Should beginners stick to freerolls before depositing?

Sumohoward · Aug 4, 2026

Should beginners stick to freerolls before depositing?

Many new poker players are eager to deposit money and start playing right away. However, some people believe beginners should first spend time playing freerolls to learn the basics without risking their own money.

Do you think beginners should stick to freerolls until they have more experience, or is making a small deposit a better way to improve?

- How long should a beginner play freerolls before depositing?
- Can freerolls teach good poker habits, or do they create bad ones because many players go all-in with weak hands?
- What advice would you give to someone just starting their poker journey?

I'm interested in hearing different opinions and experiences from the community.

Bitmaniac · Aug 4, 2026

Freerolls are fun but personally I would advise they should use their money to play. Cause in freerolls players do not follow pattern and tend to take unbelievable risk, which might even end up favouring them.

KabzaPoker22 · Aug 4, 2026

I think freerolls are a great place for beginners to start. They let you learn the rules, practice tournament strategy, and get experience without risking your own money.

At the same time, freerolls can be very different from real-money games because many players are willing to take huge risks. I think it's important not to copy those habits.

My plan is to use freerolls to build good fundamentals first, like position, starting hand selection, and bankroll discipline. Once I feel more confident and consistent, then I'll consider making a small deposit.

What do you think? Should beginners master freerolls first, or is it better to deposit a small amount early and learn in low-stakes games?

acidburnfx · Aug 4, 2026

Sumohoward said:
some people believe beginners should first spend time playing freerolls to learn the basics without risking their own money.

Indeed! This type of tournament is great because it teaches you to value money. Besides being free, you can build a bankroll from scratch and learn the dynamics of poker (technical and psychological aspects) without any financial risk. The ideal approach is to focus on discipline, study and play only as much as you can afford to lose without impacting your budget.

Pabloro10321 · Aug 4, 2026

Not necessarily; free tournaments and paid tournaments are played differently. If you have money, you'd better not participate.

eetenor · Aug 5, 2026

Sumohoward said:
Should beginners stick to freerolls before depositing?

Many new poker players are eager to deposit money and start playing right away. However, some people believe beginners should first spend time playing freerolls to learn the basics without risking their own money.

Do you think beginners should stick to freerolls until they have more experience, or is making a small deposit a better way to improve?

- How long should a beginner play freerolls before depositing?
- Can freerolls teach good poker habits, or do they create bad ones because many players go all-in with weak hands?
- What advice would you give to someone just starting their poker journey?

I'm interested in hearing different opinions and experiences from the community.

Freerolls are great for beginners because they give you table experience at 0$. You should not be learning math-based poker skills from freerolls. You should be studying that math and applying it in freerolls.
Multiway hand selection is a good thing to study and freerolls are a great place to apply it.
equity estimating on each street is a very strong skill to learn and freerolls are great for supplying hands to study in Equilab after the fact.
Table Dynamics--how to learn evaluate how players play as a group and as individuals is easier in freerolls.

the real key here is to play the freeroll and then copy hands to look at postgame. Freerolls are great for building our library of hand study again at 0$

fundiver199 · Aug 6, 2026

Sumohoward said:
Do you think beginners should stick to freerolls until they have more experience, or is making a small deposit a better way to improve?

Playing regular games is the only way to really improve. If you are totally new to the game, you can go to the play money tables, until you have learned things like reading the board and hand rankings. Like understanding that your flush is not the nuts on a paired board, noticing when a straight is possible etc. Freerolls are only worth playing, if the money at stake is decent compared to the number of players. If its like 2.000 people competing for $100, its a complete waste of time.

koalapanda · Aug 6, 2026

Freerolls are good for learning basic rules, but staying too long creates bad habits because players just go all-in with weak hands.

How long? 1–2 weeks max (just to learn the buttons and hand rankings).

Best advice: Deposit $10–$20 and play micro-stakes ($0.01/$0.02). Even risking pennies makes people play real poker instead of bingo.

Mantinhoo · Aug 6, 2026

Freerolls are great for learning the basics without risking money, but I wouldn't stay there too long because the games play very differently. Once you understand the fundamentals, move to the lowest stakes and focus on improving with good bankroll management.

fundiver199 · Aug 6, 2026

koalapanda said:
Freerolls are good for learning basic rules, but staying too long creates bad habits because players just go all-in with weak hands.

How long? 1–2 weeks max (just to learn the buttons and hand rankings).

Best advice: Deposit $10–$20 and play micro-stakes ($0.01/$0.02). Even risking pennies makes people play real poker instead of bingo.

real money cash games are also the best way to learn to play with a deeper stack like 100BB, which drastically change stack-off ranges both preflop and postflop. Which is a skill, you also need to have to become a complete tournament player, since you dont always want to enter late especially in bounty tournaments.

Maybe a $10-20 deposit is reasonable, if you live in a low income country. But for people living in high income countries I think, $50-100 is a more reasonable first deposit, since it allow you to play 2NL with a reasonable bankroll. And just for the record I am not suggesting to avoid freerolls completely. If they add some actual value, then sure take it and use it to add to your bankroll. But dont sit and wait for a freeroll to begin, if you are in the mood for some online poker.

nitesss · Aug 6, 2026

I think freerolls are the best place to begin. You can practice, understand the game better, and gain confidence without spending your own money. Once you're comfortable, then consider depositing.

hardongear · Aug 6, 2026

Hell no why would one wanna limit them shelves to only freerolls. The competition at 2nl, 5nl and micro-stakes MTT's ain't no better then any random freeroll.

My advice deposit $50 and start playing at 2nl full-ring. Get yourself so you can at least double table. Once you have $150-$200 it's time to move up too 5nl full-ring. Once you have $500 now it really gets fun. You can play 10nl full-ring during the week and skip micro stakes MTT's all together and start playing $5+ MTT's on the weekends. Personally I prefer 10+ min blind level MTT's but to each their own.

Cheers!!!

Marshmalo1994 · Aug 8, 2026

Sumohoward said:
Should beginners stick to freerolls before depositing?

Many new poker players are eager to deposit money and start playing right away. However, some people believe beginners should first spend time playing freerolls to learn the basics without risking their own money.

Do you think beginners should stick to freerolls until they have more experience, or is making a small deposit a better way to improve?

- How long should a beginner play freerolls before depositing?
- Can freerolls teach good poker habits, or do they create bad ones because many players go all-in with weak hands?
- What advice would you give to someone just starting their poker journey?

I'm interested in hearing different opinions and experiences from the community.

I preferred to build my bankroll praying freerolls, that would always be my advice, but is not a rule

MishkaZL · Aug 8, 2026

I think it's not a fundamental issue. I started with freerolls because I wasn't ready to spend my own money on the game. But if I was ready, I think there would be no problem in spending $10 or $20 on tournaments. The main thing is how you will use this money, the main thing is your bankroll management.

Nameless14 · Aug 8, 2026

I’d say freerolls are a great place to start, especially for learning the basics without risking money. But I wouldn’t stay in them too long. Once you understand the fundamentals, playing some low-stakes MTTs can teach you a lot more about discipline, bankroll management, and tournament pressure.
The biggest thing is not copying the crazy all-ins you see in freerolls. 😂 Learn solid fundamentals and treat every hand as a learning opportunity.

ramdon p358 · Aug 9, 2026

Freerolls are a great option for those just starting out; they are the best way to gain experience. I made my first deposit a year after I started playing

theoxy · Aug 9, 2026

Agree with others users , freerolls is great to starting and learning poker . And after you start earning money from freerolls , you can try deposit .

christovam · Aug 9, 2026

Sumohoward said:
Será que os iniciantes devem se limitar a torneios gratuitos antes de fazer um depósito?

Muitos jogadores de poker iniciantes estão ansiosos para depositar dinheiro e começar a jogar imediatamente. No entanto, algumas pessoas acreditam que os iniciantes devem primeiro dedicar um tempo jogando torneios gratuitos (freerolls) para aprender o básico sem arriscar seu próprio dinheiro.

Você acha que os iniciantes devem se limitar a torneios gratuitos até adquirirem mais experiência, ou fazer um pequeno depósito é uma maneira melhor de melhorar?

- Por quanto tempo um iniciante deve jogar freerolls antes de depositar?
- Os torneios freeroll podem ensinar bons hábitos de poker ou criam maus hábitos porque muitos jogadores vão all-in com mãos fracas?
- Que conselho você daria para alguém que está começando sua jornada no poker?

Tenho interesse em ouvir diferentes opiniões e experiências da comunidade.

I think beginners should start playing with small deposits and in cheaper tournaments to practice certain skills, such as range management, respect for position and bet size. The rest will come naturally as they face tougher opponents and study poker.

anshu143 · Aug 9, 2026

i think it is the best idea to test ourself without getting any loss because it will improve our game as well as financially we are at good there is no loss while playing freeroll and we can build some profit also while playing it.

moraeskvmi · Aug 9, 2026

- What advice would you give to someone just starting their poker journey?
Play all the available freerolls, even later on, once you're already paying buy-ins, every site always has good freerolls that you should always be playing.

christovam · Aug 9, 2026

KabzaPoker22 said:
Acho que os torneios freeroll são um ótimo ponto de partida para iniciantes. Eles permitem aprender as regras, praticar estratégias de torneio e ganhar experiência sem arriscar seu próprio dinheiro.

Ao mesmo tempo, os torneios gratuitos podem ser muito diferentes dos jogos com dinheiro real, porque muitos jogadores estão dispostos a correr riscos enormes. Acho importante não copiar esses hábitos.

Meu plano é usar torneios freeroll para desenvolver fundamentos sólidos primeiro, como posicionamento, seleção de mãos iniciais e disciplina de banca. Assim que me sentir mais confiante e consistente, considerarei fazer um pequeno depósito.

O que você acha? Os iniciantes devem primeiro dominar os freerolls, ou é melhor depositar uma pequena quantia no início e aprender em jogos de apostas baixas?

Unfortunately, even with lower entry amounts — as low as a dollar — there are people who take unnecessary risks and gamble recklessly.

christovam · Aug 9, 2026

moraeskvmi said:
- Que conselho você daria para alguém que está começando sua jornada no poker?
Jogue todos os freerolls disponíveis, mesmo mais tarde, quando já estiver pagando entradas, pois todos os sites sempre têm bons freerolls que você deve sempre jogar.

There are certain days of the week when players are more reckless. However, there are group tournaments and sites where players are more honest about their poker playing styles.

fundiver199 · Aug 10, 2026

christovam said:
Unfortunately, even with lower entry amounts — as low as a dollar — there are people who take unnecessary risks and gamble recklessly.

Why exactly is that a problem? In poker we make money, when other players make mistakes, and we lose money, when we make mistakes ourselfes. And its not like, a loose gambler is particularly difficult to play against. You just bet your strong hands for value, avoid bluffing without equity and call him down, when you have a hand, that is decent enough.

Recently in a $16.5 PKO on PokerStars there was someone constantly open shipping for way to many blinds in the early blind levels. And while he did sort of dominate the table and forced me to fold some hands, I would normally have played, I would rather have someone like that on my table than solid grinders with millions of dollars in online cashes.

I am not going to make any money from those grinders, and I still need to pay the rake. But I might make money from the wild gambler, if I play well and keep my cool. So the best advice to new players is to learn to embrace poor play and make peace with bad beats. Losing to a bad player with a bad hand is no worse than losing to a good player with a good hand.

Now I will admit, that if you are trying to practice postflop play, then its not ideal to have someone, who constantly ships it preflop. But usually it solves itself pretty quickly. In that $16.5 PKO it took maybe 10 minutes, before the wild player had either lost all his chips or got moved to another table. I did not even see, which one it was, because I was paying attention to other tables.

winner3699 · Aug 10, 2026

Should try both,a little deposit and also paly maximum freeroll will be awesome

christovam · Monday at 12:46 PM

fundiver199 said:
Why exactly is that a problem? In poker we make money, when other players make mistakes, and we lose money, when we make mistakes ourselfes. And its not like, a loose gambler is particularly difficult to play against. You just bet your strong hands for value, avoid bluffing without equity and call him down, when you have a hand, that is decent enough.

Recently in a $16.5 PKO on PokerStars there was someone constantly open shipping for way to many blinds in the early blind levels. And while he did sort of dominate the table and forced me to fold some hands, I would normally have played, I would rather have someone like that on my table than solid grinders with millions of dollars in online cashes.

I am not going to make any money from those grinders, and I still need to pay the rake. But I might make money from the wild gambler, if I play well and keep my cool. So the best advice to new players is to learn to embrace poor play and make peace with bad beats. Losing to a bad player with a bad hand is no worse than losing to a good player with a good hand.

Now I will admit, that if you are trying to practice postflop play, then its not ideal to have someone, who constantly ships it preflop. But usually it solves itself pretty quickly. In that $16.5 PKO it took maybe 10 minutes, before the wild player had either lost all his chips or got moved to another table. I did not even see, which one it was, because I was paying attention to other tables.

At micro limits, players pay for everything. Any strategy goes out the window when the flop doesn't help, so the blinds keep getting smaller and we're left with no way out—either go all-in or fold.

Should beginners stick to freerolls before depositing?

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