GGPoker Bans PokerTracker, Hold’em Manager and Other Third-Party Tools in Ontario After Hole-Card Hacking Scandal

GGPoker has banned PokerTracker 4, Hold’em Manager 3, Hand2Note and every other third-party poker program from running alongside its software, ending a long-standing allowance that many serious online players relied on. The operator announced the change on Thursday, October 15, in a post that also appears on GGPoker.ca, its Ontario site. For the province’s largest online poker room, it is one of the most significant rule changes since the regulated market opened in 2022.

The ban is a direct response to what players have called the superuser scandal. Over the past three weeks, investigators found that tampered updates to two table-management tools had let an attacker watch high-stakes players’ screens, including their hole cards, in real time.

What Changes for Ontario Players

“Previously, we permitted certain third-party tools that did not affect gameplay,” GGPoker wrote. “However, following the recent incident, we are tightening this policy to better protect our players and reduce the risk of a similar incident.” The operator asks players to fully close any such application before launching the client.

The practical effect is largest for players who track their results or study opponents with a database. GGPoker’s own built-in tools, including Smart HUD and PokerCraft, are not affected, as our GGPoker Ontario review describes. Our guide to HUD and tracking software predates this change and will be updated.

How the Hack Worked

Jurojin, the maker of a widely used table-management suite, confirmed on October 1 that an attacker had swapped its update packages for a select group of users between June 2025 and June 2026, and named IntuitiveTables as a second target, according to P4Poker. The tampered updates installed Mesh Agent, a component of legitimate open-source remote-management software, which is why antivirus programs did not flag it. On an infected machine it gave a live view of the screen, according to Deadspin, which reported that about 30 high-stakes players were affected between March 2024 and June 2026.

Jurojin told users that only a handful of players suffered in-game exposure of their hole cards, Poker Shield reported. The company has also argued that third-party tools should not be treated as the threat in themselves, PokerStrategy noted.

A Canadian at the Centre

Players investigating the breach have linked a Canadian high-stakes player, Paul Gregg, to accounts on GGPoker, CoinPoker and the Winning Poker Network that posted unusual results against compromised opponents. CoinPoker banned an account called “Europe” and redistributed more than US$100,000 to the players it had beaten, according to Deadspin. Mr. Gregg has not been charged, no site has published a finding against him, and he has not responded publicly to the allegations. GGPoker did not name any player in its announcement.

None of the reports reviewed by OntarioPoker.com say the alleged activity took place in Ontario’s ring-fenced player pool. Most of the affected games appear to have been high-stakes cash tables on international sites.

An Industry Moving the Same Way

GGPoker is not alone. The Winning Poker Network has launched its own Screen Shield feature to block screen-capture tools from viewing its tables, PlayUSA reported. GGPoker’s Screen Guard is optional, which PokerStrategy notes lets streamers keep broadcasting while protecting players who are not on camera.

PokerStrategy’s Barry Carter called the ban unfortunate for tools such as PokerTracker 4, which was not compromised, but predicted other operators would follow the market leader. Whether Ontario’s other regulated rooms will do so is not yet known.

What Players Should Do

GGPoker advises players to check their computers for unfamiliar remote-access or screen-sharing software, run a full antivirus scan, keep their operating systems up to date, and enable two-factor authentication, passkeys and a fund password on their accounts. Players on older Windows or Mac systems will need to upgrade to at least Windows 10 or macOS 12 before support ends in 2027. More general advice is in our Ontario poker safety and security guide.

Reporting draws on GGPoker’s announcement of October 15, 2026, published on GGPoker.ca, and on coverage by PokerStrategy, Deadspin, Poker Shield, P4Poker and PlayUSA. The allegations against Paul Gregg have not been tested in any court or regulatory proceeding. The illustration is AI-generated for editorial purposes. Online poker in Ontario is limited to players aged 19 or over who are physically located in the province. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day from ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600.