Freeroll Foolery

UltimateBet runs some early morning (Eastern Time) freerolls, which drop nicely into mid evening playing time for me. Don't know why I bothered with that link -- just to show I can do it legally I guess.

I often sign up just to fool around, while watching television (Premier League and ICC Champions Trophy highlights last night -- not often I can feel sorry for Chelsea, but losing two keepers in one match is just horrible!) and over the past few months I've gradually refined a strategy for playing them. And of course, I will now share it with you:

Michael's Freeroll Rules

• You may complete the small blind.
• You may limp from the button or cutoff if there are at least two limpers ahead of you.
• You may fold or check.
• You may bet pot or all in whichever is smaller.

Note in particular that (except for completing the small blind, and late position limps) you may not simply call a bet, unless it will put you all in.

Obviously, it's not, and is not intended to be, an optimal strategy (there's no way to slow play for example, except via a pot sized or all in check raise). It is easy to play (especially on UB where there's a button for pot sized bet -- which is what spawned the strategy).

Its main virtue though is as an exercise in discipline. You are forced to be definite about how you will play a hand -- you can't be lured into pots by a series of bets, which are small enough to call.

Last night, in a fairly typical display, I went out in 60th place having decided to take a stand with pocket 8's. I must say, my opponent was pretty gutsy -- as one of the chip leaders, he put half his stack at risk on TT after a flop of Q44 and a turn of 2 against a completed small blind (QJ, Q9, A4 etc. were certainly all possibilities). I could easily have gotten away from it (checking the turn rather than re-potting) but it was nearing bedtime, and I'm enjoying John le Carre's Absolute Friends.

Give it a try -- you have nothing to lose but your entry fee.