Online Texas Hold'em Players Go Bounty Hunting

It takes a lot of physical and mental stamina to play online poker for extended periods. After all, playing online poker seriously doesn't typically create a lot of excitement. That's why online poker players are often viewed as serious gamblers. 

Just the same, a lot of U.S.-based online pokers will often go in search of poker variation to help break up the monotony that comes from playing the same variation over and over again. For poker players who thrive on the thrill of head-to-head competition, Texas Hold'em Bounty tournaments offer just what the doctor ordered in terms of competing. Let's take a look at this wonderful online poker variation. 

About Texas Hold'em Bounty Tournaments

Over the last few years, Texas Hold'em Bounty tournaments have become very popular in the U.S. This particular online poker variation has proven to be very satisfying for online poker players who are aggressive and like to flex their poker muscles against one player at a time. 

When playing in a Texas Hold'em Bounty tournament, players are competing for prize money at two levels. First, they are trying to win their share of the standard tournament prize be it for winning the tournament or qualifying for a minor share. They are also seeking to collect "bounty" fees from players they are personally responsible for elimination from the competition. 

Note: Bounty tournaments are also referred to as "knockout" tournaments. 

Let's take a look at how this Texas Hold'em variation is played. 

How to Play Texas Hold'em Bounty

Texas Hold'em Bounty tournaments are available regularly on most U.S.-based online poker sites. Players can look for the word bounty in the titles of listed tournaments. 

During registration, players are required to pay their registration fees much in the same way they would pay registration fees for standard poker tournaments. Where bounty tournaments differ is how the registration fee is allocated.  

For a standard Texas Hold'em tournament, registration fees are typically divided into the money that goes into a prize pool and the money that gets paid to the poker site as an administration fee. Most of the time, the split is about 90%/10%.

For a Texas Hold'em Bounty tournament, the registration fee is divided into three components: Prize pool, bounty pool, and administration fee. While the amount that gets paid as an admin fee is usually the same 10%, the allocation between the prize pool and bounty pool can vary based on each respective tournament's terms and conditions. The most common split tends to be 80% to the prize pool and 20% to the bounty pool. 

As play starts, tournament players play Texas Hold'em. When a player encounters a head-to-head hand where the opponent's tournament life is on the line, the opponent's bounty pool comes into play. Let's look at an example for a clear picture of what happens when a player does get eliminated. 

Example Player A eliminates Player B from the tournament. At that point, Player B's bounty pool goes to Play A. When Player A gets Player B's bounty pool, the pool is divided into two portions usually at a rate of 50%/50%. The first 50% goes to Player A as cash they get to keep as personal tournament winnings. The other 50% gets added to Player A's bounty pool for later distribution to the player who eventually eliminates them unless they win the overall tournament. 

This entire process continues as each player faces and gets eliminated. Along the way, eliminating players get to accumulate actual tournament winnings without further risk. When the last player is left standing as the tournament winner, they will win their share of the tournament prize pool. They will also receive a little piece of each bounty pool from all of the other participants. Suffice it to say, that they get the largest share of the entire bounty pool. 

For readers who might not have caught what is being told here, every tournament player who eliminates at least one other player will come out of the tournament with some tournament winnings. Only players who don't get a chance to eliminate another player will walk away empty-handed. Conversely, players who eliminate a lot of players directly can earn good money regardless of where they finish in the tournament. Still, the biggest bounty pool winnings will almost always go to the tournament winner. 

Strategies and Tips for Playing Texas Hold'em Bounty Tournaments

At this point, experienced online poker players should be able to recognize that Texas Hold'em bounty tournaments require more playing strategy than standard Texas Hold'em tournaments. Why? Simply because there are two, not one, ways to win money. What's the goal of any poker tournament? To win as much money as possible, right?

To ensure that recreational online poker players and beginners are not at a significant disadvantage should they decide to enter a Texas Hold'em bounty tournament, here are some strategies/tips that should make life easier. 

Register Early

Recreational players tend to bust out earlier, especially when learning how to play poker. They also tend to register early so they can participate in the action from the get-go. Astute players know this and will take special care to make sure they are getting shots at the bounty pools that often get wasted by weaker players. 

Play more agressively

With more chances to win real cash without cashing from the general prize pool, players should be more aggressive and try to play more hands. This can be done without taking unnecessary risks or playing recklessly. The time to get aggressive is when sitting at the table with short-stacked players who are at risk of getting knocked out or eliminated. 

Stay attuned to the bounty balances of other players

When a player encounters other players who have already accumulated larger bounty pools, those are the players who deserve extra attention in terms of taking risks. It's all about risk/reward evaluations. Larger available bounty pools are deserving of more risk. 

Position is crucial

Players on the button always have a slender advantage over other players in a given hand because they get more betting information. When bounty pools are added to the mix of possible winnings, the late-playing positions have an even larger advantage. They can use this advantage to target short-stacked players who are facing elimination. Short-stacked players will try to win as many bounties as possible before their luck runs out. 

Recognize your vulnerability as your bounty pool grows

While you are targeting players with larger bounty pools, other players will be doing the same. If you have one of the larger bounty pools at the table. you will automatically become a target for players who want your coveted bounty funds. If threatened, players with big bounty balances might want to dial back the aggression, striking only when the iron is hot with a strong starting hand. 

Stay flexible

The best online poker players tend to be the ones who can easily adapt to changing game conditions. The ability to be flexible and adapt is crucial when playing Texas Hold'em Bounty tournaments. Why? Opponent motivation can change from one hand to the next, creating a sense of chaos at the table. It will be easier to read what's happening and adapt if a player focuses on every hand from beginning to end. That means after folding, it's important to stay attuned to what each opponent is doing.

Summary: As you progress as a poker player, you might want to consider playing different poker variations. It's a great way to gain experience while testing the waters of variations that you might find enjoyable. Given the increasing popularity of Texas Hold'em Bounty tournaments, you might want to look under the hood to see what the fuss is about. If you get great satisfaction from eliminating other players, this might be the poker variation for which you have been waiting.