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The Faro Shuffle

  • Advanced
  • Basics
  • Shuffling
  • Sleight of Hand

The faro shuffle is the "perfect" shuffle: you split the deck exactly in half and weave the two halves together so every card alternates, one from each side. It looks amazing, it feels amazing when it zips together, and it is the secret engine behind a huge pile of mathematical card magic.

Difficulty

Intermediate. Getting a weave takes a few sessions. A perfect 26 / 26 faro every time takes real practice.

Pre-Requisites

None, but being comfortable holding the deck by its ends (like the Hindu shuffle) helps.

Sources

J. N. Maskelyne's Sharps and Flats (1894) and Koschitz's Manual of Useful Information (1894) give early printed descriptions. Alex Elmsley (The Pentagram, 1957) named the in and out faro; Ed Marlo's The Faro Shuffle (1958) launched modern faro work. No single inventor is known.

Deck Used

Smoke & Mirrors

Current edition: Shop Smoke & Mirrors 1984

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What Is the Faro Shuffle?

A faro shuffle (you will also see it spelled "pharaoh shuffle," which is how it sounds) cuts the deck into two equal halves and pushes them together end to end so the cards interlace one at a time. Because no two cards from the same half end up next to each other, it is often called a perfect shuffle or a weave shuffle.

There are two kinds. In an out faro, the original top and bottom cards stay on the top and bottom. In an in faro, they move one card inward. This tutorial focuses on the out faro because it is the most common.

Fun fact: do eight perfect out faros in a row on a 52-card deck and the deck goes right back to its original order. Looks like a real shuffle, changes nothing in the end.

How to Do the Faro Shuffle, Step by Step

This is the in-the-hands version. Go slow, and focus on getting a weave before you worry about making it perfect.

  1. Step 1: Hold the deck in an elevated grip

    Hold the deck face down in your left hand, a little higher than a normal dealing grip. Thumb on the left side, first and second fingers on the right side, and your pinky resting lightly under the deck.

    Deck held face down in an elevated left-hand grip to start a faro shuffle
    Elevated left-hand grip.

  2. Step 2: Bring the right hand over

    Bring your right hand over the deck much like you would for a Hindu shuffle: thumb on the inner end, two fingers on the outer end, and your first finger resting on top.

    Right hand gripping the deck by its ends from above for a faro shuffle
    Right hand takes the ends, first finger on top.

  3. Step 3: Cut off exactly 26 cards

    Lift off what you think is half the deck with your right hand. For a perfect faro you want exactly 26 cards in each half. This sounds scary, but it is easier than you would think with a little practice.

    Right hand cutting off the top half of the deck, aiming for exactly 26 cards
    Aim for a perfect 26 / 26 split.

  4. Step 4: Compare the two halves

    Here is the secret: compare. Hold the two packets side by side and check their thickness. If they look the same, you most likely have 26. If one looks fatter, add or remove a card and check again.

    Two halves of the deck held side by side to compare their thickness
    Same thickness means you probably nailed it.

  5. Step 5: Square both packets

    Square up each half really nicely. Tapping the packets against each other works great. Clean, square edges are the single biggest thing that makes a faro weave.

    Squaring the edges of both halves of the deck before weaving them
    Square edges = easy weave.

  6. Step 6: Line up the inner corners

    Bring the two packets end to end and line up just the inner corners, the ends that are about to meet. The packets should be level with each other.

    Inner corners of the two packets aligned end to end before the faro weave
    Corners touching, packets level.

  7. Step 7: Push them together to start the weave

    Push the two corners against each other with gentle, even pressure. As you push, lift the meeting ends upward a tiny bit. The cards will start to slip between each other one by one. The start of the weave is the hard part, so take your time here.

    Pushing the corners of two packets together as the faro weave begins
    Gentle pressure, then a slight upward lift.

  8. Step 8: Hold the pressure and let it finish

    Keep that same pressure and the weave basically completes itself along the rest of the edge. If the start was clean, every card ends up alternating with one from the other half. No clumps of two.

    Faro weave completing along the length of the two packets
    Keep the pressure and the weave zips up.

  9. Step 9: Grind it in if it stalls

    If the weave stops partway, gently shift the packets back and forth against each other, a small grinding motion. That helps the cards keep interlacing. Then push the halves together and square up.

    Shifting the packets back and forth to help a stalled faro weave continue
    A little back-and-forth gets it moving again.

Faro Shuffle Tips

  • Practice the weave first. Do not chase a perfect faro on day one. Just get the halves to interlace.
  • Square, square, square. Ragged edges are the number one reason a faro will not start.
  • Light pressure wins. Push too hard and the cards buckle or clump. Gentle and even is the move.
  • Use a good deck. Fresh cards with clean edges weave much more easily. Beat-up decks fight you.
  • Train your cut. Cut, compare, adjust. Over time your hands learn what 26 cards feels like.

Common Mistakes

  • Uneven halves. If the packets are not 26 and 26, the weave cannot be perfect. Compare before you push.
  • Misaligned packets. If one packet sits higher than the other, the corners skip past each other instead of weaving.
  • Too much force. Jamming the halves together bends cards and creates clumps of two or three.
  • Starting with the whole edge. Start at the corners and let the weave travel down the edge.
  • Giving up early. Almost everyone gets messy weaves at first. That is normal.

How Long Does It Take to Learn?

Most people get a rough weave within a few practice sessions. Clean, consistent weaves usually take a couple of weeks of short daily practice. A truly perfect faro, with an exact cut and every card alternating, can take a month or more. It is a skill you keep polishing for years, and that is half the fun.

Faro Shuffle FAQ

Is it "faro shuffle" or "pharaoh shuffle"?

Both refer to the same move. The correct spelling is faro, named after the old card game Faro, but because it sounds like "pharaoh," lots of people search and write it that way.

Why is it called a perfect shuffle?

Because the cards alternate exactly, one from each half. No two cards from the same half end up next to each other.

What is the difference between an in faro and an out faro?

In an out faro, the top and bottom cards stay put. In an in faro, the top card of the bottom half goes on top, so the original top and bottom cards move inward.

How many faro shuffles return a deck to its original order?

Eight perfect out faros return a 52-card deck to its starting order. With in faros it takes 52.

Is a faro shuffle random?

No. A perfect faro is completely predictable, which is exactly why magicians love it for stacking and controlling cards.

Is the faro shuffle hard?

Getting a weave is not too bad. Getting a perfect faro every time is hard, but very learnable with practice.

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