Learn How PokerBROS is Fighting the Landscape of Online Poker Cheating

A while ago, we wrote about what Game Integrity Bros (GIB) do behind the scenes to keep PokerBROS players safe online. You can find that interview here, and the information is still very relevant – but the online world never sleeps, and the threats to online gaming are constantly changing.
 
So, it was time that we caught up with the team again to find out how things have changed in the last two years – and how they might change again. Here, GIB explains how they continue to keep our games secure.

How common is cheating in online poker?

While there have been instances of cheating in online poker, most players participate fairly and honestly. Players must choose a reputable online poker app that takes game integrity seriously, consistently invests in a safe playing environment, and takes measures to prevent and detect foul play or harmful activity. 

At the end of 2021, GIB reported a proactive detection rate of 97%. What was the rate in 2022?

We are proud to report that we have maintained a consistent proactive detection rate for 2022. It stands solid and stable at 97.5% on average due to the demanding commitment of our passionate team. We are on the right track and able to identify and tackle fraud before much damage is done. A small fraction of suspicious accounts is noticed and reported to us by players, which we are very grateful for.

Do cheaters change their methods over time, and how easy is it to keep up with them?

Fraud detection can be compared to a game of hide and seek — if you hide in evident and straightforward spots, you will find quiddity with minimal effort. Therefore, more professional and coordinated fraud syndicates always try to evolve, improve their stealth, adapt to our existing detection techniques, and use different tactics to remain unnoticed. Our goal is not to fall behind, be intelligent and vigilant, learn from the past, and use modern technology to predict their potential next moves. We aim to find the bad actors as quickly as possible.

To draw another parallel: playing a game of hide and seek against a pro team – which has profound knowledge of the best hiding spots and strategies, has access to secret cameras, drones, GPS tracking, etc. – would most certainly end up being defeated all the time. If you still get caught, even though you have invested much time and resources to go under the radar, consider giving up. And this is our primary objective — to make the life of fraudsters troublesome, send them a unique and strong message that they are not welcome on PokerBROS, and chase them away for good.

What kind of methods of cheating do you most often come across?

Nowadays, the most common poker violation uses Al, automated playing software, and real-time assistance tools. This is a challenge that the entire poker industry is facing and will continue to meet going forward. However, with proper tools and know-how, this problem can be addressed and associated risks mitigated

We also have collusion and team play incidents, which can happen in ring games and tournaments. Still, luckily every hand played is recorded with all actions visible in real-time and retroactively. This allows us to review and analyze all betting patterns and discover players sharing info about their cards and coordinating activities to gain an unfair advantage over others. 

Without giving too much away, can you outline some techniques the GIB team uses to catch cheaters?

We cannot describe our exact methods and techniques for detecting foul play for obvious reasons. We rely much on mighty technology, which tracks player behavior, scans every hand played, and flags suspicious accounts or gameplay based on defined criteria for further examination. The decision, which considers all the evidence found during an investigation, is always made by experienced and qualified Game Integrity Bros Team personnel.

Does Al pose a threat to online poker? And how will it affect GIB?

Al can potentially threaten online poker, as it can analyze vast amounts of data and make quick decisions based on that analysis. Al-powered poker bots can be programmed to play hands of poker with a high degree of accuracy and with optimal strategy, potentially giving them an unfair advantage over most human players.

Some reputable poker platform providers, like PokerBROS, use advanced technology, data analyses, and sophisticated algorithms to identify the use of Al. Such technology is constantly evolving, making bots challenging to go unnoticed. Bots are strictly prohibited, and players caught operating them face severe penalties, including an account ban and confiscation of the account balance.

GIB will follow the trends and developments in the field of bet detection and make necessary adjustments in procedures and tools to keep up in a fight against Al.

What should players do if they see suspicious activity at the tables?

Players who see unusual or suspicious activity should certainly and instantly report it!

While reporting activity that was deemed as suspicious, players should provide as much detail as possible, including the screen names of the players involved, hand ID(s), date and time of the incident and the specific behavior that they observed, and any other relevant information that they can provide.
 
It’s essential for players to be vigilant and to report any suspicious behavior they observe, as this helps to maintain the integrity of the game and prevent further cheating. By working together, poker players and PokerBROS Game Integrity Team can help to ensure a fair and honest gaming environment for everyone.
 
Suspicious incidents should be reported to the owner or the manager of the dub player playing, and then it will be escalated to us, who will conduct a thorough investigation and report back whether incriminating evidence was found or not and, if so, what kind of measures were taken against bad actors.

Start playing on PokerBros with us

PokerBROS is still the most popular and searched poker app, so we always try to get attractive new club options for our players.

Make sure you read our new ClubGG selection of clubs and our previously published article on why PokerBros is one of the best poker sites to play in 2023.

List of our clubs

• P5poker Panam
• Poker Mty
• Cream 2
• 4th st
• ULP RGS
• Cream Polska
• Daily dogfights
• Lucky Stars
• Isolation P0ker
• CREAM FT
• SCA
• La Nueva Era
• Caribe Style
• JustPoker Lounge
• Banger Bros
• Doctor Poker

PokerBROS unions: Union Panamericana, Mexico Union, Paradise, RGS United, Polska unia, Diamond, ENVITE Union, Rec Union, and many more private unions.
The list of clubs changes every few days, please contact us for the latest information about our clubs.