Recollection of Shuffling? Hmmm?

Michael Kras · Recollection of Shuffling? Hmmm?

Ok, here is something I've noticed recently when exploring shuffle work.

If I ever do some sort of effect that results in a full deck finale (example: Oil and Water with full deck seperation climax) I always use two primary false shuffles as a convincer of chaos: I use a Zarrow Shuffle and an Up-The Ladder type cut. As recommended by a lot a card guys, I take the heat off these procedures with light misdirection.

However, at the end, people sometimes openly assume that "the deck was like that to begin with" despite my mixing sequences! I usually use two consecutive Zarrows (the second being necessary to re-establish my stack) and a few tabled false cuts. I figure that maybe I am somehow completely drawing attention away from these sequences, making them even more insignificant to the spectator and thus causing them to forget that I ever "shuffled".

How do I emphasize the fact that the cards are being shuffled without directly pointing it out or drawing all attention to the actual sequence? (My Zarrow isn't particularly strong and I require misdirection to feel completely comfortable using it).

LIVR

Well, the obvious response is to work on your Zarrow Shuffle. Last year in Genii, there was a 20 page description of the shuffle (actually I think only 6 pages of it was about how to do the shuffle, but still). Gary Plants has a booklet on his handling with the shuffle which is quite detailed. While I think the plants write up has some very interesting pointers in it, I'm not a huge fan of the overall handling. Though there are certainly people who rave about it, so you may find it useful.

The other area to explore is that there is such a thing as a red-black false shuffle which legitimately shuffles the deck (the order of the cards changes) but the colours stay separated.

Ben Train

My answer-

get your spectators to faro shuffle the cards into your stack.

Ben

Michael Kras

And how exactly do I cover the fact that I am drugging the spectator beforehand?

Ben Train

My comment above wasn't a joke. I never kid, kid.

If it was too cryptic for you, here's another idea:

Let them shuffle the cards for you.

Ben

Michael Kras

I wasn't kidding either.

Anyways, having them shuffle the deck would inevitably set your stack way off... how do you suppose this could work?

Ben Train

How can we let them shuffle, and still keep, say, a red/black separation? In other words:

What options can we think of?

Liam

i supose you could have two spectators shuffle, hand them each one half of the deck to shuffle. then take the two halves and false shuffle them together

i cant imagine that working seeing as they would see the faces but i think ben is hinting at something like this.

maybe you could have them do it blind folded or under a silk. but you'd have to have some major motivation to make that work

Ben Train

There yah go buddy- that's some thinking outside the box!

1, Hand the black cards to someone to shuffle, and the red cards to someone else. Then reassemble (I might throw in a false cut or two rather then a false shuffle).

Whose got an option number 2?

Liam

perhaps you could have a spectator false shuffle for you.
there are methods for this, in Vigils Sympathetic cards and Paul Greens Jeperody are the two i know.
both wich could be adapted to the oil and water example
ei: after the spectator and you both shuffle their own cards and each others cards face up into face down all of the reds are face up, all the blacks face down

Michael Kras

OR perhaps the method published by Eric Mead in Tangled Web in which the deck is discreetly reset during a justified Slop Shuffle.

Ben Train

1. half and half shuffle.
2. Let shuffle but restore the pack.

Are there any others?

Ben

Michael Kras

Allow them to shuffle, however do not let them square the cards... just leave them woven. Proceed with a push-through, Zarrow, or other strip-out technique.

Ben Train

Michael Kras

By stopping them verbally, then spreading the interlaced cards across the table to show that they are really being mixed well. Afterwards, casually "square".

That's the best I've got.

Ben Train

And that's a good answer!

1. half and half shuffle.
2. Let shuffle but restore the pack.
3. Have them shuffle but stop them from squaring so you can control the cards.

Now, one of those options ties into what I was suggesting. Who wants to guess on that one?

Ben
p.s.
There are, by my count, at least 5 more options we can use!