Free roll tournaments can build a bankroll; but they have certain strategies and techniques you should employ in order to be successful.
Freerolls are a great way to build your bankroll from nothing. However, they are a different breed of tournament animal. For one thing most players don’t value their tournament life very much. Why? They’re in it to win it for free so there’s no loss of cash. They can, therefore, ‘afford’ to take more chances, and they do.
The best thing you can do to counteract that tendency, especially in the beginning, is to play tighter than normal. Actually, until the bubble bursts, the best thing you can do, as Annette Obrestad, Betfair poker player and blogger says, “is to just try and hit big hands and bet them very aggressively.”
When the tourney gets into the money, play does change at least somewhat. Usually the players who are still in the mix have figured out how to play free rolls effectively and will most likely be better players than those who have already busted. More advanced play will take place and … more advanced plays from you are now possible.
Now that there’s real moolah on the line, people will be more conservative. They’ll start to play better to make bigger bucks. This means it’s a great time to open up your game and attempt some blind steals and make some moves with less than perfect cards.
Summary: Freerolls are different from other tournaments, and strategy changes as the game changes from less to more aggressive.