Gaming has been around for centuries and Shuffle Master is a name that definitely deserves to be on your radar. This company’s input doesn’t just include slots games, but also other forms of gambling like blackjack or roulette. They have an extensive history in the industry with contributions coming from all over – including both online markets as well as brick-and mortar casinos!
The name is the clue. Shuffle Master was founded with the goal of ending ‘card counting in casinos. John Breeding, an ex-truck driver from Minnesota, was the founder of Shuffle Master. He created the company after reading an article in the Wall Street Journal back in 1983. After realizing that card players using a counting system (which allowed them to track the cards in a deck) were losing large amounts of money at casinos, Breeding began to work on his idea for an automated single-deck shuffling system.
The continuous shuffling machine made sure that each hand was dealt with a new shoe. Breeding invested $30K in the initial business venture. This allowed him to focus on refining his device and introducing it into casinos in 1992. It was quickly adopted by casino managers and owners, who were able to stop card counting in single-deck games. Unfortunately for Breeding, many casinos were now using five or more decks for Blackjack variants. His shuffler was not widely adopted.
He began work immediately on a multi-deck shuffling device. However, he knew that it would take time to get to market. He was frustrated that it had taken him 10 years for his single-deck shuffler to be developed.
His wife was the one who had the solution. She challenged him to make a single deck game of cards in order to sell his single-deck automated shuffler. He did exactly that! Let It Ride is a variant of poker with five cards. Players can reduce their bets if the cards aren’t what they want.
The game became a huge success, with much of the promotional literature based on Breeding’s truck-driving past. Shuffle Master was now well-known in the gaming industry. Even though Breeding had retired, the company went on to grow. Bally Technologies bought Shuffle Master for over a billion dollars. Scientific Games bought Bally Technologies for more than five billion dollars the next year. This allowed them to acquire ownership of Shuffle Master, which is sometimes known as SHFL.
Shuffle Master is well-known for distributing its games through affiliate partners and on other websites. They also offer live casino products that work with their deck shuffler function. Many portals integrate their technology to allow for live versions of poker, blackjack, and baccarat. This brand also has a specialty in technology: chip sorters at the roulette tables.
The Shuffle Master table and live games offer unique bonus options. House Money, Bet the Set, and Poker Games such as Three Card Poker (Let It Ride), Caribbean Stud, Four Card Poker are some of the most popular titles.
The Shuffle Master slot machines are a classic in the world of slots. Three Stooges, which features movie clips from the film’s namesake, is a popular Shuffle Master slot. You can also find interesting themes in Shuffle Master online slots, such as Let’s Make a Deal and The Honeymooners. Some are also based on television programs.
Shuffle Master is an industry leader in the field of game design. They have created games for some major land-based casinos as well, but they also operate online through various websites which offer slots and tabletop gambling entertainment opportunities to players all over the world!
