Automatic shufflers

[Alobar]

My last trip to my local B&M I was suprised to see that installed on the tables was a device that automatically shuffled the decks. I imagine this prolly isn't new, its just cuz I go to a podunk small indian casino. Are these in use most everywhere? Its definately alot nicer, no more waiting for the dealer to shuffle. How many hands per hour can I figure on now with a device like this, it has to be more than the normal 30/hr. Does anyone not like these things?

[Clarkmeister]

They average about 5 hands/hr more. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on the game texture.

[Tosh]

I had a small crappy shuffler we used for a home game. It was handy but didn't work so well after my flat mate spilt beer on the cards.

[Ed Miller]

They are great, but a lot of the rooms in Vegas don't have the good sense to put them on all the tables. For instance, the Mirage has like three of them out of thirty-something tables.

I guess it must cost a fair bit to wire up the tables or something. Because I know the machines themselves are cheap.

[Clarkmeister]

They just recarpeted and remodelled the whole room earlier in the year when they took the Keno area out. I don't know if they wired the whole room or not at that time, but if they didn't, it would be pretty inexplicable. The cost of wiring the whole room at that time would have been pretty small. But there's the huge chance that they did wire the floor, and are just being stubborn for some unknown reason. Most pokerroom managment is like that.

[Songwind]

There was a discussion about this on LJ a couple of days ago. The concern wasn't really the shufflers themselves so much as the fear that the casinos would use the shufflers as an excuse to hire less competent dealers.

[huxbux]

Not to mention when they go haywire, someone can lose an eye.

[MrPoker]

ShuffleMaster is the company making these machines.

The machines can not be purchased, only leased. The numbers I've heard range up to 600/month, although 450 is what I believe current 'rent' is. Probably varies some on the number of units.

I also know they put them into many casinos on a free trial basis.

Personally, I love the added flops, and the increased speed, even with the barely competent dealers that abound.

The wiring is a pain, and what poker room wants to shut down part of their operation so the foundation can be cut and wiring installed?

Eventually we will be seeing many more of these.

[tech]

[ QUOTE ]
I had a small crappy shuffler we used for a home game. It was handy but didn't work so well after my flat mate spilt beer on the cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ours didn't even make it through one night.

[bicyclekick]

[ QUOTE ]
They are great, but a lot of the rooms in Vegas don't have the good sense to put them on all the tables. For instance, the Mirage has like three of them out of thirty-something tables.

I guess it must cost a fair bit to wire up the tables or something. Because I know the machines themselves are cheap.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've heard they are 1200-1600 per month. I think that's hardly cheap.

[imitation]

5 hands extra per hour ~$3/hand rake, ~$15/hr, say tables are used for 12hrs per day? 12*15*31=$5580 sounds like it pays for itself.

[Ed Miller]

I've heard they are 1200-1600 per month. I think that's hardly cheap.

That is hardly cheap. That's also hardly what they cost.

[Clarkmeister]

Everyone is wrong. They cost $395/month. Fact.

That means they pay for themselves in one full day of operation. Many places simply have management that is very slow to make changes, regardless of how profitable or benefitical they are.

As a comparison, note how many rooms still fail to just swipe players in and out to accumulate comps, even though the technology is virtually cost-free, it helps improve their marketing database, helps them know their customers better, improves relationships between managment and players, and makes players happier that they are being comped fairly.

[Clarkmeister]

Some of the big shufflers in the BJ pit cost even more than 1,600/month. That isn't the case in poker rooms.

[Sponger15SB]

yeah its just to bad that most auto shufflers blow and like 1/3rd of all of them in my card room are usually broken

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
yeah its just to bad that most auto shufflers blow and like 1/3rd of all of them in my card room are usually broken

[/ QUOTE ]

That does blow. The problem most often isn't the shufflers though, it's the cards. Many cardrooms are way too slow to replace old, worn and bent decks, causing problems for the shufflers. At the Mirage for example, where they love to complain about the shufflers breaking, usually it only takes a new setup to cure the problem.

[bicyclekick]

[ QUOTE ]
Everyone is wrong. They cost $395/month. Fact.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess I can't always be right. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
yeah its just to bad that most auto shufflers blow and like 1/3rd of all of them in my card room are usually broken

[/ QUOTE ]

That does blow. The problem most often isn't the shufflers though, it's the cards. Many cardrooms are way too slow to replace old, worn and bent decks, causing problems for the shufflers. At the Mirage for example, where they love to complain about the shufflers breaking, usually it only takes a new setup to cure the problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

well evertime i lose a hand i call for a new setup /images/graemlins/wink.gif so this couldn't be the case

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

What amazed me about the Mirage, is that the floor staff seemed willing to break a table one night at 3 am that had a shuffler, and fill a table without a shuffler.

It was clear even to this newbie, who lost his casino cherry last month at The Mirage, that the shufflers sped up the game and made more rake for the house.

And damn, was the drop box heavy when they pulled it, regardless of shuffler.

[Nightwish]

There may be quite a few players who don't want to play at a table with an automatic shuffler. I'm basing this on the fact that quite a few blackjack players don't like playing with them (and I'm referring to regular automatic shufflers, not continuous shuffling machines) because they "ruin the flow of the game". It's BS, but gamblers are superstitious. Just notice all the idiots asking for a new setup every 5 minutes.

[Analyst]

[ QUOTE ]
It's BS, but gamblers are superstitious. Just notice all the idiots asking for a new setup every 5 minutes.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this, even more than the slightly faster play, is what I like about the auto-shufflers - no more constant cries of "new deck" or "new setup" by the rabbit's-foot crowd.

[SnakeRat]

Why would this slow or stop such crys?

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
Why would this slow or stop such crys?

[/ QUOTE ]

I dunno, but I have noticed this too. Played for 8 hours lastnight at the b&M and not once did someone ask for a new setup. Even the guy who normally wants one every like 2 minutes never asked.

[Analyst]

At the local club, they change setups every two hours at the tables with auto-shufflers. The only cases in which they'll change more frequently are for a damaged deck or when there's a card off the table; player requests aren't granted. Unless, I suppose, the players makes his/her "request" by pitching a card off the table - might work once or twice!

Even though only a few tables at the club have the auto-shufflers, it seems that the level of requests for new deck/setup is dropping. Good stuff!