I've had problems convincing people that the top card of a deck is "really" being shuffled into the middle of the deck. I've tried some false cuts and can't seem to get them to look natural and unnoticeable. If there's a better way or a book or something that could help I'd be very grateful.

put it in the middle and pass

hey, if you learn a pass, it frees up your options in shuffling, they can see their card and even put it into the deck, but you have control of it. This would probably be a good idea. There are methods for passes in just about any acrd magic book, royal road to card magic, etc. Good luck, and if all else fails, get a new un-magic exposed audience, they'll believe you!

Do a slip shuffle, to make the top card second from the bottom. Then show it's not on top or bottom. Then do another slip shuffle and run the last few cards. Card is now on top.

Are you injogging the card for the shuffle?

If you mean for the slip shuffle, you shouldn't need a jog of any type. Standard overhand F shuffle. Most books have it, Royal Road to card magic being one.

No I mean for an overhand false shuffle, injogging the top card or dealing one card and injogging that one is necessary for that. Depends whether you want to keep it on the top or send it to bottom. But normally I use the method of injogging the top card for both and I just push it in with my thumb and hold a break because dealing one card on top looks odd I think.

riffle pass, clasic pass, false clasic pass cut Work fine.....

I assume you are trying an overhand (rather than riffle or hindu shuffle) to "loose the card," but are getting caught by your spectators. Here are a few suggestions that might be helpful:

1. Forget the pass for now. If you are having difficulty with a shuffle, a pass (which is much, much harder to execute convincingly) is even less likely to seem natural to your spectators.

2. When holding the cards in the left hand for an overhand shuffle, be certain your left little finger is extended a bit so the left inner edge of the deck (the edge nearest you) is stopped by the edge (nearest the ring finger) of the left finger. This is important in controlling the cards.

3. Your injog ideally should be about 1/4" or less, though that takes practice. A 1/2" injog shouldn't be noticed, but anything larger will be, for sure. That left little finger is crucial in getting the injog to a small jog.

4. Your right hand should make the up and down movement in the same arch, and not be moving in and out (to make the injog). Use the left hand thumb for that (more control).

5. Once you shuffel off and pick up the break, pick up the break and only about half the cards above the break -- leave the rest in your left hand, and shuffle off to the break. Leaving cards behind in the right hand is deceptive because it gives cover to your holding the break, and it gives your viewers two things to watch -- the cards in the left hand and the right hand.

6. If you are still getting nailed, you can try this. Throw a block into the left hand (selected card on top), now run 3 cards, then injog and shuffle off. Pick up the break, and shuffle off to the break. Here you have a choice. The selected card is fourth from the top. After shuffling to the break, you can run another three cards and throw the block on top, and the selected card is now on top. A better maneuver, however, is to use a little time misdirection. You shuffle off to the break, card is now 4th from the top. Make a comment (be sure to look your spectator in the eyes), move the card case, etc. Then run 3 cards and throw the block on top.

7. If all this fails, buy Volume 1 of Card College! (Get it anyway!!). It teaches in depth all about false overhand shuffels and excellent false cuts.

8. Good Luck!

Put a crimp in that baby and then let them shuffle! Double undercut to the crimp. Then control the card however you wish.

Now that's a great idea!

Just do a DL and show themits not the top card.

i have q question to your question - how do your spectators know that the card is on top in the first place?

when you control a card to the top it should be untraceable.

why don’t you start with the card from the middle of the deck and control it to the bottom and bring it to the top with a double cut when you need it.