How to Shuffle Cards Like a Pro – A Complete Guide

I love playing cards and have mastered every type of shuffle imaginable. I will teach you, in detail, all the standard ways to shuffle cards like a pro, plus my favorite shuffle, the Waterfall shuffle.

I am right handed. If you are a lefty switch hands.

Here is a quick video demonstrating each of the shuffles.

How to Shuffle a Deck of Cards

Riffle Shuffle – In The Hands

Grip the deck from above with your right thumb at the inner edge, your 1st finger curled on top, your 2nd and 3rd fingers at the outer edge, and your 4th finger (pinky) along the right edge.

It is important to hold the deck deep in your hand with your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers protruding over the edge. This will give you a firm grip so you don’t drop cards.

With your palm up left hand place the tips of your left 2nd and 3rd fingers against the center of the bottom of the deck. Bend the deck by pressing with the back of your right 1st finger.

Riffle cards off your right thumb until you split the deck in half. Momentarily clip the packet you riffled off between your left 1st and 2nd fingers.

Lever the packet up into your left hand with the pads of your right 2nd and 3rd fingers. Grip the cards in the same deep grip as your right hand, your thumbs at the very edges.

Press down with the backs of your 1st fingers and bend the packets upward. Riffle one card at a time off your thumbs and interlace them about 1/2″. Push the packets together or do the Bridge.

Pro Tip

The deeper you hold the packet in your hand the more control you will have.

The Bridge

Move the packets as deep as possible into your hands so they rest against the base of your fingers. Keep your thumbs on top and move your 1st fingers over the front edge.

Press down with your thumbs keeping the cards in place. Bend the left and right sides down creating tension. Slowly open your hands and the cards will weave together.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Magic Tricks With Cards – What Really Works

Riffle Shuffle – On The Table

Your grip is everything:

Left Hand Grip

• 2nd and 3rd fingers at the left outer edge
• Thumb at the left inner edge
• 1st finger resting naturally on top
• Use your left pinky to square the left side

Right Hand Grip

• 2nd finger at the right outer edge
• Thumb at the right inner edge
• 1st finger resting naturally on top
• Use your right 3rd finger to square the right side

Lift up half the deck with your right thumb. Slide the top packet to the right and the bottom packet to the left. Move the packets toward each other. Press down on the packets with your 1st fingers and bend the packets upward with your thumbs.

Let cards riffle off your thumbs one at a time and interlace. Square the shuffled cards together.

Do not deviate from the grip, even if it feels unnatural. You will get used to it. Go slowly. Put in the practice time until it becomes 2nd nature.

Blackjack Riffle Shuffle

You may be able to see the cards during a standard table riffle shuffle. Casinos require a tighter shuffle, a riffle at the very inner corners of the packets.

Strip Shuffle

Grip the deck by the right side. Break off a small group of cards from the top with your left thumb. Move your right hand with the deck diagonally forward and to the right. Let the packet in your left hand drop to the table.

Bring your right hand back and repeat. Strip packets in a circular motion. Do it 4 or 5 times and drop the rest on top. Square up the deck.

These are also called Running Cuts. They look very nice and professional. They are perfect after a table riffle shuffle.

Your left hand doesn’t really move much, it just takes off packets of cards. Your right hand does all the movement.

Wash Shuffle

Basically you are just moving the cards around the table with both hands. This isn’t a great shuffle and it is a pain gathering the cards into one deck again. I guess if you absolutely cannot shuffle the cards this is better than nothing.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Learn the 21 Card Trick in Under Five Minutes

Weave Shuffle

It is important to keep the cards nice and squared up. Hold the cards with your left hand in straddle grip:

• Thumb at the middle of the side
• 2nd and 3rd fingers on the opposite side
• 1st finger at the middle of the outer edge
• 4th finger at the middle of the inner edge.

Grip the inner edge of the deck from above with your right thumb and 3rd finger. Press down on the deck with your 1st finger and break off half the deck with your thumb.

Tap the front edge of the top half against the top of the bottom half. Use your right thumb, 2nd, and 3rd fingers, and your pinky at the inner edge to tightly square the deck.

The Weave

You need to create a little bit of tension. Press on the bottom inner left corner of the packet in your left hand with the nail of your left pinky. Bow the packet in your right hand by pressing with the tip of your right 1st finger.

Bring the corners together. Rest the right hand packet on your left pinky. Keep the tension with your right 1st finger and let go with your left pinky. Press gently and slightly rotate the packets inward. The cards will weave together.

Push the halves together and square up the deck.

Cascade Finish

Push the cards together about an inch or two. Grip the cards from below with your left thumb on the left side, your left 2nd finger on the right side, and your left 1st finger curled underneath.

Grip the deck from above with your right 2nd and 3rd fingers at the outer edge and your thumb at the inner edge. Maintain pressure with your left 1st finger underneath and bow the deck downward.

Remove your left 1st finger and let the cards cascade together.

Pro Tips

• Keep both halves tight and squared the whole time.
• Interlace only the corners together, not the whole bottom edge. It is easier.
• Be gentle when weaving the cards.

This is also called the Faro Shuffle. It is a very elegant shuffle, great for card trick purposes. This shuffle will never be allowed in a casino because you have to pick up the cards.

Waterfall Shuffle

The weaving part of this shuffle is exactly the same as the Weave Shuffle above. Push the packets together a tiny bit, you don’t want them interlaced too tightly.

The Waterfall

While interlaced rotate the packets toward each other forming a V shape. To keep cards from falling press the bottom card against the deck with your left pinky and the top card against the deck with your right thumb.

Tuck your right 2nd and 3rd fingers against your palm and extend your right 1st and 4th fingers. Place the deck between. Press your left thumb against the bottom card in place of your left pinky.

Move your left hand beneath ready to catch the cards. Let go with your left thumb and let the cards fall into your hand.

Pro Tip

This is very nice ending for the Weave Shuffle. This shuffle is very impressive and my favorite shuffle to do, definitely the shuffle I use most. It doesn’t bend the cards and looks amazing.

When you weave the cards together have the face card of the right hand packet (inner packet) become the new bottom card. This allows you to keep the deck in place by applying pressure with your left pinky.

Hindu Shuffle

Hold the deck from above with your right thumb and 2nd finger at the inner edge. Curl your right 1st naturally on top. From below take small packets off the top with your left thumb and 2nd finger. Let the packets fall into your left hand, which acts as a cradle.

Your right hand does all the moving. You can take off as many packets as you want. I recommend 4 or 5.

Overhand Shuffle

Hold the deck in your right hand with your thumb at the inner edge and your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers at the outer edge. Use your left thumb to peel small packets off the top of the deck and take them into your left hand.

Take about 4 packets and then throw the rest on top. Go slowly, it will help you avoid dropping cards.

One-Handed Shuffle

Make sure the cards are squared up tightly. Hold the deck face up in your left hand in straddle grip:

• Thumb at the middle of the side
• 2nd and 3rd fingers on the opposite side
• 1st finger curled underneath
• 4th finger at the middle of the inner edge.

With the tip of your left 1st finger break open the deck about halfway down. Balance the upper half on the tips of your left 2nd and 3rd fingers.

Grip the lower half between the tips of your left thumb and 1st finger. Open your hand and slide the upper packet against the nail of your left 1st finger until the packets are next to each other, with your 1st finger in between.

Pivot the inners corners and squeeze them together so they interlace. Move your left pinky to the side of the deck next to your left 3rd finger.

Turn your left hand palm down, Squeeze the cards downward creating tension. Remove your left 1st finger, gently loosen your grip, and the cards will shuffle together.

Pro Tips

Before you begin slightly bow the deck downward by squeezing the sides. This will help with the weave.

Start with the deck very high in your left hand at the tips of your left fingers so it is easy to separate the packets.

Hand size doesn’t matter. I have very small hands and can still do it.

This is definitely the hardest shuffle here. With enough practice you will be able to do it. It is extremely impressive and worth the effort.

Conclusion

Like riding a bike, once you master a shuffle, you never forget it. You retain the muscle memory and will always be able to do the shuffle when you pick up a deck of cards. I love this about card moves.

When you shuffle cards you should always follow up with a cut. A cut is when you lift off half the deck and place it underneath to make sure nobody knows the top or bottom cards.

There are many ways to falsify these shuffles so it looks like you’re shuffling yet you aren’t. Learn how to shuffle the correct way before you learn how to do a false shuffle.