- Shuffling machine
A shuffling machine is a machine for
randomly shuffling packs ofplaying card s.Because standard shuffling techniques are seen as weak, and in order to avoid "
inside job s" where employees collaborate with gamblers by performing inadequate shuffles, manycasino s employ automatic shuffling machines to shuffle the cards before dealing. These machines are also used to lessen repetitive motion stress injuries to a dealer.Shuffling machines have to be carefully designed, as they can generate biased shuffles otherwise: the most recent shuffling machines are computer-controlled. The randomness or otherwise of cards produced from automatic shuffling machines is the subject of considerable interest to both gamblers and casinos.
Shuffling machines come in two main varieties: continuous shufflers, which shuffle one or more packs continuously, and batch shufflers, which shuffle an entire single pack in a single operation. Batch shufflers are more expensive, but can avoid the problems associated with some continuous shufflers, whereby the shuffling operation only slowly changes the state of the deck, and new cards may be taken before shuffling has sufficiently randomized the pack, allowing some players to "shuffle track" cards through the shuffling process.
A widely reported, but unpublished, study by
Persi Diaconis and Susan Holmes in 2000 resulted in the redesign of many shuffling machines. "SIAM News" later published a reasonably detailed discussion of its results.Shuffling machines were a central plot point in the "
NUMB3RS " Season 2 episode "Double Down".See also
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Lottery machine
*Recurrence rate External links
* "MAA Online" article: [http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_11_18_02.html Card Shuffling Shenanigans]
* "casinocitytimes.com" article: [http://may.casinocitytimes.com/articles/10585.html United States Patent 6,254,096: Shuffle Master's Continuous Shuffler]
*: Device and method for continuously shuffling cards
* [http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/UploadDocs/Misc/sop_responses/Shuffle%20Master%20Inc.pdf A submission to the UK Gambling Commission by a shuffling machine vendor]
* "casinocitytimes.com" article: [http://may.casinocitytimes.com/articles/1136.html How Much of a Threat Are Shuffle-Trackers?]
* "discover.com" article: [http://www.discover.com/issues/oct-02/departments/featmath/ The Mathematics of Shuffling: A magician turned mathematician saves the casinos' shirts] , which discusses the Diaconis and Holmes work on shuffling machines
* "SIAM News": [http://www.siam.org/pdf/news/295.pdf Within Every Math Problem, For this Mathematician, Lurks a Card-Shuffling Problem] contains a detailed discussion of the Diaconis and Holmes results
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