I am struggling with tilt, I am spewing away my money every month and I just don't want to do that anymore. So, I was wanting to know is are free rolls a good way to learn to control tilt before using your own hard earned money or is that just a waste of time. I want to learn poker and get better at it but i continue to waste my money. Would like to know what you think thanks

I have played only freerolls to learn poker, I also played them to start a bank rolls, at poker sites, it works. I refuse to put my own money in ,until I have large bank rolls from freerolls or playing in buy in tournaments after increasing your money as you play. That's how I have done my withdraws at any sites. But playing in bigger buy in tournaments players are better ,I find but still need to have luck as well. All my money I have won, started from freerolls, played $1-$5 buy ins and cashed it some money until it was worth depositing to withdraw.

Nope, freerolls are really bad to learn MTT but it's definitely good for 2 other things.
1) build your BR from zero
2) Tilt management (very good to learn how to control your emotion)

In the early stages of a freeroll everything is goes. You can see how players pay all-in with nothing and win. If you can survive the ITM then there you can learn poker. However, the higher the buy-in, the better the overall level of players.

Originally Posted by YKCaiTLH1314

Nope, freerolls are really bad to learn MTT but it's definitely good for 2 other things.
1) build your BR from zero

2) Tilt management (very good to learn how to control your emotion)

I agree. In freerolls you see more retarded play than anywhere else and therefore also the most insane bad beats. So its a good place to learn to control your emotions and play against really bad players, but not so much for learning to beat more competent players. This is even more the case, because most freerolls have a very fast structure, which quickly turn them into a shove-fest.

Freerolls are a good way to build a starting bankroll and you can start playing in more serious tournaments.

Hardly freeroll game will help improve your game! It is better to be engaged in the theory of poker!

I think they are a great place to start. Honestly, if you are playing against bad players I don't see why you shouldn't do better than against good players.

Hi, I don't think it helps you learn to play poker in freerolls.
It is true that CC freerolls have a certain level unlike the other freerolls, but they are still freerolls.
Being free tournaments, people do not mind doing push 100bb, with A2o.

When you play freerolls, you acquire many bad habits, which will then make you make mistakes in real money tournaments.

The best way to improve is for someone to tell you your mistakes, you can raise your hands to the CC hand player, and then in the forum to analyze hands, and there they will give you valuable advice.
https://www.cardschat.com/hand-converter.php

Originally Posted by NeoBandit

I am struggling with tilt, I am spewing away my money every month and I just don't want to do that anymore. So, I was wanting to know is are free rolls a good way to learn to control tilt before using your own hard earned money or is that just a waste of time. I want to learn poker and get better at it but i continue to waste my money. Would like to know what you think thanks

Its kind of a double edged sword. Of course its fantastic to learn the game with no risk and a little reward.

The issue is that a lot of people don't know what they're doing so it can make things a bit unpredictable. Then you have people who will be playing 2-3 other things and just going all in every hand because it's not important to them. Just kind of have to hang back for a little and get a scope of the table.

Freerolls are god to start your poker journey, to make some small cash and get to know poker rooms. I play them a lot, but only helpful was CC freerolls. I learned a lot there, watching how others play, and what kind of strategy’s they apply. I find lots of different players profiles and playing with them always trying to figure out how to beat them( not really successfuly )My point is, yes you should play all freerolls, but only on the CC freerolls will learn some thing new, every time you play. And of course they don’t cost you anything, but you can get lots from it

If you are having trouble, then play for lower stakes. Every tournament you play is more experience. So, online is good practice.

i guess they can be, but some players dont take it serious and play funky

You can learn some things, but typically the quality of play is very low in freerolls and you don't want to learn bad habits.

Free rolls can help, as long as you are patient and not engage in the early all in frenzy that occurs. Once you weather the storm and get to the mid rounds people are starting to settle in and majority of the all in on anything group is gone. Just remember that it is still a free roll and people realize they have no money involved. The closer it gets to in the money, the better people start playing because nobody wants to sit for 2+ hours for nothing at that point. Good luck to you!

I think people who is playing freerolls have different behavior. When you play proper MTT tournament most of the people not playing like crazy and going all in with random hand

I would not use freerolls to learn tournament poker. People play much differently when their own money is on the line. It is a completely different game.

Cards Chat freerolls do have a much higher standard of play overall than almost all others as has been said above, but it won't help much unless you go over your hands later and work out how to do better in that kind of situation next time. Studying your hand history REALLY IS so vital to improving our results. GL in your journey :-)

From my perspektive it is, especially for you OP.
You admit having tilt issues and spewing money in
games that you are most probably either Not skilled enough to beat yet or not bankrolled for or really unlucky.

Two of those three problems you can solve playing freerolls, first opposition will be less skilled and you can start learning BR-management on the fly.

Really start analysing your play and studying Poker here. Concert hands you're unsure about and you'll find help here.

There is a saying that says "The practice makes the teacher" so if freerolls are played seriously, something can be learned ... although I agree that you will not become a professional playing only freerolls ... But from your own experience freerolls have helped me build my bankroll

Maybe the basics but I feel if you play a bunch it can give you many bad habits and leaks in your game.

You can definitely learn the basics of tournament play and structure playing free rolls and micro stakes. Obviously there are players that do not take it seriously and will call or bet any 2 cards. You have to be realistic and know that this type of play isn’t standard in many bigger buy in circumstances. Although I have seen some ridiculous plays in mid stakes (I usually play no higher than $55 online) tournaments as well. The more you play poker tournaments the better you will become. Practice by playing and studying. You can apply whatever you learned through your studies in free rolls and ultimately the lesson is cheap if unsuccessful.

You will not observe all the game theory playing them lets say, but it could help you with some other stuff like tilt. There are bad beats in them more so then in regular MTTs due to their free nature, so it could be a good place to learn to deal with those and keep on trucking.

You have to control yourself
Tilting is mostly because of emotions getting in the way

Control yourself at the freerolls
And then play buy-in games

Freerolls are a good way to experiment also

Originally Posted by Refinado Tom

In the early stages of a freeroll everything is goes. You can see how players pay all-in with nothing and win. If you can survive the ITM then there you can learn poker. However, the higher the buy-in, the better the overall level of players.

I agree with this.

Freerolls are a good way to build your bankroll only because usually so many places pay, even if low amounts. However, there are too many bingo players in freerolls. Too many people pushing against good cards with crap and getting 'lucky'. In higher stakes games, most of these cards will never even get played.

Once you move to micro buy-in games it can be hit or miss because you will still see some of the bingo players. You need to go more towards the 'high end' of the micro category to try to eliminate even more of them.

My advice, use freerolls to build your bankroll to start being able to play micro buy-ins.

I think freerolls are not a realistic way to learn about a poker tournament. The fact is that in freerolls people play anyhow. Play with any two cards.
People don’t pay buy-in for participation. That's why they play it. And you can’t learn anything in freerolls.

The freerolls are good to learn, but there are many who play without discretion for being free ...

As said you might not learn enough to beat buy-ins but it will lay a good foundation in understanding MTT play for free.
I only play CC games (after a loooong break) and cashed in yesterdays and todays freerolls - so anyone else can I guess 😁.

What did I learn ?
Don't missclick shove 54o and J4o into preflop 3bets, lol.

Originally Posted by TpaEnforcement

I have played only freerolls to learn poker, I also played them to start a bank rolls, at poker sites, it works. I refuse to put my own money in ,until I have large bank rolls from freerolls or playing in buy in tournaments after increasing your money as you play. That's how I have done my withdraws at any sites. But playing in bigger buy in tournaments players are better ,I find but still need to have luck as well. All my money I have won, started from freerolls, played $1-$5 buy ins and cashed it some money until it was worth depositing to withdraw.

Can you tell me which poker room you made a withdraw?

Originally Posted by NeoBandit

I am struggling with tilt, I am spewing away my money every month and I just don't want to do that anymore. So, I was wanting to know is are free rolls a good way to learn to control tilt before using your own hard earned money or is that just a waste of time. I want to learn poker and get better at it but i continue to waste my money. Would like to know what you think thanks

If you are struggling in cash games I dont think in freerools tournaments to control tilt. In freeroll tournaments you will drive crazy. Cash games are less crazy. I recommend you read poker strategy and basics on this site.

Originally Posted by NeoBandit

I am struggling with tilt, I am spewing away my money every month and I just don't want to do that anymore. So, I was wanting to know is are free rolls a good way to learn to control tilt before using your own hard earned money or is that just a waste of time. I want to learn poker and get better at it but i continue to waste my money. Would like to know what you think thanks

I can say, from my experience, that yes you can learn to control your game/tilt in freerolls. In fact, you can study new material and apply what you learn to games which cost you no money, just time.

Some might argue that freerolls are too chaotic of an environment. However, I believe that this is exactly what you need to be able to overcome on a regular basis. You'll run into all types of players in a freeroll. How will you counter their plays? What will make you better against a LAG player or TAG player? How about starting with a short stack or a fast blinds clock? You'll hit these cases in a freeroll. Personally, I just wish there were more of them!

Anyway, good luck to you going forward.

No...but they are free.

Originally Posted by bellicoso

I can say, from my experience, that yes you can learn to control your game/tilt in freerolls. In fact, you can study new material and apply what you learn to games which cost you no money, just time.

Some might argue that freerolls are too chaotic of an environment. However, I believe that this is exactly what you need to be able to overcome on a regular basis. You'll run into all types of players in a freeroll. How will you counter their plays? What will make you better against a LAG player or TAG player? How about starting with a short stack or a fast blinds clock? You'll hit these cases in a freeroll. Personally, I just wish there were more of them!

Anyway, good luck to you going forward.

Very well put. 👍

I believe to some degree yes - it's a way to learn how to play poker.

You must be patient and do not venture, and free learning is necessary

For me, freerolls and micro-tournaments are used to practice but it does not resemble tournaments with high Buy-ins, the type of player (in his way of playing) that is in a freerolls or micro-tournaments is very different the player you can find in tournaments with higher Buys-in

I don't think so , you can build a bankroll especially with CC freerolls but that's it.
You will never become better by playing only freerolls. You can win those by playing only your top range and never bluff but if you play a serious MTT they will eat you alive.

IMHO you should play also some cash games in order to improve your post flop game and your range reading on the opponent and after that play some buy in tournaments where the players respect their buy in.

As with many things poker related it depends. Cardschat free rolls are good tourneys to get your feet wet because I feel the player pool is better than you average free rolls. But I feel most free buys are def not good to learn. A lot of crazy all ins and 20x opens are surely not the norm.

There a good start. They are good on bad runs. Even the best get beat. Making it fun or serious is up to you.

You need to look for your mistakes in the game. Freerolls will not help you, but they are very useful in developing your psychological stability. If you regularly get to the final table in a free tournament, then you have iron nerves, and you are perfectly able to handle the tilt.

I would say playing in freerolls is NOT the way to learn poker. Just too many "bingo players" going all in with 7 / 8 off suit & winning dahhhh

Unless it is a CC freeroll where there are lots of good "poker players not bingo players" I'd say most site sponsored freeroll's is not a good way to learn the game of poker.

Cheers & good luck to ya all!

I wouldn't recommand freerolls to build strong poker skills but if you want to get really good start studying poker and analysing hands with more experienced players then once you have acquired a good potential start playing freerolls to build your bankroll for small tours or sng. It's always important to keep leraning since the game is really changing each couple of years.

there arent many freerolls at least in pokerstars nowadays, so if you have the chance to play in the cardschat freeroll club tournaments you have a great chance to start a decent bankroll without risking any money of your own..

Free rolls bring similar challenges that all tournaments bring.
IMO
It has gears, table dynamics, hands, etc.
It’s cheaper to practice against.
Some of them, cc included are highly enjoyable and even tough between the middle and later stages.

my opinion - playing freerolls is very different from regular buy-in tournaments (not counting very cheap tournaments up to $ 0.5).

There is no harm in playing freerolls. They are certainly useful for learning the game play and seeing lots of hands and different situations. However, you really need to keep in mind that moving up from freerolls to micro/low buy-ins to higher buy-ins has a big impact on the game play. Each time you move up in stakes, you need to learn the differences and adjust your play. I feel that a new player is better off learning from the low stakes tournaments. Having just started playing online a couple months ago, I find that the $5 / $10 online tournaments don't play much differently than the live tournaments I've been playing these past few years.

After the first couple levels after all the spews are gone

Great info in this thread, thanks! I love freerolls. Didn’t understand how the play can cause leaks.

I think freerolls are the best way to learn tournament poker. Yes, there are people like me who play simply for fun and go all in preflop, but you don't have to do that yourself, just play solid poker, pay attention, take notes, be patient, and you are guaranteed to learn just as much as you would from playing any MTT. Good luck at the tables!

Freerolls and play chips of any kind allow you the freedom to experiment a bit with your game, strategies, play variations, etc. without the risk. I love playing in freerolls any chance I get. Bonus when you win free $$$ as well!!