GGPoker drops the hammer on all HUDs after superuser scandal

Alongside CoinPoker and ACR Poker, GGPoker was one of three operators named in the recent superuser scandal. CoinPoker claims to have banned the suspected account a year ago, while ACR Poker responded quickly with the introduction of Screen Shield — a measure to prevent remote screen viewing.

The days of online sites working together to catch and ban cheats, however, still seems to be some way off.

Say goodbye to HUDs

The ban on third-party software is the measure which may cause the most inadvertent splash damage, likely affecting many honest players as well as cheats.

Software such as PokerTracker 4 can be used for bankroll tracking and collating hand histories for study, as well as a HUD that uses collected information on opponents to provide in-game statistical data.

Furthermore, automation software such as AutoHotKey can make life easier for players, particularly multi-tabling grinders, by creating command shortcuts — for example, using the mouse scroll to adjust bet sizes, or useful hotkeys for check/call/fold.

GGPoker previously had exemptions for certain third-party tools such as these, which it determined did not affect gameplay. However, it has claimed that every use of these tools creates ‘another point where your information can be exposed’, and has clamped down heavily.

The updated list of prohibited tools now includes, among others:

• Jurojin Poker
• PokerTracker 4
• Hand2Note
• Holdem Manager 3
• StarsCaption
• DriveHUD 2
• IntuitiveTables
• Lobbyze
• Equilab
• AutoHotkey
• And other software and automation tools

Further banned tools, and more information on GGPoker’s various security measures, can be found in the site’s Security Ecology Policy.

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A new Client Security section

A client update is on the way which will introduce a new ‘Security’ option under the Game Settings tab.

This will offer four features, all optional, which if enabled will run only while the GGPoker software is open.

Expect the new update soon.

Screen Guard works in a similar fashion to ACR Poker’s Screen Shield, preventing remote-access viewing of all tables, specific tables or the entire client. It is still possible to permit specific tables to be viewed, for example allowing a backer to monitor a player in whom they have a stake.

Connection Monitor provides automated alerts for suspicious connections such as remote-control tools.

Process Check then gives you the ability to mark certain apps as exempt from the Connection Monitor alerts.

DNS Check examines your network for any signs that your Domain Name System has been compromised.

Win-Rate anomaly detection

The game integrity monitoring at GGPoker has added a new method to detect suspicious play it is calling ‘WAD’ — Win-Rate Anomaly Detection.

Put simply, this checks for suspiciously good play, using hole card knowledge to search for players whose decision-making is correct at a higher rate than thought possible by honest human players.

GGPoker claims it has tested this new tool against previously confirmed cases and was able to identify them. The site also claims it has existing methods in place to identify real-time assistance, though how WAD might differ from these is unclear.

For obvious reasons, sites’ specific security protocols are rarely explained in detail.

End of legacy support

Older computer operating systems that are no longer serviced with manufacturer security patches can contain vulnerabiliities, and GGPoker will be withdrawing support for many of them from 2027.

These include macOS 11 (Big Sur) and earlier, and Windows 7.8 and 8.1.

Players will need to update to a minimum of Windows 10 or macOS 12 (Monterrey) before support for the older operating systems is halted.

Support for victims and the community

The fifth and final feature revealed in GGPoker’s announcement is the most vague, promising to ‘continue to cooperate with the authorities and the community’. This raises the question whether this is in fact a new feature or a restatement of an existing commitment.

Nevertheless, GGPoker claims it was able to trace the funds involved in the recent superuser case and identify the crypto wallet address used. It has shared this information with Coinbase, where the funds were believed to have been deposited, and asked for the account to be restricted.

Jurojin Poker calls for cooperation

The compromised third-party tools believed to have been used in the recent attacks were IntuitiveTables and Jurojin Poker.

Both products responded quickly to the news with details of how users can check their own machines to ensure they are secure, and promised that any relevant security flaws have since been patched.

In response to GGPoker’s new announcement, Jurojin Poker has criticized the blanket ban on third-party tools as heavy-handed.

The statement reads, in part:

“...there's a difference between addressing security threats and treating an entire ecosystem of third-party software as the threat itself. For years, independent developers have built tools that improve the online poker experience, while players have incorporated those tools into their daily routines. Disrupting all of that through blanket restrictions, regardless of what each tool actually does, is not a security strategy we believe the industry should embrace.”

Jurojin Poker goes on to echo the statements of many players since the recent scandal broke in calling for improving cooperation between operators.

“The answer is cooperation. Clear security standards. Open communication. Shared responsibility. We fully support GGPoker's efforts to protect its players. But protecting players and working with legitimate software developers should not be mutually exclusive. A safer poker ecosystem is built by working together, not by turning its participants against each other. We hope GGPoker reconsiders this approach and opens a constructive dialogue with the developers and players affected by this decision.”

Read the full statement below.

^{Images courtesy of PokerTracker/GGPoker.}