How to shuffle cards correctly. Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering Shuffle Cards
The first maps appeared in China in XII century. Once upon a time, playing cards in Russia was considered not a godly activity and even illegal. But if you don’t get too carried away with cards, don’t play for money, but just entertain yourself by playing cards in good company - why not? If you dream of surprising your friends every time you play cards, learn how to shuffle cards beautifully.
Let's look at some ways to shuffle a deck of cards:
“Push-move.”
Place the entire deck in your right hand, face down (towards your palm). Then, with the thumb of your right hand, push several cards into your left hand. And again, with the thumb of your right hand, push the cards from the bottom of the deck in the left hand (e
If you are left-handed, then initially place the deck on your left palm, and move the cards to your right).Thus, by pushing the cards from above and below, the deck will move from the right hand to the left. In order for the cards to be shuffled better, the process must be repeated from the beginning, again placing the cards face down on the right hand and moving them, pushing them, to the left. Perhaps the first time such shuffling will seem difficult, the cards will fall out and scatter. But if you practice a little, everything will work out. This shuffling looks impressive, plus, the cards do not bend or deteriorate. This method is also suitable for shuffling a deck of tarot cards.
"The card method." Great for shuffling playing cards. The deck needs to be divided in half. Take half the deck in both hands, placing the cards face down (on your palm). The cards need to be mixed as they are lowered onto the table surface. That is, by lifting the ends of the cards facing each other, a card is released from each half of the deck one by one. The connected deck is then leveled. This way the cards bend a little in the middle. Sometimes this shuffle is also called the “pigeon tail”; even professional players use it. At the end of the shuffle, traditionally, the bottom of the deck is pulled out and placed on top. The deck mixes well with this method. It looks beautiful, but over time the cards can deteriorate.
"General mixing." This method will require some free space. You can use a table or lay out the cards directly on the floor. And move them there in a chaotic order. This method is good because several people can participate in it. Thus, shuffling cards becomes fun for the whole company.
Watch the video: how to shuffle a deck of cards beautifully
Learning how to shuffle cards beautifully is not difficult. You just need to practice a little. But then your friends will be surprised at your sleight of hand!
Maybe you are not going to devote yourself to the work of a casino dealer, but you will find time to play cards with your family and friends or tell them fortunes. The image of a professional card player is created automatically when others observe the art of shuffling cards. We will give you tips on how to shuffle cards effectively.
The deck of cards must be thoroughly shuffled before starting a game or other action. So that all ranks and suits are distributed evenly in it. To learn the technique of shuffling cards, you need to hold the deck in your hands more often; subconsciously your hand gets used to its weight, size, and texture. You need to shuffle the cards calmly, slowly, without unnecessary fuss.
Easy way
Strip. The deck is on the table with the wide side facing you. With the thumb and ring finger of your left hand, take the deck by the end, the index finger is on top of the back of the cards. Raise the deck a little above the table. With the thumb and ring fingers of your left hand, grab about a third of the deck. Move your left hand with the rest of the deck to the side. Place the cards in your right hand on the table and repeat the procedure with the cards in your left hand until they are all on the table.
Effective method
Riffle. The deck is on the table in front of you. Divide it approximately equally. Place the resulting stacks at an angle to each other. The index fingers rest on the shirt, the remaining fingers hold the ends of the deck. Pressing the deck with your index finger, bend the edges of the decks upward with your thumb. Combine the corners of the decks until they touch lightly and release your thumbs. The cards will be stacked one on one in turn. Using the interlocking corners of the decks, combine the two parts into a single deck.
Spectacular way
Simple card volt
Place the deck in the palm of one hand, face down. The wide side of the deck rests on the ring and middle fingers. The little finger and index finger fix the deck at the ends. The thumb is free and slightly away from the deck.
Use your thumb to separate the deck (in the corner closest to you) in the middle area, so that the lower half rests on your palm, and the corner of the upper half is held by your thumb. Next, using your index finger as a fulcrum, with your thumb, holding the angle, you begin to turn away from you. As the top of the deck moves, use your pinky and ring fingers to hold the remaining cards. When the top half scrolls over the bottom, do the following. Use your little and ring fingers to press down on the rest of the deck (it will rest on your palm at an angle). Lower the top of the deck onto your palm and cover it with the other half of the cards.
Basics mechanical engineering
This section is devoted to the simplest technical techniques, without which you cannot practice card tricks. These techniques have been used for several centuries and are basic elements in card magic. Some other sections discuss these techniques in more detail.
How to shuffle cards.
Every person who has ever played cards knows perfectly well what shuffling is and how to shuffle cards. Therefore, in this section I will provide a description of the most popular and widespread card shuffling.
Take the deck in your left hand so that the long edge of the deck lies at the base of the fingers of your left hand. The left thumb is on the back of the top card, and the tips of the other fingers are on the left side of the bottom card of the deck. Next, take the deck with your right hand, lift it up, while the thumb of your left hand pulls some of the cards off the deck, leaving this part in your hand. After this, make several movements up and down with your right hand, lowering and raising the cards and the palm of your left hand, on top of the cards that are already in your left hand. Each time the cards are placed in the palm of the left hand, the left thumb pulls one or more cards from the right hand. This process continues until there are no cards left in the right hand. Then the shuffle is repeated. During the shuffling process, you should not look at the cards. The speed of the shuffle should be average, the tempo of the shuffle should be uniform. Practice shuffling until shuffling becomes a habit.
Control of the top card. This technique allows you to leave the top card on top of the deck after shuffling. To do this, take the deck and start shuffling in the usual way, while paying attention to the fact that the thumb on your left hand pulls only one top card from the beginning of the shuffle. After this, continue shuffling the cards without stopping until the deck runs out. As a result of these actions, the top card will move to the bottom of the deck. Then shuffle the cards again so that the last card in your right hand remains alone, and you casually throw it onto the top of the deck. So, as a result of two shuffles, the top card remained on the top of the deck. When using this technique, it is necessary not to focus the attention of the audience on the shuffle, but to use a psychological technique. The shuffling should proceed as if by itself and there should not be the slightest emphasis on shuffling the cards.
Bottom card control. This technique allows you to leave the bottom card at the bottom of the deck after shuffling. To do this, take the deck and start shuffling in the usual way, with the thumb of your left hand pulling off some of the cards on top of the deck and at the same time the middle and ring fingers of your left hand pulling off the bottom card. The remaining cards are shuffled as usual. As a result of using this technique, the bottom card remains in its place.
Control of the top and bottom cards. This technique allows you to leave the top and bottom cards of the deck in their places after shuffling. To do this, take the deck and start shuffling in the usual way, with your left hand simultaneously pulling the top and bottom card, and continue shuffling the deck as usual. Then line up the cards in the deck and repeat the shuffle again, also pulling off the top and bottom cards at the beginning of the shuffle. Next, continue shuffling until there is one card left in your right hand, which is thrown to the top of the deck. As a result of using this technique, the bottom and top cards will remain in their places. This technique can be used to keep two bottom cards and one top card in their places.
This technique allows you to leave the top of the deck in its place after shuffling. This is done as follows. To do this, take the deck and before shuffling, pull off the top part of the deck, which you want to leave in place, then pull off just one card using the "ledge" technique, which is described below. Then continue shuffling the remaining deck as usual.
After the shuffle is completed, the card that will protrude will mark the place where the former top cards of the deck lie. Then with your right hand, lift the deck from your left hand, with the thumb of your right hand pressing forward on the protruding card, at the same time pushing it into the deck so that a small gap is formed in this place. With the thumb of your right hand, hold this slot and begin shuffling the cards until you reach this slot, after which all the cards that remain in your right hand are thrown to the top of the deck. As a result of using this technique, the initial top part of the deck will remain in place.
Chas (jogging). This term means a special shuffle of cards that is used as an auxiliary one. When using this shuffle, the cards are drawn strictly one at a time. To do this, take the deck, and starting the shuffle, press the thumb of your left hand to the back of the deck, your right hand lifts the deck, and the thumb of your left hand pulls off only the top card. After this, the deck is lowered and the left thumb again pulls off only the top card. The shuffling of cards continues in this manner until the entire deck is gone. Typically, this method of shuffling is used to draw two or three cards one at a time, in rare cases 6 cards, and there is no need to shuffle the entire deck, pulling only one card at a time, because such a shuffle looks unnatural and only arouses suspicion among the audience. This shuffle is very useful to use so that your fingers acquire the necessary sensitivity and lightness, which is needed in almost all shuffles. To use this shuffle you need cards in very good condition.
Projection (injog).
This technique allows you to keep a certain place in the deck under control. To do this, take the deck, start shuffling and during the shuffle the right hand moves slightly towards the body, the thumb of the left hand pulls one card so that it protrudes slightly from the inner edge of the deck.
The right hand then moves forward to its starting position and continues the shuffle as usual. The result of this is that one card will protrude from the inside edge of the deck. Next, the shuffle continues in the usual way, and the cards must be shuffled somewhat unevenly, with a shift back and forth in order to disguise the protruding card. While performing this technique, you cannot look at the cards; it is necessary for the little finger on your left hand to feel the situation and determine that the card that is protruding has taken the correct position. During long training sessions, you can leave the card protruding just a few millimeters without losing control of it.
Shooting. This technique is used after shuffling to prevent card fraud. The meaning of the technique is quite simple, you need to swap the top and bottom of the deck. To do this, you need to remove any top part of the deck and place it under the bottom of the deck.
This technique is used to create the appearance of shooting. To do this, you need to divide the deck into two parts, as in a real shooting, but the upper part must be returned back to the top. To do this, you need to use a psychological technique, you need to divert the viewer’s attention to something unimportant. Shooting is done openly, with your fingertips in a position that is convenient for observation, emphasizing the fact that you are not hiding anything.
This course of action disarms the audience. Now you are removing the bottom of the deck instead of the top, but in order for the viewer to believe that the top of the deck has been removed, you must use the index finger of your right hand, which slides along the back of the top card in such a way as to pull the top of the deck with you. Next, the right hand places the removed part of the deck on the table and returns to the left hand, then takes the remaining part of the deck and places it on top of the first part. This created the impression of visibility of the shooting.
Key card. This technique is used in the trick of finding a card. The key card helps the magician find the card that the spectator will choose. Idea given location is very simple, if you know one of the cards in the deck, then by placing the card chosen by the spectator next to this card, you can always easily find an unknown card next to your card. Your known card is called a key card because it serves as a key to finding the card the spectator has chosen. Let's consider this technique in more detail. You take a deck, memorize the card that is on the bottom of the deck, then ask the viewer to choose any card, the viewer chooses it, remembers it and puts it on top of the deck, after which the deck is removed. As a result of shooting, the spectator's card will be under the card that was at the bottom of the deck. Now you need to look through the deck and pull out the card that is under your card. This is the easiest way to find a map. You don't have to use it, you just need to know it. But this method must be used. You look at the bottom card in the deck, shuffle the cards, and keep it at the bottom with the shuffle. Without looking at the deck, remove the lower part by sliding your index finger along the upper part. After this, you invite the spectator to place the selected card on top of the cards remaining in his left hand. As soon as the spectator places his card, you cover his card with the cards from your right hand. In this way the key card will lie on top of the spectator's card, and the spectator will have the impression that you have raised the deck in the middle to return the card, and that you are completely unaware of the cards that lie next to his card. I would like to draw attention to how to handle a deck in which the key card lies next to the spectator’s card. Certainly this deck can be removed any number of times and the key card and the selected card will not be separated. Even if one shot splits the deck by accident, a subsequent shot will combine them again. Shuffling is a different matter. During the shuffling process, the key card and the spectator's card may become separated. But in order for the cards not to separate, it is necessary to shuffle like this. Let's say that the key card and the spectator's card lie somewhere in the middle of the deck. You shuffle one third of the deck in the usual way, then discard the rest of the deck. Next, you draw about two-thirds of the deck and shuffle the remaining third of the deck on top of it. This double shuffle is quite convincing, although the middle part of the deck is not shuffled at all so the key card and the spectator's card cannot separate. If we assume that the magician lets the spectator shuffle the card, then the probability of these cards being separated is quite small and therefore the magicians let the spectator shuffle the deck.
Making a key card.
To make a key card, take two identical picture cards. For one of the cards, cut off the white border around the card, and glue the middle part to the second similar card on the side of the picture. In this case, when removing cards, the key card should always be at the bottom of the deck. If the part remaining after cutting is glued on the side of the speck, then when removed it should be at the top of the deck. At a quick glance, the made card is no different from other cards, but it can be very easily found in the deck:
if you look at the deck from the side;
if you flip through cards, you can clearly hear a click;
if you feel the cards on one side.
The big advantage of this key card is that when shuffling, the key card and the card chosen by the spectator are not separated! Therefore, calmly place the chosen card by the spectator under the key card and shuffle in a cut-in manner so that the cards jump into each other. You can shuffle in this way as much as you like - the pair will not separate.
Shuffling exercises. All the shuffles discussed above are best trained with this exercise.
Take a deck of cards and turn the top card of the deck face up.
Next, shuffle the deck down and then back up.
Continue shuffling the deck, leaving the upturned card at the bottom, and then shuffle the deck back to the top.
Then turn over the bottom card and shuffle, leaving the top and bottom cards in their places.
By shuffling the deck, move the top card to the second place from the bottom of the deck, and then move the card back to the top of the deck. Be sure to check yourself.
After shuffling the cards in the above ways, start a new shuffle by pulling about one third of the deck with your left thumb, then shuffle 9 cards in one rhythm, counting to yourself 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3 , draw the tenth card using the ledge and discard the rest of the deck. Then, with your right hand, lift the deck and push the protruding card back with your thumb to create a gap underneath the upside down card. After this, pull all the cards to the slot with your left thumb, then shuffle 10 cards again and discard the rest of the deck. The deck should return to the starting point position
Almost every person in the world held a deck of cards in their hands. For some it is a simple playing instrument, for others it is used to predict fate, but for others it is a real job. Even for the simplest card games To change the order of cards in the deck and add an element of randomness, shuffling is used. People whose work involves cards, be it a dealer or a magician, know how to surprise the audience even before the performance or game begins.
Their shuffling methods are fascinating, it seems like real magic. But there are methods of shuffling that cheaters use to deceive players, so if you know how to shuffle cards, you can protect yourself from being cheated.
Basic Shuffling Methods
It is impossible to enumerate all the mixing methods. Daily experienced players, magicians and croupiers complete this list. Anyone can learn to shuffle a deck, but shuffling cards like a pro won't take a day of practice. We bring to your attention the most common methods of shuffling a deck.
Flipping
This method is the simplest and most common; it involves transferring cards from one hand to another. We take the deck with our left hand, and with our right hand we lift a small part of the cards and throw them into the deck. It is enough to do 7-8 repetitions.
Volt
This method of mixing is somewhat similar to juggling and looks very impressive. The method involves quickly shuffling cards in your hands, divided into several separate piles. Since shuffling cards using this method is not difficult, anyone can learn how to do it. First you need to divide the deck into 3 or 4 parts, holding the deck in your left hand with three fingers, with your index finger you need to lift a quarter of the cards and move them to the right. We fix our finger on the edge of the pushed cards and with our right finger push them to the left. It turns out that the stack of cards is wrapped between the palm trees and the cards are moved to the right hand. We repeat the same movements with the remaining parts. The movements are simple, but in order for the mixing to look spectacular, everything must be done quickly.
Fan
How to shuffle cards this way is clear from the name. You need to distribute the deck like a fan, divide it into two halves in two hands and pass one half of the deck between the other. In order for the cards to take on a random order, you need to do the fan several times.
Shuffle in parts
This method of shuffling is mainly used by sharpers who need to fold the cards in a special order. The essence of the method is to move the necessary cards down the deck, and shuffling the rest of the deck without affecting the ones you need. At the end of the shuffle, the sharper carefully moves the set aside cards to the top of the deck.
Swallow's tail
As in the fan, the deck of cards is divided in half and one half is passed into the other, but the cheater needs to cover one half with his right hand and describe the movements to the right side. Separating part of the deck, he again moves this part to the top. Everything happens quickly, it seems that the cards are shuffled, but in fact everything remains in place.
Foro
This is a more complex type of card shuffling and can be compared to tricks. For this method you need new deck, this trick won’t work with the old one. The idea of the number is that the cards should fit into one another almost by weight, flowing from hand to hand, as if like a waterfall. Experienced dealers advise how to learn how to shuffle cards this way: holding the deck in your left hand, drag half of the cards with your right hand, then align the halves and place them vertically one on top of the other. We gradually remove our hands, and the cards smoothly move apart.
Knowing the principle of how to shuffle cards beautifully, and having enough time to practice, you can independently learn this craft in order to surprise your family with unusual shows.
Translation of the book Shadowscapes Tarot (Stephanie Pui-Mun Law & Barbara Moon). Full list links to translations
Rituals are not a necessary part of fortune telling. Regardless, there are several reasons why it might be a good idea to incorporate a ritual or two into your practice.
Our daily life is full of bustle and distractions. Carrying out even the simplest ritual is a way to calm down, collect yourself, and focus on current tasks. Tarot reading is believed to be a connection or communication with the divine. And this communication proceeds favorably when your mind is open, everyday logic subsides, and intuition is activated. By performing a ritual before fortune-telling, you help restructure your mind and tune it to fortune-telling. Finally, if you are telling fortunes to someone, then the ritual will help this person calm down, collect himself, and focus. The ritual will allow you to enter a supersensible state, thanks to which the person will become more receptive to the message that you receive during fortune telling.
Rituals can be as complex or simple as you wish. Your personal ritual may consist of one or a series of actions. We provide a list of what other tarot readers do. Try some of these actions, individually or in combination, and see which one works for you:
Change into special clothes for laying out cards;
- Always shuffle and remove cards in the same way;
- Place your feet flat on the floor, fold your hands on your knees, close your eyes and concentrate;
- Light the candle;
- Turn on the music;
- Say a prayer or spell;
- Light some incense.
How to shuffle, remove, draw cards
Before you start fortune telling, shuffle the deck thoroughly. There are many ways to do this. You can shuffle them around, like most people do with playing cards. If you think this method may damage your cards, use the shuffling method, in which one hand throws the cards onto the other. If the deck is too large (or your hands are too small) for this method, you can shuffle the cards by placing them face down on the table.
Raising the deck is just a beautiful gesture. In the case of playing cards, picking up plays the role of protection against cheating, but in fortune telling it is just part of the ritual. Divide the deck into two or more pieces, and then put the deck back together by swapping the pieces. Some fortune tellers do this with their weak hand (for a right-handed person, the weak hand is the left, for a left-handed person - the right. Approx. zmeykina).
Card Draw refers to the manner in which you draw cards from the deck and place them in the spread position. You can draw cards from the top or bottom of the deck. You can fan out the deck on the table and select the required number of cards to be dealt in any order, stacking them and then placing them in the layout positions from top to bottom.
If you are telling fortunes to someone else, decide who will shuffle and cut the deck: just you, just that person, or both of you. Some tarot readers do not allow anyone to touch their deck. Others believe that it is important that the cards mix the energy of both parties involved.
Some people prefer to play cards face up, others face down. Laying out the cards face down has the advantage that the plot is built the moment each card is revealed. new map; this allows you to focus on the card without scattering your attention to the cards that come later. Laying out the cards face up allows you to see the layout as a whole and as an overall picture of information even before you highlight individual cards within it.
Reading the layout
Reading a layout is a review of the information reflected in the layout. Since you already know that different groups of cards in a deck have specific meanings, you can incorporate your knowledge of the basic structure of a tarot deck into your reading of the spread. The Major Arcana represent significant events in life, cups - emotions and relationships, aces - new beginnings, etc.
However, there is something else that tarot readers pay attention to. If there are a large number of court cards in a reading, it could mean that there are too many people involved in the situation. Knights can mean a rapidly developing situation, especially when combined with the Eight of Wands. Aces, twos and threes can indicate a situation in the early stages; fours, fives and sixes - in the middle, sevens, eights and nines - situations close to resolution; ten shows the end of a situation or cycle. When you have laid out the spread, pay attention to the number of Major Arcana, suits, numbers or court cards. You may also want to pay attention to repeating colors, symbols, or images that speak to your intuition.
If, for example, you are telling fortunes about relationships and a lot of wands appear in the layout, there are no cups, and there are fours, this may indicate that the overall situation is not rosy - there are problems and possible stagnation. Then, by interpreting each card in its position, you add detail.
Cleaning your deck is close to a ritual, but you only clean the deck after fortune telling, and not before. This is a way to symbolically and energetically clear your cards of unwanted external influences and return the deck to a neutral state. You can go through your deck and lay out the cards in a straight position in order, or pass each card over the smoke of smoking sage. Store your cards with your crystal or rose quartz. Leave the deck on the windowsill under the light of the full moon.
Logging
Many tarot readers write down their readings in a journal. For them it is a tool for learning the tarot. By saving information about the layouts, you can then return to them and see how the situation you predicted unfolded in reality. You can see if your prediction was accurate or if you missed specific details.
Another preferred journaling technique is to choose a card of the day (or whatever frequency you prefer) and use the card as inspiration for your essay. The essay is written in a limited time period: try starting with five minutes. You write without paying attention to grammar, punctuation and other such things. Just write about whatever the card inspires you to do. Once you have written, write down what you know about the meaning of the card and combine it with what you wrote.
If you keep a journal, you will be able to notice all your insights, discoveries and insights. Go back to your journal and re-read it from time to time. You may be surprised that you have forgotten some meanings, or you may notice that some nuances that you did not pay attention to have become relevant in the present.
And now, it’s time to look into the artist’s notes, get acquainted with her maps, created by her with magic and care, full of wisdom and visual beauty.
