ASM's

[callipygian]

Does anyone have a link to a Web page that explains the algorithm that 6-8 deck ASM's used in blackjack use to shuffle cards?

I don't need for-profit links or books that explains how to beat/track ASM's, I'm just curious as to how they work.

 

[Sonny]

uspto.gov

The patent info should give you a general idea of how they work. Each machine is a little different so you may have to dig around a while if you are looking for a specific model. Here are some patent numbers to get you started:

Basic Shufflemaster: 6588751
The El Cortez style auto shuffler: 7036818
Three Card Poker version: 7059602
Ferris Wheel style (very popular): 6889979
Chute style: 5584483

Most machines have numerous patents.

-Sonny-

 

[callipygian]

The El Cortez style auto shuffler: 7036818

Thanks! I think this is mostly what I was looking for - the other patents seem to describe CSM's.

I can wade through the referenced patents to find other ASM's.

 

[hawkeye]

Which one is the two decker that slides the tray out the top?

 

[Blue Efficacy]

The Spaniard has their own style of ASM? I'll have to check that out on my first vegas trip.

 

[Sonny]

The Spaniard has their own style of ASM?

It's not unique to that property, it's a generic machine that many other casinos use as well. I was just using the El Cortez as an example. It's similar to the one below except it's usually not built into the table.

-Sonny-

 

[blackchipjim]

Asms math

I have done some research into the math behind machines. The person that I've been picking their brain is a math grad. and is presently working on his masters degree. His opinion of the math behind the machine is that it is possible to find the seq, that the machine uses but predicting the next seq and how it correlates to the shuffle is far fetched to say the least. blackchipjim

 

[Sonny]

I have done some research into the math behind machines. The person that I've been picking their brain is a math grad. and is presently working on his masters degree. His opinion of the math behind the machine is that it is possible to find the seq, that the machine uses but predicting the next seq and how it correlates to the shuffle is far fetched to say the least. blackchipjim

Your friend is correct. Trying to determine the RNG's algorithm and seed through sampling is not practical and is damn near impossible. That is not the only way to beat the machines though. It is not the math that you are trying to beat, it is the mechanics. The machines do not shuffle the same way a human does, therefore they do not always follow the house's procedures. Anytime a house procedure is broken there is an opportunity for an advantage. Many machines are not beatable (that I know of) but some are. Knowing how they work will give you a good idea of which machines are worth researching.

-Sonny-

 

[callipygian]

It is not the math that you are trying to beat, it is the mechanics.

I'm pretty sure that even the simplest RNG is complex enough to confuse the human brain.

But the mechanics I find interesting - almost all the patents claim to take a card and put it in a stack. I wonder how they keep the edges of the card from fraying.

And I still haven't found the patent for the ASM I'm most familiar with - the three-chambered, front-opening ASM used at most MGM shoe games. From what I can observe, the shuffled stack gets placed in order (and pushed downward as a stack).