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Hi all. Long time reader and first time poster(!).

I am learning to ruffle shuffle (in hands) to add a card to the top of the deck and am looking for help.
Currently I can do it maybe 4 times in 10.
Is this merely a knack? Or can anyone give me pointers or books/chapters to read?

Much appreciated.

I've not heard of the 'ruffle shuffle' but do know of the truffle shuffle.

A great resource to learn this move can be found in a DVD called 'the Goonies'

Hope that helps!

Alec

for me it was just a knack i did it on surfaces and then the bridge first and now i do it all in the air as i just stay up and pracise till my eyes hurt

Yep. Please ignore the typo. I meant riffle shuffle!!
I can do this in the hands ok but it's just to be able to add a card to top of deck. I guess it's just a knack?

Forgive we. I do like a good typo!

Right, I'm not really sure I understand what it is you are asking.

Do you mean that you simply wish to retain a card at the top of the pack? When you say you want to add a card that muddies the waters.

Try and explain again and I'll try and help.

Alec

Where does the problem come in?

As in, can you do an in the hands riffle shuffle with no problem? Can you make sure to retain the top card while doing so?

Does the problem arise when you're trying to add just a single card from the other hand? What goes wrong?

Sorry for the interrogation but if we can pinpoint the trouble we can advise your next step and get you sorted

If your trying to retain the top card just riffle a bit slower on the right hand packet to make sure it comes to the top. Hope this helps

Thanks for responses. Much appreciated.
What i mean is that you have ace of spades on top of deck, perform a riffle shuffle and now theres (for example) 4 of clubs on top with ace of spades second.
Does that make sense? I wondered if anyone had any tips or if it's just a knack.

When you cut the deck in 2, note which one has the Ace of Spades on the top and make sure that's the last card to drop when you riffle.

snickers wrote:Thanks for responses. Much appreciated.
What i mean is that you have ace of spades on top of deck, perform a riffle shuffle and now theres (for example) 4 of clubs on top with ace of spades second.
Does that make sense? I wondered if anyone had any tips or if it's just a knack.

I think it makes sense, your goal is to add one card to the top of your deck. right?

But if we forget about adding a card for now, can you shuffle so the ace always stays on top?

If so, what's going wrong? Is that that you sometimes don't get your extra card on top, or that you get too many?

MrZombie thats exactly right - I'm trying to add one card to the top of deck using the riffle shuffle.
I can shuffle and maintain top/bottom card but as you say, sometimes I get 2 or 3 on top and sometimes release too early and get 20!
Im struggling with the holding back of one card, I guess!

I hate it when people advise you to just practise more, but to be honest that's the best thing at the moment, keep at it. The only other suggestion I would make is learn it on a table first, it's much easier to retain a single card when you're doing it on a table rather than in the hands. Once you've mastered it on the table then work your way up to completely in the hands

Thanks for your responses, much appreciated.
Practice. Practice. Practice!

practice yes, but be sure you are not practicing the wrong thing, if you do that you are going to be screwed. Be sure you understand the move correctly. Can you achieve what you are aiming to do while you perform a tabled riffle shuffle? If not you need to start there to see what has to happen. Then you have to transfer it to the in the hands riffle shuffle. It sounds to me, without really seeing anything, is that your hands may be positioned wrong. thumbs should be to the inside front corner, theortically you should be able to drop the cards one at a time and therefore you decide what card falls when and it shouldn't be a problem when you get to the last cards. (at least thats how I do it)

I of course am assuming you are trying a two handed in the hands riffle shuffle. If one handed its a slightly different ball of wax.

you know how cards are often bent (they have a natural bridge), usually slightly concave (from the face), i find its a lot easier to hold a certain number of cards back if i riffle with the bend (so face up if thats the way your cards bend).
try shuffling with the bend concave side up, see if thats easier for you, if it is you could try bending the cards in the opposite direction by springing them a few times.
however i feel that this is only a temporary solution, and if it works for you it will help you develop a feel for holding back the cards. then you'll be able to apply this knack to doing it against the bend.

also, dont try and hold back 1 card with both hands. with the half with the ace you can hold back a group of cards, so just try and learn the knack with the other half.