How to Do the Hindu Shuffle With Playing Cards

Shuffling cards is an art form and learning how to create dramatic displays for magic tricks or simply entertaining friends is a matter of practice, practice, practice. Perform the Hindu shuffle either on or off the table.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Hold the pack in your right hand with your thumb along the lower inside long edge and your middle and ring fingers on the outside lower long edge. Place the index finger on top of the deck on the center of the back with the fingernail curled under, applying a little pressure. The little finger is floating freely.

2. Use the left thumb and middle finger to peel a smaller pack of cards horizontally out of the pack. This means lifting approximately 7 cards from the middle of the stack by splitting the deck, lifting up on a few cards and pulling them out of the middle. The right hand secures the remainder of the deck to make the pulling easier.

3. Place the remainder of the deck in the right hand almost on top of the smaller deck in the left hand. The cards do not drop onto the smaller pack.

4. Lift another small pack from the middle of the larger deck using the thumb of the left hand and separate it horizontally from the right hand. Lift up with left thumb and pull down with right thumb simultaneously to execute a smoother move.

5. Repeat Steps 2, 3 and 4 as many times as necessary for the cards to be well shuffled, letting the remainder of the deck fall into your left hand as you do.

6. Keep the cards straight in your left hand as you shuffle by pushing on the shorter outer edge with the smaller pack of cards in your right hand. This will make the shuffle easier and the visual effect neater.