> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.fast.poker/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.fast.poker/for-players/sng-duels.md).

# Flat Bounty and SnG Duels

Flat Bounty is the current rule set for every 6-max and 9-max Sit-and-Go. It changes how knockouts, SOL prizes, and Raw $FP rewards work, and it adds one scheduled duel per eligible blind level.

Native heads-up remains the classic SNG format. It does not use Flat Bounty, scheduled duels, or maturity.

## One point per entrant

Every 6-max or 9-max entrant starts with exactly one bounty point.

When a player is actually knocked out:

1. The victim loses exactly one point: their current head point.
2. That point moves only to the winner or winners eligible for the side pot that covered the victim.
3. Tied eligible winners split the point fractionally. Any indivisible internal unit remainder is assigned deterministically.

A short stack that wins only the main pot cannot take the point of a deeper player eliminated in a side pot it did not cover.

Points already won are not erased when their holder later busts. The busted player loses one head point and keeps any accumulated surplus as final payout credit. Across the tournament, the original six or nine points only move between seats; the rules do not create or burn additional points.

## SOL and Raw $FP payouts

At settlement, 6-max and 9-max use the same final point holdings for two different reward pools:

| Pool                            | Distribution                                                       |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 50% of the SOL prize pool       | Split across all final point holdings.                             |
| Other 50% of the SOL prize pool | Normal ITM finish curve: 65%/35% in 6-max or 50%/30%/20% in 9-max. |
| Player Raw $FP pool             | Split across all final point holdings after maturity.              |

This means a player can earn a bounty share after busting if they banked more points than the one head point they later lost.

## $FP maturity

Maturity changes only the 6-max/9-max player Raw $FP pool. It never reduces SOL and is not based on the level when an individual point was earned.

| Display blind level when the tournament finishes | Player $FP maturity |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------: |
| Level 1                                          |                 25% |
| Level 2                                          |                 50% |
| Level 3                                          |                 75% |
| Level 4 or later                                 |                100% |

The final blind level multiplies the whole post-Royal player pool. For example, if the post-Royal pool is 900 Raw $FP and the tournament ends at Level 3, 675 Raw $FP matures. Points then divide that 675. The withheld 225 is never minted or credited.

## When scheduled duels happen

The first duel becomes eligible at display Level 4 (`blind_level = 3` on chain). One more duel can start at each later blind level. Duels continue if a 6-max/9-max tournament reaches heads-up.

* Seat A is selected with extra weight for players who have folded more often.
* Seat B is selected uniformly from the other live seats.
* Both players risk the same blind-scaled chip amount, capped at the shorter stack.
* The normal tournament blind clock pauses from duel start through resolution.

The selected players cannot opt out of the chip stake.

## PLAY and NEXT CARDS

Each duelist sees a private two-card deal and has up to 20 seconds per round:

* **PLAY** accepts the current cards. If both players choose PLAY, the deal resolves immediately.
* **NEXT CARDS** discards the current deal and advances both players to the next deal. A timeout has the same progression effect.

A duel has at most three deals. If earlier deals are passed, the third resolves automatically. A non-tie result moves the symmetric chip stake. It moves a bounty point only when that chip transfer reduces the loser to zero and causes an actual knockout. A tie moves neither chips nor a point.

## What Flat Bounty does not include

The current rules do not include Bounty Shield, warm-up/non-lethal duels, progressive tiebreak brackets, retention or burn modes, survived-depth weighting, or a player-selectable legacy ruleset.

## Related pages

* [Joining a Sit and Go](/for-players/sit-and-go.md)
* [Jackpots](/for-players/jackpots.md)
* [$FP and rewards](/for-players/xp-rewards.md)
* [SNG tiers and prizes](/economics/sng-tiers.md)