know better...

Here's my outlook on some of the more common misunderstandings of freeoll tourney players at AP (and probably other sites as well)....
1) all-in "idiots" at every tourney's start. Ok, I'll agree that some of these peeps may not be all that disciplined. But hidden in their ranks is some very smart play. Just picture it... you are registered at so many site that you have freerolls starting every 10 or 15 minutes. I only like to play 4 at a time (on a modem, sorry all heh) so why would I spend possibly hours trying to build up a promising stack? If I go all-in every 10 or 15 minutes, sooner or later I will go huge in some game. NOW I have a stack I'm ready to work with and am even more ready to go all-in in consecutive games while working the lucky one. I'm not advocating this style so much as explaining why it isn't always such a dumb move.
2) what a stupid play. This is more obvious than the last one but still happens over and over. Someone does something stupid and someone else starts going on and on about how they should have played smarter. The "stupid" player could be exhausted (in any time zone), drunk, hungry, bored, etc etc etc. I would say that actually, you should expect very ignorant appearing play at any time while playing online. Not doing so makes YOU the dummy Besides, when I see someone begin to go off I think 1 thing... tilt=more chips for me. Here's another idea, when someone gets lucky on a dumb move, compliment them. Maybe just a "nh" or a "wow, good move", pretty much anything that encourages more stupidity preferably without setting off other players. Never "tap on the glass" and tell players what the "right" move was.

mind telling me the names of the sites ur at? id like a really good freeroll stie just like absolute, thanks

hi, there's a thread from last week discussing this. Some people listed there favourite FRs. The thread was titled Freeroll players- where do you find success? .

Junglepoker is worth a look.

i would like to know them too

Thanks bud, whats the section under tho

the all in strategy can work quite well in some large tourneys with $$ buy insas well - particularly rebuys. With rebuys if you make a conspicuous call with 48s (particularly with the right verbals) you will be surprised at the numbers of times people will subsequently call you with weaker hands than normal. This means that 5$ on a long shot can get you some very favorable action when/if you hit premiums during the rebuy stage. Someone can throw 5$ away and end up with 6-10times their start stack if they get a good run of cards after making a loose call.

In terms of "stupid" play people tend to have preconceived notions of how players are supposed to play - if they deviate they are frequently called "poor" players this can be for anything from slowplaying aces - calling cheap to a draw. I once got lambasted for betting on a flop of jja with jj because i "should" have slow played it (i got all his chips between the flop, turn and river). I rarely play freerolls but so often when i did people would critisise people for not playing the way that they wanted them to play. Many people playing tourneys are not watching the action (real money included), not focusing on their play and frequently not to bothered how they play a particular hand to presume a player will play a hand in a clever way (even if they seem to have been solid thus far) with frequently be a play that will cost you chips.

I always say if you try to outthink a chimp you will end up with a slap in your face (and chimps can slap hard). Freerolls are full of chimps (though in many cash games with stakes up to 50$ there are still quite a few of them about).

Slagging off someones play can goad them into playing well (rarely does online though in my experience) but it can make you less popular on the table and it can give players reads on you. I rarely do it but if i see someone who i am trying to target or get a read on then it can all be part of my strategy to get their chips. If you have a read on a player and want to exploit it then goading them can get them to call your bets to the flop more which can be handy.

Lots of people goad others though because they cannot deal with the cards turning against them. I can lose or win large amounts of money on the turn of cards but i rarely lose my cool or even get annoyed with the player who caught the cards. You have to seperate the player from the turn of the cards. If you get called by someone chasing a belly buster and they catch it seems foolish to get annoyed with someone for the cards turning in their favor (they had nothing to do with that) - and at the same time be happy for them to call if it doesnt catch. If you are goading someone via verbals then you need to think why you are doing it - if it is the only way you can release the tension then fair enough but you shouldnt be remotely annoyed at anyone (other than yourself) during a game.

I have occasionaly hung arround a table for a few minutes after I have been knocked out to slag off my own play - but rarely if ever do i slag off other peoples unless i am still in play and feel that doing so will improve my chances against them in a future hand.