~More Miscellaneous Tricks~
Contents
Reprinted from Card Manipulations by Jean Hugard (p. 112-15). The five sections of this book are now published by Max Holden, N. Y. C. as one volume, and comprise the very latest tricks and all the sleights known to modem card conjuring Four versions of 'Everywhere and Nowhere' are given. Other presentations of this trick will be found in T. Nelson Downs' The Art of Magic; and in Modern Card Effects and How to Perform Them. Hofzinser's original version will be found in his book Card Conjuring by Ottokar Fischer and edited by S. H. Sharpe.
THIS brilliant trick was the invention of the late Dr. Hofzinser of Vienna, who was regarded as the greatest card conjurer in the world. In his hands this experiment must have been a veritable masterpiece of artistic card conjuring and the modern magician will find this latest adaptation a decided addition to his repertoire.
This is one of the most effective card tricks ever devised. The reason that it is so seldom seen is probably because the explanation given in the textbooks are unnecessarily complicated and give the trick the appearance of being difficult. The moves in the routine that follows have been arranged to simplify the procedure as much as possible.
The only requirements are--a small stand or card easel, or failing that, three glasses, against which to stand cards for display, an ordinary pack of cards with two extra duplicate cards, two 10S's for example. Any card can be used but the black suits are preferable if the feat is to be performed before a large audience since the spots stand out so much more plainly under artificial light. Let us suppose that 10S's are used, place all three on top of the pack. Begin by shuffling the pack overhand in this manner-under cut about three-quarters of the pack, injog the first card and shuffle off. Ask a spectator to draw a card, insert the tip of the left little finger below the jogged card and, spreading the pack, force one of the three 10's. This is much easier and more natural than making the pass to bring the 10's to the middle. The shuffle, being quite genuine as far as the cards actually shuffled are concerned, tends to throw the spectator off guard and renders the force easier. In any case there should be no difficulty in forcing one of the three 10's.
As the spectator notes his card, close up the pack and insert the tip of the left little finger above the two remaining 10's. Hold the pack in right hand, fingers at the outer end, the thumb at the inner end, holding the break. As you ask the spectator to replace his card allow a few cards to drop from the bottom of pack on to your left palm, then a few more, finally let drop all the cards below the break and hold the left hand out to receive the chosen card which is thus returned on top of the other two 10's. Make the pass, bringing the 10's to the top.
It is necessary now to place the 10's so that one shall be next to the bottom card, one on top of the pack and the third one third from the top. To do this the simplest way, grasp the pack with the right hand as for an overhand shuffle, press firmly on the top and bottom card with the fingers and thumb on the left hand and lift all the cards but these two with the right hand. The top card, the first 10, will fall on the bottom card and you drop the cards from the right hand on top of them, thus placing the first 10 next to the bottom. Do this casually, while talking, then as if having changed your mind as to the manner of shuffling split the pack in half and riffle shuffle. Let the two lowest cards in the left-hand packet fall first, then execute a genuine riffle until the packets are reached. Hold back the top card of the left-hand packet and let it fall between the two top cards of the right-hand packet, i.e. between the other two 10's. The three cards are now in the position required--one on the top, one third from the top and the last next to the bottom card.
The usual patter runs to the effect that by means of a scientific system a card can be found in a shuffled pack in not more than three trials. 'The most likely position,' you say, 'is the top of the pack.' Make a double lift and show the second card.
'Is this of your card?
'No.'
'Then I'll put it here on the table out of the way.' Turn the two cards down, as one, take off the top card, the first 10S, and put it face down on the table or easel, or stand it upright against one of the glasses.
'The next likely position is on the bottom. Here is your card, the.......... of .......... Say this confidently as if sure of its being right and hold the pack upright in the left hand, the bottom card facing the audience.
'What? Wrong again? Then I must put this card with the other one.' Drop the left hand and by means of the Glide draw out the second 10S, and put it beside the first. Now shuffle overhand by first running one card, then drop about half the pack on it, injog one card and shuffle off. The last 10 being the next card below the jogged card, make a break at that point with the right thumb at the inner end of the pack, separate the next two cards, 10S and an indifferent card, from the rest and push them forward, as one card, till they protrude from the outer end of the pack for about an inch. Turn the pack upright and with the right hand, thumb at rear and fingers in front, pull the two cards up for about three-quarters of their length above the pack. Assert now with the utmost confidence that you have succeeded.
'I have only this one more chance and as my system has never failed yet this of simply must be your card. No again?
You are sure? Pardon me, but did anyone else see the chosen card? Oh, excuse me. I don't doubt you for a moment, but it is such an extraordinary thing for the trick to fail I thought you might have made a mistake. This is not your card.' The more bewildered and anxious you can appear to be, the better the final effect. Drop the left hand, push the lower of the two cards flush with the pack, draw out the upper card, a 10S, and put it with the other two on the table.
'I must finish the trick somehow. You all say that not one of these cards (point to the easel or the glasses) is your card? Very well. May I ask you what was the card you chose? The 10S? Do you think it would be possible for me to make you see any one of these cards as the 10S, No? Let us try. Which one shall I take? The middle card?'
Take that card and hold it with its back to the audience.
'Of course it isn't really a 10S, but it will appear so to you.'
Wave your hands in pretended hypnotic passes, then turn the card face out.
You all see it as the 10S? Very well, I will replace it here.'
Make the bottom change in the swing towards the table and put the indifferent card down face inwards.
'You are still skeptical? Let me prove that you are all under hypnotic influence. Of these two which would you like to see as the 10S, This one? Very well.'
Repeat the same business and again change the card for an indifferent one by the bottom change, placing this card down with the first.
'One card only is left. You will see this also as a 10S.'
Show the card as before, but this time it must be changed by the top change. Show the card upright, holding it with fingers on top end, thumb on the lower. The left hand holds the pack close to the body about waist high, as you say:
'Of course the card is not a 10S. The real 10 is here in the pack'
Drop the right hand bringing the card on top of the pack and at the same moment push the top card of the lower pack over to the right. Release the I OS from the right hand and grip this top card in exactly the same way. A moment later the left thumb pulls the 10 squarely on to the pack and moves away, the right remaining stationary. Finally place the indifferent card with the other two.
'Let me give you further proof. You see this top card?'
Make the double lift and show an indifferent card. Name it and turn the two cards, as one, face down. Take off the top card, a 10S, and after more hypnotic passes turn its face to the spectators.
'Now you see it as the 10S, Replace it on top. Wave your hands again.
'Now look at the bottom card. It also is the 10S,
Hold the pack upright and show the 10 on the bottom. Under cover of this surprise make the pass and hold a break with the right thumb between the two packets. Show the pack upright in the right hand, bottom card facing the audience, an indifferent card is now seen to be there.
'It is all an optical illusion. The cards are not really 10S's. They only appear so.'
Place the pack in the left hand and slip the tip of the left little finger into the break. Lift off the top card and show it is an indifferent card now.
'But when I put you under the influence you can see the 10S, only, look.'
Cut the pack at the break and hold the top portion upright, a 10S, again faces the audience. Insert the tip of the left little finger under the top card of the lower packet, i.e. the third 10. Replace the top packet and make the pass, bringing the three 10's to the bottom, riffle off the inner ends of these three cards and insert the tip of the left little finger between them and the rest of the cards, and hold the pack in position to execute the bottom palm. (Erdnase, p. 86.)
'I know exactly what you all suspect, that I have been trying to mislead you and that all the cards are 10S's. I wouldn't do anything as barefaced as that for worlds. Look! This card is not a 10.'
Palm the three 10's in the left hand and at once turn the first card on the table face out. 'Nor this,' turn the next, 'and this last one is not a 10 either.' Turn it also.
'You see there is not a single 10S in the pack.'
Spread the cards face up on the table with a flourish turning your right side to the audience as you do so and slipping the three palmed cards into your left trousers pocket at the same moment.
'In fact knowing that card is an unlucky one for my trick, I put it in my pocket before I began. Here it is.'
Thrust your left hand into your pocket, bring out one of the three 10's and throw it on the table.
Smoothly executed and well acted the feat has an extraordinary effect. It is one of the few card tricks suitable for performance before the largest or the smallest audiences. Paul Rosini, the Philadelphia prestidigitateur, makes a feature of the trick and in his hands it is a masterpiece.
A very good plan for displaying the three cards when performing the trick in the parlor, is to take a large thick book, stand it upright and insert the cards as shown in the illustration. This is another idea of Dr. Jack Daley's who also makes a specialty of the trick. In his hands it leaves nothing to be desired.
The Original 'Stop' TrickIT WOULD seem almost as if the old-time magicians had used all the plots possible for the presentation of card tricks and that all that is left for the successors is to improve the method by which the old effects were done. This fact is one of the reasons why the public generally complains that magic is always the same. While to a magician a modem method of doing an old trick will convert it into a new trick to the lay man it remains simply the same old effect. Not knowing, nor caring to know, the vastly improved methods used to bring the effect about, he simply asks, 'Why do magicians always do the same things?' The best audiences to a skilled magician are those composed of people who know something of the technical part of magic and can therefore appreciate his skill. There would seem to be a good argument here in favor of a widespread promulgation of our so-called secrets, exposures if you will, but that is apart from our subject.
The first of the 'Stop' tricks was used and described by Robert-Houdin almost a century ago. Briefly the effect was this-three cards were selected from a pack, replaced and the pack shuffled. Standing beside a table the magician removed cards from the top one by one and laid them down, at the same time inviting the first of the spectators who had taken a card to call 'Now' whenever he chose, and stating that no matter when the call was made the card then in his hand would be the spectator's. Such proved to be the case and the same effect was repeated with the remaining cards.
The Effect As Worked By Ralph W. Read
PROPS AND PREPARATION. A regular pack and a three-bank forcing pack to match; also the well-known 'Card Servante'.
The forcing pack consists of 'short' cards, say sixteen each of 9D, JS and 2H, with a 'long' card between each bank and one 'long' card on the bottom. These three 'long' cards are all alike, say ASH. Now add two indifferent 'long' cards to the pack, say a AS on bottom and a ADD on the top. This pack now has fifty-three cards which go in clip of the card servants on back of table or chair.
In the regular pack locate the AD, JS and ASH placing them on top of pack, and all is ready.
PERFORMANCE. False shuffle regular pack and force the AD, JS and ASH in order. Let spectators shuffle their cards back in, then you take pack, return to the platform and state what has been done, stressing the fact that each spectator shuffled. While talking you cut the pack a few times, but don't expose any cards.
You now reach for the table (bearing servants with hand holding the regular pack ready for the switch, bring the table forward, and with forcing pack now in your hand, casually expose the bottom card AS . . . 'I shall now remove the cards' (you glance at AS . . . 'I hope no one took this bottom one' (remove AS and lay face down on the table). . . 'I shall take them one at a time' (remove top card--4D--and give the audience a flash of it) and place this on the table (lay down ADD 'Will the party who selected the first card please say "Now" when he feels the impulse?' You are slowly removing cards AD, one by one, placing them on the table as you speak and of course you hold his card when he calls 'Now'.
If they delay saying 'Now,' you remove cards at snail's pace-you can be as slow as they, and need never run beyond the sixteen bank. You can by play as to 'this one, or the next?'--'Do you want to change your mind?' etc., before you expose the card, and always have them name it before you turn it over.
You make the pass at the first 'long' card before starting on the second selection, and likewise for the last card. If the bottom card is accidentally exposed, the same ASH. gives mute evidence that there has been no manipulation.
A later addition to Robert Houdin's trick provided for the spectator striking a bell of the push button variety instead of calling 'Now'. For stage purposes the trick as described is still one of the most effective possible with cards but it is not suitable for close work or small audiences. The method that follows is specially adapted for such cases.
'Say When'
Al BakerA FORCING pack is still used but it is made up of two different cards instead of three. On top are placed about seven indifferent cards and another indifferent card is on the bottom. Near the center of the pack the top card of the lower set of force cards is cut short and right above this is another indifferent card. Thus when later the pack is cut at the short card this indifferent card becomes the bottom card of the pack.
A hat rests on your table a little to your right. First, two of the force cards are taken by spectators. They are replaced amongst their own kind and you explain that the spectators will practically find them themselves without knowing where they are. In explaining how the cards are to be passed illustrate by passing one at a time the seven top cards of the pack over to the hat and putting them inside. In doing this stand the cards on their side with the backs outwards.
Now apparently remove these cards, really taking only a couple, and place them on the bottom of the pack. Begin taking the duplicates of the first card, moving each card slowly across the intervening space and dropping it into the hat, until the spectator calls 'Stop'. He names his card, turn the one in hand around, it is the right card.
Reach into the hat to retake the cards dropped in, tip over several of the indifferent cards that stand on their sides so that they fall face up on the force cards. Bring the bunch out openly with the face of the packet to the audience and remark, 'I'm glad you called out at that spot, if you'd called out sooner you'd have missed it.' Place these cards at the bottom of the pack and openly cut it, or secretly make the pass, at the short card.
The third spectator next calls 'Stop' at any card he pleases. As soon as you show that again the stop has been made on the right card, tip over the remaining indifferent cards face up on the force cards in the hat and show the faces of these as you bring out the packet. The subtle use of the indifferent cards completely camouflages the forcing pack and the use of such an expedient will not be suspected.
A Means To An End
Douglas DexterTHE modern magician specially prides himself on being able to produce with a borrowed pack effects which originally called for the use of specially prepared cards or forcing packs. This is a brilliant example of the solution of one of these problems. The 'Stop' effect is here produced with a borrowed pack. Two hats and a length of wide ribbon are the only accessories required. Place the hats, crown downwards, on the seats of two chairs about four feet apart and stretch the ribbon between them, one end in each hat. A small weight should be attached to each end of the ribbon to hold it in position.
In placing the hats and adjusting the ribbon you have taken the opportunity to introduce into the right-hand hat some ten or twelve cards, previously palmed from the pack. Next have two or three cards freely selected, noted, replaced and brought to the top in whatever way you prefer. Thoroughly shuffle the cards and drop them into the left-hand hat.
Take a card from the bottom of the pack, slide it along the ribbon explaining what you intend to do, just before dropping it into the second hat, turn it around and show that it is an indifferent card, Next take the top card, slide it along the ribbon, back outwards of course, put it quietly into the second hat and instantly back palm it. Dip your hand into hat No. 1 and bring out the same card at your finger-tips. Pass this along the ribbon fairly slowly and repeat the movements until the spectator calls 'Stop'. The card is named and turned and shown to be the one. Repeat the same process with the second and third cards, finally the spare cards are taken out of the second hat and returned to the pack as being those actually passed.
If soft hats are used, have a small tie clip sewn to the ends of the ribbons in lieu of the weights which have a tendency to drag the hats over sideways. These should be sewn so that the ribbon will be vertical and not flat between the hats. The use of a bell or a small whistle instead of the spectator calling 'Stop', makes the trick even more effective. This brilliant method is particularly interesting as being one of the few in which the back palm is put to its legitimate use as a secret sleight and as an example of what might have been done with it had its use not been practically limited to juggling flourishes.
Think 'Stop'
Al BakerEFFECT. Any pack of cards is shuffled by a spectator and handed to the performer, who lays it face down on the table and asks a person to cut the pack at about the center; to look at and remember the card on the top of the lower part, replace the card and put the portion cut off on top. The spectator squares the cards carefully, cuts it several times and hands it to the performer, who then deals the cards face up, instructing the spectator to merely think 'Stop' when his card makes its appearance. He stops at a certain card which is acknowledged to be the correct card.
WORKING. All that you require is a tiny pellet of wax, about the size of a pin-head in such a position that you can secure it when you want it, a good place to carry it is on one of your waistcoat buttons. Proceed exactly as described above. When you place the pack on the table request a spectator to cut it about the middle and as you say, 'and put the top half here,' touch the table just to the right of the pack and deposit the pellet of wax. When the pack is cut, and the cut put at the spot you indicated, the wax pellet adheres to the face of the lowest card and therefore is carried to the back of the selected card when the cut is replaced. The two cards stick together, the squaring of the cards bringing their edges together, and the pressure exerted in the further cutting cements them still more securely.
When you deal the double card it is apparent to the touch and you have only to push off the top card of the two and stop on the next. With proper presentation the trick becomes a little miracle.
EDITOR'S NOTE.-An effective presentation of the above trick can be worked by using a pack with a one-way back, and having the chosen card reversed in the pack.
See 'Think Stop'--Chap. 9.
The Psychological Stop TrickPERFORMER has any card freely selected and returned to the pack. Pack is shuffled and handed to the spectator who is instructed to deal the cards one at a time on to performer's hand and any time he feels like it to stop and the selected card is found there.
This effect is about 97 per cent perfect and when it works is a real miracle in card magic. Paul Noffke, a very clever card man, works this effect and in his hands it is 100 per cent perfect. Max Holden worked it for Tommy Downs and Eddie McLaughlin and had them completely stumped. As the title implies it is a psychological trick and depends on the manner in which the performer instructs the spectator to deal the cards on to his hand.
WORKING. Any card is selected and while the spectator is looking at his card, performer thumb counts nine cards from the bottom of the pack. These nine cards are removed and taken in the right hand in the action of cutting the pack and the selected card being replaced on the top of the pack the cards in the right hand are placed on top and a false shuffle is made keeping the top ten cards intact.
The pack is handed to a spectator and he is instructed to deal the cards one at a time face down on to performer's hand. When the spectator has reached the third card performer says FASTER. At the fifth card performer says STOP ANYWHERE and times himself in the manner in which he says this. As a rule it will be found that the spectator will stop on the ninth or tenth card. All that remains is to work it up and show the tenth card as the selected card that the spectator found himself. If the spectator stops at the ninth card, performer says, 'Now turn over the next card.' He does so and it is his card. If he stops when the tenth card is on the performer's hand, he just turns it over. In case the spectator goes beyond that card, performer notes the position of the tenth card on his hand and side steals it out bringing it to the top and then revealing it.
The thumb count is very useful in many card effects. Pack is held in the left hand, thumb on one side and fingers on the other. Right hand is on top of the pack, fingers at one end, first finger bent on top and the thumb at the left corner nearest himself. This corner is riffled with the thumb and it is an easy matter to count nine cards as they are riffled. A break is now held here with the left little finger which holds the break until the cut is made.
Number Please
Al Baker and Audley WalshSOME years ago a trick in which a card was revealed over the telephone by an assistant was very popular with magicians; unfortunately it fell into the hands of the folks who exploited for sales promotion purposes and has become too widely known to be any longer of use to a magician. It is to be hoped this fine trick will not share the same fate.
This is a novel card effect in which the performer tells the selected card by telephone.
Audley Walsh Method
Mr. Walsh calls a friend on the telephone and offers to do a trick with cards. The person called is to shuffle a pack of cards and then look at the bottom of the pack and note what card is on the bottom and remember it. He is then to count from the top of the pack, on the table the same number of cards. Say there was a 5C on the bottom of the pack; the person would count five cards from the top of the pack on to the table and then place the balance of the pack in hand, on top of the cards on the table. He is then asked to turn the pack face up and call the cards from the bottom one at a time, slowly. After a number of cards have been called Mr. Walsh names the card that was on the bottom of the pack at the start and remembered by person on other end of the telephone. The means used are very simple, yet the person doing the naming of the cards is thrown right off the track.You have a pad from one to thirteen written on it.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13After the person has noted the bottom card and counted the same number of cards to correspond with it and then placed the pack on top of the counted cards he is to turn the pack face up and call the cards slowly one at a time.
As he calls the first card, performer does not count this, but as he calls the second card, JH for instance. Performer notes this on pad under number 1, third card under number 2, etc. For example:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 JH 4D 6S 2H 5C 8H AS 3C AD 6D QS 4C 2D All performer does is look over list and see what card corresponds with the number over it. In this case the 5C is under five so that should be his selected card, but very often there will be another card under a corresponding number, say, a 9D appeared under the number nine. Then it could be one of the two, so you boldly say, 'It was a diamond.' If he says 'No', you know it was the 5C If he says 'Yes', go right on and finish the trick.
It is necessary that you perform or go through this routine before going to the next method as the second method will not be confusing after this one is learned.
The part that throws the person off the track is--He is calling names of the cards and does not know that you are counting and his attention being on the names of the cards, he does not count.
Al Baker Method
In my method I have a person shuffle the cards and then divide them into two portions. He selects one heap and lays the other heap aside.Again after shuffling the heap he has, he is asked to note the card on the bottom of the pack, remember it, and then count on to the table the same number of cards as the value of the card on the bottom of the pack. If, say, the AS was on the bottom of the pack, he must count from the top of the pack on to the table seven cards. He is then asked to place the balance of cards in hand, on top of the cards on table and square the pack.
If he were now to cut the cards it would be impossible to find the selected card and yet, this is what you lead him to believe actually takes place.
You ask him to pick up the cards and call the cards from the top of the pack, slowly. As he calls the first one, say for instance, the AC, you say, 'Just wait a minute, put that card back on top, I forgot something.' He places the A back on top and you continue, 'I wanted you to cut the cards and complete the cut. Will you please do so?' He cuts the cards, BUT, the AC is now your key card. Just remember 'AC'.
Have a pencil and pad handy and now ask him to call the cards by name from the top of the pack. Suppose he called the following cards you would jot them down in this fashion:
3C AD 5H 2S KH JS QD 7S 3H 8C 5S 6D 2H 4S 9D AC 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 When you hear AC you jot this down but let him go on naming cards, but you need not note any after the A is called as this is our key.
To find the selected card you start at the AC and count to your left or back in this manner. You don't count the A nor the next card but at the next or third card you start, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and as you come to seven, if there is a 7 card marked down that is his card.
If you count back as you count nine, if there is a 9 corresponding with your count, his card was a 9.
Sometimes there will be, say, a 5 at the five count and a 10 at the ten count. Boldly say, 'Was it a ten?' If he replies in the affirmative, name the 10. If he says 'No', name the 5.
Of course, it is understood, should there be a picture card on the bottom of the pack, at the beginning of his count, say a J, he should count eleven cards on to the table--A Q twelve and a K thirteen.
The Case Of The Four Kings
John J. Crimmins, Jr.ANY pack may be used and there is no preparation required for this effective impromptu experiment.
Remove the four A's and the four K's from the pack and show plainly by running over the cards with their faces to the spectators that there are no duplicates of either. Pick up the K's with the right hand, spread them fanwise and place them on top of the pack held in your left hand. As you close the fan slip the tip of your left finger between the third and fourth K's.
Take the A's, squared together, by the top and bottom outer corners between the right thumb and forefinger and show the face of the outer A. Turn a little to the left in the action of placing the A's on the top of the pack. At the moment that the right hand covers the pack, straighten out your left fingers and carry the three K's upward making an opening between them and the rest of the pack, bookwise. Drop the four A's into this opening and at once close the left fingers bringing the three K's on top of the A's. The pack must be held with its back to the front and almost vertical, the action of raising the K's being completely covered by the back of the right hand.
Deal the four A's, as you say, really three K's and one A, turning the A face up on the other three cards. Deal four K's, really three A's and one K, turning the K face up. Smoothly carried through there can be no doubt about the piles being really the K's and the A's as they appear to be. With your patter running on the lines of 'birds of a feather flocking together' or any other plausible plot, transpose the visible A and K, and then for your climax turn the two piles face upwards, the other three A's and K's have apparently followed the leaders.
The J. M. Rising Card
Reprinted from Genii, Vol. I, No. 1. Sept. 1936WE ARE pleased to be able to offer through the courtesy of Jack McMillen, the inventor, a new method of working the rising card experiment that is certain to take its place among the thousand and one ways of working it already in existence. For impromptu work this has many distinctive features. Nothing is required save the cards, which may be borrowed. The card rises actually from the center of the pack, yet it is held squared up, neither thumb nor fingers being inserted in the pack to push the card up. And the principle employed to attain this effect is absolutely new.
At the request of the performer anyone shuffles the pack and then deals off three cards. The magician picks up these three and requests a spectator to look at one of them. Nine times out of ten it will be the center card that is selected, but if not, the performer simply asks that a card be taken, and then has it replaced between the other two, so that it becomes the central one of the three.
The three cards are laid momentarily face down on the table, while the pack is placed in the left hand, fingers on one side and thumb along the other. The top card of the three on the table is picked up and shoved into the center of the pack, but only half-way, being left projecting half its length from the end of the pack. The left thumb holds a break beneath it. The right hand takes up the next card from the table-the noted card-and shoves it half-way into the pack from the end, apparently directly below the card already pushed in. Actually the left thumb releases the card below the first of the three, so that there is a card between the two extending half-way from the pack. The last of three cards is picked up and pushed in below the others, but again the left thumb releases one of the cards of the pack so that the third card is inserted below. Thus we have the pack with three cards extending half their length from its end; unknown to the audience they are separated from each other by indifferent cards.
The pack with the cards still projecting is turned over in the left hand so that the faces of the cards are to the audience. The pack is held with the first finger projecting out beyond the end, other fingers at one side and thumb at the other. The right hand is brought up so that it conceals the inner end of the pack. Now the left first finger pushed the three projecting cards into the pack, flush with the rest. This action causes the indifferent cards between the three to be pushed out the other end by friction. These two projecting cards are concealed by the right hand. Now the right hand held in such a manner that it keeps the projecting cards hidden, bevels the end of the pack spreading the cards downwards slightly at the end from back to front. The performer calls attention to what he is doing and explains that he is about to make the chosen card rise and is spreading the cards so that the spectators will be able to see that the card actually rises from the place where it was inserted. This feature does, incidentally, serve to make the feat more effective, but the real reason for spreading the cards downwards from the end is so that the face cards of the pack are brought down enough to conceal the projecting cards behind them when the right hand is taken away.
The pack is held in the left hand with the fingers on one side and the thumb at the other, near the lower end, the cards being held upright. When working for just one or two spectators, there is no need to worry about angles. When working for more, the pack is held with the left side slightly towards the spectators. From this angle, the left fingers, holding the pack completely screen the cards projecting from the center, downwards, behind the front cards.
The left little finger is placed under these two projecting cards and they are pushed up flush with the rest of the center cards. This causes the card between them, the selected card, to rise from the upper end of the pack. Due to the way the cards are spread it can be seen that the card is rising from the center of the pack. During the rising, the upper end of the pack is tipped slightly towards the spectators, to conceal the movement of the little finger. As soon as the projecting cards have been pushed up flush with the rest, the little finger resumes its place at the side of the pack as the performer offers it to the spectator that he himself remove his card from the position in which it has risen. All the cards are now in the position to which they were openly adjusted and examination of the chosen card, and the remainder of the pack as well will give no clue to the method employed.
Miraskill
Stewart James--Reprinted by permission from The JinxI DON'T know where Mr. James got his title for this mystery, but any time anyone can produce such a problem I'll be the last to argue over what it is to be called. Certainly no concocted effect has in years been so original in effect upon the watchers.
I have used the problem any number of times since learning it, and I have yet to find people who aren't amazed at the outcome. I won't go into any reason why it works because of limits in space, but it does work, and that's about the most important.
The performer has a pack of cards and two pieces of paper with a pencil. The pack maybe a borrowed one which has been in constant use. A spectator mixes the cards, and the performer asks if he prefers black or red. Without touching the pack or seeing any of the cards, performer now writes a prophecy on one of the papers and puts it with the writing side down on the table. The spectator is now asked to remove the cards from the shuffled pack two at a time and turn them face up. If two reds are together he is to keep them in a pile before him (we are pretending he wanted red-if black he'd keep black pairs). If two blacks are together he is to put them in a pile before the performer, and if the two are of opposite color, they are to go into a third or discard pile.
The spectator does as directed, taking the cards off in pairs, and putting them in their correct pile. As soon as all of the cards are separated in pairs, the performer asks the spectator to count the number of cards in his pile and then the number of cards in the performer's pile. Then the spectator is asked to look at and read aloud the written prophecy which has not been touched. It reads, 'Your pile will have four more cards than mine.' AND IT'S RIGHT, despite the fact that the performer did not touch the cards after the genuine shuffle by spectator.
Immediately the performer tells another spectator to gather together the cards and shuffle them thoroughly. He writes a prophecy on the second piece of paper AND THEN ASKS spectator which color he wants for himself, telling him to place pairs of that color in front of himself, pairs of the other color in front of the performer, and pairs of mixed colors to the side. Again, the cards are separated and again the two piles are counted. The prophecy, this time, reads, 'We will both have the same number of cards this time.' And everything may he examined as there is no trickery to find.
This trick practically works itself. It is based on the actuality that, if a full pack of fifty-two cards be so separated after a genuine mixing, the red and black piles will always contain an equal number of cards. There is no way of telling EXACTLY HOW MANY will be in each pile, but they positively will be the same. Before starting, or during another effect, steal four cards of one color from the pack. We shall say red. By stealing four cards of a color you unbalance the pack so that the red pile will be four cards less than the black when finished. If you steal four black cards, the black pile will be four less than the red. You can also steal two or six cards of a color and the pile of that color will be two or six less, but four is about right. Don't ask me why it works. It does. Put these four stolen cards facing the body in right trousers pocket.
Now have the pack shuffled. Ask first spectator which color he prefers. Then write the prophecy to fit. If he wants the 'short' color, write that his pile will have four less than yours. Now explain how he is to separate the cards and let him go ahead. The outcome will be as you prophesied. About half-way through the cards you drop your hand to pocket and palm the four stolen cards. All eyes and attention being on the two piles, you carelessly pick up those in the discard, square them, and put back, you have added the stolen cards which set you for the second time. No one ever pays any attention to the discard.
The first prophecy having been found correct. the performer, without touching the cards, asks that they be picked up and mixed again. This time you write the prophecy BEFORE asking the spectator which color he wants. As the pack is now complete, the piles will be the same and it doesn't matter. Now try out this masterpiece and you'll find it to be one of the best card mysteries in years.
Master Card Location
GibsonWITH any pack that has been freely shuffled by a spectator, fan it out from left to right for the spectator to select a card, having first secretly noted the card on the bottom. Count the cards as you run them off and when you have reached twelve say, 'Put your finger on any card as it goes by,' and continue to count. When he touches a card, remember its number, turn your head away as he lifts the index corner and notes the card. This done, square the cards very openly and let the spectator cut several times with complete cuts.
To find the card, run them over face up, cut at the original bottom card and count to the number memorized.
Miracle Card Location
Ben ErensA CARD having been selected from a shuffled pack you fan the cards in your left hand and allow the spectator to push it in anywhere he pleases. Hold the inner ends of the cards firmly preventing the card from going right home. Close the fan and push the card flush with your right forefinger at the same time giving it a slight nick on the edge with your finger-nail. Take the pack in your right hand and offer it to the spectator to shuffle. The action turns the pack bringing the nicked end of the card towards you. No matter how the pack is shuffled you can detect the card instantly. When you take the pack back simply divide it for a riffle shuffle with the nicked card at the bottom of the right-hand packet. You can then control it as you please.
Card Detected By Pulse Beat
Conrad RheinerAFTER a spectator has shuffled any pack, take it back, sighting the bottom card as you do so. Turn away and hold the pack in your left hand behind your back. Ask the spectator to cut off a packet freely. Turn to face him and ask if he is satisfied and seize the opportunity to slip the bottom card to the top of those remaining in your left hand. Turn away again and have him look at this card, assemble the pack, put the card in it and shuffle thoroughly.
Now take hold of the spectator's left wrist and press the fingers against the pulse. Instruct him to deal the cards face up and whenever he comes to his card you will detect it by his pulse beat. Knowing the card you have merely to act your part.
Imitation SecondsSECRETLY get the four J's to the top of the pack with one indifferent card between the third and fourth J's.
False shuffle and cut, retaining these five cards in position. Offer to give an exhibition of second dealing, and rapidly deal out two hands, one to a spectator the second to yourself. When you take off the sixth card to deal it to yourself, don't throw it down, use it as a scoop to pick up the other two cards dealt to your hand and place the three cards on the pack. The three cards dealt to the spectator are turned over, they arc three J's Drop then on top and again deal two hands. Again the spectator gets three J's one will be of a different suit but you do not allow any time for a close scrutiny. Pick the cards up quickly and repeat the trick two or three times, each time, of course, scooping up your cards as described. It is this action that makes the trick possible, since by it the sixth card dealt, an indifferent one, is brought below the other two cards of your hand, one indifferent card and one J. Thus the set-up is the same every time, three Vs, indifferent card, followed by the fourth J.
The trick will be found effective if worked quickly and will pass for an exhibition of super second dealing.
Psychological ForceTHIS is a method of forcing one card out of four placed face down on a table. Assuming that the spectator is right handed, place the four cards face down in an even row in front of him with the card to be forced in the second place from the right end of the row according to his point of view, the left from yours. When a spectator is induced to take one of four cards quickly this succeeds in about nine out of ten trials.
Another plan is to deal five cards face down in front of the spectator so that they stretch out in a line diagonally away from him. In this case again the choice is almost certain to fall on the card second from the end nearest to him.
Face-Up LocationUSING any pack, shuffled by a spectator if desired, have a card freely chosen and noted and then returned to the pack. Bring it to the top.
Let any other card be taken and thrust into the middle face upwards. Square the pack, then pretending not to have noticed what this face-up card was, run through the pack to find it. In doing this push the top card (the selected one) off the pack into your right hand, then push the cards that follow on top of it with the left thumb. The selected card rests on the right fingers below the others. When you come to the reversed card, stop for an instant, call its name and square up the pack. The chosen card will slide automatically under the reversed card. Hand the pack at once to the spectator; order the two cards to come together and let him verify the fact for himself.
The Dream CardEFFECT. A card is freely chosen from a borrowed pack and without being looked at, is inserted in an envelope which is sealed and put into a spectator's pocket. The pack is riffled face up and a stop made at any point called for by a spectator and the card stopped at it noted. The pack is immediately searched, but the card just seen is no longer in the pack. The envelope is opened and in it is found the card just chosen.
METHOD. To prepare for this most effective feat, sort a pack of cards into suits with each suit in order from A to K. Put one suit in each of your outside coat pockets and trousers pockets. Place an envelope on the table.
Borrow a pack, have it freely shuffled and any card selected but not looked at. Take it face down and insert it in the envelope but glimpse the index in sealing the flap.
Again have the pack thoroughly shuffled and take this opportunity to find the duplicate of the chosen card from one of the packets in your pockets. Palm it face towards your palm. As you receive the shuffled pack place it face up on the palmed card, thus adding the palmed card in a reversed position to the bottom of the pack. Riffle the ends inviting spectator to call 'Stop'. Stop and secretly reverse the lower packet, so that as you lift the top packet the duplicate of the card in the envelope is seen by everyone. Call particular attention to the card, then replace the top packet, again secretly reversing the lower one. Palm the duplicate from the bottom and hand the pack to spectator. The card cannot be found. The envelope, sealed before the card was chosen, is opened and in it is the very same card.
Elimination
R. M. Jamison--Reprinted by permission from The Sphinx, May, 1935HERE is a clever interlude at any card table that has proved to be a real mystifier to all. I do not know the origin. I call it the 'Thirty Card Elimination'.
Effect. Thirty cards are dealt from the pack on to the table, into six packets of five cards each. A spectator now takes any two cards from the remainder of the pack, the pack being discarded. Spectator is asked to remember the cards, and place one of them on any packet and other card on any other heap. Performer now takes up the packets and deals them off into two piles. Spectator selects one packet and again deals them off into two piles. Again one pile is eliminated, until only two packets of two cards each remain. The spectator now finds that he has chosen his two original cards.
Method. The performer places any two packets on the first packet on which is the spectator's card and places the two remaining packets on top of the one `With the second chosen card. Then either half of the pack is put on the other half. He then deals the cards into two piles. Both chosen cards will be in heap to which the first card is dealt. If the card is dealt to the left pile first, the selected cards will come out in the left pile. In repeating the trick deal the right card first, so that the cards come out in the right side. Deal snappily and lead audience to believe it's a demonstration of crooked or second dealing or what have you.
Vary your 'magician's choice' line of patter. If the thirty-two cards are returned to the pack before dealing, and a few fake cuts, with pack face out, are given. it adds to the idea that the selected cards are hopelessly lost.
A Super-Reverse Problem
Judson BrownNUMEROUS excellent versions exist of the effect in which a chosen card reverses itself in the pack; the particular feature of this version is that any card called for is instantly caused to reverse itself in the pack! To give the effect more in detail: the performer first runs the pack from hand to hand, showing without calling particular attention to it that all cards are face down. The spectator is requested to call the name of any card he thinks of; instantly the magician runs the cards from hand to hand again, and the card whose name was called will be found face up in the face-down pack. A further elaboration can be worked by fanning out the cards and requesting the spectator to insert the Joker face up at any spot he fancies. The pack is then closed up; when the cards are spread again the card required will be found up next to the Joker, it having been caused to appear reversed at that selected spot in the pack.
Let us explain the basic version first, after which we will make clear the working of this variation. The principle upon which the effect is worked was admittedly suggested by some of the feats in Impey's Original Card Mysteries; the application is so far as I know original.
The pack is so arranged that every other card is face upward, all the red cards being face upward and the black face downward. The red cards are arranged in sequence, from top of pack downward, running H's A to K, and D's A to K. Similarly if the pack be turned completely over, the black cards will be face up, and they are also arranged in order from top downward, S's A to K, and C's A to K.
This gives us twenty-six sets of cards, each set consisting of two cards face to face. A spot of wax on the face of each card causes these pairs of cards to stick together, face to face, so that if the cards be run from hand to hand only the backs of cards will be visible, regardless of which side of pack is uppermost, yet a little pressure will cause the separation of any desired pair of cards. With this much explained the method should be fairly obvious.
The performer first runs the cards from hand to hand, showing that all are face down. The cards must be run lightly, and not fanned. Now any card is named. The performer is holding the pack, say, so that all the black cards are face uppermost. If a black card be named he is all ready for the finale. If a red card is named the whole pack must be secretly turned over. Suppose the 10S, to be named. The performer begins running the cards slowly from hand to hand, counting to himself. When he knows that he has reached the 10S, a slight pressure of the fingers separates that card from the one above and consequently the 10S appears face up in the face-down pack.
Hard wax, such as beeswax, will work better than the usual soft wax employed by conjurers, as the cards separate more smoothly and with less pressure. Burling Hull's 'Magnetizo' is ideal for this.
Now for the variation. The spectator is handed the Joker, which is ordinary. As before, the cards are run from hand to hand to show that they are all face down, but the performer secretly keeps track, and when he has run thirteen cards (or rather sets of cards) from the left hand into the right, he stops, as he knows he holds half the pack in each hand. Now he requests that any card be named. The two halves of the pack are then placed back together again, but in such position that when the pack is turned right side up the chosen card will be in the top half of the pack. As the performer knows the positions of each suit, this requires no calculation. The performer starts running the cards now from hand to hand again, counting. When he comes to the selected card, it is secretly separated from the one above it, but kept out of sight beneath the spread fan of cards. At the same moment the performer says: 'Place the Joker anywhere you wish in the cards as I run them,' giving the impression that this is the reason for running out the cards. The performer continues to pass the cards from hand to hand, running the selected face-up card secretly along beneath the spread fan, until the Joker is placed in, when in closing up the cards it requires no sleight of hand to slip the selected card into the fan next to the Joker, where it will be found when the cards are once again spread out.
Card In The Orange
CazeneuveA VERY effective variation of the torn card and corner trick.
A little preliminary preparation is necessary. You require an orange, two cards alike, say 10S, two small pill-boxes and a rubber band. Remove the small part of the stem remaining on the orange and thrust a skewer into it without piercing the other side. Into the hole thus made insert one of the cards after having torn off a corner and rolled it up tightly. Replace the stem part with a drop of glue. Properly prepared, such an orange will bear close inspection. The torn corner you put in one of the pill-boxes, which you place together with a rubber band in your right-hand outside coat pocket. The remaining 10S goes on the top of the pack.
Thus prepared, begin by showing the orange, toss it to a spectator to examine and put it in his pocket. Force the 10S, have it torn up and the pieces placed in the duplicate pill-box. As this is being done, palm the other pill-box from your pocket in your right hand. Take the box containing the pieces with your finger-tips of the same hand. Throw a handkerchief over this hand and under cover of it switch the boxes. Take the duplicate box and the handkerchief in the left hand, thrust your right hand into the coat pocket, drop the original pill-box and bring out the rubber band. Snap this around the handkerchief just below the pill-box and give it to be held.
Having thus finished the mechanical part of the trick you have only to present the dramatic, magical EFFECT. by pretending to pass the card into the orange. In the end the pill-box is unwrapped and opened, the odd piece only of the card being found. Take the orange, cut it in half around the middle, the opposite way to which the card was inserted, so that half the card projects from the lower half. Open it out, show that it is the 10S, with a corner missing. Fit the corner to it and garner the applause which this fine effect always evokes if well presented.
The Slap TrickTHE trick depends on the double lift. Secretly get a 7 and an 8 of any suit together, pass them to the middle and force the 7. Have it replaced under the 8, slip the tip of the left little finger above the 8 and pass the two cards to the top of the pack. False shuffle, leaving the cards there, then make the double lift and show that the 7 has passed to the top. Turn the pack face down, take off the top card, the 8, and thrust it halfway into the pack, holding it so that the tip of your forefinger covers the index at the top right corner; lift the pack and show the card which will then appear to be the 7.
Turn the pack face down and let the spectator push the card flush with the rest, then put his finger on the top of the pack. Order the card to again mount to the top, slap the pack gently and allow the spectator to remove the top card which he finds to be the 7.
The Conjurer's TouchA HANDKERCHIEF with a pocket on one side large enough to carry three cards is required, also duplicates of three cards. Put the three cards in this secret pocket and then the handkerchief in your pocket in such a way that when it is taken out later, the secret pocket will be towards yourself mouth upwards. On the top of the pack place the three cards corresponding to those in the handkerchief. Better, if you can do it, have them in a pocket and palm them on to the pack after it has been shuffled.
Force the three cards, have them noted and replaced and the pack shuffled by a spectator. Take out your handkerchief, don't say it is unprepared, just form it into a bag by holding the corners, and have the pack dropped into it. Knowing the order of the cards in the pocket you can bring out the chosen cards (duplicates) in any order called for. After producing two you may vary the proceedings by laying the handkerchief over your right hand pocket, side down and mouth towards yourself. Lay the pack face up on top of the handkerchief and over the card still in the pocket so that they coincide. Lift the outer side of the fabric up and over the cards and gather the edges together with the right hand. The pocket will be at the back and its mouth should coincide with the lower end of the pack. By gently shaking the hand up and down the card will make its appearance gradually as if penetrating the handkerchief, finally fluttering to the floor.
The Card Through The HandkerchiefA CARD having been freely selected and replaced is brought to the top of the pack and palmed off. A handkerchief is borrowed and immediately spread over the right hand, thereby concealing the palmed card. The pack is now placed face upwards, on the center of the handkerchief, by which means it is brought immediately over the concealed card.
The part of the handkerchief lying on the forearm is first brought over the face of the cards, which are then raised, still covered. The sides of the handkerchief are brought around to the back in the act of concluding the operation of folding up the cards. The pack is then screwed up tightly and the position of the whole reversed. Performer holding the screwed-up ends of the handkerchief shakes it slightly and the chosen card is gradually seen to make its appearance and as the shaking continues, the card becomes more and more visible, finally falling to the floor. The effect to the onlookers, being that the card actually penetrated through the handkerchief.
Two cards may be caused to pass through in the same manner, but in the process the second card is pushed back up under the cover of the first card.
The Penetrating CardsTHE trick is an improvement on the preceding effect. The cards are placed in their case and a chosen card apparently penetrates the case and the handkerchief.
A pack of cards with a case of the flap variety and a handkerchief are required. After the cards are shuffled, have a card freely chosen, noted and replaced. Pass it to the top and put the pack in its case in such a way that in closing the case the flap goes between the-top card and the rest of the pack. Lay the case, flap side down on the table, show the handkerchief and spread it over your left hand. Pick up the case in the right hand with the thumb on the exposed part of the selected card and throw the handkerchief over the case. Under its cover the right-hand fingers pull the card out of the case as far as possible.
With the left hand take the case from under its covering, the selected card is thus drawn completely out of the case and, lies face up on the right hand. Put the case on the handkerchief just above the palmed card, throw the front part of the fabric back over the case, twist the sides so that they retain the card outside at the rear, gather up the four corners and hold them in the right hand. The chosen card is then named and ordered to penetrate the case and the fabric. A gentle shake of the hand will gradually bring the card into view.
Get Thee Behind Me, SatanSPECTATORS always think a trick worked with the cards behind the back is wonderful. In this trick the spectator apparently does the trick himself, and he holds the pack behind his own back, making the result still more remarkable.
Any pack, after being shuffled by a spectator, is cut by him into two packets, of which he chooses one, handing you the other. You instruct him to look over his cards, take out any one, note what it is and place it on the top of the packet. Turn away for the moment as he does this and quickly reverse the bottom card of your packet and also the second card from the top of it.
Turn around, place your packet on top of the spectator's thereby bringing the card you reversed on the bottom of your packet immediately above his card. Square the pack but do not remove it from the spectator's hands, tell him to grasp it tightly and place it behind his back. Instruct him to take off the top card, then hesitate as if changing your mind and continue, 'Better place that card on the bottom. You might have some suspicion if we used that card. Now take the next card, reverse it and thrust it into the middle of the pack. Right? Bring the pack forward and if you have done the trick properly you will find you have located your chosen card with the card you reversed.'
Much to his surprise he finds this is actually the case. With a little care and skill the reversal of the two cards in your own packet can be done quite easily without turning away, in which case the trick becomes one of the most effective impromptu tricks possible.
The Princess Card TrickHardin
A MOST effective feat which can be done with any pack at any time. First have the pack shuffled by a spectator, then holding it spread face up, request four spectators to each select one card, the first taking any C, the next any H then a S and lastly any D. Palm the three top cards of the pack and retain the pack in that hand.
Collect the four cards face down on your left hand beginning with the D, followed by the S, H and C. Lay pack on the table and take the four cards in your right hand adding the three palmed cards. Hold the seven cards facing the audience and well squared between the fingers at the upper ends, thumb at the lower ends. With the left hand slowly separate the four chosen cards, fanning them towards the left, but keeping the three added cards perfectly squared behind the C card. Ask a spectator to mentally select any one of the four selected cards. When he signifies that he has done this, close the fan and turn the packet to face yourself.
Spread the cards with the left hand as before but this time it is the three indifferent cards that you fan, the four selected cards being perfectly squared as one card. Pretending great concentration draw out one of the single cards, hesitate and put it back in a different position in the fan. Repeat with another single card, finally take the four cards as one and place them in your right-hand outside pocket. Count the three remaining cards face down on to the pack and cut them to the middle. Have the mentally chosen card named, thrust your hand into your pocket and bring it out. The arrangement of the suits, C, H, S, D, enables you to do this quickly and without fumbling.
The Clock TrickANOTHER excellent trick which can be done with any pack.
Beforehand take an opportunity of placing eleven cards in your lower right waistcoat pocket. Shuffle the pack and lay out on the table a circle of twelve cards saying that they are to be considered as representing the figures on a clock face. Place the card figuring as twelve a little higher in the imaginary circle than the others so that it can be readily distinguished. Count around from this card exactly as on a real clock face, impressing on the spectators that the cards must be associated with the hour figures at which they lie. Turn away and ask a spectator to choose one card, look at it and remember the hour figure at which it lies. This done, turn around and gather up the cards beginning with twelve and putting it face down on your left hand, follow with the card representing eleven, then ten and so on around to the card at one.
On a slip of paper draw a small square and alongside of it a circle. Ask a spectator to write the name of the card selected in the square and the hour at which it stood in the circle. Turn away so that you will have no chance of seeing what is written, telling him to afterwards fold the paper and put it in his pocket. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, palm the twelve cards in your right hand and take out the eleven cards from your waistcoat pocket. Hold these in your right hand. Turn around, take pencil back from the spectator with your left hand, put the eleven cards in the left hand, take the pencil with the right and put it in your right-hand trousers pocket, leaving the palmed cards there.
Turn the packet face up and count the eleven cards as twelve thus: 'Twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, and five (spread the last five cards) are twelve.' Square the cards and hand them to the spectator face down. Order the chosen card to vanish. Ask the spectator to count to the hour chosen. With your right hand in your pocket keep count with him with the twelve cards in your pocket. When he stops you have the chosen card. He finds his card has gone, counts the cards and he has eleven only, and the card is named and you produce it from your pocket.
Paint Brush Card
MerlinTAKE from a pack the 2, 3, 4 and 5 of S's. Put the 2S face down on the table, on it the 4S face up, then the 3S face down. Take the three cards and give them a rather sharp bend lengthwise so that they are convex when looking at the 2S. Place them on the face of the pack so that the 2S becomes the bottom card. On the top of the pack put the SS face down.
Show the pack in the left hand face outwards and call attention to the 2S. Turn the pack face down and turn over the top card, the SS, leaving it face outwards. Hold the pack in the usual color change position in the left hand, thumb on the upper side, fingers on the lower and the tip of the forefinger at the outer end of the pack. With the forefinger push down the three set-up cards, the bend enabling you to do this as if they were one card only. Take them openly in the right hand, thumb on the face of the 2S, fingers on the backs, and show them as one card, the 2S. Draw them face down over the faced card, the SS, a couple of times, showing the faces of the SS and the 2S each time. At the third time release the 2S and the 4S from the right thumb, leave them on the faced SS and carry away the 3S only.
The effect is that the center pip has been brushed off the SS and becomes attached to the 2S. Remove the 4S and 3S and show them freely, the face-down 2S making the pack appear regular. You must remember, however, that the SS is
The Eclipse VanishFIVE cards are laid out in a row and one is chosen by a spectator. The cards are gathered up and again dealt out, there are four only, the chosen card has vanished.
Have the pack shuffled and ask the spectator to deal out five cards on the table in a row, then to signify which one he chooses. As he does this, casually bring your left hand to the mouth and wet the ball of your thumb. Pick up two of the cards and put them face up on your left hand, then put the one chosen on these and rub your left thumb over its face, wetting it. On this place the other two cards also face up. Turn the cards face down and contrive to squeeze them tightly but imperceptibly.
Order the card to vanish. Deal the cards face up. There are apparently four only, the chosen card has gone. Due to the moisture it is stuck to the card placed on top of it and the two appear to be one card only.
The Card From The Pocket
C. O. WilliamsTHIS is a trick that has stood the test of time and is still one of the best impromptu tricks with cards in existence.
Hand a pack to a spectator and have him shuffle it until he is satisfied you cannot know the position of any card. Tell him to think of any single digit, count down to that number, not reversing the cards, lift the packet, look at the card at the number thought of and remember it, then replace the packet. Turn away as he does this.
When he is ready, turn around and take the pack. Point out that you ask no questions, you simply want him to concentrate on his card and number. Place the pack behind your back. Affect intense mental effort and bring forward the bottom card with its face towards yourself. Hesitate as if not quite sure, then with a confident air place the card in your right-hand trousers pocket, really palm the card and put it on the top of the pack as you take the pack off your left hand. Point out that if you have succeeded his card is in your pocket. Ask him to name the number but not the card.
Suppose he says 'Five'. Deal four cards face down and throw the fifth card a little nearer to him saying, 'Is that your card?' At the same moment the left thumb pushes the next card over the side of the pack and the right hand comes back and palms it and puts this hand into trousers pocket. Bring the card into view at the tips of the fingers holding it by the upper end, 'How could it be?' you continue, 'when I have it here in my pocket.' Hold the card almost out of the pocket and ask the spectator to name it. Turn the card around and show you have that very card.
With proper presentation the trick is perfect.
Card From The Pocket
S. H. Wimbrough--Another presentationTHE trick affords an excellent reply to that oft-asked question, 'Can you hypnotize?' Should you be asked the question, reply on the following lines and do this trick. 'Well I don't know, sometimes I can and sometimes I can't but there is an experiment I have often tried and with it I almost always succeed.' Generally this arouses interest so go ahead. Continue, 'I will make use of a pack of cards and subject. Please take the cards and shuffle them. Right, now hand me any card at all without looking at it. Thank you. I'll put it in my waistcoat pocket (do so). Most likely it will surprise you to know that you are already under my influence. You don't believe it but I'll prove it directly.
'I'll turn my back and you count down to any number you think of' look at and remember the card you find there but don't let anyone else see it. I can only control one person at a time. (Turn away, take card from waistcoat pocket and palm it in your right hand. Don't move your elbows in doing this.) Are you ready? (Turn around, take pack and add palmed card to the top.) Now remember you are under control and are not accountable for what you see or do, and the more you try not to be influenced the easier you make it for me. What number does your card rest at? Twelve? (Deal to that number and throw the twelfth card out face up and palm the top card in the right hand.) What? That's not your card? (Hold pack in right hand.) What was it? The .......... of ..........? That proves you've been completely under the influence.
That card is not in the pack. (Spread the cards face up.) You gave it to me yourself just now. Here it is in my pocket. (Put the palmed card in and at once bring it out, tips of the fingers on the top end.) I must admit that you have been an excellent subject.'
Banner Card Discovery
JordanHAVE the spectator shuffle any pack freely. Ask him to mentally select any number between twelve and twenty, then when your back is turned to count down to that number and note the card lying there, replacing the cards as they were. Turn away while he does this.
Turn around and take the pack, put it behind your back, rapidly count off twelve cards and put them at the bottom. Separate the next seven cards at the top from the rest with your little finger-tip, bring the top card forward, its back to the spectators and put it in your right-hand trousers pocket. Palm the six cards above the left little finger and hand the remainder of the pack to the spectator. As he counts down to see if his card is still in the pack, place your hands in your coat pockets. Watch the spectator's count, if he turns up the thirteenth card you have the right card in your trousers pocket. If not, count from then on with the cards in your coat pocket, taking card for card with him.
When he turns up a card palm the one you have arrived at amongst the six. Thrust your hand into your trousers pocket, drop the card just palmed and palm the one already there. Then hesitate and say, 'It will be more convincing if you remove your card yourself. Please name it first.' As he does this, take the pack in the right hand and add the palmed card to the top. Take the first opportunity of returning the five cards from the coat pocket to the pack.
Like Seeks Like
JordanA TRICK which makes use of the back palm as a secret sleight. Four hats are borrowed and placed mouths upwards on a table, in front of each hat place the A, K, Q and J of one suit, faces out. These are placed into their respective hats. At command the four A's congregate in one hat, the four K's in another, and so on.
In putting each set of four cards in front of a hat they must be set in the following order:
S's J Q K A H's J Q A K C's J K A Q D's Q J A K Begin by picking up the JS and apparently put it in its hat, really back palm it. Next the JH back palmed, then JC back palmed, next take QD, drop the three J's and back palm the Q, three J's now in the fourth hat. Do the same with the QS and QH, dropping them in the third hat as you back palm the KC.
Treat the three K's in order in the same way, dropping them into the second hat as you take the A. Back palm two more A's, finally dropping all four into the first hat. The last three cards are set in front of the proper hats.
The Master Riddle
JordanHAND an unprepared pack to a spectator to shuffle and then remove one card, retaining it. Have him pass the pack to a second person who also takes out a card. In similar fashion allow four more cards to be drawn and retained by different spectators. Take the pack and ask one person to collect the cards face down and mix them thoroughly. While this is being done, quietly count down six cards from the top of the pack and hold the break so that they will be ready for the bottom change.
Receive the packet of six chosen cards in your right hand and as you turn to put them on the table, execute the bottom change and put down the six indifferent cards taken from the top. Sight the bottom card and ask someone who has not drawn a card to help you. Cut the six chosen cards from the bottom to the top. Turn your back, fan the pack behind you and ask the spectator to pick up one of the six cards from the table and thrust it into the pack. Call it as being the card you just before sighted, the bottom one of the six selected cards. Bring the pack forward, run through it, remove the card just named, and at the same time memorize the five cards next to it.
Hand the pack to be shuffled, then continue in the same way, but for these five let the spectator remove them from the pack as you call for them one at a time.
If you cannot do the bottom change, secretly bridge the six bottom cards while the chosen cards are being collected. Have them placed on a tray in a packet and put the pack alongside. Turn to your table, lift the pack at the bridge, leaving six cards on the tray and put the pack on top of the six selected cards.
Transposition... Box To EnvelopeTHE trick calls for an ordinary pack, an envelope and a card box without the flap.
Hand the box and the envelope to spectators, sitting some distance apart, to be examined. Have the pack shuffled and allow the person holding the box to draw a card freely. After he has noted it and returned it to the pack, bring it to the top and shuffle one card on top of it.
Order the chosen card to mount to the top and by means of a double lift show that it has obeyed. Turn the card face down and push it off into the box which the spectator holds ready and immediately closes. This is what you appear to do, really an indifferent card goes into the box and the chosen card remains on the top.
Go to the person holding the envelope and force the same card on him but do not allow the card to be looked at, simply slide into the envelope.
The command for the cards to change places is given. The spectator holding the box names his card but finds an entirely different one in the box; this you say is the card the second spectator drew. The envelope is opened and in it the first person's card is found.
Mental Card MysteryIF POSSIBLE borrow both the cards and the envelope for use in this trick. First have the pack shuffled freely and sight the top card. Next borrow an envelope and paper, write down the name of the card just sighted, fold the paper and enclose it in the envelope. Casually lay the envelope on the pack as you return the pencil to your pocket. Take the envelope in your right hand again and secretly carry away the top card with it. Hand the pack to be shuffled and cut.
Receive the pack back in your left hand, the envelope plus the sighted card on it as you reach for your pencil again with your right hand. Give the pencil to the spectator who cut the pack and ask him to write his initials on the envelope. Let him take envelope and cards in his own hands to do this, then put the envelope in his pocket. Have him take off the top card and note it 'as the card at which he cut after he had shuffled the cards'.
If you then recapitulate what has been done, ignoring the fact that you handled the cards at all, the effect left on the minds of the spectators is that the card was taken immediately after the person shuffled and cut the pack himself, and their reaction to the fact that your prediction names that very card will be quite satisfactory. (Editor's Note--After spectator has placed the envelope in his pocket, you hold the pack while he stabs a knife into the pack to locate a card. In breaking the pack at the cut slip the sighted card from the top of the pack to the top of the lower packet in the accredited fashion. Let him note this card and then read your prediction.)
Satan's Mail
HardinA SIMPLE method of apparently passing a card into an envelope. The whole effect is dependent on the presentation. A small pellet of wax, affixed to a waistcoat button, an unprepared envelope and a pack of cards are all you require.
From the pack, which you have had thoroughly shuffled, any card is freely selected by a spectator, noted, returned and secretly passed by you to the bottom. Secure the pellet of wax and transfer it to the face of the bottom card, the chosen one. Hand the envelope to be examined and taking it back, casually put the pack on it with a little pressure. Approaching your table turn the pack and envelope over and carelessly toss the envelope on the table. The chosen card will have adhered to it by the pellet of wax. Place the pack in another envelope, seal it and have the spectator hold it. Order the chosen card to leave the envelope in his hand and pass to that one on the table.
Pack is examined the card has gone. Pick up the table envelope and hold it before a light, it will appear that a card is inside. Tear off the end of the envelope, blow it open in the usual way, insert thumb and forefinger and apparently extract the card, really drawing it up from the outside.
Card And Envelope
SellersPLACE the AC face down on the table overlapping the rear edge slightly and over it place an envelope so that both may be picked up together, the card being concealed by the envelope. In the envelope you have placed a slip of paper on which is written, 'The selected card will be the Ace of Clubs.'
Hand a pack of cards out to be shuffled, take it back and hold it in your left hand. Pick up the envelope together with the AC and lay the envelope on the pack in the left hand thus placing the AC on top of the pack. Take a pencil from your pocket, hand it to a spectator asking him to write his initials on the envelope which you then hand to him to hold. Force the AS by means of the knife force or one of the forcing methods, Chapter 19. Have the prediction read and the card shown.
Card And Envelope No. 2
GravattBEFOREHAND bend up the tip of the flap of an envelope creasing it well, then turn it down again. Proceed just as in the preceding trick but when you fasten the flap of the envelope, turn the tip of the flap back where it was creased so that when you put the envelope on the pack the moistened tip of the flap sticks to the top card and carries it away when you toss the envelope on the table.
Finish the effect just as described above.
Tuned Minds
AlbrightHAVE the pack of cards shuffled and take it back placing it on your left hand. Ask a spectator to think of some prominent person. Hand him a pencil and have him cut the cards taking a card at which he cut while you take back the cut portion in your right hand. Ask him to write the name thought of on the face of his card. As he does this give the inner ends of the packet on your left hand a squeeze, bending the sides upwards, while the outer ends of the cards facing the spectator remain quite straight. Have him return his card on top of the left hand-packet and you drop the right-hand packet on top.
Make a series of cuts finally cutting at the crimp, his card will be the lowest card of this portion. Lift off the cut holding it by the thumb at the inner end, second and third fingers at the outer end and fourth finger resting against the side just at the right corner. Push off the top card of the lower packet with the left thumb, pick it off with the tips of the first and second right fingers at the right-hand corner and hold it up face out towards the spectator. The bottom card of the right-hand portion is facing you and you read the name written on it. Ask for the pencil, replace the cut with the right hand, place the card just shown face up on the pack and pretending intense concentration write the same name on it. Turn the card face down, cut the pack and hand it to the spectator.
He picks out the two cards and finds you have written the very same name as he did.
Two-Card Slate Prophecy
AnnemannREQUIRED are two slates and a half-flap for each, two packs of cards, one an ordinary one but prearranged in any system you may use, the other a single card forcing pack. In the ordinary pack the duplicate of the force card must be discarded. On one slate write 'The lady will get the cover it with the half-flap, on the other slate write, 'The gentleman will get the and cover this with the flap also.
Place the slates on the table one above the other with 'gentleman's' slate on top and lay the pack on them. Put the forcing pack in your side coat pocket and you are ready.
Go to a lady, write on the flap of the 'gentleman' slate, 'The lady will get the..........' draw a line across along the edge of the flap and show the writing freely, turn slate towards yourself and write the name of the force card, then put slate on table writing downwards. Spread stacked pack, lady removes card, pick up pack, starting from point from which card was removed and scoop up the rest. Glimpse bottom card and so get name of card selected, drop pack into pocket.
Take second slate, 'lady' slate. and write, 'The gentleman will select the..........' on the flap, draw a line as before and show freely. Then write the name of the lady's card just chosen below flap, put slate flap side down beside the other. Take out the forcing pack and give the gentleman a free choice. Drop pack into pocket, pick up the slates and put them together, written sides inwards. Have the cards shown, open the slates and show the predictions. Casually remove the ordinary pack from your pocket and have the two chosen cards replaced. Pack is now quite regular.
The Spectator Finds Your Card
Kli BanAFTER the spectators have shuffled, a pack, take it and give the cards a riffle shuffle yourself, seizing the opportunity to sight the top and bottom cards. Ask a spectator to cut the pack about the middle and choose either heap. Whichever one he takes you have a key card in it. You take the other packet.
Take a card from your packet and pretend to name it, really calling the name of the key card in the spectator's packet, and put it face down on top of your heap. Spectator does the same, putting his card on the top or bottom of his packet depending on where the key card is. You each make one complete cut.
Hand your packet to the spectator asking him to shuffle it, then draw one card from it and, without looking at it, to push it into his packet. He does this. squares his packet and cuts it once more. Name your card again and deal your cards face up showing it is no longer there. Spectator searches his packet and finds your card and his together.
Watch His ElbowHAND a pack of cards to a spectator to shuffle, ask him then to turn his back, take cards off the top one by one, stop whenever he pleases, look at the next card and drop the cards taken off on the top of it.
All you have to do is to watch his elbows, one or the other, or both will move slightly with every card taken. Keep count and the total gives you the number of cards down that the noted card lies. Take the pack and reveal it as you wish.
By having sighted the bottom card you may allow the spectator to cut the pack before handing it back to you. You can then cut the pack to bring the original card back to position before making the count.
Two Pile TrickA VERY ingenious twist given to an old trick. Hand the pack to a spectator to shuffle freely, and when your back is turned instruct him to deal two packets of cards face down on the table, the same number of cards in each packet and not more than ten in each. Have him note the next card on the pack, replace it, and put one of the packets back on top of the pack, and the other packet in his pocket. Now you turn around and take the pack and point out that there is an unknown number of cards above his card. Put the pack behind your back and count off, say, fifteen cards, reversing them, then replace them on top of the pack. Bring the pack forward, and in order to make it still more difficult, have the packet from the spectator's pocket placed on top of the pack.
The noted card will then be the fifteenth card from the top. In exactly the same way you can put it at any number you please. The mechanical part of the trick is well covered and it can be made very effective.
The Voice Of The SpiritEFFECT. Assistant is guarded in another room by a committee. From any pack a card is freely chosen, a spectator takes paper and pen to the assistant who instantly writes the name of the card.
METHOD. An ingenious code is used as detailed below.
ACE. Send own fountain pen with cap screwed on to be handed to assistant without a word being spoken.
KING. Pen in same condition, but messenger hands a scrap of paper or an old envelope with it.
QUEEN. Take cap off pen, and send it thus without paper. JACK. Pen in same condition and a piece of paper.
TEN. Cap on back of pen, ink filler even with clip. No paper. NINE. Same as for ten, with paper.
EIGHT. Cap on back, clip quarter turn to right of ink filler. No paper. SEVEN. Same as for eight, plus paper.
SIX. Cap on back, clip half-way round barrel. No paper. FIVE. Same as for six, plus paper.
FOUR. Cap on with quarter turn to left. No paper. THREE. Same as four, plus paper.
TWO. Cap a trifle only to left. Paper optional.To denote the suits proceed as follows:
HEARTS. Borrowed pen, woman holding it. DIAMONDS. Borrowed pen, man holding it. SPADES. Your own pen, woman holding it. CLUBS. Same but man holding it.
For an all male audience you would have to use three of your own pens to represent three suits, a borrowed pen indicating the other. When no paper is sent assistant uses his own or borrows some.
The Buddha Whispers
OvetteON THE table have a small figure of Buddha, on either side of it put two small glasses and number them mentally from left to right, 1, 2, 3, 4.
In No. 1 put midget cards AH, 3H, 5C, 7C, AD, JD.
In No. 2 glass--2c; 3C, 6D, 7D, 10S, JS.
In No. 3 glass--4D, 5D, 6S, AS ASH. 4H.
In glass No. 4--8S, AS 10H, JH, QC, 8C.
To each glass assign a number, No. 1 is 1, No. 2 is 2, No. 3 is 4, No. 4 is 8. In the Buddha's hands place a number of coins or poker chips.
Ask a spectator to shuffle a pack of cards and merely think of one of them. Lay the pack aside. Instruct the spectator to place a coin in any glass in which there is a midget card of the same value as that he is thinking of, and also to put a coin in front of each glass that has a card of the same suit as his thought card.
To determine the value simply add the set values for each glass in which there is a coin. J is value eleven, Q is twelve, K is thirteen. It will be noted that each set of cards has one suit missing, therefore to tell the suit simply note the glass with no coin in front of it.
Compare with Albright's 'Perfect Card Divination'.
Triple Card MysteryANY pack is thoroughly shuffled by a spectator who then cuts the pack, keeping one half and handing you the other. Tell him to deal three cards face down in a row on the table and on top of each to deal a small number of cards, the same number on each card. Note how many cards go in the first heap then turn away until the heaps are completed. Suppose there are five cards in each. Three spectators each note the top card of a heap and replace it. The three heaps are collected one on top of the other. Drop your half of the pack on the pile, having in the meantime noted its bottom card which thus goes on top of the first chosen card. Any cards left over in the hands of the spectator who dealt the cards are now put on the top or bottom of the pack and this is cut several times.
To find the cards, deal until the key card appears and the next card is the first of the three and is so acknowledged. Place the pack behind your back, count to the fifth card and take it out, leaving the other four on the pack. Bring the card forward and have it acknowledged. Replace this card and the others on the table on to the pack in your hand thus bringing the last card to the tenth position from the top. Let a spectator blindfold you, and have him take the pack and deal the cards slowly one by one. By looking down along your nose you keep track of the deal and when he has the tenth card in his hand stop him and have that card identified by the last spectator.
Infallible Prediction
Page WrightTWO packs with the same backs are used, one ordinary pack you have in your coat pocket, the other you have prepared by writing, 'This is the card you will take,' down one side of every card, except the top and bottom cards. Shuffle this pack without disturbing the top and bottom cards and let spectators see the bottom card after the shuffle. Pretend to write something on one of the middle cards, shuffle again bringing the top card to the bottom and let the spectators get sight of this card also, thus they will have seen two unprepared cards.
Spread the cards on the table and have a spectator draw one out without looking at it. Gather up the remainder and run over the faces exposing the unwritten side to the spectators. Explain that you are looking for the card you wrote on. Finally square the pack and have the card on the table turned over. The writing is on it. Drop the pack into your pocket, then as an afterthought bring out the unprepared pack and hand it to someone to shuffle so that you can show another trick.
Faces Or Backs, Which?
Jordan'I HAVE found a rather strange thing with the Bicycle League Back cards in the matter of reverse marks. In any pack of fifty-two cards and the Joker there are twenty-two cards, possibly twenty-three, that can be reversed the same as reversible back design, or one-way card, thus making it possible to tell from the face of the cards which one has been reversed. This is by the placing of the spots on the cards marking a top or bottom. The cards that can be thus distinguished are the A, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, of C's, H's, and S's and the 7D and possibly the Joker. What is unique with this make of card and back design is that when these cards are all headed one way by the face characteristics, the wing design on the backs on all the cards is also headed one way. Thus a reversed card of these twenty-two or twenty-three cards can be told from either face or back. And when a pack has been arranged all the one way by the back design the twenty-two or twenty-three cards have also been automatically ended in the one way.
'I think I have found a way of utilizing this principle. Get twenty of these cards on to the top of the pack. State that you will try a location with twenty cards. Hand the pack to a spectator and have him deal twenty cards. Shuffle these overhand, let him take a card, reverse the packet and have the card replaced. Hand him the packet and shuffle the cards overhand. Turn away and instruct him to deal the cards into four rows of five cards face down, then he is to turn any cards he pleases face up and not to tell you whether his card is face up or face down. Turn round. Look at all the backs and note if one is reversed, if not you have only to look over the faces and apply the old principle. You may detect the card by pulse-reading or adopt any presentation you prefer] The magicians will be puzzled because of the face-up and face-down privilege.'
The Life Saver
JordanFROM any pack you allow a spectator to remove any card and keep it for the time being. Holding the pack face up, rapidly deal it into two heaps placing in one heap the reversible cards, the A, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, of C's, H's and S's and the 7D. Do not turn these cards to bring them pointing one way, deal them as they come but count them. At the end of the deal if there are only twenty-one of these cards you know that the chosen card must be one of them and by having it replaced in the other pile you can allow the spectator to shuffle them freely and yet pick the card with ease. In similar fashion if the count of the pointer cards is complete you know the chosen card is one of the other variety so you have it replaced in the twenty-two packet. Of course you apparently give the spectator a free choice of packets.
NOTE.-By arranging these pointer cards beforehand so that the indicating pips are pointing one way and placing them on the top of the pack you may have a card chosen from amongst them and spread the lower part of the pack for its return, or a card taken from the lower part may be replaced in the pointer cards in the upper half, in either case the stranger in the house locates the chosen card.
Again you may have these cards in the middle, have a card taken from amongst them, secretly turn the pack so that the card will be reversed and so easily found. If a perverse spectator insists on taking a card from near the top or bottom, have it returned amongst the pointer cards in the middle. You then locate it with ease.
The Magnetized CardsEFFECT. A number of cards are spread on the performer's hand which is then turned over. Instead of falling the cards remain attached to the hand in some mysterious manner but fall from it at command.
METHOD NO. 1. A prepared card and a finger ring are required. Cut off the head of a pin with a small part of the pin, solder this to the middle of a piece of thin tin. Pierce a hole in the middle of a card which will allow the head of the pin to pass through to the back. Glue another face card to the face of this one. The ring has a small slot cut in it into which the head of the pin will fit.
Palm this prepared card on to the pack after the cards have been shuffled by a spectator. Place it face up on the palm of your left hand engaging the head of the pin in the slot of the ring. Push a number of cards all around between the card and your palm. Quite a large number can be thus inserted. Turn the hand over and the cards remain attached and can be safely carried amongst the spectators in this position. Due attention should be paid before attaching the cards to the pretended generation of magnetism by rubbing the hands together and on the coat sleeve.
METHOD NO. 2. Push a fine needle through a small part of the skin of the palm so that the needle projects on either side. Arrange the first two cards under each projecting end of the needle and the other cards under these. After exhibiting the cards, return to your table, hold the cards above it and by a slight pressure of the fingers, free the needle and the cards fall. They can be immediately gathered up and given for examination, the needle remaining unnoticed on the table.
METHOD NO. 3. Devised by Burling Hull, this calls for a prepared card. Choose a card that has a small circle in the middle of its back pattern. Cut this from one card and glue it in place on the back of another card, attaching one half only. This will then form a flap which can be bent up and clipped between the fingers. The trick then proceeds as in the other methods.
METHOD NO. 4. (Sellers) Take a circular piece of cardboard or thin tin of such a size that you can easily span it between the thumb and little finger of the right hand. On one side glue several cards to completely cover it. Stick them on as irregularly as possible. To the other side glue a piece of cloth of the same material as your table cover.
This fake you have on your table, card side down. Produce or borrow a pack of cards, and deal a number face down and scattered over the back of the fake. Show your hand and put it flat down on top of the cards. Grip the edges of the fake between the thumb and little finger, pressing on the cards with the other fingers. Now lift the hand and wave it in any position you fancy.
Of course it will be easier at first if you use a few cards only; this does not alter the effect in the least. Having shown the magnetic quality of your hand sufficiently, replace it with the cards flat on the table. Sweep the cards together leaving the fake lying unobserved as at first.
Tearing The PackVARIOUS methods of preparing the pack in order to duplicate the real feat.
No. 1. Clip each card slightly, with a pair of scissors, on both sides in the middle.
No. 2. Have a printer impress the middle of each card with a perforating rule using no ink. If this is not available score each card across the middle with a penknife.
No. 3. Spread the cards in a moderately hot oven and let them bake for a couple of hours.
No. 4. Soak the cards and split them. Wash the glue off the surfaces and let the backs and fronts dry. Stack them together and put them under pressure to dry out thoroughly.
No. 5. Actually tear the cards almost for half their width, making the tears correspond by doing about a quarter of the pack at a time. Replace the pack in its case and replace the tax stamp. The half-packs can be prepared for being torn in half in exactly the same way.
A good idea is to have the face card an AD or 2D and on it have stamped your name and the date the feat was performed. Snap a rubber band around and toss the quarter packs to the spectators.
To tear an unprepared pack in half grip one end tightly between the four fingers and the base of the thumb, the thumb lying over the back, while the other end is gripped with the other hand placed across around the side of the pack. The feat can be made somewhat easier by slightly spreading the cards so that the tear starts in a few cards only.
Reversed Cards
JordanBORROW a pack, shuffle it and show all the cards are faced one way. Hold the pack face down as for dealing. Deal the cards one by one into the right hand, letting the arms hang down and swing gently to left and right with each card. Both hands hang to the left as the first card is dealt. Then they swing a little to the right of the body as the left thumb starts to slide the next card off. At the same moment turn the left hand over dealing the card face up into the right hand. Swing the arms to the left dealing the next face down, then to the right, the fourth card face up, and so on alternately, left and right, face up and face down. Do this for nine or ten cards.
From then on when the left hand turns over to deal a card face up, the face card's right edge only goes as far as the left edge of the right hand's cards where the right fingers press on its back and causes it to fall face down on the packet. Repeat this for every card supposed to fall face up. The action is undetectable if the right-hand packet is not held towards the spectators except when a card has been fairly dealt face down. Deal rapidly. At the end of the deal turn the pack over and show the first few cards really reversed alternately.
Blow on it, turning the pack face down and squaring it. Fan out the first forty cards showing them all face down. Turn the pack and rapidly push off the first eight or ten cards in one packet then show the faces of all the rest.
Simplicity Four Ace Trick
Stewart JamesPLACE four A's on the table face up, deal three cards face up on each A. Pick up the A's one by one and change their positions from the bottom to the top of each pile. Take the first pile and put it face down on the palm of your left hand. Show that the A is the fourth card by counting and showing the A. Place the other three heaps face down on this pile one by one. Every fourth card is an A.
Deal the four top cards in a row. Take off the next card and using it as a pointer touch the three indifferent cards and then the fourth card saying, 'And the ace is here,' casually replace the pointer card in the left hand but to the bottom of the packet and at once turn up the A. Now continue the deal as before, stressing that every fourth card is an A, really, owing to the alteration in the position of the one card, the three A's are in the third pile and the last pile has three indifferent cards.
Turn over the first two piles, show the A's to the spectators and drop them on the pack. Pick up the third pile and show the bottom card only, an indifferent one. Turn it face down and slide out the bottom card, placing it face up in front of the pile. In the same way show the A at the bottom of the fourth pile, turn it down and slide out the A, putting it face up in front of that pile. Change the positions of the two cards and then show that birds of a feather always flock together by turning up A's opposite the A and three indifferent cards opposite the other card.
Another Simplicity Four Ace TrickTHIS may very well follow the last trick. Pick up the A's and the rest of the cards casually and without remark, but see that the A's go on the top. Execute several riffle shuffles retaining the four top cards in that position. If you can follow this with a false shuffle and several false cuts do so. Anyway you should have the four A's on the top without the audience having the slightest suspicion that they are there. Ask a spectator to cut the pack at about the middle and then each of the two packets in half again. Keep note of the packet with the A's. Pretend that one of the piles has a few cards too many (not the A packet), and ask the spectator to transfer a few cards from it to one of the other indifferent piles. Continue the same maneuver with the three indifferent piles. Then have him transfer one card from the A pile to one of the others. Next a couple of cards from one of the two indifferent piles to the other, then two from the A pile on to one of these two heaps, finally (after carefully studying the size of the packets), transfer one of the last two cards to the last indifferent heap. After all this apparently indiscriminate jockeying around of the cards of the turning up of the A's, one on each pile, is a baffling effect.
The moves, of course, may be made in any way you please, so long as you keep track of the A's.
Instead of using four A's have four memorized cards on the top of the pack. Have the pack cut into four piles by the spectator and then keeping track of the four cards have the top cards shifted around as above, finishing with one of the memorized cards on each packet. Name them and have the cards turned over. Always use a borrowed pack to avoid suspicion of using marked cards. This is G. G. Gravatt's variation.
Inseparable Aces
JordanAFTER having been unmistakably placed in different parts of the pack, the four A's are dealt out together.
Hold the pack face up and remove the four A's, showing that there are four only. Square the pack, still face up and with the left thumb riffle off about eight or ten cards. Note the index of the last card and drop the packet face down on the table. On this put one of the A's, letting about one-third of its length project.
Riffle off a second packet, noting the last card, put the packet face down and an A on top, projecting like the first A. Do exactly the same with the third A, but for the fourth simply riffle off a packet taking no note of its top card. Replace packet four on the face of the pack, and on this packet three, and so on. Now although the A's are well scattered through the pack you know the card which lies next below the first three from the bottom.
Push the A's flush and begin your deal from the bottom placing the cards face up. When the first card you noted appears you know that the next card is an A. Pull it back by the glide sleight and draw out the card above. Deal in the same way until the second noted card appears, draw back the next card and retain it at the bottom with the first A. Do the same with the third A and hold all three back until the last A appears then draw out the other three one by one.
The second and third A's must be pushed back with the right second finger and it is advisable to make the deal rather deliberate so that there will be no perceptible difference when the A's are pushed back.
Slates And Aces
AnnemannEFFECT. The performer has two of the audience step forward. One is handed a slate and the other a pack of cards. Spectator shuffles the cards and removes the A's, the names of which are written on the slate in order by the other one. Performer writes the same thing on his slate, has it initialed and places it in an open paper bag which anyone holds. The four A's are now well mixed, one is selected and shown to all. The spectator with the slate erases the three other A's leaving only the chosen one. Slate is removed from bag and an unseen hand has done the same thing.
METHOD. Needed are two slates, a bag, one slate flap-backed with paper to match the paper bag, a pack of cards and four duplicate Ms. These A's are in your inside coat pocket. Write the name of the AH in the second place on your slate, make a smudge in place of the other three as if they had been rubbed out. Place the flap over it. Have the four A's from the pack in order S, H, D, C, on the top of the pack. The AH should have a pencil dot on the back so you can identify it.
Have the spectator riffle shuffle the pack several times, this only distributes the A's without changing their order. He turns the pack face up, deals through, throwing out the A's as he comes to them calling the names. Spectator with the slate writes them down, so AH is second name on both slates, as performer's slate and it is dropped into the paper bag which has a piece cut out leaving initials visible. Bag is placed in full view. The A's are mixed and apparently placed in performer's breast pocket, really into waistcoat pocket. Spectator has a free choice of the duplicate A's and gets an AH. Performer removes three A's from waistcoat pocket leaving the AH behind, making pack complete. The slate is removed from the bag and the striking result shown. Flap is left in the bag which is laid aside.
The Trend Of The Times
GuestEFFECT. In the course of a little story the four K's are reversed in the pack. At the end of the trick the K's are face down and the Q's face up. Method. Take out the four Q's and bend them lengthwise so that the faces are concave. Place them face up and under the top card of the pack. All the other cards are face down, the K's at intervals near the bottom.
Begin by saying, 'We will suppose that the pack represents our earth. From the earliest days man has made himself the dominating creature. To represent man We will use the four Kings.' Fan the cards face up and have a spectator remove the K's. Turn the pack and shuffle overhand running off the five top cards as the first movement, the bend in the Q's facilitating the action. At the end of the shuffle the Q's are reversed on the bottom. As you go to the spectator to take the K's drop the left hand with the pack, turn the hand and bring it up backs uppermost. The pack is thus turned over with the Q's face down on the top, and all the other cards are face up. Take the K's and insert them in different places in the' pack face up, saying, 'So now we have four rulers each going to his particular domain. To represent the passing of several centuries I'll shuffle the pack.' Turn the pack over as before bringing the reversed Q's to the bottom, the K's being face down with the rest of the cards. Shuffle distributing the Q's throughout the pack. Continue, 'At present we find that the trend of the times has exerted a peculiar influence over the earth. You see that the Kings, no longer the rulers, are back with the common herd and the Queens are the dominant creatures.'
Spread the pack backs up and show the Q's are face up.
The Great Pearl MysteryA GOOD trick of the story variety. An ordinary pack and five glasses are required. A little preparation is necessary. Take from the pack the four Q's, four K's, four A's, and the X. Put the JC face up on the table, on it put the K's in this order; C, H, D, S, and on top of these place the four A's, in the same order. Lift the A's and K's and give them a rather sharp bend lengthwise making the faces convex and the backs concave. Replace the packet on the X. On these put the four Q's also in the same order; C, H, D, S, with the QS as the face card of the pack. Put the four glasses in a row and the fifth behind them.
The story runs to the effect that four Q's each owned a precious pearl. Show the Q's and drop one in each of the row of four glasses. Take off the A's (representing the pearls) and K's in one packet which is easily done because of the bend. Now put the AC on its side, face out, against the glass which holds the QC. Do the same with the other three A's putting them against the glasses with the Q's of the corresponding suits, keeping the four K's perfectly squared behind the AS. Show the JC as representing a notorious robber and drop it, face out like all the others, into the fifth glass. The K's, having to go away on business, leave a guard to protect the Q's pearls. Put out the Joker or another J face down near the glasses.
The robber, JC, sneaked down in the night, stole the pearls-pick the A's up one by one at the back of the JC holding it face to the spectators and taking the AS (backed by the four K's) last. Seeing the guard, he quickly replaced the jewels-turn the packet with its back to the spectators, take off the four cards (K's) and replace them back out against the glasses-and stole back to his hideout. Put the JC (with the four A's behind it as one card) in the fifth glass. The guard woke tip-lift the Joker-but seeing everything was all right, turned over and went to sleep again. In the morning the Q's found their pearls gone. The K's arrived by radio-turn the four K's-but the pearls were gone. The clever thief had stolen them after all. Take out the JC and spread the four A's.
Parade Of The QueensUSE four clear glass tumblers, with straight sides, in which the cards to be used will fit nicely. From any pack take the four Q's by running over the faces of the cards towards yourself, and on coming to the last Q carry away three indifferent cards well squared behind it. Hold that packet of seven cards facing the audience and take off the first three Q's, one by one, and put them in the glasses faces out; do the same with the last Q and the three cards secretly held behind it. Do not drop the first three in carelessly and then handle the last one differently. Patter about a style parade of Q's in cellophane dresses. Lift the first Q and draw it slowly in front of the others to the fourth glass and drop it in front of the Q there which has the three indifferent cards behind it. Do the same with the second and third Q's. Now turn the glasses around bringing the backs of the cards to the front. Repeat the parade bringing out not the three Q's as the audience think but the three indifferent cards and place them, still with the backs to the front in the other three glasses.
Force the glass containing the four Q's, or simply place it to one side. Take one of the supposed Q's from a glass, drop it face down on the table and put the empty glass mouth to mouth over the Q glass. Count off three cards from pack (really take two only), and drop them on to the first supposed Q on the table and add the other two supposed Q's to the pile. Now pick up this pile, shuffle it well and drop it back outwards into one of the empty glasses. Put the last glass on top mouth to mouth.
Patter about the disgust of the Q's at being placed in contact with the common herd and show they have vanished from the packet and joined the first Q. Smoothly done the trick is as effective as many more elaborate sleight-of-hand tricks.
Buried AliveFROM any pack take out the four J's and throw them on the table face down. Ask a spectator to mix the four cards in any way he likes as your back is turned. Turn away with the rest of the pack face down in your left hand, then with your right hand give the whole pack a sharp bend downwards over the left forefinger. Next lift half the cards an inch or two with the right hand and turn the lower half face up with the left thumb. Square the pack and you will find that you have a marked division, a bridge, between the two halves of the pack which face one another. The movements take a few seconds only and should be done with the elbows pressed to the sides so that the spectators cannot detect any movement at all.
Turn and face the spectators holding the pack well down in the left hand, the outer end sloping downwards so that the reversed cards will not be exposed. Take the J's. inserting the first one face down in the top half of the pack; the second J face up in the lower half; the third face down in the top half and the last J face up in the lower half. Throw a handkerchief over the pack, as it lies on the left hand, cut at the bridge with the right hand and with the left hand turn the bottom half over, thus bringing all the cards face down. In wrapping the handkerchief tightly around the pack give the pack a bend upwards to straighten the cards and hand them to the spectator to hold. Order the J's. to turn all the one way and when the pack is unwrapped this is found to have taken place.
It is more effective to insert the J's in reverse order to that given above, place the two face up in the upper half and two face down in the lower half, then at the finish all four will be found to be face up. In this case, as with all reversed card tricks, cards with white margins should be used. Spread the cards in a line with a quick sweep, the J's show up with fine effect
Reading The CardsTWO methods have been handed down through the ages of magic. In the first, the bottom card is noted in taking the shuffled pack from a spectator. The pack is put behind the back, reversed and the bottom card placed face outwards on the top. Thus when the pack is brought forward, the original bottom card still faces the spectators but all the rest face the magician. The bottom card is named and the card facing the performer is noted. Putting the pack behind his back, this noted card is put in front of the original bottom card face out and is named, another card now faces the performer, this is noted and so the trick continues.
The method is so well known that one can hardly find an audience in which someone is not acquainted with the secret. This is precisely what you want, to get someone to show that he can do the trick. Secretly make the half-pass, facing the pack, before you hand him the cards. Your victim puts the cards behind his back, proceeds in the orthodox method, brings the pack forward and finds that instead of a faced card he has the back of a card facing him. He will probably try again but with no greater success. This is a good thing for use on occasion when suffering from the interruptions of the know-it-all.
The second and less well-known method consists in first noting the bottom card and bringing it forward in the right hand, keeping the pack behind the back in the left hand, but you have palmed the top card in your right hand and note it as you read the card brought forward. Your right hand goes back for another card, straighten the card just palmed and palm another, which is noted in due course and so on. It is well to bring the right hand forward empty occasionally, putting it to your forehead as you affect great mental effort and incidentally let everyone see the hand is empty.
The later methods follow.
Hindu Miracle
H. HardinHAND the pack to be shuffled after you have palmed off eight or nine cards. Turn away while the shuffling is being done, spread the cards in your hand so that you can read the indices and memorize the cards. Take a hat in your right hand and have the pack dropped in. Pretend to stir the cards about with your right hand and leave the palmed cards on the pack. You can now shake the hat quite violently but the cards remain in the same order since there is not sufficient room for them to slide above one another. Name the first card you memorized, dip your hand in and bring it out. Proceed in the same way with the rest. Nine cards, or even less are ample for the effect.
The Belt TrickSECRETE nine or ten cards in a known order under your belt at the back. This may be done in the course of some trick in which you leave the room with the pack in hand. After the pack has been shuffled, sight the bottom card, put the pack behind your back and proceed for a couple of cards just as if you were using the old faced-card method. Really you have slipped the arranged packet from under your belt on to the top of the pack. After the second or third card, keep the pack in front of you so that all can see you are actually reading the top cards one by one.
Modern Card Reading
S. H. SharpeSIGHT the bottom card and place the pack behind back. Slip the bottom card to top, reverse two bottom cards. Name the sighted card, bring pack forward, turn the top card, pull the reversed bottom card out towards body and note the index. Put pack behind back, slip reversed card to top, turning it over. Name this card, bring pack forward, turning it over and noting index of bottom card, and so on. Finally bring pack forward with a known card on top. Have number called. Deal cards to it face down and quietly replace them on top. Hand pack to a spectator and name the card now at the required number.
Any Time, Any Day, Card Reading
Ivanhoe TrudellANY pack of cards having been thoroughly shuffled take it back and sight the bottom card. Place the pack behind your back and take the bottom card and put it on the top of the pack. Next bend all the cards towards the bottom with your right hand. Divide the pack in half and turn the under portion face to face with the one above, thus making a bridge. Do this while explaining that you are about to attempt a very difficult test.
Holding the pack in the left hand, thumb at one side and fingers at the other, cards resting flat on the palm, draw the bottom card with the right thumb half an inch from the others. Now name the first card on the pack, the one you sighted on the bottom at the start, bring the pack to the front, turn the top card and show you are right.
While turning this one you can see the index of the bottom one as it projects. Remember it, place the pack behind your back again, reverse pack, draw out the new bottom card half an inch and name the top card. Bring the pack forward and turn the card. Continue naming the cards but do not continue to the extent of dragging the feat overlong.
When you decide to stop, knowing the top cards, cut at the bridge behind your back, turn the lower portion over and square the cards, giving them a slight upward bend to take the crimp out of them. Name the top card, bring the pack forward and turn it over. Lay the pack down, or hand it to be shuffled prior to another experiment.
Mystery Card Reading
AnnemannAT ANY time or place, and with any pack of cards, the performer is able to look through them and read them one by one, faces down.
When you first place the shuffled pack behind your back it is necessary that you know the top card. I do it this way. Crimp one corner of the bottom card as you hand the pack to be shuffled, and at the same time sight it. Take the pack back and cut the crimped card to the top and there you are.
With the pack behind your back you slowly name this card and secretly push the two top cards into your right hand, turn the next four or five cards face up on the pack and replace the two cards on top. The right forefinger pulls up the left-hand corners of the two top cards so that when the pack is brought to the front the index of the first reversed card is plainly visible.
The pack is put on the left palm, the break closed and the top card dealt face up. When the pack is again placed behind the back it is only necessary to take out the second card, the one just sighted, place it on the top, turning it over, of course, and again securing the break.
This process is repeated until the cards reversed are exhausted.
Read Them OffTEAR apiece off the top left corner of one card, just large enough to allow you to read the index of another card which is turned face up under it.
With the mutilated card in the pack you may safely offer the cards to be shuffled. Take the pack receiving it with your thumb underneath so that by tilting it very slightly you can sight the outer index of the bottom card. Put the pack behind your back, riffle to the cut corner and slip the card out to the top. Turn the card below it face up. Bring the pack forward, face out and holding it between your right thumb at the bottom and the fingers on the top. Cover the cut corner with the tip of your forefinger and you can show the back of the pack freely. Name the bottom card and hold the pack upright to show that you are right. Rest the tip of the right forefinger on the top of the pack and read the index of the reversed card under it.
Put the pack behind your back, slip the reversed card to the bottom, turning it face out and reverse the next card under the top torn corner card. Bring the pack forward, name the bottom card and note the index of the reversed card. Continue the process ad lib. At any time you can show the back of the pack by covering the cut corner with your forefinger and more convincing still, you can slowly riffle the cards showing the whole pack faces outwards by merely being careful not to riffle the last three cards.
X-Ray
WilliamsSET UP a pack of one-way cards thus: first separate the four suits, arrange each one in the 'Eight Kings, etc.' order and put the two red suits together, also the two black suits. Put the two packets together so that the only one-way designs point in opposite directions. Introduce the pack so arranged, cut as near the middle as possible and riffle the two packets together very openly and thoroughly, calling attention to the way the cards are mixed. Each suit will now be distributed thoroughly, calling attention to the way the cards are mixed. Each suit will now be distributed throughout the pack but the individual cards remain in the same order. Note by the design if the card on the top is a black or red card, then to show what you are going to do deal it face up on the table, suppose it is a black card. From it you know the name of each black card as you come to it and you call its name before turning it face up. When a card appears with the design in the reverse direction you know the color and the suit but simply guess the value, when you turn it over it gives the key to the following red cards. It is only necessary to remember the last card of the same color and name the next in order according to the formula.
Reading Cards. Mirror MethodYOU have a small convex mirror, about the size of a shilling, flesh colored on the back. After the pack has been shuffled hold the mirror at the lower joints of the third and fourth fingers in which position you can see the reflection of the lower index by pulling the top card slightly back. Name the cards hesitatingly and act the part. A blindfold will greatly strengthen the trick and will not interfere with the execution of it since one can see all that is necessary down the sides of the nose.
Another MethodTHIS is a radically different idea. The mirror is a tiny one which can be affixed to the back of the right-hand thumbnail. Smear the back of the mirror with good adhesive wax, and lay the mirror back up behind the pack on the table so that you can get it on the thumb-nail in picking up the pack. The procedure is then to have the pack held by a spectator before him, upright, the cards facing him.
The cards are supposed to be read by feeling the indices. Reach your hand over the top of the pack and in feeling the index contrive to get the mirror so that you can read the index of the first card, then rub the tips of the first and second fingers on the index. Read the card with apparent difficulty and hesitation.
Separate this card from the next by inserting the tip of the thumb behind it and thus getting the reflection of the next card's index. Continue for as many cards as seems advisable. The tiny reflector can be disposed of without any trouble.
A Subtle Set UpFROM any pack remove the four A's, or any cards you prefer and lay them out in front of a spectator. Hold the pack face downwards in your left hand as for dealing, then put the tip of left thumb on the top outer left corner of the pack and bend the forefinger underneath. Ask the spectator to hand you an A; whichever one he gives you make some remark about everybody always choosing that particular A and while talking quietly thumb count four cards. Pick up the A and put it in the break below the four cards, but push it only half-way into the pack, saying that the first A goes in near the top. Hold the pack with the outer end pointing downwards so that no one can see just where the card enters the pack. Ask for another A and thumb count four more cards, put the second A in the new break remarking that it goes in a little above the middle of the pack, let it protrude like the first.
In exactly the same way insert the next two A's asserting that one goes in just below the middle and the last near the bottom. If the pack is held pointing downwards the deception cannot be detected. Push the cards flush with the rest.
Proceed with false shuffles and cuts. Finally deal the four A's to yourself as in a five-handed game; or to any chosen player by slipping one, two or more cards, as required to the bottom.
With the proper misdirection the trick is very effective and easy to do.
A Memory Feat
Billy O'ConnorPERFORMER borrows a pack of cards that has been well shuffled and announces that he will memorize the entire pack so that he can immediately name any card at any number in the pack. Performer slowly goes through the pack and then requests that someone name a number between one and fifty-two. Whatever number is given performer names the card at that number in the pack, and to prove he is correct the number is counted down to and there is the same card that performer predicted. Again a number is given and again performer names the card there and may again repeat.
Performer really memorizes every fifth card, making ten in all. To memorize the cards it is advisable to learn the mnemonic system which is explained in the 'Nikola Card System', Chapter 20. Here is a brief summary for this effect:
The Figure 1 made with one stroke l Ale 2 is made with two strokes n Hen 3 is made with three strokes m Emblem 4 represented by the word FOUR r Arrow 5 represented by the word FIVE v Ivy 6 Shape similar to p or b Bee 7 Shape similar to t or d Tea 8 Represented by sound (eight-aitch) sh or ch Shoe 9 Shape similar to g or k Key 0 Represented by sound (as in zero) s or z Lass By supplying vowels at discretion, numbers can be translated into the names.
15, means L and V, is Loaf.
20, is N and S-Nose.
25, N and V-Knife.
30, M and S-Moss.
35. M and V--Muff.
40, R and S-Rose.
45, M and V-Roof.
50, F and S-Face.The cards are represented in the same manner:
Clubs Hearts Spades Diamonds 2 Can (C & N) Hun Sun Din 3 Comb (C & M) Ham Sum Dome 4 Car Hair (H & R) Sire Dear 5 Cough Half Safe Dove 6 Cap Hop Soup Dope (D and P) 7 Cat Hat Suit Dot 8 Cash Hash Sash Dish 9 Cog Hog Sack Dagger 10 Kiss Hiss Sauce Dose Ace Club Heart Spade Diamond King Clubman Bridegroom Gardener Jeweller Queen Waitress Bride Garden Girl Jeweller's Asst. Jack Porter Cupid Garden Boy Burglar After the table has been thoroughly familiarized as a groundwork it is easy to associate them both together.
You have your ten key figures from five to fifty.
Go through the pack slowly and note the card at the fifth position from the top. Say, for instance, the card is the 2C. The 2C is a Can, and Five is Ivy. Bring the two together and picture 'Ivy growing round a Can.'
Again, say the tenth card is a SS. Ten is Lass, and SS is a Safe. You get 'A Girl carrying a Safe'.
Although the above seems complicated it is really quite simple after just a little study.
Now with your ten cards memorized. A number is requested. If it be one of your numbers everything is easy. But if the number is for instance twelve-just pass two cards from the bottom of the pack and name your tenth card. Likewise if seventeen is given pass two cards and name your fifteenth card. If nineteen is given pass one card from top and name the twentieth card and so on. The strong feature of this trick is that it is never necessary to pass more than four cards at any time.
The Poker Shark
JordanBEFOREHAND set up the top seventeen cards thus:
JC, KC, 9C, JH, KH, JS, KS, AS AS 7C, KD, AH, 7H, 2C, AS, AD, AC.Dealing three poker hands will give the first man J's full, the second man four K's and you a nine full on A's. When dealing you hold a break under the seventeenth card and on the last round deal yourself three cards as one. Pick up your hand, keep the extra two A's squared behind the fifth card and show three 9's, taking them off with the right hand; in replacing them slide the rear 9 behind all the other cards. The second man shows J's. full, beating your hand. Fan your hand exactly as before but it now shows A's full on 9's. Take the 9's in the right hand as before and again slide on to the back. Square the cards in your left hand and drop the hand quietly to your side as the next man shows his four K's, and thumb off the two rear 9's into your coat pocket. Throw your hand on the table and maintain that it beats the K hand. Finally turn it up and show four A's and an odd card.
Double Poker DealARRANGE twenty cards on the top of the pack as follows:
3D, 9H, 9C, AS, AD, 10D, 6C, 10C, KC, 8D, 4C, 10S, KD, JC, AC, 10H, KH, 7H, QC, AH.False shuffle and false cut, and deal out four poker hands. Turn the hands face up and show. No. 1 has three K's; No. 2 a straight; No. 3 a flush and No. 4 a full house.
Pick up the hands by dropping No. 4 face up on No. 3, these two on No. 2 and all on No. 1. Put the packet on top of the pack and again false shuffle and cut. Deal four hands again. This time No. 4 hand gets four A's but No. 3 hand beats it with a K high straight flush.
Poker Player's Deal
JordanTO ARRANGE the pack first sort out all the high cards, 10's to A's. Paying no attention to values, take the S's and the H's and arrange them alternately, then start with a C and alternate with D's. The twenty cards then run from the top down S, H, S, H, etc., then C, D, C, D, etc. Put the packet on the top of the pack.
To begin, give the pack a genuine riffle shuffle. Say that you will use the high cards only and spread the pack out on the table from the left to right. Start at the right-hand end, push the cards to the right carelessly, taking up each high card and putting it face down on your left hand as you come to it, one card only at a time. The cards are now just as they were originally stacked.
Show the cards fanned face up casually. close the fan and turn the packet face down. Say you will mix them still more. Deal two face-down heaps, a card at a time to each heap, and then put the right-hand pile on the left. Ask for a handkerchief and in the meantime count off five cards at the bottom, inserting the little finger, five more inserting the third finger and five more separating them with the second finger. The top five cards are the D's, followed by H's, C's and S's. Any suit being called you bring out the five cards instantly.
Poker Demonstration
VernonREMOVE the four A's and arrange the following cards on the top of the pack reading downwards:
Two K's and two Q's in any order.On the bottom place a pair of J's. and have no other pair amongst the first five bottom cards. Fourth from bottom have a crimped, broken corner, or short card. (See 'Short Cards'.) Distribute the A's throughout the pack.
Four 2's.
Five cards of any suit, say H's.
10, J, Q, K, of S's.
Any five cards
Any single H (supposing H's used for flush).
QH.Thus prepared begin by openly removing the A's and state you will show how gamblers run up hands. Place AS on the bottom, the other three A's on the top. Then overhand shuffle thus-Run eleven cards singly into the left hand and replace them thus reversed on top. Run four into left hand and throw pack on top. Run five and throw pack on top. Run one card and throw on top. Lastly run five and throw pack on them.
Now locate the key card and hold a break. Holding the pack by the sides offer it to spectator to be cut. He must cut by the ends and at the break. Or you may cut the pack yourself. Deal five poker hands, keep the cards in their order. Show you hold four A's. Point out that it is useless without competition. Turn the first hand face up and show it, and then the others in succession dropping each on the first hand and not disturbing the arrangement.
Take your own hand, take out the odd card, a high S and drop it on top of the other face-up cards. Pick these up and put them on the top of the pack. Pick up the four A's, keeping their order, and turning pack face up, find the ASH. and put the A's immediately underneath with AS the lowest. Bury the top card near the bottom of the pack.
Again deal five poker hands. No. 1 has four-card flush to draw to. Show the hand and leave it face up.
No. 2 has two K's and two Q's.Look at top card of your hand but replace it without showing it or the other cards. Make the draws: No. 1 discards one, draws one, and fills a flush; No. 2 discards one, draws one to a full house; No. 3 stands pat; No. 4 discards three, draws three A's to a full house. You discard one, draw one, showing Royal Flush in S's.
No. 3. Four 2's.
No. 4. has two J's
Quadruple Poker Trick
M. P. ZensTHREE sets of cards in the order given are needed:
- 10H, JH, KS, ASH. AS, AH, KH, AD, AC, KC.
- 10H, JH KH, ASH. AH, AS, KS, AD, AC, KC.
- 10S, ASH. 10C, AD, JH, JC, 10D, JS, QC, KD, KS, AH, QD, AS, KH, AC, QS, 10H, KC, JD.
Lay the cards of No. 1 set face up before you. Notice that the first five make a straight and the last five a full house. From these cards you can produce any hand called for except a flush which is provided for later. Suppose a pair is called for ignore the first card and you have a pair of A's with K, Q, J, the highest hand possible with a single pair. Suppose two pairs called for. Ignore the first two cards and the next five are a pair of A's, a pair of K's and a Q. For three of a kind pass over the first three cards and you have three A's, a K and a Q. For four of a kind ignore the first four cards and the next five are four A's and a K. The hand called for denotes the number of cards to be passed over.
To repeat the effect a duplicate set is required with a different arrangement t, No. 2 above. The first five cards make a Royal Flush and the last five a full house. In the same way as before you can produce any hand called for except a straight and this is arranged for in set No. 1.
Place set No. 1 in the lower right waistcoat pocket facing inwards, set No. 2 in your inside coat pocket also facing inwards. Thus prepared come forward shuffling a pack, let a spectator shuffle and cut, then you drop the cards into your inside coat pocket, at once bringing them out again with the ten set-up cards on the top. Have the pocket examined, replace the cards and invite anyone to call for any poker hand. If a Royal Flush is called for at once ask for lower hands at the start to make it easier for you.
Suppose two pairs are called for. The cards are upright in your inside coat pocket so turn the first two down sideways and pull out the next five one by one, faces to you, then spread the five and show them. Close the fan and replace them in their former position, and then turn the first two cards straight up again. In exactly the same way produce any hand called for and try to get as many as possible before going to the Royal Flush. Before producing this, hand the pack out to be shuffled and you can allow the spectator himself to replace the pack in your pocket himself. Carry on now with the cards in the waistcoat pocket and stand with the right side turned a little towards the spectators to shield the action of your left hand.
Set No. 3 should lie face up behind a small stand or easel which you use to display the poker hands. After producing as many hands from the pocket as you think fit, take the pack out and again have it shuffled. Return to the platform, drop pack on the face-up packet as you pick up the easel to show it. Place the easel in position, pick up the cards and begin a stud poker deal, faces up on to the stand. Let the cards of each of the four hands overlap slightly so that each card is quite visible but cannot get out of order. Dealer gets the winning hand.
The deal finished drop the rest of the cards into your left outside coat pocket. In this pocket, on one side of a handkerchief, you have beforehand placed the thirty-two cards of the pack from which the twenty of set No. 3 was made up. Drop the cards now on the other side of the handkerchief. Sweep the cards off the stand in an apparently haphazard way but actually begin with hand No. 1 and push against the last card so that the cards slide one on the other and put the packet face up on your left hand. Pick up No. 2, 3, and 4 in the same way. With them in hand bring out the thirty-two cards from your left coat pocket which made up the complete pack, leaving the other lot on the other side of the handkerchief. You have thus a complete pack with an arranged stack on the top.
If proficient you may false shuffle and have the pack cut, bringing the cards back to the original set-up. Now deal four poker hands in the regular way. Drop the rest of the cards on the table and announce that you have dealt the four highest possible hands in poker. Ask the spectators what these hands are and they will reply, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind and a Full House. You maintain that they are mistaken and in the end you prove that the four highest hands in poker are four Royal Flushes. Turn the hands face up and show those hands.
Poker Set-Up
LaneTHIS is a quick set-up for a four-handed game. The four cards you wish to deal to yourself must be at the bottom of the pack and the arranging is done under cover of an overhand shuffle. Begin by drawing off the top and bottom cards with the left thumb and fingers, then run, that is draw off cards one by one with the left thumb, counting eleven and throw the remainder of the cards below those now in the left hand.
Repeat the movements, drawing off the top and bottom cards, run eight, and throw the rest below.
Again draw off the top and bottom cards, run five and throw the remainder below.
Finally, draw off the top and bottom cards and run two, throwing the balance below the cards in the left hand as before.
The four cards are now set to fall to the dealer. If they are to fall to any one of the other players you have only to slip one, two or three cards to the bottom to have them fall to the third, second or first player. The setting-up moves should be followed by a false shuffle of the whole pack and several false cuts.
Another Poker Set-Up
LaneTHE following is probably the easiest and quickest set-up for a four-handed game that is possible by the use of the riffle shuffle.
Have the four required cards on the top. On the first riffle hold back the last three cards of each heap, then let the left hand three drop first and follow with those in the right hand.
For the second riffle hold back three in the left, two in the right, hand, third riffle three in left, one in right hand, and for the last riffle hold back three in the left hand and let them fall on the top last of all. The four cards are set for a four-handed game to fall to the dealer. The count for the cards to be held back requires practically no practice but the riffle should be made with the fingers covering the packets and a series of false cuts follow the riffles.
The Gambler In Person
AnnemannFROM a borrowed and shuffled pack you first deal five poker hands fairly, turning them up and showing the cards. You gather the hands, shuffle the cards and deal the highest hand to any player chosen.
The first deal is merely a feint to give you an opportunity of selecting the cards for the hand which is to follow. You must locate one card in each hand to make up a good hand and with but little practice you can do this while dealing them face up.
The real secret is in the picking up. The hands are scooped up one at a time and dropped face down on top of the pack, it is only necessary that the desired card from each hand be on top, that is at the back of the hand. Thus in picking up each hand, you take one, two, three or four cards, as the case may be and scoop up the remaining card or cards with these in hand, drop the hand on top of the pack with the wanted card on top.
To allow the choice of the winning hand it is only necessary to add one, two or three cards from the bottom. This can be done in the course of a series of false shuffles and cuts which should be done thoroughly since the trick is supposed to be an exhibition of how gamblers set up hands.
The Gambler Is Back Again
AnnemannREMOVE the high cards, 10's, J's. Q's, K's and A's, and say you will have the spectators arrange the cards in any order to prove the dealing of a winning hand can be done by skillful shuffling alone. Have various hands called and lay them out face up on the table putting the last five before yourself. In arranging the hands with the values called for fix the H suit to come out right. Place a H second in one hand, third in another, fourth in another and in the last hand put a H first and last. With the hands face up pick the one with the two H's, drop it on that which has the H in the second place, these two on the one with the H in the third place and these three on the remaining heap. Turn the packet face down and have it cut by spectators, completing each cut until a H again appears at the bottom.
Deal the four hands and you get a Royal Flush in H's.
Klondyke Poker
Tom BowyerA NEW pack of cards is opened and seven poker hands are dealt with the dealer drawing four cards to his own hand. Six hands show a full house each, while the dealer lays down a Straight Flush.
Most makes of cards are packed with each suit separate and some makes are in suit order, reading from A to K consecutively from the face of the pack. When such pack is removed from its case it should be false shuffled and then may be genuinely cut by spectators any number of times. Seven poker hands are dealt but every fourteenth card is dealt from the bottom. Each person except the dealer will have a Full House and naturally will not draw any cards. The dealer is thus able to draw from the balance of the pack the top four cards, and this he does retaining only the last card he dealt to himself. He will thus get a Straight Flush.
The deal will not give a higher Straight Flush than a K high.
Impromptu Poker DealSECRETLY get the four A's to the top of the pack with three indifferent cards above them. False shuffle the pack and have a spectator cut it. Pick up the bottom portion and casually push the top cut a little to your left. Deal two poker hands, one to the spectator, one to yourself. Lay the remainder of the cards near the cut packet and as you both pick up your hands and look at them, quietly pick up the cut packet and put it on top of the other one.
Ask spectator how many he wants to draw, if he says 'Three' deal him the three top cards, but if less or he is undecided, look at his hand and see that he takes three. You discard four and draw the four cold A's.
Effective Poker Deal
StadelmanSECRETLY get the cards of a Royal Flush, A, K, Q, J, 10 of any suit but S's to the top of the pack in any order. Riffle shuffle several times, leaving the five cards in position. Make a false cut and hand the pack to a spectator asking him to deal five poker hands face down. This with the object, you say, of showing that when the cards are shuffled and dealt fairly the hands will most likely be of low value. Pick up the hands one by one and show the poker value but covering up the first card in each as much as possible. Drop each hand face down on the remainder of the pack.
The pack is now arranged to give the dealer a Royal Flush. Say that no luck can stand up against skill and give as convincing a display of false shuffling and false cutting as you can. Now deal five hands giving yourself the Royal Flush. It is effective to turn each card of your hand face up so that the spectators see it building up. Do not use the S suit as the AS is too conspicuous a card and its reappearance would cause suspicion.
The Perpetual Almanac or Gentleman Soldier's Prayer BookTHE Perpetual Almanac or Gentleman Soldier's Prayer Book, printed in the 'Seven Dials' of London two or three centuries ago. This book relates how 'one Richard Middleton was taken before the Mayor of the city he was in for using cards in church during Divine Service; being a droll, merry and humorous account of an odd affair that happened to a private soldier in the 60th Regiment of Foot,' which, by the way, is known today as the King's Royal Rifles. The story reads thus:
'The sergeant commanded his party to the church, and when the parson had ended his prayer he took his text, and all of them that had a Bible pulled it out to find the text; but this soldier had neither Bible, Almanac or Common Prayer Book but he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a pack of cards and spread them before him as he sat; and while the parson was preaching he first kept looking at one card and then at another.
'The sergeant of the company saw him, and said, "Richard, put up your cards for this is no place for them." "Never mind that," said the soldier, "you have no business with me here.---Now the parson had ended his sermon and all was over; the soldiers repaired to the churchyard, and the commanding officer gave the word to fall in which they did. The sergeant of the city came and took the man prisoner.
'"Man, you are my prisoner," said he. "Sir," said the soldier, what have I done that I am your prisoner?" "You have played a game of cards in the church." "No," said the soldier, "I have not played a game, for I only looked at a pack." "No matter for that, you are my prisoner." "Where must I go?" said the soldier. "You must go before the Mayor," said the sergeant.
'So he took him before the Mayor and when they came to the Mayor's house he was at dinner. When he had dined he came down to them and said, "Well, sergeant, what do you want with me?" "I have brought a soldier before you for playing at cards in church." "What, that soldier?" "Yes." "Well, soldier what have you to say for yourself ?" "Much, sir, I hope." "Well and good, but if you have not you shall be punished the worst that ever man was."
'"Sir," said the soldier, "I have been five weeks upon the march and have had but little to subsist on, and am without either Bible, Almanac or Common Prayer Book, or anything but a pack of cards. I hope to satisfy your Honor of the purity of my intentions." Then the soldier pulled out of his pocket the pack of cards, which he spread before the Mayor; he then began with the Ace.
'"When I see the Ace," he said, "it puts me in mind that there is one God only; when I see the Deuce, it puts me in mind of the Father and Son; when I see the Trey, it puts me in mind of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; when I see the Four it puts me in mind of the four evangelists that penned the Gospels, viz.--Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; when I see the Five it puts me in mind of the five wise virgins who trimmed their lamps-there were ten, but five were foolish and were shut out; when I see the Six it puts me in mind that in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth; when I see the Seven, it puts me in mind that on the seventh day God rested from all the works which he had created and made, wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it. When I see the Eight it puts me in mind of the eight righteous persons that were saved when God drowned the world, viz., Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives; when I see the Nine it puts me in mind of the nine lepers that were cleansed by our Savior, there were ten but nine never returned God thanks; when I see the Ten it puts me in mind of the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the tables of stone."
'He took the Knave and laid it aside. "When I see the Queen it puts me in mind of the Queen of Sheba who came from the furthermost parts of the world to hear the wisdom of King Solomon, for she was as wise a woman as he was a man, for she brought 50 boys and 50 girls all clothed in boys' apparel to show before King Solomon for him to tell which were boys and which were girls; he could not until he called for water for them to wash themselves; the girls washed up to their elbows and the boys only up to their wrists, so King Solomon told by that; when I see the King it puts me in mind of the great King of Heaven and Earth, which is God Almighty, and likewise his Majesty King George to pray for him."
'"Well," said the Mayor, "you have a very good description of all the cards except one which is lacking." "Which is that?" said the soldier. "The Knave," said the Mayor. "Oh, I can give your Honor a very good description of that if your Honor won't be angry." "No, I will not," said the Mayor. "If you will not term me to be the Knave." "Well," said the soldier, "the greatest Knave I know is the Sergeant of the city that brought me here." "I don't know", said the Mayor, "that he is the greatest Knave but I am sure he is the greatest fool."
'"When I count", added the soldier, "how many spots there are in a pack of cards I find there are 365, there are just so many days in the year. When I count how many cards there are in a pack I find there are 52, there are so many weeks in a year. When I count how many tricks in a pack I find there are 13, there are so many lunar months in a year. You see, sir, that this pack of cards is a Bible, Almanac, Common Prayer Book and pack of cards to me."
'Then the Mayor called for a loaf of bread, a piece of good cheese and a pot of good beer, and gave the soldier a piece of money, bidding him go about his business saying he was the cleverest man he had ever seen.'
Now you and I, gentle readers, know exactly the useful and comprehensive purpose that our soldiers at the front require packs of cards for. Aye, but it is good to be brought before the Mayor, after he has dined