The Venetian has adopted slide dealing across its 50-table Las Vegas poker room, becoming the first poker room on the Strip to require the method. The change replaces the customary pitch, in which dealers toss cards toward players, with a technique designed to keep hole cards against the felt.
In slide dealing, the dealer takes the top card, places it face down on the table and pushes it to the player without lifting it. That reduces the opportunity for a camera or a nearby player to glimpse a card face as it moves through the air.
The Venetian evaluated the practice earlier this year, retrained its dealers and let them practise before introducing it on the floor. Tommy LaRosa said the method reduces the possibility of cards being exposed during a deal and adds a further layer of player security. Initial feedback from both dealers and players was positive, according to PokerNews.
The shift reflects heightened concern about technology-assisted cheating. Casino.org reported that French authorities arrested two men in 2024 on suspicion of using miniature cameras concealed in smartphones to film dealt cards at Casino Barrière Enghien-les-Bains near Paris. The live feeds were allegedly transmitted to accomplices, who relayed hole-card information through microscopic earpieces; authorities said the group took several tens of thousands of euros on each night it operated.
South Point, a 30-table room south of the Strip, adopted slide dealing in August, before the Venetian’s change. It was the first Las Vegas poker room to make the transition, but the Venetian is the first Strip property to mandate it.
The format has long been used in some European cardrooms and was standardized on tournament circuits including the European Poker Tour in 2024 and 2025. PokerStars had also paired mandatory slide dealing at EPT events with tighter restrictions on smart glasses and electronic devices.
The move has divided opinion over speed and economics. Critics say sliding cards can reduce hands played per hour, requiring staff retraining and potentially lowering dealer earnings and casino revenue. Matt Savage said some dealers feared precisely that outcome, while some Las Vegas players have also raised concerns about slower games.
Supporters argue that security outweighs those objections. Daniel Negreanu called slide dealing a significant obstacle for would-be cheaters. At South Point, Jason Sanborn said comparisons often pit seasoned pitch dealers against people learning the new method, and predicted that hands per hour could ultimately rise as dealers gain experience. Dominic Seibert countered that cheaters will innovate and that properly trained dealers can already pitch cards low enough to prevent exposure.
The Venetian is due to host the $5,000 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship, beginning Nov. 5.
