We’ve heard lots of discussion surrounding how to start playing poker with little or no money… What’s more is a lot of it isn’t exactly fruitful information. If you’ve ever asked yourself how can I play poker for free? then don’t look any further because we are going to teach you once and for all How to build a bankroll with no money. So let’s break this down in to simple sections.
How do I get free money?
Online gambling sites run free money promotions if you choose to make a first money deposit (e.g Deposit £10 Get £10 Free) or even better no deposit bonuses meaning you get to play poker for free with when you sign-up one of our bonuses here. We recommend 888 Poker for this but if you fancy trying out a different site then be careful to read the full terms & conditions. Some of them may require you to meet a wager or make a deposit before been able to withdraw your winnings. If you need help setting up an account ask in the comments and we will happily help. Ok so that’s where the Play Poker for Free comes in but now we need to learn how to use our free money.
What game to play?
The truth is that there is really no given answer to this question here. Every player is different and has positives and weaknesses to their play. Find a game you understand and most of all enjoy. Playing small stakes Omaha cash games might work for one player and Heads up NL Hold’em might work for another, this doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you. Search for a lobby where you’re comfortable and stick to it and remember to refer to our BRM beginners basics here.
If you find things aren’t going your way on the tables then don’t give up. When you’ve found your game of choice and things aren’t going the way you want them to… Then take a break and go back to the basics, but we would recommend you don’t switch games. You hear people say they’ve had a win so decided to try something different. Why? We recommend sticking to the old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” meaning stick to it until you’re ready to move up to the next limit.
As a general rule, in cash games – smaller stakes players are more likely to call with worse hands than if you were playing in a high stakes. This is because many people playing lower stakes are less experienced and more willing to gamble. This can be used to our advantage and we can begin our roll with this.
Poker tournament play is a completely different strategy to cash games and although the cash prize always looks nice. As tempting as it may be, we would suggest trying to save up 80 X the tournament buy-in
Bankroll Management (BRM) from Nothing?
We’ve got to face the truth here and that is to begin with BRM is non-existent. Unfortunately there’s not a lot we can do here, other than to make a deposit, but that’s not what we are trying to achieve here. We want to build a bankroll from $0. Our advice would be to save up until you can afford the level you want to play. Don’t go wondering off in to the unknown, as soon as you’ve built up a small roll. If you want to do that, then just be prepared to lose it all.
If you’re asking yourself the question what stakes should I play? Then we would suggest ignoring blog posts that say you should be using the standard 20-30 buyins and go for nearer 50-60. Yes, this might seem impossible, but trust us it will be worth the wait in the long run. Don’t move up levels too fast either and do so with caution if you begin losing, go back to the lower level and build up again. This is where many amateur poker players slip and go on tilt.
Why aren’t I winning any freerolls?
It needs to be stressed that you are not going to become a millionaire overnight. Patience is the key here and your bankroll will slowly grow if you stick to your game, practice and focus. Freerolls can have a lot of weak players (donks) registered and you see in many freerolls players shoving all-in every hand until they’re out. These players may get lucky 1, 2, 3 or 4 times but eventually it becomes a game of the strongest the further in to the tournament you get. Try not to change your game too much but try different strategies on the tables for example joining during the late registration period so that you are not battling it out with the donks!
Save yourself the time of moaning and embarrassing yourself about a bad beat. It’s poker it’s bound to happen and you should accept it. Review your games after each session and take notes on players, hands, and good plays, bad plays and LEARN from this. I encourage you to post hands for analysis and ask meaningful questions that could improve your game but a losing streak is nothing new to any of us and we’ve all been there. We all know moaning gets you nowhere!
We hope this guide on How to Play Poker for Free gives you the information you need to hit the tables. If you have any questions pop them in the box below and we will get back to them asap. Good Luck at the tables!