Freeroll Strategies

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JKelso

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I have been playing several freerolls and pt. tourneys lately. I haven't done as well as I would in a buy-in tourney or ring games. People have nothing vested in a freeroll and it just seems like really grappy playing to just some ungodly luck lol Maybe. But is there strategies that ya'll use with moderately consistant success.
 
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jrosekcs

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lol...dont know if there is a strategy....some nights i cash in freerolls and manage not to get donked on and some nights in 3 or 4 hands someone hits me with a hand they have no true right playing....big reason why i will like it when i finally have money here in a week and can get back to cash tourneys
 
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JKelso

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?

Yeah I have cash in one of my accounts. But had been on a terrible streak lately. Thought I would play freerolls and try to get a little money in other sites. But on the site I do have moneys on I have faired well in buy-in tourneys but have done well in ring games. But as we know ring and tourneys are totally different
 
Hesaf

Hesaf

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tight in the begining loosely later on

Yeah, that's the right approach if that's your style. I like the position play alo in the low blinds just to take the chance when you hit the flop....

Small bets don't bother your stack too much and position is mostly 1 in 9 or 6 depending on the max players so the rest of the hands you can 'wait' for the big hands.
 
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headtrip13

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Lately I have been lousy at freerolls, in October I was hot winning $300 for the month, I play the opposite flow of the table, so if someone's going all in, I'll sit tight till they bust or I get a hand, I try to keep adding chips each level in a slow deliberate manner until the ante kicks in and they I slowly gear up after building a tight image and start my stealing.
 
mewantskash

mewantskash

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free rolls

free roles inspire an entirely different type of play. on one hand you have nothing to lose, but on the other hand, neither does your opponent. Don't make stupid calls or chase hands that won't happen for you.

NEVER chase a flush. trust me
 
Arjonius

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If you're asking about a strategy for freerolls with hundreds or even thousands of players, my approach is simply to avoid them, with some exceptions for those that offer sizable prize pools.

One reason is EV. With large fields playing for small pools, my EV is higher playing buyins. Think of it this way. How much per hour do you make playing big freerolls? And if you have any kind of game, shouldn't you be able to make more in buyins?

I'll play this site's frerolls maybe once or twice a week since the level of play is far better than in the larger rolls, but those are probably the largest I'll play even semi-often.
 
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smashbot

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i usually play tight and get my 1000 or so doubled up from a preflop all in with my jj qq kk aa. from then on i avoid bluffing and slowplaying. i definitely label players who will call a 3xbb raise and who call all ins. even if you have the best hand, you have to make sure you will survive if it gets popped. so having a healthy chip stack and holding on to it will increase your chances of advancing.
 
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simonb

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i am playing in one now as i post, and im doing well not even concentrating , just playing good starting hands in good positions, and laying down when raised. my tip is play solid poker untill you have alot of chips. dont call someone just because you think its a bluff, patience is the key. in the right hand you wont have to even think about your decisuion it will be so obviuos
 
Theblueduce

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Patience and good starting cards would be my take. It took me 4 hours last night to finsh a freeroll with about 1000 people in it. With that many people and as crazy as they pley, patience is a must and you must quell the erge to go all in without great hands. Let them make the mistakes not you.
 
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Halibel

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Freeroll Strategy:

1st hour: Tight
2nd hour: Selectively Aggressive
3rd hour (money bubble early): Tighten Up Until itm, then play selectively aggressive.
Last hours: Survival. Do what you can to cash for as much possible.
 
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Santos1950

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In the beggining of the freeroll i play very conservative when im out of position, but occasionaly try to double my stacks playing any suited medium cards from early position with the objective to show for my opponents that i could easily raise with any kind of plausible hand, cause if u are just playing with good hands everyone who is really paying attention to the game would easily fold when u make a value bet, and thats not what u want to happen when u really have good cards.
 
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JKelso

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I appreciate all the feed back from all, and will try some of ya'lls advice. Gl to all in your games
 
jokish123

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for freerolls try playing extremely tight in the beginning only playing premium hands like AA, KK, QQ, AK etc... Do this until the first break. after the second break is usually when the comepetion gets a little better. Most of the donks have lost at this point and you are most likely playing with regular CCers, whom some are amazing at poker, or you are playing with the overally aggressive donks with monster stacks who got lucky in the beginning of the tournement. This is where you wanna loosen up a bit but be sure to maintain a style that is within your comfort zone. Play like this up until around the bubble. Depending on your stack around the bubble depends on whether you play loose or tight (loose-large stack....tight-low stack) After you reach the money usually the blinds are so high that it is all in or fold. Obviously play tight and try to make it to final table and then on to victory...
 
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balla87

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I TRY TO PLAY TIGHT FOR THE FIRST FEW ROUNDS AND THEN TURN IT ON FOR A COUPLE MORE ROUNDS. THAT WAY ALL THE DONKEYS GET OUT THE WAY FIRST FEW ROUNDS AND THEN YOU CATCH THE DONKEYS WITH CHIPS TRYING TO BUY HANDS IN THE SECOND SET OF ROUNDS. AFTER THAT I AM VERY SELECTIVE ABOUT WHICH HANDS I PLAY AND WHICH HANDS I DO PLAY. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE CHIPS, DOESNT MEAN YOU CAN CALL AND HOPE YOU CATCH SOMETHING. THEN WHEN I GET CLOSE TO THE MONEY I WILL LET OTHERS TAKE EACH OTHER OUT, AND WHEN IN THE MONEY, I WILL PLAY A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVELY TO GET AS MUCH POSITION AS I CAN.
 
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BP62

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take the 1st few rounds to spot the donkeys find out where every1 is at than pick your spots to attack.. sometimes u will get outdraw but the fundamental theorem of poker says that u gain by them making them do the wrong play so don't be discourages
 
Worak

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In the beggining of the freeroll i play very conservative when im out of position, but occasionaly try to double my stacks playing any suited medium cards from early position with the objective to show for my opponents that i could easily raise with any kind of plausible hand, cause if u are just playing with good hands everyone who is really paying attention to the game would easily fold when u make a value bet, and thats not what u want to happen when u really have good cards.

...then value bet a bluff, lol.
 
Leo 50

Leo 50

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I have built my bankroll on FTP with nothing but Freerolls.
I won $2 about a year ago and have managed to keep it and make it grow since then. I have about $50 right now.

That being said, strategy in a Freeroll - DON'T even try bluffing for the first hour. Play only the best cards till the first break and if you have built any kind of decent stack then you can start pushing against the small stacks left.
If you have managed to double up and build a good sized stack, play big stack poker whenever possible (don't forget about position though)

If you make it to the bubble rounds, change gears again and play TIGHT (that can even mean throwing away those small pairs, especially in early position or against those quick all-ins)

Once you are in the money play as you see fit, aggressive when you have it, tight when you are drawing.

Hopefully some of this info will help.

Good Luck out there (except if you are playing against me :cool: )
 
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mig2169

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play in as many as u can, only way to up your chances of cashing. Play pocket pairs and go all in, no slow play or bs just go all in and hope for the best. When u get a stack u can play poker until then wait and go all in.
 
Worak

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play in as many as u can, only way to up your chances of cashing. Play pocket pairs and go all in, no slow play or bs just go all in and hope for the best. When u get a stack u can play poker until then wait and go all in.


Sorry.

THAT will bring you nowhere.

When I play against guys like you just one word: "set-tag-to: instadonk (red tag)

Bingo is for old-aged-homes.

:argh::argh::argh::argh::argh::icon_scra:tomato::tomato::tomato::tomato:
 
JCuervo

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I agree with Leo 50, don't try bluffing until the field has been reduced to with 20-40% of the starting field and try to only play from position and with the top starting hands...if you then make it that far, it seem to feel more like a smaller buy-in tournament but you still have to carefully chose the hand you want to play because there always seem to still be some of those "bingo" until you get into the money.
 
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finikee

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freerolls

I have mainly played in freerolls since starting to play online. There are plenty of people out there that must love to play bingo. Usually I play very tight at first and then as the blinds go up, the quality of players have evened out a bit. Some sites are better than others to play the freerolls . Gl at the tables.
 
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grunta0

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There are some very good answers here and most of what I will say is covered.

At the beginning of this year (2008) I decided to do a "Jesus" and build a bankroll from freerolls.
I tried several different strategies. Pushing all in every hand, very loose, very tight etc.

IMO the best strategy is to play extremely tight (even sit out if you like) in the first hour.
On sites like pokerstars where a NLHE Freeroll has 12,000 entrants you will find that at least half, will be knocked out in the first hour. (I played in one, on a Sunday, where 10,000 were gone before the first break.)

Pay close attention to the other players at your table and see who is calling/raising/pushing with crap. Who will chase flushes and gut shot straights or just stay with overcards. Who will call a C bet,ATF, with anything.

When you get a good hand, in position, do not be afraid to push ,someone will call. You should already know what the others at your table will do.

Be prepared for a lot of suckouts and try not to get too upset when someone catches runner/runner to beat you. It will happen.

As was pointed out , freerolls are not very cost effective as you can play for several hours for very little return. The way to combat this is to multitable as many games as you can handle. (If you are playing supertight this is not that difficult.)
I also joined a lot of sites, without depositing, just to play their freerolls.
(Warning.. Check what freerolls the site has before joining. Some only allow depositors to play.)

Hope this helps.
All the best.
 
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Craig21

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I play extremely tight until the first break then all of the fish are normally out. Then i gradually loosen up and make a run for the final table
 
NiceNisus

NiceNisus

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More Than Luck

Hey, I place in about 1 of 10-20 freerolls I play so there's more than luck involved. Lately I've placed more often even. Last night I got 8th or something in BD tourney on pokerroom and this morning placed in $300 freeroll on pokerroom for 6 bucks. So it just takes lots of free time and patience to place in freerolls. Considering each freeroll takes like 4-5 hours or more, 10 could = 30 or more hours of play before winning anything, and maybe you only end up winning a buck.
I have a terrible problem though. I place and win free cash for a BR, then lose it all in SNGs usually. Damn, i can place in freeeroll but not 10 player sng i need help...
 
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