Cardistry Was My First Obsession. Poker Became My Second (and Harder)
By Ekaterina Dobrokhotova
I started with cardistry.
Not magic. Not gambling (I don’t recommend anyone gambles). Just the pure, visual art of manipulating playing cards — no tricks, no illusions. Just movement. Cuts, fans, flourishes. I’d spend hours practicing a single sequence until it flowed like water. It wasn’t about showing off. It was about control. Rhythm. Precision.
It became a form of meditation — a physical language spoken only through the hands. The cards became an extension of me.
But over time, something shifted. My obsession with cardistry quietly evolved into something new. Something quieter. And much, much harder: poker.
The Obsession That Follows You
I’ve always had an obsessive personality. When something grips my attention, I don’t dabble — I go all in. I believe I can learn anything... hence my catchphrase: “Let’s Learn.”
Back to cardistry — it gave me structure. Progress was visible. I was in control.
Then came poker — and poker took that control away.
At the table, you don’t touch the cards. You don’t perform. Most of the time, you just sit. And wait. You fold more than you play. The pace is glacial. But for someone like me, used to constant movement, there was only one outlet: the chips.
I remember one hand clearly. I’d just folded a suited connector pre-flop, played perfectly tight all night — and still found myself watching my stack shrink. I sat there riffling chips like a metronome, trying to stay calm while the urge to do something pulsed through every finger. That’s when I realized: poker isn’t about motion. It’s about control over inaction.
Poker doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards patience. It rewards those who can keep showing up, even when the cards don’t fall their way.
A Word of Warning (From Someone Who Still Loves the Game)
Poker is one of my hobbies — or maybe a bad habit. It’s an adrenaline rush when my hand holds… or when a bluff lands. But I wouldn’t recommend poker to anyone. Don’t gamble.
If you’re wired like me — someone who thrives on flow, finesse, and instant progress — poker will challenge every instinct you have.
Because in poker, you can do everything right and still lose. Over and over again.
It’s a game that humbles you. A game that teaches you how to lose well, and how to wait for your moment — without chasing it. I haven’t mastered that yet.
But if you can sit with the discomfort — If you find beauty in the quiet calculation, the hidden tells, the long grind — Then poker will give you something cardistry never could: A seat at a table where discipline is louder than flair.
And yeah, you’ll still get to shuffle chips like a badass.
Want to Try Cardistry? Start Here.
If you're more about movement than mind games, cardistry is a perfect place to begin. It’s pure, creative, and endlessly satisfying. Here’s how to start:
1. Choose the right deck. Cardistry decks feel better in-hand — better stock, smoother finish, cleaner fans.
2. Learn the fundamentals. Start with the Z-grip, Charlier cut, and one-handed shuffle. These are your foundation.
3. Practice over soft surfaces. You will drop cards. A lot. A bed or rug saves your deck (and your ego).
4. Watch in slow motion. Tutorials and self-recordings help you catch the subtle mechanics that make a move work.
5. Focus on fluidity, not speed. Smooth is strong. Fast comes later.
6. Build combos. Once you’ve learned a few moves, connect them into sequences. That’s where your style begins.
Obsession can be a gift — when pointed in the right direction. Whether you're flourishing cards in silence or shuffling chips at the table, the deck will always reflect who you are.
The only question is: can you stay in the game long enough to find out?
About the author, Ekaterina Dobrokhotova:
Ekaterina is an internationally renowned magician and content creator based in Toronto, Canada. Known for her visually striking cardistry and sleight-of-hand work, she first gained recognition through her self-produced YouTube videos, which have since led to appearances on The CW, SyFy, The History Channel, and ITV.
She has created branded content for global companies including L’Oréal, Coca-Cola, and Google, and is the creator of the Let’s Learn video series — followed by over 4 million people across platforms.
You can find her on instagram @ekatmagic
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