This strategy is one I use to great effect (profit!) in both cash and free texas hold em freerolls with upto 1000 players involved. I will keep it short, since there are too many long and boring free texas hold em strategies that keep coming with the same info in another context.
The first hour
In freerolls you will find the whole spectrum of the poker world, the good, the bad, the annoying donks who go all in all the time.
The all in on every hand donk players are the ones to watch out for early on. Don’t take risks at the start of even a free texas hold em freeroll as this type of player, who doesn’t know the game (or care) goes all in with any hand, A 4 (not even suited) and it would be seriously annoying to get beaten by that is you have A Ks!
Just call when it is low if you have AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK (suited) KQ (suited) Note: Don’t go all in with these cards in the pre-flop (bad beats are very frustrating)
And very important; DO NOT BLUFF at this stage.
Following the first hour
This is the time that almost all bad players are gone, apart from the lucky ones!
Here it is possible to play more aggressive and attempt to steal the blinds (critical since the blinds increase and ante has to be paid so what you can get by playing cards is too less to keep playing)
You may also introduce some new cards to you playable hands like:
- AA (all in when in late position and not so many people in the pot)
- KJ
- QJ
- KQ
- KK (same as AA)
- AK
- AQ
- 10 10
When you’re in the pot with a few players and they just check or make low bets/calls you can try to bluff.
Make certain that your stack is not less then the average stack, if it does go back to the “first hour strategy” and tighten up! (it is not a shame to pull back and change strategy a couple of times to create some confusion!)
Congratulations If everything went well you are now in the money, but you can’t tell me that you’d like to quit now and earn some crappy cents, that’s just waste of your time since the most freerolls will extend to 4-5 hours. So concentrate!
This is the part where the “n00bs” are gone and you play with some pokerfreaks so watch out!
You’ll be able to recognize the good players not at the number of chips they have but at their check, bet, call, raise and fold actions!
They’re going to try to get to see the flop with as less chips as possible and fold most of the time (most common way to spot the good ones).
In order to be in the top 3 (other places won’t pay that well) you have to be careful, but take some risks to! The hands you can play are the same as in the second part of the freeroll from the 77,88 and up.
When in late position try and steal the blinds, but not too often or you will be recognized as a bluffer!
So see you at the tables, good luck! When beginning I suggest starting with true free texas hold em freeroll events and working up from there as you improve.