Viacheslav

[Viacheslav @Hofrful]

4/4
The reality is that you can be banned just like that. The reality is that no one will help you. The reality is that bureaucracy trumps justice.

If you find this decision unfair, hasty, and believe that GGPoker did not have the right to ban me for life based on the provided grounds, or if you simply empathize with me, then I suggest that you draw the attention of GGPoker and the PIC to this situation again. Let's tag their accounts and write to them. Let's stand up for each other's honor as members of the poker community.

I also suggest launching the hashtag #FreeGodspeedYou so that people remember the names of those who have fallen victim to arbitrary bans. It would mean a lot to me if, at the start of hands at the final table on GGPoker, you send this message in the chat: "#FreeGodspeedYou" to bring attention to my case.

Wishing everyone well.

@GGPoker   @JasonKoon   @CrownUpGuy   @luckychewy

#FreeGodspeedYou

[Viacheslav @Hofrful]

1/2
Hello, many of you may have encountered me at poker tournament tables ranging from $55 to $1050 on Pokerstars under the nickname Hofr, on WPN as ArkaduktusFrRM, on IPoker as Hofr, and on GGPoker as GodspeedYou!. I am a regular in ABI 250 and an active coach in two Russian-speaking teams, with a combined membership of over 150 people (https://t.co/LQRXN3H7M9 and https://t.co/GJUKkKCqRw).

Three months ago, I was banned from GGPoker with the following explanation:

"Hello GodspeedYou!,

This is to inform you that following a thorough review of your account activity, and feedback, we have concluded that you have breached our Security & Policy for the USE OF REMOTE DESKTOP & SCREEN SHARING PROGRAMS and/or USE OF VIRTUAL MACHINES & EMULATORS.

GGPoker Network aims to provide a safe and enjoyable playing environment to our players. The use OF REMOTE DESKTOP & SCREEN SHARING PROGRAMS and/or USE OF VIRTUAL MACHINES & EMULATORS is a significant obstacle to achieving this goal and an indefensible breach of our Security and Ecology Agreement. Please refer to provision 15. and 17. of our Security & Ecology Policy for further details.

As a result, we have closed your account and permanently banned you from GGPoker Network. Please contact your cashier to cash out your remaining balance.

Please note that GGPoker Network refers to all skins on the Network. Should we discover that you have created and/or played on any new or pre-existing accounts on GGPoker Network, we will proceed to permanently close these accounts and confiscate any funds held therein."

Understanding that there must have been some mistake, I promptly assured the security service that I am an honest player, an active coach, and am ready to undergo any verification process. However, their response was curt and seemingly hopeless:

"Hello GodspeedYou!,

As we have mentioned, we have closed your account and permanently banned you from GGPoker Network. And please contact your cashier to cash out your remaining balance. Lastly, we would like to inform you that our decision is final and will not be overturned."

Let's take a closer look at the points referred to by GGPoker's security service.

"15. USE OF REMOTE DESKTOP & SCREEN SHARING PROGRAMS
15.1. GGPoker strictly prohibits the use of any program that enables a user to remotely access others' devices or others to remotely access the user's device in conjunction with the GGPoker client.

15.2. GGPoker strictly prohibits the use of any program that enables a user to share one's own screen with others or others to share their screen with the user in conjunction with the GGPoker client to gain an unfair advantage over their opponents.

15.3. The prohibited programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

TeamViewer
Microsoft Remote Desktop
AnyDesk
LogMeIn
15.4. GGPoker strictly prohibits the use of such programs as they may facilitate additional breaches of our Security & Ecology Policy (SEP), including ghosting, use of RTA, botting, and multi accounting.

15.5. Actions taken for minor breaches: WARNING, TEMPORARY BAN

15.6. Actions taken for repeat/major breaches: PERMANENT BAN, CONFISCATION"

"17. USE OF VIRTUAL MACHINES & EMULATORS
17.1. GGPoker strictly prohibits the use of any virtual machines and Android emulators in conjunction with the GGPoker client.

17.2. The prohibited virtual machine programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

Oracle VM VirtualBox
VMware
Parallels
Microsoft Hyper-V
Nox
Bluestacks
MEmu
17.3. Users must run the GGPoker client in an operating system that is native to the hardware device one is using.

17.4. Actions taken for minor breaches: WARNING, TEMPORARY BAN

17.5. Actions taken for repeat/major breaches: PERMANENT BAN, CONFISCATION"

[Viacheslav @Hofrful]

3/4
We were very hopeful, realizing that we were under the patronage of these big names. "Now they will really get to the bottom of this with the security team!" - we thought. This was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate, not just in words but in actions, all the capabilities these guys have. They are unquestionable professionals with access to all the information the site has on a player. This was supposed to be the decisive all-in, after which it would be determined whether the decision was mistaken or hasty or whether gross violations on our part would be confirmed after analysis by professionals. You can't just take my word that I'm an honest player. Since GGPoker banned me, and I claim it's a mistake, a thorough independent analysis would be fair. GGPoker banned me without confiscating my funds, and I hadn't withdrawn them, hoping for a quick unban. All cheaters, who could be banned at any moment, keep almost 6 figures on their accounts, right? So, the Integrity Team, after determining the severity of my violations, could reclassify my offenses as major and confiscate my funds. In general, GGPoker's policy is quite interesting – they issue a lifetime ban that indicates I'm a dishonest player, but at the same time, they allowed me to withdraw my funds, presumably to keep me from making a big fuss.

In conclusion, it would be fair to see a comprehensive data analysis that either confirms or refutes the inconsistency in decisions, screen captures of the desktop with the presence or absence of prohibited software. Perhaps they would have unearthed hands that don't fit my logic of play, or on the contrary, they could have assured that all my decisions were consistent. Maybe they would have determined that during Discord streams, I made decisions differently than when not streaming. In general, their job should have been to prove our innocence or prevent dishonest players from tarnishing the reputation of GGPoker's security service.

For more information, we attempted to establish personal contact with members of the Integrity Team, and we were thrilled when we managed to get in touch with @LuckyChewy on Discord. Justice was supposed to prevail very soon. After sending a collective appeal that spanned 7 pages to the Poker Integrity Council, we waited for a swift resolution to our problem.

However, reality turned out to be much less straightforward and more disheartening. Despite all our efforts to secure an investigation, our 7-page appeal, and our attempts to reach out to members of the council personally, we received a response... but not from the council members. We wrote to them via email, but it was the GGPoker security team that responded with an unmistakable response about the finality of the decision and a suggestion to withdraw our funds. That was it.

The people who banned me continue to work in their positions, and the PIC members are also carrying on with their work. Nobody seems to care that an unjustified ban could simply destroy someone's career in online MTT because playing high stakes is impossible without GGPoker. The forum thread about our ban on GipsyTeam was the most popular for about a week and caused quite a stir, but not a single ambassador took a stand against GGPoker. Yes, Anatoly Filatov tried to help us, but he didn't take a clear stance against the decision or voice his opinion. It's understandable since risking one's cozy position for the sake of justice is more akin to the plot of a romantic movie. An unjust ban ruined the careers of two guys? Well, anything can happen; what's important is stability and confidence in tomorrow. The fact that this is an extremely negative development that undermines the security of all regulars was simply brushed aside. If today, someone is banned without evidence and nobody stands up for them, tomorrow they could ban someone else, and there will be no one to advocate for them because everyone will be in their own safe spaces.

[Viacheslav @Hofrful]

#FreeGodspeedYou

[Viacheslav @Hofrful]

Hello, many of you may have encountered me at poker tournament tables ranging from $55 to $1050 on Pokerstars under the nickname Hofr, on WPN as ArkaduktusFrRM, on IPoker as Hofr, and on GGPoker as GodspeedYou!. I am a regular in ABI 250 and an active coach in two Russian-speaking teams, with a combined membership of over 150 people (https://t.co/j4pwzJxoY0 and https://t.co/Qc1kiiCqYX).

Three months ago, I was banned from GGPoker with the following explanation:

"Hello GodspeedYou!,

This is to inform you that following a thorough review of your account activity, and feedback, we have concluded that you have breached our Security & Policy for the USE OF REMOTE DESKTOP & SCREEN SHARING PROGRAMS and/or USE OF VIRTUAL MACHINES & EMULATORS.

GGPoker Network aims to provide a safe and enjoyable playing environment to our players. The use OF REMOTE DESKTOP & SCREEN SHARING PROGRAMS and/or USE OF VIRTUAL MACHINES & EMULATORS is a significant obstacle to achieving this goal and an indefensible breach of our Security and Ecology Agreement. Please refer to provision 15. and 17. of our Security & Ecology Policy for further details.

As a result, we have closed your account and permanently banned you from GGPoker Network. Please contact your cashier to cash out your remaining balance.

Please note that GGPoker Network refers to all skins on the Network. Should we discover that you have created and/or played on any new or pre-existing accounts on GGPoker Network, we will proceed to permanently close these accounts and confiscate any funds held therein."

Understanding that there must have been some mistake, I promptly assured the security service that I am an honest player, an active coach, and am ready to undergo any verification process. However, their response was curt and seemingly hopeless:

"Hello GodspeedYou!,

As we have mentioned, we have closed your account and permanently banned you from GGPoker Network. And please contact your cashier to cash out your remaining balance. Lastly, we would like to inform you that our decision is final and will not be overturned."

Let's take a closer look at the points referred to by GGPoker's security service.

"15. USE OF REMOTE DESKTOP & SCREEN SHARING PROGRAMS
15.1. GGPoker strictly prohibits the use of any program that enables a user to remotely access others' devices or others to remotely access the user's device in conjunction with the GGPoker client.

15.2. GGPoker strictly prohibits the use of any program that enables a user to share one's own screen with others or others to share their screen with the user in conjunction with the GGPoker client to gain an unfair advantage over their opponents.

15.3. The prohibited programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

TeamViewer
Microsoft Remote Desktop
AnyDesk
LogMeIn
15.4. GGPoker strictly prohibits the use of such programs as they may facilitate additional breaches of our Security & Ecology Policy (SEP), including ghosting, use of RTA, botting, and multi accounting.

15.5. Actions taken for minor breaches: WARNING, TEMPORARY BAN

15.6. Actions taken for repeat/major breaches: PERMANENT BAN, CONFISCATION"

"17. USE OF VIRTUAL MACHINES & EMULATORS
17.1. GGPoker strictly prohibits the use of any virtual machines and Android emulators in conjunction with the GGPoker client.

17.2. The prohibited virtual machine programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

Oracle VM VirtualBox
VMware
Parallels
Microsoft Hyper-V
Nox
Bluestacks
MEmu
17.3. Users must run the GGPoker client in an operating system that is native to the hardware device one is using.

17.4. Actions taken for minor breaches: WARNING, TEMPORARY BAN

17.5. Actions taken for repeat/major breaches: PERMANENT BAN, CONFISCATION"

Just in case, I'll clarify that I received no warnings, never used remote desktop for gaming, and always played from my PC. The only thing that could have happened is that I might have forgotten to close the "remote desktop" program before a session because I have a server where I use programs like Simple Preflop, Simple Postflop, Simple3way for studying and working on my game. However, over more than 3 years of playing on GGPoker, this could have happened only once, maybe twice, which could simply be attributed to human error. I also admit that I occasionally streamed on Discord for my students and friends, but this practice is not prohibited on other sites, and I simply didn't know it was not allowed on GGPoker. I'm sure that almost all players have streamed tables on GGPoker for their friends; obviously, this is not a violation that should result in an immediate ban.

GGPoker classifies violations as minor and major. Therefore, violations such as using RTA, team play, and using bots should be punished as major violations. These accusations against me are very vague, lack evidence, and according to GGPoker's rules, should clearly be categorized as minor. In my initial communication with you, I provided all the accusations that were made against me, and there was no other letter with clear evidence of my use of, for example, RTA or an analysis of my hands that led to the accusation of ghosting because I streamed my screen.

In addition to me, another player with similar stakes - ShavermaSkrabom GG, WeMetAgain PS, was banned with the same wording. He is also a coach but in a different project - https://t.co/bF65snphiK. Finding ourselves in a similar situation, we hurried to create a thread on the most popular Russian-language poker forum GipsyTeam. This thread was the most popular on the site for a week: https://t.co/lQfUFETCty.

However, time went by, and GGPoker's attention to our issue did not increase. We decided to change our approach and reached out to the GGPoker Integrity Team led by Jason Koon. I first described the situation to him in direct messages on Instagram, but not receiving a response, we contacted the GGPoker Integrity Team by email. According to their statements, they would be able to help us.

@JasonKoon @CrownUpGuy @luckychewy, I couldn't find the accounts of other members of the Integrity Team.

"GGPoker has launched the Poker Integrity Council as it looks to protect the integrity of the game through various investigations.

The council, which will include Jason Koon, Andrew Lictenberge, Fedor Holz, Seth Davies, and Nick Petrangelo, will independently investigate allegations of cheating, conduct fair reviews, and enforce sanctions for suspicious behavior flagged at GGPoker tables."

We were very hopeful, realizing that we were under the patronage of these big names. "Now they will really get to the bottom of this with the security team!" - we thought. This was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate, not just in words but in actions, all the capabilities these guys have. They are unquestionable professionals with access to all the information the site has on a player. This was supposed to be the decisive all-in, after which it would be determined whether the decision was mistaken or hasty or whether gross violations on our part would be confirmed after analysis by professionals. You can't just take my word that I'm an honest player. Since GGPoker banned me, and I claim it's a mistake, a thorough independent analysis would be fair. GGPoker banned me without confiscating my funds, and I hadn't withdrawn them, hoping for a quick unban. All cheaters, who could be banned at any moment, keep almost 6 figures on their accounts, right? So, the Integrity Team, after determining the severity of my violations, could reclassify my offenses as major and confiscate my funds. In general, GGPoker's policy is quite interesting – they issue a lifetime ban that indicates I'm a dishonest player, but at the same time, they allowed me to withdraw my funds, presumably to keep me from making a big fuss.

In conclusion, it would be fair to see a comprehensive data analysis that either confirms or refutes the inconsistency in decisions, screen captures of the desktop with the presence or absence of prohibited software. Perhaps they would have unearthed hands that don't fit my logic of play, or on the contrary, they could have assured that all my decisions were consistent. Maybe they would have determined that during Discord streams, I made decisions differently than when not streaming. In general, their job should have been to prove our innocence or prevent dishonest players from tarnishing the reputation of GGPoker's security service.

For more information, we attempted to establish personal contact with members of the Integrity Team, and we were thrilled when we managed to get in touch with @LuckyChewy on Discord. Justice was supposed to prevail very soon. After sending a collective appeal that spanned 7 pages to the Poker Integrity Council, we waited for a swift resolution to our problem.

However, reality turned out to be much less straightforward and more disheartening. Despite all our efforts to secure an investigation, our 7-page appeal, and our attempts to reach out to members of the council personally, we received a response... but not from the council members. We wrote to them via email, but it was the GGPoker security team that responded with an unmistakable response about the finality of the decision and a suggestion to withdraw our funds. That was it.

The people who banned me continue to work in their positions, and the PIC members are also carrying on with their work. Nobody seems to care that an unjustified ban could simply destroy someone's career in online MTT because playing high stakes is impossible without GGPoker. The forum thread about our ban on GipsyTeam was the most popular for about a week and caused quite a stir, but not a single ambassador took a stand against GGPoker. Yes, Anatoly Filatov tried to help us, but he didn't take a clear stance against the decision or voice his opinion. It's understandable since risking one's cozy position for the sake of justice is more akin to the plot of a romantic movie. An unjust ban ruined the careers of two guys? Well, anything can happen; what's important is stability and confidence in tomorrow. The fact that this is an extremely negative development that undermines the security of all regulars was simply brushed aside. If today, someone is banned without evidence and nobody stands up for them, tomorrow they could ban someone else, and there will be no one to advocate for them because everyone will be in their own safe spaces.

The reality is that you can be banned just like that. The reality is that no one will help you. The reality is that bureaucracy trumps justice.

If you find this decision unfair, hasty, and believe that GGPoker did not have the right to ban me for life based on the provided grounds, or if you simply empathize with me, then I suggest that you draw the attention of GGPoker and the PIC to this situation again. Let's tag their accounts and write to them. Let's stand up for each other's honor as members of the poker community.

I also suggest launching the hashtag #FreeGodspeedYou so that people remember the names of those who have fallen victim to arbitrary bans. It would mean a lot to me if, at the start of hands at the final table on GGPoker, you send this message in the chat: "#FreeGodspeedYou" to bring attention to my case.

Wishing everyone well.

@GGPoker @JasonKoon @CrownUpGuy @luckychewy