For tonight’s game, should you use game mode to deal each hand, or shuffle mode and deal the cards yourself?
Two to six poker players
For a poker table of up to six players, LeShuffler recommends game mode. Choose Texas Hold’em and the number of players, and LeShuffler shuffles and deals the cards face down.
With two players, the hole cards go directly onto the table, one to each player in turn. From three players, they go into the internal tray in dealing order, ready for the dealer to collect and hand round. Community cards go onto the table. You can change these arrangements for each game; LeShuffler remembers your choice.
When the round ends, feed only the spent cards back into the machine. Reloading starts the next round. In game mode, LeShuffler shuffles continuously, so one deck is enough. In Hold’em, the wait is short: the time from reloading the spent cards to having the next hole cards is about 10 to 15 seconds heads-up, or 25 to 30 seconds with six players.
Seven players or more
From seven players up to a full table of ten, LeShuffler recommends shuffle mode with two decks with different-coloured backs in turn. One is in play while the other is shuffled. Most rounds last longer than the shuffle, so the next deck is ready before the round ends.
In shuffle mode, LeShuffler loads the cards automatically, shuffles them and releases them fully randomised into the exit tray. You deal them yourself. It accepts up to 54 cards, so two jokers can be added to the deck, and a full 52-card shuffle takes 1:20 ± 5 s. If the count differs from 52, LeShuffler asks you to confirm it and remembers the size.
Shuffle mode also suits a smaller table if you prefer to deal yourself.
What if you play something else?
Game mode has more than 30 games in Poker, Casino and Classics. You can create up to five custom games, or use Deal N Cards to deal a chosen number of cards, from one to every card in the machine. Keep frequently played games in Favorites.
For poker with changing variants, Dealer’s Choice lets the dealer pick each round’s game from a selected group. Shuffler’s Choice picks at random from that group and never repeats the same game twice in a row.
If your game uses two decks shuffled together, such as Burraco, the separate two-deck shuffle mode takes up to 108 cards. This mode shuffles only.
Whichever mode you use, the card order comes from the same built-in true random number generator, fed by a live physical signal.
If you plan to rotate two decks, How to use two decks explains the steps.