[Zetack]

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I ) Shuffling/dealing procedures:
At least two people should be involved, some prefer 3. Always have 2 decks in your game going, so shuffling of one deck can go on while the other deck is in play

The previous dealer should collect the cards and shuffle them. Shuffling must always be done on the table top, for all to see- cards should never be taken below the table level. Shuffling should including riffling halves of the deck together, as well as stripping or boxing.
Once completed, the shuffler should pass the deck, with the cut card on top of the shuffled deck, to the player who will be dealing the next hand.
The soon-to-be dealer should cut the deck, putting the cut card on the bottom, and then deal when it is his turn.

Some games go one shuffler, player to right of new dealer cuts, and dealer deals with no changes in the deck. That seems a bit cumbersome to me, but makes it harder to set the deck.

II) When you cut the deck (for righties):

Using your right hand, drop off portions of the deck in different sizes, moving to the right as you do so, until you have 3-4 piles.

Now, pick them back up in a mixed order, skipping over piles as needed. This eliminates the top and bottom card from the shuffled deck.

So, it would be- drop left to right 1 2 3 4 (1 has bottom card, 4 has top) and pick up 3,1,2,4

Once you practice it, it's a smooth continuous motion and doesn't take long at all. It will cut off anyone peeking at top or bottom cards when they shuffle. If you vary the sizes of the piles, it should defeat all but the very greatest card magicians.

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Too much for me. I mean, really? You're using a cut card in a home game? If I have that big a concern that mechanics and cheaters are penetrating my home game I'm just not gonna go anymore.

And I'm supposed to what, conduct shuffling lectures and demos before we start and then have everybody go home and practice?

I like two decks, the guy in the BB shuffles during the play of the current hand since the guy in the Sb will be dealer next time. He hands the cards to the SB who has become the dealer, the button cuts and the new BB pulls in the used cards to begin shuffling next hand.

That's not that complicated, but even that was too much for the game I'm playing in now, so its all self shuffled and dealt, with the button cutting. Everybody shuffles however they've grown up shuffling.

Not the biggest deal in the world in my book, although I'm sure a mechanic would have a field day with it.


--Zetack