GGPoker's ban on third-party poker software takes effect on December 1, 2026, and one group of players looks more exposed than any other: multi-tablers who rely on hotkeys and automation scripts. HUD users lose their trackers, but they at least keep GGPoker's built-in Smart HUD. Hotkey users, by contrast, face a gap for which no replacement has been announced.
This article focuses on that gap. We have already covered the broader ban and how to play GGPoker without a HUD, so here the goal is narrower: what exactly is prohibited, what is still permitted, and how high-volume players should prepare.
How we got here
The ban follows a security scandal in which high-stakes players were allegedly targeted by a "superuser" using covert remote screen access software. According to Poker.org's reporting, IntuitiveTables and Jurojin Poker were the tools believed to have been compromised in the attacks, and VIP-Grinders notes the Mesh Agent malware reached high-stakes players through tampered updates. Both tool makers published guidance on checking machines and said relevant flaws were patched.
On October 15, 2026, GGPoker announced the ban, naming PokerTracker 4, Holdem Manager 3, Hand2Note, Jurojin and StarsCaption, and adding a catch-all for any other third-party poker or automation software. The announced list in Poker.org's account also includes DriveHUD 2, IntuitiveTables, Lobbyze, Equilab and AutoHotkey. A second statement on October 19 fixed the enforcement date at December 1, when active detection starts and an in-client Warning System switches on. GGPoker stated that "the use of all restricted third-party poker tools will be strictly prohibited."
Previously, some tools had been exempt because GGPoker judged they did not affect gameplay. GGPoker now says each use creates "another point where your information can be exposed."
Why hotkeys are the big gap
Poker.org points out the practical consequence: tools like PokerTracker 4 handle bankroll tracking and hand history review, and AutoHotkey helps multi-tablers with bet sizing and hotkeys. Those are not exotic cheating tools for most users; they are ergonomic aids that let a player run many tables without wearing out a mouse hand.
VIP-Grinders reads the catch-all as covering hotkey and automation scripts, and notes that GGPoker has announced no replacement for them. That is an interpretation of the announcement rather than a quoted rule, but AutoHotkey's inclusion on the named list in Poker.org's account makes it a reasonable one. GGPoker has promised some replacement features: table swapping, layout locking and focus management, in a phased rollout starting after October 19, with no feature-by-feature dates. None of those is the same as custom bet-size hotkeys.
What is still allowed
Not everything is banned. According to VIP-Grinders, permitted tools include:
- Smart HUD: GGPoker's built-in overlay, the only stats overlay permitted. It shows VPIP, PFR, 3-bet, c-bet, fold-to-c-bet and showdown stats, but only from hands you have witnessed, so new opponents start at zero.
- PokerCraft: results, session graphs, a hand replayer, opponent notes and hand exports with opponents anonymised.
- Client Security tools: four opt-in features that are active only while the client runs: Screen Guard, Connection Monitor, Process Check and DNS Check. Screen Guard blocks remote viewing of tables, and can exempt specific tables, for example so a backer can watch a staked player.
What is missing is a lifetime opponent database and clarity on whether importing PokerCraft hand exports into a tracker counts as restricted use. Neither statement answers that question.
Who is hit hardest
VIP-Grinders sorts the impact into groups:
- Single-room players who never ran a tracker alongside GGPoker lose little, since no external HUD ever worked there.
- Multi-room grinders who run a tracked room such as PokerStars or ACR beside GGPoker will be restricted. Their options are separate sessions or a second machine.
- Hotkey users face the largest gap, since no replacement has been announced.
If you play 12 or more tables, even a small loss of efficiency per table adds up. The exact impact depends on your setup, and we cannot measure it for you, but the logic is simple: fewer tables at the same speed means fewer hands per hour.
A preparation plan before December 1
Based on VIP-Grinders' guidance, with our own commentary:
- List everything that opens with a session. Know every tool that launches alongside your poker client.
- Decide whether GGPoker runs alone. Either run it by itself, or move the tracked room to a second machine.
- Test the Client Security tools before December, especially Screen Guard if you stream or coach.
- Write opponent notes in PokerCraft. They are the only reads that persist between sessions.
- Cut your table count by roughly a quarter for rooms without a HUD, then test upward. That is VIP-Grinders' suggestion, not a rule.
- Move study away from the table. Review hands and run stats offline on sites where tools are allowed, and use the poker odds calculator and our strategy hub to refine fundamentals.
Without a HUD, fundamentals matter more
When a HUD disappears, observation and ranges matter more. That means leaning on solid ranges, sound sizing and an understanding of pot odds and equity. Our explainers on pot odds and equity are a good refresher, and our guides to bluffing and poker tells cover the live-style reads that become more valuable when you cannot rely on stats.
Unresolved questions
Several points remain open, per VIP-Grinders:
- The penalty after a warning.
- The status of PokerCraft export imports.
- Responses from PokerTracker, Holdem Manager or Hand2Note.
- Dates for the native features.
There is also a developer path. A tool leaves GGPoker's detection list only if its maker removes GG Network compatibility entirely. Jurojin responded on X on October 15, distinguishing "addressing security threats" from treating third-party software as "the threat itself," and criticized the blanket ban as "heavy-handed." Its statement: "The answer is cooperation. Clear security standards."
Other sites and other options
Players who depend on hotkeys and trackers may look at other rooms. Rules differ by site and change often, and we have not verified each room's current policy, so check before you commit. Our poker networks guide and apps page are good starting points. CoinPoker has also moved to ban HUDs, according to our earlier report on its integrated tracking. If you want to compare other rooms, our Americas Cardroom review covers a network that has its own security tools.
Bottom line
GGPoker's ban has a clear security rationale and a messy practical edge. For hotkey users, the edge is a real one, and the announced replacements do not yet fill it. If you multi-table on GGPoker, spend the weeks before December 1 testing your setup without the banned tools, cutting your table count where needed and shifting study off the table. The details of enforcement will become clearer once the Warning System goes live.