Is there a strategy for playing with a One2Six shuffler

I started with a forum search for the One2Six shuffler then expanded it into a web search. The only thing I found was Shuffle Machines - 103 on the Boris on Blackjack website and one 2 six Shufflemaster - Buy? thread on the Las Vegas Advisor website. The Boris site had little on the shuffler but Pom's reply on the Advisor's site mentioned that on One2Six tables that he wins about 40% of nights he plays and the other 60% favours the house.

Is the appropriate strategy to determine whether to pass or not for a One2Six table to watch a table for a number of rounds played, compare the ratio of rounds that favour players using basic strategy to the house? If so, would 7 to 10 rounds be enough?

The One2six is a CSM and should be avoided at all costs unless thats all there is. Basic strategy does not change either.

The shoe game tables have the cut card placed about two inches from the back of the deck and usually the tables full with 6-7 players, so I'm stuck with flat betting to start with. I noticed that some of the csms were behaving like the pom's post. Is there any validity to it and if they can be exploited this way, even if its for a short duration?

The answer to your question is no. If you are not counting CSMs won't hurt you anymore than a shoe dealt game except that you will play more hands per hour. The idea from a counter's view is to boycott CSMs so the casinos will remove them. It has worked. If you are not counting the poor penetration in the shoe game won't affect you.

If you are referring to David Pom, I'll just say that he is not held in very hard regard by APs or serious blackjack players. There is no need to stray form the Wizard's sites until you have a very thorough understanding of the game of blackjack.

My experience has been that the one2six shufflers malfunction less than the shufflemaster upright shufflers. This means more hands per hour. However, when the one2six shufflers DO malfunction, it takes FOREVER to get them started up again. Regardless, they are not good and cannot be beat from a counting standpoint.

Check with your casino though. Some of them only use 4 or 5 decks on the machines, so that does lower the house edge slightly... not enough to overcome the extra hands played, but if you're going to play a small number of hands you might be better off.

My suggestion when forced to play the one2six csm is to take a 3-5 minute break every 15-20 minute to simulate the shuffling process of a shoe game.