"Battle Against Real-Time Assistance" takes next step for GGPoker network
GGPoker banned 40 players and froze nearly $1.2 million in funds from those players as a result of an investigation into real-time assistance on the network. Those frozen funds have now been redistributed to more than 4,000 affected players, according to a report from Pokerfuse.
Pokerfuse reports that a total of 4,329 players received reimbursement payments, with the $1,175,305 confiscated from banned accounts going back out to those players. Those numbers average out to just under $271.50 paid in compensation to each player.
The payouts weren't evenly distributed, however, with Pokerfuse reporting that some players received as much as $1,500 in reimbursements. Some other payouts were much lower than that.
Scott "Pokerbrahs" Kenyon got a $26.06 payout, according to a tweet from the Amsterdam-based poker player and Twitch streamer.
The screenshot of the communication posted by Kenyon shows GGPoker not providing specifics about how the poker platform arrived at the payout amount.
"We would like to inform you that we have credited your account with $26.06, as part of our compensation process with regards to confiscated funds for the breach of provision '4, Use of Real-Time Assistance' of our Security and Ecology Agreement," states the text in the screenshot of a communication in Kenyon's GGPoker message box. "While we are not at liberty to disclose the specific games and the players involved in this case, please note that we have made every effort to ensure that the funds have been distributed to the effected players as fairly as possible."
"Finally, please rest assured that the offending players have been permanently banned from playing on GGPoker Network."
Fedor Kruse allegations prompt GGPoker's "Battle Against Real-Time Assistance"
A September 30 entry on the GGPoker blog outlines the site's efforts to make things right after RTA cheating allegations on the network came to light.
"Recently, a high-profile RTA case was brought to light," reads the blog post. "We have re-dedicated our efforts to combatting RTA and have swiftly adopted enhanced RTA detection methods and improved our internal processes for handling these cheaters."
"Although there are public concerns that RTA is an imminent threat to the status quo in that it is undetectable, that is patently false. Our Security Team is fully aware of the different ways that RTA is being used, and we want to emphasize that RTA is detectable."
GGPoker doesn't name the specific player referred to in the "high-profile RTA case," but their announcement coincides with allegations against high-stakes player Fedor Kruse that surfaced on the TwoPlusTwo poker forums in mid-September. Kruse was accused by roommates of using an exhaustive database of solved hands to assist with play in real time on GGPoker and other networks.
The GGPoker blog post goes on to outline its security measures in place for protecting players against RTA methods.
"Massive increases in data analysis are a big part of our new process," states the post. "We also want to emphasize another critical factor. Our Team deeply analyzes Poker hands based on our proprietary algorithms with the assistance of some of the brightest Poker minds."
"Their insights and contributions continually improve our algorithms. Through this process, we can quickly establish whether GTO Poker play has occurred. Once we have made this determination, we look at a variety of other factors to determine whether said GTO play involved the use of RTA."
Featured image source: Twitter
