How to Shuffle a Deck of Playing Cards

Reviewed by Ashton Wu

Last Updated: May 11, 2023 Fact Checked

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Shuffling a deck of playing cards is usually the first step to playing any card game. There are several different ways to shuffle cards, from a simple overhand shuffle to the more advanced Hindu shuffle or riffle shuffle. If you want to know how to shuffle a deck of playing cards like a professional, just follow these easy steps.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Overhand Shuffle

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Hold the deck of cards horizontally in your dominant hand. Place your pinky, ring, and middle fingers on the side of the cards facing away from you, and place your thumb on the end of the cards that is closest to you. Use your index finger as support on the top side.^{[1]
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Make sure that the cards in the deck are aligned.

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Your thumb should be gently pushing up against it, but ready to move away.
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Release a portion of the lifted deck into the front of the deck. Your thumb should move away when the deck comes down, and then spring back to push down the portion of the deck. Lift up the remainder of the original lifted portion and bring it down at the front of the deck again as you lift your thumb again. Lower your thumb again to guide another portion of the deck down again. Repeat this process until you've shuffled all of the lifted deck into your hand.^{[2]
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- Remember to shuffle the cards with a light touch. If you grip them too firmly with the shuffling hand, it will be difficult for them to be gently released into the palm of your other hand.
Continue to do the overhand shuffle until you've reshuffled the deck at least five or six times. As you become more comfortable with this method, you'll be able to do it more quickly.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Hindu Shuffle

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^{[4]
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Use your free hand to lightly grasp the side of the deck with your thumb on one side, and the middle and ring fingers on the other. The index finger should stay out in front.^{[5]
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Use your bottom hand to grab several cards -- around ten or so -- and leave them in the palm of the hand.
Move the deck just a deck's length away from the small stack of cards in the palm of the other hand.
Move the deck back to the palm of the bottom hand, take a few more cards away from the deck, move the deck away, and bring it back again. Continue this process until all of the cards in the deck are in the palm of the bottom hand. You can pick up the deck and repeat the entire shuffle a few times to shuffle your deck as well as you can.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Riffle Shuffle

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Hold half of the deck lengthwise in your right hand, and hold the other half of the deck lengthwise in your left hand.
Each hand should follow the same position. To grip each half of the deck, place your thumb over the top edge and use your middle and ring fingers to support the bottom edge. Place your pinky finger on the back edge of the deck. Your index finger can go on the front edge or it can hover over the deck for support.^{[7]
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Use your thumbs, index finger, and hands to bend each half of the deck a bit so it becomes concave, with the middle of each deck bending inwards.
Bend the half-decks back a bit more and use your thumbs to move slowly up the edge of the cards. The cards in the two halves of the decks should riffle together, creating a shuffled deck.^{[8]
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Bend the cards towards you, in the opposite direction that they were bent before. Keep your thumbs on the top to keep the cards in line. Then, release your thumbs and the cards should "cascade" downward.^{[9]
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Repeat the riffle shuffle (optional). If you'd like to shuffle the deck even more thoroughly, just repeat the entire process.

Community Q&A

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Question

Which is the easiest method?

NatureCat333

Community Answer

The overhand shuffle is the simplest type of shuffling, and can be learned quite easily, whereas rifle shuffling looks the coolest but is the toughest to learn.

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Question

Do this kind of shuffles damage the cards?

Community Answer

It actually "breaks" the cards, which means makes them looser and easier to shuffle.

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Question

Is it okay to just smear the cards around?

Community Answer

Yes. Some people have difficulty with other methods of shuffling, so if you take time and smear the cards very thoroughly, they will be well shuffled. However, it's helpful to learn other methods too, because sometimes there may not be space to smear the cards.

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