Pharoah Shuffle

thaiboxerken · 7th May 2007, 08:32 PM

How is it that something that seemed to be very complex to do, and was very hard to do about 3 weeks ago is extremely easy to pull off? Granted, I can't get a perfect shuffle everytime, but I only get a couple of double shifts in each shuffle now. Is it like writing, once you learn it's hard to forget? I get the feeling that I can to 8 perfect ones in a row with only another month of practice. That'll be cool.

polkablues · 8th May 2007, 12:44 AM

It's like learning to whistle. It's only hard when you haven't figured out the right way to do it yet.

A question for you, though: do you find the shuffle easier to do with a brand-new deck, or one that's broken in a little bit?

thaiboxerken · 8th May 2007, 10:59 AM

Brand new deck is much easier for me. The older the deck, the more doubles I get in the shuffle.

Azrael 5 · 8th May 2007, 12:14 PM

Faro.

Cain · 20th May 2007, 01:17 PM

It helps to train the deck. Once you learn the faro you can do one of the most powerful card tricks in magic: Unshuffled.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GNzwCicdVyg

firecoins · 20th May 2007, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by Azrael 5

Faro.

this needs repeating

Faro.

Brown · 20th May 2007, 10:32 PM

I too wondered what the heck a "Pharoah Shuffle" was.

I'm not a big fan of the faro shuffle (or its many variations: in-faro, out-faro, partial faro, double faro, etc.). I can do it, but not rapidly and consistently enough to make it worthwhile. Also, in virtually every decent trick in which you do a faro, you need a faro to make the damned thing work, and a single mistake will blow the trick with virtually no chance for recovery. Furthermore, the move looks fishy as hell, even when performed by some people who perform it well. I've seen a couple of performers who use the technique, and when they perform it, they might as well tell the audience, "Okay, I'm stacking the deck now."

thaiboxerken · 20th May 2007, 11:16 PM

I just did unshuffled for a friend and she was pretty impressed, I TOLD her I was stacking the deck to find her card. It's all about the misdirection. Yes, the faro looks fishy, but by telling them that your stacking the deck, it makes them think less about it. It only takes practice to get good at faro shuffling.

7th May 2007, 08:32 PM	#1
thaiboxerken Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 13,315	Pharoah Shuffle How is it that something that seemed to be very complex to do, and was very hard to do about 3 weeks ago is extremely easy to pull off? Granted, I can't get a perfect shuffle everytime, but I only get a couple of double shifts in each shuffle now. Is it like writing, once you learn it's hard to forget? I get the feeling that I can to 8 perfect ones in a row with only another month of practice. That'll be cool.
	__________________ All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power & profit - Thomas Paine

8th May 2007, 10:59 AM	#3
thaiboxerken Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 13,315	Brand new deck is much easier for me. The older the deck, the more doubles I get in the shuffle.
	__________________ All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power & profit - Thomas Paine

8th May 2007, 12:14 PM	#4
Azrael 5 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Yorkshire,Uk Posts: 4,219	Faro.
	__________________ "I achieve these results through a mixture of magic,misdirection,suggestion and showmanship"-Derren Brown Photography here

20th May 2007, 01:17 PM	#5
Cain Contrarian Join Date: May 2002 Location: S. California Posts: 3,958	It helps to train the deck. Once you learn the faro you can do one of the most powerful card tricks in magic: Unshuffled. http://youtube.com/watch?v=GNzwCicdVyg
	__________________ Well, well, well. If it ain't the serious, elusive Leroy Green. I've been waitin' a long time for this, Leroy. I am sick of hearin' these ***** Superman stories about the "wassah" legendary Bruce Leroy catchin' bullets with his teeth. Catches bullets with his teeth?! ***** pleeze.

20th May 2007, 01:34 PM	#6
firecoins Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nyack, NY Posts: 3,065	Originally Posted by Azrael 5 Faro. this needs repeating Faro.
	__________________ NY Paramedic, skeptic, 9/11/01 Reality-ist. I am both right wing nut and left wing lunatic. Deal with it.

8th May 2007, 12:44 AM	#2
polkablues Student Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: location, location Posts: 47	It's like learning to whistle. It's only hard when you haven't figured out the right way to do it yet. A question for you, though: do you find the shuffle easier to do with a brand-new deck, or one that's broken in a little bit?

20th May 2007, 10:32 PM	#7
Brown Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Twin Cities, Canada Posts: 9,117	I too wondered what the heck a "Pharoah Shuffle" was. I'm not a big fan of the faro shuffle (or its many variations: in-faro, out-faro, partial faro, double faro, etc.). I can do it, but not rapidly and consistently enough to make it worthwhile. Also, in virtually every decent trick in which you do a faro, you need a faro to make the damned thing work, and a single mistake will blow the trick with virtually no chance for recovery. Furthermore, the move looks fishy as hell, even when performed by some people who perform it well. I've seen a couple of performers who use the technique, and when they perform it, they might as well tell the audience, "Okay, I'm stacking the deck now."
	__________________ Klaatu: I'm impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it. Mr. Harley: I'm afraid my people haven't. I am very sorry. I wish it were otherwise. -- The Day The Earth Stood Still, screenplay by Edmund H. North "Don't you get me wrong. I only want to know." -- Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, lyrics by Tim Rice

20th May 2007, 11:16 PM	#8
thaiboxerken Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 13,315	I just did unshuffled for a friend and she was pretty impressed, I TOLD her I was stacking the deck to find her card. It's all about the misdirection. Yes, the faro looks fishy, but by telling them that your stacking the deck, it makes them think less about it. It only takes practice to get good at faro shuffling.
	__________________ All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power & profit - Thomas Paine