1. General Information
What is a Mystery Bounty (MB)?
Mystery Bounty (MB) is a poker tournament format in which players receive random cash prizes for eliminating opponents.
Unlike standard knockout (KO) tournaments that award a fixed bounty for each elimination, Mystery Bounty prizes vary in size and are drawn from a shared pool.
How does Mystery Bounty differ from regular knockout (KO) tournaments?
In standard KO tournaments, a predetermined fixed amount is awarded for eliminating each player.
In Mystery Bounty events, a portion of each buy-in is allocated to a separate bounty pool, which funds random prizes of varying amounts.
How is the size of Mystery Bounty prizes determined?
Bounty amounts can be set as:
-
Fixed cash amounts;
-
Percentages of the Mystery Bounty prize pool.
When do knockout bounty payouts begin?
Bounty payouts start at a specific stage of the tournament, such as:
-
After late registration closes;
-
Upon reaching a specified blind level or entering the money (ITM);
-
Upon reaching the final table.
Eliminations occurring prior to this stage do not award a Mystery Bounty.
2. Mystery Bounty Prize Pool Formation
How is the Mystery Bounty prize pool funded?
The pool is funded by a fixed deduction from each buy-in (MB fee).
Buy-in contributions close:
-
At the start of the tournament — in events without late registration or rebuys;
-
After late registration closes — in freezeout events (without rebuys or add-ons);
-
At the conclusion of the add-on break — in tournaments offering rebuys and add-ons.
If the tournament guarantee is not met by player entries, Pokerdom covers the overlay.
3. Bounty Payouts
Under what conditions does a player earn an elimination bounty?
A bounty is awarded if a player eliminates an opponent after the tournament enters the Mystery Bounty phase. If a player is eliminated before this phase begins, no bounty is awarded.
How is a bounty handled if multiple players eliminate a participant simultaneously (split pot)?
In this scenario, the bounty for the elimination is split equally among all players involved in the knockout. Payouts are drawn sequentially, starting with the player seated to the left of the dealer button.
What happens if a single player eliminates multiple opponents at once?
The player receives a bounty for each eliminated opponent (for example, a double knockout allows the player to claim two bounties in sequence).