ACR Poker Launches Record-Breaking $15M Dual Mystery Bounty Venom Series

ACR Poker is celebrating its 25th anniversary in style with the largest Venom festival in the site's history. Running from August 13 to September 2, the new Dual Mystery Bounty Venom Series features a combined $15 million in guaranteed prize pools, including a massive $12 million NLH Venom and a $3 million PLO Venom.

For the first time, players will have the opportunity to compete in two flagship Mystery Bounty events during the same festival, with the biggest bounty reaching an incredible $500,000. Whether you're planning to buy in directly or qualify through satellites, this year's Venom offers more opportunities than ever before.

In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about the 2026 Venom Series, including the tournament structure, Mystery Bounty format, qualification paths, and why this year's edition stands out from every previous Venom festival.

What Is the ACR Poker Venom Series?

The Venom has become ACR Poker's flagship tournament series and one of the most recognizable online poker events outside of the major live tours. Known for its enormous guarantees and deep tournament structures, the Venom regularly attracts thousands of players from around the world.

Unlike many high buy-in events, ACR has always made the Venom accessible through an extensive satellite system. Players can win their way into the tournament for a fraction of the $2,650 buy-in, or even start from free qualifiers during promotional periods.

For the 2026 edition, ACR is taking things one step further by combining two Mystery Bounty championships into a single festival. No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha players will each receive their own headline event, creating the biggest Venom schedule the site has ever offered.

With a combined $15 million guaranteed, this is not only the largest Venom in ACR Poker history, but also one of the biggest online poker festivals scheduled for the second half of the year.

What's New in the 2026 Venom Festival?

This year's festival introduces several major upgrades compared to the previous Venom series.

Most notably, both headline tournaments now use the increasingly popular Mystery Bounty format, allowing players to win huge prizes long before reaching the final table. The No-Limit Hold'em event features a top bounty worth $500,000, while Omaha players can chase a $250,000 mystery prize.

Players will also benefit from:

• The largest combined Venom guarantee ever offered by ACR Poker.
• Separate flagship events for No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha.
• More than 1,500 guaranteed satellite seats awarded through the Venom Fever promotion.
• Over $10 million in added-value Venom Specials running alongside the main events.
• Multiple Day 1 flights, allowing players to qualify on different dates and even combine stacks for Day 2.

Together, these changes make the 2026 Venom Series the most ambitious tournament festival ACR Poker has hosted since launching the Venom brand.

Why Mystery Bounty Events Are Different

Mystery Bounty tournaments have quickly become one of poker's most popular formats, and it's easy to see why. Unlike traditional knockout tournaments, players don't know the value of the bounty they've won until after eliminating an opponent.

Once the Mystery Bounty phase begins on Day 2, every knockout becomes an opportunity to draw a hidden cash prize. Some envelopes contain the minimum bounty, while others can be worth life-changing amounts. In the 2026 NLH Venom, a single elimination could be worth $500,000, regardless of your finishing position in the tournament.

This fundamentally changes tournament strategy. Instead of focusing solely on surviving toward the final table, players must constantly balance chip preservation with opportunities to collect valuable bounties. Large stacks become especially powerful because they can apply pressure and cover more opponents, increasing their chances of earning additional bounty draws.

Another unique feature of this year's Venom is that every player reaching Day 2 is already guaranteed a cash prize before the Mystery Bounty phase begins. That means surviving your Day 1 flight not only locks up a payout but also gives you access to the bounty pool, creating two separate ways to build a profitable tournament run.

For many players, this combination of guaranteed prize money and unpredictable bounty rewards is what makes Mystery Bounty events some of the most exciting tournaments in modern poker.

NLH vs PLO Venom

One of the biggest additions to this year's festival is that players can choose between two separate flagship events. While both tournaments share the same Mystery Bounty format and $2,650 buy-in, they cater to very different audiences.

The No-Limit Hold'em Venom is the headline attraction, featuring a massive $12 million guaranteed prize pool and a top Mystery Bounty worth $500,000. As ACR Poker's flagship event, it is expected to attract one of the largest online tournament fields of the year.

Pot-Limit Omaha players aren't being left behind either. The $3 million guaranteed PLO Venom offers the same buy-in and Mystery Bounty format, with a top bounty of $250,000. Given the growing popularity of Omaha, the dedicated PLO championship gives four-card specialists the opportunity to compete for one of the largest online Omaha prize pools of the year.

Whether you prefer Texas Hold'em or Pot-Limit Omaha, both events follow the same overall structure, allowing players multiple opportunities to qualify, build a stack, and compete for some of the biggest Mystery Bounty prizes ACR Poker has ever offered.

How to Qualify for Less

While the $2,650 buy-in places the Venom among the biggest online poker tournaments of the year, most players won't be entering directly.

As with previous editions, ACR Poker is running an extensive qualification system through its Venom Fever promotion, making it possible to win a seat for a fraction of the buy-in—or even for free.

Players can qualify through a variety of tournament formats, including:

• Free Qualifiers
• Direct Satellites
• Mega Satellites
• Beast Tourneys
• Survivor Flips
• Step Tournaments

In total, ACR Poker is guaranteeing more than 1,500 Venom seats, giving players numerous opportunities to earn their way into either the NLH or PLO championship.

Another feature returning this year is the ability to play multiple Day 1 flights. If you qualify more than once, your surviving stacks are combined for Day 2, potentially giving you a significant chip advantage before the Mystery Bounty phase begins.

For players who regularly grind satellites, this can represent one of the best value opportunities on ACR's tournament schedule. Even if a direct buy-in isn't part of your bankroll, a well-planned satellite strategy can provide a realistic path into one of the biggest online poker events of 2026.

Full Schedule

The 2026 Venom Series runs from August 13 through September 2, with eight Day 1 flights available for both the NLH and PLO events. The flexible schedule allows players to choose the sessions that best fit their availability while also giving them multiple chances to qualify for Day 2.

Beginning on August 17, ACR Poker will also run a full schedule of Venom Special tournaments featuring more than $10 million in added-value guarantees, creating additional action alongside the flagship events.

Ready to Play the Biggest Venom Ever?

Whether you plan to buy in directly or qualify through satellites, the 2026 Venom Series offers more opportunities than ever before.

If you're new to ACR Poker, create your account using the SMPBONUS promo code to unlock the site's best available welcome offer before entering the Venom.

For more information, check out our ACR Poker Review before registering.

FAQ About ACR Poker Venom 2026

Article by

Bence Mitykó

My relationship with cards started thanks to my father. I was still in elementary school when he first taught me how to play Rummy, and I still remember the long evenings spent playing cards with my family. During the poker boom I was still underage, but the televised tournaments immediately captured my attention. I became fascinated with the game and started learning different poker formats whenever I had the chance. Later in life, as an adult, I was fortunate enough to spend four years playing poker professionally. During that time I mainly focused on Heads-Up Sit & Go games, where I found the format that suited me best. Even though my professional career was relatively short, poker remains something I’m grateful to have experienced as a major part of my life. Today I play mostly as a hobby, while writing has become my main focus. That said, my enthusiasm for writing about poker is just as strong as my passion for playing the game once was.