First hour of a free roll

[Jhoops180]

I agree with you on everything espescially playing only top ten hands
and be as patient as possible I always seem to place when I'am patient

Thanks Xeno

 

[mrbrightside]

crap players

most crap players are almost always on a draw or two high cards.. be patient and crush them when u get a good hand.. dont lose focus when u see bums winning with a J4. they will lose eventually

 

[AnnoDomino]

yeah,, i always play tight to see off the noobs,, trouble is by the time they have all fallen off their chairs i have no chips left?

 

[kardmania]

Lasting

I suspect that your strategy is too tight to maximize your results. If you go in with KK and lose so be it.

 

[dickens]

I suspect that your strategy is too tight to maximize your results. If you go in with KK and lose so be it.

considering they probably lost to rags at least when you go all in with a pair or AK and get busted then at least you left the tournament with a better preflop then your opponnent.

eric

 

[jeterkid925]

I never lose to a good hand in a freeroll, it's always my 2 pair losing, or aces beating kings.

 

[rocmitrashotya]

Since the blinds-to-chips ratio is generally very small during the first hour of play, I try to at gain as many chips as possible. Usually, this means i'll play tight before the flop, but aggressive afterwards in order to develop a sturdy chip-count. This works fine, because if I'm ridiculously stacked before the first break, I'll just sit out for a few hands and take care of some other things.

 

[Tammy]

I think there are two strategies you could follow early on in play.

1) While the blinds are low, and as long as no one raises preflop, try seeing a flop for some otherwise marginal hands you would fold later on. The cards might be there for you and you can build a bit of a chip stack. If you try this and the cards consistently aren't there for you, then by all means, change your strategy. The idea here is that Aces and Faces are not the only cards in the deck, and with so many people in play, you are more likely to lose those big pockets to some idiot who calls an all-in with 8 / 9 suited or something.

2) Patience. Sit back and wait for the good cards to come to you; they almost always certainly do sooner or later, and wait for the "noobs" as I have seen them called here (lol--I like it!:laugh: ) to fall out of the tourney. Usually by the end of the first break, you are left with more quality players.

But remember--don't be afraid to mix it up once in a while! If you only always play top pockets (pocket pairs, AK, AQ, whatever) then when you try to make a move to get some action, everyone will fold right away. bluffing is part of the game....remember, if you're not caught with your hand in the cookie jar once in awhile, then your not playing poker! lol

 

[jamiethemole]

:beer: cheers! slow play is a good idea as this may force the "noobs" to crack under pressure. If you can last the first hour, these people will have gone by then so you can then concentrate on your own game

 

[nasgal]

That kinda stuff happens to me ALLL THE TIME....I brew over it for a bit and then go on, If I dont then I will go to bed mad about the idiots that I have to deal with sometimes in the freerolls...Always gonna be a few at each table that wanna go all in every hand. I am just relieved if I make it past them, after their stupidity has got the best of them and they are gone.

 

[swervin4]

i would have to agree with almost everything juiceeq posted on this topic don't believe i could have replied a better responce than what juice said... that is why i like playing in the forum free rolls because you usually get players here and other forums that r serious about their game,.and you don't have to deal with the idiot players of open to all free rolls at different sites for i have grown to accept those kinda players if i'm in a open to all roll and it irritates me but also makes me a stronger player i think as well!!

 

[Tammy]

i would have to agree with almost everything juiceeq posted on this topic don't believe i could have replied a better responce than what juice said... that is why i like playing in the forum free rolls because you usually get players here and other forums that r serious about their game,.and you don't have to deal with the idiot players of open to all free rolls at different sites for i have grown to accept those kinda players if i'm in a open to all roll and it irritates me but also makes me a stronger player i think as well!!

Hey swervin! Do you play at bospoker? I think I've seen you there! I play under my husbands account "Snake Face". He, of course, plays too....lol If so, see you at the freerolls!

 

[dickens]

one of the things i like to do is slow play, let the timer run on my tables, for the most part the majority of the people make the cash at my tables.

eric

 

[johndoe]

slowplaying

for me at least i perfere to be able to play as many hands as possible to give myself a better chance of actually getting to play. Plus taking extra time on purspose makes you get through a lot fewer hands on the low blinds and makes most people upset with you.

 

[seagraham]

ya i hate the noobs, they almost always ruin it, like everytime they go all in they win, even 2 5 off vs aa, happens all the time

 

[styly]

lots 2 read

loved ur read mate
heared few simillar things in past but 2 go into depth like that helps give me more insight

 

[njdsousa]

Noob's!!! They are near you...

Noob's...:heeeellll Are you all sure that you were never one??? cguru:
Have you allways been fantastic players??? Surelly you have passed buy this situation "on the other side"... and maybe some of us are still in that "other side"...
Have you ever think about this?

 

[Kenzie 96]

Good tips, seems to me that being willing & able to fold the best hand is one of the marks of a good player.

 

[Bridget22]

Wow, what a great thread. I recently began playing freerolls and I started to wonder if some of these people even knew what game we were playing or if they were just hitting the buttons for fun! lol.

I try to learn the play styles of the people at my table in the first hour. I have come to the conclusion that the most patient players often do better. I have played a few real money tournaments (for small amounts) and find that even a little bit of money at stake makes people play very differently.

 

[mufc]

very nice post...my strategy is i play tight passive and this almost always gets me to the second hour. the next couple of hours I play tight aggressive...After that is when I loose it. when I am like 20-40 people out of the money. My game goes down the tubes. I've tried loose aggressive, tight aggressive, loose passive and tight passive...nothing works. like last night I was in a tourney that paid 30 seats..and of course I went out 38th. Any advice would be appreciated

noobs bes way to deal with them is to wind them up and slowly they lose concentration and go all in on a 2 7 unsuited when u have aa

 

[King Nate]

Play agressive!! You have nothing to lose.

 

[b huey]

:banghead: Patience....Patience....Patience...freerolls automatically mean lots of less seasoned players which can be a huge advantage if you are patient enough, long enough.
B Huey

How do you battle the crappy and loose players in freerolls? I'll post some of my strategy here.

I like to call the crappy players "noobs" So thats who I mean when I say that.

Noobs can be catagorized:

All-in noob--this guy just waits to go all in on you..he will use any hand what so ever..90% of the time its a very marginal hand. his main goal is to go all in as often as possible.

Loco noob-This guy is rude and low class. When he loses he will attempt to get you into a profanity filled argumant. He loves to use verbal intimidation and sexual harassment. he especially loves to verbally attack women, he feels they shouldnt even be playing. When he wins he gloats, for the same reason, to get you into an argument. he loves to go all caps.

411 noob- this guy almost never folds. he will call you down with a high card. he will fold only when he has to go all in to call you. his favorite hand is an ACE with anything else. He will go all in one you with a pocket full of paint.

Z noob-This guy has no patience whats so ever. You can tell which player is him by all the Z's he fills up your chat window with. the 15 sec decision window is too much time for him. He'll mumble and grumble about the pace of the game..and you''l see "lets go!" "pick a button", "wake up", "get dsl" etc.
this guy is the easiest to beat..all you need to do is wait 14 secs before each play and he'll get so frustrated he'll bet himself out, or try to get you all in with crap hands.

The best weapon against the noob is patience. this works very well in playmoney tables. But, be prepared to sit for a long time. Fold 90% of your hands and only play the top ten.

next: never play more than 2 games at the same time. You need to witness each and every hand so if a noob lasts into the later rounds you will be better prepared to beat him. You see that one noob raises 3 times the big blind with mid pairs and goes all in with stuff like 6 2. Later you see he went all in and you hold a J10..good chance you will beat him knowing what you know ( there is a really good chance he has nothing)

I break the tourneys into 4 parts: First hour, second hour, 3rd hour, and final table.

This post is about the first hour:

Obviously your main goal is to win the freeroll. But your secondary goal is to outlast or beat the noobs in the game. Since I understand the noob will play any 2 cards, I follow a strick regimen in the first hour. My goal is to reach the first break. I have seen 50% of registered players dissappear by the first break.

I know that a board of 2 6 10 will give me a very poor showing with my pocket full of paint when I'm up against a noob. he has probably paired his junk and most likely it's the 2 and he is just laying in wait to bring you all in and early.

I play only the top ten hands during this time

I never go all in pre flop: yes this means I will fold aa and kk. If I can see a flop with a call or small raise and the board trips me, then I'll go all in. If I don't hit then I'll play warily, with calls and small raises..always prepared to fold the "best hand". You need to be able to fold the best hand. What your looking for here is for the noobs to take out the noobs. This also gaurentees I'll make the first break.

Now once in a while my intuition will take over and I'll change my style of play for that one hand. Never overlook your intuition.

I never bluff during this time. Noobs don't know the word bluff. They never think you can beat them. They truly believe they are the best player at the table.

I never rise to an argument but I will always point out how moronic typing Z';s is..this usually illicits responses of affirmation from other players and pisses the noob off, making him more vulnerable to a major mistake.

Periodically I will sit out and give myself a minute or two to collect my thoughts..I watch the play but since I don't need to make any decisions I can concentrate more on what others are doing. I am not concerned about missing a major hand because I have seen and have been victim to a really powerful hand bieng shot down on the river with junk. My most hated hand is the 6 2 off suit, I went all in with aa and then with kk pre flop and was noob called with that hand both times. Both times I was beaten on the river with a two pair. Damn noobs!

Always try to leave every game, win or lose, having learned something. About the game, or maybe a new strategy, or something you noticed about another player. Use your player notes. They will help.

Post soem of your strategies..I'll post some of mine for hour 2 later.

Kudos to lots of your advice... I agree. One of the most noteworty and often overlooked is the "player notes"... I use these alot... and it really pays off; especially if you're playing at the same site all the time... my notes pop up all the time and I clearly remember what a fool this guy or that guy was etc. I highly reccomend using this tool!
B Huey

 

[dbofosho132]

Things I do in the first hour

one, def. play some marginal hands while the blinds are so low and people seem to be cautious in the beginning. You may lose 20 chips, but every one in a while you find something and it pays out big. Also, dont be afraid to go all in when you feel you have the best hand, people don't wanna be the first one out, and you can scare alot of them, even if they have low two pair, flush draw, or sumthin good enough to beat or eventually beat you. I just love them cuz they are fun, can't wait for the next one...

 

[Blimp]

Wow, never going all in pre-flop? Sorry, but I believe you'll never do well in a large tournament with out a little gamble in your blood. I will go so far as to say there are some circumstances when you need to fold AA preflop, but these are rare cases where you are on the threshold of bigger money or one or two places from qualifying in a satellite. These are two situations where you may choose not call for all your money, especially when more than on other person is already in the pot.

Free-rolls are the last place to act like "scared money." Enjoy them for what they are: a place to hone your skills with a table full of would be Gus Hansens. Anyway, 90% of the loosest are generally gone within the first 4 levels.

GL,
Blimp:afraid:

 

[dragonace555]

How do you battle the crappy and loose players in freerolls? I'll post some of my strategy here.

I like to call the crappy players "noobs" So thats who I mean when I say that.

Noobs can be catagorized:

All-in noob--this guy just waits to go all in on you..he will use any hand what so ever..90% of the time its a very marginal hand. his main goal is to go all in as often as possible.

Loco noob-This guy is rude and low class. When he loses he will attempt to get you into a profanity filled argumant. He loves to use verbal intimidation and sexual harassment. he especially loves to verbally attack women, he feels they shouldnt even be playing. When he wins he gloats, for the same reason, to get you into an argument. he loves to go all caps.

411 noob- this guy almost never folds. he will call you down with a high card. he will fold only when he has to go all in to call you. his favorite hand is an ACE with anything else. He will go all in one you with a pocket full of paint.

Z noob-This guy has no patience whats so ever. You can tell which player is him by all the Z's he fills up your chat window with. the 15 sec decision window is too much time for him. He'll mumble and grumble about the pace of the game..and you''l see "lets go!" "pick a button", "wake up", "get dsl" etc.
this guy is the easiest to beat..all you need to do is wait 14 secs before each play and he'll get so frustrated he'll bet himself out, or try to get you all in with crap hands.

The best weapon against the noob is patience. this works very well in playmoney tables. But, be prepared to sit for a long time. Fold 90% of your hands and only play the top ten.

next: never play more than 2 games at the same time. You need to witness each and every hand so if a noob lasts into the later rounds you will be better prepared to beat him. You see that one noob raises 3 times the big blind with mid pairs and goes all in with stuff like 6 2. Later you see he went all in and you hold a J10..good chance you will beat him knowing what you know ( there is a really good chance he has nothing)

I break the tourneys into 4 parts: First hour, second hour, 3rd hour, and final table.

This post is about the first hour:

Obviously your main goal is to win the freeroll. But your secondary goal is to outlast or beat the noobs in the game. Since I understand the noob will play any 2 cards, I follow a strick regimen in the first hour. My goal is to reach the first break. I have seen 50% of registered players dissappear by the first break.

I know that a board of 2 6 10 will give me a very poor showing with my pocket full of paint when I'm up against a noob. he has probably paired his junk and most likely it's the 2 and he is just laying in wait to bring you all in and early.

I play only the top ten hands during this time

I never go all in pre flop: yes this means I will fold aa and kk. If I can see a flop with a call or small raise and the board trips me, then I'll go all in. If I don't hit then I'll play warily, with calls and small raises..always prepared to fold the "best hand". You need to be able to fold the best hand. What your looking for here is for the noobs to take out the noobs. This also gaurentees I'll make the first break.

Now once in a while my intuition will take over and I'll change my style of play for that one hand. Never overlook your intuition.

I never bluff during this time. Noobs don't know the word bluff. They never think you can beat them. They truly believe they are the best player at the table.

I never rise to an argument but I will always point out how moronic typing Z';s is..this usually illicits responses of affirmation from other players and pisses the noob off, making him more vulnerable to a major mistake.

Periodically I will sit out and give myself a minute or two to collect my thoughts..I watch the play but since I don't need to make any decisions I can concentrate more on what others are doing. I am not concerned about missing a major hand because I have seen and have been victim to a really powerful hand bieng shot down on the river with junk. My most hated hand is the 6 2 off suit, I went all in with aa and then with kk pre flop and was noob called with that hand both times. Both times I was beaten on the river with a two pair. Damn noobs!

Always try to leave every game, win or lose, having learned something. About the game, or maybe a new strategy, or something you noticed about another player. Use your player notes. They will help.

Post soem of your strategies..I'll post some of mine for hour 2 later.

yo bro i agree 100% ive always hated first hour or 2 ive even gone as far aslayingdown big hands to someone that goes all in till he busts.....dragon