Hidden from screen capture: Americas Cardroom and the Winning Poker Network switch ScreenShield on for every player, and what it changes for streamers and coaching

What changed

The Winning Poker Network (WPN) is the network behind Americas Cardroom, which also trades as ACR Poker. On 4 November 2026 its software update turned ScreenShield on by default for every player across the network. A press release on 5 November says the feature was previously active only for selected players or on request to support.

Before the change, WPN had contacted players whose computers met its detection criteria on 29 September and enabled ScreenShield for them as a precaution, according to the network's statement of 6 October. Any player could ask support to switch it on, which took up to 48 hours. The statement also said a control inside the client was still in development.

What ScreenShield does

The network says ScreenShield keeps the table visible on the player's own monitor while blocking the screen-capture and screen-sharing methods it covers, so protected table information, including hole cards, does not appear in them. Players still see their cards and the game itself does not change. The point of the feature is to make it harder for remote-access or screen-sharing software on a computer to read the table.

WPN is clear about the limits. The feature covers only the capture and sharing methods it supports. In the 5 November release it is described as an additional safeguard and not as a comprehensive defence against cyber threats, and as working alongside the network's security and game integrity measures.

Why now

The move follows the compromise of poker software that we described in our article on the Jurojin case, in which remote-access tools were reportedly delivered with update packages. WPN said its own review found no compromise of its systems, poker software or official downloads, and that remote-access tools have legitimate uses and their presence alone does not show that anyone cheated.

The network also reports reviewing more than two million hands played by players whose devices had a remote-access program called MeshAgent detected, and finding no evidence that any reviewed player used knowledge of hole cards. About 200,000 of those hands belonged to the single account at the centre of the public allegations. WPN says it closed that account separately, on broader information from its investigation and from other operators, and that this was not based on the hand review. These are the network's own statements and we cannot verify them independently. The network's game integrity team is still reviewing player and account activity.

What players who record or stream should check

Because ScreenShield blocks the capture methods it covers, it can interfere with legitimate use. WPN names streaming, recording sessions, making training content and sharing a screen with a coach. The release says players may disable it when necessary. Reports on the October announcement say the switch is on the ScreenShield page in the client settings, but the 5 November release itself does not say where. Check the setting on your first session after the update before a stream or a coaching call.

What may come next

In its October announcement WPN said it was evaluating a broader policy that could prohibit third-party software from running alongside the poker client, and that no final decision had been made. The network also said it had shared implementation information about this kind of protection with other operators. It did not say who those operators are or whether any has adopted it. Online rooms tightening rules on helper software is a trend worth watching, and GGPoker's policy is covered in our earlier article.

What is confirmed and what is not

What this means for a player

If you play on this network, expect screen-capture tools to show a blank or protected table unless you turn the feature off, and check it before you stream, record or review hands with a coach. If you play elsewhere, the lesson applies too: before you share your screen, find out what your room's rules say about it. We study away from the table, which is why our tools never need to touch your poker client.