Knockout vs Progressive Knockout
Both formats put a bounty on every player. The difference is what happens to that bounty when you eliminate someone — and that one rule changes everything about correct play.
If you've registered a knockout tournament online in the last two years, you've almost certainly played a PKO and not a classic KO. Progressive knockouts are now the default on GGPoker, PokerStars, and most operators — but the classic format still runs, and understanding the difference is what unlocks correct call-off ranges in both.
The one-sentence difference
In a classic knockout (KO), every eliminated player pays out their full bounty in cash. In a progressive knockout (PKO), only half is cash — the other half is added to your own bounty.
Side-by-side
| Classic KO | Progressive KO (PKO) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bounty payout | 100% cash to eliminator | 50% cash to eliminator, 50% added to their bounty |
| Starting bounty size | Full bounty pool ÷ field size | Half of that (the other half seeds your bounty) |
| Bounty growth | Fixed for the tournament — | Grows every time you eliminate someone |
| Who to target | Anyone — bounties are equal | Big-bounty stacks first (they pay more) |
| Call-off ranges | Slightly wider than chip-EV vs. anyone | Much wider vs. big-bounty villains, especially when you cover |
| Late-stage EV mix | ICM + fixed bounty — | ICM + variable bounty EV (dominates for most of the tournament) |
| Where it's still common | Live daily tournaments, a few PokerStars series | Almost every online MTT: GG Bounty Hunters, PokerStars KO series, PartyPoker, WPT Global |
Why the strategy is different
The reason PKOs get their own study tools isn't marketing — it's math. In a classic KO the bounty is a fixed sweetener on every call-off. You add its cash value to your equity and make a slightly wider decision than you would in a non-bounty MTT. Simple.
In a PKO the bounty on any given villain is variable. A short stack who has eliminated three big stacks might carry a bounty worth 4–5× the starting amount. Whoever knocks them out collects a huge cash prize and inherits half of it. Correct play when you cover such a player is dramatically wider than a solver-free instinct suggests — and it's exactly the spot most PKO regulars still get wrong.
How each format shows up in a live schedule
- Classic KO — most live poker rooms still run classic KO nightlies. Some PokerStars daily series and older WCOOP events retain the classic format.
- Progressive KO — GGPoker's Bounty Hunters, GG Speed Racer PKO, PokerStars KO series, WPT Global's daily bounties, and PartyPoker's Big Game Hunters. This is where the online volume is.
- Mystery bounty — a third variant where bounties are drawn from a distribution instead of being fixed or progressive. See mystery bounty tournaments for the strategy differences.
Which should you play?
If you're picking between the two purely for expected profit, PKOs offer a bigger skill edge. The math is more sensitive to correct play, the field is denser with recreationals chasing bounties for fun, and off-the-shelf ICM ranges under-call by a wide margin. That's why every serious modern MTT tour built its bounty schedule around PKO instead of classic KO.
Next reads
- What is PKO poker? — the full format explainer with worked examples.
- PKO strategy fundamentals — the leaks that show up in every field.
- Bounty poker strategy — deeper on classic KO math.
- PKO preflop ranges — how bounty size shifts the correct call-off.
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