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How to Succeed in the Poker Freerolls Part 2 |
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How to Succeed in the Poker Freerolls Part 1 looked mostly at what
cards to play and when to play them, in Part 2 we take a look at other
factors that you need to be aware of in order to succeed in the
freerolls.
7. Watch your opponents and learn their playing style.
You can
learn a lot of valuable poker information just by watching your
opponents playing style and habits at the table. Do they bet almost
every hand, do they sit back and wait for a good hand (like you
should!), do they fold easily at the first sign of a raise, do they
just want to see a free card, is there a "maniac" who raises every hand?
8. Concentrate on the game.
If
you want to find out how your opponents play, you need to concentrate
fully on what you're doing. Don't write emails while your playing or
surf other sites, and turn off that TV!
9. Avoid hesitation.
If
you hesitate before you make your move then it is seen as a sign of
weakness. In the freerolls you dont have the luxury of watching your
opponent's reactions and one of the few "tells" that you have is the
speed at which your opponent makes his move. The worst sin here is to
hesitate for a while then check, you have just told the table you don't
have a hand but you want to see the next card. You will simply be
raised straight out of the hand.
10. Don't chase draws.
It
can be very tempting when you see that you have a straight draw, (eg
you've got a 6 7 and there's a 5 and 8 in the flop) but the reality is
that this hand rarely produces a winner. If you can see the other cards
free or for a cheap call then by all means take a look, but remember at
this point you have absolutely nothing and your opponents have almost
certainly got at least a pair.
11. Remember that your opponents will play different cards from you.
Just
because you are doing everything right doesn't mean that they will too!
People will play all sorts of hands, especially in a freeroll and you
can expect some crazy bad beats. Particular attention should be paid to
the possibility of straights, if there are three cards on the table
like 5 6 8 for example, there's a good chance somebody might be playing
with a 7 4!
12. Treat the freerolls seriously.
Although
you're not investing any money to take part in the freerolls, you are
investing a chunk of your time so take them seriously. They are a good
training ground for learning tournament skills and to win one is a very
good achievement.
Not to mention you could win some money!
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