Comments on: How to Shuffle Cards

on 7/2/2006 Eight perfect riffle shuffles (perfect meaning the cards alternate left, right, left etc. and must be equal packets) will result in the deck returning to the starting order.

on 3/21/2006 Hold the deck in the right hand (if you're right handed), then hold the cards like you would in a normal riffle shuffle; index finger on back of the deck, nail touching, thumb at the bottom of the deck and middle, ring finger and pinky on the top.

Step one: Place your left hand under the deck with middle ring and pinky touching, index out to the side and thumb near the bottom.

Step two): Start to riffle cards onto the left fingers until you've reached about half way, stop here and hold the cards up in the right hand and the others resting on the left.

Step three: Put your thumb on the bottom of the bottom half and pull down to separate decks.

Step four: Quickly switch the thumb for the index finger and put your thumb on the top of the deck (you should now have both hands ready for regular riffle shuffle).

With practice this can be performed followed by a riffle shuffle, followed by a riffle (to align all the cards) and then repeated for a really neat looking shuffle.

on 2/12/2007 Mathematics shows that at least seven shuffles are needed to randomize the cards. More shuffles than that do not affect the randomness.

on 11/22/2005 While the cards are in two joined piles(but not pushed together), raise the hands a few inches off the table, holding the cards with all fingers under the sides of each pile with your thumbs on top. Still in position, bend
the cards in the shape of a rainbow and gently squeeze the cards. With practice, they should come shooting downward into both hands, card after card, in one neat pile or shuffled deck.

on 11/22/2005 My mom taught me to shuffle more than seven times in order to make them random. It also depends on the game you are playing. If you are playing crazy eights you might want to shuffle about 10-13 times.

on 11/22/2005 The person to the right of the dealer has the right to cut the cards.

on 11/22/2005 When doing this shuffle technique, simply organize the cards into their suits, in ascending or descending order. Stack the blacks to form one pile, then stack the reds into another pile. All you need to do is shuffle them once, deal the cards face up into their suits, and you should get alternating suits -one black and one red, in the order you separated the suits.

on 11/22/2005 a faro shuffle enable you to perfectly weave the cards one-by-on and can be used to conrol the order and placement of an individual card.

each half of the deck is squared as accurately as possible. the lower right corner of the left hand packet catches just below the upper left corner of the top card of the right-hand packet and with gentle pressure and a rolling motion of the righ hand the cards are woven together. 8 faro shuffles in this manner will return the deck to precisely the order in which you began.