FREE ROLLS - Hurting or Helping

[Dan Abnormal]

DAMN I hate putting up money but Im starting to wonder if maybe I need to just bite the bullet and only play MTT's and SUCH that have buy in's.

I read you should be able to beat your level before moving up but that might of been for just ring games.

I also read that playing free games hurt your playing more than helping

I have never won a tourny and I have never even got into good money in a money tourny but Ive gotten close by playing totally wrong so now that I gotta better grip of some aspects of the game and usually in money tournys I do get my buy in back but I want to be a PLAYER

I play everday for hours but mostly free rolls because IM A TIMMY TOMMY. But besides my bad plays and questionable bets the last few days have been a just a joke, I build a stack and get teased with good pockets 4 hands in a row and busted
AQ lost to 6 2 ???? - K J lost 55 Maybe - and my favorite and third in a row AJ vs A5 and what card comes on the river (yes a 5)


I also feel like I have lost my way a bit, what is my goal, what do I want to accomplish and so on and IM getting tired of the free roll roAD and plus they paths are not exactly easy

ANY THOUGHTS DO people play by any rules at $1 buy in at what buy level do people does the playing more like it should be or is it the same at every level


This is not meant to be a cocky statement like I think Im above free rolls because I am not, but trying to avoid 2 hours of minefields before the only the strong or lucky are left with really not much to play for and I dunno I just dunno someone set me straight

[villaridge]

Probably hurting you.

Freerolls are for figuring out that a flush beats a straight, and stuff like that.

Freerolls become bad, because you see such bad play there with all-ins with crap. It slowly conditions to you to find the play normal and acceptable and next thing you know u do it.

Basically big freerolls start to condition your mind to bad playing. There are some good small freerolls left, but you have to search for them. They are out there. Then there is the small buyin forum games, they are out there, go look and google. they are like the 4K games, in that low buyin and low turnout and money added. I cant tell you where they are, as that would dis-respect the 4-K forum. but they are out there.

Another basic is that small fields will always equal better play in a MTT. you might think that the "donkeyness" of players dissappears with the buyins, It does to an extent, but not completely. at low buiyins of $1, $2, $3, $4, and $5, and the player field is over 70, I still see herds of donkeys. I'm playing $10 MTTS now, and I see less, but they are still there.

[scrawnybob]

hi

I think you need to move on from freerolls, this might help ...

Is it Really Worth Playing Online Poker Freerolls ?

MTT's in themselves mean big fields and therefore your not going to be winning one every other time

however I think maybe you should mix in some SNG's as these could give you a small but steady profit and very much help you improve tournament and table strategy

then you could also try the 45 / 90 man MTT's which will give you a bit more control that the 300+ games

villaridge is totally right - freerolls really should only be for getting the basics and also trying out new sites software to see if you like them

in some ways there isnt anything wrong with freerolls if you dont want to deposit but then you have to accept the downsides of having a shot at "free" money ... the 100's of hours playing for no reward at all

cheers scrawnybob

[Dan Abnormal]

DANG SB when you put it like this

"Now if you had 9 months to play poker would you rather invest $6.50 and turn it into 10K or start with nothing and end up with a little over $6.50 ?"


All of this is some great food for thought and I have made a decision (now I need one of those push button things here so you can see my decision but since I cant I will go for a cheap post)



AND THE ANSWER IS

[Dan Abnormal]

I WILL NOT PLAY ANY MORE FREE ROLLS (unless its forums deals and stuff)

but this now brings up some other issues I have to think about and that is .....

(NEED ANOTHER PUSH BUTTON SQUARE)



...... $$$$$$$$$ and when I want to start thinking BR managment stuff and keep myself strict

[tking888]

always be thinking br management. (i'm a micro manager myself and i stay strict!)

freerolls do make for sloppy play and you surround yourself in bad play. i play them to let off steam or just to have a donkey hour or two.

[Peteyweestro]

The other thing besides terrible play in those big free rolls is that you can be playing for hours and cash but cash like 70 cents, WTF? I like the smaller forum games and i play 1 or 2 a night with the rare cash game thrown in for a little bit, usually like a 1/2 hour max at the cash tables. I can also safely say that even at the $5 buy-in level there is still terrible play and donkey appearances, i know because i play in them and i'm the one with the floppy ears,lol

[freerollbird]

i can't get enough of em. If you play tight and wait out the fools. it can be very good practice if u do not have a bankroll. But I would agree that there are smaller forum freerolls that you would enjoy. as in here.

[xxmommaxx]

Like many others, I started with the Big Freerolls when I first started playing online. At the time, I was also absorbing all of the poker information I could find. It took awhile, but I finally had earned about $25 playing in freerolls. I worked REALLY hard for this, that's for sure. (I have still Never taken a first place in a large one..lol.. I managed to make it to 2nd, several times.)

I also played the Merge Network's Fun Step SnG's. You "buy" a coupon with play money to get into Fun Step #1. When I first started playing, you had to come in 1st out of 6 to get the coupon for Fun Step #2. Then 1st in Fun Step #2, to get the coupon for Fun Step #3. If you came in 1st on Fun Step #3, you won $1.00 (real money).

They have changed their rules now. All the tables have 10 people and the top 3 in Fun Step #1 get a coupon to Table #2. The top 2 at Table #2, get a coupon to Table #3. 3rd place gets another Table #2 coupon. The winner of Table #3 still gets $1.00.

Once I had earned that $25, I finally decided to enter a real money MTT. I entered a $3 tourney and Somehow... I WON!! So Crazy. I took away $237 or so and haven't Had to play the freerolls at Merge for some time now. I will play occasionally when I'm having a bad run of luck. It helps me practice my patience. Even now, I will play $11 MTTs, and if I don't bring my patience, I don't last until 1st break.. lol

Good Luck and Think Positive.

[Dan Abnormal]

I must really be bad because I cannot for the life of me win that 3rd round for the $1 and those 3 steps take quite a while especially if people arent playing crazy and I love it when 3 people are left - one 3K in chips but is no longer at the table and you gotta keep trying to get the blinds to knock someone out so you can get your ticket (at least thats how it is at carbon)

Nah Im finding it more fun losing money and actually playing for something than what I used to do. I did build a $16 bankroll for free on cake but the doorcrashers got all that back I was so sad I had .18 in my account so I had to enter a .10 tourny and could not afford one rebuy or add on