Progressive knockout tournaments, also known as bounty hunters, is a popular format of poker tournaments. They offer an extra incentive for eliminating opponents. In these tournaments, a portion of each player's buy-in goes into a prize pool. It is then distributed among the players who finish in the money, and another portion goes into a bounty that is placed on each player's head. Whenever a player knocks out another player, they receive a part of their bounty and their own bounty increases. This creates a dynamic where players profit from hunting bounties, even if they don't make it to the final table.

In this article, we will discuss how to play poker and some of the key aspects of progressive knockout tournament strategy. By the end, you should have a solid understanding of how to play progressive knockout tournaments effectively.

How to Calculate the Value of Bounties and Chips

One of the most important skills in knockout tournaments is knowing how to calculate the value of bounties and chips. Unlike regular tournaments, where chips have a linear value that decreases as you accumulate more of them. In progressive knockout tournaments, chips have a non-linear value depending on the size of your and your opponent's bounty.

To illustrate this point, let's consider a simple example. Suppose you are playing a $10 buy-in progressive knockout tournament with 100 players. The prize pool is $500 and the total bounty pool is $500. Each player starts with a $5 bounty on their head. It means that 50% of their buy-in goes into the prize pool and 50% goes into their bounty. Whenever a player knocks out another player, they receive 50% of their bounty. And their own bounty increases by 50% of their opponent's bounty.

Now suppose you are in the middle stages of the tash game tournament and there are 50 players left. You have an average stack of 10,000 chips and a bounty of $10 on your head. You are facing an all-in shove from an opponent who has 5,000 chips and a bounty of $20 on their head. Should you call or fold?

To answer this question, you need to know two things: the equity of your hand against your opponent's range and the value of your chips and bounties.

The equity of your hand against your opponent's range can be calculated using any online poker equity calculator, such as PokerStove or Equilab. For simplicity, let's assume that your opponent is shoving any two cards and that you have AJo. In this case, your equity is about 65%.

The value of your chips and bounties can be calculated using a formula that takes into account the percentage of the prize pool that each chip represents, the percentage of the bounty pool that each bounty represents, and the probability of winning or losing the pot. The formula is:

EV = (P x C) + (B x W) - (B x L)

Where:

- EV is the expected value of calling or folding

- P is the percentage of the prize pool that each chip represents

- C is the change in chips if you win or lose the pot

- B is the percentage of the bounty pool that each bounty represents

- W is the probability of winning the pot

- L is the probability of losing the pot

In our example, P is 0.0001%, since there are 500,000 chips in play and the prize pool is $500. B is 0.02%, since there are 2,500 bounties in play and the bounty pool is $500. W is 0.65 and L is 0.35, as we calculated earlier.

If we call and win, we will gain 5,000 chips and $10 in bounties. If we call and lose, we will lose 5,000 chips and $10 in bounties. And if we fold, we will keep our 10,000 chips and $10 in bounties. Therefore:

EV(call) = (0.0001% x 5,000) + (0.02% x $10) - (0.02% x $10) = $0.005 + $0.002 - $0.002 = $0.005

EV(fold) = (0.0001% x 0) + (0.02% x $0) - (0.02% x $0) = $0 + $0 - $0 = $0

Since EV(call) is higher than EV(fold), we should call in this situation.

However, this is not the end of the story. We also need to consider the impact of our decision on our future play. By calling and winning, we will increase our stack to 15,000 chips and our bounty to $20. By calling and losing, we will decrease our stack to 5,000 chips and our bounty to $0. And by folding, we will keep our stack at 10,000 chips and our bounty at $10.

This means that by calling and winning, we will become more attractive targets for other players who want to hunt our bounty. By calling and losing, we will become less attractive targets for other players who want to avoid risking their chips. By folding, we will maintain our status quo.

Therefore, we need to weigh the benefits of increasing our stack and bounty against the costs of becoming more vulnerable to other players. This is a complex and subjective decision that depends on many factors, such as:

  • The size of your stack and bounty relative to the average and the blinds
  • The size of your opponents' stacks and bounties
  • And the position and aggression of your opponents
  • Your skill level and confidence
  • Your risk tolerance and goals

There is no definitive answer to this question. But a general rule of thumb in online teen patti is that you should be more willing to call when:

  • You have a short or medium stack and a low or medium bounty
  • Your opponent has a large stack and a large bounty
  • And you are in a late position or have a position on your opponent
  • The tournament is in the early or middle stages or has a slow structure
  • You are confident in your post-flop skills and edge over your opponents
  • You are aiming for a big score or have a high-risk appetite

Be more willing to fold when:

  • You have a large stack and a large bounty
  • Your opponent has a short or medium stack and a low or medium bounty
  • And you are in early position or out of position against your opponent
  • The tournament is in the late stages or has a fast structure
  • You are unsure of your post-flop skills or edge over your opponents
  • You are aiming for a min-cash or have a low-risk appetite

Of course, these are just guidelines and not hard rules in Real cash game. You should always use your own judgment and intuition to make the best decision for each situation.

How to Adjust Your Preflop Ranges and Bet Sizing

Another key aspect of progressive knockout tournament strategy is knowing how to adjust your preflop ranges and bet sizing according to the value of bounties and chips. In general, you should play more aggressively when there are more bounties involved. And more conservatively when there are fewer bounties involved.

This means that you should widen your opening ranges, 3-betting ranges, calling ranges, and shoving ranges when you or your opponents have large bounties on your heads. Conversely, you should tighten your opening ranges, 3-betting ranges, calling ranges, and shoving ranges when you or your opponents have small bounties on your heads.

For example, let's say you are in the cutoff with ATo and there are 25 players left in the tournament. The blinds are 500/1000 with a 100 ante. You have 20,000 chips and a $40 bounty on your head. The button has 15,000 chips and a $60 bounty on their head. And the small blind has 10,000 chips and a $20 bounty on their head. The big blind has 5,000 chips and a $10 bounty on their head.

In this situation, you should open raise with ATo for two reasons. First, because ATo is a decent hand that can make strong top pairs or draws. Second, because you have a large bounty on your head that makes it profitable for other players to call or reraise you with weaker poker hands.

However, you should not open raise too large, because you don't want to risk too many chips with a marginal hand. A standard raise size of 2x or 2.5x the big blind is sufficient to put some pressure on your opponents without committing yourself too much.

If the button calls or reraises you, you should be more inclined to call or reraise back than if they had a smaller bounty on their head. This is because their large bounty adds extra value to your pot odds and implied odds. 

Conclusion

A well-executed progressive knockout tournament strategy can significantly increase your chances of success. Remember to adapt to changing dynamics and make calculated decisions based on your opponent's tendencies. Continuous learning and refinement of your strategy will be key to staying ahead of the competition. So, download the poker app, claim instant sign up bonus poker and start participating in tournaments today!