Updated on 23 Feb 26 by
Barry carter
Poker Expert

See what winning a $250k bounty feels like

One player was very happy to open an envelope containing life-changing money in Las Vegas over the weekend.





We are just over a week away from the $1 million Mystery Bounty event at the World Series of Poker and this is a reminder why that is going to be such a special event. 

On his birthday this weekend Paul Chanderson opened the jackpot bounty in the Wynn Summer Classic $2,200 Mystery Bounty event. 

Not everyone gets excited about opening a six-figure envelope but Chanderson wore his heart on his sleeve when he realised he was a quarter of a million dollars better off for busting one of his opponents:

The Mystery Bounty format really is taking over live poker and almost every major tour and festival has one on the schedule. Next week at the WSOP there will be a $1,000 bracelet event that will guarantee a single bounty of $1 million - the biggest single bounty ever awarded in tournament poker. 

If you are new to the format, check out our Mystery Bounty strategy advice

Have you played this format yet? Let us know in the comments:


Poker Expert

Barry Carter is the editor of PokerStrategy.com and the co-author of The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2, Poker Satellite Strategy, PKO Poker Strategy, Endgame Poker Strategy, GTO Poker Simplified, Mystery Bounty Poker Strategy and Beyond GTO. In 2025, he won the Global Poker Awards for Best Book and Twitter Personality of the Year.