Pacific Poker freeroll tournament - very dodgy

This is the first freeroll tournament I've tried, and I'm just confused as to whether this is normal. My table consisted of one guy placing a bet, just the BB value, and the other 8 people all folding - EVERY SINGLE TIME. Even the BB person, who could just check. And they all folded isntantly like robots; I was the only person taking any time to think. So his stack got bigger and bigger while everyone else was whittled down.

So is this somebody with his mates helping him? I wouldn't've thought that was impossible, when the table seating is supposedly random. There were just under 2000 people in the tourney. I finally got bored and just went all-in to him, and he had AA. Seems very strange to me; does anybody know what's going on? Thanks.

Ok, I just clicked on that it's probably all people who registered and didn't turn up for the tournament and are auto-folding. I would've thought that it wouldn't enter you if you aren't there... it didn't say any of them were "sitting out" and it was still posting blinds, so I dunno.

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Originally Posted by snail16

Ok, I just clicked on that it's probably all people who registered and didn't turn up for the tournament and are auto-folding.

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This statement is correct.
Alot of players register for freerolls and do not showup to play. It doesn't cost them anything so they don't care.

Thanks. Seems a bad way to run it - if you're lucky enough to be with 9 dud players you can get 10* your stack. Freerolls seem like a waste of time anyway though.

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Originally Posted by snail16

Freerolls seem like a waste of time anyway though.

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Freerolls are not a waste of time for everybody. If someone has no money, but has some free time then freerolls can be a good way to start a bankroll. I played freerolls on bugsy's club back in the fall of 2004 and cashed out $1,200 in feb of 2005.