I have seen a couple of people doing what looks like a riffle shuffle in one hand. Does any one know a source to learn this from?
Thanks
Dan

Jeff McBride's Card Manipulation series has it. I believe that it is on Volume 1, but you better look at the listings to make sure. It's also taught in Jerry Cestkowski's Encyclopedia of Playing Card Flourishes. I think I have also seen it taught on a webpage, but I don't remember the website.

It's on Volume 3 of The Art of Card Manipulation. One of the first things on the tape.

Hey Danny

You can also learn this from Dante Kings 'Practical Methods' video.
http://www.danteking.com

Also I believe the website KC was talking about is:

http://home.att.net/~sleights/card.htm

To be honest I spent about a week and a half learning this perfectly, and yet I never use it. it is impractical. You won't use it when performing stage, it is too fiddly for closeup and it is quite hard to retain a top or bottom card using it.

That's why I would recommend learning something useful like the Hot Shot Cut or Simple Switch by Paul Harris (both in Art Of Astonishment Volume 3.)

M@t

Darwin Ortiz also explains it in the context of a gambling routine in his book Cardshark.

If you practice this it won't be fiddly at all, I find when I do it, it is just as easy and sure fire as a table riffle shuffle.

People like Ricky Jay have used this with the Waterfall in their close-up work, it really depends on what you're doing and how you present yourself.

John.

Practice this and you can do it smoothly.
I also use it as a false top stock shuffle which makes it very easy to retain the top or bottom card.

Hey m@t, how can you say this is impratical?!? You are right in saying that! BUT this was NEVER meant to be pratical. This is NOT supposed to be used as a magic sleight or anything! It's supposed to be used as a FLOURISH and to show your skill! Nothing else. Well, you could just as well use it as a legitimate shuffle!

Darwin also teaches a one-hand faro shuffle in volume one of Cardsharks.

This is one difficult move, but it is definitely worth the effort. It gives you real satisfaction once you can weave the packets together. It took me about a month to get used to it.

I agree with most of what you've said except for the skill part. I don't think flourishes should be used as demonstrations of skill if you are a magician. Anyone who uses flourishes with their magic to show skill doesn't know the meaning of magic. Flourishes should be used to show elegance and beauty with your magic, not skill (unless you present yourself as a sleight-of-hand artist).

When I say that they should be used to show elegance and beauty with magic, I mean that you should be showing your comfort and familiarity with the object (cards/coins etc). This means that all flourishes should be done 100% perfectly, and any sign of a struggle which makes it look like it's difficult indicates that you've lost, as far as I'm concerned.

I also don't agree with magicians who say flourishes should only be used in manipulation acts; why not in close-up? Can't close-up magic be elegant and beautiful?

I do use flourishes myself by the way, I do close-up using coins and cards. If you take magic more seriously than flourishes, then flourishes should be used to enhance your magic. This means blending them together and making it fit your persona. But any flourish you do decide to use with your magic should fit; it should also be done effortlessly, and with a relaxed manner.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

Take it easy,

John.

John,

Yes, I agree with you. But in this case the one handed shuffle is really just a demonstration of your skill, because there isn't really a need to do it in the first place.

The move is also in Card College (volume 2, I believe).

Paul