Anyone know or can you point to provenance for the name? Thanks.

That style of shuffling is much more common in South Asia (i.e., Japan, China, India, etc.) and I believe may even be the "normal" way of shuffling there. I think it was termed the "Hindu Shuffle" because a Western magician was in India and saw them shuffling cards that way.

-Jim

When I handed my deck of cards to a native of Beijing, he mixed the cards with a rapid, end-over-end "Hindu Shuffle."

And he did it faster than I've seen many americans perform either an overhand or a riffle.

Chris

This is "For the Record", anyone know for certainty what the provenance for this term is? Please cite your references. Thanks.

I've got my answer - thanks.

And what was the answer?

Apart from the fact it is a standard shuffle in Eastern countries, the forces/controls and shuffle name may originate with Emir Bux who claimed to be the only Hindu who could do card tricks. See "The Jinx" 36 (May 1939 issue.)

Did you get an earlier source?

Paul.

Paul, I hate to keep everyone from finding out for themselves, but since you asked: it's from a tome that is probably sitting on everyone's shelf:
Card Manipulations
Series 1-5
Jean Hugard
1st edition, 1934-1939
"I have dubbed this very useful series of moves "The Hindu Shuffle" because it was first shown to me over thirty years ago by a Hindu magician. Since then I have never seen a Hindu performer use any other kind of shuffle."

Seems from the Hugard quote above that he's taking credit for this naming.

Anyone else?

Thanks. Might as well have it recorded here for the record Hugard does seem to be claiming that he named the moves. Emir Bux was the Hindu magician he probably saw.

Paul.

Handa, all the people in my country use it for shuffling the cards. not really hindu shuffle actually, because the grip of the right hand is a little bit different. the right hand hold the cards from the bottom.

When I went to India with Mark Settaducati in I think 97, a lot of the magicians shuffled cards almost like what we call the "hindu shuffle". The only differrence was they didn't call it a "hindu shuffle", and they did the shuffle with their palms facing each other, both thumbs up and their elbows almost touching.

bob.

In "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Magic Tricks," on page 161, Tom Ogden reports that when he visited India once he had a discussion with an Indian magician, and when the Indian shuffled a deck of cards he used the "Hindu Shuffle." Ogden said, "Oh, a Hindu shuffle." And the man replied, with a smile, "Yes, I'm Hindu."
I like that story! As a teacher of World Religions, I have always wondered why there isn't a "Christian shuffle" or a "Confucianist shuffle" or a "Bahai shuffle."

The "Christian Shuffle" is done behind closed doors, so the other Christians can't see that he plays cards, unless he is German. Then he probably uses a regular overhand suffle. This could be called "the Catholic shuffle" if you are in a predoninantly Catholic area.

On the other hand, the Confucianist shuffle is similar to the Hindu shuffle, but it is inscrutable, so it cannot be described here.

The Bahai Shuffle recognizes all of the other shuffles.

Is there anyway that the first person to record the name of the shuffle as Hindu Shuffle, misused Hindu for Indian? I have heard many people in the West referring to Indians as Hindu or Hindi, which is a wrong way of calling people. I, myself hails from India, but am a Catholic. And, christianity was brought to India by St. Thomas, one of Christ's disciples.

Actually, the whole thing is based on a misunderstanding. Emir Bux was probably Indian, but the area he was from is probably now in Pakistan. He may have actually been a Muslim.

Back when this "naming" took place, most people in the US and in England had a very narrow view of people from India. I don't know if it is really much broader now. For example, most Americans think that all Indians are Hindu and that they all speak Hindi. Most of us simply do not take the time to learn anything different. I'm lucky. I have friends from India who have set me straight on the subject. There is a very large Indian population in Houston. It really helps to google some of the web sites about India, just to see what is really going on over there.

I'm familiar with the Syriac Church of Mar Thoma, which has a branch here in Houston. I performed at a fund raiser for them many years ago. They explained to me that their church was founded by St. Thomas.

The unitarian shuffle is my favorite - that is where the audience doesn't really even need to believe they were shuffled

I have read that what we call "the Hindu Shuffle" or something like it is pretty common as a regular shuffle, not just for card tricks, throughout Asia, not just in India, and one of the posters above says that all the people in Indonesia use it. Just how widely used is it, do you suppose?

It(Hindu Shuffle) was pretty common in Kerala, India - where I come from.
I have seen overhand shuffle only after coming to America. And I started seeing riffle shuffle only after I started playing bridge (here in America).

If "Emir" Bux was, actually KUDA BUX, he was a Pakistani (he told me this himself when I asked). He also said "always drink warm water for a longer life."

These were different people. I don't know if they were related or not. Pakistan didn't really exist as a nation until 1947. Before that it was part of the All-India Union under the British. But the people who lived in what was then Northwest India were struggling for their independence. This is why I hedged on the nationality issue.

Unitarian view of death, when you die your soul goes up onto the roof and you can't get it down