A wave of controversy swept through the online poker world over the weekend after poker pro Martin Zamani shared a video that appears to show a large-scale bot operation running on Ignition/Bovada. The short clip, posted Saturday night, offers a brief walkthrough of multiple rooms filled with computers and monitors displaying online poker tables, VPN software, and no visible human operators.
Zamani clarified that he neither created the video nor operates the bots shown, but his comments added fuel to the fire. According to him, the issue has been known for some time. “They’ve known about it for ages and done nothing,” Zamani wrote, adding that the operation allegedly involves high-stakes games and represents only part of a much larger setup.
The post quickly went viral, racking up more than 724,000 views and over 150 replies on X. Many responses criticized Ignition and Bovada—both part of the Pai Wang Luo Network—for what users described as a weak stance on game integrity. Others broadened the discussion, questioning the reliability of online poker operators more generally.
Rival Sites Enter the Conversation
While Bovada and Ignition remained silent as of Monday morning, several competing platforms were quick to weigh in publicly, highlighting their own anti-bot measures.
PokerStars USA pointed to its dedicated integrity team, describing a group of 60 specialists that includes former professional players, data scientists, and statistical analysts using proprietary tools to detect collusion, multi-accounting, and prohibited software.
ClubWPT Gold also chimed in with its trademark blunt tone, emphasizing that while it may lean into humor online, protecting players from cheating remains a serious priority.
CoinPoker went a step further, announcing concrete action. The site stated it recently identified and banned 98 bot accounts, redistributing more than $156,000 to affected players. CoinPoker added that it follows a “ban early, ban quickly” philosophy and plans to release a detailed report explaining its findings once all refunds are finalized.
The Ongoing Bot Problem
Bots have long been a concern in online poker, predating recent advances in artificial intelligence. Most reputable operators rely on a combination of automated detection systems and human review teams to flag suspicious behavior, such as abnormal win rates or unusual play patterns.
While some platforms prefer to keep these efforts behind the scenes, others choose transparency to reassure players. For many in the poker community, the current controversy reinforces the importance of choosing sites that openly communicate their commitment to game integrity.
Who Is Martin Zamani?
Zamani himself is a familiar and sometimes polarizing figure in the poker world. Sitting just outside Florida’s all-time top 10 money list, he boasts over $7 million in live tournament earnings. His résumé includes a WSOP bracelet, a Global Poker Index Player of the Month honor, and recent cashes at both WSOP Paradise and the WPT World Championship, including a six-figure score in the WSOP Super Main Event.
Beyond his results, Zamani is no stranger to controversy. In 2022, he drew widespread attention after publishing a lengthy thread accusing high-stakes star Bryn Kenney of ghosting, collusion, and controlling behavior. More recently, Zamani has been involved in heated public disputes, including a confrontation at WSOP Paradise and a highly publicized disagreement with poker streamer Ryan Depaulo.
As the debate around bots continues to intensify, Zamani’s viral post has once again pushed poker’s integrity challenges into the spotlight—leaving players watching closely to see which operators respond with words, and which respond with action.
