Blackjack CSM
Image source: Johnny Blood / CC BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons
Since they’re a relatively recent introduction, many casino customers feel as though the machines are responsible for somehow rigging the games in order to provide the casino and the online jackpot sites with a much higher house edge. This is a simple misunderstanding of what the blackjack CMS can and cannot do.
What Is a Blackjack CSM?
Essentially it’s a machine, with an open-top into which the blackjack dealer can insert decks of cards. Inside there are a number of slots that serve as cardholders. The machine shoots random cards into these slots. Once done, then the CSM bundles the playing cards together and presents them to the dealer out the top. The dealer simply reaches over and grabs this newly shuffled deck and can continue the game. This means that there’s no need to stop the gameplay in order for the dealer to shuffle a shoe (a couple of decks together).
As the game proceeds, he is constantly feeding the CSM with cards thus enabling the game to proceed without stoppage. It leads to smoother gameplay and without any breaks.
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Why Casinos Love Continuous Shuffling Machines
Today, you’re going to be finding more and more CSM’s throughout casinos wherever you go. These are the main reasons why casinos love their CSM’s:
Faster Games
Before the advent of these devices, the dealer would have needed to periodically stop play in order to shuffle the cards. They would normally do this after around 60% – 75% of the cards being dealt. These stoppages could last for a couple of minutes. That’s because the dealer must separate the cards into a few piles and then shuffle each one in turn. Of course, all casino games with cards will need for them to be shuffled correctly. But on the other hand, this action was costing the casinos money in lost revenue. because the casino holds a house edge over the player, then the more it can get the player to play, the greater the profit for the establishment. A CSM allows the casino to deal around 20% more hands per hour.
More Profits
There are a number of different factors that can affect the profit the casino stands to make thanks to these new machines. Obviously the number of players sat at the table is one. Another is the speed of the dealer. At the end of the day, the casino wants as many players as possible sat around the gaming table. With a CSM, the profits go up considerably.
Here’s an example:
Table without a Blackjack CSM:
3 people are playing.
80 hands are dealt per hour.
The average bet size is $25.
80 x 3 x 25 = $6,000 in betting action
The house edge is 1.5%.
6,000 x 0.015 = $90 in winnings for the house
Table with a Blackjack CSM:
3 people are playing.
100 hands are dealt per hour.
The average bet size is $25.
100 x 3 x 25 = $7,500 in betting action
The house edge is 1.5%.
7,500 x 0.015 = $112.50 in winnings for the house
Blackjack CSM: Stops Card Counters
It’s a no-brainer that casinos have an aversion towards card counters. That’s because a skilled counter can play a strategic game and end up winning guaranteed profits. back in the day, a serious card counter could put a considerable dent in a casino’s profits. But with the advent of blackjack CSM’s, those days are now a thing of the past and only appear in movies. A card counter needs what’s called “deck penetration” in order to spin a profit. A positive count is going to be much more accurate if only, say, 75% of the shoe has been dealt, as opposed to just 25%.
So an advantage player is always on the lookout for a table where at least 75% of the deck is dealt before the dealer shuffles. But with a blackjack CSM, the dealer doesn’t need to stop to shuffle. Instead, they are constantly grabbing a pile of cards and tossing them into the machine. Because of this, there’s no adequate deck penetration.
Common Misconceptions about Blackjack CSM’s
As you can well imagine, any casino would have a CSM on every table. In many places, they do this. But there is still casino that shies away from completely doing away with the old fashioned dealer shuffle. This is because a CSM will put off some players. These customers will refuse to sit at a table with a CSM, more often than not, because they have a preconceived idea about the purpose of these devices. Let’s have a look at some of these well known but false rumors:
Raises House Edge
It’s true that playing at a table with a CSM is going to lose you more money than playing at a table without one. But this doesn’t mean that the house edge has been raised. As a matter of fact, the CSM actually lowers the house edge to 0.014%. So if you’re a recreational player, you have a slightly better chance with a CSM. The reason for losing ore is simply that you’re playing more hands thanks to the speed of the machines.
Rigs Games for Casinos
We totally get it why some players might feel that these CSM’s are responsible for their greater losses. Obviously, it’s causing a faster game with faster losses. Yet there are other players who genuinely believe that these same machines are pre-programmed to ensure that the house comes out on top of any encounter with a customer. you can also find this thinking with slot machines which many players think are also rigged. In some ways this is understandable. Before these devices were in common usage, they could see the dealer shuffling in front of their own eyes. Now a machine does it and they can’t see what’s happening.
But the truth of the matter is that casinos have licenses. And without these, they wouldn’t be able to legally function. So by cheating, even in the slightest manner, would see a casino losing much more than a few customers.
Should You Play at Tables with CSMs?
This comes down to your own individual preferences. As far as the house edge is concerned, there’s nothing in it. It’s more the idea that the game has evolved into something mechanical when before it seemed more personal. having the dealer shuffle the cards over the table certainly feels more natural and traditional. These blackjack CSM’s make the game feel almost robotic and there intimacy and style have fallen by the wayside. The atmosphere has somehow changed and the games feel as if there’s a huge hurry to play as quickly as possible.
Blackjack CSM: Change is Coming
Whatever your thought on the matter, the sad truth is that they are more and more prominent at casinos all around the world. For example, in Macau and Monte Carlo, you’ll not find a single hand shuffle. But in the US, in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and Reno, you’ll still find the traditional methods are still in use. We suggest that you do some basic online research before going into any casino just to see if they still offer dealer shuffling.
