Shifty shuffling?

Is there ever a time where you should be suspicious of a blackjack dealer in terms of how he or she is shuffling the cards? This is a question that was part of a discussion I was in recently, as we were talking about games and both player and dealer advantages. Blackjack is one of the most commonly known games to “cheat” at (counting cards, hence the quotes around cheat) from the player’s perspective. But what about from the angle of the house/casino?

Would the house even need an extra edge? What would be the point? Of course, to make more money, but why risk legitimacy when you already have the odds on your side? That’s the logical side of the argument, but I found myself up against the reasoning that if it’s done properly, it’s impossible to prove anything and nearly impossible to spot by all but the best who are specifically looking for it.

Yet, I still wonder, what IT is? How would a dealer even accomplish this? To somehow tailor the shuffle every time to create advantages for the casino on a routine basis. Odds are players who are skeptical are just seeing the natural randomness that sometimes leads to a shoe coming out substantially positive or negative, many deals in a row. Usually, the theory is accompanied by a losing streak and an irrational need to assess blame to anyone but themselves.

Yeah, it’s a bit harsh, but in all honesty, it’s a stance that’s basically supporting the idea that the dealer, in addition to all of his other regular duties at the table, is somehow tracking every shoe, and THEN arranging the cards – after the player cuts – so that the casino ends up with an advantage over the counters?

Perfectly legitimate question, right? So good it can’t be reasonably answered, because it just wouldn’t happen. And you don’t think the casino would be wise to something like that after a while and get rid of the dealer or worse? Sure, he might be helping them at the moment, but someone with a track record like that is just as likely to throw the edge to the players if he knows where the strong tips are coming from. Casinos don’t want someone like that there, and the dealer might be able to shade himself from the players, but not from the hand that feeds him.