Recommend an Automatic Card Shuffler?
I hosted my first home game last night. It went pretty well. But I suck at shuffling, and being all-time dealer took up a lot of my mental bandwidth. I'm hoping an automatic shuffling machine can help. I'm looking at Amazon, and there are a bunch that are surprisingly cheap.
Can anyone recommend a high quality automatic card shuffler?
Thanks!
6 Replies
Sadly, everything cheap is really bad, and shuffler's that are actually good are ridic expensive. You can pretty much be sure that if you are paying less than a grand for it, it's trash. The good ones cost like 10k new, though sometimes you can find used ones.
maybe you can offer some of your players to split dealing duties with you?
dealing for several hours straight with no breaks can be mentally taxing even for an experienced dealer
as Garick noted, quality shufflers are expensive - your best bet would be a used Deckmate One which could be had for around $4K if you look hard enough
Consider this. Multiple decks (with different backs, obviously). Have a player shuffle the deck for the next hand. Make it a consistent position. Preferably not the current SB, as they could, theoretically set the deck for themselves.
Will take some of the stress off your joints, which can be significant over a night.
When you push the pot, collect, square, and deliver that hand's deck to the next shuffler, cut and deal the new deck.
In terms of the mental stress, that will come with experience. What seems like a stressful situation now will become second nature in a while.
Shuffle Tech. I have bought 4 over the years. I have found that Bicycle Prestige Plastic Premium Playing Cards work the best.
What we do in home games is every button deals. Keep 2-3 decks in rotation, that way the game won't be held up and the button can start dealing as soon as the previous hand is over. Most people can shuffle properly so if 1 or 2 ppl cant shuffle, its not a problem. Just ask others to shuffle as well.
What we do in home games is every button deals. Keep 2-3 decks in rotation, that way the game won't be held up and the button can start dealing as soon as the previous hand is over. Most people can shuffle properly so if 1 or 2 ppl cant shuffle, its not a problem. Just ask others to shuffle as well.
Same.
Our home games have always been self dealt.
2 decks.
One game shuffles behind. Dealer collects cards, shuffles them and passes to left to get cut for the player 2 to the left to deal. This is the better way.
Other game shuffles ahead. Cards get sent to the player 2 to the left of the player who dealt. They shuffle, get a cut from another player, then deal. Not as good. Less secure.
There are always times where hands go quickly and the next deck isn't ready, or the player responsible for the cards is involved in hand or otherwise distracted.
Everyone can shuffle. Everyone should be able to get a proper shuffle done.
Barring a special circumstance, everyone should shuffle and deal.
Dealing every hand while playing isn't fair to you.
Hosting and having to be 'floor' is also mental drain.
Keep 100% of hosting/floor duties and share the dealer responsibilities.
