As exclusively reported in a pokerfuse interview and later announced in an official newsletter, PokerStars will be introducing a series of new rules for its live events. These changes aim to improve the player safety and integrity of the game.
There are five new rules that PokerStars highlighted in its newsletter, namely:
- Fixed number of hands per level at final tables
- Slide dealing
- More restrictions for usage of smart devices
- Stricter player seating rules
- Introduction of a shot clock from Level 11 in hyper-turbo events
The announcement created quite a bit of buzz in the poker community, with many players taking it to Twitter/X to share their thoughts. One change in particular caught everyone’s attention, creating quite a bit of back and forth.
Slide Dealing Could Improve Game Integrity
One of the rules PokerStars will be looking to gradually introduce to its live events is slide dealing, i.e., the manner of dealing in which the dealer slides the cards across the felt, making it much harder for would-be cheaters to catch glimpses of the cards, be it with their naked eyes or using some sort of a device.
The popular poker vlogger Andrew Neeme was one of the first to pitch in, referencing a video he posted a couple of years back. The video, which originated from the Gold Coast Casino in Australia, shows the practice of slide dealing in an actual game, and back then, Neeme asked an important question: what’s the downside?
Quite a few of those responding to Andrew’s tweet seemed to share his enthusiasm for this new rule, including Ryan Laplante, emphasizing that even some experienced dealers using the traditional method deal too high up, creating risks for cards to be exposed.
At first glance, the method certainly seems more secure and potentially even faster, so other than it’s something many players aren’t used to, there aren’t any obvious downsides. However, those more familiar with the topic quickly joined the discussion, adding some important information.
Better Maintenance and More Training Required
One of the biggest issues that some are predicting for this method of dealing has to do with felts, and the fact that casinos don’t change them often enough or don’t use speed felts at all.
In addition to this, a few of those commenting mentioned that players tend to bend cards quite a lot when checking their hands, which would make sliding them across the felt much more difficult after a few shuffles.
Then, there is also the issue that many dealers, even some who have been dealing for years, have only been trained to pitch cards. This means that additional training would be required.
In the interview for pokerfuse, the EPT Tournament Director Toby Stone explained that they are already in the process of teaching all of their dealers how to do it correctly, and some of them are already up to speed.
However, if this were to become a widespread practice, it could put many dealers in a rough spot, where they’ll have to do away with something they’ve been accustomed to for years in favor of this new style, and naturally, not everyone is thrilled about the idea.
The Poker World Is Ever Changing
With PokerStars introducing the practice of slide dealing across its live events, it is safe to assume the idea will catch on, and we’ll start seeing it at more venues and tournament series across Europe and beyond.
There are certainly some difficulties that need to be overcome during this process, but if it leads to a safer and more welcoming environment for all players, then it is worth it. Another X commenter summed it up nicely by saying:
Major changes like this one will always create some friction, but if the end goal is positive, which in this case it should be, the community should stand behind it. And if it looks weird (which it does), it’s only because we are used to things being a certain way, but that doesn’t mean that the old way is necessarily better. If slide dealing helps prevent cheating and makes people more comfortable at the tables, that’s what we need to focus on!
