PKO vs Classic Tournaments: Comparing Opening Ranges

The main difference between classic tournaments and progressive knockout (PKO) tournaments lies in the bubble factor, which affects the range of opening moves.

In PKO tournaments, the bubble factor can become negative, meaning players should use wider ranges than calculated by chipEV. This is due to the presence of bounties, which add equity in the form of additional prize money and force players to enter pots more actively when there is a chance to get a knockout.

The bubble factor in PKO tournaments is noticeably lower than in classic tournaments, even for the shortest stacks, and differs most significantly for large stacks against medium ones. This difference influences the strategy and ranges, especially on the bubble, where the presence of knockouts does not outweigh the need to make it into the prizes. Players in PKO tournaments open-push much less frequently in stacks of 20 BB. Due to the low bubble factor in stacks of 20 BB, players can play many more hands from the small blind, turning many of the all-ins from classic tournaments into limps or raises.