Possibilities of the "Blind"

It is surprising to find among card players, and many of them grown gray at the game, the almost universal belief that none but the unsophisticated can be deceived by "blind" shuffling. These gentlemen have to "be shown," but that is the last thing likely to happen. The player who believes he cannot be deceived is in great danger. The knowledge that no one is safe is his best protection. However, the post-graduate in the art is quite conscious of the fact that he himself cannot tell the true from the "blind" shuffle or cut, when performed by another equally as clever. In fact, sight has absolutely nothing to do with the action, and the expert might perform the work just as well if he were blindfolded. Nevertheless "blind" shuffling and cutting, as explained by this work, are among the simplest and easiest feats the professional player is required to perform; and when the process is understood the necessary skill can be acquired with very little time or effort. Given the average card player who can shuffle or "riffle" in the ordinary manner, with some degree of smoothness, he can be taught a "blind" in five minutes that will nonplus the sharpest of his friends. But there are many players who cannot make an ordinary shuffle or "riffle" without bending, breaking, exposing or in some way ruining half the cards, and such bunglers must learn to handle a deck gracefully before attempting a flight to the higher branches of card manipulation.