We appreciate everyone who emailed us with the somber news of Herb Zarrow passing on. He was 82 years of age.
We are told services will be held on Tuesday in his home state of New Jersey. Zarrow, of course, will forever be remembered for pioneering the Zarrow Shuffle and is described by Whaley’s Who’s Who In Magic as such…
Inspired and learned at age 11-12 from Gilbert magic set & library books. Accountant in New Jersey. Amateur closeup with cards & coins. Innovator & improver in card & close-up magic. Invented Zarrow shuffle around 1953-54, having “worked on it at various times, from late forties” & published it in 1957 in Phoenix. MIMC 1995. Louie Award 1998.
This is an example of a false shuffle. The shuffle appears to be a normal riffle shuffle to spectators. In fact, it leaves the cards in exactly the same order as before the shuffle.
Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. We hope to have a proper retrospective up soon.