The Rough Shuffle

[QueenRowdi]

I grew up in the Midwest playing good ole Euchre and IDK if that’s a contributing factor or what, but I hate overhand shuffling. I’m not sure if I’m just too acquainted with playing cards or just plain old superstitious but overhand shuffling doesn’t feel satisfying or “right” to me in any way. Every time I shuffle my cards overhand style I always re-do it; the never feel properly mixed or blended or whatever to me.

so...as a result, I riffle shuffle and bridge all my decks (Judge me, I know) and PREDICTABLY, that beats them up pretty badly- especially any with sub par card stock. 
 For a while I was just considering it “the gauntlet” so to speak, like if cards couldn’t survive my handling of them then they weren’t meant for me. But I have a couple expensive indie decks and I don’t want all my stuff getting super beat up! Anyone else shuffle to rough? When not in use they all live nicely together on a display shelf in boxes/bags lol I’m nice to them I swear 

[stephanelli]

4 hours ago, QueenRowdi said:

I grew up in the Midwest playing good ole Euchre and IDK if that’s a contributing factor or what, but I hate overhand shuffling. I’m not sure if I’m just too acquainted with playing cards or just plain old superstitious but overhand shuffling doesn’t feel satisfying or “right” to me in any way. Every time I shuffle my cards overhand style I always re-do it; the never feel properly mixed or blended or whatever to me.

so...as a result, I riffle shuffle and bridge all my decks (Judge me, I know) and PREDICTABLY, that beats them up pretty badly- especially any with sub par card stock. 
 For a while I was just considering it “the gauntlet” so to speak, like if cards couldn’t survive my handling of them then they weren’t meant for me. But I have a couple expensive indie decks and I don’t want all my stuff getting super beat up! Anyone else shuffle to rough? When not in use they all live nicely together on a display shelf in boxes/bags lol I’m nice to them I swear 

For the decks you're worried about, you could try shuffling by dealing all the cards out into a number of piles (as many as you feel is right, I often use 4 personally) and then picking up the piles randomly to put them back in the deck.  I'll sometimes shuffle each pile overhand before uniting the whole deck.

I do this with decks that are too large for my hands, but it could work with expensive indie decks too.

[Rodney]

I grew up in the East and learned to riffle shuffle and bridge playing cards at an early age. We used to play a game called Spite and Malice with 4 decks of playing cards (208 cards) and I could riffle and bridge that. I still riffle and bridge my tarot decks and I've yet to beat up a deck that way. There are rougher and easier ways to bridge a deck, and I guess I adjust my method to suit the cardstock. You can also riffle and then push the cards together like casino dealers do instead of bridging them.

[katrinka]

Same here. I riffle and bridge, and it doesn't damage the decks at all. I have decks I've shuffled that way for years and years. 
I've seen people damage cards riffling and bridging, but they tend to be awkward at it. If that's the case, I'd suggest getting some dollar store playing cards and practicing. 

[LogicalHue]

I rifle shuffle. There was a study done on the math on different shuffling types for a standard deck of cards. It takes like 7 rifle shuffles to become totally randomized and I'm not immediately finding it but something like hundreds of overhand shuffles to accomplish the same. You're not wrong that its just not very mixed up doing it that way.

 

I sometimes beat up my card edges just a little. Sometimes I bend the last card just a little too much. I've never done any serious damage. If I can't rifle shuffle I do what stephanelli is describing, but I do lots of piles - like as many as I can fit in the space and just go with the flow. And usually I do it twice. Its a whatever-feels-right to you kinda deal, as is it all, of course.