I lay them all out at once, because I like to see which type of card or suit predominates. That tells me a lot about what's going on for my client in the situation they're asking about.
I also lay out eleven cards, not ten, as I use two cross cards, each of which shows one aspect of the situation at hand. I find this useful, as often in life we have more than one thing going on around the main question. If, for example, the question is about moving to another location, and the cross cards are The Chariot and the Eight of Swords, there is a conflict going on, either in the querent's mind or situation, that needs to be addressed before the move can happen.
dangerdork said:
I use clarifying cards VERY rarely. If you can't read from the spread you have,
then that means:
a) the cards just aren't "on" for this querent right now;
b) you're missing something in the cards you already have;
c) you're not getting the answer you wanted and are trying to "force" an outcome. never a good idea.
I don't think one can ever generalize to the extent of telling others what works and what doesn't in developing their own reading style. At times I use a great many clarifying cards. It's my style, and it works for me and my clients. In the end, the main thing has to be, not style or how many cards you use in a position, but whether the reading you give is meaningful to your querent.