I just learned how to do Herb Zarrow's 'Zarrow Shuffle'.
I definately need a lot more practice to make it flow more naturally for my somewhat clumsy hands.
This is a very cool false shuffle i.m.o.
But it raises a question in my mind.
What particular card tricks/illusions do you think are best suited to the use of the Zarrow Shuffle?

Every card trick where you want to proof (without saying it) that the cards are in a random order and every card trick where you want to show that the (chosen) card is totally lost in the deck.

For magicians who work with a mem deck a Zarrow and a Heinstein or Truffle are shuffles that are indispensable.

Waterloophai is so right. The reason you will want to master BOTH the Zarrow and the Heinstein is because the Zarrow needs to be done on a table top, and the Heinstein is done only in the hands. For variety you may want to throw in the Haymow shuffle and you won't need much time to master that one... it's quite easy.

You will probably want to learn a few false cuts... some on the table, and some in the hands. Again, these won't take long to learn.

While some things may be easy, you have to stay on top of them and practice them frequently if you are not performing every day.

Dennis Loomis

For a tabled full deck false, zarrow is my favorite hands down.

If you want to learn the Zarrow Shuffle, I think the best book is "Gary Plants on the Zarrow Shuffle." It was written by Steve Minch and I got it recently from H & R. Most of the guys "in the know" recommend Gary Plants variation as the best.

Dennis Loomis

Whatever you feel needs that extra little bit of convincing, or if your audience isn't taking your other shuffles seriously.

Dennis,

I hope you got something from the book. I only have about a dozen copies left and then I will need to get them printed up again.

Gary

Gary,
The book is wonderful. Thanks to you and Stephen for making this information available. My Zarrow has been "average" to date but now I'm digging in and hope to turn it into something special. You're the best... Gary. I think that H and R only has one or two left, so they will probably take some when you reprint.

Dennis Loomis

Go on youtube put in brick tilley look out, cleveland to see the shank shuffle and some other interesting material including a five card switch and the center deal...

Besides 'hiding' setups its very good one for the Triumph effect

I struggled with the Zarrow for a while, but once I came across the Truffle shuffle I really haven't looked back. I think this has more to do with the fact that I didn't even do a table shuffle until I learned the Zarrow, and have always been much more comfortable doing an in the hands with the cascade.

All folse shuffles are just to show that the deck was not prepared and there are no particular tricks which works or not with this shuffles.

Truffle Shuffle? I loved the Goonies.

The Zarrow is miraculous. Once you master it you have powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.

Just use your imagination.

I know for one, that the rollover aces uses the zarrow almost exclusively.

I think subtle usage of the zarrow shuffle is the best. I have seen a lot of magician doing a Zarrow and explicitly saying that they are mixing the cards up. You can imagine what happens next, the spectator wants to shuffle the cards himself.

Hence, if you are ever gonna do a false shuffle of any sorts, do it implicitly.

All the best!

The zarrow shuffle is great for table work. If you really like the zarrow shuffle, I recommend you check out John Born's True Cut Zarrow. It's a great false shuffle. Probably my favorite table false shuffle. It can be found on John Born and Jason Dean's DVD set in the sessions section, in case you're interested.
It is a bit more advanced, but you get to do a real cut. Which is nice.

100% agree !
Try to do ALL your false shuffles without looking at the cards and while talking to the spectator(s). It must be done "casualy". Look at Lenhard Green and Bill Malone. They are masters in it. The more "casual" it is, the more convincing.
The same with false cuts. I have literal UNlearned all my fancy false cuts and do now only very innocent looking and normal (false) cuts.

Doug Edwards has a Zarrow Shuffle approach that is ingenious, It is definitely worth checking out in addition to the sources mentioned above. His approach can be found in both Apocalypse and in the book Doug Edwards Packs a Wallop.

I was paging through the UK journal Pabular the other evening and I found the most curious item: A rather flourishy in the hands Zarrow from none other than Peter Duffie. I haven't worked on it as I am WAAAAY behind on other stuff, but, it looks interesting, but, it may not be for everybody. I think it is something I will mess around with at some point.

So, if you have Pabular, do a search and you will come across this

Namaste,
Vlad