How Do Major Online Poker Sites Handle Cheaters?

Leading poker sites and online poker tool-makers are stepping up to fight a new enemy in different clothing. Cheating has always been a part of games. Whenever there is money to win, there will be people looking for angles and ways to exploit the system for financial gain.

A lot of players have questions about the growing amount of technology in the poker world. It’s not just online either, as several scams appear to have been discovered in live poker over the years too. That being said, everyone is wondering what poker sites will do to keep the games fair and above board. 

Most players don’t cheat and never will, but as a PokerStars official said, “…when you have more than 67 million registered players, with as many as 400,000 playing at a single time, there are going to be some who don’t play fair.”

Let’s talk about how a company called GTO Wizard and a poker site are combating a modern wave of cheaters.

How a Clever Poker Tool is Helping Prevent Cheats

A company named GTO Wizard, which helps players find the most optimal moves, has taken some steps to stop cheaters. 

If a player knows how to use GTO Wizard, they can use it to gain a significant edge against their opponents. This is an oversimplified example, but imagine an open-book test, where you get to fill out the answers to a test with a textbook beside you. 

Using programs to help you play poker is a little bit like that. It’s known as RTA or real-time assistance – and it’s definitely not allowed while you play online poker.

                                                               A snapshot of GTO Wizard 

The company has signed fair play agreements with several large online poker sites and added delays to make it impossible to use alongside a real game of poker. GTO Wizard has also vowed to cooperate and assist with investigations. Pooling information like this could be the key to overpowering cheaters, but at the very least, it’s a step in the right direction.

GTO Wizard also struck up relationships with World Poker Tour Global and committed to keeping online poker fair and secure.

What Are Poker Sites Doing to Stop Cheating?

Major poker sites like PokerStars have a massive chunk of their staff watching over game security and making sure that the online experience stays fair. In fact, one employee mentioned that about 20% of the PokerStars staff protect game integrity.

PokerStars is one of the oldest and biggest online poker sites in the world, which is why it’s nice to hear from staff on the inside. One member of a cheat-prevention team called cheating attempts “rare”. 

                                                                          A look at PokerStars

The most common reports they get are collusion reports, meaning that one player is working with another player at the table. By analyzing the decisions and moves of players, PokerStars can check to see if these allegations have any truth to them.

Of course, PokerStars didn’t get too specific about their methods, but it’s easy to imagine a process of looking for patterns and deviations.

In the past, Stars has reimbursed players when cheating has been proven.