Dealing and shuffling cards question

To Oz and any other dealers here.

I play in a local pub game now and then. Dealer rotates. I can do a standard card shuffel, but I am sure I show the card bottoms when I do, and the bottom card when I am done. I also deal for shit, doing a face up card now and then. Its not SOOOO bad cause I am not the worst there, but I feel (and look) like an idiot when I am dealer.

And youtube links, websites or whatever to help me improve? I have a deck of standard Bicycle cards - new, are these good ones to practice with?

My advice, practice, practice, practice. This is the way we all learn everything. Maybe start with fewer cards (a half deck?) and just devote as much free time, every day as possible to the pursuit. I bet you'll be amazed at how fast you improve. Good luck.

The goal is to keep the cards as close to the table as you possibly can throughout the whole process - if you're doing it right, the deck should never really need to leave the felt until the shuffle is finished and there's a cut card on the bottom.

There are two major techniques that casino dealers will use during a shuffle: riffling and stripping. Below are some YouTube examples of both, then another clip putting it all together into a full shuffle process.

The only problem with this method is that it works best with 100% plastic cards. Paper cards tend to be stiffer and the edges fray very quickly, making them difficult to riffle properly. If you're stuck with paper cards that won't riffle properly, an alternative to the "standard" overhand shuffle might be to just strip the deck a bunch of times and then cut onto the cut card. And if you don't have a cut card, just try to keep the hand you're holding the deck with as low and flat as possible - or improvise a cut card using a joker.

When it comes to actually dealing there's nothing wrong with just being slow and steady. If you're not confident pitching the cards just physically place them face down on the table in front of the player. Pitching accurately and ensuring cards don't flip over is a whole different technique that we can look into if you like, but it was something I had to be taught in person.

That guy needs to learn when teaching others DO IT FRIGGEN SLOWER.

Thanks Oz, I know you would post something useful :-). That does help. I will not try to be fancy with my deal, but it is 9-10 players and unless I am really at the 50 yard line (center table left or right) I have to lean WAY over or toss. I am getting better at tossing, and I dont try to toss all the way, I tell the players I am not a good dealer so I can toss and it gets passes very quickly to the right player if it is not far enough. The games are friendly for the most part and players helpful and tolerant of bad dealers.

Whats the thing about the "cut card" in video 3? (the yellow card) I dont know any thing about that since they dont do that at this game.

He makes it look so easy, but I do the same with a guitar so.....lol

Very nice demos there Oz
Thanks very much for that post

Ugh - I take it they're making you self-deal on a racetrack table then? Don't be disheartened if that's the case: I think even most casino dealers would have a difficult time pitching accurately all the way from one end of the table to the other. I've been dealing for about five years, and I know I'd have a hard time with it. If they're making you self-deal then they really should be providing round tables so everybody is an equal distance from the action.

As for the cut card, it's something every serious poker game should be using. As the video shows, the idea is you end up with a shuffled deck, with the cut card on the bottom.

It serves a couple of purposes: most importantly, it covers the bottom of the deck while it's in your hand, so in theory even if you hold the deck sideways or wave your hands about nobody should be able to see what the bottom card is. It also makes it difficult / impossible (don't actually know which since I've never had reason to try) to deal from the bottom of the deck.

Like I said above, if your game doesn't provide one you could always use a joker if there's one available (assuming you're not playing a game that uses the joker). Alternatively, speak to whoever runs the game and suggest they invest in some cut cards - they cost next to nothing, will come in a range of fashionable colours and they should even be able find them on Ebay.

If you don't have cut cards, you can use a Joker.


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If only someone had suggested this sooner...

Oops... Dyslexic reader. Sorry. --


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Its in an Irish pub, more of a way for the pub to get more beer sales during the week - its Wed. and Thur. - and I would imagine the wont get round tables as the others are already there and people come. But the racetrack tables will fit more to the room they hold the games in, and round would be better for the players but probably mean less sitting room all together. The room aint big, and the way the room is cut I guess logistically, the longer thinner tables will offer more seats = more players = more beer sales = continued games. They are pretty popular.

I will mention cut cards to the organizer. He is a pretty good player himself. I think they should still have the jokers, unless they have thrown them away, since we only play hold em and never use jokers in the game.

Sorry, but those 'how to shuffle vids' are kind of bad as far as technique. Notice the guy has his index fingers on top of the deck when he riffles the cards: totally horrible.

See here for the master's demonstration in slow-mo teaching mode (shuffle starts around 2:30).

Practice makes perfect!!! You can always tell how long someones been dealing just from the way they handle the cards. GOOD LUCK!

^ agreed, much better demonstration and technique.

There's nothing wrong with making them stretch.
Whatever position you are in there should only be a few players you can't reach to place cards in front of, so it is perfectly acceptable to place distinct separate piles for those players to reach for.
Standing up to deal might also help.

A cut card is good for covering the bottom card, but it is nothing special, it is just a blank that is a similar size to the cards. You could cut one from a cornflake packet. But it should be distinctive from the other cards so that it doesn't get accidentally mixed into the deck. I would try to avoid using jokers because they all too easily end up getting shuffled into the deck.

While it would probably make it easier to reach, I wouldn't recommend standing up to deal - it would massively increase the chances that players could see the bottoms of the cards as they're being dealt as the deck would be at about their eye level.

I agree in general about not using jokers as cut cards, however, if you are doing it there shouldn't be much chance of it being shuffled into the deck because you should be using it every hand and separating it from the rest of the cards when you shuffle - plus you'll know if it's been shuffled into the deck, because it won't be there to cut the cards onto at the end of the process. Like I said though, it's really just a last resort, better-than-nothing type of option.

Only if the dealer was a complete idiot, would they be waving a deck around in the air.
I am sure most people here would have the good sense to keep the deck close to the table even whilst standing up.

In some cases, knowing what that card is can make a HUGE difference in how you play a hand. Happy accidents happen.

Don't stand up. Just learn to deal. It's not that hard. And always use a cut card.


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