Freerolls in Poker Could Spell Your Win or Lose

Poker, a popular card game which has been around for many years is a catalyst in parties and get-togethers. Whether one plays competitively or just for fun, it's important to always keep the basics in mind.

Freerolls is a common term in poker. When the term freerolls is used, one could be referring to these three things: freeroll hand, freeroll tournament or negative freeroll. They have different meanings which could spell the difference between one losing or winning in this card game.

One or more players are required in this card game and a dealer who is in charge of shuffling, cutting and dealing the cards. Freerolls when referring to the play of a particular hand, occurs right before the dealer deals the last card where there would only be two players left. The air is tense at this point as the probability of a win-win situation for both players could arise. The pot money could either be split between the two of them, or one of the two players left can win everything that is in the pot. Here's an example of freerolls in a single hand. Let's say we have two players, Ann and Tom. Ann holds jack of spades and ace of spades while Tom holds a jack and queen of diamonds. The dealer deals and the cards are two, five and six of spades and one ten of diamonds. In this scenario, Ann's flush would win over Tom's straight.

Freerolls could also mean a free tournament. By freerolls tournament, the player is not charged an entry fee. However this is not an absolute rule. There are freerolls tournaments that do charge an entry fee. The best part about a freerolls tournament is the prize. In poker played between friends, the pot money is limited to what each player has contributed and sometimes to what each player is willing to put in as an increase in one's original bet. But in freerolls tournaments, the prize would be from contributions made by sponsors, paid for by the spectators, broadcast fees or a mix of any of these.

Freerolls could also refer to a negative freeroll. This type of freerolls happens in a no-limit or pot-limit situation. This is particularly common when poker is played by newbies or when the stakes are low. When we say no-limit, this is a situation when each player can raise the amount of his bet whenever that player feels that they have the upper hand. In a pot-limit situation, any one of the players can raise the amount he has bet to equal the amount in the pot. Negative freerolls is when one player, confident that the pot is theirs forces an opponent to make a final bet. If the opponent is just as confident that they have the stronger hand, that opponent will bet. However if the opponent has the weaker hand, the player who forced that opponent's bet would be assured that their opponent's money is in the pot.