Shoutout to the guy at my local game store who taught me how to actually shuffle sleeves

I was at Game Kastle in Santa Clara last month struggling to shuffle my Gloomhaven deck with sleeves on. This older guy just watched for a minute and then came over and showed me the mash shuffle technique. He said "you gotta push them together at an angle, not straight down" and it worked perfectly on the first try. Has anyone else had a random stranger at a game store teach them something that completely changed how you play?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellat8728d ago

Mash shuffling is a total game changer, I remember how bad I was at first too. The trick is to tilt the top sleeve slightly to the left or right before you push down, that way the corners slide past each other instead of just jamming up. If your sleeves are really tight or new, you might need to break them in by shuffling a bit before they glide smooth. Also, don't push too hard or you'll bend the cards, just a gentle press at that angle and let gravity do the work. Once you get the hang of it, you'll never go back to that awkward overhand shuffle that takes forever and messes up your sleeves.

sanchez.robin28d ago

Gonna disagree a bit here. Mash shuffling is fine for some decks but it definitely wears out sleeves way faster than people admit. I've seen corners get chewed up after just a few sessions, especially with cheaper sleeves. The overhand shuffle might take longer but my cards actually last longer that way. Plus for commander or any big deck, mashing 99 cards is a pain compared to a few quick overhand passes. Different strokes for different folks I guess.