Currently Thinkin’bout … ShuffleTech
Don’t ask me why, but I am … some dude (at the Hard Rock, quasi-coincidentally) was talking just the other day about the new ShuffleTech machines — the in-table ShuffleMaster knock-off. I don’t know the details, but apparently ShuffleMaster has quite the grip on the automatic poker-table shuffler market. You’ve probably noticed these popping up (literally) on more and more tables these days, and they are all made by the same company. However, you’re kinda shit-outta-luck if you want one for your home/underground game … you can find the tables with the ShuffleMasters pre-installed, however you are screwed because they have to do the maintenance (or something like that).
Anyhow, that’s the half-story I know about this company that seems to be on the forefront of deeply vested in gambling technology. (One of their other products I just saw at Caesar’s last week was a cardless table-blackjack game featuring a video image of a dealer.)
But now ShuffleTech is in the picture, too — not dealing to casinos, but to home users. While I want to say, “Awesome!” … I gotta say, looking at their shufflers makes me think of the first laptops, when they were the size of suitcases. But still, as archaic as their version (which somehow steers clear of patent protections) seems, I can’t see how these won’t become more and more standard in the future … and once we get some robots that can actually pitch the cards … watch out dealers:
(But for now, could you imagine being deep in the tank when the next deck is being set rumble rumble?)
edbucks says:
September 5th, 2008 at 11:57am
I thought that sound came from Starbucks Ed in the can.
Steve says:
September 5th, 2008 at 2:33pm
My understanding is shufflemaster doesn’t sell these things to casinos… they lease them. So they are all still techincally owned by Shufflemaster. and they have used patent protection to fend off copycats. Genius while it lasted… but I can’t help but think they were too greedy in how they marketed them and I’m glad another company found a way around the patents and will actually sell them.
Johnny Hughes says:
September 5th, 2008 at 4:57pm
O.K., this is actually important. I think I can shuffle track with these, although I have not played with them often. The dealer flashes the bottom card. You assume it stays in the bottom three. The dealer cuts once, near the middle. You count to see if the bottom card is 1. in someone’s hand. 2. a possible board card. 3. out of play. You only have to remember one hand if they use two decks. Since they have these machines, the dealers are more likely to flash. If you are pure as the given snow, disregard this. Good mental exercise. Comes up once or so a year.
DanM says:
September 7th, 2008 at 6:36am
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a flashed card coming out of any autoshufflers. Are you say the card is flashed going in? This seems possible … however, I think ShuffleMaster uses a more complex shuffling algorithm that might prevent this. I could be wrong … haven’t paid attention to the cards going in before … and all the talk I have heard (probably in threee or four different situations) about shuffling algorithms, I’ve found it to be a bit over my head and never really comprehended the details of what people were saying.
In general, I’ve always kinda assumed … yep, they seem pretty random to me.
lee taylor says:
September 8th, 2008 at 8:50am
Hi, have purchased one of the shuffletech machines and dont tell you on website that you have to pay customs charges and vat on them. As i ordered it FOUR months and have just recieved it add an extra £80 on top, got to sell it now because we are moving abroad.
DanM says:
September 8th, 2008 at 2:30pm
yikes, that stinks. but did you like the product? are you sad to give it up or thinking the whole thing was a bust?
Steve says:
September 9th, 2008 at 1:56am
It always sucks when you have to pay money you weren’t expecting… BUT I’m confused why you think Shuffletech should tell YOU about the taxes YOUR country imposes on imports. I would think YOU would be in better shape to know the laws of YOUR country.
DanM says:
September 9th, 2008 at 2:50am
I’m torn on this one … international shipping is always difficult (takes time, costs more money, etc.) … so I wanna say “tough luck,” Mr. Taylor. But that would be so arrogantly American of me … you know, like as if you ain’t on our side of the pond, you don’t matter?
I guess the question then is what was promised?
I know I’ve ordered some stuff domestically that says 4-6 weeks for delivery … lame, sure, but hey, what can you do.
At the same time I’ve also ordered products from various places in the world, and regardless of taxes, duties, and VAT, I still know ultimately how much I’m paying before I click submit/confirm/send/pay, regardless of currency. If taxes were added after the fact, that sucks!
Life would be so much easier if we could just pay for everything with PokerStars dollars.
pdisme says:
September 17th, 2008 at 1:45pm
I’m just glad to know someone received one; I orderd about a month ago and have been told it’s shipping this week for several weeks straight now, been starting to wonder.