Faro Shuffle

- The faro, also known as the weave shuffle is a technique that perfectly interlaces the cards. It is not a false shuffle, but properly speaking a controlled shuffle. An out faro is one which retains the top and bottom cards after the shuffle..an in faro keeps changing the top and bottom cards. If 8 perfect out faros are perfomed, the deck will return to the original order it was in before the shuffles were performed. The shuffle can be made in the hands, or on the table which gives it the appearance of a tabled riffle shuffle. The in the hands method is, by far, the easier of the two and I will describe the method that I use.
- Square the sides and ends of the pack as evenly as possible with both hands. The left thumb and second finger press on the sides of the deck to square while the right thumb and second finger press on the ends of the pack to square them. The forefingers of each hand are curled on top and bottom of the deck respectively.
- The pack is turned on its side so that the left side now faces the performer. The right hand releases its grip while the left fingers assume the following position: At the front end of deck the tip of the left forefinger is placed. The ball of left thumb is slightly above center of deck on the left side. The left second, third and fourth fingers are on the right side of deck with the right side of deck pressing against the first creases of the left second and third fingers while the left fourth finger has its full tip pressing against the side.
- The right hand comes over to cut or break the pack. The left fourth finger moves out of the way so that the side of right second finger comes in contact against the left third finger. The right forefinger is curled on top. While the right second, third and fourth fingers press on the under side of the pack, theright thumb comes over, close to the left thumb and slightly below center, to break the pack exactly at 26.
- Having split the deck, place the two halves against each other at the corners only. Both hands move slightly inwards towards the body causing the packets to assume a slightly angular position.
- The grip of both hands must be firm to prevent any slipping of the cards in either packet. Also, the right forefinger presses down rather firmly on top of its packet causing a slight bow. The corner of the right hand packet is pressed firmly upwards against the corner of the left hand packet. At the same time, the right hand is moved sharply, but slightly, inwards for about aquarter of an inch.
This upward and inward action causes the cards to start weaving.
- The right hand, stillmaintaining its upward pressure, moves its packet forward, easily, to its original position. This forward movement of the right hand packet causes the weave to complete itself. With practise, this upward and inward action of the packets will become very slight, almost unnoticeable.
- Push the packets together and square.

False Shuffle

Any shuffle that leaves the deck in the same order as it was before the shuffle.

A false shuffle at the right time can change a so-so card trick to a miracle. The type of shuffle depends on how much of the deck you're trying to "protect." For example, if somebody chooses a card and you secretly get it to the top of the deck, you probably want to protect the top card's position when you shuffle. For this, you can use an ordinary riffle shuffle. Just remember which hand is holding the cards from the upper half of the deck, and be careful not to release the last of these until all the cards in your other hand have fallen. Obviously you can use the same method to protect a card at the bottom.When you need to protect a larger number of cards at the top, the overhand shuffle is easier to use. Here's one method: Hold the deck in the usual overhand position (right fingers at the outer end, right thumb at the inner end, cards facing to the right). With your left thumb, pull off a bunch of cards that includes those you want to protect. Lift your right hand and bring it down to the left of the cards in your left hand. Pull off another bunch with your left thumb, and simultaneously grab the first bunch of cards between your right ring (third) finger at the outer end and the base of your right thumb at the inner end. Keep this grip as you lift your right hand for the next pass. You are now holding two bunches in your right hand--one between your second finger and your thumb, the other between your third finger and your thumb.
Shuffle off the cards in the bunch between your second finger and your thumb. Drop the remaining cards onto those in your left hand. That's it. Do it a couple of times. It's easy.

If you use a stacked deck, you need a shuffle that protects the order of the stack. But with many stacks, it doesn't hurt to cut the deck. For example, if thirteen cards are stacked A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K, you can cut them as many times as you like and each card will still be 1 higher than the one to its left, with the understanding that A is 1 higher than K.
Here's a shuffle that merely cuts the deck: Hold the cards in your left hand. With your left thumb, push a batch of cards from the top into your right hand. *With your left fingers (not your thumb), push some cards from the bottom of the left cards to the top of the right cards. With your left thumb, push some cards from the top of the left cards to the bottom of the right cards. Repeat from *, moving cards from left top to right bottom and left bottom to right top until the whole deck is in your right hand. If you mention what you're doing (it's probably better not to), don't call it a "shuffle." Call it "mixing" the cards.
Here's another shuffle that does the same thing: It starts off like one of those described above. Hold the deck in the overhand position. With your left thumb, pull off a bunch of cards. Lift your right hand and bring it down to the left of the cards in your left hand. Pull off another bunch with your left thumb, and simultaneously grab the first bunch of cards between your right ring (third) finger at the outer end and the base of your right thumb at the inner end, and lift your right hand for the next pass. Your right hand is now holding one bunch of cards between your second finger and your thumb, and another between your third finger and your thumb. Drop the entire right bunch from your right hand onto the left side of the cards in your left hand. Lift your right hand and bring it down to the right of the cards in your left hand.
With your left thumb, pull off some of the cards in your right hand onto the right side of the cards in your left hand. Finally, lift your right hand and drop its remaining cards to the left of the cards in your left hand.
The last paragraph above describes the action that "cuts" the cards. If instead, you drop all the remaining cards onto the right side of the cards in your left hand, the deck will be in exactly its original order. This shuffle looks a bit skimpy. To pad it out, you can pull a few cards off the right bunch onto the right side of the cards in your left hand. Then bring your right hand over to the left and down, put your left thumb on it, and pretend to pull off some cards. Instead, just let your thumb slide over the cards. Lift the bunch over to the right and pull off a few more onto the right side. Repeat this until you've put all the cards on the right side.
Here's one more overhand shuffle that protects the entire order: With your left thumb, pull off about half the deck and then pull off 6 cards one at a time. Drop the rest of the cards to the left of those in your left hand, but "injog" them about an inch. That is, move your right hand about an inch toward you before dropping the cards so that there's a clearcut "step" between the two halves. Pick up all the cards to the right of the step, pull off 6 cards one at a time, and drop the rest of the cards to the left of those in your left hand.

False Cut

Any cut that leaves the deck in the same order as it was before
the cut.

Hold the deck by the sides near the ends between the thumb and second finger of each hand. Now pull out about one third of the cards from the bottom and put them on the top but still hold them with the thumb and second finger. With the right third finger lift about half the lower packet, draw the hands quickly apart releasing the top packet which falls on the table resuming its original position. On it drop the packet from the left hand, and on that the right hand packet.

Greek Shuffle

False Shuffle. Watch your angles.

Here we go: Control the card you want to force to the top of the deck. Undercut about a quarter of the pack and throw it on top holding a break above the force card. Turn over the top card and give it to the spectator instructing him to partially insert it face up somewhere in the middle of the deck. Make sure it goes below the break. Take the deck in the Biddle Grip in your right hand transferring the break to your right thumb. Push the cards below the face-up card backwards with your left index finger while taking the deck in your right hand. Push the section above the break a bit forward with your right hand and grab the face up card and the section above the break at the short end of the deck between your right thumb and index finger and lift it up to show the face-up card at the bottom of this section. Now you have apparently cut the deck at the face-up card, when you've actually cut it at the break.

Greek Shift

Here we go: Control the card you want to force to the top of the deck. Undercut about a quarter of the pack and throw it on top holding a break above the force card. Turn over the top card and give it to the spectator instructing him to partially insert it face up somewhere in the middle of the deck. Make sure it goes below the break. Take the deck in the Biddle Grip in your right hand transferring the break to your right thumb. Push the cards below the face-up card backwards with your left index finger while taking the deck in your right hand. Push the section above the break a bit forward with your right hand and grab the face up card and the section above the break at the short end of the deck between your right thumb and index finger and lift it up to show the face-up card at the bottom of this section. Now you have apparently cut the deck at the face-up card, when you've actually cut it at the break.

Finger Break

Hold the deck in you left hand palm with your pinky against the edge. By lifting off X number of cards off the back edge of the deck with the right thumb you can force the cards to stay separated with your pinky. When you need to lift of those cards or remember the place you can do it without any problems. This move is critical when doing the double-lift and other multiple card maneuvers.

Double Undercut

Have about half the deck in both hands, have the spectator replace the chosen card on top of the left hand stock. Place the right hand stock on top, or dribble on top such as to cover the pinky break you will catch above the spectator's card. Square up the cards, and transfer the break to your right thumb. Remove about half of the cards below the break, with your left hand, (kind of a pulling motion, keep right hand still as possible) and cut them to the top (still retaining break, will have to shove the stock underneath your right palm). Cut to the break with your left hand, drop the right hand stock on to the table. Drop the left hand stock on top of the cards on the table. Card has been controlled to the top.

Glide

- Hold the pack face up in the left hand between the first joint of the thumb on one side and the second joints of the four fingers on the other. Call attention to the bottom card. Turn the pack face downwards and with the tip of the left finger draw the bottom card, back towards the body about 3/4 of an inch. Now with the tip of the right hand second finger draw out the next card, and put it face downwards on the table.

- The glide is simply pulling back a bottom card so that the second to the bottom card is revealed alittle(this is done face-down though, so no-one can see the faces) It is only reaveled for touch. The second to bottom card is the slipped out as if it was the bottom card. (Usually it looks 'the bottom card is shown. then the deck is facedown(no attention drawn to this), then the bottom card is slipped out.(Of course, really the 2nd the bottom is slipped out.)'

Bottom Charge

Hold as many cards as you are going to change, tip between your 2nd and 3rd finger not letting the audience see them. this can be done by distracting the audience with patter and gliding cards to the left. Put the cards in your right hand (the ones to be changed) in between the left 3rd and 4th finger acting like straightening out the cards while taking out the other cards that are in between your 2nd and 3rd finger.

Biddle Move

- Hold the deck face up in the right hand between the four fingers and the thumb. The four fingers are at the top edge of the cards ( the edge closest to the audience ) and the thumb is at the inner
edge. Begin sliding cards of the top of the deck ( this is actually the bottom of the deck because it is turned over face up ) with your left thumb. This is basically a dragging action, as you drag the card to your left and the rest of the deck to your right. You are to show the spectators each card as it is slid off the pack. When you slide the selected card off the deck, get a little finger break underneath it.

- So now you have a few cards in your left hand with a little finger break under the top card and the rest of the pack in your other hand. When you move to slide the next card onto the small packet, the selected card ( held by the break ) is secretly added to the bottom of the deck ( which is actually the top). With practice, this becomes real easy to conceal the move.

- You must not hesitate or fumble. It must seem as if you are just sliding another card off the deck. From here you can continue to slide cards off until you reach a desired number of cards.