Bounty Hunter

What this word means at the table

In poker, a "Bounty Hunter" refers to a participant in a bounty tournament (also known as knockout tournament) whose primary goal is to eliminate opponents to claim a cash reward. This term can describe a player's style or the role they assume during such events. Bounty tournaments are structured so that a portion of the buy-in goes toward a bounty pool, which is distributed to players each time they knock out an opponent.

Types of Bounty Tournaments

• Standard Bounty (KO): Each player has a fixed bounty (e.g., half the buy-in). Eliminating any opponent awards that fixed amount.
• Progressive Knockout (PKO): Half of the bounty is immediately collected by the eliminator, and the other half is added to the eliminator's own bounty. This creates escalating bounties as players accumulate knockouts.
• Mystery Bounty: A random draw determines the bounty amount after an elimination, often with a large top prize.

Strategy for Bounty Hunter

Acting as a bounty hunter involves strategic adjustments:

• Wider calling ranges: With a large bounty on an opponent, calling shoves or raises becomes more profitable, especially when the bounty exceeds ICM considerations.
• Aggressive play: Bounty hunters may apply pressure to force opponents into marginal spots, aiming to eliminate them cheaply.
• Targeting big bounties: In PKOs, players with high bounties become primary targets. The hunter may call lighter against them or even chase with speculative hands.
• ICM adjustments: Bounties reduce the importance of survival, allowing more risk-taking than in standard tournaments. However, near the money or final table, ICM still plays a role.

Common Usage

• "He's a bounty hunter; he called with 72o just to try to bust the chipleader."
• "In this PKO, you need to play like a bounty hunter to accumulate chips and bounties."

Related Concepts

• Bounty tournament
• Progressive Knockout (PKO)
• ICM (Independent Chip Model)