The Overhand Shuffle

The standard overhand shuffle is a very good and simple way to shuffle cards. It is a very open, casual, even sloppy shuffle, in contrast to the more elegant riffle shuffle and table shuffle which will be explained later. However the overhand shuffle is the shuffling technique most employed by beginners so this is where we'll start.

The Handling:
Hold the deck by the sides so that the deck is on its edge.	The fingers of the right hand rest lightly against the back of the deck, thumb on top.	The left hand grips the deck and lifts off as the thumb holds a few cards back
The thumb moves out of the way as the left hand comes back down.	The thumb then takes a few more cards.	As the left hand again moves up
This action is repeated several times	The deck is finally squared up.

Some more points:

* The important point with this shuffle is to have a light touch.

* You may also like to curl the index finger of the right hand around the deck to offer extra support.

* If you find the thumb is taking too many cards in big groups or it is only taking single cards then don't worry about this, with further practise you will get the balance right.

* Instead of using the thumb to pull the cards off, you can just use the other hand to throw the cards down. Some people find this easier to do and a more natural action.

Go to the next card shuffle:

The Hind Shuffle
The Weave Shuffle
The Riffle Shuffle (in the hands)
The Table Riffle Shuffle
The Strip Shuffle