Tourney Bounties are dumb - tell me I’m wrong (1 Viewer)

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Royal Flush
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Here’s my beef. Bounties are a gimmick that significantly reduce the prize pool for the people who cash. But that big prize pool at the end is the whole point of tournaments.
You can say bounties reward a particular style of play, and that’s true. But that style of play already has its own rewards - when done successfully, you accumulate the kind of huge stack that dominates final tables. You don’t need to give extra rewards for that kind of aggressive play.
I say bounties are just a gimmick to draw in impatient action junkies who should probably just stay at the cash tables.
Admittedly I’m biased - I tend to play a Negreanu small ball style where I’m just trying to increase my stack incrementally, without putting it at risk. So if I catch any bounties at all, it’s usually very few, and late in the tournament.
Redistributing 30% or more of the prize pool as bounties just cheapens the tournament. No thanks.
 
If the bounty concept attracts more players to the tournament... perhaps they are a positive to the overall prize pool even though they get removed from the prize pool... perhaps.
And that’s when I’ll tolerate them - if the bounty is a low enough percentage of the buy-in (say Maybe 25% or less ) that it doesn’t negate the actual payouts, I’ll go along with your theory and I’ll play. But when it’s more than that, I’m just not interested.
 
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Bounties should drastically change how you play. Chip EV becomes much different with bounties. You are incentivized to take more risks to bust people. It's not bad, just different. All your EV doesn't come from just cashing, it comes from making profitable calls to bust people.
 
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And that’s when I’ll tolerate them - if the bounty is a low enough percentage of the buy-in (say Maybe 25% or less ) that it doesn’t negate the actual payouts, I’ll go along with your theory and I’ll play. But when it’s more than that, I’m just not interested.
You should try playing in a 'bounty-only' tournament sometime. Certainly a different approach to tournament poker.

It's good to expand one's horizons and skill sets occasionally.
 
I'm going to guess if we played together you would hate my small stack isolation bets with marginal hands that flop well heads up against short stacks.

I think bounties are a good way to flatten payouts and give marginal players a bit of rebate. Many of them are rarely top finisher caliber players but for them getting one is akin to a shitty golfer landing a 7 iron on the green. One good shot keeps them coming back.
 
20% and less bounties I don't mind, and in my experience they draw more players, especially at home games. Attendance at my tourneys is historically 20% higher for bounty games. More players = bigger the prize pool, so +EV IMHO.

Larger percentage bounties I don't care for, except for the progressive bounty tourneys (which are usually flipped, 80% or higher for bounties). Those are completely different games and can be a lot fun.
 
You should try playing in a 'bounty-only' tournament sometime. Certainly a different approach to tournament poker.

It's good to expand one's horizons and skill sets occasionally.
You’ve got me thinking, I’ll say that.
 
FWIW, I don't consider bounties as diluting or otherwise redistributing the prize pool. They are monies *in addition* to the prize pool, and are sometimes even optional expenditures.
Our family games will usually allow an optional bounty. I like that as an option.
 
I’d be great with optional bounties, but I think that’s strictly a home game thing. I’ve never seen such a format in a casino or cardroom.
 
I’d be great with optional bounties, but I think that’s strictly a home game thing. I’ve never seen such a format in a casino or cardroom.
You'd really hate the WSOP mystery bounty tournament then.
 
FWIW, I don't consider bounties as diluting or otherwise redistributing the prize pool. They are monies *in addition* to the prize pool, and are sometimes even optional expenditures.
I see bounties as communal side action, almost like high hand, 72, red king, last longer, etc. It's a game that is occurring at the same time as the poker tournament that is directly affected by and affects the tournament.
 
I see bounties as communal side action, almost like high hand, 72, red king, last longer, etc. It's a game that is occurring at the same time as the poker tournament that is directly affected by and affects the tournament.
Care to guess how I feel about 72, or how many last longers I’ve joined?
It took me a long time to stop playing Holdem like a Nit. But big picture, I still “gamble” like one.
 
I have a knack for not winning bounties. It’s sort of running joke in the P* games that the over/under for bounties I get is 1. I still play the bounty games because poker is better than no poker.
 
I have a knack for not winning bounties. It’s sort of running joke in the P* games that the over/under for bounties I get is 1. I still play the bounty games because poker is better than no poker.
Funny you mention that, it just occurred to me, after my third consecutive bottom half finish in the Wednesday night tournament, that I need to do something differently. Small sample size, yeah, but as an otherwise winning player, that’s something that deserves attention.
 
I wouldn't go as far as to say they are dumb, as clearly some people like them, but I personally don't care for them at all. Neither do I care for any (imo) gimmicky shit that goes on to spice up the game. I rather have all the money going to the prize pool or added to blinds/buy-ins in cash game. That's my personal opinion, obviously. If people are willing to spend more money for gimmicks, they should pony up more for a larger entry or buy-in.

Needless to say I do not host any bounty tourney at my place.

Now, that does not mean I won't play bounty tourneys when friends are playing, obviously, i.e. meet-up main events for example.

*Edit: I have more tourneys sets with bounty chips that I can count, LOL!!! Even custom sets. Better have 'em and not use them than not have 'em, I guess.
 
And that’s when I’ll tolerate them - if the bounty is a low enough percentage of the buy-in (say Maybe 25% or less ) that it doesn’t negate the actual payouts
Doesn’t this describe the majority of bounty tournaments?
 
Funny you mention that, it just occurred to me, after my third consecutive bottom half finish in the Wednesday night tournament, that I need to do something differently. Small sample size, yeah, but as an otherwise winning player, that’s something that deserves attention.
Good poker strategy doesn’t work against a bunch of donkeys. You should know that.
 
Back when I first introduced them to our game I had a good friend running a WF printer. So I used Facebook to secretly steal pictures that weren’t that flattering of our regs. I also made a bunch of “guest” ones for non-regs.
they loved them. The bounty has been a staple of our tourneys now for years. Yes, I’m some cases they can influence play for nothing more than the opportunity to “get his or her bounty”. The most we’ve ever played for is $5/bounty. So I wouldn’t say that anybody would outright risk their tourney life for one. But it does give someone felted that opportunity to leave the table with some gloating power.
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