Card Shuffler Recommendations?

[Hold'me]

I'm in search of a good card shuffler for my home game to speed up the action and such. I've read reviews about the cheap automatic plastic ones (1-4 decks) for $10.00 and frankly they work terribly, if they work at all. Can anyone recommend some good shufflers for a home game? Money is not a concern. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[smoore]

The only good ones are made by a company called shufflemaster (http://shufflemaster.com/). Rumor has it they only lease them to licensed casinos.

[Hold'me]

Any other suggestions please?

[obeythekitten]

nope, which is why the only company that makes them (Shufflemaster as already mentioned) charges something like $10k a year to lease them.

[Iron Butt]

A couple games I've been in tried them. I haven't seen an instance where they're an asset, they're not really any faster once you consider all the mucking around with the machine you do. In fact it was slower. By the time you load the cards into the machine, press the button or w/e, and take them out you could have shuffled at least twice unless you're really bad at it, and you really should shuffle more than once even if you figure the machine does a better job (which I don't necessarily agree with).

That being said, the only shuffler I've seen that looks like a notch above the junk plastic ones is:
http://www.casinosupply.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=10-3002&Category_Code=PCS

You might think about using more decks. Sometimes 2 decks isn't enough in a social game with players of varying skill levels. Using 3 decks really can make a big difference. The man 2 from the button takes the deck last played so as to have it ready when his deal comes and so on.

[BreakEven]

Iron,

I agree. They are actually slower. My brother-in-law got a typical home-use shuffler and a couple of cards always seemed to get stuck or something. Once the novelty wore off (which took about 5 minutes), it was back to the old-fashioned way.

[spicychili]

I have also been through this (wanting to get a shuffler) and not finding one.

Please tell me. How many people out there would like one of these? How much would you be willing to pay?

My engineering buddy and I are in the first stages of maybe buulding and mass producing a consumer level (in table/ or stand alone) card shuffler.

I will keep people informed.

And yes Shuffle master will only work with Casinos. I have had many conversations with them to no avail. Through shuffle master though (just for a price quote) they are 15,000 to buy and 500 a month to lease.

[smoore]

As long as it was either in-table or small, would do two decks like the shufflemaster (put in the old one, take the shuffled one) and under $1k I would at least seriously consider it. I think the best format for home use would be one that was low-profile and easy to slide around the table.

[spicychili]

Thanks smoore. Like I said I am in the early design stage so your comments are useful.

[bolgenmod]

Spicychili:

Just saw your post, and I don't think that you should take the lack of replies as an indication that not many people would buy a card shuffler. If you can make a shuffler that will REALLY work...well, I just want to say that it's not only poker players who would buy a decently priced (let's say around $50-100) shuffler that actually WORKS!! (Sorry for the caps, but, well, the IDEA of a shuffler that REALLY WORKS!!! I'm excited.)

My grandmother was a big gin player (played almost every night with husband and/or friends), and about ten years ago I got her what I thought was a marvelous present: a card shuffler. Wasn't a hundred bucks, but wasn't cheap either (I don't remember the price). She loved it. For the ONE WEEK it worked until it broke. Not that it ever shuffled very well -- it tended to chunk cards at the end. Or get stuck. Or not work for two or three tries.

The point is that although "everyone" these days is playing poker, there are lots of other card players out there: everyone also has a parent or grandparent who plays gin or hearts or bridge. If you could make a decent shuffler for somewhere under $100 (if you're going for the gift market, I'd guess around $75 would be the best price), it'd be huge!

I have no idea whether the actual cost of making a decent shuffler makes a $1000 price tag more realistic, but if you and your friend really can make a stand-alone shuffler that would be more reasonably priced, there's a HUGE market out there. (Have you ever noticed that even 5-10 years ago, every game/gadget/luggage store sold a cheap shuffler? And don't ask me why the luggage store, but it's something I noticed...)

By the way, I remember the Christmas present thread around here -- lots of people got crappy chips and shufflers from relatives who were trying to get them a poker present. Just like me and Grandma. Good luck. And PLEASE make us a shuffler...

[Terry]

The best shuffler is right on the end of your arms ... don’t even need fingers, just thumbs and palms. If you and your players can’t shuffle, invest in The Professional Poker Dealer's Handbook available through this site. It will take some perseverance to learn it from a book, but once you learn to shuffle you will be able to teach others pretty quickly.

The ShuffleMaster machines are expensive and are only leased, not for sale, because they require constant maintenance ... and they are they are the only shuffle machines that even “kind of” work.

[kodonnell]

My criteria for a shuffler which I would purchase for about $50 would be:
1) something which would repeatedly shuffle a deck without reloading it (unlike the "cheapos" you need to load it for every shuffle)
2) able to cut the deck multiple times without reloading it
3) able to perform the feat of randomizing the deck
4) able to work every time without destroying my cards
5) small enough to not be intrusive on my table (I would settle for something 2 decks wide and 2 or three decks tall) The cheap shufflers are just too big.
6) not plugged in...must work by battery, manual or both.
7) able to get me a beer...not necessary, but nice.

Kevin

[msb]

Agree... a shuffler needs to be able to have a deck placed in it (once) and some time later pull the deck out ready to go.

(I don't think you need to have it "cut" the cards... seems pointless, really).

[SamIAm]

The thing is, I can't imagine this device being reliable enough. Let's say you did a GREAT job and it was 99.9% perfect. That means it'll only take (expected) 1000 hands till it chews a card. That's not acceptable, in my book. I certainly don't kill a card every month at our weekly game.

The growing list of requirements, like size, speed, noise, reliability, and effectiveness (randomness) make it pretty clear why they can charge thousands for the good shufflers. I'll be interested to see how this turns out, though.
-Sam

[Accident]

A shuffler for $100 that actually works? No way. I'm thinking along the lines of 2 to 5k. I might drop 2000 for one like the casinos use. My idiot players sometimes sit with a deck in front of them w/out shuffling until its their turn to deal and THEN begin shuffling. If these guys capture the home market they will make a killing.
Sign me up for one.
Accident /images/graemlins/club.gif