How to do the Hindu shuffle

The Hindu shuffle is a hand-to-hand shuffle where one hand holds the deck by its ends from above and the other hand draws small packets off the top into its palm. It looks like an honest mix, but magicians use it to control a chosen card, force a card or secretly glimpse one. Learn the plain shuffle first, keep it slow and even, and the secret uses come easily later.

What is the Hindu shuffle?

The Hindu shuffle is different from the overhand and riffle shuffles: the deck is held from above, by its short ends, and small packets are pulled off the top and dropped into the other hand until the whole deck has moved across. Every card stays face down and the audience sees a steady, relaxed mix.

A similar hand-to-hand shuffle is common outside magic too. Wikipedia’s article on shuffling describes one under the names “Indian”, “Kattar”, “Kenchi” or “Kutti” shuffle and calls it “the most common shuffling technique in Asia and other parts of the world.”

Where does the name come from?

Based on our research, the earliest mention of the name we’ve found is Jean Hugard in Modern Magic Manual (1939). He writes that he first saw the shuffle done by “one Hassan, a Hindu magician, in Australia some thirty-odd years ago,” and that he “dubbed it the Hindu shuffle and the name has been adopted by the profession.” That is Hugard’s own account of the name, not a record of who first used the move.

How do you hold the deck?

These steps follow the description in the Modern Magic Manual, written for a right-handed shuffler. Left-handers can swap hands.

• Right hand (the deck hand): hold the deck face down by its inner end, between the tips of the thumb and second finger. The forefinger rests lightly on top. The third and fourth fingers stay free.
• Left hand (the drawing hand): bring it underneath and take the outer end of the top cards between the tips of the left thumb on one long side and the second and third fingers on the other. The left forefinger sits at the far end and the little finger stays free.

The deck slopes slightly away from you. Keep both grips light: the cards should slide easily from between the right fingers.

How do you do the Hindu shuffle?

1. Draw off a packet. Move the left hand outward, carrying a small packet from the top of the deck between the left thumb and fingers.
2. Let it drop. Loosen the left grip so the packet falls into the left palm. The left forefinger at the far end stops the cards from sliding out.
3. Bring the deck back. Return the right hand’s cards to the left hand so the left thumb and fingers can take the next packet from the top.
4. Repeat. Keep drawing packets until the right hand has only a few cards left, then drop those on top.

Hugard stresses one detail: “the left hand does the work; the right hand barely moves at all.” If you notice your right hand pumping back and forth, slow down and let the left hand reach for the cards.

What do magicians use it for?

The Modern Magic Manual gives four uses for the Hindu shuffle, all built on the same honest-looking action:

• Controlling a chosen card. The selected card is brought to a position you know while the deck appears to be thoroughly mixed.
• Controlling several cards. The book describes controlling three spectators’ cards in one shuffle.
• Forcing a card. You shuffle and ask a spectator to say “stop”, and the card they arrive at is one you chose in advance.
• Sighting a card. You glimpse the bottom card of a packet and use it as a key card, which Hugard describes as “a marker whereby you can at any time discover the chosen card immediately below it.”

We won’t go through the secret handlings here. Learn the plain shuffle until it is smooth, then study these uses from a good book, where they are taught step by step.

What are the common mistakes?

• Rushing. Hugard writes that “great rapidity is not necessary.” A calm, even rhythm looks more natural than a fast one.
• Uneven packets. He also notes that “a little practice is required to enable you to draw the cards off in small packets smoothly.” Aim for packets of a few cards each, every time.
• Moving the wrong hand. The drawing hand does the work. A busy deck hand looks fussy and draws attention.
• Trying the hard version too soon. For the key-card work, Hugard advises that at first it is “better not to attempt to pick up one card only,” because hesitation looks suspicious.

How should you practise it?

Practise the plain shuffle in front of a mirror until you can do it while talking and looking up at your audience. Once it feels automatic, try it slowly with a key card on the bottom of the deck so you get used to the feel of the cards. Compare it with the shuffles in our guides on how to do the overhand shuffle and how to riffle shuffle and bridge a deck, and read false shuffles explained to see where the Hindu shuffle fits.

What helps you take it further?

• Stanyon’s Card Tricks by Ellis Stanyon (1900). A free, complete 156-page PDF. Its contents cover the principles of sleight of hand, including the pass, the force, the change and false shuffles, then finished tricks and advice for beginners.
• The Expert at the Card Table by S. W. Erdnase (1902). A free, complete 230-page PDF covering blind shuffles, riffles and cuts, stock shuffling, locating cards and the card tricks built on them. It is a natural next step once your shuffles are smooth.

Browse more in our card tricks collection and our free ebooks.

Frequently asked questions