Fighting Hidden Cameras and Card Exposure
The main reason for introducing slide dealing is to enhance game protection against modern cheating methods. In classic card tossing, careless throws can lead to card exposure, providing an opportunity for keen opponents or tiny hidden cameras to catch the card's value. With slide dealing, cards remain pressed to the table surface, eliminating the risk of card exposure completely.
Slide dealing isn't entirely new to the poker world. It's been used for a while in many casinos across Europe and Asia, and recently it was implemented at a WPT event in Sydney, Australia.
In October 2026, the prestigious Venetian complex became the first casino on the famous Strip to implement slide dealing across all its 50 tables. Now, this technique is being used for the first time at a WPT tournament on American soil.
Stars Praise the Innovation
The change sparked lively discussions in the poker community, but WPT Executive Director Matt Savage confirmed that professional players highly appreciate this change. While Savage doesn't expect WPT to immediately require the technique for all tournaments, the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) will actively support it.
The change was also publicly supported by Daniel Negreanu, who appreciates that slide dealing makes it significantly harder for cheaters to operate. Several renowned poker pros at the tournament expressed satisfaction, as card dealing was smooth, with no problems reported.
For instance, Justin Saliba noted that there was no slowdown in the game and observed noticeably fewer unintentionally flipped cards during dealing.
The WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship, with a $5,000 buy-in and a $2,000,000 guarantee, runs from November 5 to 10, 2026.
The opening flight Day 1A saw 103 registrations, with 32 players advancing to the second day. Cherish Andrews emerged as the chipleader.
Day 1B brought 161 registrations and saw 57 players advance, with Justin Sternberg becoming the chipleader for Day 1B.
Several star names such as Jesse Lonis, Sam Soverel, Alex Foxen, Darren Elias, and Brock Wilson secured their spots, and we will continue to update you on the tournament's progress.
Sources: WPT, Flickr
