Last month I successfully topped a 1,314 player field of a Wynn Las Vegas $600 Mystery Bounty Event, taking home the trophy, $51,566 in prize money, and $10,200 in bounties for a total of $61,766! APT founder Steve Blay asked me to share my thoughts about the Mystery Bounty format with our members. Below are my 3 best tips for succeeding in these events.
When playing Mystery Bounty events, it’s vital to adopt a strategy to get our fair share of bounties, or we lose out on a big chunk of the prize pool! While this seems obvious, many players don’t adapt to an Aggressive-Attacking style strategy. Maybe they don’t know how, I’m not sure. But here are a few tips to help you get those bounties.
Let’s play for more!
When you are playing in a Mystery Bounty Event, you should raise your standard 3-bet frequency. You should be regularly 3-betting from 50% to 75% of the time (i.e., more often than you flat call) when you are in a playable spot facing a raise.
Put opponents on the north and south pole!
Make your 4-bets more polarized and less linear. Meaning don’t just 4-bet with QQ+ AQs+. Rather expand that range to include more hands and more potential wins. You may include hands like 33-55, 98s, and 54s to balance your range.
Put the Jam on the Toast!
Remember to stay aggressive. Even on the short stack! We must be willing to put all of our chips in the middle or risk being exploited. Jamming on our opponent’s in late position raises as a marginal favorite (even on a short stack) is effective because their calling range is so much wider when trying to exploit our bounty.
Feels good to be back playing #poker on my home turf @WynnPoker and competing w @pokerkat in the Mystery Bounty. pic.twitter.com/WoZiIuNRpG
— Kenna James (@Kenna_James) April 17, 2023
Further Thoughts on Mystery Bounty Events
A finer point to keep in mind, especially towards the end game, is to be aware of the average value of each bounty. The floor will often give you this information if you just ask. Beware of what I call the bounty vultures! These are players looking to take advantage of others who may be hanging around the Mystery Bounty Event drawing drum waiting to offer you a “deal.” These players will offer you a lesser price than the average value or mean of what your bounty is worth.
If you are risk-averse you may be tempted to sell your bounty for less than its market value. You should resist that temptation. This offer is similar to any other EV decision in poker. If you give up too much of the market value of your bounty for “safety,” you will cost yourself a lot of money in the long run.
READ ALSO: How to Crush Mystery Bounty Tournaments
Be willing to take the risk, take the plunge, and draw your fate! The outcome is a mystery and it’s fun!
Enjoy the Journey,
Kenna James
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