The use of RTA (real-time assistance) has become a growing issue in the online poker industry over the last few years, with platforms banning players who use these software solutions, which give players the best move to make in any situation.
That scenario played out again this week with Word Series of Poker Online suspending the site’s former Michigan player of the year, Kevin ‘GR4ND_THEFT’ Ruscitti, for allegedly using RTA. The news comes after several players expressed suspicions of Ruscitii and ran some of his play through solvers.
“Ever play against ‘GR4ND_THEFT’ on WSOP.com?” fellow Michigan player Mario Arribas noted on Twitter. “The reigning WSOP.com Player of the Year and recent online bracelet winner Kevin Ruscitti’s account was suspended, almost certainly due to his failing numerous GTO Wizard fair play checks. Hope WSOP.com/WSOP/GGPoker does the right thing and issues rebates/ladders to all the players affected, not to mention whatever poor souls came in second in the POY race, bracelet, and ring events he’s won.”
Some of the fair play checks Kevin failed attached here. Also worth noting that Kevin casually admitted that he checked spots on GTO Wiz while playing to a close friend of mine during WSOP in Vegas this past summer. pic.twitter.com/4xgJluB13p
— Mario Arribas (@MarioPartyPoker) October 22, 2024
Arribas released screenshots of solver fair play checks that were used to alert WSOP of the alleged cheating. Ruscitti’s account was then suspended and he took to Facebook to deny the allegations.
“My WSOP account has been temporarily frozen because retired micro stakes grinder Justin Pimpedly accused me of using RTA,” he said. “Not only do I not use GTO Wizard, I don’t even use a HUD (heads-up display) when I play on PokerStars. You don’t need GTO Wizard when you are a wizard.”
“If you know me you know I’ve been stiffed for upwards of $30-40k in home games, now I’m being accused of cheating online, sometimes I feel like it never ends. Like I’ve been playing poker 12 hours a day every day for the past four years and for whatever reason it’s hard for some people to accept the fact that maybe I’m just a good player. I don’t need GTO to win, all I need are my notes and I’ll be crushing. Anyways, once I’m proven innocent I’ll be back.”
Ruscitti has said he is submitting proof that no use of RTA occurred. Some players agreed that the fair play checks weren’t necessarily signs of cheating. Poker pro Matt Berkey noted on Twitter that the shared screenshots “are not consistent with positive hits and shouldn’t be used to publicly persecute someone.”
“The issue here isn’t guilt or innocence, it’s the process by which we go about assigning those labels,” Berkey added. “Two of the three screenshots have zero application to the actual spot posted. If your suspicions of him are proven to be true and his account is banned, then and only then go public with circumstantial evidence. Otherwise, I’d wait to have substantial evidence, such as dozens of checks that actually correlate. As someone who has hastily jumped the gun in the past, I know firsthand how important it is to do this the right way, at least on public forums.”
Some big-name players have been alleged to have used RTA in recent years, including Ali Imsirovic as well as Jake Schindler and Bryn Kenney.
Photo via Ruscitti’s facebook account.