Freeroll

Freeroll is an exclusive type of poker tournament, the distinctive feature of which is free participation in the competition.

Freeroll – a special kind of tournament

Usually, before the start of the tournament, players make an entry fee which is called buy-in. It consists of the amount of money that forms the prize fund and the rake, that is, the commission that the poker room takes for participating in the tournament.

With freerolls, the situation is different: players do not have to pay the entry buy-in. The game fund is formed by poker room operators, and attracted sponsors, TV companies, and in some cases even spectators.

The aim of freeroll

The main aim of freerolls is to promote the upcoming tournament, the poker room, and the sponsoring partners of this event.

Participation in such types of tournaments is absolutely free, that’s why a huge number of people take part in them. Many of them might not know anything about the world of poker. Therefore, freerolls might be an outstanding marketing solution to attract new players.

By organizing high-stakes freerolls (up to $1000) for existing customers, an operator reactivates their players. 

Freeroll tournament advantages and disadvantages

The advantages include:

• free participation in the tournament;
• the opportunity to hone the skills of novice players in a safe environment;
• a chance to win a cash prize at no cost.

The disadvantages include:

• Complicated game format for newcomers. On the one hand, if a novice plays with inexperienced players, he runs the risk of learning inefficient game strategies. On the other hand, if he competes with professionals, there is a big chance to be eliminated at the very beginning of the tournament.
• Low chance of winning. Several thousands of people can participate in freerolls, and, accordingly, winning a prize in such tournaments can be pretty problematic.
• Game duration. Due to a large number of participants, the time of the tournament can be significantly stretched.