Funtables vs. Freerolls

So you want to be a poker superstar? Live large? A big house? Five cars? These days, who doesn't? If you're just starting out, though, you probably want to learn the game without handing your money over to much better players than yourself. This is why God created fun tables and freerolls. But what's the difference, and which one is better for developing your game?

Everyone and their mother will tell you to start at the fun tables. Why not? You'd only be risking play chips, and when you run out of those you can always reload. Sounds like fun, no? The truth is, fun tables will also help you completely miss the point of poker.

Don't get me wrong - fun tables are good if you still get confused about whether or not you're holding a straight, and whether or not that's a good thing. But once you know your hand rankings (and if that takes you more than a few days, don't quit your day job just yet), fun tables are pretty much a waste of your time, and may even harm your style in the long run. The reason is simple - poker is a game of calculated risk, and fun tables take all the risk out of the game.

The objective in poker is to win as many chips as you can off your opponents. In order to gain chips - you must risk chips. You part with chips in order to stay in the game and see more cards, so you might have a chance to win more chips. The only difference between good and bad players is that good players take smaller risks, and therefore can be expected to win more chips over time. Nevertheless, players good or bad must be risking something for the game to make any sense, which is why poker works so well when it's played for real money.

Fun tables let you play poker without the risk - an activity which some may consider fun, but that has nothing to do with poker. If you're not concerned about throwing your chips away, you can participate in every hand and see every showdown. If there is no need to cut your losses and fold when you have a bad hand, then there is no significance to raising the bet to try and make someone fold. If all bet amounts mean the same, there's no way for players to get any kind of message across the table - a big raise means nothing, a small raise means nothing, checking your hand is just about the same as raising it...it's pointless.

You may argue that games at fun tables can still be significant, since there is always ego involved. No one wants to loose chips - even if they are ‘fake', and games can be played just for the sake of ‘winning', regardless of the prize. If we take this argument further, the implication is that fun tables can generate a collective seriousness around them if players all decide in unison (consciously or unconsciously) to play the game seriously. In this case the game will surely become meaningful, and players will make rational decisions, risking only what it necessary for their success.

In fact, the fancy words above make up a sound argument, and for this reason you can sometimes find yourself playing a quality hand at a fun table. However, over time this ‘kidding yourself' technique just doesn't stick. The much-desired ‘meaningful' atmosphere can't last long at a fun table, and sooner or later you'll either find yourself loosing interest and throwing all your chips away, or watching someone else doing the same.

So where does that leave beginners? If playing the fun tables isn't "poker" enough, and playing for real money is just as effective as throwing it into a wishing well, where can a beginner get his foot in the door? The answer is, quite simply, freerolls.

Freerolls are the best place to experience poker if you're not ready to put your money on the line. First of all, they're free! All you have to do is register on time. When the tournament starts you are seated and handed a pile of chips. The last players to stay in the tournament split a cash prize between them. That cash prize makes all the difference.

Let there be no misunderstanding - it's not about the cash. Though there are some freerolls that give out large prizes, most tournaments are typically played for small prize pools, and the competition is heavy. If you're going to sit through a five hour game and battle off five hundred opponents, you'd better not be doing it for $12. It's much less than minimum wage (in most countries with internet access, anyway) and simply isn't worth it. But only a prize can make players treat their chips with respect, and generate an interesting game.

Freerolls aren't the most highly regarded tournaments in the world of online poker, so don't come back complaining when you see some of your opponents mistreating their chips. It's very common to see players going all-in during the first few hands - even with cards that aren't classic all-in material, in an attempt to double up fast. After all, the chips do come free, so the firs few stages of a freeroll are always quite loose. That been said, the game is still much more interesting than hanging around at fun tables.

From the get go, freeroll players are more involved in the game. They took the time to register; they cleared their schedules so they can sit through a long tournament, and they don't usually loose patience after five minutes. As the stages progress, the game toughens up, and players get even more serious. Playing "in the money" (the stage where all active players have already secured some kind of monetary reward) or close to the final stages has the intensity of a real money game - not only because there is real money at stake, but because finishing in the money has a certain charm to it that is worth way more than the prize itself. When you experience this for the first time, you'll know exactly what I mean.

Freerolls are the best introduction to playing poker online. Risking nothing but your time, you can experience the intensity of real money poker games, and start getting a feel for the game. All major online poker sites, including those recommended by gamblingplanet.org, offer freeroll tournaments regularly. The most popular freeroll variety is no-limit Texas Holdem, but you can also find plenty of Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud and Seven Stud Hi-Lo games. Check out the poker rooms listed below for their freeroll tournament schedule.

After you sign up, and while you're waiting for the tournament to begin, come back and check out our freeroll strategy guide. You'd be surprised how a simple game plan can help you advance many stages - and maybe even finish in the money.

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