Freeroll Tournament Means What?

I have tried to find out what Freeroll Tournament means using the internet, including the WoO site, but what I find still keeps me guessing. Not figuring it out could be due to being dense, but anybody know?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeroll_(poker)

Quote: miplet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeroll_(poker)

it says "a tournament with no entry fee" ... is that the whole of it? They have it for Blackjack and others

No entry fee is what I think it means though in order to participate you may simply have to have put in sufficient time playing. The prize money is put up by the casino as a reward for frequent play.
Otherwise, the prize money comes from entry fees the players have to pay to buy-in to the tournament.

You've already got good replies.

Yeah, FreeRolls generally mean there is no cash buy-in, but often have some requirement, such as 'X' hours of play in the month.


When I was in Vegas last year, I discovered a FreeRoll at Harrah's Poker room. I don't remember if it was every day, or just Saturday. I didn't discover it until my last day.

Anyway, it was at about 7:00am. Anyone could enter, and get 500 in chips. It got people into the poker room early. As they bust out, cash games open. Makes good business sense.

However, there was an "optional" add-on for 1,000 chips which cost only $5.

Yeah, they can legitimately call it a "FreeRoll", but everyone paid that $5 option for triple the starting stack.

And that mere $5 option covered the cash prize as well as some of the expenses. Very slick.

Actually, that extra $5 is for the dealers. Normally, only the winners tip a little at the end of most tournies, but sometimes there's a 'dealer appreciation' at the start and entice you into paying it with extra chips. If the dealers got no tip for spending 4 hours dealing a freeroll, no dealer would want to do it.

The funding for the freeroll comes from the jackpot drop, a $1 drop per pot at Caesars properties (and some others around town, typically not MGM properties, except Mirage). At Luxor and Riv, JP drop is $2. JP drop can be used any way the room deems fit to increase business. Some go for progressive high hand bonuses, WSOP entries, freerolls, etc. Freerolls are more popular with locals who are there long enough to qualify, not so much with the tourists who pay into the fund but leave town by the time the tourney is scheduled. Can't please everyone.

thanks, guys

always worth playing, I won a $11,000 WPT package from a freeroll ;-)