Category: poker stack

Going back to one of the first books on card magic that I owned, “EXPERT CARD TECHNIQUE: Close-Up Table Magic by JEAN HUGARD and FREDERICK BRAUE”, I took a look at their system of stacking a poker hand. They described stacking four cards for a four handed game. Below I have shown instructions, using their system, for stacking four cards to fall to the dealer on a five handed game. I recommend looking at the book for more information.

As noted in some of my other posts on stacking with overhand shuffles, this stack has some drawbacks. In particular, in step 4 you have a run of 20 single cards. Also, twice you have to manage an injog and outjog together, and throw a block of cards. After the description I will offer some modifications that I think make this better.

So what makes a good overhand stack technique. In my opinion the key factors are a good rhythm, without too much repetition, without too many long sequences of single card runs, and the whole stack being done in a couple of shuffles. The problem with the basic milk build stack in that you repeat the milking action four times. The rhythm is not random.

I don’t remember where I saw this stack described, but it is a modification of Ed Marlo’s Lessinout Stack which is described in his booklet “Deck Deception.” Marlo’s stack involves more runs of single cards, while this version cuts the number in halve.

Just to beat a dead horse, here is another overhand shuffle stack. This one uses a milking action, but in this shuffle you milk a block of cards which makes it easier.

Here is a variation I came up with on stacking the deck using a haymaker or milk build stacking shuffle. The problem with the typical description/method shown on YouTube is that often all four Aces are placed on the bottom and then stacked with four consecutive Milking sequences; I.E. milk run three, milk run three, milk run three, and milk run three.

Stacking the deck for poker has a long history. Erdnase gave his method which did not require using a haymaker or milk action. Many other overhand stacks to use a milking action in the shuffle. This is my way of performing the Judas Shuffle, which is described in Peter Duffie’s Card Compulsions.

I enjoy gambling demonstrations. Simple poker stacks are fun, but when you want to up the ante, so to speak, a demonstration of a double duke is nice. A double duke is where you give a player a good hand, but give yourself a better one.