The blackjack shoe and what it means to your game
The blackjack shoe is nothing new. In fact, it was introduced in land-based casinos back in the 1960s. Nowadays, no matter whether you’re playing online or at a land-based casino. You’ll find that some sort of shoe is being used. Some of these shoes are manual while other casinos feature those that are automatic.
We’re going to take a look at the blackjack shoe in a little more detail. Before we do though, we wanted to get something clear right away. People often ask about the shoe and the impact that it has on card counting. The unfortunate reality is that, where automatic machines are used, card counting becomes redundant. The way in which cards are added and dealt means that it is all but impossible for a card counter to keep up.
With that out of the way with, let’s take a look at the blackjack shoe in a little more detail.
| 21+ | Terms & Conditions Apply | NJ Residents Only | ||
 | 100% New Player Bonus up to $1000! Best Casino and Sportsbetting in NJ Slots and Live Casino Casino at bet365 – 100% New Player Bonus of up to $1,000! New Casino customers only. Deposit min. $10. Max. bonus $1,000. Value of deposit plus bonus must be wagered 20 times. Time limits and T&Cs apply. | Visit Casino |
The blackjack shoe
If you were to take a non-player and place them next to a blackjack table, there’s a very good chance that they wouldn’t even notice the shoe or the presence of any sort of shuffling machine. However, when you put an experienced player in the same position, they’ll notice this straight away. Why? They know that these are a vital part of the game. And that they’re just as important as the chips, the dealer and even the cards themselves.
While the game of blackjack has remained pretty much unchanged over the years. The shoe and shuffling machines have had an impact on the game. As gambling has become more popular with a huge percentage of the population playing. Casinos had to seek ways to be more efficient as well as ways to reduce player advantages. The shoe and shuffling machines were the answer.
The blackjack shoe and the different blackjack dealing styles
While online blackjack is hugely popular, there are still plenty of players who love the land-based experience. They find that taking a seat at a real table, surrounded by real people, adds something to the game. The other thing about attending a land-based casino is the fact that there is food, drink and a truly social feel to the whole event.
Some people attend land-based casinos rather than online casinos for other reasons. They love the feel of an actual table and they also find it fascinating to watch a dealer at work. Watching a dealer shuffle an eight-deck shoe is something that just can’t be recreated online. Experienced players enjoy watching how some of these dealers handle the cards and the different ways that they deal.
Does a shuffling machine change the outcome?
There are some players who hate playing wherever there is a shuffling machine in sight. They believe that it’s there to have an impact on the outcome of the game and that it reduces their chances of winning. The truth is that shuffle machines are used because they allow the game to be played at a faster pace. The plus here is that you have the potential to play more hands. The negative is that the more hands per hour you play the more potential there is to lose.
If you’re lucky enough to have the funds to enter a private room with high-stakes. You’ll find that things are different. It’s often the case that players here prefer the traditional touch and they expect the cards to be dealt by hand. The use of a shuffling machine would have no impact on the outcome, but hand-shuffled casino games just has a different feel to it.
Blackjack and the number of decks
With games of blackjack, you’ll find that there are differing numbers of decks used depending on the blackjack rules that are at play. There are some games that are played with 1,2,4 or 6 decks. Then there are others that use as many as 8 decks in the blackjack shoe. The number of decks used is down to the casino that you’re playing at as well as the variant that’s being played. The cards will always be shuffled. When this has been done, the dealer will then use a card divider to show when the next shuffle is due to take place.
Most land-based casinos follow the same pattern when it comes to shuffling. This means that they’ll shuffle again when there are around 25% of the initial cards left. This makes blackjack strategy extremely difficult for card counters as keeping a running count is almost impossible when the show is constantly being broken up.
Why the blackjack shoe will always exist
In one form or another, casinos will always have blackjack shoes now. For one, they make life so much easier for the dealer. More importantly, though, they seriously discourage anyone from trying card counting.
When there are maybe two decks in play, card counting is extremely simple. By keeping a running count it becomes easy to predict the winning cards and so there is the ability to reduce the house edge significantly. While this is perfectly legal, casinos have lost millions to these practices in the past and so they will now do all that they can to prevent it.
Final thoughts on the blackjack shoe
While the blackjack shoe exists to help the dealer, there is more than one purpose behind its use. Yes, it certainly helps to keep the game moving at pace, but this isn’t the only reason that they’re used. It appears that the main reason is to tip the house edge back towards the casinos by ensuring that card counting just won’t work.
While the use of shoes and shuffling machines is certainly an effective deterrent, it’s worth noting that some of the most successful card counters have played while shoes have been in existence. The biggest impact on card counters now has to be the continuous shuffling machine as this makes it impossible to keep track.
The use of a shoe will never influence what card comes next but it’s the other things that we’ve considered that show how they have the power to change a game.
| 21+ | Terms & Conditions Apply | NJ Residents Only | ||
| 100% New Player Bonus up to $1000! Best Casino and Sportsbetting in NJ Slots and Live Casino Casino at bet365 – 100% New Player Bonus of up to $1,000! New Casino customers only. Deposit min. $10. Max. bonus $1,000. Value of deposit plus bonus must be wagered 20 times. Time limits and T&Cs apply. | Visit Casino |
