Microsoft Office and poker don’t mix
Real-time assistance (RTA) software has reared its ugly head once again. This week, WPT Global banned an online poker streamer who, for some reason, had RTA charts on the screen, right there for all his viewers to see.
Alan “AlanFPoker” Finn was doing his normal thing, streaming WPT Global, when two windows appeared at the bottom of the screen, each showing range charts, used to help players make decisions. One was labeled “WPT RANGE v2.0,” while the other was “xMoms Shopping List.” Both were Microsoft Excel files.
WPT Global banned Finn not long after the spreadsheets popped up.
Poker pro Patrick Leonard posted a screenshot of the incident to his X account, but has since taken it down, saying, “I deleted the tweet, no need to destroy him publicly. @wpt_global banned him within 30 minutes, so good job to them. Hopefully he learns from it.”
But was it wrong?
There is some disagreement in the poker community over whether or not Finn deserved a ban. To be clear, range spreadsheets like the ones on his screen are prohibited at WPT Global. According to the site’s rules:
“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.”
The difference between what Finn did and what many other RTA users have done, according to some, is that unless something else was going on that we couldn’t see, static spreadsheets are near the bottom of what would be classified as RTA. There are basically like blackjack strategy cards that many casinos happily hand out and allow people to use at the table (granted, they do this to encourage people to gamble – it’s not an altruistic move).
If all Finn was doing was consulting the spreadsheets, he wasn’t getting real-time, automated assistance from a computer program. He was using notes.
But still, WPT Global’s rule would classify spreadsheets as “information other than that obtained during the Player’s own play.” Some sites do permit players to consult pre-flop range charts, as long as the charts do not automate decision making.
Finn has deleted the video of the stream.
The post WPT Global Bans Poker Streamer for Using Real-Time Assistance appeared first on Poker News Daily.
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