Venetian Leads the Strip with Slide Dealing Rollout to Combat Cheating

With South Point already piloting the technique, The Venetian has become the first major Las Vegas Strip poker room to adopt slide dealing—ushering in a new era of game protection.

In a forward-leaning move that could redefine dealing norms in Las Vegas, The Venetian poker room has become the first on the renowned Strip to implement slide dealing across its tables. As of October 2026, dealers are no longer pitching cards through the air—but sliding them face‑down across the felt, limiting potential exposure of a player’s hole cards to other players or hidden cameras.

Why Slide Dealing Matters Now More Than Ever

The push toward slide dealing comes amid escalating concerns over advanced cheating tactics. As Card Player observed, the technique counters a growing wave of cheating scandals, including instances where cellphones or concealed cameras were used to capture card faces mid‑deal. The switch is designed to curb exactly these vulnerabilities. In a piece by PokerNews, Venetian’s Director of Poker Operations, Tommy LaRosa, confirmed slide dealing “reduces the possibility of cards being exposed during the deal and adds another layer of security to the game.”

Behind the Deal: Training, Transition, and Industry Response

Transitioning to slide dealing wasn’t as simple as flipping a switch. Venetian retrained its entire dealing staff on the new method early this year, focusing on seamless integration both for dealers and players, according to PokerNews. “Our dealers received training and had the opportunity to practice the technique before it was introduced on the floor,” LaRosa explained. “The focus was making sure the change was seamless for both our Team Members and our players.”

Player reaction has been mixed but largely positive. Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu chimed in during a PokerNews podcast, noting that slide dealing would “make it much more difficult for cheaters to cheat.” Meanwhile, Card Player relayed that some players praised the move as a cost‑efficient integrity safeguard, even at the expense of possibly slowing the game.

That said, there’s no universal enthusiasm. Some regulars have flagged the new method as potentially cumbersome, with Card Player quoting a player tweeting that the slide shoe “is not good,” and noting dealers were “slow.”

Setting a Trend Across Table Games

The Venetian’s adoption follows South Point’s earlier shift to slide dealing—a smaller but noted poker venue just south of the Strip. Now, the Strip’s largest poker operation is taking the leap, potentially nudging others toward change. As PokerOrg reports, some players believe MGM Resorts properties could soon follow suit, though no announcement has surfaced yet.

Industry voices appear ready for broader adoption. PokerOrg’s consultant Justin Hammer reflected that “if we were starting from scratch and building poker all over again, that’s the method that we would have chosen.” His remark underscores how slide dealing may become the new standard in live poker in America.

Next Moves for The Venetian and the Broader Poker Landscape

Beyond beefing up game protection, The Venetian is hoping slide dealing will become part of the player experience going forward. As LaRosa put it to PokerNews, the goal is to “create an environment where players feel confident in the integrity of the game and fully immersed in the experience every time they take a seat.”

Given its timing, the rollout also coincides with the run‑up to the new season of major events. The room will host the $5,000 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship starting November 5, 2026. With slide dealing in place, organizers and players alike can rest a little easier heading into tournament play.

The Venetian’s move marks more than a new dealing protocol—it’s a signal that Las Vegas poker rooms are taking game integrity seriously, and that the era of high-tech cheating has prompted structural responses. Whether slide dealing will spread across the Strip depends on how smooth the transition proves to be under real‑world pressure and patron scrutiny. But for now, Venetian has raised the bar in protecting the cards—and the players.

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