A freeroll is a poker tournament with no entry fee and a real prize pool, paid for by the room or a partner. You risk nothing but your time. That makes freerolls a good way to learn how tournaments work, and a poor way to spend an evening if you are hoping to win much.
Types of freeroll
| Type | Who can enter |
|---|---|
| Open | Any registered player |
| New player | Recently opened accounts |
| Depositor | Players who have made at least one deposit, sometimes within a set period |
| Loyalty | Players at a certain rewards tier |
| Password | Anyone with the password, which the room shares with a group such as its social media followers, a streamer's viewers or a site's readers |
Password and depositor freerolls usually draw far smaller fields than open ones, which makes each entry worth more.
What a freeroll is really worth
Divide the prize pool by the number of entrants. A freeroll with a £100 prize pool and 2,000 players is worth 5p per entrant on average. A player twice as good as the field averages about 10p, and a big freeroll can take three hours or more to finish.
Prizes may be cash or tickets to paid tournaments, and some come with conditions, so read the terms in the tournament lobby before you register.
How to play the early stages
- Expect lots of all-ins. With nothing at stake, many players shove weak hands in the first levels. Call with strong hands and fold the rest.
- Bet your good hands for value. Freeroll players call too often, so bluffs work less and big hands get paid.
- Watch the blinds. Freeroll levels are often short, so your stack shrinks quickly if you wait too long.
- Know the maths. Pot odds tell you when calling an all-in is right.
How we list freerolls
Our freeroll listings give the room, the start time in UK time, the prize pool, who can enter and the password where one is needed. We remove each listing once the tournament starts, and we only list rooms licensed for our readers.
Freerolls are still gambling products, and many are designed to lead to a first deposit. Set a budget before you play for real money, and read how rake works so you know what paid games cost. 18+ only.
FAQs
Can you win real money in a freeroll?
Yes. Freeroll prizes are real money or tickets into paid tournaments, funded by the room or a partner. Prize pools are small compared with the size of the fields, though, and some prizes come with conditions, so read the terms before you register.
Why do some freerolls need a password?
A password keeps the field small and rewards a particular group, such as a room's social media followers, a streamer's viewers or a site's readers. The room shares the password with that group, and you type it in when you register for the tournament.
Do I need to deposit to play freerolls?
Not always. Open freerolls only need a registered account, but depositor freerolls require at least one deposit and loyalty freerolls require a rewards tier. Check the entry conditions in the tournament lobby before the start time.