shuffle machines

[MicroBob]

I have read some of mason's comments of talking dealers going slower and being more error-prone before.
I would think that talking/slower dealers would be especially more annoying at higher limits than measly 4/8 games.

I think mason plays 40/80 (maybe 80/160 too??). I wasn't aware that these were 'time-charge' games too.
man, if i had a slow and talking dealer where we're paying by the hour i would REALLY be pissy.



In Tunica, the Horseshoe has had these machines for some time now. They have pretty fast dealers to begin with.
Played at the Grand last week for a change of pace where they don't have the machines and it was like playing in super slow-motion.
I really noticed the amount of time between hands like I never had before.

I was going to switch to the Horseshoe that night actually. even though the game at the grand was sufficiently fishy I thought the rate of dealt hands was a big enough difference that i should change. It was the weekend so surely the horseshoe games would be fishy too.


But at midnight to start the weekend (late Friday night) I learned that they had a promotion for this month only where they only have max-rake of $2. So since it was the weekend now they were raking half of what they would at the horseshoe.

I stuck it out with the not-so-great dealers but more favorable rake and ended up winning 51BB's in about a 4 or 5 hour session (was running pretty darn well obviously).

[PJS]

I don't mean to hijack the post, but was just wondering what effect the card shuffling machine has on a pro Blackjack player, in terms of counting cards etc.

I am fairly new to the strategy of Blackjack, but took more of an interest after reading Getting the Best of It and Gambling for a Living.

[ayecappy]

i was told that casinos in the us that tried card shufflers for blackjack got a decrease in customers so they dont use them for that game. Here in sweden our four government ran casinos use card shufflers for blackjack and none for poker(now thats awful), we also pay the worlds highest rake for poker, the dealers have little experience with poker and the blackjack rules are also really unfavourable, little offtopic but anyway

[TimsterToo]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't mean to hijack the post, but was just wondering what effect the card shuffling machine has on a pro Blackjack player, in terms of counting cards etc.

I am fairly new to the strategy of Blackjack, but took more of an interest after reading Getting the Best of It and Gambling for a Living.

[/ QUOTE ]

In the Netherlands we have state owned casinos. We had a group of professional Blackjack players who were earning a decent living by playing 5 days a week 8 hours a day. The casino tried to ban them but they sued and won so they had to be admitted again.

Then the casino bought shuffling machines thus taking away the edge they were able to get and it's over for them.

(I have no knowledga AT ALL about Blackjack strategy but the way I understood it is that through counting cards and disciplined play they could make money by doubling up on certain hands in the last deck or two as they had a statistical advantage)