Poker Freeroll Tips
Most tournament poker strategy guides are not applicable to freerolls. Players tend to be loose and aggressive in freerolls and are not too concerned about the outcome. Strategy is similar to a buy-in event in the final stages of a tournament but it's important to approach the early to mid-game stages with an entirely different outlook.
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The First Hour
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It's important to play tight during the first hour of a freeroll tournament. Many players will go all in with weak hands because they won't be losing any of their personal money if it doesn't work out. Only play strong starting hands --- Such as two aces, two kings, an ace and king suited or pocket 10s --- and be patient. Pick your spots carefully and you have a great chance of tripling up or better before the first break.
After The First Break
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Loosen up a little but not too much. Expand your range to incorporate low pocket pairs and suited connectors if the price to see the flop is reasonable. All of the really horrible players should be out of the tournament at this point but you shouldn't be running into very many advanced players yet. Pay attention to hands you are not involved in and keep an eye on everyone's stack size. The short stacks will start to get desperate and the big stacks will be bully betting. Bluffing short stacks and slow-playing big stacks is an effective strategy.
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Mid-Game Strategy
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Half of the playing field has already been eliminated. The time has come to loosen up your play considerably if you are not in the top 10 percent on the leader board. You must accumulate as many chips as you possibly can before the blinds go up. The payout structure will vary depending on who is hosting the tournament but only a very small percentage of players will actually get in the money no matter where you play. Take more risks but don't play bad starting hands. It is just as important to hold on to the chips you have already accumulated. A chip saved is a chip earned.
Late Game Strategy
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The blinds are starting to hurt at this point and there aren't many players left. Your play style here should be based on your stack size. If you are short-stacked and have less than 10 big blinds left, you should be going all in pre-flop with any ace or any king. You must double up several times and play very aggressively to have a chance of making it to the final table. Try stealing the blinds if no one is raising pre-flop. If you have a large chip stack, playing tight and saving your chips for the right opportunity is a better strategy than aggression.
The Final Table
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You're at the final table and have already made it into the money. Playing nine player sit-n-go tournaments for play chips is a great way to get practice for final table scenarios. In multi-table tournaments that pay real cash, the payout for fifth place is considerably lower than third place and above so keep this in mind.
Final table play also depends on your stack size. The blinds should be enormous so it is important to go all in with any decent hand if you are short-stacked. If you have a healthy stack size, folding everything but premium hands is a great way to increase your pay out. Just kick back and let other players knock themselves out.
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