Bounty multiplier

Where the multiplier is applied

The order matters. The multiplier is applied to the eliminated player's whole bounty first, and the result is then split in the ordinary progressive-knockout way — half to the player who made the knockout, half added to that player's own bounty.

So a 10x spin on a $5 bounty creates $50 of value, of which $25 is paid in cash and $25 is loaded onto the winner's head. The multiplier therefore does two things at once: it decides what you are paid, and it decides how big a target you become.

Why an average of 1x is the whole design

If the table averaged more than 1x the operator would be adding money to the format; if it averaged less, it would be taking a second cut. Setting the mean at exactly 1x means the expected value of a bounty is the same as it would be without the mechanic, so the operator is selling excitement rather than changing the economics.

The practical consequence for a player is precise and often misread: because expectation is unchanged, no calling range, shove range or covering decision should change. The maths of a progressive knockout applies as written.

What does change

Variance, and only variance. In GGPoker's Ocean KO table the standard deviation of a single bounty payout is about 3.63 times the bounty's face value, against zero in a standard progressive knockout where every bounty pays exactly face value.

That has two knock-on effects worth planning for. A bankroll calibrated on flat bounty payouts is too small for the same stakes in a multiplier format. And because the low multipliers are the common ones — 72.3 per cent of Ocean KO spins pay below face value — a player's typical run of results sits under expectation, with the gap closed by rare large spins that may not arrive for a long time.