Sooner or later, every player who starts thinking seriously about investing in tools runs into the same question: is poker software even allowed? Will I get banned for running a HUD? Is my tracker putting my account at risk?
Those are fair questions, and the answers vary a lot depending on the tool and the site. The confusion is understandable: every site has its own rules, those rules have changed over the years, and a lot of what you find online is out of date.
This guide breaks down exactly what each major site allows in 2026, what counts as a serious violation, what gets you banned on the spot, and how to play safely without putting your account at risk.
The core distinction: allowed tools vs. prohibited tools
Before going site by site, you need to understand the general principle that separates legitimate tools from problematic ones.
Allowed tools work with information the site makes publicly available or that you build up yourself over time. They organize, display, and analyze that information, but they don’t provide automated real-time assistance that replaces your decisions, and they don’t access data the site hasn’t made available.
Prohibited tools do one or more of the following: access hidden information (like opponents’ hole cards), give automated real-time play recommendations, take actions automatically (bots), or share private data among multiple players for joint gain.
Trackers, HUDs, schedule management tools, and solvers generally fall into the allowed category. Bots, real-time assistance software (RTA – Real Time Assistance), and private data-sharing tools fall into the prohibited category.
Recognizing that distinction is the first step to playing safely. You need to know which side of the line every tool you use falls on.
The types of tools that get you banned
Before getting into specific sites, it’s worth knowing the categories of tools that get you banned on pretty much every reputable site.
- Bots: Programs that play automatically without human input. Instant ban on any legitimate site. Treated as fraud, often with funds confiscated.
- RTA (Real Time Assistance): Tools that suggest specific plays in real time during a hand. Unlike a tracker/HUD (which shows historical stats), RTA processes the exact situation of the current hand and suggests the optimal action. Banned on every reputable site.
- Real-time analysis software hooked into the client: Tools that connect directly to the site’s client to change how it behaves or to access data that isn’t made available. Instant ban.
- Hand datamining: Mass collection of hand histories from tables you’re not playing, to build up data on future opponents. Banned on most sites.
- HUD sharing between players: Multiple users sharing databases to pool stats. Considered “soft collusion” and banned.
- Multi-accounting: Having more than one account on the same site. Ban, often with funds confiscated.
If you don’t use anything in these categories, you’re playing within the rules. If you use any of them, you’re at constant risk no matter which site you play on.
PokerStars: specific rules in 2026
PokerStars keeps clear and relatively permissive rules for legitimate tools.
Allowed in 2026
Licensed trackers (PokerTracker 4, Holdem Manager 3), HUDs set up inside those trackers using your own stats (you only see stats from hands you personally played against that opponent), solvers used away from the tables for study, and schedule management tools like Lobbyze that run outside the client.
Prohibited on PokerStars
Bots, RTA (any kind of real-time assistance during a hand), datamining, HUDs showing stats from hands you didn’t play (“shared database” HUDs were banned in a rules update), and software that modifies the site’s client.
Enforcement program
PokerStars runs an active system for detecting prohibited tools. Bots are flagged through play patterns. RTA is detected through decision analysis. Violations lead to a ban and confiscated funds.
Typical penalties
First RTA or bot violation: instant ban with confiscation. Minor violations (multi-accounting discovered with no apparent bad faith): possibly a second chance with funds kept intact.
For the average grinder running PT4/HM3 with their own HUD and Lobbyze for schedule management, PokerStars is a safe environment in 2026. No real concerns.
GGPoker: the site with the strictest rules
GGPoker changed its policy substantially in 2020 and still runs stricter rules in 2026.
Allowed on GGPoker. GGPoker’s own built-in HUD, trackers for post-session analysis (using exported hand histories), solvers for study, and schedule management tools like Lobbyze.
Prohibited on GGPoker. Third-party HUDs (PT4/HM3 HUDs don’t work during a session), any software that changes how the tables are displayed in real time, datamining, and tools that pool data from multiple players.
Enforcement program. GGPoker runs an active detection system. Third-party HUDs are detected through traffic analysis. Violations lead to a ban.
Options for GG grinders. The built-in HUD covers basic real-time stats (VPIP, PFR, and a few others). For deeper analysis, export your hand histories and import them into PT4/HM3 for post-session review. Schedule management tools like Lobbyze work without restrictions because they run outside the client.
If you play mostly on GGPoker, you have to accept the limitations and work with what the site allows. Trying to get around the rules is an almost guaranteed path to a ban.
WPN/ACR (Americas Cardroom): rules similar to PokerStars
WPN runs a policy similar to PokerStars, with a few specific nuances.
Allowed on WPN. Licensed trackers, HUDs set up with your own stats, solvers for study, and schedule management tools.
Prohibited on WPN. Bots, RTA, software that modifies the client, aggressive datamining, and HUDs with shared databases.
Penalties. Similar to PokerStars: instant ban for serious violations, often with funds confiscated.
For grinders on WPN, the standard stack (PT4/HM3 + HUD + schedule management) runs without issues.
888poker, partypoker, iPoker: traditional policies
These sites follow traditional policies similar to PokerStars.
Allowed. Licensed trackers, HUDs with your own stats, solvers, and schedule management tools.
Prohibited. Bots, RTA, real-time assistance tools, and mass datamining.
Nuances. Each site has its own fine print in its ToS (Terms of Service). partypoker is the big exception in this group: it stopped offering downloadable hand histories and banned third-party HUDs back in 2019. Read each site’s current rules before investing in tools.
Grinders playing these sites with a standard stack are safe in 2026.
Winamax: a European market with its own rules
Winamax operates mainly in regulated European markets (France, Spain, Italy).
Allowed on Winamax. Licensed trackers (with some country-specific restrictions due to European regulation), HUDs with your own stats, and solvers.
Prohibited. Bots, RTA, and automated assistance tools.
Regulatory nuances. Some European countries have regulations that require sites to restrict certain kinds of technical assistance. Check the specific rules for your market before setting up your stack.
For grinders playing Winamax from unregulated markets, the policy is in line with international standards. For regulated markets, check the specifics.
WPT Global and Nexa Poker: stricter policies
WPT Global and Nexa Poker run stricter policies.
Allowed. External post-session analysis tools, schedule management tools that don’t interfere with the client, and solvers for study.
Prohibited. Third-party HUDs during a session, software that modifies the client, RTA, and datamining tools.
Nuances. Nexa Poker specifically bans HUDs, RTA, AI tools, automated notes, screen scraping, and scheduling scripts. Check each site’s specific policies before investing in tools.
Grinders on these sites have to accept limitations similar to GGPoker’s: post-session analysis through trackers and schedule management through external tools, but no real-time HUD while you play.
Gray-area tools: where the rules are ambiguous
Some categories of tools sit in a gray area depending on the site and how the rules are interpreted.
Timing tells. Tools that analyze opponents’ response times to infer hand strength. Some sites treat this as prohibited real-time assistance. Others tolerate it as long as it doesn’t modify the client.
Range displayers. Tools that show precomputed ranges while you play. Same deal as timing tells: a gray area depending on whether it’s considered assistance.
Odds calculators. Real-time pot odds and equity calculators. Treatment varies: some sites tolerate them if they run externally and don’t touch the client, but many major sites now ban anything that runs during a hand, so check the ToS.
Seating scripts. Tools that automatically sit you at specific tables when they open. Banned on most major sites.
Rule of thumb for gray areas: if the tool processes the current hand in real time and gives you any kind of suggestion or analysis, it’s probably a problem. If it only shows historical or statistical data, it’s generally accepted.
How do you stay safe in 2026?
A few principles help you avoid trouble on any site.
Only use licensed tools from established developers. PT4, HM3, GTO Wizard, Lobbyze, and SharkScope are established and well known. Tools from obscure developers promising “revolutionary edges” often violate the ToS.
Read the site’s Terms of Service before installing anything. Five minutes of reading can save you weeks of headaches. Rules change, so it’s worth rereading them from time to time.
Don’t share HUD databases with other players. Not even with friends. It’s considered a “shared database” and violates the ToS of the major sites.
Don’t do aggressive datamining. Collecting hand histories from tables you didn’t play is a violation on most sites.
Don’t experiment with questionable tools. If you’re not sure something is allowed, it probably isn’t. Better to ask the site’s support team first.
Keep a single account per site. Multi-accounting is a universal violation and frequently gets caught.
If a tool promises an edge that seems too good to be true, be suspicious. Legitimate tools offer workflow optimization and better-organized information. Tools that promise dramatic real-time edges usually break the rules.
What should you do if you get a warning or a ban?
If something has gone wrong, a few steps can help.
First warning: Many sites issue a warning before a ban for minor violations. If you get one, immediately check which tools you’re running, remove anything suspicious, and respond to support transparently.
Multi-accounting ban with no bad faith involved: Some cases can be reversed if you show good faith (for example, if your family shares an internet connection and another household member created an account without your knowledge).
Ban for a clear violation: Bots, RTA, mass datamining. Reversals are rare. Take the loss and think hard about what led you to use the tool.
Confiscated funds: For serious violations, sites confiscate account balances. Legal challenges are possible in some cases, but it’s a long process with a lot of uncertainty.
Prevention is always the best strategy. Staying within the rules is dramatically easier than trying to get a ban overturned after the fact.
Conclusion
Poker software is allowed, with conditions. Reputable sites accept legitimate tools that streamline your workflow, organize information, and enable post-session analysis. The same sites ban tools that provide automated real-time assistance, access private data, or modify the client.
For a grinder in 2026 running a standard stack (Lobbyze for schedule management, PT4/HM3 for tracking, GTO Wizard for study, SharkScope for opponent research), you’re completely safe on virtually every site. GGPoker, WPT Global, and Nexa Poker may require specific adjustments, but legitimate alternatives exist.
Don’t risk your poker career trying to game the rules. Allowed tools cover 95% of what you need. Prohibited tools offer the last 5% of edge in exchange for the risk of a ban and confiscated funds. The math doesn’t add up.
