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Hi, does anyone know of a way to control the top four and bottom four cards on a deck without it being a full deck control shuffle?

Any references would be greatly appreciated.

Seriously?

Cut in half for riffle shuffle. Drop six cards from bottom stock and riffle off. Hold back six cards from top stock.

This can also be done in the hands with an off centre faro.

Ian

Thanks Ian, That's what I use at the moment but I was looking for something a little different, maybe using overhands or strip shuffles - I'm not sure!

Card College
Mark Wilson Course in Magic
Counts cuts and moves
Royal Road to card magic

All have what you are looking for. How about a simple overhand false shuffle, can't get more basic then that, you can retain as many cards as you want, or none at all.

Hindu shuffle, same deal as above, all can be found in the four books mentioned above and about a zillion other basic books in card magic.

Thnking about it further, you are probably better off keeping the eight cards together until you need to seperate them and then you can easily use one of the above methods, or drop/or pick up one of the packets in a double undercut.

Run four cards, throw rest on top.

Shuffle, running last 8.

Run four cards, throw rest on top.

IanKendall wrote:Seriously?

Cut in half for riffle shuffle. Drop six cards from bottom stock and riffle off. Hold back six cards from top stock.

This can also be done in the hands with an off centre faro.

Ian

This works for me.. been doing it for years, and years.

why complicate things?

Arkesus wrote:Run four cards, throw rest on top.

Shuffle, running last 8.

Run four cards, throw rest on top.

Nearly. I think the description above would lose the bottom stock when you "throw rest on top".

Run four cards, shuffle most of the rest on top then run the last (>4) few. Repeat as often as necessary.

That's how I would do it, as it looks clean and (most importantly) it's easy.

bmat wrote:Card College
Mark Wilson Course in Magic
Counts cuts and moves
Royal Road to card magic

I can vouch for Royal Road to Card Magic... great book.

Ted wrote:

Arkesus wrote:Run four cards, throw rest on top.

Shuffle, running last 8.

Run four cards, throw rest on top.

Nearly. I think the description above would lose the bottom stock when you "throw rest on top".

Run four cards, shuffle most of the rest on top then run the last (>4) few. Repeat as often as necessary.

That's how I would do it, as it looks clean and (most importantly) it's easy.

I simplified to give the original poster something to work with, but if I am gonna get called on it then I may as well prove my point.
4 Aces on top, 4 kings on bottom. Run aces, throw the entire deck on top, the bottom 8 cards are now K K K K A A A A, shuffle deck and run the last 8 cards, the new top of your deck is A A A A K K K K. Run those four aces and throw the entire deck on top, you now have K K K K, 44 indifferent mixed cards, A A A A at the bottom. Repeat the entire process, (about 10 seconds if that, and you are back to where you started with the four aces on top, and the four kings on the bottom.

Fair point. That makes complete sense (now ;p)

No probs.

Thanks Guys for all the help - much appreciated