When freerolls can be bad

[This Fish Chums]

freerolls are an awesome way to build a micro-bankroll without having to place a deposit on a site. However, you should reconsider playing freerolls once you have an actual bankroll to play with and here's why.
First, we all know that freeroll play is much less skilled than micro stakes or higher play. If you are constantly jumping between the two then the freeroll style of play could adversely effect your real money play. You may find yourself playing real money tournies the same way you play the freeroll tournies and that could just hurt your game.
Second, let's say your in the middle of a real money tourney and you suddenly get tilted because of a freeroll. Was playing the freeroll really worth getting tilted in a real money game?

Similar logic could apply to playing high and micro stakes at the same time. If you do, you're risking playing high stakes the way you play micro or the micro games tilting you on the high stakes games.

I think it'd be best to do one at a time and not try to mix things up too much.

 

[Edison A]

Freerolls are a mandatory class for all poker players, it's like going to school before going to school, many players have served us some money earned in freerolls, well my only advice in freerolls is that you follow the rules basic poker, I know there are many maniacs players, but at some point knowledge will prevail over luck, good luck at the tables

 

[zhilipp]

I think adjusting your play to the table is one of the main skills required in Poker. In any stage you have to consider the other players skills and play style to be successful.

 

[vokrugdookola]

In my experience, playing freerolls is not much different from SNG 0.10 360max and SNG 0.25 45max

 

[wyoming4paul]

Nothing wrong with playing freerolls. You should never play more games than you can pay attention to. I limit my play to 2 at a time.

 

[Matt_Burns88]

Freerolls are an awesome way to build a micro-bankroll without having to place a deposit on a site. However, you should reconsider playing freerolls once you have an actual bankroll to play with and here's why.
First, we all know that freeroll play is much less skilled than micro stakes or higher play. If you are constantly jumping between the two then the freeroll style of play could adversely effect your real money play. You may find yourself playing real money tournies the same way you play the freeroll tournies and that could just hurt your game.
Second, let's say your in the middle of a real money tourney and you suddenly get tilted because of a freeroll. Was playing the freeroll really worth getting tilted in a real money game?

Similar logic could apply to playing high and micro stakes at the same time. If you do, you're risking playing high stakes the way you play micro or the micro games tilting you on the high stakes games.

I think it'd be best to do one at a time and not try to mix things up too much.

I think your concept is right, but it's not limited to just freerolls. Bouncing around buy-in levels is not a good idea. 1) Like you say the standard of play can vary hugely and therefore you have to adjust the way you play. 2) It suggest terrible bankroll management if one minute you're buying in for a $5.00 tournament and the next you're playing a $100 tournament.

 

[fundiver199]

I think your concept is right, but it's not limited to just freerolls. Bouncing around buy-in levels is not a good idea. 1) Like you say the standard of play can vary hugely and therefore you have to adjust the way you play. 2) It suggest terrible bankroll management if one minute you're buying in for a $5.00 tournament and the next you're playing a $100 tournament.

I think, its somewhere in between. If you limit yourself to only say 3$ tournaments, you are making it very difficult to get volume, so some level of flexibility is almost certainly better. And its also fine to sometimes take a "shot" for 2-3 times your normal buyin. Or chill out with a tournament you are overrolled for. But yeah if you are playing for 5$ one moment and for 100$ the next, that is probably taking it to far. If nothing else you are not using your effectively playing 5$ tournaments, if you are bankrolled and skilled for 100$ tournaments.

 

[moulan7]

Hi,

somewhat off topic but, something that I see a lot of people saying is that they change their way of playing the game if it is a freeroll, micro, average, low, medium, high, whatever stakes.

I can't find any reasons to do that other than the format of the game itself. (for example, turbo, KO, DON). Am I the only one who thinks that this doesn't make much sense?
Ok I know that it might make some sense here or there and I understand what they mean (almost lol). We need to adapt and all.
But I want to put in some words for thought.

So why to (generally speaking) change the game depended on the stakes. Does the player thinks that he knows how to play on higher stakes? And that means that you play the game ''worse'' on lower stakes and ''better'' when it gets more serious? Does it mean that someone even understands how ''good'' he is on the game? Is there one good way to play and no other?
If you know a good way to play, you play that way.
Can you do otherwise?
I see people on micros who play exactly like the pros we see at the videos.
I see people who think that they lose on micros but they think that they can win higher limits because they play ''more seriously there''.

Play your game no matter what!

 

[Serjo600]

The only exceptions are freerolls with a small field and a large tournament share. Otherwise, I agree.

 

[RVTR7777]

I can say that there is a difference even between the two types of games (freerolls and real money).
Last week I managed to win $ 1.50 in Friday's freeroll, I noticed that players are at another level of play I need to follow a strategy that makes me think differently in real money games.

 

[fundiver199]

I think, people vastly overestimate the adjustments, you need to make, when you move up or down. Sure it makes sense to adjust to individual player tendencies or player pool tendencies.

But don’t think of it as having a strategy for “1$ tournaments” or “16$ tournaments”. Think about it as having a strategy for playing against particular player types, some of which will just be found more commonly in 1$ tournaments and others in 16$ tournaments.

Freerolls are a little bit special though, because you only invest your time. In freerolls ROI does not exist, so if your time is important to you, it makes sense to limit the amount of time, you spend on each freeroll, even at the expense of reducing your EV.

This is surely fuel for a lot of the frustration, which some people feel when playing freerolls. They want to play as much as possible, because they are playing for fun, and maybe they have no budget or bankroll for regular tournaments.

So they hate those reckless players, who go all in with 22 or A5 offsuit. But really these players are just doing, what makes sense for them given their priority. So if it bothers you, just make a deposit and play normal tournaments, where overly loose high variance play is punished financially in the long run.

 

[akmost]

Hi,

somewhat off topic but, something that I see a lot of people saying is that they change their way of playing the game if it is a freeroll, micro, average, low, medium, high, whatever stakes.

I can't find any reasons to do that other than the format of the game itself. (for example, turbo, KO, DON). Am I the only one who thinks that this doesn't make much sense?
Ok I know that it might make some sense here or there and I understand what they mean (almost lol). We need to adapt and all.
But I want to put in some words for thought.

So why to (generally speaking) change the game depended on the stakes. Does the player thinks that he knows how to play on higher stakes? And that means that you play the game ''worse'' on lower stakes and ''better'' when it gets more serious? Does it mean that someone even understands how ''good'' he is on the game? Is there one good way to play and no other?
If you know a good way to play, you play that way.
Can you do otherwise?
I see people on micros who play exactly like the pros we see at the videos.
I see people who think that they lose on micros but they think that they can win higher limits because they play ''more seriously there''.

Play your game no matter what!

Very nice comment , that particular topic makes me feel out of my waters every time I give a shot at bigger buy-ins ha ha. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle.

On the one hand you can win a freeroll or a micro buy-in tournament without make any ''advanced'' moves , just play ABC poker, few bluffs now and there and they will make the job for you. A little luck a little adaptation in our opponents and here we go, we won.

On the other hand every time I enter a more serious tournament in some particular spots I feel that I should react differently than a freeroll or a micro MTT. There are those moments where I wish I have studied some concepts before my registration(not GTO - I am not talking about nose bleeding stakes here). For example you can't 3bet only your monsters or you can't always lead bet river with the nuts etc.

IMHO you should know something more than the very basic in order to succeed but not changing entirely your game because -people in bigger buy-ins fold more, are better- and all that stuff , every field has the weak, the strong, the calling station and the gambler type of players. I have watched a bencb789's video from Raise Your Edge about this particular subject and it says the same with you. That we shouldn't change entirely our play style because of the buy-in.

If you have strong fundamentals you go with them but maybe you gonna need something extra in order to succeed!

ps.I guess no one here implies those cutie moves we see in every freeroll , open raise 10x+ , open shove 100bbs+ , open limp 150bbs+ etc.

 

[Jlo111888]

For me not bad i enjoy its free but its not a reason i play bad i try to constitute a bankroll :bebored:

 

[hugh blair]

Freerolls are an awesome way to build a micro-bankroll without having to place a deposit on a site. However, you should reconsider playing freerolls once you have an actual bankroll to play with and here's why.
First, we all know that freeroll play is much less skilled than micro stakes or higher play. If you are constantly jumping between the two then the freeroll style of play could adversely effect your real money play. You may find yourself playing real money tournies the same way you play the freeroll tournies and that could just hurt your game.
Second, let's say your in the middle of a real money tourney and you suddenly get tilted because of a freeroll. Was playing the freeroll really worth getting tilted in a real money game?

Similar logic could apply to playing high and micro stakes at the same time. If you do, you're risking playing high stakes the way you play micro or the micro games tilting you on the high stakes games.

I think it'd be best to do one at a time and not try to mix things up too much.

While its true freerolls are lot easier than playing $100,$200 or $1000 buy in games against many pros for example you need to adjust your game.
Never get tilted in a freeroll as nothing to lose something to gain,
If bust an 888 freeroll while playing the Sunday million at the same for example does not bother me at all.
Not registering for the 888 freeroll and missing a +EV opportunity to win just 1 dollar even now that would bother me and hurt my game.
Freerolls and micro games are just a stepping stone in my opinion to opportunities of playing in bigger championship events that you will need to win or run really deep one day to really succeed at poker well if your a tournament player anyway.
This is a tough long road odds are against success for even the best players to win championship games where the serious money is.
Understand cash,sit and go spin and other games require different strategy too.
See nothing wrong with playing every reasonable paying freeroll on a few sites schedules
while simultaneously playing bigger buy ins.
In fact think freerolls should be the backbone of your weekly schedule unless your playing really high stakes like $500 to $1000+ buy ins regularly.
Think of freerolls,micros,midstakes and highstakes as a game of snakes and ladders until get the breakthrough and a big withdrawal with far too many snakes like rake,variance,bad beats,coolers and blinds rising forcing coinflips making mistakes ect long list here.
Some days I play all 4 types of stakes I just mentioned simultaneously.