Abstract

Method and appratus for automatically shuffling, cutting and delivering shuffled playing cards to a shoe without interfering with dispensing of playing cards from the shoe. The transparent covers, together with the design of the mechanism, permits observation by the players of the playing cards at all times throughout the shuffling, cutting and card delivery operations. The cards are randomly mixed by separation and subsequent merger. Cards are automatically fed to the shuffling mechanism by a drive motor. Cards are delivered to the card dealing shoe by an advancing member. A separation paddle acts as a barrier between the playing cards already in the shoe and the playing cards being delivered to the shoe. Upon completion of the delivery operation, the paddle is removed and placed at the end of the stack of cards. A jogging mechanism assures uniform stacking of the playing cards. The shuffling, stacking and jogging operations do not conflict with the dispensing of playing cards from the shoe.