01 Executive summary
A client ↔ server poker-room suite where the server owns every write
kHold'em (by eShark / LiPoker) is a .NET Framework 4.6 Windows tournament-management suite installed at C:\kHoldem. Clients never touch the database — they speak to a WCF/binary-TCP server that is the only sanctioned path to the data.
Bounty / PKO already ships. It is a first-class tournament type — 144 of 403 live tournaments are already knockout events. You configure it, you don't build it. See §7.
The server is the sole DB gateway. Business logic, caching, permissions, and sync bookkeeping all live server-side. When SQL briefly dropped, the server — not the client — threw the error.
Best way to "write" is to drive the server, not the database. Three integration surfaces exist (Addon SDK, client-protocol side-car, local Web/API). See §8.
Secrets are locked to this machine. DB auth is Windows-integrated (no stored password); cloud tokens in
service.json are DPAPI-encrypted and non-portable.145
Tables in
kHoldem DB11
Stored procedures
~110
Cloud-synced tables
144/403
Tournaments already knockout
03 How it's wired
Every client funnels through one core server into one database
kholdem.exe
operator desktop UI
Tablet · clock · display
floor devices
Web viewer
Angular live results
WCF / TCP
2505 · 5856 · 7215
2505 · 5856 · 7215
kHoldemServer
core app server — business logic, caches, sole DB connection
kHoldemWebServer
OWIN + ASP.NET Web API on 5855
Trusted
SSPI
SSPI
SQL Server 2017
instance
.\KHOLDEM · db kHoldemeShark Cloud
multi-venue sync via
kholdemsync (HTTPS)Siblings
kHoldemBackup, kHoldemPrintEngine, and kHoldemPokerLens hang off the same server/DB layer. Every backend service is the same binary — kholdemhost.exe /service <Name> — running as LocalSystem.03 The services
Backend roles & ports
| Service | Role | Ports |
|---|---|---|
| kHoldemServer | Core app server — logic, SQL connection, serves all clients | 250558567215 |
| kHoldemWebServer | Local Web + API (OWIN, Swagger), serves pages & Angular app | 5855 |
| kholdemsync | Cloud sync engine — pushes/pulls to eShark | outbound |
| kHoldemBackup | Scheduled DB backups | — |
| kHoldemPrintEngine | Ticket / receipt / report printing | — |
| kHoldemPokerLens | RFID / card-recognition integration | — |
| MSSQL$KHOLDEM | SQL Server instance | UDP 1434 |
04 Where data lives
System of record
- Engine: Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (
MSSQL14.KHOLDEM), running asNT AUTHORITY\LOCALSERVICE. - Database:
kHoldem— 145 tables, 11 stored procedures. - Auth: Mixed mode enabled, but the app uses Windows integrated (trusted) —
service.jsonhas a Connection block with server + database but no password. - Keys: nearly every table uses an app-generated
uniqueidentifier(GUID) primary key; async_lastupdatedcolumn drives optimistic concurrency. - Collation caveat: columns mix
Latin1_General_CI_AS_KS_WSandSQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS— cross-collation string concatenation throws in ad-hoc SQL.
Domain families: Tournament*, Cash*, Player / PlayerClub / VIP*, Ranking / Season / League, Transaction / Payment / Document, Mail / SMS, Server / Device / Domain, BlackList, Permission / Group / User (RBAC).
02 Physical layout ·
C:\kHoldemWhat sits on disk
| Path | What it is |
|---|---|
| kholdem.exe | Desktop client — WinForms + DevExpress + WebView2. The operator UI. |
| kholdemhost.exe | Service host — one process per backend service. |
| kholdemmedia.exe | Media / clock renderer (tournament clock, displays). |
| Components\ | Application assemblies — LiPoker.*.dll core, DevExpress UI, Twilio, AWS SNS, Chilkat, Google APIs, SignalR, OWIN. |
| Addons\ | Plug-in modules (*.kpl): triton, pslive, barriere, igt, pokerlens, eid, apt, cis, leris, luxon, neon, zino, direpay, ci, spider — evidence of a supported extension mechanism. |
| Web\ | Local web + API host: legacy ASP.NET (LiPokerWS) pages + Web\v2\ compiled Angular SPA (public results / clock viewer). |
| Configuration\syncengine.json | Declarative map of every table that participates in multi-site cloud sync. |
| Database\Release.bak | Shipped baseline DB backup, used to provision the DB on install. |
Runtime state lives outside the install dir in C:\ProgramData\kHoldem\: service.json (connection + cloud identity), version.json, *.lic, Log\, Data\, and server-side addon binaries under Addons\Server\ (Core, Sync, Backup, PokerLens, PrintEngine, Security).
05 Cloud sync & multi-site
Timestamp-based, last-writer-wins delta sync
syncengine.jsondeclares ~110 replicating tables, each with GUID key(s) and UTC-vs-date-only markers (DateTimeMode).Account,Club,Player,TournamentcarryNetworkLastUpload/NetworkLastDownload/LastUpdatedmarkers.
Why it matters
Write to the DB out-of-band and you must respect these markers, or the sync engine will overwrite your change or push a corrupt delta to the cloud. This is the single biggest reason not to bypass the server.
06 Credentials & secrets
What each layer requires
| Target | Credential |
|---|---|
| SQL DB .\KHOLDEM / kHoldem | Windows login on the instance (services run as LocalSystem = sysadmin). No SQL password stored. |
| kHoldemServer WCF | A kHold'em user account + a registered Device. Identity stored in HKCU\SOFTWARE\kHoldem. |
| eShark Cloud sync / licensing | Membership account + DPAPI-encrypted token & AccessToken, licenseId, ServerID. |
| Local Web/API port 5855 | App-level auth — returns HTTP 500 to anonymous probes. |
DPAPI blobs in service.json start with AQAAANCMnd8B… — decryptable only on this machine, by the account that encrypted them. Not portable, not a liftable API key.
07 Poker Bounty / PKO
It already exists — you configure it, not build it
Shipped
kHold'em ships bounty as a first-class tournament type. 144 of 403 live tournaments already have
KnockOut = 1. Real events today include "NLH Big Bounty: $3,000", "Speed Racer – NLH Bounty", and "NLH Mystery Bounty". Standard bounty, Progressive KO, and Mystery Bounty are all modeled end-to-end.Tournament bounty configuration
| Column | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| KnockOut | bit | Is this a bounty/KO tournament |
| KnockOutType | int | 1 = standard, 3 = Mystery Bounty |
| KnockOutAmount | float | Bounty value per player |
| KnockOutProgressive | float | PKO — share rolling onto the eliminator |
| KnockOutProgressiveRoundType | int | Rounding rule for the split |
| KnockOutTax · KnockOutHouse | bit | Tax / house-rake on the bounty portion |
| TotalKnockOut | decimal | Roll-up of bounty money in the pool |
TournamentPlayers per-player accounting
KnockOutCount,KnockOutValue,KnockOutAmountKnockedOutPlayerID,KnockedOutPlayersIDString— who this player eliminatedPayoutKnockOutAmount,PayoutAmount,PayoutAssigned
Bottom line
"Implement PKO" reduces to configure PKO: create a tournament with
KnockOut = 1, set KnockOutType and KnockOutAmount, and a non-zero KnockOutProgressive. The UI, schema, and payout engine are already in place.08 Integration surfaces
Four ways in — ranked by safety and supportability
Drive the server, not the database. The options below run from most-native to actively-discouraged.
AAddon (
✅ Most native
Addon (.kpl) plugin
kHold'em has a first-party plug-in model (triton.kpl, pslive.kpl, direpay.kpl…) with server-side binaries under ProgramData\…\Addons\Server\ and a LiPoker.Modules.Base.API.dll. A .kpl runs inside the server process, so it inherits the sanctioned data layer, sync-safe writes, and event hooks for free.
Cost: needs the eShark Addon SDK / partner docs (not on this box) and likely signing.
B
✅ Recommended
Client-protocol side-car
A standalone service that speaks the same WCF client protocol as kholdem.exe, reusing shipped SDK assemblies (LiPoker.Modules.Base.Client/API.dll, LiPoker.Network.dll). It authenticates as a user + Device and issues the same commands the UI does — every write passes server validation, permissions, and sync bookkeeping.
Cost: you must reflect/obtain the command contracts (e.g.
AdministrationHandler) — feasible but unofficial.C
⚠ Limited
Local Web / API (5855)
kHoldemWebServer self-hosts an ASP.NET Web API (LiPokerWS) with Swagger. Cleanest transport (HTTP/JSON) if the endpoints you need are exposed — but observed surface is live-results / display / cloud-registration oriented and returns 500 to unauthenticated probes.
Cost: enumerate its Swagger doc from an authenticated context before betting on it.
D
❌ Do not
Direct SQL writes
A local process can open a trusted connection and write — but don't, except read-only reporting:
- Server holds in-memory caches — out-of-band writes go stale/incoherent until reload.
- Sync engine overwrites hand-written rows or pushes bad deltas.
- GUID keys, invariants, payout math & permissions are enforced in code — you'll create orphans.
- The one safe direct use is READ — ideally against a restored
Release.bak, not the live DB.
09 Recommended path for a PKO / bounty project
Configure first, automate through the server, never write raw
1
Confirm the built-in engine is insufficient.
Standard bounty, Progressive KO, and Mystery Bounty are already supported end-to-end. For most requirements the deliverable is configuration + a report or skin, not code.
2
If you need automation or external control…
Read side: query a backup/restored copy of the DB (Tournament, TournamentPlayers, payout tables) for dashboards/exports — safe and easy. Write side: implement Option B side-car, or pursue Option A Addon SDK. Never write tournament/player/payout rows straight into the live DB.
3
Engage eShark for the Addon SDK + API docs.
Official contracts turn Options A/B/C from reverse-engineering into a supported build.
10 Quick reference
Everything on one card
InstallC:\kHoldem
State / secretsC:\ProgramData\kHoldem
Logs…\kHoldem\Log
DB connection.\KHOLDEM · kHoldem · SSPI
Server (WCF)TCP 2505 / 5856 / 7215
Local Web + APIHTTP 5855
SQL BrowserUDP 1434
Core assembliesLiPoker.dll · .Network · WS
Extension points.kpl · client SDK · Web API
Bounty / PKOTournament.KnockOut*
Cloud membershipzsop.team@gmail.com
SecretsDPAPI in service.json · *.lic