Patent ID: 8360431
Filing Date: 2013-01-29
Classification: A63F,B65H

Abstract:
1. A shuffling apparatus comprising: at least three card holders, each card holder adapted to hold at least one deck of cards; a processor; a conveying mechanism adapted to convey cards between each card holder and at least two other card holders, the conveying mechanism controllable to select a destination card holder of the at least two card holders; and a controller arranged to control the conveying mechanism in a shuffling mode by a series of software modules executed by the processor in which cards are sent between a card holder acting as a source card holder and selected ones of the at least two destination card holders, wherein the at least three card holders comprise at least four card holders comprising two pairs of card holders, and wherein the controller is arranged to conduct at least one shuffling round during which one pair of card holders are source card holders and the other pair of card holders are destination card holders, the controller controlling the conveying mechanism to distribute cards from a first of the pair of source card holders between the pair of destination card holders and subsequently distribute destination card holders, wherein subsequent to completion of the cards from a second of the pair of source card holders between the pair of shuffling rounds, the controller is configured to control the conveying mechanism to convey the shuffled cards to a further card holder from which they may be dealt, wherein the further card holder is one of a pair of dealing card holders from which cards may be dealt, wherein the pair of dealing card holders are mounted to be movable between a first position for receiving shuffled cards and a second card position from which cards are dealt, wherein the pair of dealing card holders are mounted for rotational movement around a common axis between the first and second positions.