Freeplay Poker Sites: Worthwhile?

If you were to ask a group of poker players what their thoughts were regarding freeplay poker sites the opinions would vary. Those against would argue that the whole point of poker is to win money. Betting can not really be done if there are no real stakes, as who cares if you go break on a nothing hand.

These players would contend that if you have nothing to loose, bets will be made on bad hands, but also that players will stay in when they otherwise wouldn't, resulting in a substandard game that doesn't even reflect what a real game would look like; therefore, there is nothing to gain from the activity. Furthermore they may argue that if you are any good, you'll be playing for real money, therefore there isn't anything to learn from the players on these sites as all the players must be unskilled.

Despite all this, freeplay poker sites are abundant and obviously flourishing; so if they are full of bad players who neither understand the ethos of the game or are able to teach a new comer anything, why are there so many of them?

The answer may be related to the skills that one can indeed learn from a freeplay poker site at no expense. For starters, no book or indeed teacher, will be able to explain the rules of a game better than experiencing it live, neither will they be able to induce the type of confidence required to sit at a money poker table better than the familiarity that comes from having already played at a table, all be it without real money.

Understanding what you're seeing is also a skill that takes time to nurture. If a novice were to sit at a money-table, a significant loss would be endured before the poker-goggles kicked in and an internalization of the ability to read the board began. Furthermore, the freeplay poker table may help a player to tune in his ability to weigh up an opponent; a skill of great use when money is involved. Finally, the opportunity awarded by a freeplay game to calculate odds may come in more than useful in a money game, when the understanding of pot odds can figure quite highly in ones tactics.

All in all therefore, it seems that for the novice a freeplay poker site can act as a training ground for the 'real game'; it is here that he may gain confidence, understand the game, learn to read the table in a second and polish ones odds calculation skills. For the veteran player it may hold less appeal, but even for him there is some; the game of poker is not all about the financial wins and losses, it is also about strategy, sizing up ones opponents and calculating risks. From this perspective, there are definitely advantages for all in a freeplay poker site.