Poker Integrity Council
Mission Statement
The mission of the Poker Integrity Council (PIC) is to protect the integrity of the poker industry by investigating allegations of cheating, conducting fair and independent reviews, and enforcing industry-wide sanctions for the most egregious cheaters.
Process Overview
Mission Statement
The mission of the Poker Integrity Council (PIC) is to protect the integrity of the poker industry by investigating allegations of cheating, conducting fair and independent reviews, and enforcing industry-wide sanctions for the most egregious cheaters.
Process Overview
PIC Allies
To keep the cheaters from prospering in the poker industry, and to deter future cheating, the PIC has formed an alliance with the support of all the major live poker tours. Cheaters that are Industry Blacklisted by the PIC, will be barred from participating in any tournaments and events under the following brands:
PIC Voting Members
PIC Voting Members consist of highly reputable and accomplished representatives of the poker community. Together with Jason Koon, they will weigh in on any cases that come before the PIC Voting Members .
Andrew Lichtenberger (LuckyChewy)
LearnWPT
Fedor Holz
Odin
Seth Davies
Run It Once
Nick Petrangelo
Upswing Poker
Andrew Lichtenberger (LuckyChewy)
LearnWPT
Fedor Holz
Odin
Seth Davies
Run It Once
Nick Petrangelo
Upswing Poker
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the purpose of the PIC?
A: In the past, cheating occurred in poker, with little or no industry-wide consequences. This is bad for the game and continues to impact the poker industry negatively. The PIC was formed to investigate allegations, conduct fair reviews, and issue industry-wide sanctions. This provides a heavy disincentive for players to cheat.
Q: How does the PIC work?
A: PIC Voting Members conduct an independent analysis of the relevant hand histories for any suspected cheating activities. Each PIC Voting Member submits their vote as to whether any cheating has indeed occurred.
Q: Who are the PIC Voting Members?
A: PIC Voting Members consist of representatives from various sectors of the poker industry, such as professional poker players, software-based solvers, web-based solvers, coaching sites, etc. They should be highly reputable, of the highest integrity, and an expert in their field.
Q: What is the scope of analysis of the PIC?
A: PIC will deliberate on cases involving suspected cheating activity such as collusion, RTA, and ghosting at the High–Stakes cash games and High–Roller tournaments.
Q: Does GGPoker not care about RTA and cheating at lower stakes?
A: RTA is most dangerous when in the hands of a high-level player, therefore the type of analysis PIC is conducting is most appropriate for high-stakes. GGPoker has a different and more suitable approach for catching cheaters at lower stakes.
Q: How will cases be selected for the PIC Voting Members to review?
A: Suspected cheaters are flagged via GGPoker’s internal security monitoring systems, as well as player reports. Following an initial review by the GGPoker Security Team, these cases are submitted to the PIC Voting Members for further analysis.
Q: How much user data will PIC Voting Members have access to?
A: For cases that make it to the review phase, the PIC Voting Members will be sent anonymized hand histories for analysis. In order to protect the privacy of our user base, as well as to ensure the neutrality of our Voting Members, the hand histories, player nicknames, table names, card suits, and stakes will be anonymized and encrypted.
Q: What will happen to those who are caught?
A: Cases that go before the PIC have a range of possible outcomes. These are as follows:
- Case Dismissal
- Warning
- Account Suspension
- Permanent Ban from GGPoker
- Permanent Ban from GGPoker and Confiscation of Funds
- Industry Blacklist: excluded from being able to participate in all major live tours.
Q: How is a punishment decided upon?
A: The final verdict is based on the majority vote, and the appropriate penalties are administered, ranging from warnings to Industry Blacklist.
Q: What is the Industry Blacklist?
A: GGPoker and our partners are committed to keeping the game clean. As such, blacklisted users cannot participate in major live poker events, such as WSOP, WPT, Triton, APT, APL, PGT, and more.
Q: Is the Industry Blacklist a lifetime ban?
A: The length of the Industry Blacklists is contingent on the nature of the cheating activity and the number of votes in favor of cheating by the Council Members. In the most severe cases, lifetime bans may be issued.
Q: Following a ruling, how much information will be made public?
A: PIC’s objective is to eradicate cheating in poker, and not to publicly shame or out people. As such, any information relating to cases will only be made available on a need-to-know basis. For example, our PIC Allies will be given information relating to Blacklisted players.
Q: What happens if someone is caught cheating at a live event?
A: If the PIC determines that player with repeated occurrences of cheating at live events is grounds for investigation, they may be subject to review/investigation.
Q: Are there any GDPR or legal issues?
A: GGPoker and the PIC strive to abide by all applicable laws. The same is true with privacy and the GDPR for our EU-based players. To that end, the team has consulted with leading privacy experts to ensure that all implementation of the PIC will be compliant with the GDPR.
Q: Can I apply to be a PIC Voting Member?
A: We are actively seeking to expand our PIC Voting Members for diverse representation and to maintain independence and neutrality. Please get in touch with GGPoker or Jason Koon if you wish to apply to be a PIC Voting Member.
