Second Method

This blind shuffle, or rather riffle, will require considerable practice to perform nicely, but it is worth it.

Seize the deck with both hands, face down, second and third fingers at one side, thumbs at the opposite side, little fingers at opposite ends, held somewhat under the deck, and first fingers curled in with tips on top. The second fingers touch each other at middle of side, and the thumbs touching at opposite side. Each hand occupies identically the same position. Now divide the pack with the thumbs and draw off the upper portion with the right hand; place the inner corners of the outer ends together so that the two packets form a sharp angle, but the right hand packet about half an inch further out. Now riffle or spring the corners of the left hand packet into the right hand packet, both thumbs springing the cards, but beginning with the left thumb and finishing with the right, so that the left hand holds several cards that are not interwoven at the bottom, and about half a dozen of the right hand packet are still free on top. (See Fig. 94.) Now shift the left hand slightly so that the four fingers lie across the bottom of its packet, and with the right thumb spread the top cards fanwise over the left packet, at the same time bringing the inner ends of the two packets towards each other, twisting out the riffled upper corners and replacing the right hand packet on top.

As the inner ends are brought together the two packets are spread somewhat, and the right little and third fingers twist out the bottom card first, and bend it in on top of the left hand packet slightly in advance of the rest. This prevents any of the other cards going wrong. The more fanwise the packets are spread during the operation the more perfect the blind. The deck should be squared up rather slowly, the left thumb and fingers holding the deck with the cards in their irregular condition, the right hand being released and pushing or patting the cards into position. Care should be taken not to riffle the corners far into each other. The merest hold is sufficient, and in fact if the packets can be held under perfect control the cards need not be interlocked at all, and the difficulty of the twisting out process is avoided. By slightly spreading the two packets as the springing or riffling of the sides is continued the appearance of the corners being interlocked is perfectly maintained.

This shuffle can be performed very rapidly, and with perfect control of the cards, and it is an excellent one for conjuring, as these performers never riffle on the table. But, as we have mentioned, it is difficult, and if the operator is not a skillful card handler he will find it quite a task to even riffle in the two packets, and this is the simplest part of the operation.

When the riffle is alternated with the foregoing shuffle it requires very close scrutiny of a very knowing card expert to detect the fact that the operation is a blind.