It was a split decision, but 888poker scored the knockout victory in its recent online series. Through 29 events in the Knockout Games, which ran on the client from November 26 through December 12, the series saw nearly 20,000 entries with prizes that capped the $1.071 million guarantee by more than 5%.
The Knockout Games came to an end recently after 17 days of online bounty action, and while nearly half the tournaments missed their guarantees, the series as a whole still came out in the green for both the operator and the players. In the end, more than $1.125 million was awarded in prizes across the 29 events.
That total includes the guaranteed prizes on some events that overlayed, but even when looking at the raw dollars collected through the series, it still came at $1,031,235. 14 of the 29 games had some overlay, and when the dust settled, the series was about $40k in the red based on the total prize money collected, but more than $130k in fees through the series more than made up the shortfall.
2023 Knockout Games Summary
| Total Games | 29 |
| Total Gtd | $1,071,000 |
| Total Entries | 19,141 |
| Above Gtd | 15 |
| Below Gtd | 14 |
| Total Prizes | $1,125,985 |
| Total Collected | $1,031,235 |
| Total Overlay | -$39,765.00 |
| Total Fees | $132,446.50 |
| % Over Gtd | 5.13% |
Big Games Overlay, But Small Games Come Through
When an operator explicitly names an event “Main Event – Overlay Edition,” it is pretty clear it doesn’t expect the guarantee to be met. That was the case with the KO Games Main Event. There was $200k guaranteed for the $25 buy-in Main, and while the name suggests there was always some extra value expected for players, in the end, the game came close to its lofty goal.
With more than 8,000 entries, the Main ended up with $180,180 in total money collected, missing the guarantee by less than 10%. The other $200k guaranteed game in the series, Event #19: Mystery Bounty, drew 1,328 entries for the $162 game, collecting $199,200 and missing the guarantee by just a few entries.
In the final analysis, none of the big guaranteed games made good on their promised prize pools, with the operator having to add money to the entries to make up the guarantee. That said, none of the big games missed their guarantees by more than 10%, and several solid performances in the smaller guarantees helped bring the series into the green.
2023 Knockout Games Biggest Prize Pools
| Date | Tournament | Buy-In | Total Entries | Prize Pool | Diff from Gtd | % Diff from Gtd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04-Dec | Event #19: $200,000 Mystery Bounty | $162 | 1328 | $200,000 | -$800 | -0.40% |
| 12-Dec | Event #29: $200,000 Main Event Mystery Bounty | $25 | 8008 | $200,000 | -$19,820 | -9.91% |
| 26-Nov | Event #2: $120,000 Mystery Bounty Opening | $109 | 1094 | $120,000 | -$10,600 | -8.83% |
| 10-Dec | Event #28: $100,000 Mystery Bounty | $109 | 985 | $100,000 | -$1,500 | -1.50% |
| 26-Nov | Event #3: $50,000 Mystery Bounty High Roller | $525 | 120 | $60,000 | $10,000 | 20.00% |
Big Prizes in the Little Games
The $50k guaranteed games made more than they promised, with Event #3: $50,000 Mystery Bounty High Roller coming in at 20% above the guarantee for a top-five value finish. The other $50k game was a bit lower on the list, but with 15% extra in the prize pool, it was still a good performer.
The best performer of the series, in terms of prizes collected versus guarantee, was Event #7: $5000 Super KO 6-Max Mini for $33. The game saw 250 entries for prizes of $7,500, 50% above the $5k guarantee.
Three games in the series saw more than 1000 entries, with the Main Event blowing them all out of the water with 8008 entries. Event #19: $200,000 Mystery Bounty and Event #2: $120,000 Mystery Bounty Opening also had four-digit fields with 1328 and 1094, respectively.
2023 Knockout Games Biggest Guarantee Beaters
| Date | Tournament | Buy-In | Total Entries | Prize Pool | Diff from Gtd | % Diff from Gtd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28-Nov | Event #7: $5,000 Super KO 6-Max Mini | $33 | 250 | $7,500 | $2,500 | 50.00% |
| 06-Dec | Event #22: $5,000 PKO Deepstack Mini | $33 | 217 | $6,510 | $1,510 | 30.20% |
| 29-Nov | Event #8: $5,000 KO Mini | $33 | 205 | $6,150 | $1,150 | 23.00% |
| 26-Nov | Event #3: $50,000 Mystery Bounty High Roller | $525 | 120 | $60,000 | $10,000 | 20.00% |
| 02-Dec | Event #17: $3,000 PKO 6-Max Mini | $11 | 360 | $3,600 | $600 | 20.00% |
Happy Holidays and Micro Rollers
While the Knockout Games have ended, 888poker is still in the holiday spirit with a few big promotions ongoing. The Happy Holidays Sale is underway, with half-price entries on a selection of games on the 888poker schedule including:
- $15,000 Holiday Sale Tuesday PKO Rumble 320 buy-in: $320 —- NOW only $160!
- $8000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty 22 buy-in: $22 —- NOW only $11!
- $100,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty Main Event buy-in: $109 —- NOW only $55!
See the link above for a full look at all the cut-rate deals through the holiday season. Micro-stakes players should fire up the client to check out the ongoing Micro Rollers Series featuring big guarantees with micro price tags.
Among the featured games on the Micro Rollers schedule are a shot at $20k guaranteed for just $6 plus $10k guaranteed for just $3. The rest of the guarantees are suitably large with appropriately small price tags for a series that micro-stakes players may well see as an early Christmas present.
