Methods of playing commission-free pai gow poker games are disclosed. The commission-free pai gow poker games have multiple features, including a novel push mechanise and a novel copy-fostering mechanism, that provide a gaming establishment with an adequate house edge without the need to charge a commission on player wins. The features of the commission-free pai gow poker games may be incorporated in one or more instruction sets or software configured in one or more mechanical devices and/or electronic devices. Furthermore, the features may be configured in one or more displays in communication with one or more servers as desired. Furthermore, the commission-free pai gow poker games may be offered in a non-gaming media environment as desired.

A wheel assembly for a rotary shuffling device includes a fixed base portion with a central opening formed therein and a lower wheel assembly portion secured to the fixed base portion. The lower wheel assembly portion includes a flange portion and a sleeve portion extending from an underside of the flange portion. The sleeve portion is received within the central opening. The flange portion includes a central aperture formed therein. A bearing is disposed within the sleeve portion. An upper wheel assembly portion is in rotational communication with the lower wheel assembly portion. The upper wheel assembly portion has a top portion and a hub portion extending from an underside of the top portion. The hub portion includes an axle portion extending therefrom and through the central aperture for engagement with the bearing.

A wheel assembly for a rotary shuffling device includes a fixed base portion with a central opening formed therein and a lower wheel assembly portion secured to the fixed base portion. The lower wheel assembly portion includes a flange portion and a sleeve portion extending from an underside of the flange portion. The sleeve portion is received within the central opening. The flange portion includes a central aperture formed therein. A bearing is disposed within the sleeve portion. An upper wheel assembly portion is in rotational communication with the lower wheel assembly portion. The upper wheel assembly portion has a top portion and a hub portion extending from an underside of the top portion. The hub portion includes an axle portion extending therefrom and through the central aperture for engagement with the bearing.

A playing card handling device comprises an elevator platform configured to receive one or more cards from an input platform to form a shuffled set of cards, a card gripper positioned above the elevator platform, and configured to grip cards from the shuffled set of cards, and a processor configured to control the elevator platform to have a grip position for the card gripper to grip the shuffled set of cards, wherein the grip position is adjusted based, at least in part, on a correction value associated with a particular card insertion. A related method includes determining a grip position of an elevator platform of a card handling device based, at least in part, on a desired insertion location within a stack of shuffled cards as adjusted based on a corrective value that is different for a plurality of different insertion locations.

A playing card handling device comprises an elevator platform configured to receive one or more cards from an input platform to form a shuffled set of cards, a card gripper positioned above the elevator platform, and configured to grip cards from the shuffled set of cards, and a processor configured to control the elevator platform to have a grip position for the card gripper to grip the shuffled set of cards, wherein the grip position is adjusted based, at least in part, on a correction value associated with a particular card insertion. A related method includes determining a grip position of an elevator platform of a card handling device based, at least in part, on a desired insertion location within a stack of shuffled cards as adjusted based on a corrective value that is different for a plurality of different insertion locations.

A system and method of shuffling decks of cards is disclosed including verifying that the shuffled deck of cards has the same number of cards as the deck of cards had had when a manual verification process was performed at the initiation of use of the deck of cards. Using the measured weight of the deck of cards after completion of shuffling, the number of cards in the shuffled deck of cards is verified. A cut card may be introduced to reduce the possibility of exposing the hole card to view. Two decks of cards may be used in sequence so that a first deck of cards is being used to play the game of cards while the second deck of cards is being shuffled and verified.

A system and method of shuffling decks of cards is disclosed including verifying that the shuffled deck of cards has the same number of cards as the deck of cards had had when a manual verification process was performed at the initiation of use of the deck of cards. Using the measured weight of the deck of cards after completion of shuffling, the number of cards in the shuffled deck of cards is verified. A cut card may be introduced to reduce the possibility of exposing the hole card to view. Two decks of cards may be used in sequence so that a first deck of cards is being used to play the game of cards while the second deck of cards is being shuffled and verified.

A card shuffler that moves cards one at a time from the bottom of a group that may be a deck in a deck-crib, to randomly designated single-card receptacles in a receiving or dealing rack, and methods for shuffling and for dealing cards. Either the deck-crib or the receiving rack is moved by a motor to align a single-card receptacle, randomly selected from among remaining empty single-card receptacles, with an outfeed slot of the deck-crib to receive each card to be moved from the deck-crib. A single card is moved from the deck-crib by a card mover mechanism that may include an auxiliary card pusher to ensure that the card is placed fully into the selected single-card receptacle. A controller can cause the dealing rack to move so as to allow a selected number of cards to be removed by the dealer for dealing as a player hand or a dealer hand. A card presentation pusher may make a group of the cards in the dealing rack available to be grasped by the dealer for removal. A card reader may be included, and positions in the receiving or dealing rack of cards identified by the card reader can be stored in memory in the controller.

A card shuffler that moves cards one at a time from the bottom of a group that may be a deck in a deck-crib, to randomly designated single-card receptacles in a receiving or dealing rack, and methods for shuffling and for dealing cards. Either the deck-crib or the receiving rack is moved by a motor to align a single-card receptacle, randomly selected from among remaining empty single-card receptacles, with an outfeed slot of the deck-crib to receive each card to be moved from the deck-crib. A single card is moved from the deck-crib by a card mover mechanism that may include an auxiliary card pusher to ensure that the card is placed fully into the selected single-card receptacle. A controller can cause the dealing rack to move so as to allow a selected number of cards to be removed by the dealer for dealing as a player hand or a dealer hand. A card presentation pusher may make a group of the cards in the dealing rack available to be grasped by the dealer for removal. A card reader may be included, and positions in the receiving or dealing rack of cards identified by the card reader can be stored in memory in the controller.

An illuminated outcome determination device includes a controller, a random number generator (RNG), and a carousel including a plurality of sectors disposed around the carousel. A plurality of lights are disposed around the carousel corresponding to the sectors. The sectors may include fixed or removable indicia for different outcomes of a casino game. The RNG determines a winning sectors, and the controller illuminates the winning sector via the plurality of lights to determine the winning outcome that is located at the winning sector. The controller may include a sound module that generates a sound along with the illumination of the lights to mimic rotation around the carousel. The carousel may remain fixed in place with the lights being illuminated in a circle around the fixed carousel.