More bad news for blackjack

Besides the continuous shuffle machine, gambling companies are coming up with all sorts of new ways to screw with you at the blackjack table.

And I’m not even including the blackjack variants like Extreme 21 or Easy as 1-2-3.

I’m talking about the shuffle machines. And the card shoes.

Vending Data Corporation has their miserable new machine called the Continuous Ejections Shuffler. Not only does it continuously shuffle, but it ejects a one or two-deck sized batch of cards that give the impression the dealer is dealing a hands-on one or two deck game. EVIL!

Even worse, though, are the products from Shufflemaster. The originators of the continuous shuffle machines, they have a new one that they claim shuffles faster (meaning more hands per hour to screw you with!). They also have the Intelligent shoe, which is a deck shoe that reads each card as it’s dealt. Promoted as a way to automatically post for baccarat, it transmits data to a remote location. Such as the ready room, so the casino has time and date stamps of all of your plays. How much easier coudl it be to track you?

Actually, there’s one that’s gone even farther. The Bloodhound blackjack monitoring system. Voice activated by a surveillance operator (and presumably new versions can be run by the dealer), the operator merely narrates the game, including units wagered, cards dealt, and other facets of play. The computer takes this info and compared it to various pre-loaded known counting systems giving a synopsis and what the exact house edge is against any particular player. Meaning that if you’re playing sloppy it’ll know what system you’re trying to use.

And of course it keeps a permanent record of your performance.

With any luck the price of these doodads (the Continuous Ejections Shuffler is $9,000) will make casinos realize that the cost of tracking down good counters with high-tech methods will only erode the bottom line.