card shuffling

[punter]

sorry this is a very basic question, are the cards recycled back to the shoe a certain number of times or are they discarded and a new set of unopened decks used every now and then ?

 

[Mikeaber]

Depends on the casino Punter. In multideck games, the casinos will introduce 6 (or however decks there are in the shoe) new decks once per 24-hour period.

In Single and Double Deck games, the cards will be replaced every 2 to 4 hours if it is a pitch type game (and most are).

Whatever the case, it's an all or nothing type thing with one exception. If a card is damaged, the Pit Boss will be called over to examine it and after going through religious rituals with the Surveillance cameras, will replace only the damaged card.

 

[punter]

card shuffling and ace tracking

do you think that one day they might use new decks every time the shoe is empty , that would stop people from ace tracking etc ?

 

[swog]

Punter, after seeing your first question, I will answer your next one.
The cards used in a "pitch" game, where the dealer holds the cards in her hand, are changed frequently, (every 2 to 4 hours as Mikeaber pointed out),
because the cards are handled by the players, and are more likely to be bent or in some cases marked by the players for future reference.
________
Vapir No2

 

[Mikeaber]

do you think that one day they might use new decks every time the shoe is empty , that would stop people from ace tracking etc ?

To expand on that, "No". What you say is true in that it would kill "ace tracking" however, replacing cards after every shoe would not only be expensive in terms of the cost of new decks of cards, but would slow down the game too much. The dealers cannot just stuff in a new deck of cards. They have the check them to be sure the deck is a valid deck (no missing cards) and that the backs of the cards are all the same as well as looking for creases or other markings on the the new deck that might give players a clue as to what the card is. Just too time consuming and time is money to both the casino and the players! If they are THAT paranoid of advantage players, then they can just resort to the CSM shufflers (Constant Shuffle Machines)...and some have.

 

[punter]

constant shuffle machines

Does the use of these CSMs make it practically impossible to get an edge over the house. I cant think of a way around it, but i am not that bright ?

 

[Mikeaber]

Does the use of these CSMs make it practically impossible to get an edge over the house. I cant think of a way around it, but i am not that bright ?

Correct. There is no way known to gain advantage at the current time. Because of reinsertion of cards that have been played, there is not enough "penetration" to give enough accurate information to make a determination as to the status of the deck in play.

Look around on the forum. There has been quite a bit of discussion on this topic.