In our previous article, we discussed home game poker traditions. In today’s edition of Table Talk, we’re talking about shuffling, and namely shufflers at a home game. So shuffling and dealing, for me, was the rite of passage at a poker game when we first started playing. It’s part of the camaraderie of poker night. You shuffle. You deal. You pass it to the next position. And it’s just part of the ebb and flow of the game.
But what if you wanted to have a more controlled and consistent dealing experience? Maybe have more maximize your hands per night? You would maybe be looking at adding an automatic shuffler to your game.
The Kings Court Custom Elite Alpha iShowroom Table features auto shuffler, built-in USB chargers, LEDs, and a beautiful playing surface
You wouldn’t just be maximizing the amount of hands, but you’d also be making sure that the randomizing of the cards is taken care of. Especially if you have an “open” home game and don’t always know the players, it really cuts down on the potential for cheating and things like that. So there’s a lot of benefits to actually having a shuffler at your game.
So what if you’re in this market? What are some of the options out there for shufflers for home games? Well, if you’re looking at an entry level unit there’s a product from a company called Shuffle Tech that costs a few hundred dollars. It’s a nice compact unit that you can either install into your table or just set on top of the table. It’s got a compact footprint, and it does the randomizing, and it does the shuffling quite well for a unit of that price and size. Definitely feels like a nice home product, and it’s great for people who don’t want to necessarily spend the extra zero it costs to get an actual casino-grade unit into their house.
READ MORE: Interview with Shuffle Tech CEO Rick Schultz
Now what if you are in that casino-grade “best of the best” product market? What’s a great shuffler option out there for you? Well if you want to go one hundred percent all the way casino style, you will probably look no further than obtaining a Deck Mate from Shuffle Master. They provide all the poker shufflers in the casinos mostly around the world, and they’re heavily engineered: very heavy, metal shell, top-of-the-line in terms of randomizing, and it is bullet proof for 24/7 action.
If you’re in the market for a Deck Mate, just be advised that those run anywhere from $7,000-$10,000 for a refurbished unit. Most people go the refurbished route. That’s the easiest to get your hands on. If you want a brand new unit, they cost around the price of a nice small car! So most people opt for the refurbished model, but once they’re running they are generally pretty bulletproof, so you don’t have to worry about them.
The Lumen HD Table with LEDs and mounted automatic shuffler
Conclusion
So if you’re in the market for a shuffler, those are basically your options on the market right now. Don’t forget to visit bbopokertables.com. if you’d like to check out our line of shufflers and table mounts for your home game.
How do you guys shuffle during your home game? Do you have any interesting shuffling traditions? I would love to know who’s using shufflers at their home game. You can email me direct at [email protected].
