An assembly for product support and deployment for a vending machine includes a product chute, a pusher, a pusher drive assembly, and a controller. The product chute is configured to receive a plurality of products stacked on one another. The product chute includes an exit opening through which a respective product of the plurality of products is dispensed. The pusher drive assembly is operatively connected with the pusher and is configured so as to move the pusher in at least two mutually perpendicular axes. The controller is in communication with the pusher drive assembly. The controller is configured to control operation of the pusher drive assembly such that the pusher pushes the respective product being dispensed towards the exit opening and supports or lifts the remaining products in the chute against the force of gravity prior to the respective product fully exiting the product chute through the exit opening.

Card handling devices may include a card shuffling apparatus and a card output portion having a card buffer area positioned at an interface of the card shuffling apparatus and the card output portion. The card output portion may be configured to move relative to the card shuffling apparatus and alter the orientation of the card buffer area. Card handling devices having a substantially flat card output area may include an interface portion having an at least substantially flat draw surface. The substantially flat card output area may permit playing cards to be drawn from an outlet of the substantially flat card output area in a plurality of at least substantially horizontal directions. Methods of shuffling playing cards may include altering an orientation of a card buffer area and inserting cards into the card buffer area at both a top and a bottom of a group of cards within the card buffer area.