By Kevin Felix | November 26, 2007

If you’re a big fan of home poker games, this will definitely make you happy: Shuffle Tech is running the last tests before launching an automatic card shuffler suitable for home use, at a fraction of the price of a casino shuffler.

Home games are becoming more and more popular, but shuffling tends to be an issue – some are not fast enough shufflers, some are not good enough, and some may be “too” good for comfort. An automatic dealer could make home games faster and fairer, but shufflers manufactured according to casino standards can set you back over $15,000 – hardly worth it for hosting $50 buy-in tourneys with the in-laws.

Enter Mr. Hiro Toyama, Fairy Godfather of home poker players.

According to the Shuffle Tech site, this is how it all began:

In 2005, Shuffle Tech Founder Mr. Hiro Toyama built a poker table for his friend and was asked at the time to install an automatic shuffler, just like the casinos. He looked far and wide for an automatic shuffler, only to find that that the machines sold to casinos cost more than $15,000 and required almost weekly service. Frustrated, but persistent, he began shuffling a deck of cards and asked himself, “How hard could it be to build a shuffler?” Two years later, we are proud to introduce what we feel is the best, most reliable transparent card shuffler in the world.

Toyama’s Shuffle Tech is transparent indeed, with a see-through lid which allows players to view the cards as the machine cuts, riffles and strips. For those who are really into their poker nights, Shuffle Tech even offers a flush tray so you get the cards right on the table just like in a casino.

The small and versatile Shuffle Tech can keep up to 3 decks in play at the same time, works with current or batteries, and is “Quiet, Compact, and Portable,” according to the website. And for $479.99, it definitely sounds like a steal when compared to all other shufflers in the market.

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