Riffle Shuffle Method

Shuffling is actually the process of mixing the cards. There are a number of ways in which this can be done. The riffle shuffle is one of the more complicated types of shuffling methods. There are two different types of riffle shuffles, off the table riffle and the table riffle shuffle. Both of these are basically the same and the only difference is that the table is used in one of these methods.

The riffle shuffle technique

The riffle shuffle is also known as the faro shuffle. It is a very traditional method for shuffling. In this method the deck is divided into equal sizes. The two different parts are to be held in each hand. Then, the thumbs have to be riffled over the edges of the playing cards and through this movement the two parts are merged and interweaved together. With enough practice, a person can do a perfect shuffle and every other card can come from alternate hands. It is very important to shuffle cards properly for dealers - they have a possibility to win at casino employees championship.

Only riffle shuffle is enough for reordering the cards totally. However, the reordering is not random at all. The top card will still be close to the top of the deck and the bottom card would be close to the bottom. The pairs also will be in most cases adjacent to each other. For this reason it is always recommended to shuffle a few times before playing. According to the experts, seven shuffles are necessary for completely randomizing the cards.

A perfect shuffle will happen when the deck is divided into exactly half and all the cards are properly interweaved. When one card comes from one hand and the other comes from the other hand, it is considered to be the perfect shuffle. There are again two types of perfect shuffles, out shuffle and in shuffle. In an in shuffle the first card will come from the left and the second from the right. In the out shuffle the first one will come from the right.

How to perform the riffle shuffle

Given below is a guide on how to perform the riffle shuffle:

• Take a deck of cards and cut the deck into two parts. Grip the half part of the deck facing down in each hand. The thumb should be on top of the short edge and the index finger should be on the long edge. The other three fingers must be on the other shorter edge. Move both of your hands closer so that the thumbs are almost touching each other.
• Use the thumb to start riffling the cards from every deck so that the cards are interweaved. Using your thumb, bend the cards upward and then release a little pressure so that the cards are riffled.
• Once all the cards have been riffled, just push the cards together and square the deck.
• You can even bend the shorter edges to make the bridge into a dome or bridge shape. Gently release the pressure to riffle the cards and then square the deck.