Part I: Games & Gaming · Card Games — Baccarat & Blackjack

Continuous Shuffling Machine (CSM)

Blackjack

A mechanical device that continuously shuffles cards back into the shoe after each round or small group of rounds. CSMs eliminate the need for traditional shuffle points and make card counting virtually impossible because the deck is never depleted in a trackable way. They increase hands-per-hour but are unpopular with players.

In practice

CSMs are particularly common in European and Australian blackjack. Surveillance should monitor CSMs for mechanical malfunctions that could expose cards or create non-random distributions.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.