How to Do the Pharaoh Shuffle With Playing Cards

The pharaoh shuffle is one of the older card shuffles utilized by magicians. Beginning with the same hold as a weave shuffle, the pharaoh shuffle offers another way to visually distract or entertain an audience. Perform the shuffle on either a flat surface or between the hands in the air.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Hold the deck in your left hand with your left thumb in the middle of the long inside edge and your middle, ring and little finger on the longer outside edge. The index finger is on the top shorter edge of the deck.

2. Split the deck into two using the index finger on the top edge of the deck. Pull the inner stack in toward your palm. Both stacks are resting in the left hand.

3. Use the left index finger to push the lower stack down an inch visibly separating the two halves of the deck.

4. Grab the lower stack with the right hand and hold between the fingertips with the cards facing down. This means the index finger is on the top edge, the thumb is on the left long edge and the index, ring and little finger finish the framing on the right long edge of the deck half.

5. Use the right index finger to position to the deck halves so that the closest shorter edges touch each other. The index finger pushes down on the right-hand deck. Lining up the two short edges accurately makes the intertwine motion in step 6 much easier.

6. Manipulate the corner of the left-hand deck, rocking it from side to side and into the short edge of the right hand deck. Connect the two deck halves by rocking the corner back and forth as you push the cards into each other. Make sure the cards are together about an inch in preparation for the shuffle action.

7. Squeeze the two outer short edges of the cards using a hand on each side making a bridge shape that allows the stacks of cards to combine into a single pile.