much more careful game. You have to realize that since there is nothing to lose a lot of people will go AI with any two rags and hope for the best. Although I haven't won any of them yet, when I play smart I generally have finished near the bubble. My early game I play very tight and only bet with a true monster hand. Usually this works out well and by the time the blinds and antes are getting more expensive and I need to loosen up my play I have a decent stack. The problem I seem to run into most frequently is ther boredom. Once I start getting bored, I begin to push the action and play a LOT more hands than I should. This always comes back to bite me. I think I will try the idea of playing in a SNG to break the monotony.

Big freerolls can sometimes threaten your sanity - but I think that could possibly be applied to poker in general, too, especially when you hit a downswing

I would have to agree and say Freerolls and dollar buy ins are aboutt he same for donks. When you find yourself getting bored with the freerolls definitely. So I have been a SNG in the back ground and find it does help. I find playing more than two games at once though is not a great idea. Playing more than two makes it harder to concentrate on cards being pplayed in the games and who is playing what or how they are betting. Two is my limit. Good Luck on and off the felts.

2-3 is enough for me too.

Had a guy at work who was going to connect a second monitor to his computer.
With one screen, he only had room to play 4-5 games.
With two screens, he could play twice as many ...

t1

two screens probably half the bankroll PDQ.

I think playing freerolls is a great way to learn how to play in large tournaments. If you think about it, every type of player you are ever going to play is usually in there.

The best part of that challenge in my opinion, is figuring out who is who and adjusting your play accordingly. There are super agressive`s, ultra tight, mediocre`s and just about everything else.

If you are wanting to be a really decent player then freerolls are the way to go without the investment. If you can master freerolls consistently, in my opinion, you can probably compete with anyone on any level.

As with any card game you have to combine skill with luck. I have heard so many times, if only.

If only I had raised more, he would`ve folded.
If only that king didn`t fall I would be on the final table.

Many people seem to forget that luck still plays a huge part, when it comes to playing poker.

Free rolls are whatever you make of them, personally can hardly stand them, but I know several quality players on this forum who play them regularly. Some just enjoy them, some use them to try out different styles of play & some, because they practice good bankroll management, use them to build up their bankroll. As for the $3 re-buys, lol, yeah they look like donkfests, but there is method to the re-buyers madness, they are lookin to go deep & if they get there the payout is quite nice.

One sure way to determine your patience level and to hone it to near perfection is to play the rebuy+addon freerolls.

Especially if you can get the donk to go on tilt, they'll greatly increase the prize pool and max out their credit cards to do it.

But seriously, patience plays a huge part in reaching the final table and the freeroll is the cheapest way to build your patience level to a high degree, where you aren't as likely to make that all-in when your gut is screaming at you to fold.

For boredom, I either put the stereo or mp3 on, mp3 for casino play as they might object to my stereo. Me personally, I tried playing multiple tourneys at once, but started getting my notes mixed up on how you and the guy in the other tourney was playing.

Besides being extremely cheap when it comes to online buy-ins, freerolls are mostly what I play and patience training is the goal. Gotta win alot of $9US tourneys to make a living, so it obviously is not the prize money.

Good luck at the tables, and with overcoming the boredom.

See you on the final table!

yup!!! i get bored and tired after the first hr or so!!!! Unless i have fat stack of chips and on track to the money!!!loliv.e made a few bucks at them to keep me in low $ SnGs!!! hit Carbon yest. for 4th place of 532 for five $ even!!! hit FT for a few as with PokerStars 25 & 50 cent SnGs!!! i like FT 1000 guarantee for a lousy dime! 10 centers are fun!! hit the guarantees in the wee hrs of morn.. less plyrs!!! i play for fun mostly, the winnings are just a thrill and hey a bonus!!!! PS astronomers are way to big unless u go for other than HE.. won two dollar fity cents in a rd 2 ONCE out of way too many trys,lol.. took the old betzip for 40.00 before they went pure play or players only!!!need wdws 2000 or xp to run now they upgrded software!!! no more 98 lol!!! theyre all the same for me!!!! SamNReno

That's why I like to make notes on the poker site itself, that way they are always against the person in question. Downside is it's harder to analyse what went on afterwards, or if you meet the same person at another site or in a big tourney

So I keep my own database to supplement the on-site notes...

I agree that freerolls don't help your game and probably hurt it. However, Freerolls are my only way of getting money online so i guess i will have to deal with the consequences of freerolls later when i actually have a bankroll.