The Stake Casino December Freeroll Frenzy: Your Guide to a $1 Million Festive Giveaway

Get ready to close out the year in style. If you are looking for massive prize pools, festive action, and a shot at year-defining scores without dipping into your bankroll, Stake Casino is the place to be this December.

From December 1st through December 14th, Stake is hosting the "Freeroll Frenzy," a two-week poker marathon with over $1,000,000 in prize pools up for grabs. Whether you are a grinder looking for volume or a casual player hunting for a big bink, this festival offers unprecedented value.

Here is everything you need to know to maximize your edge during the frenzy.

The Value Proposition: Why You Can't Miss This

Before we dive into the schedule, let’s look at the sheer math behind this promotion.

Stake is pumping roughly $46,000 daily into these freerolls. With a hard cap of 7,000 registered players per tournament, the Expected Value (EV) is undeniable.

If we assume every tournament hits its registration cap (which they won't always do, giving you even better odds), the "free money" equity equates to roughly $6.50 per day just for showing up. In the world of online poker, finding freerolls with this kind of overlay is rare. This isn't just a promotion; it's a bankroll builder.

The Main Event: December 6th

Mark your calendars immediately. While the daily action is incredible, one date stands above the rest.

On December 6th, Stake is hosting a massive $100,000 Freeroll.

This isn't your standard "shove-fest" freeroll structure. Stake has designed this to be a playable, deep-stack event:

Prize Pool: $100,000
Starting Stack: 200 Big Blinds
Level Duration: 5 Minutes

With 200 big blinds, you have plenty of room to maneuver, play post-flop poker, and exert skill advantages over the field. This is a legitimate major tournament structure with zero buy-in.

The Daily Grind: No Limit Hold'em Schedule

For the purists, No Limit Hold'em (NLHE) is the bread and butter of the festival. There will be 11 different NLHE tournaments running daily.

The prize pools are tiered to keep the action flowing all day long:

Tier 1: $1,000
Tier 2: $1,500
Tier 3: $2,000
Tier 4: $3,000
Tier 5: $8,888
The Daily Major: $20,000

Table Dynamics: Speed vs. Strategy

One of the most interesting aspects of this festival is the variety in table sizes. Stake is mixing up the formats, which drastically changes the pace of play. Here is our breakdown and rating of the formats based on "Hands Played per Hour":

4-Max (The Speed Racer)
Format: Maximum 4 players per table.
Our Rating: 8/10
The Verdict: This is the quickest format available. You are essentially always in the blinds or on the button. You cannot wait for premium hands here; aggression is rewarded. If you want high volume and constant action, this is your game.
6-Max (The Sweet Spot)
Format: Maximum 6 players per table.
Our Rating: 10/10
The Verdict: The industry standard for online cash games and aggressive tournaments. It balances the need for solid starting hands with the necessity of stealing blinds. A perfect format for serious grinders.
7-Max (The Hybrid)
Format: Maximum 7 players per table.
Our Rating: 7/10
The Verdict: Slightly tighter than 6-max but faster than full ring. You can afford to fold a few more marginal hands, but position remains king.
8-Max (The Classic)
Format: Maximum 8 players per table.
Our Rating: 6/10
The Verdict: Traditional tournament poker. The pace is slower, allowing for a tighter range of starting hands. Patience is a virtue here, though the blinds will eventually force the action.

Beyond Hold'em: The Variants

Stake isn't just catering to the 2-card grinders. Every day starting December 1st, there will be specific tournaments for mixed-game lovers, each carrying a $1,000 prize pool.

If you are new to these formats, here is your crash course:

1. No Limit Pineapple

What is it? It plays very similarly to Texas Hold'em, but with a twist. The Rules: You are dealt 3 cards pre-flop (instead of 2). Before the flop is dealt (or sometimes after the flop, depending on the specific house variant), you must discard one card, leaving you with a standard 2-card Hold'em hand. Strategy Tip: Don't get married to a hand just because you have three broadway cards. You have to discard one, so consider which two cards make the strongest post-flop holding.

2. Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)

What is it? The "Great Game." The Rules: You are dealt 4 cards. You MUST use exactly 2 cards from your hand and exactly 3 cards from the board to make your best hand. Strategy Tip: High pairs (A-A-x-x) are good, but "rundowns" (like J-10-9-8 double suited) are often better. In PLO, having the "nuts" (the best possible hand) is crucial because draws are much stronger than in Hold'em.

3. Pot Limit 5-Card Omaha (PLO5)

What is it? PLO on steroids. The Rules: Same mechanics as standard PLO, but you are dealt 5 cards. You still must use exactly 2 from your hand. Strategy Tip: With 5 cards, hand strengths go up significantly. One pair is almost never enough to win a big pot. You need the nuts with a redraw to survive.

4. Pot Limit 6-Card Omaha (PLO6)

What is it? Maximum variance, maximum action. The Rules: You are dealt 6 cards. Again, you must use exactly 2 from your hand. Strategy Tip: Blockers become incredibly important here. If you hold the Ace of spades, you know your opponent doesn't have the nut flush, even if you can't make the flush yourself. Expect massive swings!

Tournament Structures: Adjusting Your Play

The structure of a tournament dictates your strategy. Stake has provided a mix of speeds, requiring you to shift gears constantly.

The Turbo & Hyper-Turbo

Most of the daily tournaments feature 3-minute levels.

Hyper Strategy (25 BB Start): This is push-or-fold territory very quickly. You cannot wait for Aces. You need to identify stack sizes, understand shoving ranges, and be willing to gamble to build a stack early.
Turbo Strategy (100 BB Start): You start deep, but the blinds catch up fast. Play solid poker for the first few levels, but be prepared to widen your range significantly by the 30-minute mark.

The Deep Stacks

Two daily tournaments offer a more luxurious structure:

The $20,000 High Roller: 100 Big Blinds with 5-minute levels. This allows for actual poker. You can 3-bet light, float flops, and play turns and rivers.
The $8,888 Special: A unique structure starting with 177 Big Blinds and 3-minute levels. This is a fast-paced deep-stack event. You have a mountain of chips, but the clock is ticking. Aggressive accumulation in the early stages is key.

How to Register

Don't let these overlay opportunities slip by.

Login to your Stake Casino account.
Navigate to the Poker tab.
Select Tournaments.
Filter by "Freeroll" to see the full schedule.
Registration typically opens 1 hour before the start. Be ready—with caps of 7,000 players, the best events will fill up!

Summary

The Stake December Freeroll Frenzy is a gift to the poker community. Whether you are a fan of the 4-card madness of PLO, the strategic discarding of Pineapple, or the pure speed of 4-Max No Limit Hold'em, there is a tournament for you.

With over $1,000,000 in prize pools and zero entry fees, the only mistake you can make this December is not registering.

See you at the tables.