I have been participating in the freerolls sponsored by BRM as of late. Just dont want to risk anymore of my bankroll at micro-stakes. So we build.
As I have stated before; i just cant play cash. I seem to sniff out the pocket aces every time. And i am so sick of people whining that there aces dont hold up. Come play me; they hold up every time when i play cash. oh and every time i get the aces they hold up; just cause everyone folds to my 3 bet. or some donkey hits his set on the river. who the hell calls an all-in with 77 pre-flop??
I do very much like the new leader-boards offered a party poker and 888. So far I have played a few and cashed in one of each. There are also far fewer players than that pokerstars. A lot fewer. PP so far is averaging a lil over 500 participants as well as 888. So much better than PS 5000 players with half the blind time.
With the blind levels at 10mins compared to 5 mins. at PS it definitely gives you more time to wade through the donks and fishes. Love setting the peons up.
ok so now for the dislikes..
blind levels at PS are too short.
there seems to be a password leak at 888 already. I noticed 3 players registered a half hour before the start at a couple of the freerolls today.
and the times for the new freerolls are not canadian friendly. they start here at like 5 in the morning and end at around 2 pm...no good for anyone who has a day job, not me, but people with a real job.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
I haven't ever played the BRM freerolls - BUT my feelings on freerolls in general:
Pros:
*Great for beginners *Great for people testing out a site *Great to build a small bankroll with *Great to play inbetween being busto and depositing *Good practice *Level of play is terrible - so easy to cash
Cons:
*You're never going to get a good "hourly" from playing freerolls - ultimately - even if you bink them, they're rarely worth your time/effort *You might build bad habits, from constantly playing vs donkeys
To sum it up: I think they're a great place to start - but when I see people still playing them after a year or more, do begin to wonder.. Most people in the world can afford to make a small deposit, particularly those who live in first world countries. At some point, I think people need to say enough is enough and move up from the freerolls and the ultra micros and start playing actual $ buyin SNG/MTT and low level cash games.
You'll never get anywhere if you just keep playing freerolls - even if you cash in a few, you're still unlikely to have enough of a roll to apply any kind of meaningful bankroll-management strategy for playing the micros/small-stakes.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 4827
I like freerolls. I think they are important formation for any kind of player who thinks about going to big MTT. Freerolls can teach a player how to move against lose aggressive players, and they will also work as a good first contact with the long tourneys. What better way to experience 3 or 4 hours of continued game, and learn with the pressure that time can put into a player?
Joined: May '09
Location: Spain
Age: 49 (M)
Posts: 1331
Hi guys!!
I don´t play BRM freerolls and very few MTTs, i don´t have enough time to play it.
Of course, freerolls are useful for new players and the learderboard promo of BRM is good enough to play it.
Finally, i don´t like your idea, GomerAssassi, 'Just dont want to risk anymore of my bankroll at micro-stakes' Are you go to play low limits without beat micros? Bad move.
Joined: Mar '11
Location: Brazil
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 113
I always thought that to win a freeroll you have to rely more on luck than his ability, I've been through countless situations like those you mentioned, I think it really gets interesting when the tournament reaches the final table, stands up easier if you're good to win because some of the players that there are no quality, with all respect to all of course, but really played inexplicable happens in freerolls
Joined: Oct '07
Location: Lithuania
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 7
I like high value freerolls, because there are a donk fest You have wait strong hand and nothing more. Easy money But low freerolls i dislike, becausethey are not profitable..
Joined: Aug '10
Location: Germany
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 2219
Freeroll are a good way for beginners to build a little bankroll or for all players without money. And the brm leaderboeard series are a good way to get some extra cash.
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
Depends on EV. Overall its actually hard to think of cons, lots of pros, but in reality even the pros are pretty s**t, but they are pros. That said, IMO the long list of pros you can make are smashed by the very few cons, you know the list, as above and more. Odd to say, but my fist $s was made in freerolls, back in the day were points meant prizes, today is a lot different.
Joined: Feb '11
Location: Canada
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 1660
Posted by jessthehuman: I haven't ever played the BRM freerolls - BUT my feelings on freerolls in general:
Pros:
*Great for beginners *Great for people testing out a site *Great to build a small bankroll with *Great to play inbetween being busto and depositing *Good practice *Level of play is terrible - so easy to cash
Cons:
*You're never going to get a good "hourly" from playing freerolls - ultimately - even if you bink them, they're rarely worth your time/effort *You might build bad habits, from constantly playing vs donkeys
To sum it up: I think they're a great place to start - but when I see people still playing them after a year or more, do begin to wonder.. Most people in the world can afford to make a small deposit, particularly those who live in first world countries. At some point, I think people need to say enough is enough and move up from the freerolls and the ultra micros and start playing actual $ buyin SNG/MTT and low level cash games.
You'll never get anywhere if you just keep playing freerolls - even if you cash in a few, you're still unlikely to have enough of a roll to apply any kind of meaningful bankroll-management strategy for playing the micros/small-stakes.
Just out of curiosity do you feel the same way about most freerolls, even the ones you earn when newly depositing and such, or would you class those slightly differently from these $25 ones? I don't play these for all the reasons above but I do play almost all the ones I qualify for through promotions and what not.
Joined: Dec '11
Location: Netherlands
Age: 54 (M)
Posts: 6
like freerols, they give you practice time when you have low cash and all kind of people play them so it can be good for playing against all kind of players. Just wait for good cards and go for it . lol
Joined: Jan '11
Location: United States
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 3361
There tuff to play, but it's good training / patience to sit and play only your best hands is key although you rarely hit. Wish I could play the BRM freerolls, but ever since the "Black Friday" deal I can't participate. It's cool though! I'll wait for things to change or hope things will change.
Joined: Jan '12
Location: Germany
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 33
Freerolls are ok.
But Freerolls on Chili-Poker are a joke , or what ??
I read ther Hompage-section for Freerolls : If you want to cash-out winning money from the freerolls you must make 10 FPP per 1$ Freeroll-Money !!!! Whats that ??? a Joke or what ???? This is custumors friendly ??? I win money and they won't give it to mee only if i play with it and risk it to loose it ??? What a the hell should i say ????
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
Posted by Arithmajik:
Just out of curiosity do you feel the same way about most freerolls, even the ones you earn when newly depositing and such, or would you class those slightly differently from these $25 ones? I don't play these for all the reasons above but I do play almost all the ones I qualify for through promotions and what not.
Just curious.
What I was saying was certainly just a generalisation. My way of determining the value of a freeroll isn't the prizepool, I simply use this equation:
total prizepool / total runners = Value of entrance
So for example, if it's some kind of special members freeroll or something like that (restricted freeroll) and it is $10K and 2000 runners (PKR used to have a monthly one like this) then it is:
$10,000 / 2000 = $5 Value
So basically, if the value of the entrance is equal to the MTTs you usually play, or close to - then the freeroll is 'worth your time'. If however you're talking about $500 / 10,000 runners and value of entrance = $0.05 (5c) - then even if the top prize is $100, then i still don't think it's worth the effort - it's essentially a 5c buyin MTT. And you might say - "yeh, but I could win $100!"- but the reality is, if your MTT ROI is 30% for example, then your EV for entering the freeroll is around 6c-7c - for what, 2-3hrs average time? Not good.
So - in saying that, from time to time, you certainly come across restricted freerolls (1st depositors, club-member, etc) that have pretty decent value- Sometimes you'll even get the odd one where your entrance is worth $10.00-$30.00!
------------ PKR up until fairly recently ran a monthly SNG/MTT rankings freeroll - $5,000. 1,000 people qualified and normally about 500 or so registered. So the value for that was normally $5,000 / 500 = $10.00 entrance.
I used to try and play that whenever I was able to (not often, due to timezone issues) - also, it was good to play because you were playing vs the top 500-1000 players on the site, so obviously bragging rights were in the mix too!
Edited by jessthehuman (07 March 2012 @ 00:28 GMT)
Joined: Jan '10
Location: Hungary
Age: 33 (F)
Posts: 15
I think the main thing is "they're rarely worth your time/effort", most of the pro things true on play money tables, too...like test the site, for beginners, paractice...so from me, that's a dislike
Joined: Jan '12
Location: Netherlands
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 165
i don't hate them i play them for fun and for money if people say you can't build a bankroll whit it it's not treu you have lots off different freerolls some site's have freerolls whit 100K prizes and you can win tickets for many kind off different freerolls that was just an example you have sites whit promo's if you earn points you can buy your self in or you can quilify and just get in for free also so it depends on what kind off freeroll you mean you have mtt's whit buy in for hundreds off dollars so what is the difference getting in for free so again it depends on what kind of freeroll you play i will keep playing them don't win nothing its okay but maybe i win some its okay 2 good luck and have fun
Joined: Dec '11
Location: Macedonia, The former Yugoslav Republic of
Age: 53 (M)
Posts: 107
I play freerols when i am broke.Take some times to try to recovered from lose playing and trying to earn some freemoney.Useualy i lose because freerols are agresive ALL in ALL in all the time,and i hate to wait 5min to play one hand
You have wait strong hand and nothing more. Easy money 
