The Mystery Bounty Venom has always been one of ACR Poker’s flagship tournaments, (and psst, it is also our favourite online series at VIP Grinders), but this latest 2026 edition has started with a serious bang.
Day 1A pulled in 912 entries, the strongest opening flight the Mystery Bounty Venom has recorded to date. That figure alone puts this series ahead of recent editions that in some cases exceeded their advertised guarantees, which by any online poker tournament standards are meaty.
For context, previous runs of the Venom didn’t reach this level of early momentum. Recent editions opened with day 1A fields in the mid-700s to mid-800s before finishing with prize pools in the $8–9 million range. Clearing 900 entries on the first flight significantly raises the floor for where this tournament can realistically land once all starting days are complete.
Early-flight numbers don’t always tell the full story, but in the Venom’s case they’re meaningful. The structure, the multiple-entry format, and the ability to bag stacks for day 2 mean player behaviour is relatively consistent across series.
Strong reg turnout from the outset tends to compound as later flights roll around, especially when players realise the field is already trending toward a larger-than-average prize pool. In this case, with Venom prize pools breaking records, that means a life changing score for most grinders.
Two Venoms, One Clear Focus
Running alongside the $8M Mystery Bounty NLH is a $2M guaranteed Mystery Bounty PLO Venom, which stands as the largest Omaha tournament ACR has put on the schedule. While the NLH will always command the spotlight, the PLO side event adds another layer for high-volume players who specialise outside hold’em. So, get reading your Omaha Strategy and apply some pressure at the Mystery Bounty PLO Venom.
Both tournaments switch fully into mystery bounty mode once day 2 begins, with every knockout triggering a bounty draw. Minimum bounties start at $5,000, with top prizes reaching six figures. There is a half-million-dollar mystery bounty in the NLH event.
Still Time to Get In on the Venom Action
Registration paths are still wide open. There are remaining day 1 flights on the schedule, and ACR continues to push multiple satellite routes.
The most notable addition is the Venom Vault, now accessible directly through the poker client. It functions as an account-based qualification system, giving players another chance to lock up a seat without buying in directly.
On top of that, Venom Fever satellites continue to run, including low-cost and freeroll-style entries. For players comfortable grinding qualifiers rather than firing full buy-ins, there’s still plenty of runway left.
If early numbers are anything to go by, this won’t just be another Venom that comfortably clears its guarantee. It has a realistic chance to become the largest no-limit hold’em Mystery Bounty Venom ACR has ever run.
