Freerolls are a completely different beast and I think a lot of players make the mistake of treating them like regular tournaments.
The field is massive, the play is chaotic, and in the early stages almost everyone is
gambling because they have nothing to lose. Playing tight, disciplined poker in the first hour of a freeroll can seem boring and exhausting, but it is possible.
Best approach (in my opinion):
Early stages — be patient but not passive. Let the maniacs knock each other out. Don't
bluff, because nobody folds. Wait for strong hands and get paid.
Middle stages — once the field thins out, start playing real poker. By this point the remaining players actually care about their chips and you can apply pressure.
Late stages — treat it exactly like any other tournament. ICM matters, stack sizes matter, position matters.
The biggest mistake in freerolls is getting frustrated by the chaos early on and starting to gamble yourself. The variance is brutal and unavoidable — just stay calm and let it work itself out.
The irony of freerolls is that the best strategy is to take them seriously — while accepting that half the table never will.
