Automatic Card Shufflers

What should be the strategy with only multi-deck automatic shufflers (CSM)are available?

It's my understanding that there's a difference between CSM and "automatic shufflers".

CSM machines are used to continually shuffle the cards that are in play- meaning that there's no discard pile. Any time the dealer would normally place used cards into a discard pile (after someone busts, after the hand is completely played out, etc), they go right into the machine to get reshuffled into the overall deck.

Automatic shufflers are used in place of hand-shuffling once the deck is done. So the used cards go into a discard pile through the deck or shoe, and then once the dealer hits the cut card the entire pile of cards (both used and unused) are put into the machine; a new pile of cards is taken out of the machine and put into the shoe (or into the dealer's hands) and play begins again.

CSM sucks for card counters, because the only thing you know about the cards that are left in the "deck" or shoe to be played is what cards are presently on the table- all the rest are in the damn machine.

Automatic machines, on the other hand, only defeat the shuffle trackers; but for card counting they're fine.

Coop

Run the opposite direction! Otherwise, if you insist on fighting it. You must back-count and wong-in for a quick play then out, back-count for a while, wong-in play a hand, etc. etc.. Assuming they leave a nearly a full table round of cards in the discard tray while another round of hands is dealt on the table for the players. The table needs to be nearly full if your going to try this. You will be lucky to even see a +2.5 TC when doing this. You also need to find out how many decks are in the CSM. If it's more than 4, your toast.

Gone 'til eve of 2nd. Happy New Year all.

Stealth Bomber

The best strategy to make money from CSMs is to invest in the company. Shuffle Master is doing about 20% at the moment and selling for $35 or so a share. It's ticker symbol is SHFL. IGT is doing well too. Mikhon is cheap, $5 a share, but doesn't appear to be doing that well.

If you're going to play against it, the best you can do is perfect basic strategy.

Shuffle Master's CSM is usually 5 decks and the procedure is usually deal, place the discards from the previous hand in the machine, then finish the hand that was just dealt... etc. It's about as close to a random shuffle after every hand as you can get. Once the discards go back in the machine, they could come back out on the second card pulled from the shoe.

CottonBob