Abstract: A module for announcing when a dealer has blackjack without exposing the face of the dealer's down-card. The module scans a character from the dealer's face-down standard playing card, compares the result of the scan with a set of references, and identifies the down-card. The module also receives input from the dealer as to the identity of the dealer's up-card, and announces whether the dealer has blackjack or the hand continues. The module is designed to be mounted to a blackjack table such that the surface of the module on which the standard playing card rests while being scanned is in the plane of the surface of the blackjack table, allowing the dealer to slide the down-card across the table and onto the scanner without lifting, and potentially exposing, the card's face. The module also removes the noise generated by a casino's heat, dust, cigarette and cigar ashes, and lint from the felt of the blackjack table, during the scanning process.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for detecting malfunctions in an automatic card shuffler device of the type which randomly extracts cards from two or more storage wells. Detection is accomplished by sensing the failure of a card to be extracted for a storage well and counting the number of successive failures from each storage well. When the number of successive extraction failures associated with any one storage well reaches a predetermined value, an alarm is activated.