Rewritten Article
Poker platforms GGPoker and WSOP penalize players for employing Real-Time Assistance (RTA) tech in their gaming activities.
Title: Poker Cheaters Busted: 31 Players Booted from GGPoker for Using RTA Software
Published on: 05.03.2025. Updated on: 29.04.2025.
Yannick Schroth, edited by Angela Burke
GGPoker's official X channel chimed with a bombshell on March 1, 2025, announcing the banishment of a whopping 31 players. The verdict? They were caught red-handed using Real-Time Assistance (RTA) software that provides an unfair advantage during their games on the platform.
Goodbye, Cheaters!
An investigation in conjunction with the likes of GTO Wizard nabbed these sneaky players. The software they employed allows users to access mathematical solutions during gameplay—quite the game-changer that puts regular players at a disadvantage.
Translation from English: We've kicked out 31 unruly accounts for flouting our fair play rules. Working together, we're continuously beefing up our security to safeguard the authenticity of the game.
Fedor Holz, a Poker Integrity Council member of GGPoker, boldly declared that these banned players won't just find a hard pass on the online platform; they'll also get blacklisted from the World Series of Poker (WSOP). What a twist! GGPoker spent a cool half-billion smackers (approximately €467 million) last year to acquire the WSOP, so maintaining the game's sanctity is paramount.
RTA Scandal Heat: ACR pros accidentally spill the beans
The RTA debate resurfaced recently after two pro players from Americas Cardroom (ACR) accidentally exposed their use of the software. Argentinian poker pro Nacho Barbero (43) accidentally flaunted his green-eyed GTO Wizard software on camera—live during a game. Defending himself, Barbero claimed it was just his coaching session.
What's the real deal with RTA software?
RTA software is a sneaky ally for poker players, doling out mathematically optimal decisions to aid them during gameplay. Based on the Game Theory Optimal (GTO) strategy, it makes rocketing toward a near-perfect solution a breeze:
- Nimble Calculations: RTA software analyzes each hand on the fly and compares it to predefined solutions, serving up the perfect playing strategy.
- On-the-Fly Guidance: Unlike regular analysis tools, these bad boys provide recommendations directly during gameplay—leaving no stone unturned.
- Unbeatable Strategy: The software determines the ideal move, whether to bet, raise, or fold, based on probabilities and the opponent's hand range.
- Banned on Most Platforms: Since its artificial intelligence outshines human intuition, RTA leaves regular players in the dust. As a result, it's forbidden on most platforms, with those caught using it facing the boot.
Popular RTA programs like GTO Wizard, PioSOLVER, or MonkerSolver can be handy as learning resources but are strictly prohibited during active poker games on most platforms.
Ebony Kenney (46)—another poker pro—fell under the radar when she unintentionally released an old image showcasing RTA software during an active game. Both claimed they hadn't used it during active hands.
Comparable incidents have popped up in poker history. Back in 2020, GGPoker kicked 40 players off the platform for using RTA tools. Similar issues have plagued other platforms, too. Ali Imsirovic, one of the high-stakes scene's heavy hitters, got disqualified from various poker tournaments following accusations of multi-accounting and RTA use. Jake Schindler faced an indefinite suspension from the PokerGO Tour.
Acela-ing Away from RTA
Like GGPoker, other platforms are tightening their grip on the use of RTA software:
Partypoker
These guys take no prisoners when it comes to interfering with real-time decision-making processes. You'll find a list of third-party programs that are A-okay to use on their platform, and crossing the line can result in the closure of accounts and confiscation of funds.
PokerStars
PokerStars has shown no mercy toward RTA software. They're developing their own cutting-edge detection systems that scrutinize players like hawks, looking for suspicious gaming patterns and technical indicators in real-time. ZERO tolerance policy is the name of the game: when a player is convicted of fraud, they'll find their account closed, and their ill-gotten gains used to compensate affected players.
- GGPoker has banned 31 players for using Real-Time Assistance (RTA) software that provides an unfair advantage in games, such as poker, on the platform.
- RTA software like GTO Wizard, PioSOLVER, or MonkerSolver, which provides mathematically optimal decisions, is handy as a learning resource but is prohibited during active poker games on most platforms.
- Nimble Calculations, on-the-fly guidance, unbeatable strategy, and analyzing each hand on the fly are the features of RTA software, based on the Game Theory Optimal (GTO) strategy.
- Several poker platforms, including GGPoker and PokerStars, have strict policies against using RTA software, with account closure and funds confiscation being the consequences for violating these rules.
