Official "how on earth do i win freerolls" thread :p

[Paterik66]

Well if your in that situation, the blinds are getting higher and you got a some what small stack. And the blinds are taking more than 1/10 of your stack, then its not the right time to just fold every single hand, you have to make a bet and hope that no one got the hand to call you down and luckily you will get the blinds. And one more thing, if your short stacked and the blinds are killing you, then never ever just call a bet, either you fold or you reraise/allin.

 

[5555]

i never new there was so much af a strategy in playing. I have got alot to learn. i have never won a free roll game but have placed in the money several times.

 

[woodsy44]

When i have done well in freerolls it is because of how i started.
If you are lucky enough to get a good hand, play it smart to get as much money in the pot as you can.
If you do not have a good hand, see the flop anyway as the blinds are small and you dont know what is gonna come out. If your cars do not come out then you have only lost 10 or 20.
Then you can use your chips to scare people out of the pot. Be careful though, watch how they check/raise to make sure they dont get you.

Best advice is to always call the blinds early on, even if you hav crap.
If your cards come, great.
If they dont, then you have only lost 10 / 20.

 

[MercilessKiller]

woodsy... thing about that.. if u get bottom or mid pair u risk losin a lot more! even top pair!

 

[Arjonius]

just how tight are you sipposed to play? If three or four people are all in and you have AA, is that good enough. I haven't checked the math, but I think you're less than 50% to win, although your odds are the best of any single person.

 

[marcocroc]

hello to all. I think that the best way off playing tournaments is being pacient and play agressive when we have good hands.That works whith me and i have won some whith this.

 

[Four Dogs]

just how tight are you sipposed to play? If three or four people are all in and you have AA, is that good enough. I haven't checked the math, but I think you're less than 50% to win, although your odds are the best of any single person.

Your right. But I don't think I could pass up an opportunity early in the game to quadruple up.

 

[BuffClemins]

It appears that the blinds increase rather quickly at that poker site you are playing at in a freerolll, my advice is not to play freerolls that have over 500 ppl in it because the blinds increase so fast. But their is so many people that it is hard to place even if you have a big chip leader at the start. I think if you werent getting anything and the blinds were getting high you should have started playing more aggressive. I always use this saying when playing cards


Poker is not a card game with people. When you play poker you dont always rely on your cards, cause something will happen like what happened to you, the blinds got high and your cards were no good so the blinds ate your chip stack.

This is the true statement......

Poker is a people game with cards. You have to take notes or whatever to find out how the person plays, if he is aggressive and likes to try to steal the blinds when he is in late position. RE raise him all in and hope he doesnt call to increase your chip stack.

Poker is a people game with cards, not a card game with people

 

[aardman]

The key is to stay in and keep staying in. Try to get some chips early so that you can survive an all in if one comes(or don't go all in).

Try to not call an all in before the flop (maybe call with AA or KK).

You MUST steal some blinds later on if you want to win.

Don't limp with a marginal hand if someone after you is on tilt or has a small stack, they may go all in and you will have to fold. Raise or fold.

Look out for people that are sitting out and steal their blinds.

Don't get below 10xBBs. If you get that low look for a quick opportunity to steal and then when you get back to 15 or 20xBB calm down again.

If you feel that you are winning on the flop or turn don't be afraid to bet big and take the pot down there.

Don't play anything for the first half hour (maybe AA or KK).

Be very cautious if the flop helps you partialy (especially from the BB).


Here is how most people that I see go out of freerolls:

1. Calling a pre flop all in with AQ AJ AT KQ or hands like that.

2. Refusing to believe that their QQ JJ etc. is beat with an A on the flop.

3. Calling a pre flop raise with a mediocre hand and then flopping a pair.

4. Making 2 pair or trips on the turn or river and not noticing that the board now has 3 to a flush or straight

5. Calling pot sized bets on a flush draw that doesn't make until they have no chips left and have to go all in with any rubbish.

6. Calling any raise that I make!!

 

[RammerJammer]

Here's a suggestion. If you're struggling with the pacing of your game throughout the tournament, so that you consistently find yourself being blinded down and anted out in the late rounds, try playing a few "turbo" tournaments. The betting levels rise every five minutes in these accelerated affairs. I found them helpful in seeing the tournament's "big picture"... getting from point a (the start) to point b (the final table). Just like playing single-table sit-n-go's are excellent practice for the final table itself, the turbos can help you envision your total game plan.

 

[~~Shelynn~~]

:hello: Thanks to all very good ,useful information. More people shoud read more here and post what there problems are. I'm still learning something new ever day. Trying new things at tables and doing better. Hope to see you at the tables sometime. Till then good luck and good cards.:icon_thum :wavey:

 

[newjerseykid99]

well play consevative but call a little bet with like......k3 suited this way luck could come easier but playing can be different if the players are bad or good.


1. if the players are bad and you have a good hand go all-in against them because you know they will call never slowplay an agressive player unless your expecting a check-raise (if they wanna stay they have to pay):top: .
2.if the players are good you must slow play unless with bullets or cowboys or ladys but i go all in any way even with a 10 offsuit lol.

 

[Poker Player 100]

Theres alot of players that play in freerolls so its not gonna be easy.

ure gonna have to play the cards that are dealt and "VALUE BET"

I dont know wat Value bet means but it sounds cool

 

[UncleChuckle]

I've only been playing a few weeks, and am still refining my strategy. What's working for me right now is this.

I play nothing below Q. If I have Q10, I fold. If I have JQ, I will, 99% of the time, fold. I just sit back and let the lemmings hurl themselves off the cliff. I do this until the first break (around the hour mark).

Then I'll start going in with 10 and higher. I was using the "little poison" strategy I read, but it was NOT working for me. (That's folding if you have ONE card lower than an 8, even if the other is an A).

Then I'll go with my gut. If I'm in a late position, and nobody raised, I'll go in if it "feels right". Been working well for me. Best was last night, 65th out of 2490. Needed top 50 for the prizes. Very annoying, but overall, the strategy is working. Would have got further but for one monstrously boneheaded play I made which halved my stack, and left me crippled.

This thread has been a good read.

 

[Anaconda75]

The freeroll tourney's are very difficult in my view cause of, a lot of people play with you (so always there are people with continously better cards), and very quickly people with a much bigger stack then me. Also i'm a bit inpatient but that's getting better.

 

[Poker Player 100]

dammit on pokerstars i got

1820/4157

in the hubbles tourney.

i had about 5.2k wen all-in with a ****ING ACE 6 unsuited and lost to three pair.



wow how stupid am i

 

[Poker Player 100]

its ok ill bounce back

 

[pookyman]

My problem with freerolls is there are so many players early on with the KamiKaze attitude of get some chips or get out. Avoid multi player all ins, and be patient.

 

[laraspal00]

My problem with freerolls is there are so many players early on with the KamiKaze attitude of get some chips or get out. Avoid multi player all ins, and be patient.

Yeah. That irks me as well. I remember while playing a tournament at UB, someone asked me how did the chip leader get $20,000 so quickly. I told him that the person probably got lucky and chances are they will be the first ones out in the next tournament I play.

I usually play tight and conservatively. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But that what happens when you play the odds.

Pat

 

[teemoh]

it takes 3 things to win a big freeroll.

patience.

balls.

luck.

 

[josh724]

Wow, couple of quick tips.

NEVER LIMP, if you can't raise then you should fold.

i don't know if i would follow this advice.....limping with a marginal hand when the blinds are really small (5-10, 10-20) or if you have a huge stack compared to the size of the blinds, can lead to some monster pots....i think limping occasionally with a suited connector or similar hand can be good strategy. now i'm not saying limping should always be done but 1 or 2 every 20-30 hands it just might work for ya
never say never

 

[laraspal00]

it takes 3 things to win a big freeroll.

patience.

balls.

luck.

This is all true.

Pat

 

[thundurclese]

I have been "LUCKY" enough to win 3 nlh freerolls on Full Tilt and cash various other times. It is open to discussion; but in all wins and cashes I have around 10k in chips after the first hour. Now this may have more to do with my personal style but it seems you need a stack like this to really move and absorb a bad beat or two.
I am a step or two above a total noob and have studied much of the poker literature out there (nlh, omaha, 08, etc...). As much as I hate to say my experience has been you have to throw it out the window in the early stages. My mindset is to play loose and hope luck pans out. I have rarely; if ever cashed playin solid poker.
It may be inherent to the skill level of your opponents; but luck will be the overiding factor in your success. Take the lumps as they come; there's always another fr in a couple hours.

 

[Michael69]

When I was 11 (4 years ago) At absolute poker, i was in a $1000 freeroll. I came in 1st. I started good, got about 10k in the first 30 mins of the game. As the blinds increased, I started to steal the pot a few times around to keep me in the game. When I get a good hand (Ex. J 10 suited) I would go all in, someone would call, and I would get lucky and win. I would fold bad hands, and when I felt lucky, I would call with a 2 6 off suite and win..

You just have to watch how other players play, and if you feel you are going to get beat, fold. Don't go chasing for a flush or straight. You will end up not getting your straight or flush.