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Most if not all
Internet poker sites have freeroll tournaments although in many cases require a payment of points to play. These points typically can only be earned by paying and playing real money hands which in essence is a payment required to play their 'freerolls' and therefore a loose use of the
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Freerolls at
Internet poker sites should not be confused with their close counterpart -- play money tournaments. Freerolls are different from play-money tournaments in two respects. Play money tournaments usually require the 'payment' of play money and the tournament winnings are play money. Freeroll
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In playing a particular hand of poker, a freeroll is a situation that arises (usually when only two players remain) before the last card has been dealt, in which one player is guaranteed to at least split the pot with his opponent no matter what the final cards are, but where there is some chance he
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In a typical pay-to-play tournament, the prize pool consists of an accumulation of the entry fees minus a "fee" which is retained by the house. In a freeroll (at least from the players' perspective) the prize pool is essentially a "donation" provided by the house. Of course, in most freerolls the
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tournaments can be genuinely free, may require a payment of points (from a point system developed by the site), or on some occasions require a deposit of funds into the player's account. The winnings are either real money, points, merchandise or entry tickets (invitations) to other tournaments.
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It is not unusual to pay to play in a feeder tournament that gives the winner(s) a free entry to another tournament but it is debatable whether these second level tournaments can be called 'freerolls', since they require a buy-in, albeit smaller than the major tournament one. More often, such
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If a player knows they have a freeroll, they can raise the pot with impunity, and often a less-skilled opponent with a good hand who does not realize that they are on the wrong end of the freeroll will continue to put in raises with no possible hope of gain.
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game where one player knows that he has a guaranteed low hand made, his opponent cannot make a better low no matter what the last card is, but the player who is low might possibly catch a lucky card that gives him a straight or flush, winning high as well.
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house is able defray a significant portion of the prize pool (or even turn a profit) by charging for food and beverages, sponsorship fees, admission to spectators, broadcast rights fees, or any combination of these. Sometimes a particular
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is one such 'freeroll', with entrants being required to qualify through their results in previous tournaments. Sponsorship and broadcast-rights fees fund the prize pools.
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is where a player is guaranteed to at least split the pot with their opponent, with a chance they can win the whole pot if certain final cards are dealt.
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tournaments are called 'satellites'. This format is typical of freeroll tournaments both on the
Internet and in the 'brick and mortar' sites.
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term 'freeroll'. There are
Internet sites that allow playing in freerolls without payment of any kind and with the chance to win real money.
269:(either traditional or online) will offer a freeroll tournament to frequent players. Invitation-only tournaments are frequently freerolls.
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Freeroll tournaments are not exclusive to poker. Casinos frequently offer them to frequent and/or high-value players in games such as
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is a tournament with no entry fee, although some freerolls require a payment at some point to gain entry to the tournament.
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can win the whole pot if certain final cards are dealt. This most commonly occurs in a
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255:freeroll tournament
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311:Origin of the term
385:Poker terminology
333:Negative freeroll
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155:: Angie holds
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359:. 8 July 2021
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96:February 2024
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363:23 February
301:video poker
239:freerolling
353:"Freeroll"
339:References
128:tournament
66:newspapers
55:"Freeroll"
317:Las Vegas
297:blackjack
379:Category
327:See also
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235:nut hand
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267:casino
241:Burt.
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