Shuffling? Where to begin?

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Ralbeyd

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Hi guys,
I find it embaressing to admit; I can't shuffle. It's kinda bad when playing poker and everyone is taking a turn at shuffling and I can't do it, I'd like to learn. I've tried learning through youtube but I've been learning with some shitty £1.99 tesco's home cards, someone told me if I bought "Bicycle" playing cards I'd be able to learn faster. Will this really help? If so:

Could you link me to which deck I should buy for practising? I'm struggling to do even an overhand shuffle atm :/

Cheers,
~Ralbeyd
 
TheKAAHK

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Any standard deck will work fine. When you have some time to spare, just pick up the deck and practice. Usually the simple riffle and cut will do in a home game.
 
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Ralbeyd

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Any standard deck will work fine. When you have some time to spare, just pick up the deck and practice. Usually the simple riffle and cut will do in a home game.

Thanks, I've tried with a standard deck but I'm not really picking anything up :/

I really want to be able to shuffle well and I'm willing to put a lot of time into this, but after clocking a couple of hours trying to do a basic overhand shuffle and still ****ing up it's quite discurraging.

Could you link me to somewhere I could learn from? Anyone know any good shuffling references for complete beginners?

Cheers,
~Ralbeyd
 
absoluthamm

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Have someone you know teach you, it will be much easier than trying to watch a video I think.
 
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Ralbeyd

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Have someone you know teach you, it will be much easier than trying to watch a video I think.

No one I know can shuffle very good except for the guys I play poker with =S they wont teach me coz they're dicks.

Any advice?

~Ralbeyd
 
jordanbillie

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Make sure you purchase bridge size cards and not poker sized cards. Poker sized cards are used for blackjack and other casino games. Poker uses bridge sized cards (a little narrower.)
 
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HorseBuddy

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do your own style and pratcie until it becomes good
 
OzExorcist

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someone told me if I bought "Bicycle" playing cards I'd be able to learn faster. Will this really help? If so:

Could you link me to which deck I should buy for practising? I'm struggling to do even an overhand shuffle atm :/

The brand of the cards isn't really important, but the material they're made from is.

100% plastic cards are exactly 1.3 bajillion times easier to shuffle than paper cards, because the edges don't fray and they're not as prone to sticking together. Lots of companies make them - Bicycle, Kem, Copag...
 
Tygran

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The brand of the cards isn't really important, but the material they're made from is.

100% plastic cards are exactly 1.3 bajillion times easier to shuffle than paper cards, because the edges don't fray and they're not as prone to sticking together. Lots of companies make them - Bicycle, Kem, Copag...


^^ This times 100

The KEM and Copaq cards are worth the extra cost imo but plastic cards are much much better than paper.

FWIW I am a certified dealer

Oz is too if I remember correctly!
 
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flatcaller

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just keep practicing, it will come....
 
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Ralbeyd

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Thanks guys but the real question atm is: Where should I learn from? Do any of you have any good resources?
 
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Digitalpkr

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I do street magic since I´m 15 years (I´m 20 now) and in that period of time I learned how to shuffle and do card flourishes and all that, so I can safely say that I know a little bit about it (not be cocky or anything, I know ot sounds egotistical). Go with bycicles!!! they are the best cards for any kind of shuffle! my oldest deck is about 4 years old now and I´ve used it pretty much every day and it´s still very smooth.
you can buy the really good ones at ellusionist.com, I thibk they also have instructional DVDs for shuffling but I am not shure.
I hope I could help you :)
 
Poker Orifice

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Ive never heard of this before... my grandmother could shuffle (actually she was my GreatGrandmother).
I could shuffle by the time I was 4yrs. old & before I was 5yrs. I would put on a show whenever we were playing cards... shuffling behind my back, arms crossed w eyes closed, etc.etc.
(fwiw I was tying my shoes before I turned 3 ;) )
Just get someone to show you how.
 
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digitallrebel

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Since I only play online I am reminded of a quote at the very begining of Dusty 'Leatherass' Schmidt's book. Treat Your Poker Like a Business:

"For all the small-stakes grinders out there looking to get a break in life.
May you never learn to shuffle." - Leatherass
 
OzExorcist

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Oz is too if I remember correctly!

I'm not certified (only one casino in town and I'd rather play there than work there, so I deal for a corporate events company) but yeah, I get paid money to deal cards :)

Thanks guys but the real question atm is: Where should I learn from? Do any of you have any good resources?

(with thanks to aliengenius for the link some time back): http://www.wwgcllc.com/gatlin/pokerdemo/index.html

Actual shuffle starts about 2:30 in. Fanning and washing isn't something you do every shuffle (though you basically do a quick wash while you're gathering the cards from the previous deal), only when you've got a new, ordered deck entering the game.
 
JusSumguy

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Keep the cards flat on the table. Don't pick them up.

Pull off half and set it next to the other,

Turn the corners towards each other and fan them together.

Don't pick up the cards. Just push them together.

You'll find that leaving them on the table makes it easier, After you get it, it won't go away.


:icon_salu
 
smokeme

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thatll be funny if you do all of those shuffling moves when you come to the table lol everyone gonna think your a hustler haha then you lose everything :-x but your shufling skills.
 
lcid86

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Buy a card shuffler. It really sped up our home game and removed any doubt about how well the cards were shuffled. We play one deck while the other goes through the machine 3-4 times.
 
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