Card Games

Riffle shuffle

A riffle shuffle is a card-shuffling technique where you cut the deck into two piles and then merge them by letting cards fall from each pile in an alternating or random order.

Also called: dovetail shuffle, riffle, leafing the cards¹⁷
Gilbert–Shannon–Reeds model: Deck cut into two piles with top pile size n ~ Bin(N, 1/2), then interleaved uniformly among all \binom{N}{n} possibilities³⁴
Faro shuffle vs riffle: A faro shuffle is a perfect interleaving of two equal halves; a riffle shuffle is an ordinary cut-and-interleave shuffle and may be imperfect⁶¹

Key points

The deck is split into two packets, then cards are released from each packet and interleaved into one deck¹².
In the Gilbert–Shannon–Reeds model, packet sizes are random and the interleaving is uniformly random conditioned on those sizes³⁴.
A riffle shuffle permutation has only 1 or 2 maximal rising sequences, a property used to detect how many times a deck has been shuffled⁵.
A table riffle shuffle is performed on a table surface, often used in casinos to avoid exposing cards.

How to riffle shuffle a deck of cards

Split the deck into two roughly equal packets, one in each hand.
Hold the packets so the corners of the cards are close together, then release the cards from each thumb so they interleave.
Once the packets are fully interleaved, push the cards together to square the deck.

Common questions

Does riffle shuffle damage cards?

Yes, repeated riffle shuffling can bend and wear the cards over time, especially if done forcefully. Casinos often replace decks regularly to maintain fairness.

How to riffle shuffle a deck of cards?

Split the deck into two packets, hold them so the corners meet, then release cards from each thumb to interleave them. Push the deck together to square it.

Where this term is used

Card games

Not the same as

Faro shuffle vs riffle — a faro shuffle is a perfect interleaving of two equal halves, whereas a riffle shuffle is an ordinary cut-and-interleave shuffle that may be imperfect
Casino riffle shuffle — not a distinct term; the retrieved sources discuss card shuffling generally, not a casino-specific rule

Card games Casino riffle shuffle Explains how riffle shuffling is performed in a casino setting, often on a table. Card games Faro shuffle vs riffle Compares the perfect interleaving of a faro shuffle with the ordinary riffle shuffle. Card games Mash shuffle vs riffle shuffle Describes the differences between a mash shuffle and a riffle shuffle. Card games Faro shuffle Covers the perfect interleaving shuffle used in magic and card tricks. Card games Overhand shuffle Explains the overhand shuffle, a common alternative to the riffle shuffle. Card games Hindu shuffle Describes the Hindu shuffle, another method of mixing cards.

Sources

Shuffling en.wikipedia.org Defines the riffle shuffle and its alternative names.
Gilbert–Shannon–Reeds model en.wikipedia.org Describes the Gilbert–Shannon–Reeds model for riffle shuffling.
Universality of Cutoff for Riffle Shuffling arxiv.org Provides the binomial distribution model for packet sizes.
Cutoff for the Asymmetric Riffle Shuffle arxiv.org Supports the uniform random interleaving conditioned on packet sizes.
Riffle shuffle permutation en.wikipedia.org States the rising sequence characterization of riffle shuffle permutations.
Faro shuffle en.wikipedia.org Distinguishes faro shuffle from riffle shuffle.
No Feedback? No Worries! arxiv.org Lists 'leafing the cards' as an alternative name.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.