Five Reasons You Need Some Bounty/Knockout MTTs in Your Life

Bounty or progressive knockout (PKO) tournaments are extremely popular the world over, especially in online poker circles and at PartyPoker in particular. They come in all shapes and sizes at PartyPoker, with buy-ins ranging from only $0.55 and increasing to $1,050 and beyond during some of our festivals.

The PartyPoker Grand Prix KO Autumn Edition is a festival made up entirely of PKO events. If the chance of becoming a Grand Prix KO champion is not enough to entice you into one of these exciting tournaments, perhaps the following five reasons will give you come PKO food for though.

You Can Win Money Without Cashing in the Tournament

For many, the fact you can win money without needing to cash in the tournament is the biggest lure of PKOs. Half of the prize pool is paid out like a “normal” tournament, but the other 50% is divided up equally and placed on the head of each entrant in the form of a bounty.

You win half of your opponent’s bounty when you eliminate them, and the remaining 50% is added to the bounty that is on your head, which makes you a more attractive target for your opponents.

As you have probably figured out already, sending a handful of players to the rail can see you turn a profit even if you do not make it into the top 10-15% where the main prize pool is awarded!

PKO’s Are Full of Action and Excitement

The bounty element of a PKO tournament adds a layer of excitement, and the chance to win some prize money drives the action through the roof. You may notice that PKO tournaments play looser and more aggressive than a traditional MTT, which is exciting in itself.

Once you reach the business end of a PKO, you tend to find that the bounties are substantial, with the final few sometimes larger than the main prize pool prizes! This is particularly true when you are heads-up because if you win, you not only reel in half of your final opponent’s bounty, but you capture the full amount that was on your head!

Check out the lobbies of the completed PKO tournaments in the PartyPoker lobby, and you will see what we mean.

They Tend to be Softer Than Traditional Tournaments

The general consensus is that PKO tournaments are generally softer and, therefore, easier than their traditional counterparts. This is mostly because they are a far newer concept, so many PKO players do not understand or adopt an optimal strategy.

Some players go after bounties too aggressively, and others fail to take the bounty element into consideration. Of course, there are many PKO specialists, but the word around the campfire is that PKOs are far softer across the entire spectrum of buy-ins.

PKOs naturally create more all-in and call situations, which reduces the gaps in skill levels. Think of them along the same lines as turbo-structures MTTs to standard-structured events.

As a Rule, PKOs Conclude Faster Than a Regular MTT

You will tend to find that a PKO tournament crowns its champion faster than a non-PKO tournament of a similar size. This happens because the bounties drive the action, and there are far more all-ins and calls as a result.

The fast-paced action and the fact it is often correct to make looser shoves and calls than in a standard tournament means PKOs do not usually run as long. This means PKOs are a great source of entertainment, especially when you do not have much spare time.

Above All, PKOs Are Great Fun

Above all, PKOs are immense fun, and having fun is what poker is all about. The fast-paced, action-packed nature of PKOs make them exciting for recreational and professional players like. Why not try them out for yourself in the massive Grand Prix KO Autumn Edition events, or by checking out the dozens of daily knockout tournaments in the lobby? Good luck, and happy hunting!