Shuffle Master gears up for AGE with game-changing innovations

"The new Equinox cabinet is firing on all cylinders and we are confident that Shuffle Master's AGE lineup has never been better. With a multitude of new games on display, AGE provides a great opportunity to flaunt the strength of our themes and the innovative features our game designers have built into them," stated Adrian Halpenny, President of Shuffle Master Australasia. "We believe that this year's show will be one of the most exciting in our history and will underscore Shuffle Master's deep commitment to making gaming more fun for players and more profitable for operators."

The exhibit will highlight key innovations from Shuffle Master's five product categories:
High-Performance Games for the Equinox Cabinet.

Shuffle Master will showcase its wide variety of slot machine titles that feature stunning graphics, enticing progressive jackpots and rewarding free game features. This year's lineup includes such standalone progressives as: The Pink Panther 1 Returns, Potion Power and Fortune games; all Fortune games feature a unique active symbol function known as All Up.
With the All Up bet, players can select to activate 5 symbols per game from the button panel. The symbols change from various colors to gold and offer greater wins for the amount of gold symbols played.

Its new two-level stand-alone progressive is Cats, Hats & Bats, one of the most popular low denomination games of 2011. Players will have the chance to win up to 13 free games and the screen-trembling Bat Splat feature awards prizes up to 16 times. Players who enjoy Cats, Hats & Bats will no doubt be "ribbeted" by Hubble, Bubble & Trubble. This standalone progressive combines all of the action of Cats, Hats & Bats but centers on berserk frogs.

The firm will also unveil a new link for the Queensland market, Pirates Revenge, a 50 line 4-level progressive with entertainment galore in the alluring Medallion feature. Following on from the success of King of Babylon released in March this year, look out for Wolf Mountain, another 50 cent three-level progressive destined to be a hit.

New e-Table offerings
Rapid Select for Rapid Table Games will be front and center at the exhibit and offers anticipated superior flexibility needed in Australasian busy casinos. Combining a live dealer and a touch-screen electronic betting interface, the Rapid line of electronic table systems is anticipated to dramatically increase game security and productivity by automating the wagering process.

It is the latest enhancement to the Rapid platform and includes a multigame feature which gives players the flexibility to choose which Rapid game - Baccarat, Roulette, or Sic Bo - they would like to play on their terminal, without ever having to leave their seat. Enhanced live statistics are available at the touch of a button and seamless betting can be conducted across multiple games. Operators are expected to benefit from increased reporting functions that enable betting traffic to be monitored by zones. With the capability to accommodate over 300 terminals per table and up to 6 tables of each game type, betting limits can be easily configured to suit each betting position.

Also highlighted at the show will be Vegas Star Grand Baccarat, a fully electronic baccarat table that combines a virtual dealer on a central plasma screen with individual touch-screen betting terminals and features the enticing Grand Tie jackpot side bet. The Grand Tie side bet is triggered by tied 8's and 9's. Up to 10 gold cards are dealt with each gold card awarding either a major or mini jackpot, or a bonus credit prize.

The latest Specialty table games
This year's exhibit will feature progressives for some of Shuffle Master's most popular specialty table games such as Ultimate Texas Hold'em, Mississippi Stud and Crazy 4 Poker. Chip sensors embedded in the table allow players to place an optional jackpot wager to potentially win fixed prizes or a continuously incrementing progressive jackpot.

Progressives enhance specialty games by creating additional action, excitement and volatility, therefore increasing profitability for the casino. The firm will also present two new "up-and-comers", Rabbit Hunter with Bad Beat Bonus and Face-Up Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus.

"Australian players have an appetite for the excitement that live table games provide and they are adaptive to new games," Halpenny added. "We are confident that our new specialty games and progressives will meet that market niche of players looking for something different."

Intuitive Card Shufflers
Shuffle Master's card shufflers are designed to increase table game productivity, profitability and security. The new MD2CR shuffler will be prominently featured at the show, demonstrating the advanced capabilities of the latest shuffling technology. Utilizing the same optical card-reading technology that has been so successful on the company's i-Deal shuffler, the MD2CR scans and verifies pre-shuffled blackjack and baccarat decks right at the table. Featuring an innovative platform and gripper system, the MD2CR counts and shuffles up to eight decks of cards quickly and quietly, and significantly reduces wear and tear, making cards last longer.

Key utility offerings: Easy Chipper D and i-Verify
With improved chip handling, better safety features and less moving parts, the new Easy Chipper D provides quick and accurate chip sorting, which increases the number of spins per hour. It is also enhanced with an easy to use touch-screen interface that makes it easier than ever to set the machine's features.

The i-Verify, an LCD touch-screen display that is embedded into a felt table, provides increased security and reduces dealer training for "house way" games like Fortune Pai Gow Poker and Fortune San Lo Poker. When used in conjunction with an i-Deal shuffler, the i-Verify tells the dealer exactly how to set his or her hand, according to the prescribed house procedure.

"I am very proud of what the Australasian team has accomplished over the past year, introducing the Equinox cabinet to the market, and further strengthening our market leadership in high-denomination games," commented Shuffle Master's CEO, Gavin Isaacs. "I look forward to what I believe will be very positive reception of our exciting new titles and multiple product innovations at AGE."

Live updates and pictures from Shuffle Master's booth at the show will be available on www.twitter.com/shufflemaster and www.twitter.com/shfl_news.