Guessing Strategies for Shuffling Machines

Abstract

We investigate a one-time single shelf shuffle by establishing the position matrix explicitly. In some cases, we prove a no-feedback optimal guessing strategy. A general no-feedback strategy is conjectured, and asymptotics for the expected reward are given. For the complete-feedback case, we give a guessing strategy, prove that it is optimal and unique, and find the expected reward. Our results prove a conjecture of Diaconis, Fulman, and Holmes in a special case.