Bounty/Knockout Tournament

What Is a Bounty Tournament?

Bounty tournaments add a thrilling layer to standard tournament poker by putting a literal price on every player’s head. When you eliminate an opponent, you instantly receive their bounty as a cash reward, separate from the regular prize pool. This creates a fundamentally different strategic dynamic where knocking out players is directly profitable, not just a means of accumulating chips.

The format has exploded in popularity over the past decade, becoming one of the most played tournament types in online poker. The appeal is clear: instead of grinding for hours hoping to reach the money, you can earn tangible rewards throughout the tournament every time you bust an opponent. Even if you do not make the final table, eliminating three or four players along the way means you walk away with real cash in your pocket.

There are two main variants. In a standard bounty tournament, every player has the same fixed bounty. In a progressive knockout (PKO), half of each eliminated player’s bounty is awarded to the eliminator while the other half is added to the eliminator’s own bounty, making big-stacked players increasingly valuable targets as the tournament progresses. PKOs have become the dominant format, with most major online rooms heavily featuring them in their schedules.

How It Works

Buy-In Split: The buy-in is divided between the regular prize pool and bounties. A $22 bounty tournament might allocate $10 to the prize pool, $10 to bounties, and $2 as rake. In some formats, the split is 50/50 between prize pool and bounties.

Standard Bounty: Every player has an identical bounty (for example, $10). When you eliminate someone, you receive their $10 immediately. The bounty amount does not change throughout the tournament. The remaining prize pool is distributed normally to top finishers.

Progressive Knockout (PKO): This is where things get interesting. Each player starts with a bounty equal to half their buy-in. When you eliminate a player, you receive half their current bounty in cash, and the other half is added to your own bounty. As players accumulate bounties by eliminating others, they become high-value targets. A player who has knocked out five opponents might carry a bounty worth hundreds of dollars, making the decision to call their all-in far more profitable.

Bounty Collection: In online tournaments, bounties are credited to your account instantly upon elimination. In live tournaments, bounty chips or tokens are exchanged for cash at the cage after the tournament.

Final Bounty: In PKOs, your own bounty is awarded to you if you win the tournament, since no one eliminates the winner. This means first place receives the top regular payout plus their accumulated bounty.

Example

You enter a $55 PKO tournament where $22.50 goes to the regular prize pool, $22.50 starts as your bounty, and $10 is rake. Every player has a starting bounty of $22.50. In the first hour, you eliminate two players. For each elimination, you receive half their bounty ($11.25 each, totaling $22.50 in cash), and your own bounty grows to $33.75, then $39.38. Three hours into the tournament, you have knocked out five players total, collecting $67 in bounties while your own head is now worth $55. A short-stacked opponent shoves into you. Normally you might fold a marginal hand, but the $27.50 you would receive from half their bounty makes calling significantly more profitable. This bounty incentive widens your calling range in situations where standard ICM would recommend folding.

Where to Find the Best Bounty Tournaments

Progressive knockout tournaments have become a staple of every major online poker room’s schedule.

• GGPoker has embraced the PKO format wholeheartedly, with progressive knockouts making up a significant portion of their daily and series schedules. Their GG Masters and WSOP Online both feature prominent PKO events.
• PokerStars runs PKO versions of their most popular tournaments, including Progressive KO editions of the Sunday majors and dedicated PKO series events during WCOOP and SCOOP.
• 888poker offers the popular Mystery Bounty format, where eliminated players’ bounties are random prizes drawn from a pool, adding a lottery-style excitement.
• PartyPoker features KO Series events with progressive bounties across a wide range of buy-in levels.

Related Terms

• Multi-Table Tournament — the base format that bounty tournaments modify
• ICM — the equity model that must be adjusted to account for bounty value in knockout tournaments
• Bubble — less significant in bounty formats because players are already earning rewards before the money
• Final Table — where accumulated bounties create massive value for eliminating the remaining players

FAQ

How do bounties change my strategy?

Bounties widen your calling ranges, especially against short stacks where the bounty represents a large percentage of the pot. In PKOs, the bigger a player’s bounty, the more you should be willing to gamble to eliminate them. Conversely, having a large bounty yourself means opponents will call you lighter, so adjust your shoving ranges accordingly.

Are bounty tournaments higher variance than regular MTTs?

Yes, but the variance is offset by the steady stream of bounty income. You might not cash in the regular prize pool but still profit from bounties collected. Overall, many players find their results in PKOs are actually more consistent than in standard MTTs because of the frequent small payouts.

What is a Mystery Bounty tournament?

A Mystery Bounty tournament reveals bounty values randomly when a player is eliminated, typically after the bubble bursts. The bounty you receive for an elimination is drawn from a prize pool with values ranging from small amounts to massive top prizes. It adds an element of luck and excitement to each elimination.