Venetian Begins Dealing Poker Cards by Sliding Them Across the Table

Card dealing practices in American poker rooms are changing. According to reports, the Venetian became the first casino on the Las Vegas Strip to use slide dealing in its poker room. South Point had already taken this step earlier in the city.

Under this method, the dealer takes the top card from the deck, places it face down directly on the table cover, and then slides it toward the player without lifting it off the table. The goal is to keep card values from being seen by others. It also removes the risk created by dealers who toss cards from a height.

According to the article, the main reason is security. Small cameras can be easily concealed, and mobile phones are considered normal at tables. In 2024, French authorities arrested two poker players who allegedly used a small camera to see cards in the deck and cost opponents large sums. Bart Hanson also covered similar claims on his YouTube channel. The allegation is that a person seated in seat 1 or 9 records footage, the recordings are passed to a third person outside the room, and hand values are relayed to players.

The method does not have universal support. Some dealers say that dealing will slow down, which would affect both their own earnings and the casino's revenue. Those on the other side argue that the cheating problem is very small and that changing the whole industry would be an overreaction.