GGPoker’s intensified battle against Real Time Assistance (RTA) resulted in 40 accounts being banned from the site, with over $1 million in confiscated funds getting redistributed to thousands of affected players.
The move is in response to a cheating controversy which erupted in mid-September, involving German poker pro Fedor Kruse, who was accused of using real-time solvers while playing cash games online.
Over 4000 Players Compensated
GGPoker seized a total of $1,175,305 from 13 of the 40 banned accounts, while the remaining 27 were able to keep their funds despite being permanently blocked from the site. The confiscated funds were returned to a total of 4,329 affected players, with the reimbursement process reportedly completed last weekend. It was confirmed by a number of players who were able to receive compensation, with some sharing a screenshot of the GGPoker reimbursement email on social media.
The email contains the amount of compensation credited to the affected player’s account, and states that the reimbursement process was in connection to the confiscated funds for breach of provision 4 – Use of Real-Time Assistance. The site also said the funds were distributed to the affected players “as fairly as possible”.
For reasons of confidentiality, the online poker site did not mention in the email the specific game types and stakes affected, as well as the names of the players involved. It also did not disclose how it was able to catch the culprits, as it would allow the cheaters to gain relevant info about the site’s detection methods giving them an idea on how to bypass security checks.
In a recent blog post, GGPoker assured players that its security team continues to implement a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to RTA usage and will consistently adopt cutting edge methods to catch offenders.
While GGPoker also did not go deeper into how the refunds were calculated, there have been reports that some players were compensated with more than $1,500, while others received just $40. Others questioned the site’s reimbursement process, given that some players received compensation that’s significantly less than the sum they lost playing against those who allegedly used real-time solvers.
New Player Reporting System
As part of GGPoker’s upgraded detection process, the site has also launched a new player reporting system that will enable players to report any suspicious behavior and activity while playing.
If you feel something’s not right during gameplay, you can immediately submit a report through the Hand History page, or via GGPoker’s built-in tracking tool Pokercraft. The new feature is aimed at streamlining the reporting process so that offenders are dealt with promptly, and the community gets more involved in identifying potential cheaters.
Kruse, a former Call of Duty streamer, was exposed by his roommates for using a solver during his cash game sessions online. Prior to outing him, the whistleblowers claimed they’d confronted Kruse about his wrongful act but the player continued to use what he called a “dream machine”, which led to him quickly climbing the stakes and winning big in less than a year.
Kruse Had Previous Link To GGPoker Network
The use of real-time solvers in online cash games has been a long-standing problem faced by online poker sites, with a number of players already caught and banned for using the prohibited software.
The issue was recently brought to the fore due to the involvement of Kruse and his alleged connection to the GGPoker Network. Kruse had a previous link to Natural8, one of the skins running under the GGPoker Network, with the player formerly considered as “a friend of Natural8”. Additionally, the German pro’s profile came with a yellow mark, which meant he was a social media influencer.
GGPoker has allayed public concerns that RTA poses a threat to the status quo by saying that RTA is “detectable” and that its security team is fully aware of the various ways that the prohibited tool is being used.