SHUFFLE TECH News (4 Viewers)

[johnnycnote]

Hard no from me. Just too unreliable and service response is too slow.

Looks like there's no middle ground for ShuffleTech owners. It's either fantastic or a paperweight!

 

[Forty4]

I don’t love the price. If it was under $500 with the flush mount kit I would consider it a decent investment. It gets mixed reviews at my game. I like it, but also bought it used.

 

[grantc54]

Looks like there's no middle ground for ShuffleTech owners. It's either fantastic or a paperweight!

I liked it when it worked. I bought mine used as a refurbished unit for $300 USD. I had it repaired once on warranty and then it died again. All in all it worked for about 18 months, so I think I got value out of it (about 50 games).

The problem is that it is a gamble as to how long it works for you.

 

[namsupak]

I still have my two and honestly just trying to do what maintenance I can on them myself. But I recently bought a shuffle king and it is leaps and bounds better. If I had to do it again I do like the shuffle techs but at the $300 range. I think that the product had so much promise. If you play on the regular and you need a shuffler I would recommend just buying a professional shuffler at this point.

 

[JeepologyOffroad]

I still have my two and honestly just trying to do what maintenance I can on them myself. But I recently bought a shuffle king and it is leaps and bounds better. If I had to do it again I do like the shuffle techs but at the $300 range. I think that the product had so much promise. If you play on the regular and you need a shuffler I would recommend just buying a professional shuffler at this point.

Dibs on used shuffle tech lol

 

[sheikh617]

Dibs on used shuffle tech lol

You're too late I already called it

 

[JeepologyOffroad]

You're too late I already called it

Cmon he has 2 and you already have one

 

[Dix]

OK, so after much consternation, & including the tag-team "enhanced interrogation" tactics of @Undream & @sheikh617... I finally cracked under the pressure.

I thought I was tough.... I thought I could take it.... I thought it couldn't get any worse.... "What's next? Waterboarding?".... HA!!! Bring it on!

Then it happened. As I sat there in the middle of the darkness... cold, soaking wet, & nearly naked... at the brink of exhaustion... a glimpse through the smoky haze at the far end of the room. A heavy-set figure, who spoke in evil sounding hushed tones with a thick Slavic accent.

What's this???? A Russian Racthed????

THAT IT!!!! I QUIT!!!! I give up!!!!

I bought a Shuffletech

OK.... so maybe it wasn't THAT traumatic. But, what the heck?

I've taken a flyer on a used one off eBay. I guess I beat out the low-baller cheapskates for it. I think I got a decent deal. We'll see when it gets here.

It was up for sale for $500 (499) or best offer & includes what appears to be a still new, unused, flush mount kit, printed instructions, the whole nine yards. The seller had gotten 4 previous offers & even counter-offered one of 'em.

I know pictures don't always tell the story, and there was no indication in the description from the seller exactly how "used" it is. But, other than a seemingly minor scuff near the cover visible in one of the close-ups, there doesn't appear to be a mark on it otherwise. In all reality, if he'd mentioned in the description that it was lightly used, I'd have believed it & maybe even just paid the $500. (Note to eBay sellers here: when it comes to description information, more is usually better.)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164025348129

So, in doing the math, knocking off $130 for the unused mount kit, that means it's a used unit for $370. Certainly a fair price for a $600 unit in very good to excellent condition. But, again, that wasn't noted. I know, I could have messaged the seller & asked, but for whatever reason I just did a little math in my head & figured $300-ish was a fair starting point for an offer. So I took that, tacked on a Bennie for the mount kit & sent $400 as an offer.

Within an hour he'd sent back a counter-offer. Which kind of surprised me as he hadn't bothered to counter-offer the previous three only the first one.

I thought for a minute about countering his counter-offer, but then figured 20 bucks wasn't worth the hassle. I just paid the man.

So, in the end I basically got it for $340. As I'd have been buying a $130 mount kit anyway. We'll see how much of a bargain (or not) I got when it shows up.

Anyone here in Buffalo that owned this thing? If so, I'm your sucker.

 

[sheikh617]

OK, so after much consternation, & including the tag-team "enhanced interrogation" tactics of @Undream & @sheikh617... I finally cracked under the pressure.

I thought I was tough.... I thought I could take it.... I thought it couldn't get any worse.... "What's next? Waterboarding?".... HA!!! Bring it on!

Then it happened. As I sat there in the middle of the darkness... cold, soaking wet, & nearly naked... at the brink of exhaustion... a glimpse through the smoky haze at the far end of the room. A heavy-set figure, who spoke in evil sounding hushed tones with a thick Slavic accent.

What's this???? A Russian Racthed????

THAT IT!!!! I QUIT!!!! I give up!!!!

I bought a Shuffletech

OK.... so maybe it wasn't THAT traumatic. But, what the heck?

I've taken a flyer on a used one off eBay. I guess I beat out the low-baller cheapskates for it. I think I got a decent deal. We'll see when it gets here.

It was up for sale for $500 (499) or best offer & includes what appears to be a still new, unused, flush mount kit, printed instructions, the whole nine yards. The seller had gotten 4 previous offers & even counter-offered one of 'em.

I know pictures don't always tell the story, and there was no indication in the description from the seller exactly how "used" it is. But, other than a seemingly minor scuff near the cover visible in one of the close-ups, there doesn't appear to be a mark on it otherwise. In all reality, if he'd mentioned in the description that it was lightly used, I'd have believed it & maybe even just paid the $500. (Note to eBay sellers here: when it comes to description information, more is usually better.)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164025348129

So, in doing the math, knocking off $130 for the unused mount kit, that means it's a used unit for $370. Certainly a fair price for a $600 unit in very good to excellent condition. But, again, that wasn't noted. I know, I could have messaged the seller & asked, but for whatever reason I just did a little math in my head & figured $300-ish was a fair starting point for an offer. So I took that, tacked on a Bennie for the mount kit & sent $400 as an offer.

Within an hour he'd sent back a counter-offer. Which kind of surprised me as he hadn't bothered to counter-offer the previous three only the first one.

I thought for a minute about countering his counter-offer, but then figured 20 bucks wasn't worth the hassle. I just paid the man.

So, in the end I basically got it for $340. As I'd have been buying a $130 mount kit anyway. We'll see how much of a bargain (or not) I got when it shows up.

Anyone here in Buffalo that owned this thing? If so, I'm your sucker.

Nice! Congrats.

 

[Undream]

@Dix if you get 50 uses out of it you will get your money's worth. Anything after that is gravy. Good pickup IMO. If you see more hands and get to bust a few of your friends a few extra times even better!

After I realized how much I was spending on Angus beef hot dogs, pistachios, snacks, booze, and beer... It gets easy to justify the purchase.

 

[Dix]

As this topic closes in on it's 1st birthday... I thought I ran into a bit of "news"... turns out it's not really "new" news, but since no one's mentioned it what the heck....

Whether this is good news or bad news.... well... like Fox News, I'll just report, you decide.

Shuffle Tech is now selling directly on eBay. eBay ID: shuffle_tech_2020

Based in United States, shuffle_tech_2020 has been an eBay member since Sep 12, 2019

I only noticed because I had an active search & just got an email notice that one went up for sale just yesterday.

In checking the user's "other items", I found that the basic shuffler has been available on eBay since November.

Shuffle Tech ST-1000 on eBay

We have been part of your home games for over 10 years!
Now you can buy direct from Shuffle Tech and deal with the manufacturer.

Yesterday a listing that includes the mount kit went active.

ST-1000 w/Mount Kit

Apparently, they don't sell well on eBay. The user account has only one feedback comment.... as a buyer.

However, this raises an interesting point to consider if you think you may be in the market for one & some of the stories about slow delivery (of a $600 outlay) make you queasy. (which is why I'm putting this down as a good thing in my book)

The price on eBay is essentially the same as the website (difference of 12 bucks once you add in shipping). So, if you don't get your shuffler in a reasonable amount of time, you file a claim & eBay gets you your money back.

& eBay is pretty good about that. I've had to do it more than a few times.

This is the nice part about buying through some 3rd party sources like eBay & Amazon. If need be, that "middleman" can often get you your cash back faster than you'd otherwise be able to.

Given the choice, if I were to buy a new one, I'd definitely eat the 12 bucks & get mine via eBay rather than directly from Shuffle Tech's website. Just for that reason.

 

[Dix]

Well, my "used" Shuffletech arrived from the above post.... and... umm... well, I have to put the word "used" in quotes.

Other than the very minor scratch on the top that showed in the pics from the eBay listing, there truly isn't a mark on it. Not even any scratches on the transparent lid.

I tried running an alcohol wipe over the upper rollers & got nothing... it's 100% clean. There isn't even a speck of dust in the d*mn thing.

Condition? The words "barely used" and/or "near mint" come to mind. If the seller had bothered to actually describe the amount of use, I definitely would have just hit the "Buy It Now" button & not bothered with an offer.

So the closest cards was a very lightly used deck of Gemacos which I popped in and hit the button. I immediately got a sick feeling when it seemed to start groaning and working very slowly for the 1st few seconds.... then all of a sudden whirred into action, immediately jamming. I'm guessing that was from the slow initial start, as the next dozen test shuffles went off without a hitch.

My best guess is this thing may have been used initially a few times & has sat around ever since in a box. Probably for years, hence the initial reluctance to get moving again.

Nearly new shuffler & flush mount kit for less than 2/3 the price.... OK, yea, I got a decent deal.

 

[grantc54]

Well, my "used" Shuffletech arrived from the above post.... and... umm... well, I have to put the word "used" in quotes.

Other than the very minor scratch on the top that showed in the pics from the eBay listing, there truly isn't a mark on it. Not even any scratches on the transparent lid.

I tried running an alcohol wipe over the upper rollers & got nothing... it's 100% clean. There isn't even a speck of dust in the d*mn thing.

Condition? The words "barely used" and/or "near mint" come to mind. If the seller had bothered to actually describe the amount of use, I definitely would have just hit the "Buy It Now" button & not bothered with an offer.

So the closest cards was a very lightly used deck of Gemacos which I popped in and hit the button. I immediately got a sick feeling when it seemed to start groaning and working very slowly for the 1st few seconds.... then all of a sudden whirred into action, immediately jamming. I'm guessing that was from the slow initial start, as the next dozen test shuffles went off without a hitch.

My best guess is this thing may have been used initially a few times & has sat around ever since in a box. Probably for years, hence the initial reluctance to get moving again.

Nearly new shuffler & flush mount kit for less than 2/3 the price.... OK, yea, I got a decent deal.

Word of advice, let it work itself out of the jam. It will stop itself if it cant self correct.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

 

[Undream]

Well, my "used" Shuffletech arrived from the above post.... and... umm... well, I have to put the word "used" in quotes.

Other than the very minor scratch on the top that showed in the pics from the eBay listing, there truly isn't a mark on it. Not even any scratches on the transparent lid.

I tried running an alcohol wipe over the upper rollers & got nothing... it's 100% clean. There isn't even a speck of dust in the d*mn thing.

Condition? The words "barely used" and/or "near mint" come to mind. If the seller had bothered to actually describe the amount of use, I definitely would have just hit the "Buy It Now" button & not bothered with an offer.

So the closest cards was a very lightly used deck of Gemacos which I popped in and hit the button. I immediately got a sick feeling when it seemed to start groaning and working very slowly for the 1st few seconds.... then all of a sudden whirred into action, immediately jamming. I'm guessing that was from the slow initial start, as the next dozen test shuffles went off without a hitch.

My best guess is this thing may have been used initially a few times & has sat around ever since in a box. Probably for years, hence the initial reluctance to get moving again.

Nearly new shuffler & flush mount kit for less than 2/3 the price.... OK, yea, I got a decent deal.

Nicceee. Once it gets in the groove it seems even more reliable based on my experience . First few
.shuffles each time I fire it up have higher chance of jamming. Maybe it's random and im crazy......

 

[APatHand]

Nicceee. Once it gets in the groove it seems even more reliable based on my experience . First few
.shuffles each time I fire it up have higher chance of jamming. Maybe it's random and im crazy......

Isn't random what you are looking for in a shuffler?

 

[jbriod]

did @jbriod ever get the shuffletech

Sorry Justin, forgot about this post. I had the money saved up for a moment before I started down the chip hole again. Didn’t feel confident in buying one yet because of the customers service comments within this thread. I might revisit if they do come out with anew version later this year. keeping my eye out.
what I’ve been doing is running 2 decks. I’ve been the dedicated dealer. Everyone shuffles their deal but hands me the deck. I keep the pace going and make sure decks are ready for the next hand. A little tiring for me but it gives everyone more hands to see rather than getting stuck with a slow shuffle and dealer. Especially better when I deal out Omaha. My group isnt that quick...physically and mentally. Lol

 

[Dix]

A used Shuffletech with flush mount kit went up for sale on eBay. $449.99 OBO w/free shipping.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333505233458

Unlike the deal I got this one actually looks used. Bottom decal has a born-on date of 2008.

Seller says it works, but is missing the power supply. States has been tested and it works (probably used a common 6v DC PS to test it)

The Shuffletech power supply is a very common dirt cheap 6v DC "wall wart" type.

6v DC - 1500mA (1.5A) output w/female coaxial "barrel" connector (center positive). 5.5mmOD / 2.1mm ID (known as "Type M")

 

[Forty4]

Power supply is also $20 from shuffletech.

 

[Dix]

Or $6 on eBay... https://www.ebay.com/itm/272266455156

 

[tabletalker7]

Don't know if anyone is still interested, but after getting in contact with Chip Grey from shuffletech.com I was told that they are in stock and ship immediately (I know we have heard that before). I ordered one Sunday evening, and got a UPS tracking number for it Monday afternoon. Currently there is no backlog for them to ship to, and you can get one immediately

 

[SixSpeedFury]

Don't know if anyone is still interested, but after getting in contact with Chip Grey from shuffletech.com I was told that they are in stock and ship immediately (I know we have heard that before). I ordered one Sunday evening, and got a UPS tracking number for it Monday afternoon. Currently there is no backlog for them to ship to, and you can get one immediately

Nice! Let us know how it goes.

 

[Old State]

So these new models, do they work with bridge sized cards?

 

[Dix]

No new models.... same model ST-1000 they've been selling for.... oh... about a decade now? or thereabouts.

 

[tabletalker7]

The European website talks about a new model, and quotes a price to have your old model rebuilt to be the new model. It also has a list of things the new model does that the old model doesn't. Check out shuffletech.eu to see it. I will receive mine tomorrow. I will let you know if it is the new model or the old one.

 

[Dix]

Only difference is an update to the software giving the the "auto" & "diagnostics" modes, & adding another strip to the sequence.

Exactly how long that's been around I'm not sure, but I think it's been a while. (as in years)

Mechanically, it's still the exact same shuffler it's always been.

 

[tabletalker7]

Nice! Let us know how it goes.

So these new models, do they work with bridge sized cards?

Still recommends poker size, and sorry but I don't have any bridge size cards to even try with it. It likes the Copags it came it a lot better than my Fournier sets, but my sets have been handled a lot so I may need to clean them.

 

[Goldfish]

A good dedicated dealers is a much better investment. One of the hosts in my area has a casino grade shuffler. The better dealers don’t use it. They go much faster without it.

 

[Dix]

I haven't done a ton of testing with mine yet, but general impression seems like the lighter/softer the cards are the better. Heavier/stiffer decks seem to have a tendency to jam a bit more often (although very few jams require human assistance). Which would explain the unit's preference for Copag over Fournier.

Kem, Copag, Modiano, & Gemaco all seem to do better (albeit not by a lot - but enough to notice) than Fournier, Bike Prestige, Dal Negro, etc.

One thing I'd suggest to keep in mind.... Although it's tempting to sit there & run a bunch of tests, Unlike Casino quality shufflers, I doubt this thing was designed for a 100% duty cycle. Heat & plastic don't play well together in the same sandbox. So, if you've run a few 7 riffle cycles in a row, giving it a break for a couple minutes would be prudent. The heat does seem to build up in it over long-run long-term use.

A good dedicated dealers is a much better investment. One of the hosts in my area has a casino grade shuffler. The better dealers don’t use it. They go much faster without it.

Unless the deck is magically shuffling itself while a hand is in play that's not even possible.

Time-travel notwithstanding.... Time taken to shuffle the cards between hands is always going to reduce the hands/hour rate. I don't care how "fast" the dealer is, he/she can't defy the laws of physics & time.

A casino spends 5-figures per table on a shuffler at a cash table, not for your convenience, but for their profit margin.

 

[tabletalker7]

A good dedicated dealers is a much better investment. One of the hosts in my area has a casino grade shuffler. The better dealers don’t use it. They go much faster without it.

I am not going to tell you exactly how silly that sounds, both from a dealing perspective (how does less hands per hour make them more money) or from the host perspective (continuous payment to get dealer instead of a lump sum once to be good to go). I will tell you that a dedicated dealer removes half the fun of the games I host. Priority one in my games is not money (it is friends, or more specifically us guys ragging on each other all the time) and money is not priority two (BBEEEERR). A machine like this is perfect for my games. It takes the stress away from those non-shuffling friends we have while still being able to pick on them (I swear my buddy John enjoys dealing me 7-2). Combine that with less time shuffling means more beer consumed and this machine is perfect for my group.

 

[SixSpeedFury]

I haven't done a ton of testing with mine yet, but general impression seems like the lighter/softer the cards are the better. Heavier/stiffer decks seem to have a tendency to jam a bit more often (although very few jams require human assistance). Which would explain the unit's preference for Copag over Fournier.

Kem, Copag, Modiano, & Gemaco all seem to do better (albeit not by a lot - but enough to notice) than Fournier, Bike Prestige, Dal Negro, etc.

Do you think using stiffer decks that are already broken in beforehand might help with the unit not jamming? What about bridge decks?