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Every Little Thing

Cards: Solving a Shuffle Kerfuffle

Every Little Thing

Gimlet

Comedy, Education, Science

4.64.6K Ratings

🗓️ 21 February 2022

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes. Listeners Marmie and Ryan want to know — how many times should you shuffle a deck of playing cards? Marmie says three, but Ryan says four or more. The couple places their bets and goes all in with applied mathematician Steven Strogatz and a full house of card-world VIPs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

You've reached the Every Little Thing helpline. Please leave your message after the tone.

0:07.1

Hey Flora, this is Ryan. My wife Marmee threatened me because I shuffled the cards more than three times.

0:14.6

Hey Flora, this is Marmee. My husband just called. He says that we have to shuffle the cards like a billion times.

0:22.7

As many times as I can, because the more times you shuffle, the better.

0:26.9

I told him the rule is you shuffle three times. So what is the proper amount to shuffle?

0:34.2

We need your help. This is a factual emergency.

0:40.2

Hello? Hello.

0:41.4

Hello.

0:42.3

Hey, you two. This is Flora from Every Little Family Feud.

0:45.9

Hi.

0:46.9

Hi, Flora.

0:50.0

How often do you guys play cards?

0:52.1

At least once a week, but it goes in spurts. Like, we will play a lot of cards at once, like several days in a row. What do you play? Um, a lot of rummy. We also play golf. That's when we've started, we've picked it up recently. And you have to shuffle a lot. Oh, do you? Yes. Yes. So that must be a very contentious game for you, too.

1:12.8

Very.

1:14.5

He always makes me shuffle, though, because he doesn't like to do it.

1:17.9

Really?

1:18.7

Yeah.

1:19.3

I'm just not good at it.

1:20.5

I can't make my thumbs bend to make it all go brr-dr-together.

1:26.4

Is this been a lifelong challenge for you, Ryan?

1:28.6

It really has.

1:29.7

I never, do you remember when, like, Texas Hold'em and poker was really popular for...

...

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