https://www.vekn.net/2-uncategorised/77 ... -july-2026
Tournament Rules update August 2026 preview
The section below will be added to the upcoming new version of the VEKN Tournament Rules for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, effective when it is published on VEKN.net.
*****
3.2.a Expectations for Sufficient Randomisation
Players are responsible for ensuring that their decks are sufficiently randomised before presenting them to their predator or tournament official for additional shuffling or cutting.
A deck is considered sufficiently randomised when no player can reasonably predict the position or distribution of any card or group of cards.
Accepted Shuffling Methods: Randomisation must be achieved through genuine shuffling techniques, such as riffle shuffling, sleeve mash shuffling, or other methods that interleave cards in an unpredictable manner. Simple cuts, overhand shuffles, or similar techniques are generally insufficient on their own.
Definitions of Shuffling Methods
Riffle Shuffle: The deck is divided into two approximately equal halves, which are then interleaved by releasing small groups of cards from each half in an unpredictable manner. This is one of the most effective methods of randomisation.
Sleeve Mash Shuffle: A variation of the riffle shuffle commonly used with sleeved cards. The deck is split into two halves, and the corners or edges of the sleeves are gently pushed together so that the cards interleave without bending them. When performed correctly, it provides randomisation comparable to a riffle shuffle.
Overhand Shuffle: Small packets of cards are repeatedly transferred from one hand to the other. By itself, this method provides only limited randomisation and should not be relied on as the sole means of shuffling a deck.
Cut: The deck is divided into two or more sections, which are then reassembled in a different order. A cut changes only the position of groups of cards and does not randomise the deck.
Unacceptable Sole Shuffling Methods
Pile Shuffling: Cards are dealt one at a time into a fixed number of piles before the piles are reassembled. This method is useful for counting the deck but does not produce meaningful randomisation on its own and must always be followed by genuine randomised shuffling.
Card Weaving: Intentionally arranging cards into a pattern before shuffling (for example, distributing reaction cards every few cards, alternating library card types, or spacing out multiple copies of the same card) is permitted only if subsequent randomised shuffling completely destroys that pattern.
In any case, if the original arrangement can still influence the final card distribution, the deck has not been sufficiently randomised.
Commentary by Henrik Klippström:
Rule reminder: Randomise your deck
We hereby start an article series in which we highlight a rule to remember each time. Maybe this first one is common sense for most of you, but not for all: Your deck needs to be sufficiently randomised. That means no player should know the order of the cards in any deck.
First, the VTES rulebook says this in the Game Setup section: “Shuffle both decks and allow your predator to cut both.”
That's simple – if only everyone could agree on what "shuffle" actually means.
The relevant section in the Tournament Rules is “3.2. Pre-Game Procedure”:
“The following steps must be performed in order before each game begins.
- Players shuffle their decks.
- Players present their decks to their predators for additional shuffling and cutting, if desired.
- Each player draws seven cards from his or her library and four cards from his or her crypt.
All shuffling must be done so that the faces of the cards cannot be seen. Regardless of the method used to shuffle, players' decks must be sufficiently randomised. Each time players shuffle their decks (before the game or during the game), they must present their decks to their predator for additional shuffling and/or cutting. At the judge's discretion, players may request to have a judge shuffle their cards rather than pass that duty to their predators. By presenting their decks to their predators, players state that their decks are sufficiently randomised.
After decks are presented and accepted, players who do not consider their opponents' decks to be sufficiently randomised must notify a judge. The head judge has final authority regarding whether a deck has been sufficiently randomised.
Once predators have the opportunity to shuffle and/or cut players' decks, the cards are returned to their original owners. If the predator has shuffled the player's deck, that player may make one final cut.”
The problem here is also the definition. What is “sufficiently randomised”? This is what the new section "3.2.a Expectations for Sufficient Randomisation" describes.
Many players use pile shuffling – this is when you place cards into different piles one by one. Pile shuffling is NOT randomisation. Sure, you can do pile shuffling to spread out cards and card types, but that means you are in control, so pile shuffling requires other, non-reversible randomisation afterwards.
There are two common ways of shuffling that randomise a deck: riffle shuffling and mash shuffling. Riffle shuffling is hard with sleeved cards, and you risk bending the cards alarmingly. It also tends to show card fronts – in VTES players are not allowed to show or see cards, as the rules section above states: "All shuffling must be done so that the faces of the cards cannot be seen." That means that neither your opponents nor yourself should see the card fronts during the shuffling.
So mash shuffling is recommended. But how much shuffling needs to be done? An old rule of thumb is seven mashes – that’s not a rule, but a recommendation, and something many players seem to be content with as “sufficient”.
This video by MTG player Brian Fediuk is good: it shows proper mash shuffling and explains why other ways are bad.
If you don’t sufficiently randomise your deck at a tournament, and this is brought to the attention of a judge, you will receive a warning or be penalised with a disqualification if the judge determines you cheated. This is not something anyone wants to happen, so start shuffling properly!