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RTA in Online Poker: The Rise, the Risk, and the Reckoning

When you sit down at an online poker table, you expect to face other players – humans making decisions based on skill, instinct, and maybe a little math. But in 2025, you might also be facing something else: a human running Real-Time Assistance (RTA) software. And that changes the game completely.

What is RTA, and why is it such a big deal? More importantly – should you be worried, tempted, or both?

Let’s break it all down.

First, What Exactly Is Real-Time Assistance in Poker?

RTA refers to any kind of external help you get during a hand that influences your decisions. This could be a chart, a calculator, or full-blown solver software. If it’s telling you what to do in the moment, it’s RTA.

And it’s almost universally banned.

Poker sites draw a hard line: studying before or after a session is fine. But once the cards are dealt, every decision must come from your brain – not a guide, not an app, and definitely not a solver whispering GTO advice in your ear.

Think of it like this: RTA is your virtual co-pilot at the table. Only problem? It’s illegal. And the moment you use it, you’re not just cheating the system – you’re cheating the spirit of the game.

How Does RTA Actually Work?

Some RTA tools are simple. Others are shockingly advanced.

At the low end, you’ve got push/fold charts or preflop hand guides. Nothing fancy – just color-coded ranges that tell you what to do in common spots. But even those are off-limits if you consult them during play.

At the high end, things get wild.

Modern RTA tools can hook into your poker client, read your current hand, and run real-time solver queries. Some use massive pre-solved databases. Others tap into a second “dream machine” PC that crunches Game Theory Optimal (GTO) solutions on the fly. The result? A near-instant recommendation – what to bet, when to fold, how much to raise.

And it’s not just software. “Ghosting” – where a coach or friend helps you play in real time – is also considered RTA. If someone’s in your ear mid-hand, that’s cheating too.

What Are the Most Popular RTA Tools?

Several tools, often legit for training, have become infamous for RTA misuse:

GTO Wizard: Meant for post-game study, but some players use it live to get solver-approved plays. Sites now check for overlapping usage.
PioSOLVER: One of the earliest GTO solvers. Too slow for real-time use on its own – but players store its outputs and use them mid-hand.
PokerSnowie and Supremus: AI-driven poker tools that can simulate decisions and suggest plays. Again – fine for learning, banned for live use.

Even a simple equity calculator becomes RTA if it tells you your odds and you use that info to decide in the moment. Rule of thumb? If it influences your real-time decision, it’s RTA.

How Are Players Using RTA – and Who’s Getting Caught?

Unfortunately, RTA use isn’t limited to shady low-stakes grinders. Some of the biggest names in poker have been accused – or caught – using it.

Fedor Kruse: The “dream machine” scandal. Kruse allegedly used a second PC to feed him solver answers during play. He was banned, and his funds were seized.
Ali Imsirovic & Jake Schindler: Tournament crushers banned from GGPoker under RTA-related accusations. Even PokerGO disinvited them from live events.
Unnamed Accounts: GGPoker banned 40 accounts and seized over $1.1 million in winnings in one wave of RTA enforcement.

Bottom line: this isn’t a hypothetical issue. It’s real, it’s happening, and players – big and small – are paying the price.

How Do Poker Sites Detect RTA?

Detection is a cat-and-mouse game, but the mice are losing.

Play Pattern Analysis: If you always make the perfect GTO move, you’ll get flagged. Sites know how often humans deviate.
Software Monitoring: Some platforms detect other apps running on your system. GGPoker and partypoker are especially aggressive here.
Solver Cross-Referencing: GTO Wizard now logs usage data. If you play a hand at 10:17 and the same spot was solved in Wizard at 10:17… you’ve got a problem.
Interviews & Screen Shares: In extreme cases, sites request player interviews or supervised play sessions to confirm suspicions.

Detection rates? PokerStars claims over 95%. GGPoker’s caught dozens using Wizard in real time. So even if you’re slick, odds are you’ll eventually slip up.

What Happens If You’re Caught?

Simple:

Permanent Ban from the platform
Confiscation of your entire bankroll
Public Shaming in forums, Discord, Reddit, and sometimes the news

You might also be quietly blacklisted from other sites and live events. This happened with Imsirovic and Schindler – top-tier players suddenly ghosted by major tours.

Poker is a small world. Once you’re labeled a cheat, good luck getting staked, coached, or invited anywhere again.

Is It Legal? Technically… Maybe. But That’s Not the Point.

Most RTA use isn’t criminal – it’s a violation of a site’s Terms of Service. You probably won’t go to jail, but you’ll lose your account and your money.

Ethically? It’s simple: it’s cheating.

Poker is about testing your decision-making under pressure. RTA removes that challenge. It’s like running a marathon with a motorbike hidden in your shoes.

Why People Still Risk It (And Why They Shouldn’t)

Let’s be honest. The temptation is real.

A solver tells you what to do. You win more. You feel invincible. What’s not to love?

But here’s the catch:

The edge is short-lived: RTA users get caught sooner and sooner.
The downside is permanent: Reputation ruined, bankroll gone, no more games.
You stop growing as a player: RTA turns you into a button-clicking puppet, not a better thinker.
It hurts the game: The more players cheat, the fewer casuals stick around. And when recreational players quit, the games die.

In other words, RTA doesn’t just wreck your career – it wrecks the ecosystem.

A Safer Way to Win: Use Tools for Study, Not Play

Want the edge RTA offers – without the risk? Here’s how:

Use GTO Wizard, PioSOLVER, etc. off-table to review hands.
Build your own poker cheat sheet – from memory, not your screen.
Drill scenarios using training modes, not live hands.
Talk hands with friends and coaches after sessions, not during.

There’s a fine line between being prepared and being dishonest. Stay on the right side.

Final Word: Poker Is Still Worth Playing – But Keep It Clean

RTA is out there. It’s not going away completely. But if you’re reading this, you’re probably not looking to break the rules – you’re trying to understand them.

And that’s smart.

The best thing you can do as a player? Stay sharp. Stay ethical. Use every tool at your disposal – just not during the hand.

Because when you win honestly, it means something.

And in poker, that feeling’s worth more than any solver-fed EV boost ever could be.