MATTHEW ROBINSON

Weblog: Giving insight into online poker

Money can grow on trees in the world of poker

THEY say that nothing in life is free and that money doesn't grow on trees, right? Wrong. Well as far as online poker is
concerned anyway.

An endearing feature of online poker is that you can win real
money and do it without risking your own cash. This is offered in the format of a tournament described as a freeroll; a tournament that charges no fee to enter but offers real cash
prizes.

Free games: practice and freerolls

  PICTURE: Racing Post Poker  

Most will be fully aware of the play or pretend money poker

tables that are openly available on all sites, but there is nothing
valuable to be learned there other than the absolute basics of
the game, as most players are ‘all in' every hand, throwing
their chips away as if it were a Portsmouth season ticket and
generally treating the game with contempt.

In order to learn from your mistakes, there has to be a consequence for your actions. In freeroll poker tournaments, the
only consequence of your failure is that you win nothing - the
failure doesn't result in losing any stake money. Instead valuable experience is garnered in arisk-free environment. Winwin, I'd say.

Chris ‘Jesus' Ferguson is a prime example of the value to
be had in freeroll tournaments. He is not merely content on
monetary success within the game, winning well over $7,800,000 thus far, but thrives on personal challenges.

His most recent challenge was to turn $0 into $20,000. A
challenge in which he succeeded would never have been possible without freerolls.

Like most things in life, you get out what you put in and, by
taking freerolls seriously, you could, despite what they say, be
the proud owner of your very own money tree.