How to Win CardsChat Freerolls!

Debi

Debi

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If you have been wondering how to win some freerolls to boost your bankroll - you have come to the right place. We picked the brains of some of our most successful freeroll winners and we have a great collection of tips for you!

We also got some tips from members who might not have started crushing CardsChat freerolls yet - but have had some success overall in freerolls and wanted to share some of their tips as well.

Top 5 Quick Tips:

  1. Take notes on your opponents.
  2. Be patient.
  3. Play to win - not to min-cash.
  4. Do not tilt over bad beats.
  5. Pick your spots carefully.
Read below for more extensive advice!

Top tips for winning freerolls:

"I try to be as patient as possible and pick my spots to get involved in hands. I think a big factor in these games is the time you invest to familiarize yourself with your opponents tendencies. The more games that you play and the more experience and familiarity you will have to help make decisions in future games. Every game is different and you will need to be versatile and adapt your style of play to the table dynamic. Also it's important to control your emotions, I've seen many players give up after losing a big pot, you always have a chance to come back from the shortstack so do not let tilt become a factor." - MTCashman

"My first goal is to survive the 1st hour and when in position I 3-bet almost every time. When in early positions I only play top 10 hands. I don't like to get involved in hands that other players are already involved in. Too many bad things can happen when you’re caught in the middle, not worth the risk to me in the long run. I like to represent that I go all in preflop with monster hands. This allows me to get away with a few unqualified hands to buy some blinds. I would rather steal your blinds than go to the river with you. I am happy to win lots of small pots. Once I get in the higher blinds, stealing becomes very effective, but 1st you have to get there. I protect my blinds! I don't like to fold my blinds at all. I try to be the aggressor in the hands I play 80% of the time. I focus more on playing small ball than micro-analyzing my opponents. By simplifying my game I have significantly reduced my risks and have increased by ability to last longer. Trust your gut and don't 2nd guess yourself. If it doesn't feel right fold it. Consistently 3-bet, stay away from multi-player pots and avoid going to the river if you can." - freeringo

"I fold a lot and I use that table image to bluff in the right places. We do play the same players over and over so I have notes on most and know how they play and that helps the most. My advice is play tight until you get a good feel for the game, then shift gears and be aggressive in the right spots. Pay attention to other players and take notes. Play it by ear and go with your gut." - jaymfc

"You need to know your opponent - collect information and take notes . It makes it easier to play them postflop. It is also important to understand the difference between early, middle and late stages of the tournament. Do not get involved in big spots with a dubious hands in the early stages. In the middle stage, try to steal as many blinds as possible. The main point of the game is late stage, because that is where you win money. Have a good push-fold strategy." - _xrolex_90

"Recognize how certain players play their game. Making notes and/or using a tracking program are extremely useful. Try to get to know players' tendencies.....there are players with a decent roll who do not care about min-cashing and other players have no roll and are gladly trying to survive for a min-cash.

Realizing a top 3 finish is worth many, many times more compared to a min-cash. Min-cashing is not worth the time and effort, so when you play, go for the win. Min-cashing will not build you a roll....the $1 you win will be gone pretty soon. Winning a freeroll will give you the opportunity to build a nice bankroll." - 10058765

"I like to tag and put notes on almost all players, specially the strong ones. I can then exploit their power against themselves. It seems to work. It is very possible to build a bankroll with CC freerolls. I only play CC freerolls to boost my bankroll , so I don't go broke and can avoid deposits." - CadoARAJ

"I dont always play the same, I like to change tactics. But I mostly play tight aggressive and I like to confuse my opponents by bluffing. I usually try to get a read on my opponents and pay attention to their play. I play to win - not just to be in the money. Bad beats can always impact your game but try to avoid that. During the first hour wait for good cards,be patient, fold preflop even with AK if 2 or more players are allin. After the break be more aggressive in position and collect chips." - kapobar

"I have won all of my first places in the CardsChat freerolls. My advice to win freerolls is persistence and being selective with your cards. Never try to slow play because you will be destroyed by the CardsChat players who play very well. There is a good level of talent at CardsChat." - mackmasterss

"Solid fundamentals are a must, if you don't know how to navigate a short stack or use a big stack to your advantage you won't be able to do well consistently. Watch how your opponents are playing and adjust accordingly... correct play is different at a tight passive table than it is at a loose aggressive table. Don't call big bets/raises from tight players without very good hands/equity.

There's no rush in poker, treat life as one long session, take your time building your bankroll and protect it by staying patient and playing within your means - there's always another tournament so keep your cool and don't panic when things don't go your way. Most importantly - have fun." - DougPkrMonsta

"I think the success of my performance is due to the handling of the external aspects of the game of poker ... for example being able to control my emotions. Another aspect is to know how your opponents play ... after almost a year of playing the Cardschat freerolls you get to know how the regulars play. I can also tell you that one of my greatest virtues is patience and waiting for the right hands!" - Dailon Arroyo Blandon

"I usually play really tight. I wait for premium hands and almost never bluff except for some CBets and a few blind steals (with a hand that can hit something if you see the flop).I give players credit most of the time when they play back at me. You have a ways to go before the freeroll is over.. you can't win it in the first few blind levels, so be patient! I've seen the person with the least amount of chips coming into the final table win, so it's not over until it's over" - VFranks

"I recommend tight aggressive play which has resulted for me in consistent top sixty finishes (for points) and frequent money position/top finishes. Points Leaderboard races require playing as many tourneys as possible and finishing top sixty in almost all. If you do this, Money Leaderboard positioning will follow. The biggest benefit of consistently playing opponents from the same player pool is (almost) always having a pretty good idea of where you are at in every single hand." - mtl mile end

"Poker is marathon, not a sprint, so take your time and keep learning." - papi1207

"My strategy has always been quantity over quality. Play as many freerolls as you can, which is pretty easy since there are multiple CardsChat games a day and at different times. Even if you think you would never be able to win a freeroll, you can still build a small bankroll just from min-cashing in a few freerolls every week. My main advice would be to take lots of notes on people. Since we're often playing with the same players over and over again, notes can really help" - moots

"With good position you can be much more aggressive in your play. Read a good poker book, that will help your game." - tahoeden

"My advice would be the three P's - Position, Pot Control and Patience." - wagon596

"Pick your spots and play solid poker! Position! Set traps to extract chips! Be active with your Big Blind! Have fun!" - ribbybruno

"You need to maintain notes and color code them and refresh your memory from time to time. Knowing how everyone plays is a key to getting ITM. You can't just guess on any player from CardsChat without knowing some of their history or tendencies. There are way to many CC'ers who can win on a certain day and when they are on top of their game." - chicopaw

"Work on your ICM, use free rolls to work on your game, and never fold to a player who has less than 2.6bbs if you are last to act" - Teunit

"Be mindful of what stage the tournament is at, and how other players are viewing the current stage in relation to blinds and their stack size. Be aware of who is at your table and what gear they are in. Watch every hand closely and be aware at all times. Focus." - ScooperNova

"Taking notes is important and PT4 is a useful tool." - hutzpaf

"I think making notes is critical. You will be coming across the same players week in week out and knowing your opponents and their tendencies is a big advantage. " - shanest

"You first have to survive the all-in and the very loose players. Patience is a key. Throwing your chips around will expose you as a fish and good players will set traps by isolating you. Play sensible poker, learn by watching the many free videos available, and you will soon win your share of the money. You also have to budget time to win these, at least 4 hours, to win a CardsChat freeroll." - okeedokalee

"I use a HUD and I take notes on most of the Cardschat regulars. I do try to mix up lines so I am not too predictable, especially against the "money" players from CC. Learn what equity means if you don't know, many freerollers will gamble their stack with 1 pair hand. Review all of your tourneys and take responsibility for your mistakes. Every time we blame the cards or the Donk or Fish we are hurting our own EV. Buy and use a poker database to review your play and have fun." - jsnake716
 
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Debi

Debi

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More advice from other members:

"Few bluffs and controlled aggression" - VivicvrMga

"You must be a tight player and win some critical flips in order to get ITM. ABC poker will make you save your stack and leave your opponents to eliminate each other. You will find many punters in the early stages. Take notes because you will play against them many times. Label the super tight ones, it will make you win countless chips in the long term! Most of the money I win from those freerolls comes from my opponents' mistakes." - akmost

"Keeping calm and being patient will help you win freerolls.- kara26058

"Play more aggressive near the money bubble. I noticed that from my time playing on here, most players play way too tight near the bubble in hopes of min cashing. Take advantage of that" - mk0523


"Try to bluff more and create a dominant image on the table. There is a difference between playing to get to the bubble and playing to win the tournament .. you have to take many more risks to win." - dragunovich

"My advice is patience. The game will not end in the first hour. It takes 2 to 3 hours to finish our freerolls, so why risk it all with pocket 3s? There are good spots to double up and get to the 2nd hour with enough chips to pressure the smaller stacks." - NKGB13

"I always try to play aggressively. I think an aggressive game brings more success in freeroll tournaments than playing a patient game." - Insomnia6590

"To be a winner, you must play with winners. Then you will eventually discover what's it like to be a winner. So as I keep playing, I keep learning and the more I learn, the better I play, which means I am slowly learning to play like a winner" - vic88888

" I'm not real aggressive and sometimes lay back to go in for the kill after I make sure they think they have a winning hand. Sometimes I show my winning hands so they think I'm never bluffing - but I do bluff , especially when everybody checks." - mammadduke

"One thing I noticed playing these freerolls is that stacks get extremely shallow from the bubble onwards. I think people might not be open shoving enough when short stacked in the late stages. Don't go too crazy but referencing some push/fold charts will help you out.

I think people are probably too tight at the money bubble because they are trying to build a bankroll from nothing and are desperate to cash at all. I feel like I play more aggressive than most when short and I get in the final 3 spots at a pretty good rate. I've been able to just steamroll final tables before because everyone else was too short to fight back effectively." - Jamuka7657

"Play the game - when you start to think about the money and the points it gets in your head and becomes a problem. Poker is a game of little things, you need to play carefully and remember the luck factor. Study your opponents." - LFC_yllnwa

"I think patience is a very important thing in poker.
-teteuc2

"Eliminate the following mistakes and you will succeed:
1. You do not need to play a lot of hands
2. Limp = weakness
3. Lack of confidence and aggression
4. Inability to use math
5. Unjustified bluffing
6. Having no patience
7. Lack of concentration" - Nikolay Nakhaev

"Make notes and use them and follow up to ensure they are good notes. Don't limp - keeping all hands multi-way doesn't win MTTS."
- ZenGreen

"Don't be too aggressive in the first hours - look for chances to double. In the second hour you can play more aggressively as the blinds increase. But the main thing I think is patience and luck" - zam220

"Learn to read a table before you start playing any hands - be cautious of going all in before you have played at least 15 hands. Learn about the different styles because you need all of them = LAG, TAG, and NIT. Study Pot Odds, Outs and Equity."
- NinjaHands

"Patience is absolute key. Know when to fold and when to raise. Fold pocket aces when there's a flush draw on table. Table image is very important, use it to your advantage. Always play hands differently so people can't get a read on you. Persistence is a must. Control your emotions - this takes practice. In freerolls, people play with trash cards so get used to it." - blanktheman

"Mix up patience and aggression." - gencoal

"There are no donks at these tables. All CardsChat players are good. You just have to have patience!!! Play with good cards and fold bad ones." - Scottie Duncan

"Be patient and don't try to bluff with all your chips, and don't chase if your opponent bets big. If you can chase by checking that is the only way I feel it should be done." - B1BOMBER

"My best advice is to adopt game theory optimized poker style and really polish your push/fold strategy." - oriole

"The biggest downfall of most micro-grinders is poor bankroll management. A cash in a free roll most of the time isn't enough to roll yourself even in the lowest stakes of games. Most of the time the smart play is to just bank that cash and move on to the next free game. However you have to take shots occasionally in order to make a score." - LJG23

"Do not bluff often, you will outplay yourself. Play honestly and wait for a good hand." - CylleP

"Card selection and patience are big in freerolls. These guys will chase flushes and straights without proper odds, and play super loose and aggressive. I find its best to wait until you get a big hand. Watch how your opponents play, bet for value on the flop and definitely on the river and you will win you lots of chips" - cpace1000

"No tournament is won in the first hours of play. Look at each hand as an opportunity to learn." - SoCalGrndR1

"Most CC freeroll players are nits, so starting from second hour just open any two reasonable cards and c-bet on most flops. Most CC players are over folding for sure, so there is a lot of money to be made just by over bluffing, especially in late stages. When there is one player left and hand-for-hand starts, there is no point in stalling to get ITM." - liuouhgkes

"You will do well to be aggressive in most situations, but I do best in these tourneys when I play in position as much as possible and try to create one-on-one situations. Be patient, especially when the cards are not running real well for you. Do your best not to get mixed up in hands with players who display the dominant DONK gene, and wait till you have the right hand and position to make them pay for their foolish tactics. Do not discount the effectiveness of a 4 bet(meaning that if you find yourself at a table with players who like to 3 bet, and you get a good look at the hands they are 3 betting with, you can really make a lasting impression by making them risk most of their stack when you are sitting with strong A(x). That will slow them down and think again about bullying). Try not to be predictable in your approach to betting and try to eliminate those players who will try to draw out on you if you don't bet strong enough to make them fold." - nobodysf00l

"CC freerolls tend to be better than your run of the mill freerolls. There will still be some pretty bad players along with the solid regs. Be sure to label the players accordingly since you will probably see them again. Since they will probably do the same to you, be sure to mix up your game to avoid being exploited. Pick your spots. In tourneys it's about preflop decisions. It's ok to fold even QQ and AK if there's a ton of action before you and you could take a big hit if you call and lose. It's about surviving and going as deep as you can. Other times it's okay to come over the top against a blinds stealer with Ax. It's all about understanding the situation" - blueskies

"My best advice is to have a good focus at the tables. Fold the trash. Be aggressive with good hands and make a bet that can help you get a good read on your opponent. Sometimes a good raise can get you the read you need. And pick your spots wisely. Also sometimes you need to gamble a bit to get a good stack but go in with the best" - Kingpoetmusic

"Generally in freerolls of any kind you want to play tight and pick your spots early because some people feel the best way to have a chance is to build an early stack and if they lose they haven't really lost anything. You can take advantage of this with patience and catching them with big hands." - Rivaud

"When an inactive player is in the small or big blind, they will automatically be folded, so that is a good way to pick up some extra chips early on. If someone else is raising all the time when this situation exists, it is worth calling the raise and/or reraising because it is likely they are just stealing blinds.

Folding hands that are not optimal is a good thing. If you see lots of raising at the table, you need to wait for a big hand. Conversely, if there are not lots of raises or even calls, that is an opportunity to go in with even middle hands (tier 2 -- e.g. j,10 or q,9) for a small raise.

The really aggressive players will risk large amounts to steal, so they are a good source of chips when you have a good hand, but playing slow is important not to scare them away. A big raise with a good hand from a tight player will usually result in a fold. I would offer a suggestion that playing ultra conservatively is a good way to survive, including min bets/calls even when you have a big hand. The normal aggressiveness of other players will build the pot while you do not rep your hand.

Don't be afraid to risk your stack when you have a good hand. If you are too quick to fold, you will miss out on double up opportunities. You will need at least 1 or two double ups to cash. Once you are in the money (ITM) you have to decide whether you want to hang on for as many extra places you can get or get aggressive and go for a top 3-5 win" - ruk1dd1ngme

"The key is to stay focused and patient in every game you play. Unlike other freerolls I think Cardschat is different in the sense that you have your really good players and it becomes extremely serious during the bubble. You have to pick your spots when it comes to playing the right cards and being aggressive. Practice makes perfect" -
Slip_Me_Aces

"Try to make it through the first few levels without taking significant losses. Figure out which players are overplaying their hands and put them in bad situations" - Eric Salvador

"Play seriously - just because it's a freeroll you don't need throw chips around. Get to know your opponent and adjust your playing style based on that. Be patient, if things didn't work that day come back and try next day. Take notes and highlight any unusual moves and plays. - AgentXtreme

"Patience and position is key. Don't dig yourself a hole with bluffs, you usually end up digging a much bigger hole than intended. Be confident in your decisions, don't second guess yourself" - bighert2
 
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Minus272c

Minus272c

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Good post, and very interesting stuff to read :D
Made me rethink some of my own gameplay in specific situations.

Just entered the CC freerollclub the other day, and playd my first freeroll.
It was a carnage :eek: finished just outside itm.
But im gonna come back and have some more fun with you guys ;)
 
6

619Leafs

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Thats great advice from everyone.

I will say that sometimes when games that you just cannot catch cards, it forces you to play looser therefore having to use creative thinking to earn pots and survive the tournament.
 
Poker_Mike

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What a fantastic collection of advice from winners!

I too take notes on players' behavior. But I wonder what this freeroll would be like at an anonymous table where you didn't know who that player is and had to watch to see if they were loose or tight.

Thank you Deb for posting this list of comments!

Good luck everyone !
 
Tony Vayer

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All tips are beautiful and worthy of respect. But the main thing in the victory of these games is as follows: buy a computer or any gadget, register in pokerstars, register in Cardschat, get access to the club and not paying any advice to take part in the game.:p:D:D:D
 
S

spr0ck3t

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This is awesome - all great advice for a budding freeroll hero.
 
Entrik

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Good article! Thank you very much for such tips! Poker is this smart game! :) Good luck everyone!:)
 
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BesseNuts

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Good! Its a tip for any kind of torneys.
 
Dejange

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Absolutely helpful tips for CC Freerolls!
My last win in this back in summer :D Too much time passed since then, but would like also to add - expect the unexpected :p

Pure example is my exit hand in yesterdays CC freeroll (62nd of 2091 registered) - what a hero call from the villain, lol: https://www.boomplayer.com/29464509_7670878821
 
K

kdawg71

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Thanks for the information guys and gals. It was extremely informative. I am truly grateful for the information forthcoming. I will try to play my best against the elite hoping to slowly move up through the ranks. P.S. I just won my second freeroll tourney ACR.
 
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It's cool.Are there maybe some statistics about who are the top 10 players who won cc tournament most times and their number of wins?
 
Becky Eubanks

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Thanks for posting, very good information :)
 
shykarno

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Thanks for the advice. we are beginners will definitely use your advice against you)))
 
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hookmeout

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I am a beginner. Just started playing from three weeks at ACR $10 freerolls. Today I played my first cardschat $100 freeroll at ACR. Stood second place. Ofccourse I got lucky :). Thanks all
 
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Anders1616

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Thank you very much for the tips and advice.
 
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kristersb123

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Thank you a lot for the tips!
 
Shota

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Good post, and very interesting stuff to read :D
Made me rethink some of my own gameplay in specific situations.

Just entered the CC freerollclub the other day, and playd my first freeroll.
It was a carnage :eek: finished just outside itm.
But im gonna come back and have some more fun with you guys ;)
100% bro
 
M

Max Grondman

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thank you for all the tips
 
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