If you’re going to spend any time with a deck of playing cards, some things are an absolute must. And one of them is this: knowing how to do a decent shuffle. After all, it’s a little embarrassing if you have a massive collection of 100+ beautiful custom decks, and your shuffling skills are uglier than the back end of a city bus. Like me, you probably love playing cards, so the very least you can do is look somewhat professional in the way that you handle them. And that begins with shuffling.
And how often doesn’t it happen that a magician hands someone a deck of cards, asks them to shuffle their selected card into the pack, and the poor person makes a fool of himself because he can’t do a simple card shuffle. Don’t be that person – especially if you’re a fan of playing cards! So if you know the precise differences between USPCC and Cartamundi stock, or are passionate about playing Hearts or Cribbage or Poker, but don’t know the first thing about shuffling a deck properly, then now is the time to do something about that.
So here’s a short introduction to some popular ways of shuffling playing cards. Hopefully this will whet your appetite to challenge yourself to learn something new, or to master something old. You’ll be surprised how helpful it can be to learn from experienced card handlers, and how a small tip or two can make a huge difference to a card shuffle that you have been (mis)performing for your entire life until now!
1. The Overhand Shuffle
The Overhand Shuffle is likely the shuffle that you already know how to do, because it is the shuffle of choice for most people. In other words, it’s probably the shuffle you learned from your grandpa or your best friend when you were 13 years old.
With the deck face-down in one hand, you use the thumb of your other hand to peel off small packets from the top so that they fall one at a time into that other hand, until you’ve gone through the entire deck in this manner.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that the overhand shuffle is not actually the most effective way of shuffling a deck, because it simply displaces large groups of cards. But once you become skilled at it, you can perform it very rapidly, and it is a very practical card shuffle that everyone should know how to do. Magicians also like this shuffle a great deal for card magic, because it enables them to perform some sleight of hand, and to control individual cards within a deck.
2. The Riffle Shuffle
The Riffle Shuffle is the shuffle you’ll often see used in gambling contexts like casinos, and for serious card games. Especially when it is done properly as a table riffle shuffle, it prevents cards from being exposed, and it doesn’t allow the same kind of sneaky moves that crooked dealers can get away with when performing an overhand shuffle. It’s also sometimes referred to as a “dovetail shuffle”.
To do a riffle shuffle, you first split the deck into two equal halves, putting one in each hand. From now on you need to mirror the actions of both of your hands, as you bring the packets together, and slowly riffle up the side of each packet simultaneously with your thumbs. You want the corners of the cards to overlap as you are doing this, so that they weave into each other, and then you can push them into each other once you are done.
The riffle shuffle looks very tidy, especially when performed on a table, but you can also perform it in your hands by placing your thumbs along the short edge. An in-the-hands riffle shuffle has the advantage that once the cards are woven together along one short edge, you can bend them with the help of your thumbs, letting them spring together in a move usually described as a “bridge”. This flourish is not difficult to learn, and is a classy looking move that is certain to impress people!
3. The Hindu Shuffle
The Hindu Shuffle looks somewhat unusual to the eyes of a Westerner, but apparently it is a common way to shuffle in many Asian countries. In some ways the mechanics are similar to an overhand shuffle, but the cards move along the direction of their long edges rather than parallel to their short edges.
This shuffle works by taking packets from the top of the deck, which you do by grabbing them with your thumb along one long edge and a couple of fingers along the other long edge. You peel the packets from the top of the deck (which is held in your other hand) one at a time, so that they fall into the hand you are using with your thumb and fingers for grabbing the packets.
This shuffle is arguably even easier to learn than the overhand shuffle. Especially if you ensure that you grab the packets cleanly, it can look quite classy, because it’s smooth and professional looking, while looking immediately different than the shuffling techniques most people are used to. Magicians sometimes use this shuffle to accomplish what is known as a “force”.
4. The Faro Shuffle
The Faro Shuffle is probably the most precise shuffle in the world. It looks terrific when it’s performed well, but it’s quite difficult to master, and will require a lot of practice and correct technique.
You need to begin by dividing the deck in two equal halves, holding one in each hand. You then bring these two halves of the deck together, and starting at one corner, use some pressure to push them together in such a way so that the cards weave together perfectly one at a time. Whatever you do, don’t just jam the cards together, because careful technique is needed to do this correctly. But when you learn how to do this properly, the cards will slide into each other smoothly just like a zipper, precisely one by one.
Being able to perform a perfect faro shuffle is the goal of many a magician and cardist. A unique feature of this shuffle, is that if you perform eight perfect faro shuffles one after another, the deck will be in exactly the same order that you started with. It’s also a practical move because several cardistry moves, such as the giant fan and the cascade, begin with a faro shuffle. If you’re really, really dedicated, you can even try the challenge of trying to learn a one-handed faro shuffle, which is an achievement very few people on the planet ever master!
Other Shuffles
This is by no means a complete list of all the shuffles that exist. A complete list would also have to include the granny shuffle, which is a common way of describing the most primitive shuffle there is: placing all the cards facedown on the table in a messy stack, and “washing” them together randomly with both hands. You’ve probably seen your 6 year old nephew shuffle this way! The pile shuffle is also somewhat of a primitive technique, and simply involves dealing an entire deck one card at a time into different piles in a random manner, and then compiling the piles together. You can also learn sleight of hand techniques to perform a false shuffle, which happens when the deck has the appearance of being shuffled, but either retains its original order entirely, or involves keeping a particular card or cards in a certain position.
It’s also good to be somewhat aware of the effectiveness of different shuffles. An overhand shuffle keeps clumps of cards together, whereas a single riffle shuffle retains the basic order of each half of a deck. For playing card games, the most effective shuffling techniques will involve combining different ways of shuffling. To shuffle a deck of cards reliably, you’ll need to make sure that you do more than just a single shuffle, to ensure that the order of the cards has been thoroughly rearranged. After all, statistically speaking there are 52! (fifty-two factorial) different ways of arranging a deck of 52 cards, which is a number greater than the number of atoms on the earth. So if you’re playing a card game, ideally you want to aim for creating an order that has never been seen before in the history of mankind, and never will be seen again. On the other hand if you’re doing card magic or card flourishing, the final result is less important, because you are more interested in the aesthetics of shuffling. You just want to look smooth and professional, and give people confidence that you are skilled at what you do.
Where to Learn
How can you learn to do these shuffles properly? It’s hard to do justice to a technical skill like card shuffling with words alone, and you won’t be able to learn how to do these shuffles properly just by reading the brief descriptions above. What you really need is a good book with pictures, like Joshua Jay’s Amazing Book of Cards. This is an excellent resource, because it includes careful photographs, and also comes with an instructional DVD. Alternatively, find some reliable video instruction that will teach you the finer points about some of these shuffles. Few are better than respected magic teacher Roberto Giobbi, who offers individual lessons on shuffling that are excerpted from his terrific Card College course.
Fortunately, youtube is also here to help. Admittedly it’s not hard to find poor instruction online, so beware of well-intentioned teenagers who are simply passing on mediocre technique. But because shuffling is a basic skill, the good news is that you will readily find some quality videos that teach you how to do this properly. I can recommend the video tutorials from 52Kards, The School of Cardistry, and lotisinhand’s Cardistry Bootcamp as good sources to get you started. So get busy, and happy shuffling!
About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards.
He loves card games, card magic, and card collecting. You can see a complete list of his playing card reviews here.
● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk
“The services (Shuffled Ink) provide(s) and the process for printing decks is by far the most pleasant I’ve had the opportunity to use! That paired with the high-quality printing makes for a great experience!” —Jared Hall, OxT Cards Creator
Shuffling playing cards may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether your shuffling skills need polishing or you’re not quite sure how to handle a deck of cards, these simple techniques will help you further develop your signature style in the art of cardistry.
So, What is Cardistry?
Cardistry
is a well-known term specifically among those in the playing card universe. It
is typically defined as “the performance art of card flourishing”. This
non-magic shuffling technique allows for cardists to manipulate their deck of
playing cards in a visually appealing manner.
Cardistry
got its name by combining the words “card” and “artistry”. And while the name
may be simple, this craftsmanship can be difficult to execute.
One of Shuffled Ink’s clients, Jared Hall, creates decks for cardistry. His love for the technique actually stemmed from magic, which resulted in him watching various tutorial videos on the art form. Soon enough, inspiration struck and he wanted to create and execute cardistry on his own, so he did. And you can too!
The number
one tip that Hall emphasizes is practice. While the phrase, “practice makes
perfect” may seem cliché, it couldn’t be more relevant and true when it comes
to cardistry. Hall says, “Cardistry is not easy, but the payoff of learning a
move is worth all the time you spend learning it.”
Now, the more help you get the better. Watching videos on ‘Cardistry for Beginners’ or from channels like Fontaine Cards and Dealersgrip will get you out of your own bubble. The sooner you submerge yourself into the world of cardistry, the quicker the cards will fall into place…or at least for the time being, fall on the floor.
2. Steady Hands
Mastering
the art of cardistry doesn’t happen overnight. In reality, you are going to
fail more times than you succeed. So, don’t be surprised if you spend more time
dropping cards than shuffling them. Similar to professional baseball players
striking out or dropping a routine catch, even pro cardists drop cards.
If you shuffle playing cards too quickly, it leaves room for more mistakes than intended. A common misconception about shuffling cards is if you shuffle the cards quickly, it will make your performance look better. There’s a clear difference between shuffling cards quickly and creating the illusion that you are shuffling them at a rapid pace. The latter is a better technique, especially for beginners. This is where your personally crafted hand mechanics come into play.
3. You’re In Control: The Mechanic’s Grip
There isn’t necessarily one way to hold a deck of cards. But one of the most important tips to note is to find a style that is comfortable, practical and efficient. And each of your fingers has a designated section on the card that it is responsible for.
Practicing your mechanics will only get you so far, but having the right cards will allow you to perform your cardistry smoothly. It’s understandable that when you’re starting out, you’ll use any dusted deck around the house. But you’re only as confident and solid as the deck you use. Cardistry is all about comfort and finding your stylistic art form, so why not create your signature, quality deck of playing cards to match that? Shuffled Ink’s custom print playing cards are created in 3 easy steps, explore your options today!
For more
information on Jared Hall’s Cardistry brand, explore OxT Cards.
For updates
on Hall’s social media, follow @occupiedcards.
● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk
Whether you’re using casino chips or crunchy, edible ones, you need to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk” during poker night. Seems simple, right? Just show up on your A game and you’re good to go. But wait…there’s one issue. Having watched too many quick-paced tutorials and downloaded countless poker game apps, you’re starting to wonder if understanding poker is even in the cards for you.
You’re in luck! Here’s our master poker cheat sheet and guide to Texas Hold’em for beginners. It’s all you need to join the game!
Basic Poker Lingo
Get out your flash cards because it’s definition time!
Texas Hold’em: A common variation of poker, played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards (no Jokers).
The Pot: Sum of money waged by all the types of card players throughout the game. Whichever player has the best 5-card combination wins the pot.
Act: A player decides what to do with their hand when it’s their turn to play.
Bet: How much money you want to wage/contribute in(to) the pot.
Check: Knock on the table or say “check” if you decide to not act in a specific round.
Community cards: Five cards dealt face up in the center of the board. These cards are available for all players to complete their five-card hands. Players mentally configure their 5-card hand as each community card is dealt.
Fold: If you don’t have a strong hand, or you think someone else’s is stronger, forfeit your hand and all the chips you’ve put into the pot. This means you are not allowed to act during the rest of the hand.
Call: When you match the amount bet by the player who acted before you.
Raise: When you increase the betting stakes for the participating poker players (only if your bet, or someone else’s, was previously matched). The original bettor will have the option to match your raise if he/she wants to continue participating in the hand.
No-Limit Poker: No limit is placed on how much you can bet.
Limit Poker: A limit is placed on how much you can bet.
Poker Basic Positions
Players rotate clockwise and will represent each of these positions over the course of the game.
Button/Dealer: Player who is dealing the cards and chips. If you’re playing at a casino, he/she does not play during the game. If you’re playing at home, the dealer usually plays and is the last person to place their bet.
Small Blind (SB): Player who goes first in every round and is seated directly to the left of the dealer.
Big Blind (BB): Player seated directly to the left of the SB. He/she goes second after the flop (flop, step 4)
The SB and BB are required to contribute a certain amount depending on the type of game being played.
If you are playing a 2-5 no-limit poker game, then the SB wages $2 and the BB wages $5 before any action commences(during the pre-flop, step 4)
The Cut Off (CO): The position just before the button. If the button is not playing, then this player is the last person to bet. If the button is playing, then this player is the second to last to act. Whoever is the last player to act has the best betting advantage because he/she gets to see everyone else’s actions.
Rank: Card value. For example, a King has more value than a Queen.
1. Royal Flush: An unbeatable hand, consisting of these cards in identical suits.
2. Straight Flush: Five cards in numerical order with all identical suits. The highest possible flush is a Royal Flush. (See image above)
3. Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank and one kicker card, which is used to break ties if your opponent has the same hand. Whichever kicker card is higher, wins the hand. In this case, Jack is the kicker card.
Another player cannot have Four of a Kind unless all four cards being used come from the community cards.
4. Full House: Three cards match in rank, with two additional cards matching in another rank. To create the strongest Full House hand, the three matched cards should be higher in rank than the other two matched cards (suit doesn’t matter).
5. Flush: These five cards must all belong to the same suit. If there’s a tiebreaker, the player with the highest card will determine the winner.
The highest possible Flush hand is an Ace.
6. Straight: Five consecutive cards of different suits. For this hand, Aces can act simultaneously as the highest and lowest card.
7. Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank and two kicker cards.
8. Two Pair: Two pairs of the same rank. The higher the pairs are ranked, the better chance you’ll have to win.
9. One Pair: One pair of the same rank. The best possible scenario would be a pair of Aces, as shown below.
10. High Card: While this is the lowest-ranked hand, it is not completely useless to play. The five cards are not consecutive and do not belong to the same suit or rank. If your opponent has a High Card, too, and your highest card beats their highest card, then you win the hand.
A Guide on How to Play Texas Hold’em (For Beginners)
Five community cards are dealt during the four rounds of play, and bets are waged.
Round 1
Pre-Flop: Two hole cards are dealt to each player face down, sculpting your 5-card hand foundation. These two cards should be viewed privately before the betting begins.
Pre-Flop Betting: The BB and SB place their bets. The amount bet depends on the type of game played (2-4 no limit, 2-5 no limit, etc.). The action starts with the player seated to the left of the BB.
Round 2
One card is burned, or discarded, before the playable community cards are dealt.
Flop: The dealer places three cards face up for all players to use in their hand. The rotation from player to player moves clockwise from the dealer position.
Flop Betting/Checking: Unlike Round 1, the SB acts first and has the option to either bet or check; both cannot be done at once. If the SB decides to bet, then all other players are not allowed to check. These other players must either call the bet, raise or fold. If the SB decides to check, then the option to bet or check falls in the hands of the next player.
Round 3
Turn: The dealer burns another card and then places a fourth card face up (next to the three community cards already on the board) for any player to use.
Turn Betting/Checking: This is the same as betting on the flop. The SB will decide whether to bet or check. When all bets are equalized through calling, then the round ends. The player who initiated the last bet or raise wins the pot if all remaining players decide to fold.
Round 4
River: The dealer burns another card and then places the fifth (and final) card face up for anyone to use.
River Betting/Checking/Winning: This is the same as betting on the flop and turn. The difference is when the round ends, either with everyone checking or all players having bet or raised, the remaining players must reveal their two hole cards and the pot is awarded to the player with the highest possible 5-card hand. If one player makes a bet or a raise that is not called by anyone else and all other players fold, the pot is awarded to the last remaining player in the hand.
Showdown
If there are at least two players who have not folded after the River, then those players must reveal their cards to determine who has the best hand. This player will ultimately win the pot.
Strategies
Win the Pot.
If you have the best 5-card combination hand after all community cards are dealt, then you win the entire pot. If you and another player have the exact same hand, then you traditionally split the pot.
Deceit/Bluffing.
Poker is a mind game, and your deceptive persona can be used to convince your opponents to abandon their hand (even if theirs is stronger). Remember, if you overuse the bluffing technique it may hurt your game more than it helps. Strategizing when and how often you should use this game of trickery depends on who you’re playing with, your level of skilled deceitfulness and your hand.
Risk.
Playing each hand is not advised. It’s important to know when to check and fold if you’re not confident in your hand. For players who constantly itch for action and continue waging regardless of their hand, remember the money you already have is just as valuable as the money you can possibly earn.
Have fun.
Yes, this may sound cliché, but what’s the point if you’re not having fun during a game? Poker can be extremely competitive, so it’s important to kindly accept the outcome, win or lose.
Even if you’re not the best player at the table, at least now you have a better understanding on how to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk” poker style, and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind playing card deck, too.
Custom playing cards can work to develop your personal brands. One of the wonderful aspects of branding yourself and/or your company is you have absolute power in how you portray yourself and your product.
So why not go a step further with branding? Why not do more than just perfect your brand’s online profile? What if by creating custom playing cards for your business, you could further develop your brand?
Here’s how you can further develop both your company and personal brand, as well as a look into some of our clients who have done just that.
There are many ways to market your brand. One way to have a memorable brand is by distributing your logo on a deck of playing cards to both existing and potential customers.
There have been many companies, small and large, that have customized a deck of custom playing cards with their unique logo as the work of art. Handle these cards as you wish — sell them on your website, pass them out during an event — do whatever you can to leave your current and prospective customers with your personal company emblem.
Sometimes, companies can fall short in supplying merchandise if there isn’t much value in the product they’re distributing. Using a 54-card deck of custom playing cards as a supplementary commodity, which has an endless amount of games within its shuffle, helps to further develop both your company and personal brand in transformative ways that go beyond a simple sticker or flyer.
Personal Branding Cards
There’s something unique about using a deck of cards to create a creative complex toward whatever product or idea you’re trying to spread. It’s easy to create a pamphlet or a video that you can show your target audience, but why not create something that is both visually appealing, mobile and has multi-purposes.
For example, if you’re a yoga instructor and want to provide your clients with take-home exercises, allow playing cards to build on the foundation you’ve already created for your students.
Instead of writing down a list of poses and stretches for them to do, provide them with playing cards that have an image of each pose
Provide a list of techniques that can help with breathing exercises
Even provide your social media handles, phone number and email on either the first or last card in the deck (use any and all forms of marketing through these custom playing cards as a way to further your personal brand; more sources means more exposure).
Exploring ways to think outside of the box when it comes to marketing your brand and ideas is extremely important for further developing your company. If one of your goals is to have people remember your product and you wish to portray your brand in an entertaining and multi-purposed way, then using custom playing cards is the perfect route to pursue.
● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk
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If you’re looking to sweep your significant other off their feet this Valentine’s Day with your thoughtfulness and creativity, you’re in for a treat that’s much sweeter than candy.
We’ve created a guide of the top 4 BEST Valentine’s Day gift ideas that involve…well, you guessed it: Playing Cards!
1. 52 Reasons Why (I Love You)!
A common Valentine’s Day gift idea that uses playing cards is “52 reasons…” It’s simple: You write 52 reasons why you love your significant other (fun fact, I created this exact gift for my boyfriend a couple years ago). This 52-card deck gift idea isn’t only subject to couples. You can even design a custom Valentine’s Day deck for your best friends AND family members: “52 Reasons Why You’re My Best Friend” or “52 Reasons Why You’re an Incredible Mom”.
Here’s What You’ll Need:
1. One classic 52-card deck
2. Hole Punch
3. Binder Rings or Ribbon
4. Sharpie
5. Glue
2. Adorable Playing Card Puns
It is often admitted that one of the most desirable characteristics people look for in a partner is a dazzling sense of humor. If you want to personalize a Valentine’s Day card for your love, do so by using puns and playing cards. What’s better than those two, right? Simply place either a King or Queen on construction paper and write: “You’re the Queen of My Heart” or “You’re the King of My Heart”. You can even use the “2” of any suit and say: “You’re ‘2’ Sweet”. If you’re a PUN master and up for the challenge, then use any number or face from a deck of cards and create 52 loving puns to give as a gift!
Here’s What You’ll Need:
1. A Classic 52-card deck
2. Construction Paper
3. Scissors
4. Envelope
5. Sharpie
6. Glue
3. Playing Card Home Décor
Treat Valentine’s Day like Christmas and decorate your home with playing cards. Sometimes Valentine’s Day can fall short because it doesn’t ‘feel’ like the holiday when you’re working all day or have other obligations to worry about. DECKorating will surely create a romantic and loving atmosphere that will remind your significant other how much you love and care about them.
1. Make a heart-shaped wreath by using playing cards and hang
it on your front door, or anywhere else you see fit
2. Hang only playing cards with the heart suit on a mantelpiece or somewhere your significant other can admire it while they’re at home
3. Instead of putting roses by their bedside, create a
playing card bouquet
With Shuffled Ink, create your own unique card game that’s all about your significant other or your relationship. Some accessories that come along with your card game include card size, card stock, number of cards, booklets, instructions, dice, etc. There are so many Valentine’s Day game ideas you could consider, such as creating a questions game about milestones in your relationship (where you met, your favorite date spot, where you had your first kiss, etc.)
This Valentine’s Day, allow playing cards to spark some magic into this special day and put your creativity and love for your significant other to new heights. We can assure you that these playing card designs (especially hilarious puns) will mean the world to the person you love.
● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk
This is a guest post from the wonderful Jane Sandwood.
The practice of reading tarot cards can be traced back to 1377. These tiny sheets of paper have served many different purposes for many different people over the years. One major use is to give spiritual advice to people questioning their life path.
Known as tarot readings, this method arose in the late 18th century and has become one of the most popular tools of divination in the world. Its growing popularity hasn’t always been used for good, though. Some people have taken advantage of the art to make a quick buck.
It’s important that you and your wallet stay safe, so here are some unique tips on how to avoid being scammed by a tarot reader.
YOUR TAROT READER IS CONSTANTLY FISHING FOR INFORMATION
Your reader should not be asking more questions than you. Remember, the purpose of a tarot reading is to gain insight into your future. You can’t do this if the reader is asking two hundred questions, while you’re only asking five.
There is no time limit for when your reading is “valid.” Marketing methods like time sensitive readings are simply gimmicks. They’re an attempt to get the most people to waste the most amount of money.
A reader should never tell you when you need a reading. You should be the one that determines when you need to go.
YOU ARE CURSED
One of the oldest psychic scams in the book is when a tarot reader tells you that you have been cursed by a dark presence. They will then tell you that you need to visit as soon as possible to defeat the evil spirit. Remember the time sensitive scam from above? This is simply one variation of it.
No one can put a curse on you, so don’t fall for this hack. You’ll end up wasting your time, money, and emotional security. That is the exact opposite of what tarot readings are all about.
THE READER GOES TO GREAT LENGTHS TO MAKE YOU KEEP YOUR READING A SECRET
Tarot readers are not part of a secret organization and should never ask you to keep your reading private. This means that the reader is clearly up to no good.
Be sure to do your research when selecting a tarot card reader. You can check review sites to make sure your reader is legitimate and see how others fared during their reading. Before agreeing to the reading, talk to the reader and have a conversation about what they’ll perform for you. You can also talk to them about their knowledge of tarot cards and judge for yourself if they seem like the real deal.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE SCAMMED
If you find yourself the victim of a scam, be sure that you take these steps to not only get your money back, but to warn others as well.
Ask the scammer for a refund
If they won’t give you a refund, reach out to your bank to try and stop the transaction
Report the scammer to the police
Post a review on Yelp and other business rating sites to warn others of the scammer
Call the scammer out on social media
If you take the right steps, you may get your money back and help others to avoid the same scam.
Networking can be difficult and, sometimes, very awkward. You don’t want to be too forward, and you can’t be too passive. Networking is a paradox. You have to thread the needle between arrogance and insecurity.
How do you make a great first impression when networking? Easier said than done. You never have a second chance at a first impression. But don’t worry, Shuffled Ink is here to make sure that the first impression is the right one.
WHY DO FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER?
You can’t overestimate the importance of first impressions. People make snap judgments about you, judgments that are tough to change. But those who you’ve met are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if you start off strong with them. And, of course, it is always nice to have some goodwill “cash in the bank” so to speak for when you do, inevitably, make a mistake. This is true both personally and professionally. “A strong first impression,” says Dorie Clark (the author of Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future) “gives you more latitude to be human.”
STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD WITH BRANDED COLLATERAL
Everyone hands out business cards and pens. There’s nothing new there. But, on the other hand, what about offering people something unique? Something they can actually use? We specialize in creating customized playing cards that can be made to include your company’s logo and other information. Custom playing cards offer a creative alternative to boring old business cards which is sure to stand out in people’s minds. Not only that but they also pay some serious dividends because every time anyone uses them they will think of you and your business.
DON’T BE LATE
This one is an oldie but a goodie. If you’re meeting someone new, they probably aren’t interested in hearing your excuse for being late, regardless of how good. Leave early and give yourself some wiggle room to account for traffic jams and other possible delays.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
If you’re meeting someone new, it is essential to do your homework. Know who you’re meeting and what they care about. If you’re going in for an interview, focus on demonstrating both your knowledge of the problem (i.e., the one you’re being hired to fix) and how your particular skill set puts you in the perfect position to solve it. Two or three talking points are usually enough. Any more and you might dilute the conversation. No one is ever going to remember everything that you said so it is better to make a few major points rather than a number of minor ones. These talking points will vary, obviously depending on the situation but a good rule of thumb is to focus on your strategic planning abilities, your business-knowledge and your general grasp of the situation at hand.
FIND A COMMONALITY
Find something in common. It may feel a bit Machiavellian to research the interests of the person who you’re going to be speaking to beforehand. But it isn’t. Especially if you can find something – on Facebook, LinkedIn or elsewhere – that you both share. Authenticity here is key. You don’t want to say “I love golf” only because you know your interviewer is a golfer. If they ask you about the specifics, you are likely to end up looking either silly or like a liar.
MASTER YOUR BODY LANGUAGE
If you’re not usually a very confident person that’s okay, there are some steps you can take to help yourself out and tamp down anxiety. Try, for example, the power of posing method to help calm yourself down before a big meeting. The key is to appear both confident and comfortable.
For more new and creative ways to network better and make a great first impression, hit the button below!
After much brainstorming, you’ve found a unique card game idea that you just know will fly off the shelves. But how do you get from concept to (real or virtual) shopping cart? Shuffled Ink has got you covered with five effective steps toward creating a successful custom card game.
STEP 1: NARROW DOWN YOUR THEME
Whether your custom card game idea involves a fun twist on learning historic wars, a hilarious game of comparisons, or something else altogether, your game needs to break your topic down to the absolute basics. This will allow you to properly streamline the concept and then transform your game idea into reality, preventing anyone from becoming confused or uninterested in participating.A big part of narrowing your theme is researching rules or additional elements you can add into your card game idea to provide clarity for your users. Inspiration often comes from pre-existing games, including tabletop games, video games and other forms of interactive entertainment, so be sure to think about why those rules or elements attract you to the game and see how you can incorporate similar ideas into your own game (without flat-out stealing the idea).One of the most important things to be mindful of with your theme is that you’ll want to make sure the design and rule ideas always match up. For example, if your card game involves a lot of rules of one card trumping another card (such as the card game Coup), you’ll want to ensure you have established the rules right away and possibly create a cheat sheet of sorts to help users remember them.If you find yourself stuck, try adding or removing certain parts of your game idea and see if that makes it more clear. How does it change? What is essential? What was a good idea until it threw off the main goal of the game? How did that element interrupt the game flow? Answering these questions will get your brain thinking about the mechanics of your game design and ultimately how well your users interact with it.
STEP 2: WRITE IT DOWN
After step one, your game idea is rushing around in your head. The best way not to forget anything is to write it all down—even if you end up trashing it later on. Everything from rules and setting specifics, to the card design and other aesthetics should be written down or drawn out.With these elements at hand, you can begin to tweak, eliminate, add in variations, simplify or embellish your game. By solidifying how your game is played, you’ll be narrowing down the concept so that it’s actually playable. Here are some questions to ask yourself when narrowing down the logistics of your game:
What do you want players to do?
How can they win the game?
What are the rules?
Are there exceptions to the rules?
How many people can play at once?
What is the minimum and maximum amount of players?
Is it meant for teams or individual play?
Can there be a tie?
Is the game timed?
How does the game progress (turn-based or rounds)?
How will the players interact?
STEP 3: DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE AND TEST IT
With a solidified idea of your game written down, you’ll then want to continue on to the next step (and arguably the most important step)─producing a prototype and testing it out. No one wants to make the investment of mass producing a custom game only to have it backfire with flaws in the rules, missing cohesiveness in the story or other problems in functionality. And although it’s easy to have family and friends test it out, it’s also very important to get non-biased parties to test it as well, preferably those of various ages and experience levels. This will help you set your game up for the best possible chance of success.So to recap this step: you’ll need to first create a fully functional, fully designed prototype that includes every piece of the game. Then, you’ll need to test it out on real people.Not sure where to find them? Try posting your game in a playtester section of some popular gaming forums. In your post on the forums, tell how you will deliver the game to them, as well as how and when you need it back, as well as how to send feedback. Here are some great playtester discovery resources:
One thing to note: Be open to all feedback, criticism and compliments, and keep notes of what goes right, what goes wrong and what people react positively/negatively to. Find answers through user feedback to questions like: Are there rules that are confusing? Does the general goal make sense to your test group? What does the group have the most trouble grasping? Do they have any suggestions? What was their favorite component of the game?
STEP 4: PERFECT YOUR DESIGN
After obtaining all the helpful feedback you can get, you’ll then want to transform your prototype into Prototype 2.0 (or 3.0 or 4.0, depending on how many rounds of changes are needed). Design each card by hand or digitally. You’ll want to create a logo for your game title to brand your game via the instructions and packaging. Branding is very important in keeping everything unified across the entire packaging and play pieces of your game! Decide on fonts, a color palette, design style, characters, etc. and create a branding guidelines packet for yourself to refer to later (for possible expansion packs or other related elements).If you don’t want to tackle designing the game yourself, there’s no shame in having someone do it for you! Just ensure they keep a central focus on your goals and vision.
STEP 5: PRINT AND PUBLISH
Now, you’re finally ready to make your custom card game dreams come true. Once your designs are finalized, it’s time to print and publish your game. With experienced and professional custom playing card and board game manufacturers like Shuffled Ink, this is the easy part. You’ll be able to simply and easily upload your designs online, choose the materials you want your game to be made with, select your favorite custom packaging, enjoy our ultra-fast turnaround—all at a highly competitive rate.
Interested in turning your custom card game idea into a reality? Request a free quote today and see how Shuffled Ink can help make it happen.
To receive complimentary samples of our card products, include your delivery address and phone number on your custom quote request form.
If you’re going to spend any time with a deck of playing cards, some things are an absolute must. And one of them is this: knowing how to do a decent shuffle. After all, it’s a little embarrassing if you have a massive collection of 100+ beautiful custom decks, and your shuffling skills are uglier than the back end of a city bus. Like me, you probably love playing cards, so the very least you can do is look somewhat professional in the way that you handle them. And that begins with shuffling.
And how often doesn’t it happen that a magician hands someone a deck of cards, asks them to shuffle their selected card into the pack, and the poor person makes a fool of himself because he can’t do a simple card shuffle. Don’t be that person – especially if you’re a fan of playing cards! So if you know the precise differences between USPCC and Cartamundi stock, or are passionate about playing Hearts or Cribbage or Poker, but don’t know the first thing about shuffling a deck properly, then now is the time to do something about that.
So here’s a short introduction to some popular ways of shuffling playing cards. Hopefully this will whet your appetite to challenge yourself to learn something new, or to master something old. You’ll be surprised how helpful it can be to learn from experienced card handlers, and how a small tip or two can make a huge difference to a card shuffle that you have been (mis)performing for your entire life until now!
Personalized Playing Cards
Harley-Davidson Cafe Las Vegas Custom Playing Cards
Custom Heliotrope True PNW 
Custom Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream 
Custom The Los Angeles County Fire Department 
Custom Sonny’s BBQ 
