(Al Drago / Baltimore Sun) Anthony Barksdale, the citys former acting police commissioner, is leaving his. With continuous shufflers, there is no way to predict which cards remain to be dealt. The new Horseshoe Casino, as seen from Russell Street near downtown Baltimore at dusk.
In the absence of a continuous shuffler, cards are shuffled only after a 'cut' card is reached signifying a 'shoe' full of cards is complete. But players who count cards - keeping track of which cards have been played, and increasing their bets when there is an abundance of undealt 10s, face cards and aces - can turn the odds slightly in their favor. A player applying basic strategy can reduce the house advantage to less than 1 percent. In blackjack, a player draws cards against a dealer, trying to get closer to 21 without going over. That ongoing shuffling - and mixing of discards with unplayed cards - eliminates card counting, which can otherwise offer a way for practiced players to come out ahead over time. After a few hands, cards that have been played are reloaded by the dealer into the shuffler, which randomly integrates them with other cards. 'From a security standpoint, the shuffler eliminates card counting and shuffle tracking, and ultimately helps reduce losses due to cheating,' according to Bally's website. On Monday, Horseshoe was using machines manufactured by Bally Technologies of Las Vegas. Guy Fieris Baltimore Kitchen and Bar is located inside the beautiful Horseshoe Casino on the first floor.
