Often in performing a trick, it is necessary to shuffle the cards with apparent thoroughness, while yet preserving unchanged a certain order in which they have been placed. Thus, it may be desired to maintain the position of a particular card on the bottom of the pack; or on the top; or at some point near one or the other. In such case, the shuffling must be done in such a manner that this special card is undisturbed.
If it is required to maintain the bottom card or cards in that position, the pack may be held in the left hand, and shuffled seemingly as usual. To accomplish this, care is taken when raising the cards in the right hand to have the clasp of the left hand relaxed, so that the thumb and finger may lift out part of the cards ‘for the shuffle, while leaving the bottom unchanged. The cards so lifted are shuffled in the ordinary way above the others. A second portion may be similarly drawn out and shuffled without disturbing the bottom of the pack. It is impossible for the spectators to perceive that the bottom part of the pack is not Iifted up.
If the requirement is to maintain the top of the pack unchanged, it is necessary only to shuffle in the usual manner, taking up as much of the pack as may be desired from the under portion, and shuffling these over on the upper portion. The one peculiarity in this operation is that the cards thus shuffled over are so dropped as to project their forward end a Iittle beyond the original top cards now below them. Then, when the shuffle is completed, it is merely required to pick up this lower part of the deck, and restore it to its place on top, thus securing the desired result by what appears to be the final operation of the shuffle.
Either of the false shuffles may be continued for any length of time in the same manner.
It is even simpler to effect a false shuffle when the two halves of the pack are laid on the table, and there riffled. It is now necessary to begin the mingling of the two portions of the deck after letting the bottom cards first fall without admixture, if the arrangement of the bottom part is to be preserved j or to complete the mingling before reaching the top of the deck, if the particular order is located there.
This false shuffle also may be safely repeated any number of times without danger of detection.
Certain other instructions as to sleight of-hand will be given in connection with various tricks for which they are requisite. But the foregoing are the most important features of sleight-of-hand in connection with cards, and proficiency in them is constantly demanded for successful performance. The student is advised to practice them diligently, in order to gain the mastery before attempting to make use of them in public.