A World Poker Tour event in the United States is using slide dealing for the first time.
The $5,000 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship, which carries a $2 million guarantee and runs from November 5 to 10, has introduced the dealing method at the Venetian. The final table is scheduled to be streamed on PokerGO.
Instead of pitching hole cards around the table, dealers now slide them directly across the felt to each player.
Why Venetian Switched to Slide Dealing
The change is primarily designed to reduce the risk of players seeing cards they should not be able to view.
With traditional pitch dealing, cards are tossed from the dealer toward each seat. If the motion is careless or the card lifts slightly from the table, part of its face can potentially become visible to an observant player.
Slide dealing keeps the cards much closer to the table surface.
By pushing each card across the felt rather than throwing it through the air, the dealer makes it harder for the underside of the card to be exposed during the deal.
The technique is already used in some poker rooms outside the United States, but it remains unusual in Las Vegas.
Venetian Dealers Trained Before the WPT Event
Venetian dealers were instructed last month to stop using the traditional pitch and move to slide dealing.
The poker room became one of the first major venues on the Las Vegas Strip to adopt the method.
South Point had already introduced slide dealing earlier this year, becoming the first poker room in Las Vegas to use it.
With Venetian dealers now trained in the technique, the WPT Venetian Fall Championship has become the first World Poker Tour event held in the United States to use slide dealing.
The Method Has Already Appeared at WPT Events Abroad
Slide dealing is not completely new to the World Poker Tour.
A recent WPT event in Sydney, Australia also used the technique. The dealing process reportedly ran smoothly and did not generate notable complaints from players.
The Venetian event now brings the same approach to a major US WPT tournament for the first time.
Cherish Andrews Leads After Day 1a
The WPT Venetian Fall Championship began on Thursday in Las Vegas.
Day 1a attracted 103 entries, with Cherish Andrews finishing the opening flight as chip leader.
A total of 32 players advanced from Day 1a to Day 2.
Day 1b is scheduled for Friday at 11:15 a.m. local time, while the final starting flight will take place on Saturday.
Alongside the tournament results, the event is also serving as a high-profile test of slide dealing at one of Las Vegas’ major poker venues.
