How do you run your bounties? (2 Viewers)

[flipkick]

Question for the folks who run bounties in their games...

how do you do it? what are the rules? How do bounties work?

 

[Eriks]

I just ran a tournament with bounties for the first time and I’m interested in hearing about how others do as well. My players paid a 1/10th of the buy-in and the bounties only changed owner once i.e. you could only lose your own bounty and not the ones you had accumilated through knock outs.

 

[Mr Winberg]

For us (translated to $ using 10:1 for simplicity) each player pays $25, where $20 goes to the prize pool and $5 to the bounty pool. Each starting stack has 1 bounty chip. When you eliminate someone out you get 1 bounty chip from them, i.e., you only surrender 1 bounty chip when eliminated. A player who is eliminated gives the host the bounty chips they've won (if any) and get $5 for each chip from the bounty pool.

Consensus on this forum seems to be that about 20-25% of the buy-in should go towards the bounty pool, which I think is about right.

Since the top finishers are likely to have more bounties, it could be a good idea to have the payout structure a bit flatter than usual, but that is a matter of taste.

 

[flipkick]

I just ran a tournament with bounties for the first time and I’m interested in hearing about how others do as well. My players paid a 1/10th of the buy-in and the bounties only changed owner once i.e. you could only lose your own bounty and not the ones you had accumilated through knock outs.

did you pay out in cash or was it a boost in chips?

 

[flipkick]

you only surrender 1 bounty chip when eliminated. A player who is eliminated give the host the bounty chips they've won (if any) and get $5 for each chip from the bounty pool.

ok interesting! so lets say that I paid into the bounty, and was lucky enough to collect 4 bounty chips before i myself got knocked out. In total, I would have 5 chips, mine plus the 4 I won. I would then pass my chip on and collect 20 bucks from the host?

 

[Mr Winberg]

you could only lose your own bounty and not the ones you had accumilated through knock outs.

This is correct. If you lost all bounties, then all bounties would go to the winner which would be pointless since you might as well just add that money to the 1 place prize and skip bounties.

There's a thing called progressive bounties, which could be implemented in several ways, but the simplest is that you win half of the other fella's bounty chips (rounded up or down), but I wouldn't dabble with that before getting a few good standard bounty tournies under my belt.

 

[Mr Winberg]

ok interesting! so lets say that I paid into the bounty, and was lucky enough to collect 4 bounty chips before i myself got knocked out. In total, I would have 5 chips, mine plus the 4 I won. I would then pass my chip on and collect 20 bucks from the host?

 

[flipkick]

I do what I can

 

[Mr Winberg]

so lets say that I paid into the bounty

I'm perhaps reading too much into your question now, but I'd like to point out that in my (and most) bounty tournaments it is mandatory to pay into the bounty pool. I've heard of weird tournaments where it's optional, but I always dictate it when hosting.

 

[Eloe2000]

Also to add to everything above, re-entries/rebuys pay in again and get another bounty chip.

 

[flipkick]

I'm perhaps reading too much into your question now, but I'd like to point out that in my (and most) bounty tournaments it is mandatory to pay into the bounty pool. I've heard of weird tournaments where it's optional, but I always dictate it when hosting.

that was actually a follow up question I had. Would a bounty be mandatory or optional? I could see it both ways:
Mandatory: pretty obvious how it works now barring any other fun bounty tournaments.
Optional: Pay out bounties as normal, but you don't get anything if you knock someone out with a bounty but you didn't pay in yourself, and the person you knock out gets any bounties they may have acquired.

 

[BGinGA]

Also to add to everything above, re-entries/rebuys pay in again and get another bounty chip.

Not always. Some bounty tournaments are structured where the bounty chip is only surrendered upon elimination from the event, and a re-buy just gets you more chips.

 

[BGinGA]

that was actually a follow up question I had. Would a bounty be mandatory or optional? I could see it both ways:
Mandatory: pretty obvious how it works now barring any other fun bounty tournaments.
Optional: Pay out bounties as normal, but you don't get anything if you knock someone out with a bounty but you didn't pay in yourself, and the person you knock out gets any bounties they may have acquired.

We do it both ways (mandatory vs optional), and even run some events that have two different-value bounty chips (one mandatory, the other one optional).

Also not mentioned so far is the 'Bounty-Only' tournament format, where the is no prize pool other than that $$ collected from bounties.

 

[Mr Winberg]

Not always. Some bounty tournaments are structured where the bounty chip is only surrendered upon elimination from the event, and a re-buy just gets you more chips.

I've never tried either since I stopped allowing rebuys several years ago (in my experience, rebuys kill the cashgame).

But theoretically, I don't think I like this approach. If you and I stack two different players, and you get prize money for it but I don't, I think I would have a problem with it. We both achieved the same thing, but due to reasons outside our control you got paid and I didn't. I'm happy to be convinced, though.

Me: "Good game, Tony, you got unlucky there, sorry. What are you doing, Tony? No, put you wallet back. Put it back! I'll give you half the bounty to out it back! C'mon, man, don't do it!! SHIT!!!"

 

[flipkick]

Also not mentioned so far is the 'Bounty-Only' tournament format, where the is no prize pool other than that $$ collected from bounties.

so like a hybrid cash game almost?

But theoretically, I don't think I like this approach. If you and I stack two different players, and you get prize money for it but I don't, I think I would have a problem with it. We both achieved the same thing, but due to reasons outside our control you got paid and I didn't. I'm happy to be convinced, though.

I think this comes down to do you like to gamble or not? If you arent willing to risk the extra money, why do you feel like you'd be entitled to the prize of knocking someone out who did want to gamble? Its kinda like "you snooze you lose" to me.

I feel like if unchecked bounties can get out of control pretty quick.

 

[Mr Winberg]

I think this comes down to do you like to gamble or not? If you arent willing to risk the extra money, why do you feel like you'd be entitled to the prize of knocking someone out who did want to gamble? Its kinda like "you snooze you lose" to me.

I think you misunderstood. My comment was about rebuy tournaments with bounties where you only get paid if the other person is eliminated (i.e. doesn't rebuy). Example:
You eliminate @BGinGA and he calls it a night, so you get his bounty. I knock out @HMK (as usual) but he rebuys, so I don't get paid! You and I don't have a say in whether or not they decide to rebuy, and our respective achievements were the same (taking all of someone's chips), but we got rewarded differently. That's why I would have every player forfeit their bounty chip when felted, and they would get (and pay for) a new one if they rebuy. But as I said, I'm happy to be convinced otherwise.

I feel like if unchecked bounties can get out of control pretty quick.

Yes, I would start with a vanilla approach, which you can find in my first post.

 

[Emitsu]

I think you misunderstood. My comment was about rebuy tournaments with bounties where you only get paid if the other person is eliminated (i.e. doesn't rebuy). Example:
You eliminate @BGinGA and he calls it a night, so you get his bounty. I knock out @HMK (as usual) but he rebuys, so I don't get paid! You and I don't have a say in whether or not they decide to rebuy, and our respective achievements were the same (taking all of someone's chips), but we got rewarded differently. That's why I would have every player forfeit their bounty chip when felted, and they would get a new one if they rebuy. But as I said, I'm happy to be convinced otherwise.


Yes, I would start with a vanilla approach, which you can find in my first post.

Best way IMO

 

[flipkick]

I think you misunderstood. My comment was about rebuy tournaments with bounties where you only get paid if the other person is eliminated (i.e. doesn't rebuy). Example:
You eliminate @BGinGA and he calls it a night, so you get his bounty. I knock out @HMK (as usual) but he rebuys, so I don't get paid! You and I don't have a say in whether or not they decide to rebuy, and our respective achievements were the same (taking all of someone's chips), but we got rewarded differently. That's why I would have every player forfeit their bounty chip when felted, and they would get (and pay for) a new one if they rebuy. But as I said, I'm happy to be convinced otherwise.


Yes, I would start with a vanilla approach, which you can find in my first post.

yep, 100% missed that and that totally makes sense. If you get felted you should forfeit your bounty chip and then have the option to buy another.

 

[Eriks]

did you pay out in cash or was it a boost in chips?

Cash

 

[Eriks]

Not always. Some bounty tournaments are structured where the bounty chip is only surrendered upon elimination from the event, and a re-buy just gets you more chips.

This is how I did it, mostly because I don’t have enough bounty chips to cover rebuys too.

It was a little hassle because we had to keep track of the people who had rebought and thus shouldn’t give up anymore bounties if they got knocked out a second time (one rebuy only style tournament).

 

[Mr Winberg]

This is how I did it, mostly because I don’t have enough bounty chips to cover rebuys too.

It was a little hassle because we had to keep track of the people who had rebought and thus shouldn’t give up anymore bounties if they got knocked out a second time (one rebuy only style tournament).

It sounds like you gave bounties for the first knockout of a player, but not for subsequent knockouts (after the player has rebought). That's different then what BG referred to, which is to not award bounties for a player until his/her final elimination.

Also, I don't think BG advocates this approach, he just pointed out that it exists.

 

[Eriks]

It sounds like you gave bounties for the first knockout of a player, but not for subsequent knockouts (after the player has rebought). That's different then what BG referred to, which is to not award bounties for a player until his/her final elimination.

Also, I don't think BG advocates this approach, he just pointed out that it exists.

I see, yepp that’s what I meant.

 

[Eloe2000]

edit: wrong thread

 

[DarkHelmet55]

My bounty is a little different. Ours are played for points for a season long league. The first time you knock out a player you get his bounty. When he or she rebuys they do not get a second bounty chip. However, this also means he can no longer collect bounties. You have to have a bounty chip to receive a bounty chip. So all the players that are knocked out by the rebuyer keep their bounty.

 

[TheWhat]

Haven't done for awhile, but we used more of a Knockout Bounty. Friendly game, $20 entry + $5 Bounty; whoever knocked you out took your $5 in cash. Wasn't Progressive though, so you could only lose yours, if that makes sense.

 

[BGinGA]

so like a hybrid cash game almost?

Not at all. The only way to earn $$ in a Bounty-Only tornament is to knock out players. It's possible to finish 1st and only double your money, while somebody who finished 5th with four collected bounties quadrupled their buy-in. The Bounty-Only format really places an emphasis on aggressive play and calling all-ins.

I don't think I like this approach. If you and I stack two different players, and you get prize money for it but I don't, I think I would have a problem with it. We both achieved the same thing, but due to reasons outside our control you got paid and I didn't. I'm happy to be convinced, though.

Not that I feel any great need to convince you, but.... it's not the same thing.

Felting a player in a re-buy tournament isn't the same as eliminating a player from the event. Generally speaking, players with a re-buy option will play a bit looser and apply more pressure with all-in moves, until their re-buy option is gone (whether because it's already been used, or because the re-buy period expired, or because they don't plan on rebuying).

Thus theoretically, an initial felting of said player will typically be easier than taking out that player when his tournament life is on the line (for whatever reason). Just consider it a true tournament knockout bounty, not a temporarily-felt-the-player bounty.

It works very well in practice, especially in events where some players would prefer to not have bounties at all (generally fit/fold tight non-aggressive players).

I would have more of an issue with a format that rewards only the first felting but not subsequent feltings of the same player, which makes no logical sense to me. Either all, or just the knockout blow (which benefits all players).

 

[Himewad]

For us (translated to $ using 10:1 for simplicity) each player pays $25, where $20 goes to the prize pool and $5 to the bounty pool. Each starting stack has 1 bounty chip. When you eliminate someone out you get 1 bounty chip from them, i.e., you only surrender 1 bounty chip when eliminated. A player who is eliminated gives the host the bounty chips they've won (if any) and get $5 for each chip from the bounty pool.

Consensus on this forum seems to be that about 20-25% of the buy-in should go towards the bounty pool, which I think is about right.

Since the top finishers are likely to have more bounties, it could be a good idea to have the payout structure a bit flatter than usual, but that is a matter of taste.

This is exactly what my game does. Down to the dollar.

 

[Mr Winberg]

theoretically, an initial felting of said player will typically be easier than taking out that player when his tournament life is on the line

That's a valid point. I still wouldn't have these rules if I allowed rebuys, but now I see there is some logic behind it.

Not that I feel any great need to convince you

Well I'm glad you did. Hopefully someone else than me benefited aswell.

I had one of the 1000 chip Trademark cages from Amazon fail on me where the vertical segment detached from the base. The screws didn't fail... the plastic broke off around the screws. It created a disaster. Fortunately that was pre-PCF when I just had my pro casino weight 13.5g chips. Fortunately it doesn't sound like a lot of people have had a similar experience to me, but that has me scared me from buying an acrylic birdcage again and using with me real chips now.

So who got the bounty?

 

[Eloe2000]

That's a valid point. I still wouldn't have these rules if I allowed rebuys, but now I see there is some logic behind it.

Well I'm glad you did. Hopefully someone else than me benefited aswell.

So who got the bounty?

Haha, I thought I had responded to that bird cage thread and then all of a sudden my post was gone! You found it! Deleted my post above. Sorry

 

[upNdown]

I don't like bounties