Common Mistakes In Freeroll Poker Tournaments

Personally, I am an advocate of freeroll tournaments. I think they are a great way for beginners to practice, to identify poor betting patterns, to hone strategies, and – primarily – to begin the practice of calculating pot odds and implied odds. For more experienced players, freerolls can be a fun way to kill some time.

That being said, how can a beginner stay alive in these tournaments? If you’re new to the game, or aren’t a seasoned player, the odds are most assuredly against you. I know of pros that occasionally play freerolls for fun – but that doesn’t mean you should assume that all is lost and throw in the towel. After all, the best way to improve your poker game is to play against people who are better than you are.

You’re also going to encounter a veritable onslaught of terrible poker players in freeroll tournaments – when you can start spotting them, you’re on the right track.

Some common mistakes, and a few tips:

• Right in the beginning of a tournament, a lot of players will try to “buy the pot” by overbetting with a mediocre hand – or even rags. This happens a lot before the flop in the first few hands of a tournament. This type of player will go all-in, and there are invariably people who will be irritated by this kind of move and who will call. Don’t be one of those players – don’t overbet just to double-up in the beginning, and don’t call a player who does it to you, even if you were dealt a decent hand and want to see some action. If you have what you think is a winning hand, then by all means, play it…but don’t move all-in if you’re not reasonably sure that you’re going to win. Watch out for this type of pattern in players and avoid it yourself, or you’ll finish in 1999th place.
• If you’re the type of player who tends to call the majority of bets (rather than betting or raising), you’ve got to think about getting more aggressive. Any pro will tell you: aggressive poker is winning poker. Even if you scrape by and end up in the running for the final tables, if you’re not playing aggressively, you’re not likely to win. Calling in general – in my opinion – is a bad strategy, particularly when you’re out of position. If you want to win, put your chips on the table when you think you can win.
• Speaking of position, pay attention to yours! Bad betting out of position is practically a staple in freeroll tournaments. You should always be gauging your bets and raises in relation to your position. Are you in an early position, and you’ve been calling or checking out of habit? Be careful – that guy with the huge stack is probably pulling you in for a check-raise.
• Just because a freeroll tournament costs nothing to enter, don’t treat it that way. It’s not the WSoP, and it shouldn’t feel like the WSoP…but if you’re going to play, don’t divide your attention between the game and something else (like TV). Concentrate. The more you pay attention to what the players at your table are doing, the more likely you are to intuitively understand how you should be betting and raising (or folding).
• Pay attention to your own betting patterns. Are you consistently losing hands that you were sure would be winners? Are you consistently putting money into the pot and then folding after the turn or river? Recognizing your own patterns is a great way to improve your game, so it is always wise to pay close attention to your own strategies – I guarantee you that some of the other players are scrutinizing your every move. Beat them to the punch!
• Practice calculating pot odds – freerolls are the perfect forum for this! I’m sure you’re aware of the rules of 2 and 4, but the calculation of odds goes much deeper – and you don’t have to be a mathematical whiz in order to estimate your chances of making the hand you want. Do your homework – research a few methods of calculating odds (Phil Gordon has a great explanation in his newest book, Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em), and practice, practice, practice. It’s better to practice in a free game than it is in a cash game.
• If you’ve played some good poker and have made it to the last few tables, don’t get timid! The size of your stack is now more important than ever. I see players all the time who try to make a short stack last as long as possible just so that they can see the final table. These players will bet only when forced to do so (in the blinds), and are almost always eliminated quickly. If you’ve got a hand (or if you think your opponent is bluffing) – make a move. Be aggressive!