The Shuffle
“Time To Stretch”
A Break In The Action 
As different as the many wondrous outfits worn by the beautiful cocktail waitresses from casino to casino, there seems to be an equal number of ways to shuffle the cards. Each casino seems to have its own little touch or quirk they use to shuffle them up between shoes. Many casinos are now getting away from manual shuffling and instead, using machines.
The game Blackjack has traditionally used anywhere from one to 8 decks of cards. Usually if more than two decks are used, the casino deals them from a device called a “shoe”. A shoe looks like a large, hollowed out door-stopper, with a weighted roller device that puts constant pressure on the cards. It is very simple and
commonly used throughout the world.
After the cards have been dealt, you sometimes hear things like “Shuffle Check” from the dealer. Usually you will notice the Pit Boss who approves the shuffle pays no attention and tells the dealer, “ok”. The dealer has a player at the table cut the cards with a little plastic card, usually red or yellow. If you are asked to cut the cards, just gently insert the cut card into the newly shuffled deck, but do not shove it all the way in. The dealer still has to move the cards in front of the cut card to the back of the deck to complete the cut. The dealer will then take the cut card and place it into the deck(s), cutting off a number of cards.
The cards are placed in the shoe and usually the first card is buried. I have never been able to figure out how these small-handed girls can lift eight decks of cards off the table with such apparent ease, and place them into the shoe, although we imagine you’d learn awfully quick after picking up 416 cards from the floor. New cards are also very slippery which adds to the adventure.
The dealer will deal out the cards and play until the cut card is reached. This is known as the Shuffle Point, and after this last round, the dealer will re-shuffle the cards once again.
By Hand?
The method of shuffle preferred varies from player to player. Many see the shuffle only as a waste of time, as something that takes from their action. These players like lots of play, and may prefer the continuous shufflers or shuffle machines found in certain casinos.
The manual shuffle takes a tad longer, but allows the players to use skill in something called “Shuffle Tracking”. It is practiced by some players, but McB Duplin places a little weight
into these sorts of things, for we preach disciplined betting, Card Counting and hand accuracy; playing each and every hand correctly. The key is if you are card counting it can help you get a more frequent favorable count.
When the dealer shuffles by hand, he cuts the cards into two piles and “rifles” about one half deck in each hand into one another. This mixes up the cards. Again, each casino does things differently. Some try and shuffle the numbers off the cards while other seem to not care if the cards are shuffled at all. Truly cards never have to be shuffled and with nothing more than a simple cut, they will never duplicate. The reason for this is the cards are played out left to right but picked up as sets starting with the player to the dealer’s right. Every single hit, Stand, Double, Split, hand added or removed, bust (where cards are immediately picked up), Blackjack (where cards are immediately picked up) as well as things like burning a card after the change of a dealer, all mix up the cards. All that is truly required is a cut, and all this means is a casino would never again have to shuffle the cards and the cards (meaning the specific order they were in the last shoe) would never repeat themselves. When the numbers did wear off, they could be replaced with new cards.
If the casino does not deal by hand, they are having a machine deal for them. The reason this is done is to minimize the down time (when the cards are not being dealt.) Usually they have two different colored decks in play and are dealing one while the other is being shuffled. This works fine and is a great alternative for those who like a fast game (most hands per hour they can get).
Finally they have continuous machines which now shuffle the cards. McB Duplin asks players to
avoid these machines and the casinos which use them. We are believers in card counting and these machines do not allow players to card count. Use your own common sense. When cards are being dealt from a machine you can’t see the cards. We live in a technological age where anything is possible. These machines are reputable, otherwise they would not be approved for use, but casinos have been caught before for things like taking aces out of the deck. If you can never see more than 30 cards at a time, and you’re comfortable with that, by all means be your own person. We want players to be their own person and stand up for what they feel is right. It is your money which that casino wants, so voice your opinion whenever you feel it is the right thing to do.
