The best method of practising the various overhand shuffles is to go through them in sequence as follows:
- Turn the top card face upward.
- Shuffle it to the bottom and back to the top again.
- Shuffle it to the bottom. Shuffle again, retaining it there, then shuffle it back to the top.
- Reverse the card now at the bottom. Shuffle, retaining the top and bottom cards in position.
- Shuffle the top card to the next to bottom and back to the top. The two reversed cards should be at the top and bottom. Check your work.
- Control the top reversed card only by means of the overhand shuffle control, which will give you facility in the run, the injog and the undercut. Again check your work. The original top card should now be the fourth from the top of the pack. If that is the case and you have made the shuffles smoothly, you have made excellent progress toward acquiring this most useful of all card sleights. Practise until you can make the shuffles without looking at your hands, and at the same time keep up an easy flow of conversation.
[Note: This practice routine is rooted in principles of deliberate practice, as outlined by psychologist K. Anders Ericsson. By breaking down the sleight into component steps and repeating them until they become automatic, you build both muscle memory and confidence. Historically, magicians have used such routines to internalize complex moves, allowing them to perform while engaging the audience—a key to effective misdirection. – RJW]
With the simple principles explained in the preceding sections, which can be learned in the course of a pleasant half-hour’s toying with a pack of cards, you have a golden key which will unlock the door to many of the most entertaining card tricks it is possible to perform. Since the best way to learn to do magic is to do magic, in the next section several tricks are explained in which the principles you have already learned are put to use.
[Note: The advice to “learn to do magic by doing magic” echoes educational theories from John Dewey and modern experiential learning models. Performing for real people, even in informal settings, helps bridge the gap between knowledge and skill. – RJW]