Overhand Blind Shuffle (Top Stock)

This is a blind overhand shuffle controlling the top stock whilst the rest of the deck is shuffled. The modified method is based on Erdnase's "To Retain Top Stock and Shuffle Whole Deck" found in the Blind Shuffle area of the book.

My method is instead of injogging the first card to jog a slug of card, shuffle off, pick up holding break at jog then shuffle off to break. I usually jog to first slug to the right but on occassion to fool a knowing audience I will just shuffle regularly allowing the cards to naturally jog outwards (towards the audience) which can be seen at 1:15-1:20. I did it quite sloppy in the video but when the cards are jogged outward I am able to seemingly completely square up the deck before I even get my break.

It has been commented that my break is extremely small. Perhaps this was because I learned it from the Bible-size edition of Erdnase. But seriously my break was much larger long ago when I started. To the point where I was being caught out. I worked to find ways to keep the break as small as possible while not risking losing it. A great help for me presented itself in the special features of the movie "Shade". It is a clip of R. Paul Wilson teaching sleight of hand to the actors and I saw that his breaks were tiny and I tried to duplicate it.

To finish I show the blind shuffle with a card face up so that you may follow the action, I also positioned the camera much lower than what an audience would see and enlarged the break slightly so that you can see the break. In a real situation if I were forced to perform with a spectator at the last viewpoint (lower than usual) I would adopt a different angle grabbing the break while tilting the deck so as they could not see the work. This would of course reveal the bottom card which is a drawback.

Controlling the bottom stock is much easier in that the shuffle look virtually identical to this one but I never have to hold a break. I have in the past experimented combining the top stock and bottom stock shuffle together to great success (which will be posted in another video) however I am in the process of developing an overhand full deck false shuffle which will replace that.

Also, I'm working a freestyle top stock blind shuffle which would leave the top stock in the middle of the deck for many phases of shuffles and bring it up only at the end instead of doing this classic variation

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• erdnase
• blind
• shuffle
• top
• stock
• overhand
• card
• magic
• gambling
• control
• mahdi
• gilbert
• mahdigilbert
• technique

[PersonNo1]

I've got hands and I can't do that. Cheers man, you're awesome (:

[jwessmiller]

Wow, absolutely amazing!

[Qinguana]

You are my hero, you show us all that anything is possible. Wow

[ristantosky]

Everything is possible.. wonderfull

[phatdriver]

Had to laugh! I know a bit about cards and didnt know what ya was up to. Thought ya was just showing off ya shuffling skills... Then ya turned them over. Had to watch it again. Smart arse!

[Hamilation]

what's cool about this video is that the shuffling is good but also that he has no hands!! this person is amazing!!

[KasperRasmussen96]

You are a true evidence of everything is possible if you believe in your self.

[PhranKommentaries]

Inspirational... 

[MajikalMarsden]

who disliked this? im gonna learnt that with my feet :)

[leozinbr2]

You're THE BEST

[CardMagic305]

Ive never seen anything so amazing. Congratulation for being freaking beast. No one should thumb this video down. Good job. :)

[tetomapa]

I was kinda proud of myself for being able to continue doing magic after I lost the use of my left hand in an accident not long ago. Now I am ashamed of myself for having felt that way!! You are the most amazing magician I have ever seen in my whole life!!!