I need to share my story because if you play on WPT Global, you are almost certainly playing against bots.
I initially loved the platform apart from the horrible software like everyone else. The 5/10/20 CNY tables were great, and the lack of HUDs felt like a return to purer poker. But I soon realized alot of brand new accounts where playing next to identical noticed multiple accounts with same stats same person in profile picture etc.
Accounts playing for 12-48 hours straight without a break. Some even played 24 hours after my report.
Multiple accounts with identical stats, betting patterns, and even the same profile pictures.
Suspiciously new accounts playing with nearly identical strategies.
All buying in with 100bbs only rebuying when busting and running it up to sometime over 1000bbs
Over three months, I became a one-man security team, documenting and reporting over 130 bots. After countless emails, WPT Global finally confirmed that a a lot of these accounts were banned and their funds confiscated. I thought my efforts would be rewarded and my losses reimbursed. I was wrong.
Each of the reported accounts showed similar stats in WPT Global's simple HUD (28% VPIP + ~20% PFR), though there were some exceptions.(28% VPIP + 22% PFR)(28% VPIP + 20% PFR)(28% VPIP + 20% PFR)
Here’s what I got for my time, effort, and the money I lost:
A "reward" of roughly $3.85 per bot I reported.
A reimbursement of only $100 towards the thousands of dollars I personally lost to these confirmed cheaters. One pot I lost to one of these accounts was over $700.
They refuse to tell me how many of my reports led to bans or how much was confiscated. Or how much I have lost to these banned accounts. I can't give a exact number on how much I lost my self due to having 0 access to any hand history's but it's at least in the 1000's.
Other information:
They state that they have the safest games anywhere online but hide everything from the players:
They also do interviews talking about AI detection but I have seen 0 improvement sense I reported my first bot 7 months ago.
They also pretty much told me their AI system would have caught them anyway.
The Source of the Problem
WPT Global's player pool is shared with Chinese apps like WePoker and PokerKing. These apps are notorious for having little to no real KYC(they only require verification after making $5000), making them a perfect entry point for bot farms. They also allow HUDs, giving those players an unfair advantage.
WPT Global claims to have a "dedicated Bot Operations team" and "automated algorithms", but I was catching bots that their systems clearly missed. Some bots I reported continued to play for over 24 hours after I flagged them, earning an estimated $1,650 USD in that timeframe from legitimate players.
WPT Global makes it nearly impossible for the average player to spot this. They restrict your ability to spectate tables and offer no hand histories, forcing you to rely on their security. From my experience is untrust worthy
I have every email and every screenshot. This isn't just a bad beat story; this is about a platform that I believe is failing to protect its players.
Summary:
I identified and reported over 130 bots on WPT Global.
WPT confirmed and banned many of them.
I lost thousands but was only reimbursed $100 and given a tiny "reward" for doing their security team's job.
The bot problem appears to be fueled by their partnership with Chinese poker apps.
The platform's features actively hinder players from policing the games themselves.
If you play on WPT Global, you are at risk. Please, be careful. I tried my absolute hardest to settle this privately but them not responding to emails or anything made this next to impossible. They didn't respond to anything since the email stating that they banned the accounts and compensated me. All emails shared below if you want to look into them.
(Editor's Note: The author posted a Google Drive on the Reddit post link with emails and screenshots of reported bot accounts)
The author was showered with rave reviews, thanks, and assurances that WPT should offer him a job in the comments. The official representative of the room also appeared in the thread:
– Hi everyone, firstly, let's be clear that WPT Global takes game integrity extremely seriously. Like all major poker sites, it’s a constant battle to stay ahead of bots and bad actors, but we’re proud of the resources we dedicate to protecting the ecosystem and giving players the fairest experience possible.
Regarding OP’s situation, the compensation they received was related to a known influencer account that was banned for violating our Terms of Service. That amount reflects OP’s losses incurred against the banned account. It was not related to any confirmed bot ring.
The bot report OP submitted is still under active investigation. We actually issued OP a substantial whistleblower reward just for reporting the issue (no other site does that). Refunds from confirmed bot accounts will be processed as soon as the security investigation is complete.
We appreciate all reports from our players, no matter how much evidence is attached, and we will always treat them with the diligence they deserve and follow up thoroughly. You can reach our security team any time at security@wptglobal.com.
The original poster (Ok_Photograph7613) responded to WPT Global's comment, but at the time of this article's publishing, no further replies came from the room's representative.
– Thanks for responding. The reason I made this public is because your security team did not respond to my emails from February 1st and April 12th seeking an update on my case, I even contacted discord support they couldn't give much help, A months-long silence isn't diligence.
Your reply brings up several confusing points that don't align with my experience.
This is the first I'm hearing of an "Influencer Account." Are you suggesting the $100 reimbursement was for a separate account, and not for any of the thousands of dollars I personally lost to the 130+ bots I documented in the ring you later confirmed were banned?
Calling the reward "substantial" also feels disingenuous, as the months of work I put in came out to roughly $3.85 per bot.
My main concern has always been this massive bot problem that your systems are clearly not catching, especially since I have proof that some of the bots I reported continued to play and win for over 12 hours straight after I flagged them.
While I understand an investigation takes time, ghosting my emails without providing even basic reassurance is unacceptable. I look forward to a more transparent and satisfactory resolution, and would appreciate an estimated timeframe.
Alex Scott, the previous President of WPT Global, had spoken briefly about RTA and bots with Daniel Cates. In the interview, he called it an "arms race" but made it clear that the platform had plans to combat cheating. After 3 years, he parted ways with the WPT Global brand, citing "investors now pivoting to focus on the Asian markets" as the driving factor.
The President of WPT Global talked about creating a sustainable (and active) poker ecosystem with AI, maintaining game integrity, and of course, combatting RTA.
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