Best Online Poker Freerolls 2024

Top Poker Freeroll Sites Tested and Reviewed by Our Experts

Best Poker Sites: US

How We Rate Poker Sites

With an ‘Excellent’ 4.9/5 TrustPilot rating, we’ve been providing expert recommendations since 2004. Each poker room we review is carefully evaluated according to eight essential factors:

  • Safety & Security
  • Payout Speed
  • Banking Options
  • Software Quality
  • Game Variety
  • Bonus Offers
  • Mobile Compatability
  • Customer Service

Read more about our eight-step review process


Poker Site Blacklist

Some online poker sites fail our testing standards to such a degree that we feel it necessary to publish them on our blacklist. A poker site can make it onto this list for a variety of reasons, but typically means the site has exhibited a history of bad behavior and receives lots of player complaints. Avoid any site we’ve listed on our poker blacklist.
Having faced accusations in the past for mishandling players’ funds, OddsPoker persists in its operations under the Antigua license; nonetheless, this doesn’t necessarily ensure a safe gaming environment.
While it was previously a prominent site catering to the US market, this site within the Merge network has demonstrated irregularities in terms of paying out players. Affiliates were then informed of the site’s cessation in June 2015.

What is a Poker Freeroll?

A poker freeroll can refer to one of two things. One is a guaranteed hand with which a player can only win or split the pot. The other is a freeroll poker tournament, which costs nothing to enter and offers prizes to winners.

These freeroll poker tournaments give players the opportunity to play Texas Hold’em and other real money poker games without spending any money.

If you’ve never played poker freerolls before, don’t worry. You’ll find the best places for poker practice with our CardsChat’s exclusive freeroll passwords right here. Learn how to get the most out of each poker freeroll.


CardsChat Exclusive Freerolls & Passwords

We have many exclusive money-added freerolls for our members. There are games to suit all levels of forum activity, including a special Freeroll Club for our most active members. Look at the freeroll passwords discussion for more information about how to get our passwords.

When you are ready to start playing in free money tournaments check out our CardsChat calendar, which lists all the great freerolls that members can play in. Find everything you need to know on our CardsChat freerolls guide page.


How do Poker Freerolls Work?

Freerolls work the same way as regular poker tournaments, with one exception, there is no buy-in. Instead, all players are given the same starting stack of chips for free. You then play with your stack and try to win everybody else’s stack, that’s it! The winner or winners at the end of the tournament will be given prizes, which can include cash, casino credit and a host of other rewards.

Freeroll

Best Poker Freerolls

For the best poker freerolls, you’ll need a password that you will be given by the casino or entity running the tournament.


Poker Freeroll Tournaments

To enter a freeroll tournament, you can use the password you have been given or select ‘enter tournament’ at your chosen online poker site.

At this point, you will be given your starting stack, and you can play like you would any other poker tournament. Play strategically, bet and raise when your hand suits the move, and see if you can collect all the chips around the table.

Always read the rules of a tournament. Here you will be told how many people can play, what the prizes are, and how they are split between a certain number of winners.

There may also be bounties to be won, for example, for being the person to take the last chips from a brand ambassador.

Pros and Cons of Freeroll Tournaments

There are definite upsides to freeroll tournaments, but this game type may not suit everyone. Here are the most common pros and cons:

Pros

  • No cost to play.
  • Excellent for beginner players.
  • Great way to learn and practice poker strategy risk-free.
  • Chance to pick up prizes without any investment.

Cons

  • Large numbers of beginners can make play unpredictable.
  • Prize pools tend to be small and usually split between multiple players.
  • Limited choices of poker variants.
  • The best tournaments are invite-only.

Types of Freerolls Online

Once you start looking for freerolls, you’ll quickly learn there are a bunch of different types to be found. These are the most important variants:

  • New Player Freerolls
    These freeroll tournaments are available to newly registered players at a casino site. These are usually only accessible within your first week as a member of a site.
  • Exclusive Freerolls
    These tournaments are open to a small number of players who fit a particular set of requirements. These are usually for VIPs and high rollers and are always password protected.
  • Weekly Freerolls
    Weekly freerolls are weekly tournaments that take place at the same time and day each week. Winnings aren’t high and usually involve casino credit or small cash prizes.
  • Satellite Freerolls
    An open door for non-VIPs to make their way into high-roller freerolls. Satellite tournament winners gain tickets to an exclusive real money tournament for the chance to take on the big guns and potentially pick up some wins.

What to Expect at Freeroll Poker Sites

You can expect a large player pool at a freeroll poker site. As the prize pool grows, so does the number of players. For example, if a typical $10+1 tournament at an online poker site attracts 500 players, expect to see 1,000+ players sitting in a poker tournament that has no buy-in.

The best freerolls are usually found at the biggest poker sites. That’s because they can afford to offer bigger and more frequent freerolls.


Freeroll FAQ

Are freerolls really free?

Yes. Online freeroll poker tournaments don’t cost anything to enter. However, some freeroll poker tourneys will require you to make a deposit if you want to play. For example, many sites offer new depositor freerolls. While you don’t have to shell out money to play, you can only gain entry into these free online poker tournaments by making a deposit.

How do I qualify for a freeroll?

That depends. Some poker sites let any poker player into a freeroll. Others reserve freerolls for players who have made their first deposit. Information on whether a tournament freeroll is restricted can be found in the tournament description window.

Do all freerolls give away money as a prize?

No. There’s a good mix of freeroll tournaments at pretty much every freeroll poker site. Some tournaments award cash. Others award bonus money. Some award tournament seats in larger events. Others award swag, like t-shirts, poker books, hats, and other branded stuff. Most freeroll poker no deposit sites will offer a good mix of freerolls featuring cash prizes and non-cash prizes.

Are freerolls restricted to Texas Hold’em?

Not necessarily. While Texas Hold’em is definitely the most popular poker variant at poker sites with freerolls, some poker rooms feature Omaha, HORSE, and RAZZ freeroll poker tournaments for real money.

Should I apply a normal playing strategy in a freeroll tournament?

Definitely. In fact, you’ll probably come out ahead and do much better than most players when you employ a normal playing strategy at free online poker sites. Unfortunately, far too many players donk their chips playing freeroll poker games because they’re not actually playing with their own money. The logic goes, “hey, this isn’t costing me anything so I might as well mix things up and make stupid moves I wouldn’t normally make.” That’s a recipe for disaster. We recommend sticking to your real-money strategy if you want to come out ahead.

What is a poker freeroll tournament?

A poker freeroll tournament is a poker tournament without a buy-in. It costs nothing to play and there are real prizes to be won.

Can I play freeroll tournaments on mobile?

Yes. Many of the best poker sites offer mobile access both through a device’s web browser and via downloadable mobile apps. In both cases, mobile-friendly freeroll tournaments are available.