What is Bounty / Progressive KO (PKO) in poker?

A Bounty tournament is a format where a segment of each player's buy-in forms a 'bounty' placed on their head. When you eliminate an opponent, you win their bounty. In a Progressive Knockout (PKO) variant, half of the bounty you win is immediately added to your stack as cash, while the other half is added to your own bounty, making you a more valuable target. This dynamic encourages wider calling ranges and more aggressive play, especially against short stacks, as the immediate cash reward for a knockout can be substantial. Understanding the PKO math is crucial for making profitable decisions.

I went all-in with A9s and eliminated a player, collecting half of their bounty while the other half increased the prize on my own head.

Bounty / Progressive KO (PKO) (Bounty / Progressive KO) belongs to the Tournaments side of the game and shows up in almost every hand of Texas Hold'em. If you are just starting out, read the poker rules and the hand rankings first, then come back here. To practise risk-free you can play against our AI right on the site.