Day 2 action wraps up with 48 players remaining and $7,160,000 on the line
The biggest progressive knockout tournament in U.S. history plays down to a final table today, and the 48 players that made it to today’s Day 3 action have a shot at six-figure paydays at the top of the money ladder.
The original field of 2,864 entries trimmed down to the final 48 players Monday night, as the Winning Poker Network’s Venom PKO began its final stretch. Day 2 saw the money bubble burst, with several notable names finishing on the payout scale and collecting progressive bounties.
Clayton ‘claytoncomic’ Fletcher (68th - $16,554.75 in combined prize money and bounties) finished a few spots short of advancing to Day 3, but took home a solid five-figure payday nonetheless.
Landon ‘ItsAllOvaBabys’ Tice (286th - $10,364) also cleared the $10k mark, with $7,500 collected in progressive bounties.
Americas Cardroom Team Pros cashing in The Venom PKO included Ryan ‘Whyisjadakiss’ Depaulo (120th - $6,887), Vanessa ‘Niffler’ Kade (123rd - $5,012), and Jonathan ‘apestyles’ Van Fleet (164th - $7,375.50).
Day 3 of The Venom PKO kicked off Tuesday at 1 pm EDT. The tournament will play down to a final table today, with the final nine players returning Wednesday at 5 pm EDT and playing until a winner is crowned.
Venom PKO final table payout scale
| Place | Payout* |
| 1 | $501,916 |
| 2 | $501,916 |
| 3 | $317,188 |
| 4 | $225,540 |
| 5 | $157,520 |
| 6 | $123,510 |
| 7 | $87,710 |
| 8 | $59,070 |
| 9 | $32,220 |
Another benchmark set for flagship WPN tournament
Winning Poker Network first unleashed The Venom in July 2019. The $2,650 buy-in tournament now runs four times per year on WPN, offering some of the biggest prize pools in the history of U.S.-facing online poker sites.
The currently-running Venom PKO marks the second time that the tournament has included a progressive knockout format. The last Venom PKO hit $6,777,500 in prize money, making it the biggest PKO tournament in recorded online poker history.
WPN’s The Venom at a glance
| Guaranteed Prize Pool | Actual Prize Pool | Entries | First Place Prize | |
| The Venom (July 2019) | $5,000,000 | $6,382,500 | 2,552 | $1,050,559 |
| The Venom (December 2019) | $6,000,000 | $6,740,000 | 2,696 | $1,039,982 |
| The Venom (August 2020) | $7,000,000 | $9,680,000 | 3,872 | $1,394,821* |
| The Venom PKO (October 2020) | $5,000,000 | $6,777,500 | 2,711 | $752,067** |
| The Venom (January 2021) | $8,000,000 | $9,435,000 | 3,774 | $1,113,330 |
| The Venom PKO (April/May 2021) | $5,000,000 | $7,160,000 | 2,864 | $501,916 plus progressive bounties |
The Spring 2021 edition of The Venom raised the bar even higher. With 2,864 entries, the final prize pool for The Venom PKO ended up at $7,160,000.
The tournament paid 324 places, with several other players outside of the payout ladder earning cash via progressive bounties. The lion’s share of the $7,160,000 prize pool will be awarded today and tomorrow, with the ultimate prize on the line at Wednesday’s final table.
