A playing card handling device, comprising: a card infeed area having a playing card support surface for supporting a stack of playing cards; a playing card collection area; a card removing system for moving playing cards individually from a bottom of the stack of playing cards in the card infeed area to the playing card collection area; a card weight located in the card infeed area, the card weight comprising a first pivoting arm that is automatically movable by a motor between at least two positions, wherein: in a first position, the card weight is disengaged from a playing card at a top of the stack of playing cards; and in a second, engaged position, the card weight is engaged with a playing card at the top of the stack of playing cards; an elevator for raising and lowering playing cards in the playing card collection area; a set of grippers for grasping edges of playing cards in the playing card collection area; and: a second pivoting arm located in the playing card collection area, the second pivoting arm being movable between a first, retracted position and a second position above the playing cards supported by the grippers; and a processor in the playing card handling device configured to direct movement of the second pivoting arm between at least the first, retracted position and the second position when information is known to the processor that a number of cards less than or equal to a predetermined number of cards is supported by the grippers. a card infeed area having a playing card support surface for supporting a stack of playing cards; a playing card collection area; a card removing system for moving playing cards individually from a bottom of the stack of playing cards in the card infeed area to the playing card collection area; a card weight located in the card infeed area, the card weight comprising a first pivoting arm that is automatically movable by a motor between at least two positions, wherein: in a first position, the card weight is disengaged from a playing card at a top of the stack of playing cards; and in a second, engaged position, the card weight is engaged with a playing card at the top of the stack of playing cards; in a first position, the card weight is disengaged from a playing card at a top of the stack of playing cards; and in a second, engaged position, the card weight is engaged with a playing card at the top of the stack of playing cards; an elevator for raising and lowering playing cards in the playing card collection area; a set of grippers for grasping edges of playing cards in the playing card collection area; and: a second pivoting arm located in the playing card collection area, the second pivoting arm being movable between a first, retracted position and a second position above the playing cards supported by the grippers; and a processor in the playing card handling device configured to direct movement of the second pivoting arm between at least the first, retracted position and the second position when information is known to the processor that a number of cards less than or equal to a predetermined number of cards is supported by the grippers. a second pivoting arm located in the playing card collection area, the second pivoting arm being movable between a first, retracted position and a second position above the playing cards supported by the grippers; and a processor in the playing card handling device configured to direct movement of the second pivoting arm between at least the first, retracted position and the second position when information is known to the processor that a number of cards less than or equal to a predetermined number of cards is supported by the grippers.