Bounty Tournaments
by K. Swope of Predictem.com
Online poker sites are continuously searching for ways to attract new players and increase the excitement for their existing players. A couple of ways this has been demonstrated is through the addition of events such as “Bounty Tournaments” (aka: Knockout Tournaments). Every site has their own versions of this twist to No Limit Holdem multi-table games. Some sites that boast a stable of professional players will often host a Bounty Tournament which plays out like a typical No Limit Holdem event, but offers a steep Bounty (reward) on (to beat) the professional players that enter the game.
Most often, however, a Bounty or Knock Out game will run where each player in the event has a price on their head. A portion of each players buy-in is set aside before the match begins and this amount is awarded to the player responsible for eliminating an opponent. While these games are an entertaining way to play the ever classic No Limit Holdem, these tournaments can also prove to be quite profitable.
Tips for Bounty and KO Tournaments
An example of a structured buy-in for a Bounty or KO game would normally look like this:
$13 buy-in
$11 to the prize pool
$1 tourney fee
$1 Bounty
The tournament will play and somewhat feel like your usual NLH game. Some differences youll tend see involve anytime a player with a significantly short stack moves all-in, you can expect nearly every player at the table to cold-call the short stack. Players will often do this even with extremely poor starting hands and from any position at the table looking to catch a lucky flop and earn a Bounty for eliminating an opponent. This is not a bad decision and move even gain you a decent size pot to accompany that bounty, but do wise thing by not entering too many hands of this nature.
It will not be possible to profit nearly as much in “bounties” as you would receive by making the final table of any event.
If you have a strong starting hand when a short stack player moves all-in try your best to isolate that player by re-raising or moving all-in yourself. This will secure your hand versus weaker limpers and increases your chances of scoring the bounty.
If considering a limp with a medium or weak hand, wait till you have position at the table for such a move. This will save you chips, if you try a limp from early position you risk the chance there will be players left to act after you that may look to try and isolate the short stack as well.
Keep your goals in perspective. Although it is fun to make money by simply knocking out another player your goals in these types of games should still consist of making a deep run and netting a big score at the final table.
Try and pace yourself when considering points of the match you pick to take shots at players bounties.
A good goal to set is looking for the chance to regain some of your tournament buy-in or recovering all of your tournament buy-in if possible. That way you managed to break even or reduce your overall cost of playing while still having the opportunity of taking in a nice return by finishing the tournament in the higher payout bracket(s).