ACR Poker’s The Venom Returns With $6.5M Guarantee

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Mon Sep 28, 2026, 12:00 pm ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

ACR Poker’s The Venom Returns With $6.5M Guarantee

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ACR Poker is bringing back The Venom this October with two major Progressive Knockout tournaments. The Dual Venom PKOs will run from October 4 through October 21, 2026.

The series carries a combined $6.5 million guarantee across two events. Players can choose between a $5 million guaranteed No-Limit Hold'em tournament and a $1.5 million guaranteed Pot-Limit Omaha event.

Both tournaments feature a $2,650 direct buy-in. However, players can also pursue seats through ACR Poker's Venom Fever satellite schedule.

The format adds another layer to the tournament race. Each knockout gives players a bounty payment while increasing their own bounty for future opponents.

Two Venom PKOs Bring $6.5 Million in Guarantees

The NLH Venom carries the larger $5 million guarantee and offers five starting flights. Individual bounties can also reach tens of thousands of dollars.

Meanwhile, the PLO Venom guarantees $1.5 million and matches ACR Poker's biggest PLO PKO guarantee. It also features five Day 1 flights.

For players following major US online poker sites, the two-format structure gives The Venom a broad appeal. Hold'em players can target the larger prize pool, while Omaha players receive their own headline event.

The Venom Tournament Breakdown

Event Guarantee Buy-In Starting Flights
NLH Venom PKO $5,000,000 $2,650 5
PLO Venom PKO $1,500,000 $2,650 5
Combined $6,500,000 – 10

ACR Poker also allows players to enter both tournaments if they want to pursue the two Venom titles.

The Venom Schedule

Both tournaments use the same five-flight Day 1 schedule. The flights begin October 4 and continue through October 18.

Tournament Stage Date Start Time
Day 1A Sunday, October 4 1:05 p.m. ET
Day 1B Thursday, October 8 1:05 p.m. ET
Day 1C Sunday, October 11 1:05 p.m. ET
Day 1D Thursday, October 15 1:05 p.m. ET
Day 1E Sunday, October 18 1:05 p.m. ET
Day 2 – Both Events Monday, October 19 1:05 p.m. ET
Day 3 – NLH Only Tuesday, October 20 1:05 p.m. ET
Final Tables – Both Events Wednesday, October 21 4:05 p.m. ET

The PLO tournament does not include a Day 3. Instead, it moves from Day 2 toward its October 21 final table.

Having five starting flights gives players several opportunities to enter. It also allows players to select a date that fits their schedule.

Venom Fever Offers Lower-Cost Qualification Routes

Players do not have to pay the full $2,650 buy-in to pursue a Venom seat. ACR Poker's Venom Fever satellite program runs from September 29 through October 18.

The qualification schedule includes Direct Satellites, Mega Satellites, and Survivor Flips Step Satellites. Some Mega Satellite paths start at $0, while Survivor Flips Step Satellites start at 80 cents.

ACR Poker has allocated hundreds of seats through the satellite program. Players therefore have multiple routes into either tournament before the final Day 1 flight.

Past Dual Venom PKO Edition Set a Strong Benchmark

The previous Dual Venom PKO edition also generated significant prize pools beyond its guarantees.

ACR Poker reported that the previous PKO edition's NLH event attracted 2,498 entries. The field produced a $6.245 million prize pool against its $5 million guarantee.

The champion collected more than $675,000 from prize money and bounties combined. The previous PLO event also exceeded its $1.5 million guarantee, producing a $1.6025 million prize pool from 641 entries.

Those results provide context for the scale of the upcoming events. However, the 2026 fields and final prize pools will depend on this year's entries.

ACR Poker Sets Up Another Major October PKO

The October Venom schedule gives players two headline tournaments across NLH and PLO. Both events carry $2,650 buy-ins and five starting flights.

At the same time, Venom Fever provides satellite opportunities ahead of the October 4 opening flight. Players can therefore pursue seats through several qualification formats.

The Dual Venom PKOs will progress through October 19, with the NLH field continuing to Day 3. Both tournaments are scheduled to reach their final tables on October 21.

With $6.5 million guaranteed, ACR Poker has positioned The Venom as one of its major tournament attractions for October 2026.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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