Poker Games

Free Roll Poker Tournament Strategy

Free roll tournaments provide one of the best means of accessing large amounts of money for new users without risk. Not to be underestimated, there are a number of worthwhile free rolls at most poker rooms which provide guaranteed prizes to new and existing users. Whether you gain entry to free rolls through tournament credits, points exchanged, or even a gift coupon as a new or regular user, free roll strategy is an important precept for making money in poker - especially for cheaper players.

Tournament Strategy
The strategy required to succeed at free roll tournaments is very similar to MTT strategy, however with a few minor aberrations and differences.

For example, the fact that a free roll is free means the competition and level of your opponents will usually be much weaker. New deposit/sign up free rolls generally accede to this rule, because virtually all of the players will be new to poker. Generally speaking, although brilliant poker players can sign up and enter these games, the chances of them doing so are low. Either way, the best way to play against weaker players in these tournaments is to use advanced strategy methods and pressure weak players off pots. free roll strategy here will include blind stealing, value shoving and general bluffing. It's also important to note that new players are harder to read generally, as their marginal calls against pot odds could mean they are holding anything. Generally I recommend building large pots when you receive monster hands, and trying to take the other pots down early when you hold a decent enough hand. For example, if you ever get to a situation with 2 other players in the pot who both check, clearly you should be raising around a pot or half-pot bet to coerce them into folding. On the other hand, if a stubborn player with mid pair is determined to see the river and you hold nothing, attempting to bluff would be pointless because you'll get called down.

The easiest thing about free rolls however is that because players are bad, you'll be accumulating much more chips in the early and middle stages of a tournament then a regular tournament buy-in event. This places you in a much more advantageous position, because the early and middle stages of a tournament are the most crucial parts. Personally, I don't recommend 3betting or squeeze play against poorer players when you're bluffing; simply because you're more likely to get called. Value shoving with the best hand however is an incredibly efficient way of earning chips fast. The implied odds mean although you've probably overbet the pot, the chances of getting called by a bad player and stealing his chips make it a sensible move.

Another note should be not to make loose calls or risky play just because it's a free roll. Although the cost of entry is free, there is no point wasting your own time in such tournaments. Just like free deposit promotions, this "free" money doesn't necessarily mean you should blow it all away stupidly.

Final Table Competition
It's important to remember that players who have reached the final table with be in the 90th percentile of competition in the tournament i.e. better on average than most players in the event. This means you should concentrate on using strategy germane to regular buy-in events. This means developing your short-handed play as the number of players on the table decrease, and keeping a strict opening hand range.