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Real-Time Assistance (RTA) is a topic that is becoming increasingly more discussed within the poker community, and PokerNews is here to give you a brief explainer of what the term poker RTA means, how it works, and how players are supposedly using it at the highest levels of poker to cheat their way to hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars.

PokerStars takes its game integrity seriously, and recently gave insight into how they combat RTA, including how they detect and deter cheaters on its site. PokerStars revealed that its proactive detection rate of RTA usage exceeds 95%.

What Is Real-Time Assistance (RTA)?

In short, anything that assists a poker player in their decision-making while a cash game or tournament is in progress is considered to be providing Real-Time Assistance. In general, there are two types of RTA used to play online poker:

Poker operators are becoming increasingly more adept at detecting RTA clients running on the same computer or laptop as the poker client. For that reason, cheaters may use a computer separate from the one they are playing on to use the RTA program or software.

Whether automatic or manually inputted, using RTA software in this way at online poker rooms is cheating.

How does Real-Time Assistance (RTA) Work?

At the highest end, complex RTA systems help the user play a Game Theory Optimal (GTO) strategy that is mathematically perfect. Solvers, for example, let the user know exactly how much they should bet in a specific scenario or if they should bet at all. Combining a player’s skills with RTA poker software use helps a player gain an edge over their opponents. Even a very small edge in the higher stakes games can be worth tens of thousands of dollars over the course of a year.

“Playing GTO” is not a new concept in the poker community or, indeed, the poker industry. Many high stakes pros use this concept at the tables, but theyve learned how to do this over hundreds of hours of studying away from the table in addition to playing poker at a high level for millions of hands.

It isnt only complex GTO solvers that provide RTA to players. Even having a push/fold chart or preflop charts to hand based on stack sizes prior action of players is considered RTA and, therefore, against the terms and conditions of online poker sites.

Section 4 of the GGPoker terms and conditions is dedicated to the Use of Real-Time Assistance (RTA). Those terms and conditions read:

Those rules apply to the entire GG Network, including Natural8 and OlyBet.

In September 2020, German poker player Fedor Kruse was accused of cheating in high-stakes cash games on the GG Network, with former roommates providing damning evidence.

Kruse was a popular streamer and professional poker player who enjoyed a rapid rise from grinding $0.50/$1 cash games to taking shots in games with blinds as high as $200/$400 in under 12 months. His roommates confronted Kruse about his alleged usage of solvers, and Kruse promised to stop using RTA. However, he allegedly continued to play poker with automatic solver solutions assisting his decision-making.

From the evidence available in the public domain, it appears that Kruse was running his online poker clients and playing cash games on one computer and some RTA software on a second computer and monitor. When faced with a tough spot, Kruse would use RTA on his second machine, which would display the perfect Game Theory Optimal (GTO) bet sizes or play to make.

Kruse was then supposedly able to make the mathematically correct play, which, in the long term, is the play that makes you money. It is cheating and against the terms and conditions of any online poker site.

Read More: Poker and the Law

Can You Get Banned for Real-Time Assistance?

Also in 2020, GGPokerissued bans to 40 accounts for RTA use. Thirteen of those accounts had $1,175,305 confiscated. An additional 40 accounts were issued final warnings about their RTA use, and the fact they were effectively cheating fellow poker players.

The decision to ban and confiscate funds came after the online poker operator claimed to have upgraded detection methods relating to RTA use. Although no names of banned players were released, there were suggestions at the time in various social media posts that some of the games elite players, many of whom adopt a GTO strategy, are among them.

The Muck: Players Upset After GGPoker Categorizes Pros

In recent weeks, many have even pushed for a poker blacklist of banned players to be shared between online poker rooms.

It is strongly advised to only use third-party software when you have finished playing your poker session and with your poker client closed. If youre in doubt as to what is and isnt allowed and when, reach out to your online poker sites customer support team.

Poker RTA FAQs

What does RTA mean in poker?RTA in poker means Real Time Assistance. It refers to complex software that provides solutions to scenarios in real-time while players are playing at the poker tables.

Is RTA allowed on PokerStars?RTA is not allowed at PokerStars. Using an RTA tool while playing at PokerStars will lead to you being banned from the site and possibly having your funds confiscated.

What is a real time solver in poker?A real time solver in the poker sense of the world is software that runs alongside your poker game and offers instant solutions while you are playing poker.

Are poker solvers legal?Online poker sites want their customers to improve their skills, so poker solvers are legal. However, that only remains the case if you use the solvers when you are not playing poker or when you have te poker site open. You can use solvers as much as you like as a study tool when you are not playing.

What is an RTA in poker?An RTA in poker is software that uses computing power to offer mathematical solutions to poker-related problems. It uses data from the poker tables to arrive at the perfect way to play in any given hand.

What is real time assistance?Real Time Assistance is using a program to help your decision-making while you are playing poker online. RTA also extends to preflop charts and push/fold charts.

Does PokerStars allow RTA?PokerStars does not allow any form of RTA while you have the PokerStars client open.

What is the best poker RTA?There are several poker RTA services you can purchase. However, PokerNews is not providing that information because using RTA is akin to cheating.

Can PokerStars detect RTA?Yes, PokerStars can detect RTA usage. The PokerStars game integrity and security teams use state-of-the-art tools among other methods to detect players using RTA.

Is RTA illegal in poker?The use of RTA in poker is against the terms and conditions of every online poker site.

Is Poker Tracker allowed?Poker Tracker is a third-party tracking tool that is allowed by most online poker rooms. Poker Tracker does not offer real time assistance, although it can show a Heads Up Display (HUD), and is primarily used for studying after playing a game.

What poker solvers do pros use?There are several poker solvers that the pros use. These include PioSOlver, Simple Postflop, Monker Solver, and GTO+ Solvers are perfectly legal if you use them to study but are on the list of prohibited software if you use them while playing poker.

How much does a poker solver cost?Poker solvers’ purchase price varies depending on the complexity of the models they use to arrive at their solutions. Some solvers cost as little as $100 but as much as $1,100 or more.

How much is Pio Solver?PioSolver comes with three tiers of software. basic costs $249, Pro costs $475, while Edge commands a $1,100 purchase.

RTA in poker means Real Time Assistance. It refers to complex software that provides solutions to scenarios in real-time while players are playing at the poker tables.

RTA is not allowed at PokerStars. Using an RTA tool while playing at PokerStars will lead to you being banned from the site and possibly having your funds confiscated.

A real time solver in the poker sense of the world is software that runs alongside your poker game and offers instant solutions while you are playing poker.

Online poker sites want their customers to improve their skills, so poker solvers are legal. However, that only remains the case if you use the solvers when you are not playing poker or when you have te poker site open. You can use solvers as much as you like as a study tool when you are not playing.

An RTA in poker is software that uses computing power to offer mathematical solutions to poker-related problems. It uses data from the poker tables to arrive at the perfect way to play in any given hand.

Real Time Assistance is using a program to help your decision-making while you are playing poker online. RTA also extends to preflop charts and push/fold charts.

PokerStars does not allow any form of RTA while you have the PokerStars client open.

There are several poker RTA services you can purchase. However, PokerNews is not providing that information because using RTA is akin to cheating.

Yes, PokerStars can detect RTA usage. The PokerStars game integrity and security teams use state-of-the-art tools among other methods to detect players using RTA.

The use of RTA in poker is against the terms and conditions of every online poker site.

Poker Tracker is a third-party tracking tool that is allowed by most online poker rooms. Poker Tracker does not offer real time assistance, although it can show a Heads Up Display (HUD), and is primarily used for studying after playing a game.

There are several poker solvers that the pros use. These include PioSOlver, Simple Postflop, Monker Solver, and GTO+ Solvers are perfectly legal if you use them to study but are on the list of prohibited software if you use them while playing poker.

Poker solvers’ purchase price varies depending on the complexity of the models they use to arrive at their solutions. Some solvers cost as little as $100 but as much as $1,100 or more.

PioSolver comes with three tiers of software. basic costs $249, Pro costs $475, while Edge commands a $1,100 purchase.

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