Micro/Freeroll tournaments

I was thinking what is your take on micro/freeroll tournaments? They are always so splashy and loose and those few times I have won them or make it to top 8 I have played so nitty like foldin AKoff and hands like that and at later stages building heavy aggression. So what you think? What have worked for you?

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I think playing patient works really well in freerolls and micro tournaments because many players go all in with random hands early. I usually try to stay tight at the start and then play more aggressive later when blinds get bigger and fewer players are left.

Generally, they are weaker players, so always bet when you have value hands.

In micro/freerolls, tight is usually right early!

Maihari said:

I was thinking what is your take on micro/freeroll tournaments? They are always so splashy and loose and those few times I have won them or make it to top 8 I have played so nitty like foldin AKoff and hands like that and at later stages building heavy aggression. So what you think? What have worked for you?

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Freerolls, like micro tournaments, are essentially a game of bingo. If luck is not on your side, you will have no chance, regardless of your experience and skill. But at the same time, freerolls are a good and safe way to build a bankroll from scratch.

starting playing freerolls and micro s to learn the poker first

A lawless land, anything is possible.

I am convinced that poker is a game of chance. This is even more true in freerolls. Anyone can sign up and play however they want. Of course, you can use tactics here too, and since there is no investment, there is no risk. You can only win, not lose.

Freerolls and micro tournaments can be misleading: it often feels like you can simply “survive” the early stage and start playing later. But in practice, that approach costs you initiative.
Overly cautious play, especially with hands like AKo, often doesn’t lead to survival — it leads to lost easy EV, because opponents give away chips without pressure.
The working idea is usually simpler: not “to reach the late stage,” but to start taking small pots from the beginning and control the table early. Aggression matters more than survival, and the late stage only amplifies what you’ve already built earlier.