Strategy in Freerolls
By Elizabeth M Tudor

The strategy described below can be used only in freerolls. It can’t be applied to usual MTTs (Multi Table Tournaments). We shall consider the strategy of a freeroll game with the standard structure: the initial stack is 60-100??s (Big Blinds) and the level-up (an interval of time in which blinds grow) is 8-12 minutes.

Some poker rooms have turbo freerolls with level-up of 2-3 minutes. But most freerolls still have a standard structure, which is the reason why we will be discussing them in this article. In reading the article, you will notice that it is not chalk full of specialized poker terms in order to make it easier for a beginner to understand.

Contents:

* Beginning Stage of Freeroll

* Pre-flop

* Post-flop

* Late Stage of Freeroll

* Final table

The Beginning Stage of Freeroll

In the beginning of a tournament the size of your stack is considerably bigger than the size of blinds. It forms (draws up) 60-100BB (big blinds) at the first level of blinds. Thus, many weak players are still in the game. Players will be eager to see a flop with practically any two cards they have as they don’t have to pay much to see it. There is a well known principle in poker: the style of play should be just the opposite the style most players at the table have. That is why, in the beginning you should play poker tightly. In initial positions most hands should be played with either a raise or a fold, except small and middle pairs 22-TT… When you have pairs such as those, it is best to get in the game and see the flop in hope of drawing a set. If that happens, you may steal the stack away from one or even two contenders who have been lucky enough to draw the high or even middle pair.

Pre-flop

The play in first positions (1-3):

JJ+ (a pair of jacks and higher), AK (of any suit) start with a big raise (raises in such tournaments should be considerably bigger than in a standard MTT). 10BBs raise is just right for a freeroll. If somebody plays a re-raise, you may freely go all-in.

AQ - make a raise of less than 5-6BBs, and lay down a hand if somebody makes a re-raise or goes all-in. At this stage and further on, a fold when somebody goes all-in means that your contender has the same stack as yours or even bigger.

22-TT - call BB or call raise up to 6BBs (here and further on, when you call a raise having a small or medium pair, in hopes of getting three of a kind, you should call only in case a raiser has a stack ten times bigger than the raise he has done). By doing this, drawing a set can be profitable.

You should fold all other poker hands.

Middle position (4-6).

JJ+, AK - raise 8BBs/re-raise up to all-in.

AJ-AQ - raise 6-7BBs, and fold if there is a re-raise. In case there have been considerable raises before your turn (4BBs and higher) - fold AJ, and call with AQ if raise is 4-5BBs. The best strategy is to make a re-raise with AQ but not a call (our hand is most likely better). In freerolls it can lead to problems if you call. Later on, you will have more games under your belt and can decide which is the best way of playing AQ.

If somebody has raised, having JJ+ AK play re-raise three times bigger than the original raise. If there is an all-in, call it. Call raises up to 6BBs having cards 22-TT. If there are no raises, make a raise up to 6BBs having 88-TT.

AT, KQo (offsuit) - If nobody raises, raise 5-6BBs. If there is a re-raise, fold. Lay down if there have been raises. KQs and ATs call a raise up to 4BBs.

22-77 - call up to 6BBs.

TJs+ (ten-jack suited and higher, means all suited connectors of higher range except those that were discussed earlier. In this case it is JTs and JQs)

If two players have already gone into the game, you may call. You may also get into the game with JQs playing call even if nobody has gone into the game before you.

You should fold all other hands.

Late position (CO (cut-off) and Button)

JJ+, AK - raise 8BBs/re-raise till all-in

77-TT raise 6-8BBs/call if there were raises (till 6BBs)

If there have been no raises before your turn play a raise of 6-7BBs having AT+, if there is a raise in the middle positions, play a re-raise three times bigger than a raise with AJ+. If somebody goes all-in, fold AJ and AQ. If there is a raise in the first position, it is the best to fold AJ and AT. If you have AQ, call till 5BBs. When the flop is shown you’ll have a better position than the raiser. That is why it will be easier for you to make a decision.

KQo - If nobody raises, raise 5-6BBs. If there is a re-raise, fold. Lay your cards down if there are raises.

KQs - raise 5-6BBs (if there are no raises). Call the raise up to 4BBs.

KJo,s - If nobody is in the game, raise 4BBs. If there are players in the game, you should fold offsuit cards and call with suited cards.

If there are raises, fold.

9Js, QTs - Call if no one has raised. In case two or more people have gone into the game before you, you should fold.

TJ+ - Call, if two players go in before you. If there is a raise, you should fold.

78s+ If three players have gone into the game before you, make a call in hopes of drawing a straight or flush. If you have a good post-flop position, it will make it easier to play with that hand. You should either stay in the game to make a combination or fold in case you have nothing with the flop or if you are not given any chances to draw. You have less of a chance to win with this hand in a different position.

22-66 - call

You should fold all other hands.

Blinds

JJ+, AK - Raise 8BBs/re-raise until all-in (raise of 8BBs means some people have already gone into the game. This is a very typical situation in freeroll games. If nobody has gone into the game, you may limit your raise till 6BBs). If there are no raises and you have 99-TT, make a big raise, approximately 10BBs.

If there have been no raises and you have a small blind, you should call with suited cards. In case there are raises, play only good hands (this rule applies to both binds). AK+ JJ+ - re-raise in three times. AQ - fold if a raise has been made in earlier positions. You should make a re-raise three times higher than your opponent if the raise has been made in late positions (5- button), 22-TT call up to 6BBs.

Post-flop

Freerolls, as in most inexpensive MTTs, have the structure in which you shouldn’t have to make complicated decisions on turn and river. The depth of stacks (ratio of stack to blind size) is not very big even in the beginning of a tournament. That is why, in most cases, all decisions are taken at pre-flop-flop. Blinds grow constantly and the ratio becomes even less. This is the reason why new players prefer less expensive MTTs or Sit & Gos.

When you use the described pre-flop strategy, it becomes less difficult to play post-flop. You don’t have to pay much attention to the flop and cards you have laid down before the flop. For instance, if you have thrown out 8-2 and the flop shows you 8-8-2, don’t get too discouraged. You played correctly. Such flops will not come very often. When you play correctly before seeing a flop you shouldn’t face difficult decisions at post-flop.

If you play pre-flop correctly and both you and your contender have a high pair, but he has played incorrectly, you will have the better kicker. The play at post-flop is more difficult than one at pre-flop. You can’t make a rule for correct play there. And a newbie very often can’t see if the play is correct or incorrect.

In freerolls you may confidently play against one contender with a high pair and call in your entire stack if there are no three cards of a suit or three cards for making a straight (in case you played pre-flop as described above). But, when you have any of two blinds, your high pair may have a bad kicker.

If you have gone into the game with a small pair and haven’t drawn a set, play check-fold. If you have drawn a set, you shouldn’t slow-play it, especially against many players in a bank. Slow-play is possible only against one contender if the flop is not very risky (i.e. not for straight and flush at the same time). You may apply the same rule for two pairs.

If you have gone into the game with a medium pair, 88-TT and higher, and you see only lower level cards, make a raise of the bank size. In case you face aggression from a contender the best is to fold. Don’t slow-play straights and flushes either, because there will often be many players in a bank against you in freerolls. They can possibly win with stronger hands.

If you’ve got a gut-shot straight, play check-fold.

When you have an open-ended straight against one contender after a flop you may call in the bet even as big as the bank. You can do it in the event that a contender has a big stack and can pay if you draw a straight. When you have an open-ended straight after a turn you may call in half of the pot. If half of the bank is not equal to the number of all chips of your contender, you should fold.

Late Stage of Freeroll.

Generally speaking, the late stage in freerolls happens very quickly (less than an hour). Here we have no middle stage because of the high speed at which blinds increase. You have managed to get into the late stage of a tournament. Now the best way for you to learn is to play.

After the blinds have increased, and an average stack at the table will typically become 10-20BBs, the character of the game changes considerably. The sizes of stacks and positions become more important. Players stop seeing a flop with any trash. It is difficult to give any suggestions for this stage of a tournament if you are a newer player. It is impossible to teach you aggressive play very quickly. Tight playing of pre-flop, as in the beginning, is good enough at this stage, but you should exclude suited connectors completely. Your contenders will go all-in more often. It is worth keeping track of which cards they do it with. It is important to note that “to go all-in” and “to call all-in” are completely different ideas. To call all-in you need a much better hand than to go all-in. You may call small stacks (less than 10BBs) with AT and higher. Thus, your contenders will show you very weak hands going all-in, so don’t pay attention to this.

If you have a stack of approximately 10BBs, everybody has folded and you are CO (Cut-off, the last position before the button) or button, you should go all-in with any cards. The only exception is when you have a contender with a very big stack (>40BBs) or very small stack (2-3BBs) after you. Generally, if you have a stack of approximately 10BB, there are only two variants of playing pre-flop-all-in or fold.

If you have a stack of approximately 10BBs, you should go all-in with 22+, ATo+, A8s+, KJs+, KQ in any position, if there has been no raise. Having a big stack, the best way to play is by raising and bluffing against medium stacks (but not small stacks). You may also bluff against tight players with big stacks.

Final table

If you got lucky and found yourself at the final table, you will need to use all the skills and control you’ve learned up until this point. If everyone has folded, it’s best to play a raise on a button. Having a small stack, less than 10BBs, go all-in more often if everybody has folded. If you are CO or a button, go all-in with any cards if BB doesn’t have a very small stack, less than 5BBs.

You should keep your eyes on the game at all times, concentrating on each play. Learn the pay-out structure. It is important to realize that real prizes are given for the first three places. That is why you shouldn’t try to sit until it is possible to get a small prize, for instance for the sixth through seventh places. You should play very aggressively. You should take more risks and bluff to get to the highest places. It is better to win the first prize once than to take the sixth place seven times.

Elizabeth Tudor is a mature and experienced poker gambler. Currently she works as a gambling consultant and an article writer for Online Poker Labs site, helping other players to make their gambling experience more pleasant and productive.

Related Tags: Poker Tournaments, FreeRolls and poker hands.

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