What is a Poker Freeroll?

A Poker Freeroll is just like any other real money poker tournament except they are completely free to enter. They do, however, offer real cash prizes so they can be a great way to increase your winnings without adding any extra risk. For this reason they are often a great starting point for people who are looking to play real money games but are just starting out playing poker. Poker freerolls are the superior place to learn poker as they have the benefits of learning at a real online poker room without the risk.

"But I can just play a no money tournament and learn that way!" and you could, but it wouldn't be the real experience, without money on the line you will find that your opponents will often play in an erratic and inconsistent way, which for people just starting out could be terrible for your long term poker career, as you will likely pick up bad habits or may have a false idea of how successful you would actually be at a proper tournament. This is the strength of the freeroll tournament, all of the positives, none of the negatives.

How do Poker Freerolls work?

For those that are new to Poker as a whole or just new to freeroll tournaments there are a lot of new terms and expressions you will have to become familiar with, so to help out all our wonderful players we have compiled a list of the most important ones.

The Stack - This is the name for the amount of chips you are given when you start playing at the beginning of a tournament, This is often referred to as the "starting stack". All players begin with the same starting stack.

The Gameplay - A Freeroll poker tournament plays the same way as a regular poker tournament, The goal is to finish the competition with everyone else's "starting stacks" in your stack. Poker isn't about making friends after all!

The Structure - As with most Poker tournaments the betting antes and blinds will increase as the event goes along, this happens to increase the stakes of each hand and bring the game to a quicker conclusion.

The Prize - What you are all here for, the prize! The poker site that's hosting the freeroll tournament will set a prize pool. Freeroll tournament prizes can include real money prizes, tickets to other events, special poker bonuses, and swag. Normally, this will be distributed to a number of players at the end of the tourney but be sure to check the T&C's as sometimes it's winner takes all!

Think we've missed something? Or read a word somewhere that you don't recognise? Then check out our Poker Guide detailing every poker term under the sun.

Are Freeroll Tournaments for me?

Freeroll tournaments have many advantages beyond the obvious waived entry fee. For new players it can be a great opportunity to learn the game without the risk of losing your hard earned money. But freeroll tournaments are much more than just a place for newbies to figure out that a straight beats a three of a kind or that going all in before the flop will often lead to a very quick draining of your pot.

Experienced players can benefit from freerolls too, perhaps you are aiming to test out a few new strategies that you've seen online or even that you are looking to go pro, in which case any tournament you can be involved in is a bonus. As with any game or sport, often the only secret to improving your skill level is to practice, and practice a lot.

But what if you aren't bankrolled by a wealthy financier? Every single tournament you play in has to come out of your own back pocket and if you are worried too much about losing your money, you will often find yourself too scared to increase the pot when you need to.

Most Poker pros will agree, a good poker player is someone who is brave enough to raise the stakes when the odds dictate but also disciplined enough to know when to fold those pocket aces when the odds just aren't with them.

Where can I find the best Poker Freeroll Passwords?

Right here at RakeTheRake.com! We have spent years working with some of the biggest and most prestigious Poker rooms in the world and we have compiled a list of all those that offer freerolls and put all that information in one place to save you the time of finding them yourselves. Sign up for an upcoming freeroll tournament today, receive your password and claim your place at the table!