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Looking for the best poker freerolls to play online but don't know what sites have the best ones in 2020? You are not alone.

Free poker tournaments (poker freerolls) are events where you connect with other players to play poker and win prizes with no buy-in fee.

While these tournaments can feature a wide range of prizes real money prizes, they all have one thing in common: they are all free.

In this guide to poker freerolls, you'll learn:

• and lots more

This isn't a collection of all the freeroll poker tournaments out there.

Our list of freerolls brings you only the best free poker tournaments running at the top online poker sites in 2020. In other words, if you are looking for value and you want to play freeroll tournaments to win real money, you'll love this guide.

Top Freeroll Poker Sites

What is a Poker Freeroll?

A poker freeroll is a tournament that costs nothing to enter. You register, you play, and (if you end amongst the top players) you win something.

Freerolls play exactly as the most expensive poker tournaments. They run around a structure made of levels, they feature increasing blinds and ante bets, and they reward a number of players at the end.

Beginners consider freerolls to be the ideal way to learn how to play poker (you play free poker games, get a chance to win, risk nothing). Pros, see them as value-packed events — especially when freerolls give you a shot at tickets to enter more expensive events for free.

While the real money prizes you can win playing freeroll poker tournaments online aren't massive or life-changing, these tournaments are popular among those who want to learn how to play poker without spending anything.

Once on a poker site, you'll find several different types of freeroll events.

The majority of them are open to all players, some require a password to play, and others are open only to VIP players who have collected a specific amount of points.

In this guide, you'll find everything about the different types of freeroll poker tournaments available online and you'll learn how to identify the best ones to play.

Pros and Cons of Freeroll Poker Tournaments

Before we dwell into the specifics of all the different types of freerolls to play online, let's have a quick run at the pros and cons of these poker games.

Freerolls are one of the most popular tournament formats in poker, played by hundreds of thousands of poker players every week.

Some people enjoy them because it gives them the chance to play poker for free, while others take advantage of the fact there is no tournament buy-in so they can try new strategies without any risk to their bankrolls.

It isn't only amateur players who you'll find competing in a poker freeroll because they are often used by more experienced players who are trying out the features and software of a poker room that they haven't used before.

Pros

• Freerolls cost nothing to play
• Most event tend to attract beginners and low-skilled players
• Freerolls are great to learn how to play different poker variants
• They are low-pressure poker events where you can explore different poker strategies.

Cons

• The prize pool is usually small
• Beginners make the play unpredictable
• The best freerolls are either password-protected events or open only to VIP players
• Only the biggest poker sites have freerolls to play lesser known poker variants

How Poker Freerolls Work

If you are about to sit at your first-ever freeroll, here are a few bits that we want you to go through before you begin.

These few points will help you understand more about the tournament you are about to play and spare you from any last-minute surprises.

The Prize. The poker site hosting a free poker event sets a prize pool that will be distributed to a number of players at the end of the competition. Prizes can include real money, tickets to other events, special poker bonuses, and swag.

The prize pool can either be split among a number of participants or go all to the winner's account (winner-take-all freerolls).

The Stack. Once the event begins, you receive a free stack of chips to play. This is referred to as the 'starting stack.' All players begin with the same starting stack.

The Gameplay. Everything in a freeroll plays as in a regular poker tournament — that's why beginners love these events so much. The goal of the game is to end the competition with all the chips in the game in your stack.

The Structure. The tournament's betting antes and blinds may increase as the event goes along. The straddle bet is not very common in free poker tournaments.

Additional Info. Each freeroll can feature a particular set of rules in regards to the time of play, the split of the prizes, or bounties awarded to the players when they complete a predefined action (e.g. bust a brand ambassador).

To see the complete list of these rules and a complete breakdown of the prizes, open your favorite poker client and double click on the freeroll of your choice.

This will open a dedicated window where you find all the most important details about the event.

Can You Really Win Money?

If you are looking for one shot to change your life forever, you better drop the idea of playing freeroll tournaments online.

(In all fairness, that's not the mindset you should have to play poker as that's the wrong approach even if you want to become a professional poker player)

But if you want to finance your bankroll at no cost, freeroll tournaments should be on the top of your list.

Yes, you can win real money when you play freeroll tournaments that award cash prizes to the winners.

While the numbers tend to navigate around the two or three-figure range, the cash you win on freerolls is real and appears on your poker account as soon as the competition ends.

Understandably, most of the best freerolls (i.e. those with a four-figure prize pool) tend to be connected with special requirements. These include having raked enough player's points or having played a certain number of hands in a set amount of time.

Are Freeroll Tournaments Really Free?

Freerolls are always free, by definition. To be included in the list of freeroll events, a tournament needs to have no entry fee and yet distribute prizes of some sorts.

You're probably sat there, reading this article and thinking that there must be a catch and that freerolls can't really be completely free.

Well, you need not to worry about there being any hidden fees or nasty surprises in store because freerolls are free poker tournaments that cost nothing to enter, otherwise, they couldn't be called a poker freeroll!

The only downside to these free poker tournaments is that the prizes on offer are not usually very large.

Often, the total prize pool is only $50 to $100 dollars, although there are regular PokerStars freerolls that have $3,000 prize pools to play for and some of the PokerNews-exclusive freerolls have massive prize pools of $10,000 and even $20,000 for you to compete in.

Real money freerolls are very popular amongst beginners. Qualifier satellite events where you play to win tickets to enter other tournaments are popular among the more experienced players.

Types of Freerolls

Every poker site on this list features a wide range of freeroll poker tournaments. As we mentioned, some come with real money prizes while others focus on giving away tickets to other events.

Poker sites offer freerolls because they want to introduce the game to as many players as possible.

Some of the biggest names in poker started out as freeroll players.

While players like Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey didn't start out grinding freerolls since online poker sites didn't exist when they started their poker journeys, many online players did have their first poker experience in freeroll tournaments.

Often, they've never looked back after their first win, and never had to deposit in their lives.

Of course, there isn't a success story for everyone. You got to get lucky and run good in these events. But, then again, there's no downside to trying as freerolls are truely free poker tournaments, there's no catch!

While all freerolls are free, some can come with specific entry requirements, limiting the number and types of players that can participate.

Online poker sites offer several different freeroll tournaments, all of which allow you to play free poker.

One of the most common poker freerolls is the new player freeroll, which is only open to players new to a site and is designed to give you the chance to feel your way around the site's software and to say thank you for signing up to them.

Another common freeroll is one that rewards you for making your first deposit on a site.

These usually have a larger than typical prize pool and are only available to players who've made their first deposit during the qualifying period.

Freerolls are often used as the first step in the satellite process, making it possible to qualify for major online and live tournament for free, while offers are exclusive to players who have created their poker account via PokerNews links.

PokerStars, GGpoker, and partypoker are an example of the sites sites that have these freeroll steps on offer.

The lowest step is free to enter. Win that one, and you'll find yourself with a ticket for Step 2. Continue on and you could make your way to a hefty payday, all for free.

Exclusive Freerolls

An exclusive freeroll is an event available only to a small set of players that meet requirements defined by the poker site that runs the tournament.

Most exclusive freerolls are 'password-protected' events, so only the players who have the right password can register and play.

Here on PokerNews we have our own set of exclusive freerolls running at all the largest poker sites in the world.

The events are open only to the players who are part of the PokerNews community.

Weekly Freerolls

The most common type of freeroll events. These free poker tournaments are part of a site's tournament schedule and take place every week at the same time.

Prizes can include real money, tournament tickets, and more.

New Players Freerolls

The most popular freerolls amongst beginners. These freeroll competitions are available only to new players right after they register to play on poker website.

Satellite Freerolls

A satellite freeroll is a feeder event where you play to win tickets to enter a bigger real money tournament.

Satellite winners win 'tickets,' entries they can use to participate in other games for free.

Poker Freeroll Passwords and Schedule

Keeping up with all the latest freeroll passwords and schedules can be a real nightmare. With so many poker sites out there, it's almost impossible to keep track of what happens every day in the online poker world.

And since passwords are usually released one or two hours before an event begins, the only way to make sure you don't miss anything is to live glued to the screen.

But you can't do that, can you?

The solution to your problems? Register here.

Every week, we send you all the latest freeroll passwords (and more!) in an easy-to-digest recap that brings you nothing but the best events to play.

Leave your e-mail on this page to receive:

• The best freeroll poker sites in USA.
• A list of the the Omaha and Texas Hold'em freeroll tournaments.
• All the latest passwords to enter massive online, freerolls
• Access to all the PokerNews-exclusive events

Where Are the Best Freerolls?

Each online poker room offers a different take on their freerolls so it is difficult to give one the label of best, plus what is not to like about getting to play for real prizes for free? Surely that means that all freerolls are best?

If we had to put our necks on the line and choose a best freeroll, then we would have to go with the World Series of Poker freerolls.

GGPoker and WSOP Poker NJ run special promotions in the run up to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) that award seats to the WSOP bracelet events and even the Main Event!

How awesome would it be to win your way to the WSOP for free?

PokerStars Freerolls: Top 5

888poker Freerolls: Top 5

GGPoker Freerolls: Top 5

PartyPoker Freerolls: Top 5

Freerolls vs. Play Money: Main Differences

You may think that there isn't much difference between play money and freeroll tournaments because they are both playing poker for free — but that is where the similarities end.

Play money games are free to enter, but you can't win any real money. You play against other players who risk their own play money bankrolls, and you can only win play money.

Especially in the lower stakes play money games, play can be wild. Players often go all in every hand, just to try and build a stack. Being patient in these games is important.

On some sites, most notably PokerStars, playmoney chips can be converted to real money, but you need millions of playmoney chips to really get a starting bankroll.

Playing freerolls is often a better starting point than to try and run up a bankroll in playmoney games.

In the early stages of a freeroll tournament, there are often players who go all-in frequently like there are in play money games.

However, once the prize money – which is real, actual money – is in sight or if the freeroll awards large prizes, free poker tournaments start to play very much like those tournaments that command an entry fee.

This fact alone makes freerolls the perfect platform to hone your poker tournament skills.

FAQs

You could play these tournaments on freeroll poker sites for free. Sometimes you might have to qualify by depositing enough funds. But you can get in an event without paying anything if you meet the proper requirements.

You can check what freeroll poker sites require before you start playing.

You can win actual money through many poker freeroll competitions. Sometimes you might win a ticket to a future event, but that is for a satellite program. But could still win real money.

You should review the terms and rules for your tournament before you enter the poker freeroll competition. The effort is to help you get more out of the game you play.

Many of the best freeroll poker sites in USA and in the rest of the world offer Android and iPhone apps that you can use for playing while on the go. You can log on the app and then start searching around for freeroll events.

Sometimes you might also need to play a game on a mobile browser. This point is for cases where the website doesn't have a dedicated mobile app.

The device you use should be up to date and capable of playing whatever it is you are interested in the most before you start.

Poker freerolls are only as hard for you to win as you make them. Your skills in playing poker will be essential to seeing whether you can win anything while playing.

You will be competing against many others who have experience in playing poker and are looking to win money just like you.

Poker websites often have limits on who can enter freerolls. They do this to encourage people to deposit money or reach the VIP club on a website. Sometimes a freeroll limits these tournaments to people who are learning how to play these games.

The most common point is that a site will want to keep a freeroll from being too crowded. A freeroll will be limited to having a specific number of people competing in the event.

You can check the rules on a freeroll to see what works when entering.

You have many choices to consider when looking at what poker site has the best freerolls. Some of the top choices include places like PokerStars, 888poker, GGPoker, and PartyPoker.
You can look around online to see what games are open and what you might be interested in playing the most.

Most poker freeroll competitions are open about an hour or so before they start. The tournaments open this late to ensure people are committed to playing and that they will be available for these competitions.

Most freerolls entail one of two poker games. You can play Texas Hold'em freeroll tournaments in most places.

You may also find Omaha poker games, or even seven-card stud competitions. These are among the more common versions of poker available at these venues.

Check what game will be played at an event before you start, so you can be prepared for whatever will come about in the game.

It is possible to learn how to play poker when competing in an online, freeroll Texas Hold'em or Omaha poker tournament.

The program is a great place to learn, as you're not going to spend any money on the competition.

It does help to learn fast if you want to be more successful in these events without leaving too soon. You can get more out of your game if you know where you are going regarding the rules of poker.

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, Brazilian soccer star Neymar and legendary Australian cricket player Shane Warne live-stream a game of online poker.

This heavy-weight match, of course, is a dream scenario. It comes from the mind of Seth Palansky, vice president of corporate communications for Caesars Interactive Entertainment. Palanksy primarily deals with the World Series of Poker‘s (WSOP) land-based operations. But with recent events, his duties have shifted online.

Online poker hasn’t gone anywhere. It, along with online casino games, have merely vaulted to the front of the gambling activity list.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all 465 commercial casinos in the US have temporarily closed. All sporting events have gone on hiatus. Spectators around the world have dug deep into the gambling pit and taken to betting on sports like table tennis and Australian rules football.

In a way, one could argue the chaos has reignited the online poker discussion. (Last year’s WSOP tournament and the success of Pennsylvania online casinos are examples of recent conversations with a pro-online poker overlap.) But if it continues to be talked about in a post-COVID-19 gaming world, it is an entirely different conversation.

Pushing the online poker discussion forward

The central question is not whether legislation can be passed, because four states have done it. Instead, it’s getting lawmakers up to speed on how online poker operates.

“It comes down to the familiarity of government officials with sports, more so than poker. Obviously, they are involved in their communities, and they have their sports teams, and so it’s much more top of mind,” Palansky said in an interview.

This is true. Generally speaking, most state lawmakers are more familiar with their hometown team than the complexities of poker.

Following the demise of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), states salivated at the opportunity of bringing sports betting to their residents. However, in the ensuing commotion, online poker was left behind.

Michigan Online Poker Update

A seasoned executive in the gaming industry, Palansky said his constituents have tried to help push online poker legislation forward with a federal framework and continue to lobby at the state level.

But he also said the current state of gaming might also be a catalyst for further discussion.

“I think something like what we are going to be going through here, not in just the short-term, but this [pandemic] is going to have long-term ramifications on the economy. Government entities are going to be looking for funds to help solve some of the issues that are being created as a result of where we are today,” he said.

Multi-state player pools in online poker

“With sports betting grinding to a halt and, of course, 100% of commercial casinos closed in the US, it’s a shame the states can’t be getting some tax revenue during these extremely difficult times from online poker,” Palansky said in an email.

Currently, only four states are operating online poker:

• Delaware
• Nevada

The tax revenue generated is incremental compared to sports betting and general land-based casino revenue. It resembles more of a Band-Aid and is in no way keeping the gambling industry afloat. But it does, however, provide funds at a time where every nickel and dime is needed.

But according to Palansky, a critical hurdle preventing legislation from moving forward in other states is the understanding that online poker relies heavily on the ability to offer multi-state player pools.

Much like any gambler, players are interested in risking as little as possible to win as much as possible. However, according to Palansky, if you only allow players to compete against those in their state, you limit the prize pool up for grabs.

“The reason daily fantasy sports can offer those big prize pools is because they are offering them across multiple states. If they had to restrict to a single state, the prize pools wouldn’t be compelling enough to get people to play,” he said. “Same problem in poker. So, getting all players in the same pool allows the offering to be much more robust, which creates interest, creates demand and enhances the offering.”

Currently, DE, NV and NJ are locked in what is called the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). This accord allows for players from the aforementioned states to compete against each other. Pennsylvania, unfortunately, only allows its players to compete against other players within its borders.

Party Poker Michigan

It can’t only be about the money

“The most important piece to understand for online poker is the reliance on liquidity to make it work. Meaning, right now, we are locked in a tri-state poker shared market where residents in NJ, DE, NV are all playing with each other. We are able to segregate by where the participant is from and ensuring the tax revenue goes back to that state on where the participant is.”

Some government officials hunt for revenue to balance state budgets. Others seek jobs to bring to their state. But there are a few lawmakers who look for both.

There is a painful trickle-down effect from the closure of all commercial casinos: No casino guests, no gambling dollars, no tax revenue and, most importantly, no jobs. Due to casino industry shutdowns, the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates roughly 649,000 casino employees are out of work.

When it comes to online poker, Palanksy said one of the toughest questions to answer revolves around job creation.

“A lot of it seems to be dependant on jobs, how many jobs can be brought to the state,” he said. “Lawmakers like to have customer service located in their state, accounting, essential personnel, et cetera, et cetera. When running an online business, it’s hard to have 50 different staffing offices in 50 different jurisdictions.”

But regardless, Palanksy says “any online business that can generate tax revenue and jobs should be something all elected leaders should take a good look at to see if it works for their constituents.”

Proving it works

It’s a tough task to convince lawmakers anything. Try explaining geolocation to someone who doesn’t use a smartphone. But Palansky knows the power of a working product.

Online Poker News Iowa

“What I think what we’ve done is we proved anything that needs to be addressed is being addressed inside these three states. Any other state looking to get involved, it would be very turn-key and very simple and very safe. The protections are in place, the regulatory framework is in place,” Palanksy said.

“We made (online poker) meaningful in Nevada. Then replicated it in New Jersey. Then you work with (lawmakers) to show how the revenue base can grow with other states.”

Palansky said some states could argue they have enough liquidity to operate alone, but the reality is, almost all don’t (outside of California online poker, if it happened.)

“Poker is going to need the ability to be across state borders with the eventual hope of a worldwide pool that has significant revenue potential,” he said.

What’s on the horizon for online poker?

Online Poker News Pa

The latest state to legalize online gaming was Michigan, which is expected to debut sometime in 2021. In addition to legal Michigan sports betting, the bill also legalizes online casino games, DFS and poker apps in Michigan.

The Wolverine State’s plan to join the MSIGA is still up in the air.

“They are writing the bill, so we will see how that goes,” he said. “We think everyone should be able to run (online poker), but we understand states want to take a cautious approach. But we are willing to do what’s necessary to prove it works. But it’s frustrating to see how quickly sports betting came about.”

In recent months, the WSOP has seen player traffic increase by 54%. Whether that number continues to trend upward is unknown.

“It’s hard to predict, but we are putting together new series with $4 million in guarantees in April,” Palansky said. “That shows we are bullish and willing to stick our neck out and anticipate (that) the demand will be there. But it’s hard to know, obviously this is a recreational activity, and we are cautiously optimistic that people will have more time on their hands and this is an activity to take your mind off things but also be successful and win some money.”

Free Online Poker Tournaments

As the sporting industry grapples with ways to stay active, maybe a WSOP tournament featuring Phelps, Neymar and Warne isn’t such a bad idea. The NBA has recently gone the video game route and announced a player only NBA2K tournament.

Perhaps bringing together some of the most decorated athletes in the world to play poker isn’t such a bad idea.

“Knowing each of them a little bit, what’s great for poker is the personalities around the table,” Palanksy said.