Start with 8 chips

The chip shuffle is the most popular casino chip trick. Everyone wants to learn how to do it. Like any other task requiring some manual dexterity it will take a lot of practice to master.

Start with 8 chips and place them in two piles of 4. This amount seems to work best when you are learning. You should also select two different chip colors so you know you are doing it correctly. I practice with actual casino chips. The ceramic ones you use for home games are not as good to learn with. Put your pinky and ring fingers on the side of the left pile.

Place fingers on each side of piles

Place your pinky and ring finger on the side of the right pile. Place you thumb and index finger on the side of the left pile. Bring the two piles together by applying gentle but firm pressure. If you apply too much the chips will mash together and your chips will go all over the place. At this point your middle finger is not touching the chips. This finger will be used to lift and separate.

Squeeze the two piles together

As you squeeze the two piles together you will feel them start to “buckle in the middle. Keep the pressure steady and firm but not too tight. This is a view from the back.

Use your middle finger to lift and separate the poker chips

Now you will use your middle finger to separate the chips. Starting from the bottom, lift your middle finger up the front of the two piles. Your finger is in the “V” formed by the two piles of chips. As you raise your middle finger you will feel the two piles of chips gliding off both sides of your middle finger. Maintain pressure on the sides and the chips will begin to interlock from the bottom.

Back view as you begin to lift

Here is a view from the back as you begin to bring your middle finger up the pile.

Keep lifting with your middle finger

Keep lifting you middle finger up the top of the piles. Here is a front view as the two piles of chips are coming together.

View from back as you continue to shuffle the stacks

Here is a view from the back as you continue to lift and separate with your middle finger. Keep the pressure firm but not hard.

Bring piles together as one

As you reach the top of the stack with your middle finger the chips should all be interlacing together. Keep applying pressure on the side to push both piles into one.

Back view of stack interlaced together

Here is a view from the back of the two piles completely interlaced together.

Tidy up the stack and make it even

Now all you have to do is tidy up the single stack. Now divide the stack into two piles and start again. If started with two stacks of different color chips the stack will go to their original positions after you shuffle them three times. For example you start with a stack of 4 whites and four yellow. After the third shuffle you will have your original stacks of 4 white and 4 yellow if you were shuffling the correctly.