Venetian Becomes First Strip Poker Room to Mandate Slide Dealing
The Venetian in Las Vegas has become the first poker room on the Las Vegas Strip to mandate "slide dealing," a method where dealers push cards face-down across the felt instead of pitching them through the air, according to Casino.org. The change applies across the property's 50-table cardroom.
Why the switch
When a card is tossed through the air in traditional dealing, its face can briefly flash open mid-flight — a split-second window that hidden cameras placed at table height have been used to exploit, capturing a glimpse of a player's hole cards. Sliding cards flat against the felt is meant to close that window almost entirely. Tommy LaRosa, the Venetian's director of poker operations, told PokerNews that slide dealing "reduces the possibility of cards being exposed during the deal," and said the casino began evaluating the technique earlier this year before training dealers and rolling it out room-wide.
The move follows industry-wide concern about increasingly small, concealable camera technology. Casino.org cited a 2024 case in which French authorities arrested two men suspected of using miniature cameras hidden in smartphones to film hole cards at Casino Barrière Enghien-les-Bains near Paris, feeding the footage to accomplices who relayed information back through hidden earpieces — a syndicate authorities said had operated across multiple European venues and taken in tens of thousands of euros a night. No cheating incident has been reported at the Venetian itself; the casino is framing the change as preventive rather than a response to a specific incident on its own floor.
Not the first in Las Vegas — or in poker generally
The Venetian is the first Strip property to require the technique, but off-Strip casino South Point adopted slide dealing earlier, in August. PokerStars has also required slide dealing at its European Poker Tour events, alongside stricter bans on smart glasses and other electronic devices at the table. Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu endorsed the Venetian's move, saying it creates a meaningful barrier for would-be cheaters.
What it means for players
Reaction among Las Vegas players has been mixed. Some worry the slower, deliberate motion could reduce hands dealt per hour compared to a traditional pitch; LaRosa said initial feedback at the Venetian has been largely positive as dealers and players adjust. For now, the change is specific to the Venetian's live cardroom — it doesn't affect online poker security practices, which rely on different safeguards entirely.