Major Poker Sitslots reale Bans Streamer for Using RTA

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WPT Global, one of the biggest poker sites in the world, made it clear that using anything that could be construed as a real-time-assistance (RTA) tool on its platform is unacceptable.

The online poker site received word about a Twitch streamer having some sort of chart visible on screen while playing in a low-stakes game. That led to an immediate ban that was announced on X. But some were critical of the ban given the visible charts were in Excel spreadsheet form.

Irish Poker Player 86'ed

Alan Finn, known as "AlanFPoker" on Twitch, is the recipient of the ban from WPT Global. The Irish poker player streams on Twitch and has 2,700 followers.

Finn, who isn't much of live tournament player with just $3,200 cashes, often multi-tabled low-stakes cash games on WPT Global. Poker pro Patrick Leonard shared a screenshot of what appeared to be multiple potential RTA charts visible on Finn's computer during a Sunday stream.

But there were a few on social media who questioned if Finn had done anything wrong. Both charts (see image above) Finn could view were in Excel spreadsheet form — one titled "Moms Shopping List" and the other "WPT Range" — and not from an app geared towards providing real-time hand assistance. Still, the charts did show some hand range analysis, at the very least.

Rule 9.2 of the WPT Global rulebook states the following:

Players are prohibited from using devices such as robots or any other external player assistance (EPAs) program that distort normal play on the Site and give the player an unfair advantage. Players are required to make their own decisions when playing, without the aid of any information other than that obtained during the Players’ own play.

Finn has since deleted the infamous stream. He has not publicly commented on the ban, but WPT Global's X account called to "keep the game alive" after announcing the ban.

Real-time assistance use has been a hot topic recently, and some poker sites don't seem to care much about combatting cheating. Take, ACR Poker, as the prime example. The illegal US-facing poker site operated by Phil Nagy did fire one of its top ambassadors, Nacho Barbero, months after he was also caught playing online with an RTA chart visible.

But ACR didn't fire Barbero for using an RTA. He was let go because he publicly aired the poker site's apparent lack of interest in preventing cheating. Finn wasn't an ambassador for WPT Global and it's unclear if he gained any edge from the Excel spreadsheet charts, but his case makes it clear that WPT Global will enforce Rule 9.2.