Bottom Run Up – Riffle Stack

I am still exploring the topic of riffle stacks. I came across this one in Ed Marlo’s “The Cardist,” Vol. 4. It builds the stack at the bottom of the deck during the shuffles as opposed to building the stack at the top of the deck. The problem with many of the riffle stack techniques that build at the top is that unless you are super-humanly good you will end up slowing down the shuffle as you near the top of the riffle so you can insure that you have the correct number of cards controlled by your thumbs. This change of speed occurs at the point in the shuffle where other players attention is the sharpest.

Not to mention how difficult it is to accomplish. As Marlo says:

JEAN HUGARD in one of his card books has described run-ups
from the top of the deck, in which it is necessary to hold
back a certain number of cards with each thumb in making the
riffle shuffle, at the finish of the riffle…I found this
very difficult of accomplishment at that time with any speed
or regularity in the riffle…FRANKLY, I STILL DO years later,

The Cardist, Vol 4
Continue reading “Bottom Run Up – Riffle Stack”

Riffle and Roll

This is my version of Jack Carpenter’s “Riffle ‘n’ Roll” from his book “The Expert’s Portfolio No. 1”. I am a fan of Carpenter’s work and recommend any of his books.

The main reason I came up with this version is that I found his method to be a little cumbersome with holding multiple breaks. This version eliminates that, but with the expense of using a card with a breather crimp.

Quoting from “The Expert’s Portfolio No. 1”:

Continue reading “Riffle and Roll”