Dear Mark: Recently, I was playing Blackjack on a cruise boat. The table had a constant shuffle machine with either 6 or 8 decks, although I can’t be certain. What effect, if any, does this have on the house advantage on a basic strategy player? Charlie L.

With a typical shoe game, any time the number of decks in play is increased, the casino’s edge goes up slightly. For example, compared to a single deck, a two-deck game handicaps your play by 0.35%, four decks, 0.48%, six decks, 0.54% and eight decks 0.58%.  It is always to your advantage to play on a game that offers the fewest decks.

As for the effect of the continuous shuffle machine (CSM), it actually lowers the house edge because there is no "cut card effect,” besides which you get an honest random shuffle, enabling you to play with a fresh shoe every hand. For non card-counters, on a CMS one deck ups your advantage +1.13%, two decks, + 0.63%, four decks, ++0.34%, six decks, +0.20%, and eight decks, +0.14%.

So you would think I would advise your playing on them. Not so fast, my friend, curves ahead. The reduced house edge and increased speed of the game cancel each other out, and then some. “Let me explain “, quoth he, plucking aces out of thin air.

With a constant shuffle machine, dealers do not waste time manually shuffling.  From the casino’s perspective, shuffling is time, and time is money. The more hands you are dealt per hour, the deeper the built-in casino advantage drills into your bankroll.

From a player’s perspective–your perspective, Charlie–speed kills in a casino environment. The longer you are exposed to the house advantage, the happier havoc it will wreak on your bankroll. Trust me, one bad beat on a continuous shuffle machine and you’ll swear off of them for life.

Here’s my overall recommendation, Charlie. Continue to play each hand correctly by using perfect basic strategy, at the lowest table limit you can find, with the fewest decks possible. These conditions force the dealer to shuffle more, which, with smart play, keeps your exposure to the casino’s edge at a minimum.

 Technorati Tags: blackjack, casino strategy, blackjack strategy