VOLUME

3 1979

".'"
i

,.i

MARLO 'S MAGAZINE

VOLUME THREE
by

EDWARD MARLO
Copyr i ght 1979 by Edwar d Ma rl o
Al l r i gh t s

r~ se r v e d

No p art of t h i s publi cati on may be repr od u c ed ,

s t or ed i n a r e t r i ev a l system , or tr an smi t t e d,
in any f orm or by any mean s , ele ct r on ic , mechani cal , pho t ocopy i ng, rec ording , or otherwise
without the prior wr itten permis sion of the
co pyr igh t owner.
First Edition September , 1979

First Edition Sep tember , 1979

TAB LE OF CONTENTS
Cover Drawing - "Illu sionist Confr o n t s the I ll u sion"
c re a ted by John Kurtz , a note d Ch icago

~ t i st

Co ver Production - George Va l k o

1<

Forewo rd
Solomon's Mind
ACE ASSEMB LI ES WI TH ANEW
- F INE SSE
The Knoxv i lle Kn o ckou t
Th e Ma rlo Layout
Almost Bl uf f Acembly

1- 9
3
9- 15

The One a t a Time Re vers e

As semb ly
1 6 - 23
The Ol r a m Ac e s - Ra ch e r b a ume r 24-3 8
.... to

,.

SECRET MOVES

In F i ng e r t i p Control
39- 4 4
Less Out Convinc ing
45-46
Control
Convincing Control Revers e
46 - 4 9
Sol omon' s Appro a ch
49
Ma r lo 's Su g gestio n
49 - 50
'Ou t o f Control Control
5 0 -51
A Flex i b le Crimping
52-55
Technique

r.:t .:~

I
--

The Razor' s Edge

56 -59
Inner Corner Take
60 -6 1
Center Side Take
61
Bott om De a l Co unt Take
61 -63
Marlo 's Natural Second Deal 64-68
The Two Card Deal
69-72
Ma r l o' s Pi nch Spread
73 -74
New Grip f or V. C.
75 -76
The Flexible Count
77 -83

NEW REVOLUTIONARY CHAPTERS

F lex ib le Visua l Ch ang e 84- 90
Mul t i p le Vis u al Chang e 90-100
De vilish Mir a cle
Swi tch outs
101-111
The Fak e Putdown
111- 11 2
Ma r l o ' s Co v ered De ck
Switch .
113 -115

The Covere d Thought

An o th e r Mar l o Deck Swit ch
Marlo ' s Vi sual Re te n t i on
De ck Swi t ch
Marl o ' s Doub l e Underc ut
De ck Swit ch

8 Card Oil a nd Water

125-126
Pure Oi l and Wa t e r
1 27-13 2
Te ch n i c o l o r oil and
Wate r
132 -143
1 0 Card Oi l Wa t e r
Tele c o l or
143 -146
Second Technicolor Oi l
and Water
14 6 - 1 5 2
The Re -Opened P r ediction
15 3 -160
The Spectator 's Open
Predict ion
160-170
Va n i s h and Poker
Combination
170-172
New Approach to a Re vis it
172 -175
17 5-17 8
Un -Gaffed Appr o a ch

Th e St ap led Card s
17 9- 181
Marl o on t h e Stapl e d
1 8 1-19 0
Ca r d s
The Pinned Cards - So l omon 1 9 0 -191
Mar l o Pure Method
191- 193
2nd Me t h od -S o l omo n
1 93-194
Gaf fed pip Cover
194 - 1 9 6
Double Bu bble Met h o d
197-198
198-2 00
Clipper Method
2nd Cl i p p er Method Marlo
2 00- 2 01
The Double Double
Bubble
201-203
Ma r l o ' s D . D. Bubble Me t h o d
20 3 - 2 0 6
Direc t Pinne d Card s
2 0 6- 211
Th e Interlace d Vanish
21 2-224

115-118
118-1 2 0
12 0 -122
122 -124

OLD BUSINESS UPDATED

Block Pushoff
225-228
Technique
Sophisticated Pushoff
229-233
Technique
Adding the Fake Pushoff
233-234
234-237
Overcoming Problems
Addition to Pushoff
Technique
237-238
Another Double Turnover
239-243
243-244
Stud Type Turnover
244-247
The Turn Over Tip
247-248
Marlo Spread Lift
249
The Eace Up Push Off
Steve Draun's Packet
250-251
Pushoff Lifts
Marlo's Easy Flexible
251-253
Technique
More Card Switches
254-259
Multiple Switch
259-261
Technique

The Marlo Actions

"f
261-262
A Black-Jack Switch
".
262-263
Simulated Visual Retent~on
switches
. "
263-265
Covered Kick or Push
265-268
Switch
268-271
Marlo Kick Switch
271-275
Visual Retention Switch
275-277
Monte Switchout
277-278
For the Record
278-279 '
Cased Switches
Switch One Deck for Another
279-281 '
Color Chang ing Car~ Case 281-283
DiminiShing or Enl~iging
283
Card Case
j
283-284
Delayed Card Switch ,
285-291
Additions to Switch Out
291-296
The Isolated Sandwiches
296-299
Lengthwise Handling
299-301
Variation of Original
301-303
Full Circle

DIRECT APPROACHES TO EFFECTS

Direct Statements Vs.
Interrogation
304-305
Direct Statement Mental
Disclosure
305-308
Signed Card to Matchbox
309-314
The 3~ Second Stack
314-315
The 4~ Second Stack
315
The Overhand Routine
316-317
Dunbury Delusions
317-319
Poker Prediction
320-321
Adding ' t h e Aces
321-323

Spectator Cuts Aces

Spectator Cuts U Count
Spectator Cuts and Counts
to the ---Solomon's Four Card
Prediction
Date Prediction
Splitting the Arrow
Vanishing Sandwich
Direct Transposition
One Hand Ace Cutting
The Ace of Spades Trick

323-326
326-329
329-331
331
331-334
334-340
340-346
347-349
350-355
356-358

BONUS
Faro Fantastiques
The 49 Control
Double Info Control
The Travelling Hours
Flexible Force

359-363
363-365
366-367
367-369
369-370

FOREWORD
As in the pas t this volume of t he maga zine woul d not have been
possib le witho u t a lo t o f help from my f riends . Many thanks t o
my f riend Dave Solomon no t on ly for his co n t r ibutions wf t hin the
page s of th i s magaz i ne bu t a ls o f or the c ov er, t he ind~x, an d t he
co l la t ing and paginat i on of the vario us sec tion s . Th i s , is not
counting his l eg wor k in ge tting the ma te r i a l to the pr anter and
p ick i ng up the co mplete d pro duct . Als o t o my f rien ds Dave Bendix
and Barry Pr ice for their ti me in ma ki ng s ome o f the i ll~?trations
f o r t he text . A very spe c ia l t han ks to a long time f r i end Bob
Nelso n who is r e s pon s i ble for t he ma j or por t io n of the i llu str ation s
t ha t gr a c e t he s e pages . Neither can I for get Richard Marl o and
Dave Solomon for the many photo s they patiently and pa in st akingly
shot . La s t , but not le ast, t o the love of my life Mur i e l Ma r l o for
the layout and t yping of th i s volume from my a t t imes unde ciphera ble
notes.
.

Remember to t ha nk Jon Ra che rb aumer for his excelleRt con t r i bu t i on ,

"Th'e Olram Ac e s " , wh i c h br ings to mind the que s t i on f " Wouldn ' t you
rather have a Filet ins tead of a McDo na l ds ?" Than ks t o St eve Draun
for fin ally rele a sing his Doubl e Pushof f Technique . Me? What do
you want from me? I s i t and fi ddle with t he cards . As always
wher e eve r any in sp i ra t i on , f or any given it em, oc cu rre d t hat s ou r ce
has been c r edited .
Si nc e each v ol ume has been r e strict e d t o only t hree hundre d and
t wenty -five pa ges, I foun d ,t ha t many i t ems . had to be held back fo r
the nex t volume ; however , all items mentioned and prom i s e d in . t he
pre c e ding vol um e II ha ve her e be en i nclud ed.
Some r ebutt a l s to lie s, gos s i p , and misinforma ti on , fabric ated by
obvious l y envi ou s pe rs ons , wer e t o be p ar t of thi s volume but t his
woul d mean deleting o t he r c a r d mate r i al which to the bu yer is of
mor e in t er es t . However , throug h the court esy of Bob Long these
r e but t al s can be fo und in his publi cat ion "The Sorcers Eye s" whi ch
tho se interested c an purcha s e directl y from him . Thu s , i n an in di r ect way, you c an tha nk Bob Long for any of t he extra i tems included in this vo lume .
I n making any var iation s of a gi ven effect, such as " Oi l And Water" ,
" I n te r l a ce Vanish" , "Stap led Ca r ds", " The 3C Revis ited " , or "The
Re - Op en ed Pr ed iction" , the se were not f or me d for vari at ion's sake
bu t because the y en ta il ed s ome new s le i ght , s ub t le ty , a nd a pp r oa c h
t hat moved t he i t em in qu es tion , i f no t f orwar d , at least in the
right d i r e c t i on .
The cont ent s i n t fi i s v ol ume ha ve be en c ho s en t o ap peal to ca r d men
of varying ski ll s . All slei ght s have been de vel op ed wi th the idea
of naturalness in thei r executi on and one doe s not have to move his
ha nd s like a bal lerina to ex ecute t he m. Do i ng a move or slei ght
naturally is mor e dif f icult tha n doing it unnaturally . Thus do ing
a c lassica l Fa lse Count naturally i s more di fficult than doing a
Bidd l e Typ e co un t or an El mse l y Count ; howeve r , t he r e ar e time s
when you jus t can't help u s i n g them be cause of the s t r uc t ure of t he

.I

rou t ine.
t hem."

I t hink the watc h wor ds are, "use them but don't abuse

You .c a n ' t te l l a boo k by it s c ove r i s an old ax iom but i~ certainly

appli es t o t he sev era l ha r d bound book s t hat I have pur cna s e d . The
exc ell ent co ver, bindi ng, i l lus trati on s , and t i tles pr om~s e d much
bu t de l j vered l itt le in t he way of originality in e ffect s, routines,
s ub t le ties, or sleights. Now I' m all f or variations i n any of these
but not when sai d var i a ti on is ac t ually inferior t o t he o \~ ginal.
Espe cial l y when l ogi c al on e can prove t his wi thou t ev en kri~w ing or
being awa r e of t he or ig i na l. In f a c t i mprov i ng t he ba d v a r iation
in s ome ca s e s has let to a r e -inven ti on of t he or i ginal. The
p r es ent Vol um e III of thi s magaz i ne is, as t he other s , sp ir al bo und .
with soft covers but within th ese so ft covers t he r eader should find
much mor e t han in any o f t he r e c ent hard-bound book s . The spiral
bindi ng not only makes it easy t o practice from, s ince the book lie s
fla t , but also very easy to Zerox and this includes ~e cover. Can
any har d bound book make such a statement? Then ag ~&h maybe they
aren't worth Zeroxing. Wit h t his I leave the purchas~r, hope, to
dec ide for himself whether he received his investment~~ worth from
these pages.
Looking forward to Volume IV of this magazine you can expect some
unpubl ished items from the no tes of Bob Veeser. Also several
t echniques for a one hand Bottom Deal plus more on the Second Deal
a s well as Marlo's technique f or The Punch Deal taught to only two
other cardmen and kept s ecret for over 40 years. Another secret,
kept between Arthur Altman~ myself, and Carmen D'Amico since 1952,
wil l be "The Double Undercut Pa l ml l and shown, by Arthur Altman to
Derr ick Dingle severa l yea rs a go .
Rememb er you read about t his her e first since I can al r ea dy picture
doz ens of cardmen champi ng a t the bi t as to how can al l t his be
a c compli she d . Dave Solomo n and my s e l f have already seve r a l items
whi ch we work ed on toget her that shoul d appeal to t hose loo king for
the b e st in card magi c . As in t he case of t he prev io us volum e s
I don't promise when but so met i me in the future. Ti l l t hen enjoy
wha t you have no w before you .
Thanks f or . your suppo r t whi ch ma ke s each succeeding volume po s s ib l e .

llerr ~cK

ll ~ng~e

severa ~

years a go .

Rememb er you read about t his her e first since I can al r ea dy picture
r!f'\'7""nc

f'\ -F "'!'I-r rlm ""n

,.. h!'lm.,..,;nrT

!'It-

+h ",

h; +

~ C'

+ rv

}, ......

,.T

.., 11

+ .....

~~

t-, ..,

Solomon's Mind
Dur ing t he last several y ears of intensive study of card magic, I
have wondered why only a minority of magicians i nte res ted in card
trick s buy the Marlo mat eria l. As I conversed with magicians at
convention t ime around t h e country and i n for eign countries this
h as a l wa ys b een my que s t io n , "What d o you think o f th e io\a r l o
mate r i a l ? " Mo s t answers were s imilar, ego t o o c omplic a -!;ed, t o o many
va r i a t io n s , t o o s erious in c ont ent, dif fic u lt t o read , ~nd a b o ve my
a bility.
I liste ne d c are f u l l y, knowing my bias a u t oma tic a l ly
s timul a t e d defe nse mechanisms .
..".~: .

".

The o ne t hing you mus t unde rs t a nd , Ma r l o did not think o f all these
i tems i n o ne d ay . He h a s accumu la te d note s f o r y e a r s and added some
current va riations o v er t he pas t f ew mon t h s . I t wi l l b e impossible
t o re a d and d iges t all of the mate r i a l in one night or one week.
Use the ma t e r i a l to e x pa nd your card ma g i c understand ing.
I write
the follo wing to he lp you o vercome all of the above pitfalls:
The Wa y to Read Marlo
1.

Do not t r y to r e ad th e book like a novel from cQver to cover

in one night.

2.

Us e the index.
effects are.

3.

Read the effect o r what th e sleight does. Do not read the

method in your initial r e ading if the effect does not turn you on.

4,

Re a d f o r y o u r ability--look forward in the effect.

If the effect
r equires a Palm or a Far o Shuff le and y o u can not perform these
sleights, there is probabl y a v a r i a t i on wh ich does not require
t he s e mov e s . Re a d the e a s i e r va r i a t i o n s first.

5.

Be sele c t ive i n t h e va r iatio ns . I f y o u can not follow what's

happening or if y o u think it is t o o complicated for your ability,
r ead on .

6.

The interesting th i ng a bout all of the Ma r l o books is that every

time you rer ead t he ma t eria l you wi ll absorb dif ferent items as
you ma tur e i n ma gic.

7.

Do not let t he enorm i ty of the book defeat y ou . Remember first

th e index, t hen t he effect, a nd then the me t h od.

8.

Skip around. Ha ve fun wi t h the material. Some of it are dead

serious s ol utions to proble ms posed, and others are great
laymen effects with p l o t i deas.

9.

In mo s t effects, Ma rl o g ives the favorite method--the one he

likes the best. Read it.

10.

-I

The ind ex is very descriptive as to what the

I have found people pass up the best effects in the book because
they get defeated.
If you read as outlined, you are in for a treat.

[I

,,:,_ '."

THE KNOXVILLE KNOCKOUT

EFFECT~

Four Aces transpose with the Deuces, of their respective

suits, one at a time.
. ..

,
o

I have underl ined the words "one at a t i me v because in

the reading of some old magic magazines I came across a~ effect by
Walter Gibson in wh i c h a transposit ion occur ed between a Jack-Queen
and King and the Ac e s ; ho wever, it did use many Double Faf e cards,
envelopes and the Aces were shown only at the conclusion \as in many
of the clas s ic Ac e Assembli es.
Now rather than leave the~reader
wondering or assuming Gibsons' actual method, as a chronic editor
of the Pallbearers does to suit his own dishonest purpose, the
actual Walter Gibson Ace effects, as they appeared in "The Magic
World" for April 1921, Vol. 5, No. I, will be described. This
way the reader can compare the methods against my own versions,
t ho s e alr ead y in print plus the present "Knoxville Knockout" wh i c h
is strictly impromptu. The "Knoxville Knockout" is:.~~o named be-
cause I first performed it at the Knoxville Conven trTpn in 1964.
Anyway, here are the Gibson Ace effects and note t hevus e of Double
Indexed Aces in the second routine.
.
THE FOUR ACES
-~~

A version of the Four Ace Trick which is notable for

its simplicity; for a platform performance where the cards will not
. be examined, this is very effective.
The Four Aces are openly removed from the pack, which
is fanned face towards audience. They are rested face up aga inst
an easel or laid upon the table. Still holding the pack face up,
the ~agician removes the four jacks, and places three of them on
the Ace of Diamonds, the Jack of Spades being laid upon the Ace of
that suit (all cards face up).
Likew.ise three queens are laid on
. t h e Ace of Hearts, the Queen of Spades going on the Ace of Spades.
Three kings go on the Ace of Clubs, and the King of Spades on the
Ace of Spades.
Each packet is placed openly into an unprep ared
envelope - one envelope for each packet.
On the first envelope the
magician wr ites "Jack", on the second "Queen", on the third "King",
and on the last, which contains the four Spades, he marks a star.
He opens the first envelope, and extracts the four
Jacks, the Jack of Spades having replaced the Ace of Diamonds .
. From the second envelope he draws four Queens, from the . third four
Kings, while the last envelope contains the Four Aces.
.
All the cards are double faced.
The Jacks, Queens,
and Kings of Diamonds, Clubs and Hearts are all backed by themselves - that is the Jack of Clubs, for example, is a double faced
Jack.
The Ace of Diamonds is backed by the Jack of Spades,
likewise the Jack of Spades is backed by the Ace of Diamonds.
Similarly there are two cards which have the Queen of Spades on
one side and the Ace of Hearts on the other.
There are also two
~nd

an easel or laid upon the table. Still holding the pack face up,
the ~agician removes the four jacks, and places three of them on
the Ace of Diamonds, the Jack of Spades being laid upon the Ace of
that suit (all cards face up).
Likewise three queens are laid on

-..

- - _._...

..

..;._~ :. .

. _. ~

--

~~

,
.' : I
- -" ---"-" -- ._. ....-......-....- .. ~

.--..

1_h.::..

tt(
~ --:.. - _.- _- ~ - ----

whic h represent eithe r the King of Spade s or t he Ace of Cl ubs.

The Ac ~ . of Spades i s double fa ced.
The working is as follows: the laying out of! t he cards
i s obv io u s. Car e mus t be taken to l ay t hem all fa tes. up , "whi c h
s e ems very fair from the audience's point of vie w. Of coutse, the
real court c ards have been remo ved f r om t he pack beforehan~.

I
J
]

\ i

I n placing each packet in its respectiv e envel ~pe , t he

envelopes are held f l a p up. Each flap is sealed, and the envelope
is natura lly tur ned ov er i n or der to ~write t he neces sary word on
its fa c e . The envelope i s not t u rn ed bac k! So when the t i me c omes
for the grand f inish, the magician has on l y to tear open the envelop~s at the ends - dr a w out t he cards and show the wonderful
chang e.
\ ,

This is an original ef fect that I have t ~~d out and

fo und practica l . The average audience never suspects ~p u b l e f ac ed
cards, and if th e card s ar e gathered up, and the pack l a id aside,
or s witc hed f or a s t r a i ght deck, t he per fo r me r : wil l f i n d t hat he
has accom p ~i s he d a r emarka bl e f ea t wi t h very little e f f or t .

I
I
],,
,

THE FOUR ACES

(AGAI N)
The Four Ace Trick is subjec t to almost innumb erable
va riation s, some with 'the and some without the aid of tr ick cards .
This par t i cula r vers ion, whi c h i s an original one, c alls in the
aid of a standard mechani c al c a rd trick, and can be ea s il y ma de up
by anyone. I t makes a very e ffective item .
In eff ect, the Four Aces are shown and l a i d fac e s do wn '
'on t he t abl e . On e a ch Ace a re laid t hree cards from the to p of th e
pack. A spec tator c hoo ses one heap and holds it. : The other three
.h e ap s are turned over and the cards are shown; t he ace s ha ve gon e ,
be i n g found i n the spectators ' heap.

II

The tric k i s accompli shed by the aid Gf the three tric k

c a r d s which c ome with th e Disappearing Spots Trick . These cards ar e
d i vided from t he lower lef t t o t he upper right co r n er , one half repr esenting an Ace, and ' t he other half a three spot, ' or a jack. It
is best to have them di f fer ent, the f ake Ac e of Diamonds having a
jack , and the fake Aces of Clubs and Hearts having threes. The ind ex c or n er of the " Ac e s" are bl a nk , and they mu st be f illed i n , a
little red and black ink being used .

When these three "aces" are fanned with the go od Ace of

no one will ever s uspect that they are no t genuine Ace s . The
performer may even p repare cards from his own pack, by soaking the
c a r d s in wa t er , peeling off the backs, cutting t wo cards and pasting
them to a good bac k .

JI

C l ub ~ ,

The f our"Aces"are laid faces down, af t er th ey hav e

be en exhibit ed. The thr ee top c ar ds of the pa c k , whi c h are t he
real Aces, are dealt on to the ge nu ine Ace of Spades. Then three
different cards on to each of the f a ke a ces. Taking each packet

!
I
J

In eff ect, the Four Aces are shown and laid fac es do wn '
on t he t a bl e . On ea c h Ace a re laid t hree cards from the to p of th e
pack. A spec tator c hoo ses one heap and holds it. : The other three
,he ap s are turned over and the cards are shown; t he ace s have gone .

'1
,,~

1,

in turn, the performer draws off the bottom card, and pushes it
into the middle of the packet; thus when the packets are turned
over, .t he y may be calmly fanned and dropped f a c e s up on the table,
the Aces having disappeared. The pile of real Aces Ls; of course,
forced on the spec ta tor.
".f
'..... .
j
.II

'Before going into the details of the Knoxville Knock~

out details of the "Marlo Layout" will be given as it is\)llsed not
only in that effect but can be applied to other effects. ~ .
THE MARLO LAYOUT
OBJECT: To pass off four cards, that consist of two Aces and two
X cards, as four Aces.
The X cards can be specific cards as in the
case of the "Knoxville Knockout" where these two cards are the
Deuces. Since the descr iption of that effect comes Iirst in this
case the fou r card arrang ement, after reverse coun ~~g the top four
cards to the table, will be in order 'o f the 2C- 2D - AH:1AS from the
top do wn.
'.
2 . .Spread the four cards faces down, then ' square' them up. As you
say, "One of these Aces will be the leader Ace", you have turned
the squared packet face up into the l e ft hand to show the AS. Turn
the p a cket face do wn into the l eft hand and a t once deal the top
card face dO lVll into the leade r position.
3. Do a single buckle or a t wo card pusho f f to tur n the next card(s)
face up show ing a Red ,Ac e but not calling attention to its su it.
Turn the card(s) face down, then deal the top card above the leader
Ace.

! f,'

4. The lef t fingers spread ' out the two remaining cards and the r i ght
hand grasps them by their righ t sides wi t h the ri gh t t humb on top
and the fingers below. The le ft fingers pullout the bottom c ard and
turn i t face up. When you see t he AS place it face up, s ide-jo gged
to the left, under the card held by~he right fingers. Your patter
at this point is, "Tell you what. Let's move this Ace over here."
The right fin gert ips are placed onto the supposed Red Ace, that is
above the leader card, to move it to your le ft. Now you say, " Let's
put the Ace of Cl u b s over here", as the right f i nger t i p s shove the
leader card, anot her suppos ed Ac e , i nto the po s it i on formerl y occupied by the supposed Red Ace or to the right o f the f irst supposed
Ace. Continu e with, "T he Ace of Spades will be the Leader Ace,"
then the right hand takes the single f a c e down Red Ace while the
le~t hand d eals the AS f ace up into the Leader position.

'5 . The right hand, wh i c h is holding the last Ace by its lower
right corner, thumb on to p wi th 1st a nd 2nd f i n g er s belo w, no w tip
or tilt this card upward to c asually f l a~t h e Red Ace as you conclude with, "And th is l ast Ace wi l l g o her e", plac ing this Ace to
the right of the other two supposed Aces.

I
I1

6.
For the "Knoxv ille Knockout" the layout. of th e top three cards
will be a 2D-2C-AH f r om your left to right. The AS is face up in

II

:I

Ace.
4. The lef t fingers spr ead ' out the t wo remainin g c ards and the r i ght
hand g r a~ps them by the i r righ t sides wi t h the r ig ht t humb on top

the Lead er position.

As ment ion ed p r ev i ousl y th is l a y ou t can b e used in other
ef f e ct s or Ac e routin es and i t wi l l be referred to when nece s s a r y .
For the p r e s e n t t he inst ructi on s fo r the "Knoxv il l e Kn o c kctu t " wil l
now b e g i n .
.
.
- : ,

.1

1 . With t h e f aces of the d e c k to wa rds y ou r s elf , spr e a d i n g it bet ween both hands , up- j o g any nine pictur e c a r d s.
S t r i p t h~se ou t
of t he d e c k and p la ce them f a c e up to y o u r left. Next , u P ~Jog the
thr e e De uc e s o f t he su i t s Diamond s, Club s, and Hear t s. Ar r a n g e the
De u c e s in Hear t s , Cl u b s, Diamonds order f r om f ac e to to p. Pla c e
the s e face u p to t he le ft o f the pic tu re c a r d p a cket . Finally upjog and remove the four Ac es ar rang i ng them in AD -AC- AH-AS o rder
f r om t he fac e to the top.
Th e f ou r Aces are plac ed f a c e u p to the
left of t he ot her t wo pac ke ts . ' Fr om y ou r left to r i g ht y ou ha ve a
packe t . o f 4 Ace s - 3 Deuc e s- 9 pictur e cards . Place the res t of the
deck a side str essing the fact that the t~bled cards ~~ l be the
only one s used for the e ff ect.

:)'~'i "
2.
Pick up the 9 pictur e cards and count them by t a k i ng them into
the ri ght hand, one und er the other, in a sort of spread count.
In
other words after the count these cards will be more or less in a
sp r e ad o r fan as in the F ig . 1 . Your patter for th e se counting
actions is simply, "For this I use one, two, three, four, fiv e, six,
seven, eight, nine picture c a r0s.
No more, no less", aft er which
the r igh t hand alone suppor t s t he 's p r e a d as in the Fi g . 1.

]
]
]
]
]

F i g. 1

Fig. 2

3. Th e left hand scoops up the 3 Deuc es and holding t hem f ace up

the le ft thumb a nd fin ger s sp re ad them out as you s ay , "Also the
thr e e Deuc es ." The. left f i nge r s a nd thumb pull the c ar ds i n t o a
squared up packet to result in the left hand holding these 'cards
in a Mechanic's Grip deal position. The left hand places the
squared up Deuces to under the packet, but side~jogged to the left
for about a half inch or more, with the right fingers f r om below
contacting the squared Deuc es to hold them i n place. At once the
left hand thumb and fingers move down to the left sid e of the
Deuces at about center as in the Fig. 2.
The tip of the left thumb
and fing ertips mainly cont act th e sides.

]
]

]
]

4.
Onc~ the left thumb and 1st and 2nd fingertips reach th~ position shown in the Fig. 2, at once the-Ieft 1st and 2nd fingertips
press against the left side edge of the Deuc es, then pu~~ to the
right while at the same time the left thumb pulls the face Deuce
to the left. This action is very slight, quick, un-notiteable and
results in forming a step or ledge, under the face Deuc~~ at the
left side. The Fig. 3 shows the exposed bottom view of ~~e step at
this stage.
~~'. '

,"

Fig. 3

' .

.)

....-

~)

Fig . . 4

5.
The right hand alone again supports the spread of cards as the
left hand scoops up the face up Aces.
The left thumb and fin g ers
keep the 4 Aces widely fanned or spread to the right.
Th e fan of
Aces are brought towards the spread with the lower right corner of
the face AD goingto under the lower left corner of the visible 2H.
This results in this AD moving in above the step or 2 Deuces. I f
you wish you can placethe 4 Aces so that the face AD first goes
on top and past the step, tIien just move . the fan ofAces back to
the left until you hear or feel that the rower right corner of the
' f a c e AD has clicked off of ,t h e step thus cl earing it.
Now your left
hand can move the 4 Aces back to the right when the AD will automatically go above the step. The Fig. 4 shows the sta~t of this feeding action in either case.
6.
The left hand feeds in only the AD and AC 'a b ov e the two Deuces
as shown in the Fig. 5 which is an exposed oottom view showing how
these two Aces, still fanned or spread, are now also support ed by
the right hand.
Meantime the left hand drops down and away from the
spread with its two Aces, AH and AS, resting on the relaxed palm of
the left hand.
Th~ Fig. 6shows the top view of this situation at
this stage.
,
~.

r,.
i

..t

7. When the cards reach the stage as shown in the Fig. 6 the right
hand casually tosses its spread of the cards directly onto the two
Ac~s in the left hand.
The spread conver-ges, then both hands square
up the cards and turn them face down into the left hand.
Deal off
the top four cards, one at a time, face down to the table thus reversing their order.
Your patter is simply; "Let's start with the
Aces."

Aces are brough t towards the spread with the lowerVright corner of
the face AD goingto under the lower left corner of the visible 2H.
This results in this AD moving in above the step or 2 Deuces. I f

Fig. 5

Fig. 6
. f'

8. . The left hand pl ac es it s cards a side , to your 1eft'f:. face s do wn.

Th e ri ght hand pi ck s u p t he supp ose d f ou r Ac es , r e all y ~a 2C- 2D- AHAS fr om th e t op d own , then y ou g o i nto the "Marlo La you t" a s a l ready
e x pl a i n e d und e r t ha t t itl e. Whe n the c a rds ar e fin al ly 1 a yed o u t
the l e ad er Ace is the AS and i s f a ce up.
The top row of three face
down c ar d s a r e the 2D-2C -A H from le f t to right.

9.
P ick u p t he pack e t in to the l e ft hand and thumb ov e r th e top
thr e e cards , one und er t h e oth e r, in a spre ad or fan as y ou say ,
"The t h r e e Deuc es g o on to t h e l e ad e r Ac e." The thumb ed ov e r to p
th r e e cards are held in place by the left t humb and fingers whi le
the right hand g ra sps t h e upper right cor ners of the t h r e e s prea d
c a r d s, with the fingers o n the fa ce c ove r i ng the indexes and thumb
on to p. Turn the c a r d s inward to sh ow the f a c es o f the three
s u p p o s e d Deuc es.
S i n c e they see the f a c e Deu c e and no picture
c a r d s th ey assume the seeming ly Bla nk card s be h i n d the f a c e Deuce
h a v e t o be the o the r Deuces as sho wn i n the F i g . 7 . The fa ces o f
. t h e s e c a r d s a re flashed for only a f ew s eco n d s, t he n turned d own .
, ag a i n and squar ed up , by t h e ir sides , wi t h the le f t f i ngers and
t hu mb wh i ch h ol d t hese cards we l l a b ov e tho s e i n the l e ft hand
deal ing positi on .
Thi s leave s the right h and fr e e t o t urn the
lead er AS f a c e down . The r ight hand t a ke s t h e 3 c a r d s from the
l e f t hana to place the m fa ce d own onto t h e Leader Ace .
10. Yo u no w have nine
picture c ar ds remaining
a nd t hes e y ou . show , three
at a time, th en p l a c e each
3 pict u re c a r ds o n to e ac h
of the cards in t he row
above the le ader Ace .
11.
Pick up the Le ader
Packet, with the r ig h t
hand, placing it f a c e up into the le ft hand.
Thumb
over the AS and tak e it
with the TIght hand by its

Fig. 7

s on "tne tace c over i n g t he indexes a n d thum b

o n t op . Turn the cards inward t o s h ow t h e f a c es o f the three
s u p p o s e d Deuces . S i n c e they se e the f a c e Deuce and no p icture
c a r d s th ey assume r hp , p p m i ,..., ..,. l " P' ... ~l, ~ ... - ..]- t.. _ 1_ ~
~
....... ... u"" ,

l'V..L L.lJ

L.lH::

.c r ug e r

.1

. -,

]
]

]
]

]
]

l.

J
j

lower right corne r, thumb on the face and 1st and 2nd fingertips '
bene ath. Use it to tap each of the 3 tab lea-pac kets, f r om left to
rig h t ,: . as y.ousa y, " The 0 b j e c t i s to- c au sethis Ace, t his Ace, and
this Ace to chang e places, one at a time, with these Deuces,"
When you rea ch t h e word "D euc es" the AS is us e d to tap " ~ h e f a c e' 2H
of thos e cards in t h e left h a nd.
Repl ace t h e AS onto tbe fac e o~
the Leader p a cket, then replac e it face .d own into the Lea d e r po s L>
tion.
",

I
I
I

,,

I
I

"I
i

,I

12.
Rub the hands togeth er as you sa y, "Now for the ma g :tb." Place
the l ef t hand pa lm d own o n the 1st p acke t t o y o u r left while t h e
righ t pa lm i s pl a ced on t o t h e Leane r pa c ket . Flex each palm sl ightly as if to aid the magic.
Lift off both palm s fro m th e p ack et s.
With the right hand pick up the first packet and place i t face down
, into .the le f t hand . Deal the top 3 cards, one a t a time, f ace up
t o t h e t able so t hey wi l l overl a p Tn a d ownwa rd ro w.
The l a st or
4th c ard i s n ow take n fa ce do wn by the rig h t h and, a t the lower
right right corne r , with thumb on top and f i n ge r s b ~ow.
The left
' t humb mov es' to the outer l eft cor ner of this c ard anq l ets this
corn e r snap o f f o f th e le f t t humb a s t he l e ft 1st fi~ger pu s h e s
this c o r ner upward , from ben ea t h , f o r cing it pas t t h e - ba ll o f the
righ t thu mb t o c r eat e a s n a.pping sound. Your pa tter is, "The Ac e
is gone", b ~t the ri ght hand places this card s t i l l face down onto
the downward ro w of the 3 f a c e up cards bu t so tha t all 3 fa ce u p
cards ar e st i l l i n vi e w for a t lea st a thi rd o f their l engt h.
13.
Pick u p bhe -Lea d er Packe t as you say, "Over h ere we h a d on e
Ace , now we find two." By now the packet has b een tu rn ed f ace up,
the AS at the face o f the packet is dealt over by the left t h umb
and t ake n by the right ha nd follo wed by d e al in g ov er the 2H wh ich
is ta k en und er the AS but s o i t re main s fa nned or s pre a d to the l e f t.
With these two c ar dS-g estu r e to ward s t h e fa ce Re d Ace showing o n
the squar ed c ards held in . the left hand. This is only a so rt o f
momentar y fla shin g of two Aces afte r wh ich the right hand r eplaces
its 2H and AS on to t h e c ards in th e lef t ha nd.
Square the packet
- a n d replace it face do wn into t he Le a de r po sitio n.
14.
Repeat the s u p p os e d vanish actions o f the Step 12 on the n ext
packet except here you can sa y, " Now for the Ace o f Clubs ." Briefly,
rub h a nd s, p l ace pa lm s on p a cke t s , deal ce nter pa cke t face u p for
3 top cards le a v ing last c a rd fa c e do wn as befo re.
For mor e details re- read t he Ste p 1 2.
15.
Pick up the Leader packet as you say, " We had two Aces, now
there should b e t hree." Here the Leader p acket is by now fa c e up
in th e left ha n d . Deal ov er the AS and 2H, on e under t he ot her, as
you take t he s e with th e ri ght h a na-s o they r e ma i n f a n n e d or spr ead.
The nex t card, a Red Ace, is als o taken und er and alongside the cards
h e l d by right hand. The l eft fing ers and thumb snap the la st card,
the AC, clear ly showing a singl e card . Take the Red Ace from the
righ~hand on to the AC hel d b y t he left fi n gers a nd thumb a t its
left si de.
Th e Red Ace r e mai n s f anned to t he right.
The result
is you are displaying two cards in each hand as i n the Fig. 8 .
16.
I n putting the ca rds together th e t wo Ac e s held in th e l ef t
hand must go betwe en t he t wo cards held in t he rig ht han d.
Th i s

--

- - --_

---

.. -

...

.. -

.. a

-t-'

-- -

--

~-~-

With these t wo c ar dS-g es t u r e to war d s t h e f a ce Re d Ace showing o n

the squa r ed c ards held in . the left hand. This is on ly a sort o f
momentar y fla shin g of two Aces after whi c h the right hand r eplaces
its
2H a nd
t h e cards in th e le f t ha nd.
Square the packet
. . .- =-=--_,
__ AS onr to
_ _ _
~

~ ~ ..L..

.:1 _ _

.L

u- - :- ~~:-

_~

..

~~_ ~_

...-,-J_ _ ~_

. ~

. _~

, .1'
-

. .. . . . -

,L

.. ;

.r

i s very eas y, not a secret

move, jus t do n e ca s u a l l y as
t he cards c ome t ~ g e t h e r to
b e s qu a r ed u p a n d!replaced
face do wn in the ~ ~ ead e r po s ition. At thi s ita ge the
ord e r of t he c a r d s in t he
Leader packet i s AG -AD-2H -AS
f r om the top down~,~--' -- --

17. The s u p p o s e d vanish of

the last Ace is again handled a s expla i n e d in St ep 12 ;
howev er, th i s time the f a c e
down card in this last row
is really the AH . Anyway
you have t h r ~~~ow s o f c a r ds
and e a c h ha s ::': f: cards f ac e up
Fi g . 8
and on e card f~ce do~~ which
y ou have not shown as yet. Als o y ou have not c o n f u s e d the effe ct
s inc e on l y the a r rival o f the Aces h a s b e en p o inted up .
18. Aft er hand li ng o f the th ird packe t the Lea der packe t is pi cked
up as you say , tlAnd now over here we have one Ace , two Aces, three
Aces , four Aces. ' 1 This patter line 'is deliv ered as y ou d o the
tlSwindle Aces " moves fr om t he tlCARD ICI AN"; ho we v er, a c ap sule descrip tio n wi ll fo l l ow . Fir st of al l y ou do not c all at t ention to t he
s uits o f the Ac es but merely c ount t hem off a s you apparently s h o w
f our Aces , one a t a ' time . After ea ch ,Ace has b e e n shown i t i s
d e al t t o t he t a b le s t arting at y our right, t he n c onti n ui ng to the
l eft to f o r m a row o f 4 c ards.
Thre e of th e s e ar e dir ectl y b el o w
e ac h packet with t he AS off to the l e f t.
Th e mechanics o f the
tlSwi n d l e Aces " is to hOld the packet f ace do wn i n , t h e left hand .
.Doing ei ther a Bu ckle , Pulldown , or a Puspoff d o a Tr ip l e Tu rnover
to show a Red Ac e.
Tu rn i t do wn, then d e al top card . fac e down to
your ri g ht and be low t h e r ow of car d s . Next c ar d turned ov er is a
s i n g l e card , t h e AC, then tu rned face down and be low t h e cente r ro w
o f c a r ds.
The remaining t wo Aces are s p l i t, t a k i n g t op card bet wee n t h e r i g h t t humb a n d fi ng e r s , wh il e th e le ft f ing e rs and thumb
turn its AS fa ce up, then back face down to deal it of f to the le ft.
The right~and n ow tip s i t s car d upward j u s t enough to flash the
fa ce of the AD as anot he r Red Ac e , the n it is d e alt face do wn j us t
b e low t h e l s ~r o w o f card s .
19. At t his sta ge t he exist ing s itua tio n i s that y ou hav e a sup po s ed ro w o f Aces b~t really the AS-AD-AC -2H f rom lef t to ri ght .
Now y ou c onti n ue by sayi ng , tiTh e Ac eofSpades wa s the Leader Ace tl,
as th e l eft hand turns the AS f a c e up bac k into i t s pr e sent po siti9n.
Continuin g, y ou s ay, "And as I promi s ed t h e Ace of Diamond s has
chang e d places wi th the Two o f Diamond s . tI Here the righ t h a n d has
fi r st t u r ne d over the AD fa ce u p back i n to it s p ositi on be low t he
first ro w o f cards. Tne l eft hand picks up t he fa ce down c ard, in
the f irst row, by its left sid e. The ri ght hand th en takes this
c a rd by its lower right corner and move s the card u pwa r d so its ,
uppe r le ft c o r ne r s nap s p as t the ba l l o f the le f t thumb . The r igh t

left to f o r m a r ow of 4 c ards.
Three o f th e s e ar e d ir ectl y b elo w
ea c h packet with t he AS o f f to the l e f t.
Th e mec hanics o f the
tlSwi n d l e Ac es tl is to hOld the packet f ace do wn i n , t h e left hand.
,Do i n g ei ther a Bu ckle , Pulldown , or a Puspoff d o a Trip l e Tu rnover
t o s how a Re d Ac e . Turn i t do wn . th en d e al ton carel fac e elown to

I
]

~l

...

,: ~. -=- """,,==,,""
' ..=tA :._ ~ .....~

~.

_.iNl::J~_.r

. . ._- .. _... ..

..-.:.~~ .... ~-

...

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

hand follows thru by turning the 2D face up into the left hand.
The left hand at once replaces the-face up 2D into its original position. in the row.
2.0. Note that at the Step 19 the ~ction of the ha nds ~ alternated,
right, left, right, etc ., in-order to give a sort o f rhythm to the
actions .a l ong with the patter. Still speaking you saY, l"The Ace of
Clubs has ch anged places wi t h th e Two of Clubs." Here :f ol l ow the
same alt ernating hand actions as in the St e p 19 that is ~ight turns
over the AC, left hand picks up 2C, right hana-turns ove~ '2C replacing it face up into its original-position.
. --

'. 2 l ~

'

At this point the last face down card ~f the row is the 2H while
the AH is face do wn in the last or third ro w. The right ha nd-reache s
' f or the supposed AH, really the 2H, as if to turn over this last Ace;
however, you stopand say, "Tellyou what. Let's place th is Ace of
Hearts back." Here the left hand has reached to pick up the supposed
2H from-rtS cards ~hile the right hand places its q~rd, the supposed
AH but r ea ll y the 2H, f a c e down i n t o the last or tli ~rd row. The
rIght hand no w ta kes the face do wn card from the le f t hand as y ou
say, " Watch the Two of Hearts." Snap the c ards outer lef t , corner
, wi t h the thumb, the right hand turns this card face up to show the
AH as you say, "The Ace has come back" , then drop the AH face up
into it s position with the other Aces. ' The left hand picks up the
face down 2H, the right hand takes it and turns it fac~ up as you
conclude wITh , " And he r e is the l a s t Deuce."

,"

, 22 . There isn't anything difficult , in the rout ine except one must
learn what steps follow each other so as not to confuse your audience or yourself. If you have the procedures of the routine clearly in your mind you can't help but de liver the same clari ty 'to your
audienc e.
ALMOST BLUFF ACEMBLY
This next Ace routine uses basic ideas,in plac es,
f r om my "'Blu ff Ace Assembl y"; ho wever, I wan t ed to use the Ma r l o

I
I
I
I
I

Layout sequence f or a f a i r ly convinci ng procedure of actually having

dealt out t he four Aces. The routine wa s also formed with the idea
that the one Ace actually in one of the three packets should be taken
care of first as compared to most such routines in which this one
actual Ace is handled last. The impression one gets is that while
the per for mer had no trouble get ting tw o Aces to arrive smoothl y in
the Leader Packet wi th the last Ace he starts having all kinds of
trouble and in the pro ving, in many cases, tends to tip off how the
Ace arrives in the Leader Packet. If the performer , using this
approach, gets caught on this last Ace the layman may be left with
the impression that th e other Aces went over the same way. In other
words, getting caught on th e last Ace leaves the performer no out.
On the other hand i f the procedure were re versed so that the actual
Ace would be the fi r s t Ace to arrive, then at least he can have an
out by saying, "Well, you caught me on that one. I'll have to
summon more magical powers. Now watch c losely and see if you can
catch the next two Ace s." Since there aren't any Aces in the remaining two packets, all being in the Leader Packet, the per former can

.L]

I
~

.La

VUL

" "Lau

vu

~C1 a

l-

a v .....

u u l-

U v .......... V C;J.

aud ienc e.
I

ALMOST BLUFF ACEMBLY

l-Hv

;:>C1 U l v

~ ""' C1 J.

.....

l- l

l-V

vUJ.

......

-i._

_" _ '

. _

-_... ......

. -- .....

"

- ? -~-- ~:=
. ..~
< ~-,;.:.
--

--

..

_ . = - ~

<-=-

:;..

.-.-........:.....- -

.0

rel ax and . give his all to the presen t ation and save h is reputation.
The routin e that follows is i n ef f e c t a slow motion Ace routine
us i ng ron Ly f o ur Aces and tw elve cards.
. .~

1. From t h e d eck r emov e t he 4 Ac e s a n d pl a c e th e~ fa ce u p' to the

table so t h e y wi ll be in or d er o f .D-C- M-S f r om t h e f ace t ~ the to p.
Remove 12 c ards tos s ing the se a l so-f ace up to the table. Jp 1 a c e t he
rest ofthe deck aside a s you emphasize that f o r 't h i s effect you will
us e onl y ~ ca rd s a n d th e 4 Ac e s .
\t o

'I
.I

~.

2. P ic k u p the 12 c a r d s into t h e l e ft hand hold ing t hem fa ce up in

a Me cha nic' s Gr ip a s for de a ling . You will now re-count t h e card s
taking th em, on e at a t im e, into th e r i g h t hand a s for dealing.
Dur ing th is co u n t the f irst 2 cards a r e taken normall y, one onto
the ot h er, but on t h e 3r d it-i s taken i n such a manner as to be
s i d e- j o g g e d to the 1ef~s in t h e Fig. 1 .

Fi g . 1

Fig. 2

3. Without a ny hesi t at ion in t he count ing of the ' cards th e n ext

ca r d s ar e taken, s t i ll on e at a time, into t h e r i g h t han d in s u ch a
man n er a s t o c ov er the side - j o gged c ard whi ch r e ma i n s s t epped a l ong
wi t h t h e c a rds n ow co v er i n g i t. The F i g . 2 shows the cond iti on of
the packet, which i s sort of ask ew, except-the face 3C would not b e
the face card af t e r the count since t he cou~t reverses the order o f
the car ds.
' 4 .' Wi th the ri g ht han d hold ing t h e 1 2 c ard p acket th e le ft hand
picks up the 4 face up Aces. The lett thumb spreads the 4 Aces to
the right and-approaches the 12 c ard p ack et.
The lower r lght corne rs
of the f a c e two Ac es are restea up a ga ins t th e l owe r left cor n er o f
the 1 2 ca r d p ac k et . The left han d then moves bac k to the left until
you ree l the lower r ight corner of the face Ace click off of the
s e c r e t 1y st epped cards which now actuall y consist of the lowermost
2 cards and orig inally mark ed of f by the side-jogge d card in the
Fig. 1. Onc e y ou f e el - t h is click the left h a nd mo ves back to the
right-unt il t he fac e 2 Ace s g o a bove the 2 lo wermost or stepped
ca rds a s in the e xpo s ed bottom v i e w of Fig. ~.
5"
Once the two fac e Ac es are safely engaged and held in plac e, by
the l owe rmo s t 2 cards, the left hand mov e s a wa y sl ig htly do wnward

Fi g . 1

Fig. 2

.\.

3. Without a ny he si t at ion in the count ing of the ' card s th e n ext

ca rd s ar e t a k e n , st i ll on e at a t ime , into t h e r i g h t han d in such a

~~

.,, _._._ --

~.

~_

..... _

......

_J--..;-._ ;. ..: ..:

... . ..__-..J..'

11

I
I
I
I

..

1
..

I
I
I
I
i
I
I
I
i
Ii
I

I
I
I
i
!

with it s tw o Ac e s spr ead t o re sult

in a 'd i s p l a y of the Aces similar to
t h a t shown in the Fig . 5 and Fig . 6
'
The
o f the "Knoxville Knoc kcu t ?
r i ght hand now c a s ua.Ll y t osses . its
car ds on t o the two A ~ s h eld i n
the left hand.
It shpuld a ll
I.J
a p p e a r as if you gent,1y tossed the
12 ca rd packet onto the 4 Aces ,
wnich still remain vi~~bre, then
s im p l y t urned t h e pack~t face down;
si d e wi s e to th e l e f t into y our lef t
hand, a t th e same time c o nverging
t h e 4 Aces , then squaring up the
c a r ds . Your patter so far has been
basically, "For this we use twelve
car d s and t h e fo ur Aces ," as the
Fi g . 3
pac k et is tur n ed face d own i nto the
le ft h a n d . Con tinue with, "Le t's s tart with t h e A cl,':~, " a s y ou dea l
t h e t op foui cards, one a t a time, face down to the ~'able into a
p a c k e t . This packet from the t op down , c o n s i s t s of 2X cards, a Red
Ace, and the AS . You are now set to go into the "Marlo Layout" as
d e sc ri b e d in tIle "Knoxville Knockout" with just a .min or c h a n g e in
th e po s i t ion in g of t he Re d Ace . The pac ket i s ~-~- AH-A S fro m th e
to p do wn.
6. Br i e f l y the Layout is as follows:
Turn the Ace packet face up ,
fla shing the AS , as you say, "One Ace will be the leader Ace." Turn
th e p ac k e t face down and d e a l the t op c a r 'd into the leader posi t i cn .
Do a t wo c a r d p us h of f do i n g a S tu d Ty p e tu r n ov e r to f las h a Red Ace ,
t h e AH d o n o t n ame it, t h e n t ur n i t f a c e do wn b a c k o n to t h e packet.
Ta k e th e top card saying, "This Ace goes ov e r here ," as you place the
c a r d just above the leader card. The next top card is taken face
down , by the right side , with the right hand. The left hand turns
t h e AS face up . When you s e e this Ace you n ow say , "Tell y ou what ,"
as your r igh t h and r ep l ac es i t s c a rd fa ce . d own onto a n d al o ngside th e
fac e up AS . The rig h t h and moves th e c ard , th a t i s ab ove t he leader
c a r d , tothe right a s you continue your patte r with , "Let's place
t h e Ace of Diamonds here ." The right hand now moves the leader card
in t o t h e position previously occupied by the card you just moved to
t he right. Your patter continues, "The Ace o f Clubs we'll p lace here
and ma ke t h e Ac e o f Sp a d es t he leade r Ac e . " Here 'y ou r l eft h a nd t a k e s
the AS and pla ces it face u p int o t h e leader p o s i tion. The ri g ht h a n d
n ow snows i ts AH as you conclude with , "And the Ace o f Hearts goes
ov e r here ," then place the AH face down to the left of the supposed
AC and AD but really 2X cardS . You now point t o e ach rabled card ,
'Start i ng wi t h the onean your left , as y ou say , "Remember the order ,
the Ac e o f Hear ts , . Ac e o f Clubs, Ac e of Di a mond s , and th e l e ade r Ac e
of Spad e s."
7. Pick up t h e 1 2 card packet and hold it face up in the left hand.
Sp r e ad a f ew of tne face c a r d s , be sure not to go further than 10
c a r d s, saying , "We will place three o f these c a r d s o n each Ace .T!
Tu rn th e p ac k et fa ce do wn. Tu r n t h e AS fa ce do wn.
Th umb ov e r t he
top 3 c ards, wi t h out revers i n g th ei r ord er . Square th em up, flas h

.raxe t h e top card s ay i ng , "ThlS Ace goes ov e r ner'e ," as you p i ac e t rie
c a r d just above the leader card. The next top card is taken face
down , by the right side, with the right hand. The left hand turns
t h e AS face up . When you see this Ace you n ow say , "Tell you what ,"
~e;:

v nli'-r

-r ; a h t-

h~nn

Tpnl::1rp e;:

; Te;:

r ::l -rn

-f::lrp

nrH,m

n nt-n

::I n n

::I l n na<:: inp

t- 11p

. I

l 2

the face of the indifferent card, then place the se .cards onto t"he AS
_
s o aS ,to leave the AS side-jogged to the right for about. , three quarter
o f an" 'inch :' Repea t this process f or the remaining three,': "tabled cards
~xcept you can freely show the faces of all l cards j us tvbe f or e ~quar- "
lng th em up to place them onto the tabled card . The en d '7 e s u l t 1S as A
pi ctured in the Fig. 4 wi th each tabled Ace (?) s i d e - j o g g~ d to the
right.
,
\ I.

, ~lJ .

8. The right hand pick~'up the

packet on your l eft, f r om above by
the ends , t o bring it in a position '
dir ectly abov e th e lead e r packet .
~
The right hand turns palm up to
show the AH still side ~jogged with ~.
an X card-Showing. The ri ght hand ~
turns palm down and t h e left hand
.
moves to under th ~~tpacket
, palm
"
upwards, as if to "'s,q u a r e the sidejogged AH flush with the packet.
I n s t e a dt h e left f i ng e r s and
thumb lightly run across the sides ,
of the pa cket but leave the AH
~
Fig. 4
still side-jogg ed. The r i g h~hand
at this point is covering the
~
side -jogged AH and also has obtained a firm grip on it with the right ~
thumb extendea along the back end and the card's upp er right corner
" firmly held at the base of the right 4th and 3rd fingers . The right
2nd, 3rd, and 4th f i nge r s are extendea-ilong tEe front end of the
side-jo gged Ace-$o that the upp er ri ght corner's pos ition, a t the
base of the palm, near the 4th and 3rd fingers is automatic . The
1st finger is curled on top and the l uppermost cards a re pla inl y
,
visible . The ri gh t ha nd holds the p acket in order that the left hand ~~
can grasp the left side of th e 3 uppe rmost cards . Remember bo t h
hands are directly above the leade r packet. As the left hand is abo ut ~
,_,~,..
t o remove the l cards the right hand, with its Ace, moves straight
~
down onto the leader packet as shown in the Fig. 5 . Do not h esitate
in this action o f addi ng th e Ace to the leader packet but do not
place your right hand f l a t onto the packet. Instead your rig~hand
ac t ua l Ly picks ~ the ~ ead er packe~, ~om a DO,ve Irr !he end s' and at
once turns palm up to d1splay the sldeTJogged AS w~ t~ a fac e X card
showing. This right hand action wil l 'be given:misdirecti on by the
,
left hand which moves to replace its packet into its orig inal position. The patter to cover all these actions is simply, "The idea
-i s t o . t ake these Aces (AH belng shown) and cause them t o travel
' ~.
'on e at a time (Left hand Yep l a c e s packet and 'r i gh t hand adds Ace)
II
t o join this leader Ac e . " Right hand displays AS packet .

9. Turn the leader packet face do wn, as the left band actually
squ a r es up the sides, then right hand replaces the leader packet t o
i t s posi ti on . both hands now square up t h e sides of the remaining
two packets wh i l e they still rem ain t abled . You are n ow ready to
sta r t the on e at a time assembly of Aces .
10. Pick up the packet on your right as you say, "First , the Ace
of Diamonds." De al the to p 3 cards face up i nt o it s desi gn a t ed s p o t .
1st finger is cur led on top and the 3 uppermost cards are pla inl y
!~
vi sibl e . The ri ght ha nd holds t he pa c ket in order t hat the l eft hand ~~
can gra sp the left s i de of th e 3 upp e r mo s t cards . Rem ember bo t h
hands are directly above the leade r packet. As th e le ft hand is abo ut ~..
t o remove the l ca rds the right hand, with its Ace, moves straight
~
down onto t he le~de~ .~acke~ a s shown in the Fig. 5 . Do not h esita te

..

,~ . ,

_~

c, "

_ :

~ ', :JI"_ '':~-U'~

.. .

~. , ._.~" " ~~_PI _

..

(.I .. , l.",

~ ... ~

Make your favorit e m ~ gic pas s or '

flourish wi t h th e s upp osed fa c e
down Ace, t h en s ho w the c ard i s no
long er the Ace . T os~ i t fa ce up
onto the ot h er ~ face, up c a rds.
"

!
I

. Fig . 5

11. Pickup th e l e a d e r pa c ket a s

y ou say, "Over here w~ ha d o n e Ace
n ow we h a v e t wo ; " Here t h e le ader
p acket is fa ce up in ~~e lef t hand
and the le f t thumb deats ov e r t h e
fa ce 2 c a r d s. The AS is held i n
the rlght hand and the X ca rd p l u s
the AD are showing in t n e lef t
hand-.- Re - s quare the l e a d e r pa cke t
to repl ac e it face do wn in t o t h e
leader posit ion .

12.
"Let's deal wi th the Ace o f Clubs", you say a s ~~ he c entral
p ack et i s p i cked up into th e l e ft hand.
Deal th e t6~r 3 c ar ds fa c e
up to the same po sition on the t abl e. The l ast fa ce 'do wn ca rd ,
sup posedl i the AC, is then s h own a s no long er th e Ac e a f t er wh a te v e r
magical flourisn-or incantat ion you decided to us e.
Tfii s card i s
dealt fa ce up onto its p acket of face up cards.
Pick up th e le ader
pack et as you again r ep e at, "Ove r h ere we had t wo Ace s now we find
the r e a re thre e Ac es." The l e ft thumb has de altov e r t he two face
cards, the AS and X c ard, one un d er the other in a f anne d co nd ition
into the rignt hand.
The right h and holds these t wo c ard s p l u s the
card s that a r e st ill s qua r e d u p i n the left h an d.
The l e f t t humb
dea l s ov e r t he fac e car d o f its pa ck e t holding th e las t t wo c a r d s
as one. Th e l e f t ha n d i s n ow fre e to grasp thes e tw o ( ?) c ard s by
the le f t si de s ho ldi n g them fa nne d or spr ead . Thus two ca rd s in ea ch
hand a re d isplaye d in a manner ident i ca l to t h at s ho wn in t h e Fig . 8
o f "The Knoxvi lle Kno ck ou t" ex cep t the X c a r d wi ll be a l mos t a ny
c ar d.

if
j

I~ ii

13.
do wn
ove r
t hi s
face

Th e leader p ac ke t i s o nc e mo re r e-squar e d and then placed f a ce

int o the leader posi tion . This t i me j u s t s n a p y our finger s
t h e l as t p acket which supposedly contain s the AH . Do n ot to uc h
la st packet but instead pick up t he leade r ,p a cKet and p lace it
d own i nt o the l e f t hand as for de al i n g .

14.
De a l ov er t h e t op card , with the lef t t h u mb, as the right hand
t ak es t his c ard f r om a bov e by the end s. Turn t h e right hand p a lm
up as you say , "Ove r here we now have one Ace" , d i s p l a y i n g the f ac e
of the AH. The le ft t h umb deals ov e r t h e n ext c ar d. The r i gh t hand,
still hardi n g t he fi rst Ace , t u r n s palm down t o t a k e t h e se cond Ac e ,
, the AC, to under th e Ace h el d in t he right hand but i n a side-jog ged
condition, to the l e f t , f o r a bout a half inch or mor e. Turn the
right hand p alm up a gai n to di spla y the AC -AH as you con t inue with
"Two Ac es." Repeat t aking the th ird Acetoun der the 2 Aces in the
right hand again in a sid e-jo g ged condition to the l e ft.
Turn the
right hand p alm up ag ain, to show 3 Aces as you cont inu e wi t h "Three
Aces." The last 2 cards, an X card, and the AS, are held a s one in
the left hand.
Tne right hana turns palm down-to pick up this last

' - - - - - - - U ,5- - '\:I J'1:

-.

- -- J- n-C-- ':L- =~ -ua:J:TCr"'-=--nQ'W"- '"1 -.I.- IJC;- '- '(;. CJ

- l'> l.- a~ p

l. H "' ~ 'C

- 't; w v

C~~ L U"

OJ

the le f t s id es h o l d ing t h em fa nne d or spr e a d . Th us two ca rd s in eac h

hand a re d isplaye d in a manner ident i ca l to t h at s ho wn in t h e Fig. 8
o f "The Knoxvi lle Knockout" ex cep t the X c ar d wi ll be a l mos t a ny

card(s) , to u nder the i Aces, again in a side-jogged condition to the

left. The right hand again turns palm up as you conclude with,
"Pour rAc e s", to show the display of 4 Aces as in the Fi g, ~.
" - ',.: ;

Fig ~ 7 "

Fig. 6

' .

'1 5 . Your patter now runs, "Tell

~
you what.
I will do it a.gain.
~
- : !,
Let's place this Ace back into this
packet." During this pa tt er th e
right hand has turned palm down.
The left fingers and thumb now
seem to remove the side-jogged AS.
Actually the left finger s con tact
the face of the AS and push it to
the right far enough so i t goes
under the spread of the 3 uppermost Aces. The X card, which wa s
in line with the-AS, remains side
j ogged and is taken to still b e
~
Fig. 8
the AS~ Withotit any visible .h e s i ~
tat ion the left fingers and thumb
~
start to remove the side-jogged X card as shown in the exposed bottom
view of the Fig. 7 . Once the X card is clear of the leader cards
the right hand drops its 3 card spread to the table. The left hand
meantime continues to move towards the tabled packet . This action
is as in the Fig. ~.
"

16. Place the supposed AS to under the packet on the left. Both
hands now square up the sides of the visible 3 card spread. All that
remains is to pick up the l a s t packet, deal 3-cards face up, vanish
. the supposed AS to show an X card which is dealt face up onto its
packet. Spreia out 'Lh e leader packet to show 4 cards there. Turn
each Ace face up, in H-C-D -S order, emphasizing which packet each Ace
c ame fr om. As y ou turn-tne-Ace of Spades face u p y ou c onclude with,
" An d the Ace of Spades tha t also traveled over.. "
17.
I usually place the palm of the left hand over the tabled packet
and the right palm over the leader packet explaining that this causes
the Ace and the indifferent card, from the leader packet, to use the
sleeves of each arm to secretly travel across without bumping into

.;
Fig. 8

under the spread ot the ~ uppermost Aces. The X card, which wa s

in line with the-AS, remains side
j ogged and is taken to still b e
the AS~ Withotit any visible .h e s i + ..: -=--=- .. l.... ....
, .... .4r ..:
_...l
.....L
L
4- ....

~ ~_

.1~~-.~--.".

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
i
I

@ .. .. _ _

.~......~~._._.,.~".".... _-~._~,.

-,"",,"-''

.......:.-

- - _.. .'..

".

""'.~-_..' i;,tj. . ~ .~c.._ . _. - - ." '" - ..:. - -

.....;.'-'~_....:;..:..~"-~ ..-~:"----..;;,-.... '

_..__.

15
' e a c h other. This is done for only two of the packets or Aces. The
last packet is then handled as already explained, without placing
your paJm oyer it thus giving a logical reason for the final change
in handling plus the repeat that now also unloads the X:card from the
Ace packet. This subtlety is in my original "Bluff Ace",,..ssembly"
publ ished in the 1955 Ireland Year Book. The Side -Jog~.xchange or
Switc~ is from the "Spade" book, 1947.
The layout of th;e Aces (?)
is convincing enough so do not make the mistake of over-proving by
showing the 12 card packet as 12 indifferent cards. In other words,
do not use tEe procedure I devISed especially for the e f f'.~ct, "Almost
Like-Trick Cards" which was published in the "Hierophant" >

( ' ,

,..

. [

- _ ~

- ---..._ - - --

--.._--

.....-"1:.

16

THE ONE AT A TIME REVERSE ASSEMBLY

.1

(Da vid Solomon)

.::'I"
,.

this was inspired by an unpublished Marid iass emb ly

where the c a r d s in ea ch pa cket were turned face up and th~ appar ent
Ac e was left face d own unti l th e c lima x . Se ein g th e as s e~bl y I fe l t
~
it would make for an unusua l climax if the Aces actually r!urned to
3
each packet after once accumulating in the leader packet. ' ~~a r l o upon
hearing my sugges tion worked ou t an impromp tu method .

The method that follows uses a variation of the

Castillion gaff used in Succession Aces. The gaff is AH, AC on the
the face and other side has an X face card . Th e Fig . r-shows the
AH -AC side o f t h i s card. You need 1 1 X c a r d s, t he 4 Aces , an d the
gaf~_ Set-up from face - AC, AH, AS, AD, 10 X cards , the DF gaff,
and an X ca rd.
- .

'
. '.:

f.\ -

A
\)

:1

1 . Bidd le t h e top and bot t om cards

as one . Left thumb peels the r est .~
of the Aces into the left hand , the j
r i g ht h and places the p acket on to
the face up Aces . Do not call
attention to their suits. Turn the
d e ck fa ce down , deal the Aces ( ?)
a
in to a T f o rma t i o n wit h the X card
t o the righ t AS leader.

2. Place t he X c a r d s now ont o each

Ace as follo ws . Tu r n t he packet
face up, get a right thumb bre a k
under the gaff.
Pe el the 1st 2
Fi g. 1
c ar ds o f f i n t o the l ef t hand. -Now
a s t h e l e f t hand t humb pee ls t h e
n e x t X card, the r~ght thum~ drops off th~ gaff. : Al s o the left little
finger picks up a break under the 3rd X card. As you go under t h e
majo r packet y o u unlo a d t h e X c a r d wi th a wris t t ur n like th e 5t h
p e el.
(This was s ugges ted by Mar l o) These cards are placed on th e
AS. You no w place 3 c ards on each Ac e but o n l y 2 on the ,X card to
tne right using the-Biddle Steal o n the next 3 cards.
-

]
~

3 . Ea ch packet i s handled by d e al i n g al l ! cards . face up and the

Ace face do wn. You now show the Aces accumulating in the l e a d e r
packe t face up as f ollows. First Ac e (AD) , ho ld AS a nd gaff a s o n e
~
spr e ad i n g the rest of th e cards . Se co n d-Xc e (AH),-Spr e ad .AS, h a l f o f
.~
the ga ff AH, AD, X card as 2, 3r d Ace (do not-aeal t h e outly ing packet,
us e b l u f f -Xc ep a t t e r "will g o t h e fas test" ). Sp r e a d AS, full gaff AC, "l
AH, AD as ~.
II
4 . Clo s e up packet getting a break under AD (Triple Lift) . St a t e
y ou'll make AS go again . Hold packet b a c kS-t owa r d spe ctator, tripl e
t u r n over th e-XS, wrist turn as y ou deal it to the t a b l e. Dea l t h em
f ac e up l e a v i n g la st card f ace d own. Pi ck up Ace pa cket pulli ng out
AS se cond f r om the botto m showing it returned . Show Aces have gon e
oack t o peripheral packets a n d . e a c h p ac ke t ha s f our c ard s.

-- -- --- .. -. ----- _u_ r------

face up, get a rig ht thumb bre a k

.:.:4
~
under the gaff.
Peel the 1st 2
Fig. 1
c ar ds o f f i nt o the l eft hand. -Now
a s t h e l e f t hand t humb pee ls t h e
~
next X card, the r~ght thum~ drops off th~ aff . : Al s o the left little J

I
I
I

__ _ _ A .

~ ~ _

_.

_'~ .

_ _ ._....... " . _

17

I
I
I
i

.-:

EFFECT:

REVERSED ASSEMBLY

.r

(Marlo)

Same as that proposed by Dave Solomon.

-:;
"

The following method uses no gaffed cards but was i~spired by

Dave Solomo n's ga ff ed version. For this new routine a 1~ you need
is a str anger AC that while i t doe s have to match t he size of t he
borro wed de c k , Bridge or Poker si ze, its back can be an X~'Folor or
design s inc e the back of the card wi l l never be seen . Wit h mo s t
get-togethers among magic i an s there is always more than one deck of
cards around so that you don't even need to carry a stranger AC
but simply remove it secretly from one of the decks.
-1.

2. The stranger AC should be in your left coat pocket wi t h the face

to wards t he body. --You ar e all set to borrow one of the other decks
and proce ed i n t o t he rout i n e.
_ ~

i
i
,

=it'.

1' ...... ..

3.
Begin by spre a d i ng the d eck between bot h hand s '\ 'v.-;i th the fa c e s of
the cards t owa r d s yours e lf . Up-jog sixteen cards as 'you come to them
being sur e that all f ou r Aces are included in these 16 cards. Strip
them out and toss them faces down to the table. The-reft hand places
the deck into the left coat pocket, with the faces towards the body,
onto the stranger AC.

I
I
i
I
I
I
II
I
I
I!
I
I

4. Pick up the 16 card packet and wi t h the f aces towards yourself

locat e and cut the AC to the top of the packet. Now remove t he AS
first, to t os s it fa c e 'up to the tabl e follo wed by the two Red Aces
onto the AS to form a spread of the three car ds fro m left to r ight.

5. Continue to spread the rest of the cards as you seem to look for
the AC. Actually as you come to the left end of the spread the X
card-,-to the right o f the AC, is pushed under the spr ead o f cards
followed by also pushing t ne AC to under the spread along with the
X card. Thus these two cards-nave formed a step under the left end
of the spread as i n the Fig. 1. Remember that these under the spread
actions a r e mad e whi l e the c ards st ill face y ou . Now t he right ha nd
holds onto t he spr e ad and i s no w lowered as i n the Fi g . _ ~ whe r e no te
ho w the X c ard on the le ft i s project i ng to the left, over t he AC a nd
X card, t hus concealing thes e t wo cards. The AC index is. expo sed in
Fig.. 1 for clari ty to show the situation.
--

I
I
L

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

--- ---l

5. Continue to spread the rest o f the cards as you seem to look for
the AC. Actually as you come to the left end of the spread the X
~~~~:-,.::~ ~~e ~~~~h~,.~[~~~e +~ , A~S +~u.~~~~_u~~:r _ : ~: _ ~p:~~~ _o.~ ~ ~~r~~_

~1 8

6. The left hand is free to go into the left co a t pocket ~nd remove
the balance of the deck plus the stranger AC which is now the face
card. -: , The "l e f t thumb deals off the stranger AC face up o n to the other
three Aces, then retu rns balance o f the deck t o the pack~t. Your
~
pa~ t e r ~ in ~ s f or a l l ~h i ~ is . qu ite bri e f a s y ou c omme n t ~~ o u t o ~e Ace j
b e l n g mlsslng, then flndlng lt to add t o the tabled Aces~~
.

. f".

7. The right hand is -s t i l l holding its spread of cards and has maintained the st ep formed by the AC and X card . The left han~ now picks
up the spread of tabled Aces. -You n ow will loa d the stran~er AC and
o n e Re d Ace above the two s teppe d ,cards t ha t are un d e r the spread .
11
This is fully explained in "The Knoxville Knockout" but brief ly here .I
is the action.
Using the right side of the stranger AC you press
' u p wa r d s , very slightly, under the left side of the last card, on the
left 1 of the spread . This enabLes you to cleanly slide the stranger
AC and one Red Ace above the regular AC and X card under the spread .
]:
,'-The r-ig ht hand ho lds on to al l the cards except t he ot1;\e r Re d Ac e and "'
AS which are retained in a relaxed pa lm up position ~: the left hand. ~
The left hand iS ,just slightly below the spread of car4s held by the
right hand and for the moment all four Aces are plainly visible.
Th e
right hand casually tosses its cards onto the two Aces in the left
hand and the face up cards are squared and then turned fa ce down into ]
' I t he l e ft hand dea ling po s i tio n.
For mor e d e t a il s pl us ill ustrati ons
of this type o f add on see " Th e Knoxville Knock out" else where in this
v olume.

8. The order of the c ard s , after the above add -on move, fro m top
do wn is the AS, a Red Ace, reg ular AC, X card , o t h e r Red Ace,
s tr a n g e r AC,-rhe n the rest o f t he car ds~ The AS is tu r n ed fa ce u p
and dea l tlnto Leader Positi on.
The next threeca'rds are dealt f a c e
down, from left to right, above the AS into the classic T formation.
Again the patter for all these actions is fa irly standard for Ace
effects such as "The Ace of Spades will be the leader Ace for thes e
three."
; . "

,i

"

'

'9 .- The res t o f the packet i s now

turned face up into the left h and
d ealing posi tion.
Spread over abou:
t e n cards or less to sho w that you :
have s ome indifferent c a r d s . Square
up the p ac k e t a n d s ta te tha t you
.1
wi l l pu t s ome cards on each Ace.
L~
With the packet still face up thumb
over three cards but in re -squaring 'l
take only two cards and at once
J
f lip these ov e r a gainst the left
t humb , whi c h l i e s a c ros s t he fa c e
o f th e p a c k e t , thus the c a r d s res t
ag ainst the left thumb , as in the
Fig. 3, and are separa ted from the
re st of the packet.
Fig. 3
1 0. Wi t h t he cards as in t h e Fig. 3 t he r i g h t hand easi ly pi c ks o f f
the supposed 3 cards, really two , from ab ove by the ends t o place them

down, from left to right, above the AS into the classic T formation.
Agai n the patter for all these actions is f a irly standard for Ace
effects such as "The Ace of Spades wi l l be the leader Ace for thes e
three."

l]1 ;,----

I
I
I
I
I
I
II
II
I
I
I

- - . __

.--

_ _ _ _ ..7.1..

....

.. ...

0-

19
onto the sup,posed Ace on the righ t . This packe t will have on l y 3X
cards. ''This time actually thumb over three of the face :cards anawithout re-squaring them the right hand simply flips the~ over onto
the left thumb where the cards will converge and end up ~~s already
sh own in the Fig . 3 . The right hand take s these cards , 'f r om above
by t h e ends, t o pla c e t h em on to t he c e n t e r AC.
Re p e at wit h t h e next
3 fa c e cards t o p lace t h em on to t h e Red Ace-on t h e le f t . Th umb o v e r
o n ly two cards now , h old the last t h r e e cards as on e, to ~h ow 3X cards.
Re- square these cards and place them face down onto the face down AS.
The leader packet, from top down , has a Red Ace , Stranger AC , 3X cards
and the AS.
-- -"I I.
S t a rt i n g wi th the firs t packe t on the lef t , the ri g h t hand uses
t h e t6 p c ar d to scoop up the packe t . Squ a r e u p t he p a cket in to t he
lef t hand . Snap your r i gh t fingers ov e r t h e packet as y ou say , "T his
will cause the Ace to vanish ." Turn the packet face ~up into your l e f t
hand . Since the Ace is the 2nd card from the face Y0~ can't go into
an Elmsley Count ; however, I-aivised a sort of Out Ofl~osition Elmsley
Count that wo r k s . This consists in the left fingertips doing a Buckle
of t h e bottom card as the right fingers a nd thumb grasp the right side
o f tho s e c a r d s above the Buckled ca r d .
I mm e d i a t el y t he lef t h a n d mo v e s
downwa r d a nd for ward, in a s im ulate d c ou nting a c tion , as yo u say,
" On e. " Now simply do t h e res t o f t h e count using the Elms ley Coun t
o f right thumb pushing over two cards and left hand taking these as
at the same time t he single c a r d from the left hand is re-loaded t o
under the card in the right fingers.
This Block take and re loading
action is made on the count of "Two" , then the remaining two c a r d s
are taken, o n e a t a t i me int o t h e left han d dea ling positi on on the
count s o f "T hr e e and Fou r ". Yo u have shown appa re nt ly a l l f o ur ca r ds .
Rep la ce the packet face down to the t a ble in i t s original p os ition .
The Ace is now the top card o f this packet .

12. Pick up the leader packet and place it face up into the left
hand . You now sho w it as containing an AS~2X cards and a Red Ace as
f ollows: Deal over the AS as right hand~aKes it by its right s ide.
The n e x t X card i s deal t -over to under the AS bu t in a side - j ogged or
f ann e d c ondi ti o n . The n ex t i s e i t he r a Bl oCK Pusho f f or Sing l e Bu ckle .
Th e b l o c k is taken under and alongside the other t wo fanned c a r d s.
The single Red Ace is now placed under and alongside the o t h e r three
shown cards to result in a spread of four cards of AS-2X cards and
Red Ace from face to back . Resquare the cards and replace them face
d own into the leader position .

I.

II
I
I
II
!
~I
!

1 3 . Th e ri g h t h and p i cks up th e c e n ter pa cke t a gain us in g its top

ca rd to s c oop up the packet.
Plac e the packet face up i nt o t h e le f t
hand dealing pos ition . Repea t the Ou t Of Positi on E1msley Cou n t a s
per S t e p 11 to seeming ly vanish the Ace. Replace the packet face down
t o its original p osition. The regular AC will n ow be the to p card of
thi s packet .
1 4 . Pic k u p t h e lead er packet plac ing i t face up in t o t h e left hand.
Deal ov e r th e f a ce card , t hen do a Doub l e Buckle to re s ul t in a
s p r e a d of f o ur c a r d s, held between bo t h hands , showin g the AS , X ca r d,

,""VU. .U.~ V

V.L

J" .lJ, J.vv

Q. .U. \..L

J.vu .a.

J. V l,A.

JJ.Q. V 'v

.;:)l.l Vn' l J.

Q,.l:-"t"a. .L v J L l,..Ll

Q...L. .L

..1.Vu. .J.

\,; Q.J.U .::> .

Rep la ce t h e packet face down to the t a bl e in i t s o r i g i n a l p o s ition .

The Ace i s now the top card o f this packet .
12.

Pirk 11n rh e

1p.::l ~p.r

n::lrkp.t a n d

n1::1C"p. i t

f"::JC"P. lln

inf"n f"hp

lpf"t

--

_-..;..-

a __.__ _ "._.._...._." I

_.--=. _----- _.~-..-..:..~. -:~. - --.......:..-- .__ .---_

- ,

.~

~o

AC a nd , Red Ace . Th e left f i ng e r s a nd thumb ke e p the s pr ea d of c ards

wnile 't he r ight hand now t ake s the AS i n t o dealing po si t i.dn follow ed
by taking the block of cards, as one-X card, onto the AS dAd th en
the AC with the 'Red Ace be coming t he fac e c a r d af ter t his ~ t e v e r s e
colint. Repl ace t he lea de r pack et fa c e do wn in t o the l e ft ~a nd dealing pos iti on.
' ,

..

~~

15. With r i ght ha nd s n ap you r ~i nge r s ov er t he packe t on t ~~ r i g ht .

The r i ght hand takes t he leade r packet a nd do es a D'Amico sp read
as the pa ck et is turned f a ce up. Now go into the Elmsley Count which
will a pparent ly show t hat you ha ve f our Ace s . Af ter t he Elms l ey
Coun t yo u will hav e , f r om t he fa ce of t he pac ke t to t he top, th e Red
Ace, AS, s t r a nge r AC, a n d 3X cards. The El msl ey Coun t, usin g t he
D'Am ico 'S pr e a d f o r an ea sys t a r t , is a le ft hand to th e r i gh t hand
coun t . Repl ace the packet , s till fa c e up, in t o t he lef,..t hand d ea l i ng
pos l t1o n.
'
M:
,

II

11

"

~~1

With th e l ea de r packet f acing y ou shi ft the Re d

to belo w the
AS. I n r e -s qu a r i ng get a l eft 4th fingertip break a t t he lowe r right
corn er. Lowe r both hands t o br i ng t he face of the pa cket to v iew as
you say, "Let's put the Ace back." Here do a Double Turnover onto
the face of t h e pa cke t . An AC wi l l s how but since you di d op enl y
shift s ome c a r ds a r ound on l y-you wi l l be aware of t hi s di s c r e p a n c y.
The left ha nd t urn s palm do wnwar d as at t he same t i me t he l e f t t humb
deal s off the fac e down card to f a ce down onto the table. The l eft
ha n d rema ins pal m do wn wh ile the r igh~nd p l a ce s t h e de a lt c a r d on
t op of the last packet. Thi s pack e t will now have f ou r c a r d s wi th
a Red Ace on top.
16.

] :
11

II
.]

~J
,j

)
t r a v e l bac k t o t he l e ader packet . P
]
t he AS is f ace up at the bot tom.

' 1 7. You now seem to c aus e the AS to

The left hand i s still palm do\.vnand
Snap your f i ng e rs ov er the la st pac ket. Nex t , t h e ri ght fin ger s r each
under the f r on t end of th e leader p ack et to pullout the f a ce up AS.
It is i mpo r tant t ha t during th i s t he l e ft hand r emains p a lm down 'a nd
also has move d clos e r to t he edge of t he tab l e . Whe n the AS i s r e,mov e d you s ay, "The Ac e ha s come back. 1I

f.

Ii

"

r
I

'

...

.--

, ' jJ

]
.

Fig. 4
18.

Fig. 5

Th e r i ght hand starts to move to wards th e packet on y our le ft.

,.

~ I~
]
'1

' 1 7. You now se em to c aus e the AS t o t rav e l bac k t o t he l e ader packe t .

The left hand is s till palm dowri and the AS is f ace up a t the bot tom .
Snap your f i ng e rs ov er the la st pac ket. Next, th e rig ht fin ger s r each
under the f r on t end of the le ader p ack et to pullout th e fa c e up AS.
It is i mpo r t a nt th a t during t his the l e ft hand rem ains palm down 'a nd

P] I':'
II

~
~

I:

21

II
I

Du r i n g t h i s time the lef t hand, s til l palm d own and ho ldi ng t h e pa cket
in a s a~ t of' Gl id e Posi ti o n , g li des bac k th e bottom s t ra nger AC f o r
a bo ut an inch. By th is time the l e f t hand has moved a lsb inward, towards the body, until the packet's upper left c o r n e r onlf rests on
t h e table's edge as shown in the Fig. 4 , a top view . Fr&m the bottom
n o t e that the pUlled back stranger AC 1s free o f t h e tab ~e edg e. This
i s im p orta n t and is s hown in the F i~ ~ .

"~

.."1'-",

I
I

I:

I
!.

':

19 . The action of the right hand affords ample mi s d i r e c t i 'cn f or the

glide and the proper positioning of the packet , in the left hand, near
t h e table's edge . The right hand turns over t h e t op card o f the packet
on y o ur le f t t o s how a Re d Ac e as y ou sa);: , " And t hi s Ac e went b ac k ."
20. The right hand moves to take the leader packet by the extreme
. u p p e r right corner only. The packet remains still with its upper left
c orner -touching the table's edge . Once the right hand has grasped the
l e ad e r packe t by the extreme r i g ht corner , wi th t hum~:o n to p a n d 1 s t
finger below, the lef t hand l e t s go t o move towards t~e center paCKet.
The stranger AC is automatically free to drop invisibly into the lap.
The left hand-rurns the top card of the center packet face up t o show
the AC as you continue with, "Thi s Ace has come back."
21 . The left hand retakes the leader packet b a c k i n to a glide posi t i on leaving the right hand free to turn the t op card of the final
packet face up to show the third Ace as you repeat, "This Ace has
corn e back ." The left hand now turns palm up t o spread o u t its thr ee
X car ds as y o u c oncl u de wi th , " And t h e s e thr ee cards hav e corn e b ack."
22. To clean-up the left hand casually drops into the lap and palms
the s t r a n g e r AC. The left hand goes to the left side coat pocket and
leaves the stranger AC while the balance of the borrowed de ck is re mov ed t o b e hande d ba ck to the spectator . In th e even t t ha t y ou do
t h e effect s tanding at the ta ble , t,h e n the f o l l owing hand movement s
are made .

.f

-tr
'I '
~q

l~

I:,,

R
,r

I'

It
Ii:

In t h i s c a s e the leader packet must be in th e left hand dealing

23 .
pos itio n afte r y ou have s h own tha t the AS ha s co rn e b a ck. Ag a in y o u
start with the right hand t u r n i n g o v e r tne Ac e o n to p o f the left
p a c k e t.
The right hand takes the leader packet, from above by the
e n d s, while le ft hand goes to turn over the Ace on top of the center
p a c k e t.
The l e f t hand comes back t o retake the leader packet back
into a d e al i n g p o siti on a s t he rig h t h an d tu rns ov er the Ac e on top
o f t he packet on the right. Th e r igh t hand takes th e leader pa cket
a g a i n from above by the ends but this time the right 4th and 1 st
fingers straddle the outer end. Meantime the l e f t harra-does a-Gam b I e r ' s Cop and drops casually t o the side whil e the right hand fan s
o ut i t s thr e e face d own cards . The rig ht ha nd t osses i ts fan of 3X
c a r d s face uo alongside the lead e r AS . The ef fec t havi ng b e e n su-r=f ic ien t l y abs orbed by your audience-rhe left hand goes to the left
s i de c o a t pocket to leave the s t r a n g e r AC behind while the rest of
t h e deck is removed to be replaced on t o-rhe table with the o t h e r cards.
NOTES: At Step 14 where y o u reverse c ount the AS , t h e block, the
s t r a n g e r AC, and Red Ace you may find yourself con scious o f that large

~ne
s~ranger AL.
tne ~ eI~ nana gues ~u ~ne leI~ Sloe coa~ pocKe~ ana
leaves the stranger AC while the balance of the borrowed deck is r e mov ed t o b e hande d back to the spec ta to r.
In th e even t t ha t y ou do
th e effect standing at the ta ble , t hen the f ollowing hand movement s
are made.

,.

.....

1..

J
I

block of three cards or even flashin g its thickness by the flaring out '
of th ese three cards.
To avoid all this when it comes time to sho w
.
the l~~der ~acket as havin g three Ac es and a n X card simply do the
followin g:
Push over the AS, then Doubl e Buckle . ~oll?w ' ~Y the left ,
thumb pulling over the face X card to th e l eft. Th1S w1l1 present a

single ed ge along the left sIde of the block of 3 cards. Th e left 1 s t

finger along the top edge will conceal the th~ckness at th~ fro~t e~ ~
Next, r e - s q ua re th e p ac k et but ge t a br e a k, W1 th th e Le f t . 4,th f i.n g e r - ,!1
tip, b elo w the 3X cards. The right hand g r a sps the e n ds o f i t he p acket,
from above, witn-the ri ght 1st f i n g e r curl ed on the face of \t h e pack et. ~
Th e l e ft f i nge rs a nd thumb p u l l away the b ottom t wo Ace s and the fa ce ~
AS wh i le the ri ght h a n d holds onto th e bloc k o f 3X cards as a p p a r e n t l y ~
on e singl e card. The l eft fingers and thumb at onc e spr ead out its
. thr ee Aces.
Th e AS is t aken to under the c ard(s) in the ri ght hand
,
but is l eft sid e-JOg g ed to the lef t for a bo u t an inch.
The left t h umb ~
follows b y d ealing th e s t ra nge r AC onto th e f a c e of the c ard s h eld i n
the right hand. Thi s is follow edb y th e Red Ace b einK ~l aced onto.
the str an g er AC.
Square up the lea der p ac k et a n d y o u ~ ~ n repl ace l t
fac es do wn to~h e t abl e . The leader p a c ke t i s no w ready for the subsequen t Elmsl ey Count.
Anot her th ing, instead of iirst doing the Double
Buckle, to show 3 Aces and X card, .simply go directly into the Doubl e '
Buckle and Peel Out actions-that result in the right h and holding the l '
bloc k o f X c ards, as one, wh i l e the left fin g ers a n d thumb spr e ad out is
the three-Aces.
Now take the AS under the card(s) in right hand wi t h
the left thumb dealing the AC and Red Ace, one onto the other, onto the
l
fac e of the X c ards(s).
Continue with rest of routine.

Wheri arriving at the stage where you are about to show

thr ee Aces and an X card inst e ad of the Double Buc kl e some may p ref e r
~
to u s e t h e Bl oc k Ascanio as f o l l ows : The righ t h and hold s t h e le ad e r
pac ket, fa ce up, fro m above b y the e n d s . Th e ri ght h an d rests its
packet, in a sort of out-jogged position for about half its length,
~
acro ss the left first fi nger.
Both hands move away from each other
~
as the bottom Re d Ac e comes into vi ew. At the s a me time th e ri gh t
hand moves i t s card s do wnward wher e the left 3rd fingertip can contact
the next bottom card to move out the stranger AC tp the left, do wn~
jogging it but not nec e ssaril y in line with the-aut-jo g ged Red Ac e.
At once the ri ght hand mo v e s it cards up more or less along side the
out-jogged Red Ace where the le ft thumb now also contacts the fac e
AS. Th left thumb k e ep s the AS in place as the right h ~nd move s it s
DIock of cards downward more or less alongsid e the out -jo g ged Red Ac e
where the le ft thumb now also contacts the fac e AS.
Th e left thumb
1
keeps- the AS in pl ace as the ri ght hand moves itS-block o f c ards
downward more or less a l ong s i d e th e do wn-jo gg ed stra n g er AC. The
right hand maintains ' i t s hold on this block of 3 cards ana-since the
block is also cov ered by the AS above it all thIckness is concealed
at this point thus you can displ ay the cards for a s long as y o u wish,
as is shown in the Fig. 6.
Study the po sition of the c ards in the
Fig. 6 and you will get a good idea of the actions required to form
the spread.

.'l

~ l

-i l

11

With the spread out card s as in the Fi g. 6 th e right

hand, still holding its block from above by th e ends, mov es out the

J
.J
]

Wh'en a r r i v i.n g at the stage wh e r e you are about to show

three Ac es and a n X card inst e ad of the Double Bu ck le some ma y prefe r
~
to u s e t h e Bl ock Ascanio a s f o l low s : The r i gh t h and h old s t h e le a d er

__

_ 1

"

j.

Fig. 6

that the spectators

the cards.
Be sure
sees the f u l l faces
n ow serves a double

bl ock c l e a r of the three Ac es.

The right hand moves it s cards to
pick up the AS to under t h e block.
This is follo wed by t~e left thumb
dealing the s t r a n g e r l c onto the
face o f the card s in 'the right hand
with the Red Ace plac~d last onto
th e str anger AC. The :packet is
squared a n d r e plac ed f~fe do wn to
the table . You are aIJ\~ 'set for the
subsequent Elmsl e y Count to later
show as f o ur Aces .
One final impo rtant ob servati on. When most mag icians do th e
Ascanio Spr e ad they seem to do it
more for their own view.
Thi s means
get a chance to see the edges, a &~ front end, o f
you tip the cards well forward s b'<:tha t the audi enc e
and not just an oblique view.
Th ls as you can s ee
purpose, yours and theirs.

.:

---:"~ . - _._
- ....,..'_ _ _ - ~ --.--qr

i'

..
24 ,

."/'

The a s s e mbly of Aces is a classic. It has withsto od th e te st of...!fj.m

e and
,> has fascinat ed u nt ol d l aym e n for ov e r one-hundred and t we nt y - three y ea r-s . It
has even outli v ed tink ering. t widdling magicians--each looking for an ultimate
m ethod, each adding to the litter of variations. That's another mark of a class ic:
its problematic aspects continually challenge new generations of magi ci ans ,
Wh en did this classic originate? Scot' s Disc ov e r y of Witch craft (1584)?
Ther-ein i s written : IINow to deli v e r fou r A ces and conv ert the m int o four Kna v es. II
This is a t r a n s for mation effe ct . The classic A c e As sembly i s a: wans p o s it i o n
or transition routine : t h r e e Aces join a leader Ace by chan ging if1flces wit h three
. X cards in this leader p acket.
~;,
John North Hilliard claims the plot wa s introduc ed by J. N. Ponsin in
1853. Early v ersions us ed a variety of sleights, all with t he same objective: to
sec retly get th e three Aces into th e leader packet. This was usually done through
palming. a di r ect and expe r t approach. Consequently it r emained a professional
magician 's trick.
Whe n we re double-faced cards int roduc ed ? By whom? Althou gh difficu lt
to pinpoint, a l ogi ca l guess cent ers on T h eodore De Lan d . He m anufactured a nd
marketed many g a ffed c a r d t ri cks in t he e ar ly 19 00' s . Walte r Gi bson wrote about
De L a nd' s tric kery in t he Conjuror's Ma gazin e (Octob e r-1 945) and i n clu de d De
Land's F our -A ce Trick, using double-faced cards. in his Complet e Illustrated
Book of Card Magic (1 969).
De Land eliminated sleight-of-hand, making th e double-fac ed cards do
the "work". His version was innovative and baffling in its time. But one still
paid a pric e. Gaffs, especially whe n relied uponto accomplish all the wor k,
necessitate indire ct p roc edu res, gra t uitou s handli ng s, a n d oft en c reate di sc r ep ancies. Thes e as pects s e ldom t rouble dilettant es, but a re v e ry unsettling t o
the minority of puri s ts . The y a r e res p on s i ble fo r combi ning gaffs w ith sle i gh ts
to produc e s tronger, mor e magical- lookin g m iracles.
In the late 1930's T. Page Wright came up with a fresh angle. He made
the standard Ace Assembly into a poker deal, using a commercial presentation
approach: a story about a one-armed gambler. Since he used three double-faced
Aces. how about this bit of conjecture? Did this routine inspire th e McDonald
Aces?

As this capsule-history progresses, we move to Bill M or t on ' s "Gr-eatest

Four Ace Tri c k" in Hu gard 's Magi c Month ly (April - 1944) . This meth od also u s e s
three double -faced Aces. It appears in t wo ot h er sources: My B est (1945) and
Magic in the M ode r n M a nne r (1 949). Sleigh t -of-hand is still m inimi zed.
In 1947 Daley and Horowit z publish a manuscript called A ces High, a
step in the right direction. Here sleight-of-hand was potently combined with
gimmickry. It would not be a great success. It required skillful Bottom Dealing.
In 19 48 Tarb ell published h is fifth volume and liThe Conju rer 's Four-Ace
Myst ery " which seems to combine De Land 's approach with T. Page Wright's
handling of the A ce v ani she s

....,.-

.a,...J ....................

......

... . _

.. ..

_ LJ

..... ....4

"' ...... _

...

.&.J~

....

_.L _ ... . .. . . . . . . 6

........... 4

....... _

...

...

... .., ....

...."

............ "'"

.......... _

... .......

.A.-'_

Land's F our-A ce Trick. using double-faced cards. in his Complet e Illustrated

Book of Card Magic (1 96 9).
De Land elim i na t e d sleight-of-hand. making th e double-faced cards do

I
t

t
I

25
Along comes dandy Don Alan with his sure-fire double-fac ed Ace routine,
publ1:shed fn Pretty Sn eaky (1956) as lilt Can't Be .. " This r-outine, by the way,
inspired Ke n K re nze l ' s enrich ed ve r s i on . His v ersion, in turn, fo".med t he basis
for Frank Garcia's handling of t he M c Donald A c e s . St udents should consult M - U-M
(August- 1961 ) fo r Krenze l' s column. "Those Extr a T ou ches" . 'I'he Ii nnova ti on h ere
was an imp ortant one . In Krenzel' s wo rd s : "In orde r t o ext ract the fullest in s u b tlety fr o m this h oary pri n ci ple, I v ani sh the 3 b ogus Ace s in 3 diffe r ent ways.
(My unde r li ni ng)
.\~.
Thi s brings u s to Dai Vernon's More Inner Secrets of Card Magic and
"McDonald' s $ 10 0 Routine" . Therein L ewis Ganson wrot e: " . . this vers ion is so .
clean in op e ration that there a p pea rs no possibility of trickery. II Too-perfect
Theorists would say, "That's th e trouble .. " Purists say. "The r outine is v e ry
good. but there are many quibbles , T h e init i a l s wit ch is a bi t c ontri v ed . " Then
one rem em be r s some line s .fr om the Dal ey - Horow it z m anu s c _r-i
.. . p t :
~.y .
" In m e t hods
where dou bl e - face d cards a r e us ed , y ou a r e told to lay t he ca t~ s out in a crazy
order o f patterns . some fa ce - up a n d som e fa ce - down . T h ey a r e gathe red up .
laid out in rows, th e process be ing r epeated s e v e ral t imes until the doubl e -faced
cards are in the right position to proceed. II
Don 't g et me wrong. t he McDonald
Aces plays ext remely well. For me it was a n inspi rational star ting point . The
Olram Ace s i s m y atte m pt to g o beyond M c Dona l d' s A ce r ou t ine .
The Olram A ce s is a tribute to the geniu s of E dw a r d Marlo and s hows
how Marlo's lifetime wo r k h a s s t eadily i nflu e nce d m e . My c om bi nation wou ldn 't
e xist without m y fam i liarity with t he following Marl o effe ct s a nd t echniqu es :
The Rea l Gone Aces (all m ethod s ), Unlimit ed Count. Olram Subtlety. Bluff Ace
Assembly. KB V Aces, and Marlo's Aces. My combination also attempts to
emulate Marlo I S mast e ry of d etail, a nd its procedure tries to a rrange its parts
properly; to make max imum us e of the gaff's Like K r-enz e l, I v a ni s h each Ace
in a diffe r ent wa y ; howev e r , I aiso wanted e a ch v-anish -transition-transpos ition
to be succe ssiv ely s t r ong er . In fa ct , t h e last Ace i s only a t r ansition since a n
X card i s di sc a rded. This offe rs cardmen a nothe r 'avenue t o pursu e .
The Olram A ces h a s been a u di ence -t est e d on laymen and m agicians .
I' m not fo olhardy enough to say it's t h e "great e st " or " u lti m a t e ' I ve r s i on . If
anything. I hope t o inspires som eone to find anoth er. b etter way. U nt il then
I'll pit the Olram Aces against any four-Ace routine making such fl eeting claims .

- J on Rache rbaumer
March - 1976

The Rea l Gone Aces (all m et h ods ), Unli mit ed Count. Olram Subtlety, B lu ff Ace
Assembly. KB V Aces, and Marlo 's Aces . My combination also att empts to
emulate Marlo I S mast e ry of d etail, a nd its procedur e tries to a rrange its parts

,__

J.

1_ _

_ ....L- _ ..--.

-=.:... ~

f,. 1__.-L . ~ _ ."..,,_

!'n:..:r.. _.

REQUIS IT E S
(l) T hre e dou ble - fa ced cards consist ing Ace a n d X card combinati~,~s. T h e s e
double- fac ers can b e any combination a s long as they includ e the ACi - AH AD. F or purpos e s of this expl a n a ti on I' v e cited specific ca r ds to av~id confusion.
Make ne c ess ary sub stitutions when n ec es s ary. (2) Four r e gular Aces. (3) Nine
r e gula r X cards wh i ch includ e at least five Court card s .
\i:'"

\ ',

SET- UP
Set the cards fr om the face in the following order: AD - AH - A C - AS - A C ! 2C A H / 7H - A D / 9 D - J H - 4H - K C - 6H - KH - 8 D - J C - 3H - Q H.
T h e underlined
car d s of each double -facer shou ld be uppermost. In ot h e r words . t hi s underlined
si de should be fac ed w ith t he fac es of th e r e gu l a r cards in the :~t - up . The ph ot o graph be i ow shows the s et-up i n a r i b bon- s p r e ad cond iti on . Th~i dotted card s
a r e dou b l e - fa c ers.
'::

..

:l\li

I
~
~
WORKING
1) Introduce the 16 -card packet a n d explain : 111' 11 s how you the oldest card
myst e r y in the h i s t o.ry of magi c ... th e mystery of th e four Ace s . " Hold the
card s fa c e - u p i n your left hand . Sec r etly obtain a break under th e upp ermos t
seven ca rd s. Thi s c an be done s e v eral ways . but it 's e a si est t o spread t he
cards qui ckly and g e t y our b re ak as they' re r e-squar ed .
2) Thumb ov er th e upp ermost four Aces (regular) and remove them wit h your
right hand in a fann ed c ondition. Your left h and s i m u lta ne ous ly turns palm down
(wrist t u rn a ct io n ) t o "ki ll " t he AC on th e fac e of th e talon. P a t te r : "I'v e oft en
wond er ed why magici ans fav or th e Aces . T he pictur e card s a r e far more color ful . alm o s t li ke a stained glas s window . but t he A c e s rema i n th e fa vo r ed
cards . . at l east they' make a good po ke r ha nd . no ? " Ext e nd th e fanned Ace s
towards the spe ctator and s h ow t h e c a r d s 'on both s id e s.

[]I
. .
:1L~.:;,. ~.,. ;, .;,:.~"",,:._., _ ,.:;",),c:i_J:,;,, ,~.l.o. ,
..

..

...

..

. _. _._

~;-: . .:_~~'-._ ~.N"' -,,,:. ~...;~._..... . . .J. . ,. ;i/:..;.L.~~.:..~.__:;t .. .;::-....' _~..:..__..', ~ . :.:.... .!". .~"". __ ._. .;.,,0..~~_:._ . ,_ . 3.'t;;S~;",. .
1

__

. ..

27

3) Invite the spectator to touch the Aces as shown in PHOTOGRAPH L This

invitation instantly involves the spectator in a tactile way. al Iowing him to
"feel" everything is fair. Patter: "Touch these magical Aces. Ma.~e sure
I'
,.
there are only four cards. no more. no less.
" ~
?..

:'?-

-,,

I
iI

...

PHOTOG RA PH 1
4) Square the fanned Aces against your left thumb and above the talon as shown
in PHOTOG RA PH 2. Once again time the action so the A C on the face of th e
talon isn't flash ed. When you're at th e position shown in PHOTOGRAPH 2.
your right hand immediately lifts all the cards above your break (7) and brings
them up to your extended left fingertips as shown in PHOTOGRAPH 3. Note
that the cards are held in your right hand by the ends and the fingers hide the
packet's thi c kness f rom the front end. Your left fingers e x ecute the standard
side- squaring actions.

t
I

PHOTOGRAPH 2

PHOTOGRAPH 3

4) Square the fanned Aces . against your left thumb and above the talon as shown
in PHOTOGRAPH 2. Once again ti me th e action so the A C on the fac e of th e
talon is n' t fl ashe d . Wh e n vou' re a t th e nosition s h ow n in PHOTOnRA PH 2 .

... .. .

1\l~ ...

c..JI.i;...:re..:.......;

28

,a
8) You r ri ght hand com es back a gain and y ou r l eft thumb cleanly p e els th e
n e xt ~A.ce i n t he s ame manner . Th e AH goes o nto a nd n e atly c over s the AD
ju s t p eele d. T h i s is repeate d with the A C. You r r ight h and n ow h olds fi ve
c a rds a s a single AS . The thumb break i s still maintained between th e up p e rmost Aces and th e stolen JR.

~.

9) Fin ally y ou r right hand mov e s ba ck toth e s t arting positi on show n in P HOTO G RAPH 2 wh e reu pon th e JH i s unl oa d ed a nd l e ft on th e l eft-hand t alon. T h e
. ri.ght-h and car d s ar e imm e di a te ly brought back to th e squaring position s h ow n
in PHOTOG RA PH 3.
,

10) Y ou r right han d tables its fou r cards and spreads t he m on t h e table a s
show n i n PHOTOGRAPH 4 . T h e patter li ne for Step s 6 through 9 is : "We h a v e
t h e A ce of Diam o nds , A c e of He a r ts, A ce of Clubs, a nd the leader A c e of
Sp a des .. " T he p eeling -di s play actio n s hould be fluid a nd delibera te . You
have good reason t o na m e and fu r t h e r dis play th e A c e s . The action, of cour-s e ,
switches th r e e regular Aces for thre e double-faced A c es. T he fa ce card of
the talon (JH) rema i n s on t he fac e and ev e rything loo ks copac eti c. (Note:
Compar e this switching technique with th e topsy-turvy switch used in McDonald I s
Aces and you'll readily s e e th e differ ence in t erms of open dir ectness. ) Sinc e
you sublimina lly dir ect ed att ent i on t o the JH at Step 5, since it r e mains on t h e
face of t h e talon a fte r the secr e t switch, n~ s uspicion wi ll be a rous ed.
11) Your right hand flips t h e l eft-h and talon fa c e - dow n . Now d e a l the cards
face-down onto t he t a ble as y ou audi bly c ount t h em , This c ounti ng r use is
two-fold: (1) It s uhl i mi na Ily show s all bac ks ; (2) It b rings th e thre e regular
Aces to th e top of th e face-down talon. Deal 11 cards onto the table, snap
the 12th anduse it to scoop up the tabl ed cards. Place these 12 "other" cards
aside.

ot

.r l I H::t. ~ J..j'

"y v u r

~ J. blJ L Jla. l1 U

.L l l.U V t:: ~

U i::l \,;t\.

LU . Ll l t::::

~ t.c(J. L ~1. J~

fJU O L l". J.U.L-l

v JJU VV J.J .l.JJ . .L J..J \"J.l \ J -

G RAPH 2 wh e reu pon th e JH i s unl oa d ed a nd l e ft on th e l eft-hand talon. T h e

. ri.ght-h and car d s ar e i m m ediat ely brought back to th e s qu a r i ng position s h ow n
in PHOTOG RA PH 3.

,t

29

12) Your right hand arranges the tabled Aces into the configuration shown in
PHQTOGij,APH 5. The uppermost Aces, of course, are doubl e-facers. The
AS at the ap ex is a regular A ce. .
..
,

",

:'

.-,. .

, .f .
~

I
[

I
~.

PHOTOG RAPH 4

I
I

II
I
I

t
PHOTOG RA PH 5
13) Patt er: "The Ac es are arrang ed into t h e garnb le r Is T-formation or what's
sometimes call ed the 'mystic tria ngle r " Pick up the tabled talon and place
it into a fac e -down d e aling p o s ition i n y ou r l eft hand. Thumb ov er th e top 3
cards (A c e s ) and tak e th em as a fa n - o f - t h ree in y ou r right hand. Use them as
a "pointer" as you t ouch e a ch t a b le d Ace and say, "I'm g o i ng toplac e thre e
cards on t op of each A c e .. " Replac e th es e three cards, but retain a left 4th
fingertip break below th em.

-- .....-.. .
~

;- _ . _ - - -..~ -- ~~ .--

.'

..

~ - " -~ - - ~.r "' - ""

.- ,....,....- - - - "": .- ._-

.~

.-

~
-

A ~ _ ..-~.

..

----~--n_-_::

_
I

~~

: - ' - :: _ _
. ~
_

..-.....-._

...... .........:.::._

_ .. __ ~

...l'~

30

14) Your right thumb and 2nd fi n g e r grip the left upper and lower c o r n e r s of
, thetalorr as shown in PHOTOGRAPH 6. Th e talon is now rotated face-sup in
a clockwi se di rection (l i k e t urning the pag e of a book ). You r l eft 4th}"fingertip
mai nt a ins its break. The tip of this finger is mo re or le s s a g ainst th e op enin g
form ed by the break. T h i s fing e r m u st remain in place a nd acts as ~ p ivot
point in the turnover action.
::
.

..

.....

"

Ii

. I

PHOTOG RAPH 6
1 5} O nce t h e t alon i s face-up as s h own i n PHOTOGRAPH 7, t h e r egula r Ace s
will be angl e- jogged automatically. Note , too , t hat t h e JH i s once m o re on
the face of th e ta l on . You r ri ght hand covers t h e jogged Aces at the lower
right corn e r.

.J
'~

\.

I~

f
J l

;,

J "

., ." .

t: ':

"

. -.'

PHOTOG RA PH 7
16) A s your r i gh t ha nd m ove s i nt o a s nug K . B. M ove pos ition, once again
,h o l di ng th e e nt ire p a c k et fr om abov e and by th e ends, your l eft 4 t h fingertip
pulls down on the angle-jogged A ces and gets a break ,a b ov e them.
~<J I

V Il ~ <;::

UJ<;::

Ld.J. UU

.I.;:)

J.C1~<;:: -UP

d.::>

;:;HU WH U l . . - n V.1 Vu.n.,n...-n

"

LH ~

re gul a r

fiL: ~ ::;

will be angl e- jogged automatically . Note , too , that the JH i s once m o re on

the face of th e ta l on . You r ri ght hand covers t h e jogged Aces at the lower
right corner.
. ,

'---

~.

...

,.ill,"'. . . . . .
~

..;,"',:k.."""',!.,

" .

,,, , lIJJ.,;", ,. ~C"_.';'",',",,-, ~lli.b ."'''~.~ __ .""'-.'.. ,,;,,;.;;..,,. .. ... :L .~._. ~i:4~~~._.,__"::;.jh"i.'.>.""",".:.,_..." . ,L.-.Jt
..

~I

..;.""~_,..z....'~~..w"'~~"-,,""'"..,.'-.,~_ ......... ~-..

!l
[

\ ,f

31

17) You're now set to apparently show all (?) the X cards by using Marlo's
display technique from his "K. B. V. Aces", Please don't assume you're doing
too much "proving", This display is logical and the proving is subliminal as
.y ou set the stage for the actual "transposition phases ", In other";words, you're
pointing up the "fairness" of the situation by clarifying what carers are used
and their emphatic disposition. You're not "r-unning without bein~{ chased" as
Al Baker would say. Instead you're nullifying possibilities before they're suspected.
. "\~i-.

...

~;."

'l..;-,

18) With your right hand still holding the cards in the Kardyro- Biddle position,
your left thumb peels off the 1st card on the face (JH); however, the three Aces
below the break are secretly stolen in perfectly alignment below the peeled
card. The cards should go in a Deep Mechanic's position in your left hand.
Also a very fine left 4th fingertip break must be maintained between the Aces
and the first peeled card.
0;
" ' ,~

19} The next card is peeled fairly. Wh en the 3rd card is pei:l'~d, re-steal the
two X cards above your break beneath the right-hand talon. After these actions
the audience will as sume you've peeled three X cards into your left hand. Your
left hand actually holds four cards--three Aces and an X card. Their order
from the top (face) is: 3H - AD - AH - AC.
20) Your right hand tables the talon face-up and to the right, then picks up
the AS and places it face-up onto the cards in your left hand. Your patter for
Steps 18 through 20 should be: " I'm going to place three different cards with
each Ace; however, I'm going to show you the faces of thes e cards (pause) ..
I don't want you to think I'm using more than four Aces .. I'll place these
three cards below the Leader Ace .. "
21) Table the Leader packet at its apex position in the layout. Pick up the talon
and get the cards into the K. B. Move position, Peel the 1st card fairly. Peel
the 2nd card fairly but hold a left 4th fingertip break below it. As' you peel the
3rd card, re-steal the card above your break. Your left hand, supposedly holding three cards, only holds two.
22) Your left hand turns palm down and deposits this "pair" face-down onto '
the face-up AC. Sidejog them to the right as shown in PHOTOGRAPH 8.

PHOTOGRAPH 8

21) Table the Leader packet at its apex position in the layout. Pick up the talon

.. ".

_ ~_

.. ~' .:W " _ . ,

._

23) Yo u r left h a nd repeats a fair th ree - card p e el and places them fa c e - down
onto the fa c e - u p AH. Onc e a ga i n the X c ards a r e side- jogged a s i n St ep 22 ,
PHOTOGRAPH 8.
':,

24 ) Your right hand makes a on e - h a n d fan with the remaining three qa r d s .

These are likewi s e placed face-down onto t h e face -up A D . At this p oint the
l ay ou t shou l d look li ke P HO T OGRAP H 9.
. ~~,!-' -.

'~"

\
,
'
\
[fJ
~

\\

. !

I
~

.
.'

'1

P HO T OG RAP H 9

.J

2 5 ) Pick up th e Leader packet and place them fa c e - u p into y our l eft hand
(d e aling position) . Your right hand removes the AS a nd uses it as a p oint e r to
tap each of the other A ces a s you say. " T hese A ce s . be lieve it or not . a re
going t o join the Leader A ce one- a t - a - tim e . . inv isib ly ... a nd i n slow m otion! "
R e plac e t he AS on top and t able the Leader packet i n its rightful' place in t he
tableau.
-.
26) Pick up the AD-pac ke t and spr ead the cards b etw e en y ou r h and s . Square
th e cards and as k, " Wh ich Ace is h ere ? " Wh e n th e AD is named y ou r left
fingertips slide the AD to the left and into a side-j ogged p ositi on. Prior to
t h i s a cti on , however, y ou r left 4th fingertip bu ckle s the A D a nd angle -jogs
the c ard 2nd f rom th e bott om . N ow when th e A D is s li d to t he l eft y ou ' ll fe el
a "click" when it cle a r s t h e l eft e dg e of the jogg ed card. On ce t he A D i s cle ar,
pu sh it ba ck to the ri gh t and fl ush with the other c a r d s. (Not e: This dis pla c e.- ment technique is M ar lo 'S a n d h a s been applied in oth er ways, most n otab ly i n his
"Real G one A ces " .)
2 7 ) The f ac e- up AD i s n ow secretly 2nd from the bottom and in position fo r an
Elmsley C ou nt. Say, " Wa t ch the Ace of Diamonds disappear II G iv e the c a r d s
an E l msley Count a nd place th e l ast card on the b ottom . The audience w i ll see
" a ll backs ". The fa c e - u p AD h as a pp a r e ntly tur ne d face- down or h as chan g e d
places w it h a n X car d in th e L e ad e r pack et. T he e ffect a t this point i sn't compl et ely cle a r. hence you a dd: "Some people thi nk I' v e m e re ly t u rn ed th e Ac e of
Di amonds fac e-d own o r th at I'm somehow hiding the car d i n s ome c lever
m anner .. " He re you fli p th e c a r ds face -up into your left hand in preparation
fo r Marlo 'S " Ol r am Su btlety ". To wit :

2 5) Pick up th e Leader packet and place them fa c e - u p i nt o y our l eft h and

(d e aling p osition) . Y our right h a n d removes the AS a nd uses it as a p oint e r to
tap each of t h e oth e r A ces a s you s a y . " T hese Aces. be lieve it or not. are
__ .;_ _ + .....

: _ .:..... ...'\.... ......

_ ...... ....:1 _ _

1\ _ ......

...... _ .....

_ .4-

__

""- : ~ .....

':

': ~ ': l- ' _ _

_~--1

~_

.... 1 ..........

.L :

_ ~1

1'

i F,
] .11

.J
:

,~

.) i.

,
...-[ {j. J.,,;;.

~ ',. -

14_"

, ~.,# ~

;..,

_._~

:.. ", .:..,.,.f!!

33

28) Your right hand takes the top (face) card and holds it fa ce-up as shown in
PHOTOGRA PH 10. Now both hand t u rn palm down as shown in PHOTOGRAPH
11. 't h u s sh ow ing "back s 1 r . Bot h han ds s i m ult aneously t u rn palm up, wh e reu pon
the right h and d rop s i t s c a rd s fac e -up onto the table and th e l e ft t bymb push e s
off its top (f a c e) card--a dou ble- fa c er-- so that it falls fa ce- u p ont o the table. ,
Your ri ght hand i m me diately t akes the top card of the r e maining p ai r and both
hands r epeat th e palm -down ba c k- s h owing m a neuve r . T he cards a rle r eturned
to a face-up pos it i on, th en e a ch hand d rops its r espe cti v e card fac e-up onto t h e
table. You 've a pparently shown t h e fa c es and backs of e a c h card. NQ.Ace!
""

PHOTOGRAPH 10

,-

PHOTOGRAPH 11

1"

29) Say. " .. You see . the Ace of Diamonds has truly vanish ed! II Scoop up
the four X c a r d s (?), square th e m, turn th e cards fa c e - d ow n , and table th em
to the right as shown in P HO T OG RAP H 12. This w i ll b e the discard pile.

),

r~r - -- '

Ii-'

l:j
'
I~

--'- ._-_.__.PHOTOG RAPH 10

"

L:.:.....__ . w _

~_

....

34 '

,'

..

' .

,I
. .~

' t '

"

. .' ,
\
,

\~' .
~,

PHOTOGRAPH 12
: ,C
30) Pic k up t h e L eader Ac e packet and spread the uppermost t~!-'i:,cards to rev e al the AS - X card - AD. P a tt e r : "Look! T h e Ace of Diamond sd s ov e r her-e l "
Squ a r e t h e cards and replace in the tableau. ( This subtlety i s fr~m Marl;s I
Bl uf f Ace Ass emb ly.)
3 1) Pick up the AH-packet, using the three s ide - jogg e d a s a scoop after t hey're
t u r n e d face-up . Spread t he c a r d s m omentarily, then square them as y ou get a
left 4th fin g e rt ip bre ak b e l ow t he uppe r most two cards . You r r ight hand g r i ps
these two cards at their lower right corner as shown i n PHOTOGRAPH 13 .
Not e that y our th umb i s below, you r 1st and 2nd fingers are on t op .

1
.1
j .

,]

'j

J,

PHOTOGRAPH 13

J~' t~

32 ) Turn this " dou b l e " 'face -down as y ou r right hand turns palm upwards, r ot ating the cards away from your body in a clockwise, end -over-end m ovement.
While this h a p p en s y our left thumb simultane ou s ly push es ov e r the top card of
the remaining pair .
ow i n s e r t the "doubl e" into the "V " as shown in PHOTO G RA P H 14 . Push th e " dou b l e" downwards and flush as you square the cards .
(Note : This m ove i s used by Alex E lmsley in his "Pour Ca r d Tric k" . In t h i s
caseit not only sets the cards f o r Step 33, it a l s o s ubli mi nally s hows t he AH
to a pparently have a normal " ba c k" . )

J~
~

--

--

..35

,,:

.1

.,

I
I

"

-,
,

\~. ,

...

...
PHOT OG RAPH 14
. :'0

~~ ..

33) F li p the cards f a c e- down i nto your l e ft h and. Execu te an\ $;lm s l ey Count to
seemingly show a s i ngle face - u p A H am o ngst th r e e f ac e -dmvn ;\X c ar ds . P l ace
th e last card of the " c ount" on top. Ask t h e s pectator to name the face -up
c a r d . When he says "A ce of Hearts" you c ounter with : "That ls right ... the
E i gh ts of He a rt. . " He re y ou execute a n ot her Elm sley C ount to. s h ow a fa c e -up
8H. The A H appears to vis ibly ch a ng e int o t h e 8H. When you d o thi s secon d
Elmsley C oun t , outjog the face -up 8H and put the last c a rd of the " count" on
top. (Not e: The AH-8H gag is a Marlo i de a used in s e v e ral of h i s publish ed
and unpu blish ed r outin es. )
34 ) Remove th e BH and place it face -u p onto the table without s howing i t s back.
Turn th e oth e r th re e card s f ac e - up and de al them fa c e-up ont o th e table, thus
disclosin g fo ur X car ds. No Ace! F i nally p i ck up the 8H , turn it ov e r to show
' it s b ack as you say, "There's no Ace here . 'I Use the 8H a s a s c o op t o g ather
the othe r X c ards. T u rn t hem fa c e -down and drop th e m on th e " di s c a r d " pile.
Make su r e all t he cards remain squar ed. .

35) Pick u p the Leader Ace packet . Sp r e ad the u p p e r m ost t h r ee car ds and h ol d
th e last t wo as one . T h e c ards f rom th e fa c e (top) should r e ad: AS - X c ard AD - AH. Patt e r : " L oo k l Th e Ace of Hea rts has joined t he leader A c e T h i s
is unb e liev a bl e ... I' With the cards s ti ll squ ared, y our r i gh t hand openly removes
the X car d , tu r ns it fa ce -down, a nd d r ops it on the " dis car d" pi l e. Say , If Th e
last Ace - -the Ace of Clubs --i s going to r eally disapp ear and join th e leader
Ace. It ' s g oing t o travel from one packet t o the oth er, the refor e l ' fn g oing t o
disca r d thi s odd -c ard . Watch . " C l ose t he Leader- packet a nd h o i d the A c e s
face-up in your l eft h and.

I.

36) You 're now goi ng t o fli p the A ce s fa ce - d own onto the table a s per Marlo's
"Double Flip Dow n" . T his isn 't a s di fficult as it sound s. E a ch A ce is t aken in
the right hand. Th e l e ft longitudinal e dge of e a c h Ac e i s brush ed against th e
close -up pa d a nd once in the position show n in P HOTOG RAPH 15 is fli pped
fac e-down to the left . The l ast two ca r d s , of c ourse , are h and led a s o ne . T h e
whol e act ion l ook s v e ry casual a nd f a i r. It also r e verses t he ord er of th e Ac e s
and puts th e AC on top. Sq uare th e Ac es a nd cove r with a c ard c as e . o r, if
you' r e bold, as k a spe c tato r to place a h and ove r th e Leader packet .

disclo sin g fo ur X cards. No Ace! F i nally pick up the 8H , turn it over to show
' it s b ack as you say, "There's no Ace here . 'I Use the 8H a s a s c o op t o gather
the othe r X c a rds. T u rn t hem fa c e -down and drop th em on the " di s c a r d" pile.
Make sure all t he cards remain squar ed. .

l__ s--

fL-........__~ _~ . ~:;_~~ . -I.!-...~_

. ,.

36

-:

.1

,.i

PHOTOGRAPH 15
.

~~

37) Direct attention to the last Ace-packet (AC). Pick it up and transfer the
face-up AC to the top of the two (assumed to be three) face-down cards in preparation for Marlo's Unlimited Count technique. To wit:
Flip the packet over
and hold it in your right hand from above and by the ends. Now turn your right
hand palm upwards as shown in PHOTOGRAPH 16 to flash the face of the Ace
of Clubs. Turn your right hand palm down and peel off the top card with your
left hand so that it goes face -up into a dealing position. Turn your right hand
back palm up as shown in PHOTOGRAPH 16 and have your left hand place its
card face-up onto the face of the AC. PHOTOGRAPH 17 shows the left hand
(stop-action)placing its "peeled 11 card onto the AC.
Repeat the peeling-andreplacing actions just described. thus transferring another X card. On the
3rd peel-and-replacement. you'Ll be taking the double-faced card again. This
time the audience sees the other side and a ssume s it's an additionarcard .
Patter: We have here. of course, the Ace of Clubs and one ... two... three
indifferent cards . .. 11 The entire Unlimited Count should take no longer than
the speaking of this patter line.

]
PHOTOG RAPH 16
(stop-actionJplacing its "p e e l e d " card onto the AC.
Repeat the peeling-andreplacing actions just described. thus transferring another X card. On the

._ ~ """_, ~ ~ ,,-,,,_ ~~.:.

.,

.... _::....L.i.

L_

. -r.'....

. ~ ~ ... _._ .~_ .. __

.. _ _

,._

_ .i- .ulo~"'-'-- n. ~~_

....

~_.--='~

-"'--...

.i..--,"~

,;..

37

.e ,

.1

.; .

:'~\~.

PHOTOGRAPH 17
l"

ha~d\'palm

38) After the 3rd peel -and-replac em ent, turn your ri ght
down and
deposit th e cards fac e -down into your l eft hand. Say, "Reme~ber.. the Ace of
Clubs i s on top ... 11 Here plac e th e top card int o th e Finley- Vernon Tent Vanish
position as shown in PHOTOG RAPH 18.

. ,

1 _

I,

tI

I
I

PHOTOG RAPH 18
3 9) As your r Ighthand com es over to apparently grip th e tilted top card, ho lding
it i n a flat palmed p osition . allow the top card to secr etly fall back onto the cards
i n y our l eft hand. A s soon as the card is flush, move your right hand away as though
gripping the card .
4 0 ) To giv e cred ence to Step 39, y ou r l eft thumb moves und er it s cards and levers
them fa c e-up and spreads t h e m at the same time. The audi ence wil l see .t h r e e
i n d iffe r e nt cards, thus implying that y ou r ri ght palm, indeed, has th e so-called
AC. Use the l e ft- h a n d spread of cards as a " m a g i c fan" to wave a t the AC in
y our right hand.

. ,

1 _

"

38

41) Crumple y ou r right hand into a fist, then slowly show y ou r hand completely
empty. The AC has vanished ! Toss e a c h of the remaining t h r e e -i n di ffe re nt card ~,
casually onto the table, showing that you unmistakeably have only!three cards. ...1

'

' .~

-;

42) To conclude, pick up the Lead cr packet and disclose the four _~ c e s !
\

1..,-'

- J on Rach~'~baumer
March - 1976

ADD ED NOTES

1) The Atfu s te chnique can be handled i n a manner sim ili a r t~ Mar- Io ta Ac e s fro n l
The New T ops . Som e w o rker s w i ll p r efer the striking c ont~,t b etw e en fac e - u p J
Aces and fac e - d own indiff erent cards. Here's how the alte rnale handling w ou ld
go:
Consult and follow the original routine through St ep 4. Your right hand
]
will be holding seven cards from above and by the ends. Instead of directing
attention to the face card of the talon, move your left t h u m b under the talon and ")
flip it fac e -down.
JJ
With t h e cards fa ce- down , execute the Atfus t e chniqu e Steps 5 t h r ough 10 .
After t h e swit chi ng fo r d ou bl e -faced Aces, the t a l on wi ll consist of a fa ce - down -l J
top c a rd, three fac e-u p A ces , follow e d by eight fa ce - down cards. T u r n t h i s
pack et face -up and cas u a lly tra n sfer the bott om car d t o the top. Explai n that
you "have some i n different cards .. II Here star t s p r e a ding a fe w cards, then
t u rn t h e m fa ce -down a n d replac e them on the bott om of the talon. Rep eat th is
turni ng-and-ducking p roc e s s until y ou come to all face -dow n cards. When y ou
finally s qu a r e - u p , the t hre e r egu l a r Aces wi ll be on top. Now pick-up the action
at Step 13 a nd p roceed with the routine.
.
Ii

11

,-

you "have s o~e i n diffe rent cards .. I I Here star t spr e a ding a fe w c~rds, then
turn t h e m fa ce-down and repla c e th em on the b ot t om of the talon. Rep eat th i s
turning-and- ducking p roc e s s until y ou come t o all face -down cards. When y ou

1)

.~
. ~ .;~ __ .~..: '-_ ~1 ~a

- -----...

-.....

.,.

.
,__c:L_.:-,!_ -;~.;;

"

.<__ , '_

"I

.du.~ Jl

39

IN FINGERTIP CONTROL
Th i s make s us e of t he ori g i nal in - j ogged c ar d i de a as
per the " Fi ng er t i p Con t r ol" Chapter Two o f Revo luti ona.;y Car d
Techn i que; however , t he te c hn ique a nd h and l i n g i s f a r .s up e r i or .
While it c an be u s ed fo r Mu ltipl e Fi ng e r tip Pe e k Contr ~ls it will
be describ ed here a s for one c a rd which can be an a lre~dy known
card or one compl et ely unknown un til after its eventual , c ontrol.
,.; .

.r

",,"1/ " .

1. In thi s th e c a r d t ha t will b e n o te d i s a n u nkn own. 'l~ s s um e you

hav e jus t rece ived a free ly shuffled de ck and are hol ding it f a c e
do wn in t he l eft hand deal i ng po s iti on .
2. The r i ght ha nd co me s a bove the d e ck a s if t o s quare the end s .
During, thi s tim e the r i gh t thumb l i f t s u p, . at the .b a.c k. end , the
lowe r right corne r of t he deck break ing the deck s ome wher e ar ou n d
the cente r .
s
:.~~

>:

3. At on c e t h e tip o f the l e f t 4 th finger is press~d u p a gains t

the fa ce of the c a r d a bov e t he br eak , t h en t he tip of left 4th
fing e r kic ks ou t and angl e s t his card a s s ho wn in t he Fig . 1 whi c h
is an expo s ed v i ew of t he s it uati on wi t h the right hand omi tt ed
f or clarity .

l
j

,
l

I I
.

1
i
I
- I

"

.,

_ 0_-Fig. I

Fig. 2

4. When the c a rd i s a ng led ou t the ri gh t hand lifts t he dec k i n t o

' : a Squ a r e Up Po sition dur i n g whi ch t i me t h e l ef t ha nd seem s t o
squar e t he sides of t he de ck . Du ring th i s sid e squaring a c ti on t h e
l eft 3td f inger goe s be yond t h e l ower ang l ed corne r of ' t h e card to
squa r e-any f l a re out , at the back end o f the d e c k , be t we e n t he left
t humb a nd 3rd f i nger as shown i n Fi g. 2. I n this Fig. 2, the right
thumb has been move d out of the way f o r cla r ity. The le ft 1st
fing er i s cu rled up a ga i n st the bottom of t he dec k durinR th i s
squa r i ng a c t i on o f th e side s .
5. The le ft hand no w move s a long the sides o f the dec k till t he
left thumb a n d 2n d fin ger p r e ss on the sid e s a t the out er end o f
th e d eck. The Fig . 3 shows this po s iti on wi t h th e right ha nd
om i t t e d f or clarity . Note tha t the l e f t 1st fin ger is sti l l curl ed under t he deck ne a r the f ro nt end o f t he d ec k. The de c k i s

.'

~.

.:._ _, "fA'-;: __

40

]
we I L 'ab ove - the left palm at this s t a g e .

; , ,~

..
'

'

t~

'" " ,

.'

,.
.

,]

y"
~~ .-

..

\-.
~

.-

Fig ., 4

Fig. 3

, !

6. When the d eck i s in le ft

, hand as in the F i g . 3 a b ove
.~~
t h e right hand fing er positions
.
are a s fol lo ws.
Th e r i ght
"' i
thumb i s a t the b a c k e x t end e d
~ :.
acr oss the lowe r e n d wi t h the
~
ball o f th e thumb p re ss ing
gently against the lower l e f t
co rner of t h e d eck as we l l a s
~
be i ng a b~ e to f e e l t he sl ight
protru s ion o f the a n gl e d c a r d
at this corner . The ri ght 1st ~.
,
finger is curled on t op in the
normal square up posi tion with
Fig. 5
the' ri ght 2nd , 3r d , and 4 th
finge rs are-exten de d al ong the
front f r ont end of t h e deck wi t h the ir tips more or less pointing
towards the left.
,

J.

"

] \
It

6.

Th e ti p of t he r i g ht 4t h fi n ger wi l l also fe el a protrusion o f

the angl ed card at the upp e r ri g ht corn e r. Th e tip of t h e right
4th fin ger p r ess e s inward on this corner as at the same t ime the
righ t 3r d and 4th fingers press in, in a s ort o f d ownward milking
acti on:-On the-allgl e d card. This double action results in th e
.' angled card b ~co min g eas il y and surel y in -jo g g ed a s shown in t he
, Fig. 4.
In t he F ig. 4 t h e ri g h t t humb ha s mov e d to the right but
the right fingers rem ain across the f r on t end o f the deck t o c onc e al any line space that may show at the fr ont end at t h i s stage.
The right thumb does n ot press on the in -j ogg ed card .
'

7 . The deck is lo wered into the le ft hand d e ali n g position as for

t h e Mechanic's Grip. At once the le ft thumb bevels the cards t o
th e r i g h t whi le at the same time the left 1st finger pushes inwa rd
to bev el the front end of the dec k. Actually the left thumb push ing the le ft s i de o f th e ca rds to the right and the left 1st bevelling i nward on t he f r o n t end of t he dec k quic kly llcv els the d eck
a s requ ired.
Th e right thumb no w also pushes i n on the in -jogged
c a rd in o r d e r to c u t down on th e a mount o f the in- j og. Th i s can
I

FiS! . 5

protrus ion of the a n gl e d c a r d

at this corner . Th e ri ght 1st
f i n g e r is curled on t op in the
norma l square up position with
the' ri Q:ht 2nd . 3r d. and 4 th

] \
Il-

l.
JI
J
']
]

-,
'"

'..N

- __

_ _

-=-

..1

-- ....:;.. -

- .-

.. -'-'--~-~"";;"""'"""'~

41
b e brought do wn t o a very fine point; -ho wever, for clarity the
Fig . . 5 shows ' the bevelled d eck in left hand deali ng p osi ti on wi th
r i g ht: hana in t he 'c o r r e c t stage.
";

8 . The ri ght
deck in order .
thumb and 1 st
co r n e r . .This

ha nd moves to grasp , the u pper right corner of the

to move th e d e ck out o f the le f t hand a ~ the le ft
and 2nd fing ers gr asp the d eck, at the l owe r left
action is shown in the F ig. 6 .
'
~

~{~.-:

II

"

I
!~
I!
i

F ig. 6

Fig. 7

'i

~~

9 . The le f t t humb and f inge r s now ho l d the d ec k a s f o r the Fing e r tip Pe ek . The tip o f , th e ri ght 1st finger riffl es back the up per
right corn er of t he deck.
The Fig. 7 s h o ws the face o r front of
th e dec k as it fa c es the spectato r.
You will no t e that du e t o t h e
b e v el ing of t h e d e ck t h e in= jo g g e d ca rd i s n o t vi s i b le . Th e bev el led de ck a lso make s f or a v e r y soft r iffle sound wh e n your r i ght
1st fin gertip contacts the short o r in-jogged c a r d to create that
i mp e r c e p ti b l e stopping po int.
10. When you d o you r o p e n i n g r i f f le act lon d o it by r i f flin g tho s e
cards ab ov e the .i.mp r-ov i s e d s hort card as you say, " When I ri f fle the
c a r d s like this say , ' Stop'." Now again rif fle above the shorted
c a r d very quickly thus riffling o f f a ll cards b e fore th~ spectator
has a chanc e to call 'Stop' . This is only to condition him to sa y
'S top' a l i t t l e more quick ly tha n h e norma ll y wou ld . Th is t i me
start at th e very fr on t or b el ow the sho rte d card. As th e rig ht
1 s t fingert ip riffl es off the cards at the upper right c orner y ou
time i t s o that y our 1st fingertip wil l e n c ou n t e r the a ut omatic
s t op point of th e sho~or i n - j og g e d card.
Ke e p the deck open at
this po int f o r the spectator to n o t e the card, then g entl y ri ffle
o f f the rest of t he cards thus obviously losing the noted selection.
1 1 . A v e r y g ood pro ce dur e , to ge t t he feel o f ju s t whe re the s horte d card is and how it can b e mo r e adequ ately timed is f or the right
1 s t fi n g ertip t o g e ntl y ri f f le off the u pper ri ght corner fro m t h e
very front a couple of t imes . Durin g this y o u will feel just how,
where, a nd when y o u com e to the shorted card . Ass uming the card
h a s b e e n noted b y the Fing ert ip Peek, t h e r i g ht hand grasps t he
l ower right .comer of the deck while the left hand moves to grasp
and s qu are the sid e s of th e dec k . Th i s action is sho wn i n the
Fig . 8, t h e p er for mer' s v i ew where t he card r e mai n s in-jo gged but

led de ck a lso make s f or a v e ry soft ri f f l e sound wh e n your r i ght

1st fingertip contacts the short o r in-jogged card to c r e a t e that
i mp e r c e p t i b l e s t op p i n g point.
10 .

When vou do vou r o u e n i n g

r i ffl ~

ar rion n o

i ~

h v riffl i no t h o s e

_._ - - _ ....-.". ..

---.. ~~ .

42
0"

': ..

.1

covered b y t he left hand f r om

the spect ato r's vie~. The
squaring o f the sidls o f the
deck will t hr ow off ~ those who
are parti al t o the ~n g le d jogged card proc edure as per
"Advanc ed 'Fi n g e r t i p ~o n tr o 1 " .

.',

\ .. .
\ ',

12. Wit h the card in -jo g g ed

you ca n p lace the d e c k in the
le ft hand dealing positi on
again an d by l oca ting the in jo g g e d c a r d, with t h e right
t humb, c a n cut it t o either
top o r the bot t om o f the de ck .
If you cu t i t t~ the t op o f
Fig. 8
th e deck , t hen :i 1}:e a c tual selectio n will b e &n the b ottom
of the 'dec k wh e re it c a n e as i ly b e g l i mpse d i f y ou cut the i n- j o g
to the bo t tom o f the d e c k the sele c te d c ard will b e at second f r om
th e bottom.
In this ca s e y ou can fir st show the c ard has not been
brought to t h e top or bo ttom of t h e d eck durin g the cut.
For th e
handlin g of s u c h in-jo g g ed ma rke r , th e s t u de n t c a n r efer to the
"Advanc ed Finge rt i p Con t r o l" trea t i s e; ho wever, a br ief de s cr ip t ion
of a fa v orite wi l l here b e g i ven .
1 3 . Wi th the deck held as sho\ffi in the Fig . 8, swive l t h e d e c k
d ownwa r d s to the t a b l e as if f o r a table d Riffle Sh uff le . The
d e c k i s thus lengthwise in fr ont of the o p er at o r with the h a n d s
at e a c h end of th e deck in the a ccepted manner . To bri n g t h e card .
to the bottom the left thumb gently does an upward riff le , at the
i nn er si d e , at t h e l owe r left co r n e r when th e usua l s h or t c a r d
'stop' wil l be fe lt. At once the right han d und e r cu t s thos e cards
below where t h e left t humb has maint a i n ed its separa t i on . This
brings the s elected ca r d to the b o ttom.
14 . To si ght or glimp s e the bottom c a rd just raI se the de ck, with
the face o f d eck more to wards you, a s both h ands tap the lo wer end
of the dec k a g a inst t he ta b l e t op i n a se eming l y s qua r i n g ac ti on of
the ends o f the dec k.
Fr om he re , since you now kn o~ the c a r d, y ou
can los e i t , y ou can c u t it, o r shu f f le i t to th e t op of th e d e ck .
The s hu f f l e c a n b e e it h e r a n Ov erh a n d Shuffl e o r a Rif f l e Shu f f l e.
15 .
If y ou wan t to use the F ing ertip pr ocedure desc rib e d he re o n
an a lre a d y known card, the n p roceed as f o l lows : Aft er a d e c k h a s
been s h u f f l e d by the spe ctato r y ou take i t and d o an e nd t a p p i n g
act ion to g limp s e t he bottom card. Next , pl ace t h e deck f a ce down
into the l e f t han d de al ing position. Wi t h the l e ft 4th fin g e r t i p
Cut tne-deck but
. get a break beneath the to p card o f the deck.
hold the br e ak.
Now g o throu g h th e pro cedure o f angling the card
above th e br e ak already expl ained, th en e v e n t u a l l y i n - j o g g i n g s ame.
Now go into the bevell ing of the card s and gettin g it into the
Fingertip Pe e k position.
This time when you stop at the short ed
or in-jo g g ed card th e c ar d above th i s s ho r te d c a r d wi l l be the one
you alr ead y know in t h i s c a s e after the Fi nge r tip Pee k you c an
openly squa r e up .
Lat e r, durin g Ove r h and or Ri f fl e Shu ffle s y ou

d e c k is thus lengthwise in fr ont of the o p er at o r with th e h a n d s

at e ac h end of the deck in the a ccepted manner . To bring t h e card
t o the bottom the left thumb g ently does an upward riff le , at the

JI

I
Jl

J
1

II

I,
'J
Jl

JI

43

,I

ca n r e locate the known car d a nd g e t it t o whe re y ou want.

II

I
r
t

II

lI
II
II
11

II
I
I
II
I
I

l!~
,,

., :

1 6 . Men ti on was mad e o f t h e u s e o f t his in -jog Sy stem for Multipl e

Con t ro l . Assume yo u h a v e 3 in -j o g g e d card s spaced a p ~rt t hru the
d e c k.
Execu ~ e . all a c ti on s r eq~ ir e d to b::ing t ~ e deck .}o th e Finert i p Peek posl tlo n . Here t h e rl gh t 1 st f lng ert l p r l f f }es u p p er rl g h t
c o rn er of t he de c k in th e pr escr ibea-llann e r in t his c a~e even t ua l ly
gett ing thre e ca rds n ot e d so each is abo ve t h e i n- jo g g e d c a r d.
Do
t h e r e quir e d acti on s needed to table the de ck fo r a Riff le Shu ffle .
To c o n tr ol 3 cards proceed as follows : (A) -- Loca t e 1 s t 'I n- j og fr om
bo t tom wi t h ri ght h a nd . Cu t to top wi th le ft ha nd a s ri~ht h an d
s c reens i n - jo g s . 1 s t sel e ct ed ca rd i s at b ottom . (B) -U nde rc u t to
r ig h t at 2nd in -j o~ 1st se lec t ion is on t h e b o ttom o f r i ght h and
sect i o n. -zTId sele ction i s on t h e bottom o f le ft hand portion. 3r d
s el e ction ~still marke d off by a n in -jogged c ard .
(C )--R iffl~
e-Sh uff le releasin g 1 st s election on r i g ht, then 2n d s e l e c t i o n on the
l e f t . Ri f fle ShufFle a nd Bl o c k off , wit h car d s-rTom ri gh t hand, to
a bov e the 3rd i n - j ogg e d car d . ( D) --S e t - u p as f o r a,S t r ip Ou t g e t t i ng
a step a t i nner si d e ne ar le f t corner. Left thum~.pr e s s e s do wn on
st e p a n d gets break . Rig h t hand undercuts the c ar ~s b e~o w br ea k to
the r i g ht. ( E) - - Se ct i on on r i ght ha s 1st and 2nd sel e c t lons at bottom.
The 3r d s el ec t i o n is at bo t tom of left hand p or tion . Rif f le Shuf fl e
r ele a s ing 1s t ~nd 2n d s e l e c t i ons f r om r i g h t h an d por ti on , t h e n 3rd
sel ecti on from lef~ection .
Con c l u d e t he Riffl e Shuffl e no rmally .
Th e 3 sel e c t i o n s will be a t bottom in 1 - 2-3 ord er .f r om the f a c e to
- t op . Con t r o l- as.. y ou may .r.e qu i r e f o r th e eff e c t at h and .
17, A S i d e Steal or Pas s c an als o b e substituted fo r all cutt ing
or s huf f ling actions to contro l a card or ca r d s to t h e top o f t he
deck.
Thi s mean s that a Mu l tiple Sid e Steal Cont r o l ca n e asi l y b e
do ne , on e a t a time, by each tim e se tt i ng u p the ,in - j ogged co n di t ion for ea ch succe e d i n g Fi nge rt ip P e e k . Natural ly you must p res s
down on t he i n~j-og-ged-card, wi t h t he r i g h tc.t.h umb.; in o rder t o get
a l e f t 4 th fi n ger ti p break be l ow the no t e d o r pee ked ca rd pr ior t o
a Side Steal a c t ion ,
18 . A Cent ra l ized Mul t iple Peek i s po ssi bl e of a numb e r of e f f e c ts
amo n t h e m.a Mul t ip le SandWich . The ba s ic idea i s to se t -up,fo r an
In -Flnge rtlp Pe ek as descr1b ed . Af te r t h e fi rst c ar d is n ot e d l owe r
t h e deck into the .l ef t hand dea l ing p o si t ion . The r i g ht t h umb pr ess e s d own on t o the I n - Jogged c ar d t o obta in a lef t 4th f i nger tip b reak .
Now t he c ar d. abo ve . t h e b reak , t he f ir st s e l ect i on:-rs in -jogged f or
a no the r I n- Fl n g er t l p Peek . Th is pro c e ss i s r e p e at ed f or as ma ny
c a r d s a s deslred . At the conc l u s i on a cut or a Pass br ing s a ll
s el ect i o n s to t he to p of t h e d ec k .
1 9. For a Mult i p l e San dwi c h e f f ect al l y ou ne ed to do is show four
fa c e u p Ac es and du r ing a Ka rdyro Bi dd l e sho wing of the Aces the t op
t hree f ~ ce ~o~n c ards a r e s ecr etl y a dded b etween each Ace . This procedure 1S Slm1 lar to man y such proce dures used in the "Collectors"
effect . A break i s obtained b e l ow th is block of c a r d s and cut to
the c enter and the b r ea k t ake n ov er by the l eft 4th f i nge r t i p below
I t . The card above t h e br e ak, a f a c e u p Ac e, is--rn-j ogg e d f o r the
I n -F1 nge r t l p to force th e 1s t al r e a dy s a n dwi c h e d c ard.
The de ck is
lo we re d into the left ha n d-aea li ng po sition . Press d own onto the

44
in-j ogge d card obtaining a left 4 t h f i n g e r t i p b r e ak ab o ve i t . The
1 st s e l e c te d card is no w rele as e d onto the l owe r po rtio~ or the 4 t h
f i n ge r kick and Pull Down c an b e used . Th i s gets the s~cond face up
Ace into po s i t io n to be in -j o g g ed f or the In -Fingertip J e e k of the
2nd face down c ar d . The above p r o ce du re i s repe at ed for the third
IiCe d own car d af t er whi ch th e deck i s open ly s qu ar ed . Rif f le th e
d e ck fo r e f fe ct , t h e n r i b b on sp r ead i t at rev e al fo ur fa~e u p Aces
with
fa ce down c a r ds b e twee n them . Conclud e by showin~ t h em as
t he s ele cti ons .
20 . To o b ta i n th e r equi red t i me el ement for s ettin g u p f o r e a c h
f in g er tip p eek depends on whethe r y o u are do ing th e ef fe c t fo r one
pe rs o n or for a g ro u p . If fo r a g r ou p i t is sim ple as you have
plent y o f t i me to set- up while goin g f rom one spectator t o another .
If wor king for on e p er s on th en the needed time i s qb t a i n e d by l o o k i ng a t the spectator a nd ask i ng him , " Can you remen\~~r anoth er ca rd?
Are you s u r e ? Fine . " On t he 3rd time you ask , " Ca rr', y ou r eme mber
three c a r d s ? You want to write-them do wn ? Why don't y ou j u s t r e memb er the va lue s an d pe r haps the su i ts yo u will r eco l l ect by a s s oc i a t i o n ." As y ou can see th e patter y ou de l i v e r gives you mo re tha n
enoug h time -to -s ~ 1.-- up for e a c h additio n a l I n - Fin
... -: g e r t i p Peek.

~ .~

. _ --~ . -. ~.-

NOTE : Don ' t worry if the s p e c t a t o r sees the back of a card during
the 2n d a nd 3rd fin gertip p e e k . After a l l you d id place the Aces
fa c e up in tne-dec k .

- --

--'

45

MO RE ON CONVI NCI NG CONTROLS

'..',

LESS OUT CONVINCI NG CONTROL

,-,

Sev eral ye a rs ag o , in t he Hie r ophan t ,

i n tr oduc e d
a card co ntro l i n wh ich the suppo sed se lec ted card wa s"'ou t - j ogg e d , in
a s pr ea d of c ard s , while in reali ty t he ac t ual se l ec t i ~~ wa s controlled
t o und er the s p r ea d and from there t o the bot t om . of the '~ e c k or to any
ot he r posi tion in t he de ck i nc l udi n g t o between a pai r of f ace up cards
i n a n other part of t he dec k . At t hat t i me it was a ve ry puzz ling c on t r ol but i t quick ly bec ame ove r- p opular among car d men s o t hat now ~
anyt ime t he c ar d i s ou t - j ogge d th os e in t he kn ow a re a t once way a h e a d
o f yo u. The fo l lowing c on t r ol wi l l puzz le those f ami l i a r with t he
ou t - jo gg i ng pr ocess.

1 . With the deck fa ce s down s pr e a d the de ck b etwe~e$ bo th hands for .

t he se l ec tio n of a car d . Once the card i s rem ov ed ~i resqu a r e t he de ~k
int o t he l e f t hand . Wh i le t he ca rd i s being noted j~u r esprea d t he '
deck , between both hands , t o about t he cen t er . At thi s point make ,
sure t hat thr ee cards a re s t epp ed, ab ou t a qua rt er inch fr om eac h ~
ot he r , at t he lef t s ide o f t he r i ght h and s p r e a d a s bo t h han ds sepa ?
r at e t he sp r e ad.ja t c.t .h.i s point . The Light .-hand dna.int a in s the s pre a d'
but the l e f t hand ha s its port ion of c ar ds squared . Extend the l e f t
hand f or ,t he r eturn of t he sel ec t ed c a r d. The l eft t humb pus h e s t he
sele c tion ov e r t he r ight sid e of the dec k f or ab out ' a quarter of an
inch . The right hand t hen r ests its s pre a d of car ds al ong side t he
s e l ec t ed c ar d t o result in the Fig . 1 whi ch shows a f ou r c a r d spread
separa ted by a bou t a qu a r t er i nc h f r om each ot her . Note a ls o t ha t
t he l e f t thumb is ac ro s s thes e f our ca'r ds rco n t e c't i ng -t he i r ba cks-. - - - - - '

Fig . 1

Fig . 2

2 . B~th hand s rais e upwards i n or der t o l e t the spe c tator note h i s

c ar d aga in . During t hi s upward a cti on t he left 2nd and 3rd fin ger tip s pr e ss up a gain st th e f a c e of t he se l ected c ar d. The-Ie ft thumb
co n tac ts on ly the 3 c a r ds t o the r i ght o f t he s e l e c t e d c a r d. The
ri gh t hand alo ne now moves to the lef t wi t h i t s ' s pre a d of c a rd s. The
left t humb at t he s ame time pu lls t he 3 c a r d s , i t is co n t act i n g, to
the l eft . This r e sul t s in t he condi tion shown in th e Fi g . 2 whi c h i s
the performer ' s vi e~ . From t he f a ce of th e c ar d s t he s pect ator

46

cle arly sees h is card not kno wing t hat h is ca r d i s a l re a dy partially

b e l ow the 3 t op c a r ds on your side .
3 . Both hands a re n o-~ l ower ed a nd
the sp ecta t or s ees th~ ti ght s pread
as alr eady s hown i n t ~~ Fig . 2 ; how
ever, un kno wn t o him a's your hands
a r e lowered t he righ t ~~d f i n ge r t i p
has pu l led t h e select e&.~ card t o t he
rig ht unt il i t i s c l ear ~f t hose
c ards above i t a s s hown i n the
Fig . 3, a n ex posed bo t t om vie w of
the cards .
4 . With the c a r d c l e a r as in the
Fi g . 3 and t he s pec t at or still seeing tne t ight s pree, d o f the Fig . 2
Fig . 3
a ll t hat remai n s 1:~; f or both hands
to move t owar ds eadh o t her t o c lo s e
up th e spread with th e sel ected card secretly go ing to .t he bo tt om of
the de ck . I t seems imp oss ible t o have contro lled the card .
5. I f the l eft fi ng e r s mov e a bove the sele c t e d c a r d, as pa r ti a l ly
shown in t he above Fig . 3 , when t he t wo ha nd s come together t he b acks
____0. the left f i.ng e.r s will-fo rc e the s e lec t io n i n t o a Gambler 's Cop
pos i tio n in to th e ri gh t han d . The lef t hand simply hol d s onto t he ,
converg ed de c k a s the ri ght hand dro ps to t he side with it s c opp ed
c a r d.
6 . I f , duri ng the cl osing of t h e s p r ea d, the r i ght 2nd a nd 3r d
fi n ge r tip s in-jog t he se l ect ion thi s c ard will be i n~gged ,-ror
----- a bou t a thir d o f - -i-t s- -J.-eng-t h-;~ w he n t h e de ck i-s-c~t o nver g e d i n to the
left ha n d . The r ight hand t hen co mes over t he de ck to t a k e i t, from
ab ov e by ~h e e nds, l e aving t h e in -j og ged ca r d in a deep Gamb l er'S
Cop in the left hand whic h ca suall y dr op s to th e si de. Thus besides
being a contro l of a c ard i t - al s o ma kes f or a v ery d i re c t sec r et
r emo va l of th e se lec ted c a r d.
,
CONVI NCI NG CONTROL REVERSE
EFFECT :

A sel ec te d card turns face up in a most convincing manner .

Th e above, in ef f ect, is not n ew but it i s th e way

that it i s done t hat makes t h i s reversal of a s e lecte d c a r d s t art l i n g
t o even a magician ~nd e s pe ci ally to those who a r e f ami l i a r with those
me thod s in wh i ch the r i ght ha nd , in mo st c a s es, i s ab ov e th e de ck just
p r i or to the actual rev ers al of the c ard.
1. For th i s jus t f ol low th e in struc ti ons gi ve n i n the "Le s s Out Con vincing Control" up t o the p oint where the sele c ted c a r d ha s be en
brought j u s t pa st the thr ee spre a d c a rd s a s in t he Fig . l. The
r i ght fi ng e rs now pull th e s el ect ed card f ur ther t o the ri ght bu t n ot
c l e a r o f the c a r d s but just far enoug h or past t he original 3 c a r d
sp read . The r i g ht f i n ge r s n ow ho l d onto its s pread of cards~ plus

f i n ge r ti ps in-jo g t he se l ection thi s c ard will be i n~gg ed ,-ror

----- a bou t a t hir d o f - -i-t s- -J.-eng-t h-;~ w he n t h e de ck i-s-c~t o nver g e d i nt o th e
le ft hand . The r ight hand t hen c ome s over t he de ck to t a k e i t, from
ab ove by ~he e nd s , l e av i ng t h e in -j og ged c a r d in a deep Gamb l er'S
Cop in the left hand wh i ch ca suall y dr op s to th e si de. Thus besides

~...

'

ti

-Ai < "'7

47

the s elected card under th is s ect ion, while the left hand up-jogs
the supp o s ed se le c ti o n , re a lly the 3rd c ard to the left of the 3
ca r d - spread as s ho wn i n the Fig . 4. - -

Fig . 4

Fi g . ;'S';~l

Fig . 6

Fi g . 7

2. Th e l e f t h a n d leaves its c a rd ou t-j ogge d , then moves do wnwa r d to

along s i d e the o t h er cards as in t h e Fig . S . Also d u r i n g t h i s time
t h e l e f t thumb starts t o feed a f ew c a r d s-to a bove the selected card
under the s prea d . At th e s ame time the l e ft fou r finger s will mov e
to above the s e l e c te d c ard a s i n the expose d view o f the Fig . 6.
The f our right fingertips will be contacting the righ t side of-the
selec t e d c ar d.
3. With the fou r l eft f i nge r s above the card the ri ght 2nd and 3r d
fin ge r t i ps push on the right s i d e of the c a r d and push tne-card to
the l e f t. Thi s wi ll cau se the s ele c ted card's l e ft side to t urn
do wnwa r d s until i ts u p p e r r i gh t side be come s t r a p pe d be t we en th e t i p s
of the le ft a n d ri ght f in gertip s. At this st age t he sel ect ed card is
practically ha n g ing do wnwar d und e r th e s pr ea d as s e en in the e x po s ed
bo ttom view of t he Fig . 7 . The s p ecta to r's view will stil l be as
s hown in the Fig . 5 e s pecially if you have t a k e n t h e p rec a uti on t o
move the c ards in close so that h e is looking do wn onto th e cards.
4.

From the p osi t i on o f Fig .

Fig . 6

the l e ft finger s p res s o nto t he ba c k

Fig. 7

of th~ car~ and push it to the right which will cause the card to revolve ' f a c e up a n d up aga Inst the back of the right fingers which keep
the ca rd st ill separated from t h e spread o f c a r d s . The I ~t 2nd a n d
3rd f i n ger ti p s n ext pull t h e se l ected ca r d to ,t h e left un{ il i t is
almost cle ar o f the right finger s as in the Fi g . 8.
't

..

Fig. 8
5. Th e r igh t fi n g er s no w move to t he ri g ht un t i l t he y a r e cle ar o f
~
th e ca r d hel d un de r the sp r ea d by t he le f t fi n g e r s. Once the s el e c t e d ,'
card is flu s h up a g a inst t h e sp r e ad t he r i g h t fi n g ers mov e ba c k on to
the selected card to keep it in plac e as at onc e the left thumb and
fingers spr ead out th e rest of the cards as in the Fi g. 9.
This i s
done not on l y to show the r est o f t he s p r ead but t o subtTy le ad t hose
famili a r with t h e or iginal "Conv i ncin g Control" to assume that you
will lo ad the s elect ed c ard to the bottom of the d e c k .

')

']
6.
Close up the spread leaving the supposed selection card out-jo gged
wh ile the now face up card is automatically load ed to below the out 1
jo gg ed card or a s n e ar it as pos sible. pf a ce t h e sti ll uns q u a re d
c ard ~~

to the tabl e. Wh i l e the dec k i s on t he t abl e square u p th e d eck,

using both hand s, so that the out -jog ged card becomes angled to th e
]:
left and the rest of deck is squared. This is don~ by milking the
upper ri ght and lower le ft corne rs of th e dec k wit h the r ight a n d
le ft f ing e rs and t humb r e s p e c t i vel y .
e xt push the out-jog ge d card
]
flush wi th th e d e c k . Wave your hands or snap your fin gers over th e
deck for a magical effect. Have the spectator name his card, then in- struct him to pick up the deck and spread it between both hands. He
will be ama zed to see his ca rd is face up in the face down deck.
7. , Th e above reverse act ions ar e such that t he position o f both hands,
at each end of the spread, give no possible clue as to how such a re- .]~
verse could have been accomplished. At no time is the right hand
above the deck until it is tabled and at this point nothi ng is happen I .
ing althought he la yman is led to believe that it did.
,

8.
It is possible to have the selected card be found reversed at a
named position of the deck.
Briefly, have a spectator name any
number fr om ten to t wenty-fiv e. Assum e th e number called is 15.
Spread the cards between both hands count ing them a s you do t his.
When you are about to re ach the number 1 5 the 4 cards preceding this

will lo ad t h e s elect ed c ard to the bottom of the de c k .

-~---~...- ._~. - ._ _ . . ....

.:

.--.!.. .

..:......:..

_......
<

. > . ..

"".....-:::lE;s;.._

49

number, that is the 12th to 15th c ards ' are arrived at they remain
sp re ad a nd the si t u a t ion i s as1"n th e Fi g . 1 o f the " Less Out Convinc i n g Cdn tr o l" . From th is poin t o n exe cut e a l l the a ct i ons r e q u i red as y ou ap par en tly o u t- jo g t he s e lect ed ca r d but a ctu~ll y the 1 4 t h
card is out-jo gg e d whi l e th e s e l e c te d c ard is th en r ev ~rsed dire ctl y
below the out- j ogge d car d as per Figs. 4 to 8 .i nc Lu s i v ejo f the " Convinci n g Co n t ro l Rever s e" . Al l tha t r emains is to t ab l e .ct.h e d ec k,
square it up , push t h e ou t- jo gg ed card f l ush , a mag ic pa ?~ , t h e n the
specta to r c ount s dow n to hi s number to arr ive a t his no w \~ace up
selec t ion.
-, , .
SOLOMON'S APPROACH

(Dave Solomon)

. While no t the s ame a s t he "Co nv i n ci n g Con t rol Reverse"

t hi s So l omo n approach may b e o f interes t to so me.
I n e ffe ct an ind i ca tor ca rd is place d ou t -jo g g ed i nto t he d eck . S inq~~ t h e indi c a to r 15
the sel ec t ed c ard it becomes a surprise when the oue ~jog ged card is
pushed f l us h i nto th e d e c k and at o nce shown re v er s eu .
1. Con t ro l t h e s e l ec ted ca r d to s eco n d fro m the t op o f the dec k . Do
a Doubl e Li ft show ing the face of t he card saying you will us e i ts
value to count do wn to the se l e c te d c a rd.
In s ert t he ca rd(s) a bout
ha l f way int o the deck , then s wi vel t h e to p X c ard , o f t h e two, to
the l e ft using th e Mar l o Swi v el Cha ng e i n Volume I I o f th e .ma g az i n e .
2. The ri ght h and comes over the
deck , a t all t i mes c ov er i n g t he
le f t be h i n d o u t-j o g g e d s ele c t i o n ,
t o push the s e l ect e d card f l ush .
Dur ing th i s th e l e ft 1st f in ge r
pus h es up ward on t h e se le cted ca r d
wh i ch enable s the le ft 4 th fing er t i p to o bta in a br e a k n ear t h e
lowerr ight corner. The po~ ition
of the a n gle d out-j o g g ed ca rd and
both h and s i s a s in t h e Fig . 10 .
3. All that r ema i ns i s to do
Marlo's Future Rev ers e.
(Futur e
Fig. 10
Reverse - Ma g ic Inc . , Chica g o )
When t h e s p eca t o r tell s y ou th e
ang led card i s h is pu s h this card fl u s h i nto the de ck , t hen at o nc e
spread it to reve al the fa ce up selection.
MARLO'S SUGGES TIO N
The followin g idea wi l l enable you to do the rev ers e
actions wi t h le s s trouble si nc e the side o f t h e ri g h t 2nd f i ng e r nee d
not be u sed to keep t he a n g l ed card in pla c e .
1. During any control of the card g l i mp s e its value. Assume it is
a 5 spot. Contro l t h i s ca r d to 5 th f rom t h e top in eit h e r a cu t,
Overha n d Shu f f le, or Ri f fle Sh uff l e . Spr e ad the top c a r ds in a

During th i s th e l e ft 1st f i n ge r
pus hes up ward on t h e s e le cted card
wh i ch e n a b l es the l eft 4 th finger tip t o o bta in a br e a k n ear the
lowerr ight corner. The po~ ition

 f
~_ .

~ ------.

50

gesture as "y o u say, "Someplace in the deck is your card. ,'~ ' In re' s qu a r i n g the c ards get a break b elow the 5th card from th top o f
1~
the deck.

'.

2. Straddl e t h e outer e n d s of the cards between the righj 1st and

4th fingers.
With the thumb at the back end you can lift 'o'f"r"the 5
cards a s one to show the f ace of the card(s ).
Kee p i n g th ~ ~~~ront e n d
st raddl ed t he r ight t humb mov e s onto the u ppe r l e ft corner ~~ f the
card(s ).
I n sert t h e c a r d (s ) into t h e c e n t e r of the d eck f or a bout
two -thirds its length. Th e rig ht thumb a n d 1st f i n g e r now move o nly
the top X card, o f the five, forward and then angle i t to the left.
Now the r i g h t hand pushes the hidden and s t i l l out-jogged block o f
4 cards into t h e deck o btaining t he left 4th fi n g ert i p br e a k a t the
same. t i me to b r i ng y o u. i n t o the p o s i t i on. a l rea dy shown in Fi g . -1 0.

]
\,
]

, 3 . Do the Future Reverse to reverse the selected carrJP, then with the ]
suppos ed selection s t i l l angled, spr ead the deck two 't~ r d s beyond th e
angled c ard a s y o u apparen tly sta r t to count do wn t o t he se lec ti on .
I f the spec ta to r has n o t i n for me d y o u t h a t t he ang le d card is his,
]
you ask what his ca r d is. Act s u rp r i s e d when h e a p p a r e n t l y n ames
the angled card. Table the deck, then push the angled card flush.
Ribbon s p r ea d o n table to reveal his sel ection is now f a ce up in
the dec k.
"

\,

NOTE: For the tlLessout Conv inc i n g Control" in the re-spr e adi n g of
't11ecards do it by outjogging and in-jogging, sli ghtly, the spre a.d
' o f cards that will precede the returned selected card. Later this
spread o f jog g e d ca rds wi l l g i ve gr ea t e r cov er f or th e ca r d t h at is
pulled to un de r t h i s e n d of the s p r ea d.
I h ad t his i de a publi s h ed
in the HI EROPHANT and to g et a c l earer pictur e o f th is jo g ging
spread refer to the F i g s . 4 and 5 of "The Convincing Control Reverse"
as well as F i g s . 1 and 2 of "Devilish Mira.cle Swi tchouts".
OUT OF CONTROL CONTROL
"HOW IT APPEARS"

Usi ng o nly one hand cardician h a s a spectato r p eek

at a card. The deck, st ill using only on e h and , i s at on~e h ande d
to spectator fo r shuffling. On getting deck back, cardic ian can 10ca te card and use it as he may wish. .
,'
1. The deck is held f aces down in the left hand as for s pectator
peek . You request spec tator to u se h is le f t t h umb to push b ac k uppe r
left corner of deck, f r om h is s ide, to peek at a ny card. When spec tator peeks at a card, n eedless to say, that you obtain the usual
4th fingert ip break, below this card, at inner right corner. After
tne peek you can hold deck wi t h all f ou r left fin gers at th e right
side of dec k or move the left 1st finger to around t he fro nt e n d of
deck thus hold ing the deck i n a Me c h a n i c ' s Grip. Take your choic e.
2. The left hand can turn inward, towards th e body, to more or less
present the le ft s ide of deck to sp ec tator; howev er, if t he n ext
act ions are mad e pro per l y y ou wi ll n o t nee d the i n ward mov e . The

PU.l..l.CU

LV

U l1 UC l.

LH.l.~

CJl. U

V~

LH C ' ~PJ.CCl U

.l

H ClU

LH ~ ~

.l. U C Cl

lJUU.l.J. ::> l1 I::U

in the HI EROPHANT and to g et a c l e arer pictur e o f th is jo g ging

spread refer to the F i g s . 4 and 5 of "The Convincing Control Rever se"
as well as Figs. land 2 of "Devilish Mir acle Swi tchouts".

I
I!

II

I 11
r
i

51

left 1st finger, which is either at the" right side of deck or around
the front end, must keep the front end of deck in a firm grip to
prevent any slipping or separation at this end.
3. The left 4th finger now does a Pull Down of t.ho s erz a r d s below
the break. A~he same time the extreme tip of the l~t 4th finger
engages the lower right corner of the actual peeked card. The peeked
card is now pUlled down s l i g h t l y , then the tip of the left 4th finger
press es on this corner, to the le ft, thus crimping its ,l owe r right
corner. Hand deck to spectator to shuffle.
'~~".
4. The actual crimp can
much pressure is applied
sort of wave. This wave
relocate visually either
a Riffle Shuffle.

be very small or large depending on how

by the tip of the left 4th finger and is a
crimp can be one that you can later easily
by a cut of the deck or by tabling it for

S. For magicians the wave crlmp must be so minut~~that should they

examine the sides and corners of deck they will not be able to spot
it because the weight of any cards above it will rn ~ke it lie flush
with the rest of the cards. To re-Iocate such a fine wave crimp
hold deck by its sides, between both hands, with the faces towards
the right. Gently tap the outer lower corner against the table top
at the same time easing up the grip, of each hand, on the sides of
deck. You will find the deck will separate at this fine wave crimp
at the inner corner.
I'm assuming you did follow the position of
the crimp while the spectator was busy shuffling the deck. The
location can also be made at the upper inner corner by holding deck
with the faces to the left du ring the lower outer corner tapping
action.
In either " case the deck can be lowered for a tabled Riffle
Shuffle.
Cut to the crimp using an estimated cut to the point where
you spotted the wave crimp dur ing the tapping action. A light touch
during the cut is best.
6.
Once the peeked card is at the top ~r bottom you will know it
because there will be just the slightest curvature to the extreme
tip of the card's corner. You can toss such a card to another magic ian and unless he knows what to look for he will see nothing wrong
with the card. How you use the control is up to ' y o u ; however, it
will fit in very well f o r the Dunbury Delusions described elsewhere
in this volume.

Shuffle. Cut to the crimp using an e s t i.mat.e d c"u-t: -t"o"the point wh e re

you spotted the wave c r lmp dur ing the tapping action. A light touch
during the cut is best.

' \

i. ::J . _...: '

--

. .....,

..
~

......

.. .

. ' ~'''':J''i '_

52
'

..

A FLEXIBLE CRIMPI NG TECHN I QUE

.'

In most cases whe n it co mes t o crimp ing a!card or

cards the method and the type of crimp you may require a~~ closely
allied. This u sually r esults i n ha vi ng t o app ly a n e n t i r ~ly diffe rent method of pro cedure in orde r t o res u l t i n a nother type of crimp.
The t ec hn i qu e ab ou t to be descr ib ed is n ot the whole answer~ b ut it
is most f l ex i ble in that t he same procedural action s, as f~t. as the
onloo ker i s concern ed, are used a nd ye t on y ou r s i de of th e 'g am e can
re s ul t i n anyone of s eve r a l types o f cr i mps de p endi ng on you r own
pa rt icul a r choice a t t hat time . I wi l l be gi n by desc ri bing t he
Basic Posit ion o f the deck a nd hands i n r elation to your sp ectators.
"BAS I C POSITI ONI NG: 1. The d ec k is held fa c e down i n t he l e ft hand
deal i ng position . The r igh t hand grasps th e dec k, fr om a bove by th e
ends, wi th 1 st finge r curl ed on t op of deck, the 2n d, ~~ rd, a nd 4th
fing ers at Ir ont end of the deck an d th e thumb at-oac K\ :end of tnedeck. , The r i gh t hand rais e s t he dec k of f of th e le ft p~ lm up t o t he
fi nger tips o f t he lef t hand . The le f t hand grasp s the si de s o f t he
dec k with l e ft thumb a t lowe r l eft co rne r and t he l e f t 2n d and 3rd
fing ers a t lowe r ri ght corner. The left 4t h fin ger is free of 't'lie
d eck at the inne r en d whi le t he l e ft 1st fi nge r i s cur led under t h e
dec k . Durin g the t ime that t he dec k rs-thus being raised , in to what
is ba s ic a ll y a Squa r e Up Pos ition , the right t humb and finger s be v el
the ends of th e de ck for wa rd . Thu s th e Fig. 1 shows th is condition
at th is point.

I'

]
]

J
J
]

]
Fig . 1

Fig. 2

2. The right hand n ow changes its position in order to grasp the

deck by the s i des . Thi s also br i ng s the top o f t he de ck to t he
right. The pos ition of t he righ t thumb is on t he up per side at
center or ne ar the upp er corner. The right 1st f i nge r is curled on
top while the . right 2nd, 3rd, a nd 4t h fi n gersare a t the lo wer side.
The posi t ion of ea ch ha nd on t he de c k i s s hown i n t he Fi g . , 2 whe r e
note bev el of dec k.
3. With 'the deck held between both hands as in the Fi g . 2 above
the le ft 1st f i nge r moves cl o ser t o the lo we r l e f t c o r ne r~ The tip
o f t he lerr-t humb enga ges the bottom car d by i ts l ower l e ft co rner
and pull s it to t he le f t. The ti p of the lef t 1st fi n ge r ~ position

1
]
]

J
J~

J
]

l.-

~ ~~
. ~--

I
II
l
t

..... .

..

'~

' .'~~ .
--.......,..------. _.~---=

1L

53

permits only a sma l l corner of the bottom c a r d t o be pulled a way

by the ti p of l eft thumb. The pUlling action by the le ft thumb
c a u s e s this ca rd's corner to b e bent o r crimped betw~~n the tips
o f the left 1 st fi nger a nd ti p o f l e f t thumb as shown l i n t he Fig . }.,
the perform er 's top side view . This ac tion is c omp Le-t.e Ly hidden
from the s pectator's view, by the position of the rig~~ hand on the
sides of t h e d eck as shown in the Fig . 4 .
.
,
:

\"..... '.
\"

1 :1
(

------

l
i

1 1~.~
,

I
~

rl

Fig . 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fi g. 6

4 . Onc e t he c r i mp is pu t in, wh i ch can be con t r ol l e d t o any degree

y ou may des ire , the deck is l owe r e d back into the left hand into a
dealing pos ition. The same technique. can be used to cr i mp several
bottom cards wi th tip of t he le ft thumb pulling back, one card at a
t i me, the required number of cards. The Fig. 5 shows the b ottom
f o u r c a r d s having been pUlled t o the l e f t while t he F ig . 6 s ho ws h ow
the t i p o f the le f t t humb has co nv e r ged t h e f o ur c a rds i nto a unit
whi ch is now c r i mp e d by the tip of left thumb against t h e tip of
the left 1st finger.
Spectator's view i s as in Fig. i.

S. The s a me basic act i ons can be used to secretly glimpse a card

som ep l a ce in the de ck. As a n examp le , th e F ig. 7 sh ows a c a r d i n
the c e nt er o f t h e d e c k b e i n g glimpsed . Agai n the spe c tat o r ca n on ly
s e e what has already been depi cted in Fig. 4.

: .,
r,

"

.1

Fig. 7

.
6. The glimp se i n t he -Fi g . 7 can .
be carried a step fur V~er by-force- ._
fully bend ing or crim~ing all tho s ~
~ a r d s be l ow the g limps~d car d.
The
dec k c an now be lowered to t he tabl)
f or the c l a ss i c table Ri ffle Shuffl .
On yo ur side , at t he in~~r ri ght
corner, y ou c an e a s ily sp o t and
J
.~
cut off all tho s e c a rd s ab ove t he .
c r i mpe d c a r d t o the right. In the
Riffle Shuffle that f ollows the
,
glimpsed card is brought under con- J
trol t o the b ot t om. Both thumbs
no w r i ffl e th e i nner l e f t a n d
ri ght co r ne r s upwaJp wi t h th e
r ight thumb t a k i n g~1t h e s light
c r i mp work out of t hose cards at

the inner right corne r.

7 . Keep ing in min d t he Bas i c Positi on of t he hand s with the ca rd s
pres en t ed t o th e sp ect ato r a s a lready shown in the Fig . 4 ot her forms _~
o f th e cr i mp can be put into the bottom ca rd or ca r d s. As an example, ]
the Fig . 8 shows a sort of long crimp being put into the bottom card .
o r cards and t hen moving both the left thumb and le ft 1st finger
towards the center of the t op side . Now the left thumb and 1st
fi nger cr i mp the c a r d or card s at thi s poin t as shown in t he Fig . 8 .
Th i s res u~ ts i n a s or t of waved lo ng c r imp r a t her tha n a n ang u lar
on e on t he car d or cards.

fI
J1
Fi g . 8

Fi g. 9. .
8. Th e Fig . 9 shows a c r i mp b ein g pu t in a l ong t he whole l ength of
t he c a r d or c a r d s . Because of the beveled deck this c r i mp i ng a ction
i s not t i pp ed o ff at the ~ r o n t end as it wou l d if the ends 'of the
de c k were squared. The usual method of putting in this t yp e o f
crimp was f or th e lef t f ingers to pul l down the righ t side of t he
card or c ards whi le the d eck was in a l e ft ha nd dealing po s it ion
and be i ng squared, by t he r ight hand, f r om above by the ends. This
re sulte d in movement of the left hand finge rs . With t he c r i mp be i n g

]
']
]

55

put in as in the Fig. 9 the movement of the left thumb is hidden

from ..the spectator's vIew which is still as already shown in the
Fig. 4. Note that in the Fig. 9 the position of the~eft 1st finger
has snifted down towards the center of the card in ord~r toenable
' . the left thumb to pull the card or cards away from the '! bottom of the
deck and then crimp them over the left 1st finger. Th~ right thumb
and fin ger s have also moved .more towards-Ihe outer end ~f the deck.
Study the Fig. ~.
-, J
~"

9. Still another type of crimp you can put in is the ectig'e crimp into
the side of the card or cards. I n this case the ri ght hand is a gain
more at the front end of the deck with the left thumb and 1st finger
at the center o f top s ide. The left 1st finger is curled up against
the bottom of the deck near the top side of the deck. The tip of
left thumb enga ges only-rKe top side edg e of the bottom card or c ards,
then bends the side do wnwards. The tip of the left 1st finger is
near" the top s i de edge to prevent any more than' the . e<:Ige of the
card or cards to be crimped. The crimp ing action ~~d the position
of both hands around the deck is shown in the Fig .:"\1; 0 . The resul ting crimp is a sort of a small wave on the edge of the card or card s.
Remember that the spectator can on ly see the view as shown in th e
Fig. 4 . Note that during this crimping action the right hand is
more towards the front end of the deck.
"
.
10. While the Fig. 10 above
shows the wave or edge crimp put
into the center of the left side
of the card it can be put in anywhere along its left side. By
simply reversing the position of
both hands, so that the backs of
the cards will be toward s the
left, the tip of the right thumb
can crimp the lower non-index
corner of the card or cards.
The actions are identical to those
depicted by the Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive except that It-will-be
Fig. 10
the right thumb doing the work
under cover of the left hand.
There may be times when you may wish to put the crimp in the opposite
corner and this will do just that.
The time that it .t a ke s to put in the desired crimp is only
seconds and appears only as if you squared the sides, then at once
returned the deck into the left hand as for dealing. Even after
the actions are known there isn't any way that the on-looker can be
certain as to whether you did or didn't put in the crimp or crimps.
11.

"

;:>.1.JJljJ.1.y

" C'

.LCVC.L;:>.1.11g

'Z '.,"":....--?1':'ff,.."?"' _

L-HC

jJU~J"l-.lUll

"""'." " - '- "'7IlII'W

UI

both hand s, so that the backs of

the cards will be toward s the

, _.t:....

. . t.... _

...... .; _

__.c

-e- t........

_.... .: _ 1..

+.

......l... .. ~ ........ L

-ar;

"

.-:

' "i'

OJ

"

THE RAZOR'S EDGE

,I

'0 :} :

'1 :

"'- ..., :"""

..

'";"

".> "1

- OBJ ECT : To display a spr e ad of cards so that ' each 'c a r d pJe ~ents . a
single edge yet a large block o f cards is conc e aled benea~p them.

f~ur

y~-t conce~l

:~ ther

1 . . As s ume y ou want t o display

Aces
f 'our
card s
Obviously the four X card s must fi r s t be added to b elow the ~face up
Aces. Th e r e a r e many me t h od s for accompl ishin g thi s; there~bre, I
wi l l desc r ibe t h e simplest.
Fir s t mak e sure the r e a re n ' t any Ac e s
near the face of t he d eck. Wi th t h e deck f a c ing yo u spread it bet ween both hand s. As you sp re a d t he cards s ec r e tly down-jog t h e 4 t h
ca rd from the fa c e o f the d ec k. , Now as you come to each Ace you c an
. either up-j og it o r just transfer it d~rectly ont o the face o f the
' d~ck .
In either case in squaring up the Aces the ri ght hand take s
-, them from abo v e, by the ends, with the right thumb also l i fting up
. ' o n the i n- j ogged ca rd. Th e result i s the rig h t ha n d ~ift s off ei ght
_ c ards fr om t h e face o f t h e d e c k a s ' the le ft hand pl ac e ~r t h e rest o f
" ' the dec k fa c e u p to th e t a b l e ~
,
7,:
,~

.]
-

I"

2'.

]
.'
,

.. ~

The right hand' pL a c e s its packet face up 'i n t o t h e Le f t ha nd which

. takes th em rather deep int o a , Mechanic's Grip deal p ositi on. , The
left fin g ers pr ess in firmly against the right side of the card s to '
:.i"
." h o l d them as squared as po ssibl e. The l eft t humb deals ov er th e fa ce .J
~:Ac e , be i n g sur e t ha t t he l e f t fin g e rtips let o nly t he f a c e Ac e b e
~
mov ed b y c o ntinue d pre s s u re aga in s t t h e rig ht s ide o f t h e pa c k e t .
, The r i g h t, hand g ra sps this Ac e so tha t the four fin g e r s are unde r t he j
Ace in s u c h a po sit io n . that the t ip of the ri ght 4th f i ng e r is co n, ,t ac t i n g the und erside of the Ace at its lower e n d-. - Th e le ft hand
, " .; ~o w moves upward which leaves the Ace i n the right hand down-jo g g ed
]
fo r about t wo thirds its l en gth. Th e le ft thumb deals ove r the nex t
.1
Ace, wh i ch is automat icall y out-jo g ge d, then t h e ri g ht h and take s it,
wi th t h e 1st and 2n d f i n g e r t i p s b e n e at h a n d t h e t humb on t h e fac e s,
br ingin g tliis se c ond Ac e a lo n gs ide the f i r s t Ac e as we l l as in li n e
wi th i t as i n t he Fig . 1. It is a s s umed that t he p ac k et wil l b e hel d
low to di s p lay the f a c es o r you wi l l turn to the le ft to display the
.,
faces thu s also preventing anyone spotting t h e thickness o f t he
J
packet a I though that is why the le ft hand doe s the down and up j ogging '"
o f each Ac e . Done smoothl y and r hythmicall y it mak es it difficult
. _ , . fqr the ey e to f ~ c u s on anyo ne po int.
.
J
J

3. The l eft ha nd move s do wnward' an d the ' left thumb deals over t h e
next Ace to along side th e lo wer Ace a s i n the F i g.~ . The left hand
moves upwards but on l y f a r enough to expose th e index of its Ace as
.i n th e , Fig . 3 which is really the bl o ck of cards held as apparently '

, :~1' ::e~nce

thum~

~~~ 2~~ fing~rS P~~itio~ ~hemselves

: h e left
a nd ;; s't
)
as in the Fi g . 4 , wi t h the t humb coveri n g the i nde x o f t h e Ac e . Th e
left 2nd fin g e r t i p is across the top edge of the block of cards, a t
)
the upp er left corne r, with the l e ft 2nd and 3rd fingert ip s contacting
the ba c k card o f the bl o ck at this s tage.
- 5.

The left t humb and the 1st finger peels the Ace upward a n d to the )

]
.1

~ow

mov es upward which l e a v e s th~ Ace in the ri ght hand do wn -jo g g ed

fo r abou t t wo t h i r d s its l en gth. Th e left thumb dea ls ove r the n ex t
Ac e, wh i ch is a u t omati ca l ly out-jo g ge d, t h e n the r i g ht ha nd t a k e s i t ,
with the 1 s t and 2nd f i n g e r t i p s benea th a n d t h e t humb on t h e fac e s,
~

~.

.!

~j~",,"~~. . . .;.~.~.~.w'"" "'_"~k.;";"'~~""';"''-'"'-'''~<''-'~~>~'''''''''~i..". ~~_-".",=-

~","f~~ _L~'? ",; , _(,. :~ (""' ('-' ;' :--';''>~7"-'' -'

._""........

_ ;;..-..,

r~ . " "~,,, <.;,, , , . __ ;_:.d~0.~<~:._ ...,",,

__ .

57

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig.

Fig. 4

left whil e the left 2nd and3rd

fingertips ke ep t he block of card s
in plate as well as pushing on the
left side of the block, to the righ t)
to insure concealment behind th e Ace
being out-jo gged. The right 4th
finge rtip al so pr esse s up a ga i n s t
the back of the down ~jogged AH, i n
order to keep it in place whITe the
AS is being out-jogged and moved to
tIle left as shown in the Fig. S.
The Fig. ' 6 shows the exposed back
view wher~ the block of cards is
now conceal ed under the spread of
Fig. 5
Aces . The left hand moves down to
now grasp t he left side of the AH
to pull it to the le ft and in line with the AS. The right hand a l one
, . now holds the spre ad of Aces each Ace distinctly showing a l l single
edges as ~n the Fig. 7. If working on a close-up pad the right hand
-can safely place the s pr e a d of Aces onto it as i n the Fig. 8.

.
;8

Fig. 7

Fig. 6

GP

/'
11

. ~. ~:,'.

_.

':

'. ~.f.
'. ;

rv

- .'
.'

.. "
-v

\;

o
V

Fig. 8

],

Fig. 9

Fig, 11
.

6. With the spread of Aces held in ~he right hand the left hand picks
up the deck to hold it in a dealing position. The right hand displays
the Aces near the deck, as in the Fig. 9, just before flipping them
over and face down onto the deck. As tne right hand flips the spread
of Aces face down the left hand tips upwards slightly so that while
the performer's view is that shown in the Fig, ~, where right hand is

Fig. 8
.,

....

J
)

Fig. 9
!
!

] .

59
already above the c ards to push or square t hem flush with th e deck,
the sp ectato r's v i ew i s a s seen in the Fi g . !l.

- :

,f

7 . You have two c ho i ce s of p r e c e dur e from this point . ': One is simply
squa r e the cards, then deal of f the top four cards t o t~e t able . The
s e co nd is to press downwa r ds on t o the in -jogged Aces wi-.th the right
fi n ge rs a nd thumb whi ch wi l l a utoma tical ly rai se the b 1 ~c k o f 4 X
c ards up to the r i ght f ing er s and thumb, as i n Fi g . g, .':\vhi 1e t he
Aces rema i n fl us h on t op of t he dec k.

II
I
I
I
I
!
I
i

Fig .
8 . Onc e the bl ock of X cards is raised up to the right fingers the
left thumb presses agalnst the left side of the block , near the outer
lef t corner, in order to keep the block r a i s e d of f the deck . This
' a l s o enab les the r i gh t hand 1 s t fi nger t o at once cur l onto t he top
of the block . The bloc k i s no w s quared and he l d wel l a bove t he de ck ,
be t we en the fingers and thumb of each ha nd, as i n t he Fig . 1 3 . The
right hand can now place its cards t o the table . How you use the
situation is up t o you .

9. Once more l e t me emphasize tha t the right 4th fingertip pressure

against t he back of the AH , at its lower end , ~most important. Also
t he s qu aring up of th e Aces and the eve n t ual p l a cing of t he X bloc k
to the t abl e shoul d be ex e cut ed wi t h as l i tt le br ea k in the r hy thm
as po s s ibl e . Al s o t he word " r hy t hm " is no t t o be constr ued as fas t.
~i~e and easy doe s it .

I
J
, t

I
II
I

VJ..

....U I:'

U .l.Vl..1\. .

lU I:'

U .l.Vl.. .1\.

.I. ;:>

uvw

::>Y. Ui:1 J. I:' U

i:1UU

UI:'J.U

W C J.J.

i:1 U V Vt;

L.u t::

ut::l.. 1\. ,

be t we en the fingers and thumb of each ha nd, as i n t he Fig . 1 3 . The

right hand can n ow place its cards t o the table . How you use the
s i t ua t i on is up t o you .

__ _a

._ _

..... _ .

--'-_-,,",-_ .

.-

.;.iJ_ . -~ '

"_.

o
INNER CORNER TAKE
1. The deck or packet of cards ' i s held in either the Master Grip
or the .S'ta nda r d Mechanic's Grip. The left thumb arcs over. the top
card and the right hand takes it by the inner rig ht corne~~ rith the
thumb on top, with 1st and 2nd fingers beneath. Both hands move
away from each other to form a slight ~ between the outer e~d of the
deck and the card. The Fig. I shows a card taken and the ~~p card
o f the deck arced over in readiness.

1
J
Fig. 2

Fig. I

2 . Remember that all four le ft fingers are converged at the upper

right corner. As the le ft thumb deals over each card it is taken to
under the cards already in the right hand. When you are r~ady to
take a bottom card the left four fingers move inward slightly pressing agai nst the f a c e of the bottom card, at the outer right corner,
causing it to buckle very sli ghtly. The left f i nge r s , which main. t a i n contact wi t h the bottom card, now extend very sli ghtly to the
right causing the bottom card to move out to the right. The left
1st or 2nd finger makes contact with this bottom card, at its lower
rIght corner, to pull it to under the cards. in the right hand. The
Fig. 2 ~ho ws the top view of this action wher e note how the dealt
over card is momentarily out of sight under the right hand cards.
The Fig. 3 shows the exposed
. bottom view showing, ih this case,
' t he right 1st finger pulling the
card to unaer the cards in the
right hand.
3. Once the bottom card has
cleared the deck and is under
the cards in right hand, the tak ing
actions, of the cards, is continued
without any perceptible hesitation.
Whenever a bottom card is desired
repeat the actions of the Fig. 1
and ~ in Step ~.
4. The action of the hands can be
varied so that either the right

Fig. 3

]
]
]

]
]
]

]
~f
...I

\';dU~.J.Hg

.r

t,

l.V

UU\....I\..J.C

vcry

~.J..J. g Hl- .J.Y.

.L IlC

.J.Cl.l.

l. .J. H g C .L ~ ,

W U .J. \.; H

JIl d .J. U -

. t a i n contact with the bottom card, now extend very sli ghtly to the
right causing the bottom card to move out to the right. The left
1st or 2nd finger makes contact with this bottom card, at its lower
rIght co!ner, to pull it to under the cards. in the right hand. The

61

hand alone moves or the left hand alone moves during the counting of
the cards; however, the action must simulate any regular count you
may be doing .
.. :

.r

5. The bottom card can also be up-jogged, using the take at the
lower right corner, as for the effect "Spectator Cuts U;,Count"
described elsewhere in this volume.
,,

. ~,

r~,

CENTER SIDE TAKE

'"

', '}',

1. The required cards are held in either a Master Grip d~ the

Mechanic's Grip. The left thumb arcs over the top card with the right
hand taking it, at center of right side, with thumb on top with the
1st and 2nd fingers beneath. In fact all four fingers, sort of curlIng in against the palm, are beneath the card but the 1st and 2nd
fingers are the major gripping controlling fingers .
. i

2. The moving out of the bottom card is as already explained except

tha t the right hand will take each card at the cen~:Eir of the right
side. Again you have the choice of using ei ther the' jright 1st or
2nd finger to pull the bottom , card to under the card~ in the right
hand.
I,

3. ,Wh i l e the right 1st or 2nd finger were mentioned as pulling the
bottom card to under the cards in the right hand still another procedure is for the left hand, which eases out the bottom card, to
simply jam the card's lower right corner to between the cards, and '
the rightIst and 2nd fingers which will automatically rock downwards,
still touc1lil1g therTght side of its cards, thus acting like a pincers
to retain the bottom dealt card. Actually when even using the 1st
or 2nd finger take the finger being used remains touching the rIght
side-Df its packet but more on the second joint of the finger which
gives that particular finger more freedom for the required greater
freedom of movement.

II
lJ
Ii

:}

4. One will have to decide on using a take technique that makes one
feel most comfortable and confident. One thing for certain is tha t
while a strictly frontal c6unt is to be ' strived for you will have a
greater and sure chance of deception if you do the Bottom Deal Count '
with your right side towards the spectators. In this way the cards
in the right hand will give perfect cover for the Bottom Deal Count
both from the top and the bottom thus insuring the illusion of the
dealt over cards being taken plus concealing any undue finger movements of the left fingers.

!i

It
i~

j ~.1

:~

'

r,

BOTTOM DEAL COUNT

(FIRST FINGER TAKE)

'

ri

Ii<
jr .

1. As before the packet to be counted is held in the left hand

"Master Grip". The left thumb deals over the top card but this time
the card is taken with the right hand, between the thumb on top and
1st finger beneath at the upper right corner. Each succeeding card
rs-taken to under the cards taken by the right hand. Also the hands
remain close together with the cards from the right hand overlapping

'11

I~
,~

! l..

If

if

J,''t,

J;
..

: ~ ~- --.; ~- ~ -~--;:; :g~;- ~'a;';-; - ;:;;;;- , ~ g;;-;

--

:~

n-;

;' ei ;;g

use c

I
T ema i.n 5"t6ucn:i.D.
g ';c;0 ''TJ'g;;,, - - ......'

side-Df its packet but more on the second j oint of the finger which
finger more freedom for the required greater

~~~~~ _~h~~ ~~~~~~~~ar

_~

- s - - _ _ .. . ." .c - -_..:..
~ ..---'""'"

. - - _ ...-.-.....

. ..l
... ./ ...

-_....

'

-, -~ ...~

-- --

"---

_ ._ ~

~.

the left thumb as in the Fig. i ~ . ,

.....

.'

.:

.,

" 0

,-

; .'

. .

'

--

Fig. 2

Fig.

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

3. As the bottom card is whipped out to under .the cards in the rigrt.
hand the left thumb at once pulls back its top card . The start of
this pUlling back action is shown also in the Fig. 3 and completed in
t he Fig. 4 where the bottom card is about t o c l e a r - t he pa cke t hel d in
t he l eft n and. Ag ai n the r e i s n't a ny ob v ious separa ti on b e t we en the
packet s a s you w~ll note by studying the Fig . ! .
4. - Once the bottom card is taken to under the cards in the left hand
the fair co un t is c ontinued , without any hesitati on, unti l another
bottom c a rd i s n e eded . While vi e wing t his Bott om Dea l Count fr om
the t op you should not see t h e bottom card , c omi ng out as t he 't op

Fig. 3
2.

Fi g . 4

When it comes to take the bottom card the left 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
hnrl<-lp

vprv

+ino-pr~

~lio-hrlv

t-h p

hn"t- rllm r::lrn

in w ::lrrr- r'l1Pl1 m n v i n -o- -

63

section of cards remains covering the cards held in the left hand;
however, to insure this the right hand raises upwards slightly to aid
in th~ bottom card clearing the left hand packet.
This upward raising
keeps " the cards in the right hand above and covering t he cards in the
left hand. When you yourself can't see the bottom card~ ,moving out,
then you are doing the actions correctly.
The 1st finger take brings
and maintains the closeness of the cards as compared to ~the 2nd
finger take. The Bottom Deal Count is useful in many e $fects-ind
one such effect, "The Poker Prediction", is described .iri another part
of this volume.
' '.
.\\!:'~.
./

.~

, :"1

..

~.

' \ '.

;j : -

. .'

"

- '.

J . .. . . :

..

,.-- .,

..

~.'

"

-_

... . _ ~ ,

- -~- - - - -- ----- . - ---.._ - - ---~

MARLO'S NATURAL SECOND DEAL

_ .i._

"' k

-. -

I '

While the basic mechanics of this deal where desc r i be di i.n "SECONDS-CENTERS-BOTTOMS" over the years several. approaches
~ave been developed which make this Second Deal visually d~ceptive
even if someone may be looking at the top of the deck; thexefore,.
across the table, due to the natural actions, you are assu~ed of not
only visual deception but psychological as well.
,:'
'J.

......

1. The following actions all will occur as the right ' h a n d ~,ves to
take the top card; however, the right hand, in the following~Figures,
remains o ff the deck for clarity. The deck is held in the left hand
in a Mechanic's Grip but with the left hand relaxed so that the left
2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers extend normally and not pressed, as a gauge,
again~the right side of the deck.
The right-r5t finger is around
the top end of the deck and the deck itself is normally beveled.
The
left thumb pushes over the top two cards as closely together as
possible. During this action other cardsmay move along~with them.
At this moment the right hand will be approaching the ~ c k but in t h e
Fig. I the right hand is kept out of play for clarity. " ~
",

.,

1
~' . '.' F i g .

Fig. I

'.

. .- ,

2
.
;

- . _~, ..(.

l,
Fig. 3

Fig. 4

2. The left 2nd and 3rd fingertips at the same time pull back the
excess cards,-a5 in t~Fig. ~, leaving only the two cards over the

>,

....

~.'

..

~-

'.

65

side of the deck as in the Fig.

~.

3. The right hand comes ov e r the deck with its thumb al ongside the
left l~t fi~ger s o that now the right thumb is extend~d. al ongside
the rIglit side of the cards. The left thumb at once pU~ls back the
top card so it aligns with the deck, as in .the Fig. 4, Jhile the
2nd card now is side-jogged to the right, as in the Fig~ 5 with the
right hand moved out of the way to clearly show this co~~ltion.

I
,
i'

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

...

Fig. 6 '

Fig. 5

"

"

.,

4.
Remember that all the actions depicted in Figs. I to 5 inclusive
are all done as the right hand seems to take the top-card~ The right
thumb presses onto the top, of the side-jogged card, at the upper
right corner, while the right 2nd fingert~p's upper side press up
against the face of this card at the same upper right corner.
The
right 1st finger is over the front end of the card at the same
corner-.--The right hand now pulls the second card downward and clear
of the deck as in the Fig. 6 which is a stop action of the card about
to clear the deck.
S. Once more a reminder that all the act~ons of Figs. 1 to 6 are
all done with the right hand already on the deck. Also the right
thumb only glides across the top card and actually contacts only
the side-jogged 2nd card. All these actions are r~peated, conforming to your own rhythmic speed, for each successive Second Deal.
Once the card clears the deck it can be dealt straight down to the
table or sailed to any position to the table by kicking the bottom
side of the right 3rd finger, against the right side of the card, as
an aid to propel tne-card.
.

I.

I
t i
t

I~
I'
I

6. A further visual deception, especially from the top view, can be

added by extending the right thwnb across the left thumb as in the
Fig. 7, where at this time two cards as one are over the side of the
deck.- The right thumb slides across the left thumb, which now Dlllis
the top card flush with the deck leaving the 2nd card side-jogge~,
then the right thumb contacts the side-jogged card to deal it downwards to the table. At the same time the left hand does a slight
downward Wrist Turn as seen in the Fig. 8 where the second card is
about to clear the deck.

-_._. .

.. .

- --

....,.--.,.

corner-.--The right hand now pulls the second card downward and clear
of the deck as in the Fig. 6 which is a stop action of the card about
to clear the deck.

.1
i

'------ - -

tL...c_ -,-

t _...a :...-....
.......

I
6

]
.,

.. .
.'

F'

... .

':,

"

"

'

.i"

Fig. 8

. Fig . 7

. 7. Using the technique o f push i ng ove r t wo cards a ~ " ~o s e i y togeth er,

as alr eady depicted in the Figs . 1 to 3 , then f o l l ow iri~~ w i t h the rest
of the techn iqu e you will f i n d t ha t Stud Deal s, such a s" Barnhart's
-Thumb De al or Vernon's New The o r y Second Deal or the one whe r e the
right hand comes above the deck to take the card by th e e n d s to snap
it fa c e up, c an be done much e asier with a good rhythmic tempo.
Using th is two card pu sh -of f t echnique for the Ver no n New Th eory
Second De al th e right 3rd fin g e rt ip should engage the upp er r i ght
corner o f the second card.
I n th is wa y the palm do wn rig h t h and
g ives cov e r to the eventual side-jo gg e d second c ard.
Th e Ba rnhart
: Thumb Second will have th is cover a utoma t i c a l l y .

8. The . f ol l owing ap p ro ach use s t h e same pu sh-o ff t e chni que excep t

the right han d take is mad e by the r i gh t 1 st fi nger and thumb , at
,t h e u p p e r right corn er, with the right l s~in g e r and thumb , at t he .
upp e r right co r n e r, with the right 1st finger a cross the t op edge at
the sam e co r n e r.
The Fig . 9 shows th is p osi t io n once the two card s
onl y are ov e r t h e ri g h t s ide. The spe c t ator ' s v iew is as in th e
F ig. 10 and at this t ime t he rig ht f i n g e r s and t humb . are on b oth
.c a r d s -. -

]
~fj,

]
]
]
]

"

]
.

9.

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

The right 2nd finger and thumb now pull the second card to the

1
.A. ...... _

~_ .... ~ ~ n...L..l.a..b

""'".t-' l-' ..L""'''''''''- .......

~ -.7_ ...,;7

""'.. 4 _

oJ ~" U"'"

!-"U J

.L

V.L..J..

,",, "" '- .J..u. ..L'1. \.A. v

...... J'\. ' -

..... p""'

the right han d take is made by th e r i ght 1st fi ng er and thum b , at

,t h e u p p e r right corner, with the right l s~ing e r and thumb , a t t h e .
upp e r right c o r n e r . with the ri ght 1st f inger across the top edQe at

]:

~I

I
I

__ -,--,
'. ,oolt'~

_~

.......

.1-'..... _

67

right as the 'left thumb pulls back the top card flush with the deck
as ln the Fig. 11. At the same time both hands do a slight downward
wrist .t ur n as in-the Fig. 12 to clear and deal the second card. Note
that l'wrote that the right2nd finger and thumb pull the top card
to the right. This Ls actually so because the right 2n~, 1st and
thumb can ~uk~ the 2nd card to the right until the ri~~f s~de of. the
second car
1 ts the palm of the hand thus the card, In :. ~thls case,
will end up held in a position similar to that shown in . ~he Fig. 8.
Continue the required push-off actions for each successive SecondDeal.

. . 'Y~I

. ....

' ';

Fig. ' 11

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

I
J
I
J

Fig. 14

10. The right 1st finger along the top edge of the two cards aids
in the removal of the second card in the previous method but wi l l
be more evidenced in the following. The push-off technique is executed and wi t h the t wo cards forward and the right fingers and thumb
in the position already shown in the Fig. 9 and 10, the right 1st
finger, right 2nd finger and thumb pull the second card inward-a5
the left thumb pulls back the top card flush with the deck. This
inward action is continued until the card clears the inner end of
the deck. These actions are shown in the Figs. 13 and 14. This
take is very deceptive from the spectator's view~he illusion being
aided by the fact that the right 1st finger is seen to contact the
front edge of what is apparently a-5ingle card that now seems to be
taken straight back.

--- -- - - --- - - - -r.r,..,,_ "'"

k __

ti 8
,

~...

11. The pressure of the rlght fingers and 'th~mb sh~u1dbe ilght
when they contact both cards and then increased as the second card
is pUlled inward. Once the card arrives in the position ,~hown in
the Fig. 14 the card can be dealt down in front of the pe~former or
the right hand can move fo rward and sail the card to any ~ o s i t i o n , on
.t he table.
The Second .De a I can be done slowly or r ap LdLyr;
'

( .
,

"

!. _ ..' .

.; :

,_

I ....

. j

"

..- ....

"

.. '

".

,:

"
s,:

",

'.'

~')

.... ;

; t~,

:.

r-----:---.r--r---r---.::rr---.:...---.'

'

.~

"

.'

"

,,

.... :.

..

]
', ' f

]
]
]

;
t

..

, .;

"

'

'. .

. '

.~

l,

. ..
\

. "~ !

-..-' .'1

i :
f -;

: ~

(0;'"

.1'

" '

.'-: :

', ' f

, '

- ;

]
r.m

L;'
.

I
I

69
-

~.

THE TWO-CARD DEAL

./

The secret dealing of two cards as onetdur i ng an

otherwise single card dealing to the table i s not exactl'Y a new idea
it having been mentioned by Charles T. Jordan . The pur~ose here is
to describe some techniques especially when for one rea ~on or another
,t wo cards, when needed, do not come over ,t he side of th~~ deck in
close alignment.
:\ f

I
I

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

.,

.J;...., .

1ST TECHNIQUE: This is very basic in that you must acq~i}e the
ability to push over two cards in as close alignment as possible
whenever it is required to do so. Those who have mastered a Second
Deal such as the "Natural Second Deal", described elsewhere in this
volume, will have no problem; however, even with the cards separated
I , h ~v e added a final touch that r esults in further alignment.
The deck is held in the left hand Mechanics Gri~but rather loosely with the left 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers naturall:Y\ ;extended. The
left 1st finger iscurIed around the upper end of the deck. The le ft
thumb-aDes the pushing off of the cards but the ball of the thumb
always comes back to touch, more or less, th e left side ~f the deck
at about center. The left thumb deals each card over the right
side of the deck with the right hand taking each card by its upper
right corner with the thumb on top, the second finger below, the
1st finger extended along the top end edge at this corner and mo st
rmportant the back knuckle of the right 3rd finger, just above its
nail, always- contacts the right side edge-Df the card. Each card
taken is dealt face down to the table. When it comes time to deal
two cards as one the left thumb presses down harder than usual which
enables the ball of the left thumb to engage and push over two cards
in close alignment as in the Fig. 1 where the right hand is about to
deal the card(s) to the table.
I:

JI -

Fig. 2
2. As soon as the right hand touches the card(s) the right 2nd
fingertip pulls the under card to the right where it aligns itself
against the knuckle of the right 3rd f i nger which is already against
the right side edge of the top ca~ The two cards are thus further

I
I
I
-~

. . . ..
~~

.....". .
-- -, - --.. - ------ - ..--..
n.:: -- -:
- --_."" .1. _ _ "" ""
_
_
enables the ball of the left thumb to engage and push over two cards
in close al ignment as in the Fig. 1 where the right hand is about to

-:;;;:~ '-":

~ .~~m . ~_.~. ~ ~

-=-;:";:- - .... . ._ . ~, .- ..., -

- -~~'7

_..- __ __ -- - -

' c-l p.::I l

ThE"

r ::lrc1 (<::1

.'- ~

~~

'1",,4

Tn

t-hp

t- :::lhl

~ --~

.1.

,t"

" '"'l-:- -, '... ~ "':" 'r ,

....,---

:~ ~.,._ .

.~

~_"'''''.L.

~ r-; :ttr~:"?r ~- "":!"'~ ;:'''''':':;: '' '"'i~~ '~'\f11E1:;r,:,",':~ --~

'

~-"\,A. ~..l-

.. ,

~ ..l.l.

-~ ~

"j

aligned as in the Fig. 2. The

right 1st finger along the top
J
edge a~in this acting a s a sort
of track along which the under card
slides. Without hesita'~on the
right hand deals its caf~(s) onto
the tabled cards as in tpe Fig. 3.
In fact you can say the ~full align- R
ment takes place as the card(s) are I
dealt onto the tabled caI".~s. Without any break in the rhytnm additional single cards are now dealt
as you continue the deal.

"

Fig. 3

..'
.,

.:

..

.... .

:1
"].
~-

.:

,. :

~.

'

. ", i l

'~ .

'Fi g . .5

.fig. 4
.

.;

t.. .. .

'"

, ~.

.,

2ND TECHNIQUE: Here is the problem ,

of havihg pushed over two cards
J
that are not close together. With
the two cards over the side as in
.~
the Fig. 4 the right hand comes
1
over to aZtually tike the two sprea~ a
cards and as they are actually being_
deal t the right 2nd fingertip pulls 1
the under card tothe right against J
. t h e knuckle of the right 3rd finger.
The Fig. 5 is a stop action of the
deal showlng the two ' c a r d s almost
.
in alignment; . As. the right hand,
Fig. 6
without any hesitation, deals the
"
card(s) onto the tabled packet the _JJ
two cards will be in alignment as in the' Fig. 6. If any misalignment
is still present, as the card(s) meet the tabled cards, it will be
.)
taken for a card that is already on the table. It is a simple case
of taking the two cards and aligning them as the card(s) travel from
J
the deck onto the tabled cards. Continue the deal with single cards.

J
-~

J
l

. ~.

-F i g . 4

'

; . i ;"

-:

r-.

. ". i t

'Fi g . 5
: ;.

': ~

..

"

-; ".'

'~ .

I
I

71

3RD TECHNI QUE:

Her e wi t h t wo cards spread as I n the Fi g . I, which
is a slight l y wi d er sp read, the right hand com e s over a n d with the
knuckle of th e 3rd fi n ge r hits or mov es the top card t o : t h e l eft,
wi th t he l e f t thumb a ls o pull ing the top c a rd s l i gh t l y L~ th e left,
thus i n stantly a ligning t h e t wo c a rd s a s in the F ig . ~ . ."~_" Wi tho u t
he s i t atio n the c a rd ( s ) a s o n e a r e d e a l t o nto the ta bled tar ds and
the deal continued .
In a l i gn i n g t h e two c a r d s y ou will ~ i nd that
t h e y will move further t o the l eft than that pictured in ~~he Fig . 8 .

II
I

i I
!

II

\~"*l _

I
i
i
I
. , ;;

I
~

i1

'"

!4

4TH TECHNIQUE: 1 . He r e t h e 3rd knu ckle of the right hand does not
playa p a r t. The right hand takes the cards between the right thumb ,
2n d finger, and t h e "1 s t finger s till ex tended along the to p edge.
The Fig . 9 s ho ws t wo-sepa r a t e d c ar d s ab out t o be t a k e n by the right
h a nd. As - t h e s e t wo c a rd s are a bout t o b e taken the left thumb can
at once pull only the top c a rd to t h e l e f t an d i n l i n e with t h e se~o nd
card with the ri ght h and at onc e d e a l in g th e c ard( s) on to th e t abl e d
card s . On t he othe r hand th e ri gh t h and ~ an a c t u a l ly ta k e th e t wo
cards a n d t h e alignme nt i s made , by the right 2nd f i n ge r pul l i n g t he
un d e r c a r d to the right until bo th cards are aligned in a sort of
p i nch grip between the right thumb , 2nd f inger and 1st fi n ger a long
the to p e d g e, du ring th e time t he c a raTs) move fr0m~e d e ck, as in
t h e Fig . lQ , t o the tab led cards .

'1

j)

1
j

J
1

I
Fig. 9

Fig. 10

I ne ~lg . ~ snows ~w o s e pa ra~ea c ar a s aD OU~ ~ o De ~aKen Dy ~ n e rlgn~

h a nd. As - t h e s e t wo c ard s are a b out t o b e taken the lef t thumb c an
at once pull only the top c a rd to t h e l e f t a nd i n l ine wi t h the se~o nd
card with the ri g~t hand a t onc ~ ~ e a ~ in ~ th e c ard( s) onto the t abl e d

.,

.f A

'2

. . 2. At times, in pulling the under card to the right, you may pull
the card past the right side of the top card as in the Fig. 11 which
is exaggerated for clarity. There is no problem here if the-right
hand simply continues its motion to deal the card(s) onto! th~ tabled
cards where the slight discrepancy blends in with the res t of the
cards as in the Fig. 12.
; _. ... .
.: :~
.:
,

~
,)
]

' :'.! .

]
].

Fig. 11

r:

Fig. 12

J
l

3. There isn't any specific point at which you deal two cards as
one.
It depends strictly on wh e n you feel it is right.
For example,
in a deal of five cards . you can do a two card deal anyt ime on the
3rd, 4th or 5th take of a ~ard. Also several such two card deals can r~
oe-maae-for larger numbers. As an example you will apparently deal
~
ten cards face down to the table but in reality end up with th irteen
~
cards.
In this case the first 3 cards can be dealt fairly, then anywhere between the dealing of the numbers 4 to 10 inclusive you do a
two card deal three times. This is not a-consecutive two card deal
.1
but rather interspersed between single card deals. The se two card
deals can be used in many card effects that use coun tin g and wh i l e
I have several on file there isn't room to. include t hem in this
present volume.
Finally, the technique to strive for is the 1ST
TECHNIQUE but even with the best of cards you may get to a situation
.wh e r e the requir ed t wo cards are not aligned and in these instances
~ou can resort to any o f the other described techniques~

.,

].
]

]
]
.l

]
]

]
-

t~~ ~a~d - d~~l th~e~ - ti~~~

. -- Thi;

i;-n;;'~t - a-:.c~;s;~uti~~ -- t~ ~ - c~~d d~al

but rather interspersed between single card deals. The s e t wo card

deals can be used in many c a r d effects that use coun tin g and wh i l e
I have several on file there isn't room to. include them in this
rrr e s en t volume.
Finallv. the 1:echniaue to strive for is t h e 1 ST

.j
] .

_~ ~ "" _...i<- _

... ...,. .

...,

_ _ ,... .....--~~.__.. '_ .... _

..._

~'"

~._.:.

.._ _"1-."'"1' ...

.
.-

...

. . -&-

73

MARLO' S PINCH SPREAD

.. : .

.
. Those who may have at times have some tF~uble doing
. t he D' Amico Spread will fin d the Pinch Spread wi l l keep .t he extra
' c a r d s , even it i t consists of a large bl ock, in perfe ct a;l i gnme n t .
, It i s especially goo d with t hose very sli ck c a r d s tha t h~ye a tende nc y t o spread inadvertent l y , especia l ly a t the left si de , hear
. the upp er or lower left c orners .
Y.,;;.,....

I
I
I

\ '.

-I

I
~

.1

1. Assuming you are f ami l i a r with the preceding acti ons to bring the
de sired cards up t o the left fingertips, well above the deck, to hold
them by the ir sides the right 1st and 2nd fingertips posit ion themselves at the extreme lower ' le~corner:- The right 1st fingertip is
on the l ef t s i d e of t his corner and the right 2nd fingertip i s a t t he
inner ,end a t this corner. The fingertips thus-rDrrn a shallow V at
thi s corner wi t h the r i ght thumb beneath pressing up~gai nst the index
o f the card. The Fig. 1 shows this starting positi~~. No te the le ft
1st fingertip on upper r ight co r n er.
~' f
.

II

Fig . 2

II

2. The right ha nd t ur ns palm up

to brin g t h e cards f ac e up wi th
t he l e f t 1st finger t ip pressing
against tne-upper now left corner.
The Fig. 2 shows this positi on .
Pressing very firmly wi th t he tips
of the right 1st and 2nd f inger t i p s against t11e corner and t hus
edges of the cards the r ight
thumb simply presse s onto the
face c a r d to pivot it to the right
t o form a two card spread as in
the Fig. l.

I.
I

3. While the Fig . 3 shows the left

1st f i n ger adding ins ur an c e , by
USIng t he Mar l o Pivot Sprea d i dea,
a ctua l ly the Pinch Sp r e ad ca n be

...

u v .
~

. : . do n e wi thout t h e use o f the left

]
1 st finger as s hown in :the Fig. 4
where the spread is ma~ away from ]
the deck . Just rememb~r t o press
.
' qown firmly wi th the t ips ' of the
r ig ht 1 st and 2nd fi ng~r ti p s aga inst,
t he s i ae-a n d l ower e nd o f th e c orner,j
The right thum b pivot s ' l\.~$ c a r d
"
t o the right so that its tright side
edge, at this s ame ~orner , is forced]
pa st the tip of the right ,lst f i n g e r .
-,

- ; -'- . -

4 . You c a n pra ctical l y tur n the

card s f a ce up , sti1l 'squared, the n
do t h e Pi n c h Sp r e a d. Thi s is a
bi t of o f f timing ~~at wil l throw
o f f those familiar ~~ith the D' Amico
Spread which is usually made as the cards are turned f~c e up. The
Pinch Spread .allows you to very cleanl y app arently spre~d two ca rds.
. ., i O

_ . ....

".' ,::. . .

"

I' .

] .

"

.
'": . . ..::..,..
...

~;

.,,' oJ':.:'.:, '.!

.! /

"

~.>

- .'

/. :

'. ' . - .,'. . ."

\.

.~

....

",

-. : '

' . .,

,, ..

v,

,. :,

', ,,."

, .,.,;..: : : ...... ,. " ' <;:

.
'

-.

,".,

::... ,,' .'

. ' ~. : . ~
+.

......_~-"'
. -

i ,"-,

".\!/ .... ,

. f

. : ~ . .>_ .. t

,.

. ~. ;: - . '

\ '

~ . .~ i,

"

.:. :. ~ "\ .
_,"

. . .'

':',"::-'".~. .." .

..

-t

. ,:

;-

. .", .~.~ \-.: .~~ ~_~ __.i

,

,
't-.

'..~'"

.. \

~ '"

\'

-..

.. .. ...

l.

.'

... ....

v" ,

/ . > _"".

..,.
"

. .. . .
.. ... .
': ', - . '

' . "

. ...

. 1_,:: ',

"

-J

~ .

', ' -

.....

"

, : .,

'

I'

'.'

-.

.:

',.

i,

I
I
I

NEW GRIP FOR

.<.. .

'i ti~
I~
t~

tt.
~

V.~. _

- . ,~

Over" the years I have always used the Ve e s er Concept counting the cards from a dealing position in one hfind to a
" d ea l i n g po s i t i on in the other. These methods were firs t recorded in
1959 in the M.D.M. magazine, then later in publications J i k e the
Hierophant, Al Sharpe's "Expert Card Conjuring" and in my own magazines. Experience with these methods made me realize that the 1st
finger of the holding hand at times got in the way of a 2tea n alignment of the cards at the moment of e xc ha ng e . The followin-g new grip
of the holding hand insures not only ane at alignment, insures a no
pause exchange but gives perfect control over th e cards being pushed
over thus making a count like the Flexible Count trouble free.
i . As s ume you have a sixteen ,card packet with the four Aces a t th e
face. _ You also have a break, at the lower right corner, with the tip
of the left 4th fing er, below 2 cards; however, all ; jour l eft fing ers
are a t the rIght side of the packet. This means tha~ the outer end
of "the packet protrudes well past the left 1st fing &i tas in the
Fig. 1.

Fig.

_Fig. 2

2.
The left thumb pushes over the face Ace and the right hand takes
it into a dealing position or Mechanic's Grip with the right 1st
finger around the top end. As each Ace is taken, one onto theother,
it is import ant that the right hand moves downward which is the
natural action of t aking the cards and not in a back and forth sliding
action that gives the appearance of mixIng the cards rather than
counting them. This downward action of the taking hand was explained
to Jon Racherbaumer at Crandall's Bar in Chicago and can also be found,
in connection With , the Elmsl ey Count, in Racherbaumer's censored
Kabbala, Volume III.

3. Having taken 3 Aces into the right hand the left thumb now pushes
over a block of cards, those above the left 4th finger break at a
slight angle so that its upper right corner protrudes to the right
past the balance of the packet. During this block push-off the right
hand at the same time moves up to the left hand as if to take the
last Ace. This time, as the hands come together, the 3 Aces from the

'J
right hand aut omatically go under the packet ab ove the 4 left
fingers and in line with the balance of the pa cke t. The protruding
corne ~ :p f tne angled block of cards will co me directly between the
base of t he rig ht t humb a n d 1st finger as s ho wn in the Fi g. 2. Note
also that at this point the four right finge rs cover the l~ft f our
fingers .
'
': ':

h~nd c~mes 'a~ay , as: ~; ta;l~:'

'4 . Without a ny pa u s e t he right

the l a s t ]
Ace but r eall y an Ace and 3X cards, with the other ~ Aces n~~ under
the packet . The right thumb moves under the suppos ed 4 A c~ ~ "to t ur n
them fac e down, then the right fin gers and thumb spreaa out the four
cards. The l owerm os t c ard, on the le ft. i s a n Ace . This is dro pp ed
to th e t able on y ou r le ft f o ll owe d by d ea l i ng, off eac h supposed Ace,
as the right hand ~moves t owards the r i ght , thu s forming 'a line o f
f our face down cards.

]
]

S.
Fr.om he re you c an go in to the "Almost Like Trick Car ds" 'Ac e
rou tine t hat I subm itted to th e Hierophant; however, ~~ t routine
u sed ~n extra or 17th car d. The foll owing sub t lety eli Winates that
extra card. Thumo-oYer 6 'cards, one under the other ; then transfer
these to under t he pack e t but obta in a le ft 4 t h fin ge r t ip br ea k above
them. You ha ve a break no w below 3X card s ana-the 3 Aces. Your
pa t tel' excus e for the initial six card spread is, "We wi Ll place three
. o f these cards on each Ace."
' ,
]

]
]

6 . Using the New Grip the l e f t thumb deals over the cards wi t h t he
right hand t aking them, one onto the other , until tw o X cards have
~
~
be e n taken. On the third take the left thumb pushes over the block
,~
o f cards, tho se a bove t he break, wi th the exchange actio ns being
make as alrea dy expla in ed wi t h the Fi g . 2. The ri gh t thumb go es unde r
the right side of these cards a nd f l i ps them over and face down . The ']_;.:
" r i ght thumb and f i n ge r s spread out the card s as you say, " Thr e e cards on the fi r st Ace."
But lVa i t , you have four c ards spread out. Pa u se
a mome nt, th en s a y, "Took one too ma ny . n---nere t he lo we r most ca rd of , ]
the four is f l i pp ed f a ce up ont o t he fa c e 9f t h e cards in the left
'
hand. It will be an X card subtly addi ng to the fact tha t the remaining ~ cards are also indiff er ent cards when they really are the
3 Aces. These a re p l a ce d fa c e do wn on to the a c t ua l Ac e . , Fr om her e
c onc l u de the ef f ect trouble fr e e a s there isn't a ny ex tra card to
worry about when it c omes time to show the f our Aces .
''1
j
7. A fe w suggestions. Some may f ind a l e ft 3rd f i ng e rti p bre ak to
their liking. Also t he cur ling inward of the-reft 1st fi nge r , a t the
time of exchange, wi l l be found helpful. Instead of aBIQck Pushoff
the l e f t ' 4th or 3rd fingertip c an pull i nlVard, on those cards above
the break~t the-Iower right corner, to angle t he block f or th e
exc ha n ge . I n other wor d s t he bloc k i s an gled, then the left thumb
quickly positions i tsel f on this block at the upper left c orner f or
t h e actual e x c ha nge . The u s e of the l e ft 4th or 3rd f i ngerti p t o
angle the bl ock insures practically no s pr ead of these cards. The
"Pausing Element" as explained i n Al Sharpe's "Expert Ca rd Conjuring"
c a n also be used if so desired. Note, some may wi s h to use the thi rd
left fing ertip break in o r de r t o bring t he upp e r end of the packet
eve n more past t he l e ft 1st f inger.

J
]
]

]
- -- -

- - 0-- -

-- - -

- -

-- - - - -

-- - - - -

_ ... _ -

- ---r--

....... ... ""' .-.-...

_ . ..... -

_ .....-

. . . . _--

-_ .. .......

," r i ght thumb and f i n ge r s spre ad out the card s as you say, " Thr e e ca rds
on the fi r st Ace ." But lVa i t , you hav e four c ards spr ead out. Pa u se
a mome nt, th en say , "Took one too ma ny . n---nere the lo wermost ca rd of ,
the four is f l i pp ed f a ce up ont o the fa c e 9f the cards in the left
han d . I t will hp. 1:1n X r.ar-d s n h r f v ::lc1r1ina rn rh p. -f~rr 1' h ~ r t'hp rp-

,-~

-~ -

...........

_-

,":"';:~. ::-:_-_:"

77

THE FLEXIBLE COUNT

_. .
.r
The following technique for the Flexible Count will
be described with the cards starting in a left hand dea~ing position
since this seems to be the most popular among the major~ty of magicians.
.."

!
I
I
I
i

". ~

1. Assume you have a ! card packet held in the left han~ dealing
position. The right hand comes over to grasp the left side of the
packet as in the Fig. 1 with the four right fingers below.f?nd thumb
on top at about center-of the right side. The right 4th ~ i ng e r t i p
is near the lower right corner. The left thumb now peels off the
top card as it moves to the left, as in Fig. 2, then downward, as it
clears the cards in the rig~ hand, as in the-Fig. 3.
.

.j

(
,~

,Fi g . 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

2. Continue the count until 3 cards have been taken into the left
hand. As your left hand comes back to take the card from the right
hand the right 4th fingertip is inserted above the 3 cards held in
the left hand ana-below the single card held i n the-right. Thus the
4th fingertip is between the cards as in the Fig. 4. Without any
creak in the counting rhythm the 3 cards from the left hand are
clipped between the right 4th finger on top and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd
fingers below, as in the F~ ~, while the left hand moves-iway with

..

the single card on the count of- "Four" as in the Fig. 6 .

... :

_I

., . .
~

..

."

]
\/
Fig._ 6.

Fig . 5

,,-

;:~.

'

Still without an Y: hesitation

in the count the left hand comes
back to now take the -r ema i n i n g 3
cards, f rom the righ t hand, oneat a tim e on to the ca rd in the
l e f t hand on the counts of "Five ,
Six and Seven". Note that the
right 4th finger has at onc e moved
back to under its 3 cards , in the
Fig. 6, soon as the exchange of
cards-has been made. While the
counting actions were described a s
from the right hand into the left
hand the Fig. 7 has been include4
to show the count ~an be made from
the left hand int~ the right hand,
3.

Fig. 7

4. This technique f or the Flexible Count was used to s how all cards
as fa ce down; however, it can -also be used in c onne c t io n with the
" I nte rl a c ed Vanish " ( exp l a i ne d elsewhere in t h i s volume ) whic h has ,
fr om fa ce t o bottom , a face up King , a face do wn King , a - fac e up
King, and a face down King. You apparently show these f our cards as
four Kings with supp osedly three face down selections between them .
All you do is take off the first 3 cards, one at a time, into either
the left or right hand. On the 4th count do the exchange as already
described, then conclude the count up to "Seven". The cards will
still alternate and to make the "vanish" fronr this condition refer
t o the text on the "Interlaced Vanish".
.

]
]
1
....at

S. Having brought up the "Interlaced Vanish" the f ol l owi ng "Flexible ]

Count" technique enables you to apparently show 4 Kings with supposedly 3 face down selections between them when actaully you have 3 Kings
f a ce up and on e King face down f or a total of 4 cards . The arrange Joment o f the Kings , from the fa ce t o the t op, is fa ce up KC, face down
KH , fac e up KS and KD .
6.

Ag ain t he coun t will be de s cri bed as fr om right han d int o the left

]
]

Fig. 7

from the right hand into the left

hand the Fig. 7 has been include4
to show the count ~an be made from
+ho

1 0++

h~nrl

; n+n

+ho

~;~h+

h~nrl

1
....at

79

hand. This 1ST METHOD should be done with the taking hand turned
slightly inward so that the inner corner exchange actions will be
more o~ less hidden. Begin as in the Fig. 8 with the left hand
about to peel off the KC. The right hand holds the lower right corner
of the packet between tne thumb on top and 1st and 2nd f !TIgers beneath.
"....
..
,

i.

Fig. 8

. Fig. 9

Fig. 10

Fig . 11

7. The left hand takes the KC while at the same time the right
thumb and fingers advance two cards as one as in the Fi g . 9 where
the left hand is already appro aching the cards in the right hand.
The two forward cards, which are f a c e to fa ce, are taken into the
left hand but a left 4th fing ertip break i s held below them as in
the Fig . 10, the operator's view.
8 . The remaining card in the right hand is the KD. The left hand
approa ches t o t a ke it but as the hands meet the Tight 1st and 2nd
fingers clip t ho s e c ar d s above the break as shown in tne-Fig . 11.
Without hesita ti on t he KD is taken' in t o t he left hand while the-two
faced car ds a r e mov e d ou t as in the Fig. 1 2 . Co nt i nue the a cti on
until the cards c l ea r each other at the s ame t i me getting a left
4th fi nger tip br e ak bel ow the KD wi t h the rig ht 1s t finger mov ing
back t o und e r t he c a r d s i t no w-nol d s as shown i n~e Fig . 13 . No t e
t ha t the ri gh t thumb is on the right 1st fi nger at time of-exc hange

/
;

! . _

_~~

.....
,'1 ~.~_~

._-----"-_~~_'_"_~
o

'

BO
B

and th en the 'l st fi nge r is moved t o u nd e r t he ca rds h e l d by t h e

ri ght hand .
.. : .

,f

Fig. 1 2

Fig. 13

]
]
Fi g . 14

Fig. 1 5

9 . The left thumb now peels off the face ~own card into the left
hand. With the left 4th fingertip maintai ning i t s or i g i n a l b reak
you n ow have two cards-faced ' as before but with the KS now ,remaining
in the right hand as in the Fig. 14 and your count a~this stage is
up t o "Four".
-

]1
..J

1 0. As your l e f t hand takes the KS, fr om the right hand, on the

c ount of " Five" do the exchange move s as per the F i g s . 11 and 12
whi ch l e av es y ou wit h two faced cards in the righ t han d-.- Al l tnat
remains ~s t o take these las t t wo cards , one at a time , into the left
hand on the counts of "Six" and "Seven". The F i g . 15 shO\'ls the last
c a r d, a KD , a b out to be taken int o the lef t hand on-rhe c oun t o f
"S ev en ". - You h a ve seemingly s hown f our fa ce u p Kings wi th three fa ce
do wn cards between them. To now vanish the suppo sed face down cards
y ou u se the "Marl o Opec Count" described further on i n this se ction.

1 1 . While t h e exchange mechanics used the 1st finger to basically

g e t into position some may prefer the follo wing technique wh i c h uses
th e ou t e r side of the 3r d finger . This time t h e r ig h t hand f i ng ers
mu st po s i t io n t h ems e l v e s , at the lower right corner , so t h at the

]
]

]
]
A

Fi g. 14

Fig. 1 5

9. The left thumb no w peels off the f a c e ~o wn card into the left
hand . With the left 4 t~ fi~gert~p ~m a i n ~ a i n i ~ g . i t ~ or i g i n a l b reak

-.
t

_"

_
. ,"","-,,-:'_~ _

-,

....;l...._

81

]
-,

]
r

-'

outer s ide of the 3rd finger press es against the inner side of the
cards nea r the inner-right corner. The Fig. 16 shows the face KC
taken ~n to the left hand and the right thumb already pushing over 2
cards as on e. Note the position of the right 3rd finger at inner
right corner. The left hand takes the 2 faced cards bui,ho1ds a
break beneath them, similar to Fig. 10. The left hand ~pmes back to
take the single KD and it is during tEis time that the e~change for
the 2 faced cardS-is made as in the Fig. 17 and 18 but n~te that only
the side of the right 3rd finger, at aboutits tIP or third joint,
maintains a separation-allring the exchange. Also a breakV~s held
below the KD by the left 4th fingertip similar to that shown in the
Fig. 13.

]
j
j
~

iI.

Fig. 16

Fig. 17
"

!iI

1I

I
I

Fig. 18

Fig. 19

12. Peel off the face down card onto the KD but hold the break which
will now be below the t wo faced cards as in-the Fig. 19 and is the
situation on the count of "Four". On the count of "FIVe" take the
KS from the right hand a nd also do the exchange moves for the two
!aced cards. This action is identical to that already shown in
Figs. 11 and 12 and leaves you with a KS and KC in the left hand
while tEe two-raced cards are in the right hana as in the Fig. 20.
All that remains is to peel off the face down card from the right
hand into the left hand, as in Fig. 21, then conclude the count of
"Seven" by taking the KD into the left hand.

]
.,

.:

.r,

; ".-

'l
F~g.

Fig. 21

20

Some may prefer t o use the side of th~1~nd finger or

.
the si de o f t h e 4th finger f or the exc hange s.
In a ny c ~ s e do a litt le
exper imenting ancryou will eventually find which yo u fee1 iS ,most
c omfortable and sure.
~]
fI

NOTE:
Obv i o u s l y all the c ount mechanics can 'be d one using the
Kardyro-Biddle Move but the object here is to avoid, as much as
possible, the amateurish hand above the packet or deck handlings and
e specially in the matter o f false c ounts.

....

'

MARLO' S OPEC COUNT

This is an Elms1ey Count in which the card to be
hidden is ou t of p osit i on at sec ond from the face i n a four c a r d
packet.
It is u s e d i n the "Interlaced Vanish ".

1 . You have just s h own four cards as apparently seven cards with'
f our Ki ngs f a c e up and supposedl y t hree face d own sele cti ons be tween
them. Sp read out t wo cards, to display three cards as in the Fig. !'
a s y ou say, "Your cards are between the Kings."

]
]
]

l,
']
]
, Fig . 2

Fig. 1

an Elms ley Count in which the card to be

hidden is ou t of p osit i on at sec ond from the face i n a fo ur c a r d
packet.
It i s u s e d in the "Interlaced Vanish ".
ThlS 1S

1 . You have just s h own four cards as apparently seven cards with'
f our Ki ngs face UD and SUDDosed] v three fa~e d own se le ~t i ons hetween

. .~.z..~~.

~ ,;;~ _:s2.l:~..~ ~L:',",,,,,, ........;..;:..:.. -f./ ~_.... - "~"- - _. ~

. .......:-.~,-'. ~..,-,. ~----,"~.."",
n_Y.

.~':'-.-.i-

., .

:it_~ =~;.. .........

...-'. .__ ~_;,. __

83

I
I
I

2. Square up the cards and hold them i n the left hand. Buckle the
bo t t om. c a r di a s the right fingers grasp the remaining three c ards,
at the lower right corner, as in the Fig. ~.
."
3. The . left hand mov..es out with
the single bottom card, as in the
Fig. 3, as you count .'\One "
At
the same t i me the right thumb
" pu s he s o~er two c~rds . ~ ,See Fig. 3.
..

~ ~

I
I
I
I

4. On the count of "Two" t h e left

hand reloads it s card to under the
' r i gh t hand car d s a s at t he same
time t he le ft hand takes the t wo
cards, " tha t were pus hed ov er, as
, appa r ent l y on& card . , C ~ n c l u d e
' t he count by t a k i ~ t he r emaining
two cards, fro m t~~ right hand,
Fig. 3
one at a t i me on' t fte count s of
"Three" and " Four" '. The fa c e do wn
cards have 'apparently vanished in a startling manner. The f our Kings
are now shown in a spread as explained in the "Interlaced . Yanish"
text.

I
:f

I
I
t

I
I.
I
I

'.
O"

. ...

'f

. . ... w ....

....;............

("

~LEXIBLE

...

VISUAL CHANGE
.

0' .

..

.f

. . ..

The following treatise of changes were inspire~ by an

idea of ' Ba I tazar Fuentes.
Those wishing to check my app r o ac h a g ai.n s t
the inspiration'~ source will find a great difference in regards to
method, simplicity, and flexibility.
I will start by desc~ibing a
simple effect, then give a couple of methods for accomplish\~g the
resul t .
.. .
: \!~ .
\',

EFFECT: A card sandwiched between two other cards changes visibly

to a selected card.
For the climax the selected card has a differ ent color back.
l~
From a Blue Deck remove the two Black Deuces and a Jack of
Hearts with the JH in ihecent~r. These three Blue Backed cards
are tossed face dOwn to the table.
~. ~
j,";.!. -,

2. From the Red deck have a card freely selected and ~~:h tr o l l ed to
the bottom of the deck. Assume that the selection is the lOS.
~.

Hold the Red Deck faces t~ward your~elf ietting le~i 4th fi~ger
tip break under the face card in this example the lOS.
Now the
right -h a nd can either pick up the 3 Blue Backed caTdS and in squaring them face up against ~he face of the deck can add the lOS to
'b e l ow them or the left hand can turn palm down in order to---SCoop up
the 3 tabled Blue Back cards and as the left hand turns palm up the
right hand at once take all those cards above the break from above
by the ends, away from the deck which is placed face up to one side.
Some may prefer to palm out or lap the selection and then add it, as
required, to the 3 Blue Backed cards.
In any case the order of the
packet, from the face to top, is Black Deuce, JH, Black Deuce, selection or lOS in this case.

,I
'J
J
]

]
,]
~

'J1

1f
iii

]. ..

<

'~

~4

4. Holding the packet face up in the left "hand, thumb over the face
card to take it with the right, hand by its upper right corner with
thumb on the face and fingers below. The next card is thumbed over
an~ jammed under the right thumb as it is taken onto the first card
into a sort of fan.
The last two cards as one are taken onto the
first two, these also being jammed under the right thumb to result
in a reverse fan held at the upper right corners with the right
thumb , a n d fingers.
'
S.
Square up the fan faces down into a left hand dealing position.
The right hand takes the packet from above by the ends as the left
fingers peel out, for a short distance, the bottom card while the
left thumb peels back 'the top card. This results in a sort of
quick 3 card Ascanio Spread as seen in the Fig. 1 where the right
hand holds onto the double card. This displays l Blue Back cards.
6.
Resquare the packet and turn it face up into the left hand dealing position.
The JH and lOS remain the central cards. With the
left 4th fingeTtip pull down two cards at the lower right corner as

'\
;)
~

]
]

Some may prefer to p a l m out or lap the selection and then add it, as
required, to the 3 Blue Backed cards.
In any case the order of the
packet, from the face to top, is Black Deuce, JH, Black Deuce, se-

_..i.-:l~.-~~fj>~~L.~_~:

... ,

_.~-. ~' ~ '.

< _ _

_ .

_~ :

..

: .... -.'

", : __ ',-.. 0':"- "

I
I
I
I

I
I
i
I

f
!
!

85

Fig~

Fig. 1

' t he right thumb and fingers, at the lower end, push forward two
cards as one Black Deuc e behind which is the se1ect~~~. The right
fingers, again at the lower end, pull back the 10we r mRst card to
result in an e l o ng a t e d sandwich with all indexes well :'exposed as ln
the Fig. 2 .
'
7 . The right h and g r a s p s the right side of th e e l o ng a te d spread in
order to st eady i t a s it is rai s ed up to the le ft finge r t i p s a n d
thumb to b e h e l d we l l a wa y from the le ft p alm.
Th e left 1st fin ger
is curled a gai n s t the back of th e p ack et. The cards are now dis pla y ed in a so r t of back and fo rth, clockwise and counter clockwise,
action as d epi ct ed b y the F ig s. 3 and 4 whi c h is the spect ator's
vie w.
This action is import ant to the-illusion to" be created.

2
~

~!

~
-e-eo

'~
~

, Fig. 3

r,'
I

e-

>-:>t>

<3

tE)

C'J()

Fig. 4

8 . At the point when the cards a re displayed as in the Fig. 3, the

left 1st fingertip e n g age s the b ack card of the uppermost Black
Deuce and pulls it -s l i g h t l y backward as shown in t h e Fig . 5, the
performer's view
9. As the cards are revolved clockwise to the position shown in
the Fig. 4 the left 1st finger pushes the pulled b ack card do wn until it is-automaticall y st opp ed by the central card. The result is
an instant visual change of the JH to the selection or lOS in this
example to re sult in the Fig. 6 .

..."
-,

Fig. 6

Fig. 5

...

'

' . I~

. . ~ 1: .'

..

" .:

r , -

",

;.

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

10. Once the change has registed you lower the elongated spread to~
wards the left palm. The right hand positions itself above the
packet with all four fingers at the front end and the thumb pressing down on the center of the spread as shown in the Fig. 7~ At
the stage of Fig. 7 you have two choices. 'The right fingertips can
reach down to contact the back of the central card" the actual "JH,
to pull it forward until it lines up with the outer end of the -Deuce o~ the left 1st finger can push the central card until it
contacts the right-rIngertips and aligns itself "with the outer end
of the Deuce~ The Fig. 8 shows the left 1st finger pushing the
central JH towards the right fingertips.
11. Once the outer two cards are aligned the right 1st and 2nd
fingertips sort" of engage the outer left corner of tnese twocards
thus trapping them between the tips of these two fingers while the
outer right corners press against the right palm at the base of the
right 3rd and 4th fingers.
Soon as you feel this grip is taken the
right hand moves-oft' to the right as at the same time the tip of
the left 4th finger keeps the single selection, the lOS in this
case, in place as seen in the Fig. ~.
--12. Continue the action of Fig. 9 until the right hand cards are
clear of those in the left hand. -The left hand moves forward to

~u.

unce

~n e

cnange nas

reg~s~eu

you

~ower

~ne

e~oIlga~eu

spreau

~o~

wards the left palm. The right hand positions itself above the
packet with all four fingers at the front end and the thumb pressing down on the center of the spread as shown in the Fig. 7~ At
the stage of Fig. 7 you have two choices. 'The right fingertips can
reach down to contact the back o f the central card" the actual 'JH,

.. .~._. .a:..-:-

cii.-:....: .,

,_ .."..t# ~:;~

.?- :.~ ._..:.

..

87

1
1

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

deal 'o f f the lOS face up to the table.

Next the left hand comes
back to take the other Deuce onto it at the same t~e the right 1st
and 2nd fingertips retain the JH.
This action, whi~p is a pivotal
one, is easily made because the-left thumb and fing~'Ts peel off,
at the lower left corner, only the face Deuce as seen in the Fig. la,
the performer's behind the scenes view .
13.
The left hand with its Deuces moves to the left and turns palm
down to show the backs of these cards.
The spectator is requested
to turn over the tabled card to show it is Red Back. During this,
the JH can be lapped or brought into a full Rear Palm and produced
fro!TIthe pocket or it can be loaded into the center of the tabled
deck. Briefly, the . left hand would toss its cards face down to the
table and pick up the tabled deck into a face down dealing position.
As both hands meet the left 4th fingertip pulls down about half the
deck at the lower right corner.
Into this opening the lower left
corner of the held out card is started, then pushed flush as at once
both hands start to spread the deck between both hands to reveal the
JH face up in the center.
. '. "

14.

For those who may not wish to palm out the JH, then the follow ing is easy. When the two outer cards are in lin~ your right fingers
simply remove the center lOS card to toss it face down to the table.
The two ' still elongated Deuces are held by the left hand which
simply turns palm down to display the backs.
You can conclude by
the spectator turning over the tabled card; however, note that the
cards in the left hand are in a good position for a Gambler's Cop
of the JH thus leaving all 3 cards for inspection.
2ND METHOD:

~.

1. The basic principle is still the same except in this case the
cards will end up being spread out in the conventional manner. The
beginning is as already outlined until you get to the point where
the lOS and JH are the central cards with lOS in front of the JH.
Here~e right hand holds the packet from above by the ends while
the left fingers move out the bottom two cards to form a spread as

88

<>N

.,

" f>

"

.'; ~

,-,
"'1

l]

,:

,
.s:
\

~',

Fig . 12

Fig. 11

"

. ;'

Z
Fig. 13

. r

Fig. 14

sho wn in t he Fig . 11.

2. Right hand ho l d s the s pread, t hen turns inwards to bring th e
backs of t he cards to wards the performer. The left hand comes i n
behind the cards to tak e them by the ends,. with the left thumb at
the lower ends and the le ft 2nd, 3rd , and 4th fin gers on the out er
ends with the left 1st finger-curled in ba~of the cards. The left
hand now displays the cards as sh own in the Fig. 12. The double car d
is uppermost .
.3. The clockwise and counterclockw ise acti ons similar
shown in Fig s . 3 and 4 of the 1ST METHOD are made. As
left 1st fi ngertip' pulls back one of the two uppermost
this is ,s i mi l a r to that already depicted i n the Fig. 5
it is done on the top edg e of a lengthwi se card .

t o that already
before the
cards . Again
except here

4. As you make a clockwise turn the le ft 1st fingert ip pushes its

pulled back card flus h wi th the central card t hus aff e c t i ng a
change from the JH to the lOS or whatever the selec tion happ ens to
be. The card s, at the time-0f the change, will end up in an upr ight
positi on as in the Fig. 13.

S. The right hand c omes ove r the c a rd s to take t hem by th e ends,

with t he right thumb at the back ends a nd fi ngers at the fr ont e nds ,
thus l e av i n g the left hand f r e e to assume the foll owing p osition s :

sho wn in t he Fi g. 11.
2.

, _ _

Right
ha nd ho l d s the s pread, the n turns inwards
to br ing the
r
.......
r
, _

_ 1_ _

1_ _

_ __ 1 _

. ,

...

"1

__

"_"'l..,.,,.,. ~~

__.. . .

..--'.~'-';;;""'

__ t - _

. ~ ~ ...

. _ _ . _ . --""0, _

._ _

,,-- _ ..... ~ .............:.--=-..: - ~ .. -.:.- :_-""--- -- .... ,;:~--.

I
t

i
I

89
The left thumb is placed onto the
the upper index corner. The left
top edge of the card at the upper
fingertip s cont act t h e uppe r le ft
the pa c ke t. The po s i t ion of both
Not e t ha t l e ft 1st fing e r touc h es

face o f the card, on the le ft, at

1st finger is extended along the
corner while the Le f t. 2nd and 3rd
co r ne r of t he cent er c~ r d unde-r-h a nd s is shown in t h e ,~i g . 14.
r ight 2nd fin ge r .
oo .~
i

/'0

6 . Wi th the ca rd s as in Fi g. 1 4, t h e who le fron t end o f t he pa c k e t

i s concea l e d a nd thus n o th i ng wi ll b e se e n as th e left 2~,0 and 3rd
fingert ip s n ow pull the l ower centra l c a r d , the JH i n t h i;' cas e ~o
the left a s shown i n the e xpo sed bottom vi e w o f this action i n t he
:F i g . 15. Th e action of the Fig. 15 is continued until the JH card
lines up per f e ctly with the Deuce to the left.
,

",

I
~
r
r

Fi g . IS

Fi g. 16

7. Wi t h the JH in line wi th t he up p e r most Deuce on t he left, t he

le ft thumb ana-f i nger s , at th e upp er l eft co r ner, f i r mly hold the
t wo cards as one. Meantime, tOh e r ig ht hand moves a way , to th e
right, with its Deuc e and t he selection, lOS i n this e xample, until
both cards cle ar t h e suppo s ed singl e c ard in the l e ft finge rs.
The
right 2nd f i ng ert i p no w eng a ges the outer'end o f the lOS to sort of
li ft i t upward s , a t the fr ont end on l y, as if to do a Mon te Toss .
Th e Fig . 1 6 s ho ws the s pectator s view a s t h e righ t hand is a bout to
toss the f ac e up I DS t o th e tab l e . No t e t h at t he c a r ds in ea c h h and
are tilted wel l fo r wa rd to prevent any u ndu e exp o s ure o f t h e backs
of the cards e s p e cial l y tha t o f the s e lected c a rd.
0
8. The left hand plac es its
card(s) Oto under the card in
the right hand in s u c h a way
as to bring the outer r i g h t
corner betwe en t he tips o f
the ri ght 2nd a n d 3r d fi n g ers
wi th the r i g ht t humb at l ower end at ce n t er. Th is
bring s the cards i n t o a sor t
of V format ion hel d fr om a bove by the r i g h t h a nd.
The
right hand turns palm up to
display the backs of the car d s

Fig. 17

11..L .... .1 ..1

,""" JI.\",.o

V J. .1

.......1 J.

..... oLl,l. "

n ..L. "-J. J.

'-.J.l'-'

lAr' 'p ~ ~ U 1V ';;)

'"''

u v u \.; v

V J 1.

\.o J.L\';

..LV.J...\,..,

\...1 .L'V

le ft thumb ana-f i nger s , at the upp e r l eft co r ner, f i r mly hold the
t wo cards a s one. Meantime, tOh e r ig ht hand mov e s away, to th e
right, with its Deuc e and t he selection, lOS i n thi s ex a mp l e , until
1-.._ .... 1-..

_ ............ ;1 ,...

_ 1,...,... ,....

.... l... ,...

,..... ... ........ ...... _,-._ ...:1

,.....:

, _

_ ......

,......1~

.... t... .......

1_..c ....

..; .....

rr

Tt.... ,...

L .

<

o
as the left hand ~picks u p the tabled card t o turn it ov e r and show
its odd color back. The completed picture is as seen in the climax
Fig. 17 .
' .

.1

9.
I have experimented with many different ' hand lings o f 't j l i s final
bit and decided o n t h e a b ove a s a go o d disp lay me tho d ; h o w ~v e r, if
yo u wish t o get rid of t h~ a ctual JH in order to leave jus~ 3 c a r d s ,
then any of the previous suggestions can be adapted at thi ~ tinal
stage. My next item, also having two methods, is a good efTect
either sitting close-up at the table or standing. , With gia~! cards
it c a n be a very e ntertain ing platform effec t.
I call i t - '-=~"
MULTIPLE VISUAL CHANGE
EFFECT:
The performer displays four cards of varying values.
One
at a time and visually they change to the four Aces . No counts, just
mag ic .' .

.: '"
' i#.~

1. Required are the four Aces, two Black Spot cards an~ one Red
. . picture card. Assume the Black cards are the 10C, 8S, and tne Red
card a KH . From the face to the top arrange tne-seven ' cards into .
AD-AS-lOC-AC-8S-AH-KH order. This seven card p ac ke.t can be arranged
o n to-t~f a c e -of~he-d e c k, a s y ou patter ab ou t ne e d i n g som e car ds,
o r they can already be arranged and on t op o f the deck where they
can be retained during some false shuffl~s and cu~s. Regardless do
not carry these 7 cards in a little plastic container in your pocket.
The idea that you must convey is that you simply removed four card s
at random while actually taking off all seven from the top of the
deck.
' .
' 2 . Turn the packet face up into the left hand dealing position.
The right hand holds the packet from above by the ends. Also the
face of the packet is raised towards yourself.
The left fingers
now peel ou t the rearmost three cards as if c h e c k i n g on what they
are.
~n re-s quaring the packet t he le ft 4 ~ h fingerti p obtains a
b r e a k above the l owermo st 3 cards. There-are 4 cards above this'
break.
3. At this point you have a choice of spreading out the cards into
either a widthwise posi tion or a lengthwise position. The descripti on tha t f ollows will be t o spre ad the cards lengthwise.
Be g i n
b y the right thumb lifti ng up two cards at t h e back end.
The right
hand, which is still above the packet holding it by the ends, moves
t h e two cards as one inward until the index of the next card is
visible . The right thumb moves in under these two cards in o r d e r
to con t ac t the two cards above the break. The right fingers now
chang e t o press d own on t h e f ac e s o f the car ds and the n the rig ht
han d mov e s inward carrying both s ets o f two c a r d s fur ther inwar d .
Thi s results in three cards being stepped t o show all indexes.
The
left 1st fingertip now pulls down the lowermost card of the 3 upper most cards in order that the right thumb and fingers can grasp the
ou t e r right corner of this single c a r d and pull it f orward u n t i l
i ts ind e x is showi ng . This type o f h and l i n g preve n ts mor e than o n e
c a rd f rom mov i n g out at t his ou t e r end. The r e sul t is an el onga te d

l
1

}
]

']

]
j

.J
Z. lUrn the pacKet tace up lnto the lett hand deallng posltl0n.
The right hand holds the packet from above by the ends. Also the
face of the packet is raised towards yourself.
The left fingers
now peel ou t the rearmost three cards as if c h e c k i n g on what they
.:>-r~

Tn

-r",, _c. ,., n.:>-r; n '<T

t- h""

n.:>,.ln:,,-t-

t-h""

1 ",+ t-

A.t-h

+;n<To-rt- ; n

" l-d " .:> ; n ",

.:>

'r
", I

J:

J ...

~~ ...

o.f-

~ _.;....~

...::t......_\,.IJ,

91

'I

11

spread showing four cards a s in the Fig.18. Three of these cards

are pairs and only the outer end card is-a single card.
If you
had de'c i.de dc on a widthwise spread the cards would appear as in the
Fig . 19 and held from above by the ends with the right :hand.
,

-,
"

',"

Fig. 19

Fig. 18

4 . Fr om the posi tion of th e Fig . 18 the r i gh t hand thu mb now g oes

und e r t he spread, from the b a c k end , while the righ t fingers press
onto t h e face o f t h e sprea d . Th e right han d now t i l ts the spread
towa r d s the spectator.
This leaves the l eft ,h a n d free to change i t s
p o s iti on and regrasp the sides of the spread, from the back, with
the left thumb going on the bottom sides o f the spread and the left
2nd , 3rd, and 4th fingers on the top sides of the spread. The left
1st finger is curled up against the back of the spread . The right
hand still has its grip on the right end of the spread .
S.
In the above position the elongated spread is thus displ a yed to
the audience with all indexes showing on your left or specta tor's
right.
It is at this time that the right thumb contacts the second
s t epp e d pair on the right. The right thu]Ilb pulls this card very
s l i g ht l y to the right and then moves onto , the third stepped pair
to p ull its back card slightly t o the right . This action, with
the r ight t humb moving t he b ac k card o f the 3rd pair, i s shown in
the Fi g . 2 0 wh ich is the performer 's v i e w.
Th e s e actions have
slight l y end-Jo gged, t o the r ight, the ba ck card of t h e second a n d
't h i r d pair o f cards thus making the moves that follow v e r y easy .
Al l this takes only seconds while displaying the faces of the spread
t o the audience .

Fig . 21

Fi g . 20

S.
In the above position the elongated spread is thus displayed to
the audience with all indexes showing on your left or sp ectator's
".; ... h1-

T1-

'co

<>1-

1-h;",

1-,m""

1-h ",+

1-ho

... , ... ht-

1-h"mh

", "" n 1- ", r t- ",

t- h""

"' ''''rr.nrl

6. Once the end-jogging has been completed the left hand al one holds fl
the el ongated spread i n a n upright position. You now will find it
j
very easy f or the left 1st finger t ip to engage the back card o th e
"
3rd pair f r om the top as-5een in t he exposed side vi ew of the Fig. 21.

7. You now go thr u the required c lockwise and counter-cl~ kwise ,

actions as the left 1st fin ger pushes down on i ts ca rd un ~i l it sutomatically lines up ana-c ove rs the KH card at the right an~ ~since the
actual push action is made when the cards are pivoted clotkwise to
the right. The KH has visually changed to the AH .
"\('"
';:.
~

t he l eft 1st fing ertip engages the back c ard of the 2nd
pair, again e asy due-to t he p r evi ou s end -jog gi n g act ions whi c h-rllsures onl y a single c ard be ing pUl l e d back. Thi s is s imil ar to
Fig. 21 ex c ep t he r e it is the back card of the 2nd p air that wi l l
be pulled back. Again repeat the cl ockw ise and c ounter-clockwise
actions, as already depicted earlier in the Figs. 3 and 4, to cau se
the 8S to change to the AS.
, :~~, 8.

Next ~

9 . At t his st age t he AD c a r d i s the double cAr d. To ~lnsure an ea sy

pull back o f the back o f t his pa i r the ri gh t thumb is pi a ce d on t he
, back of the card(s), at the top end, whi le the righ t 2nd fing e r is
'. placed onto the face of the card. The right 1st fingertip i s plac ed
on the ~~R edge of the c a r d ( s ) . Holding the card(s) fir mly, press
down wi~th e t ip of the right fingertip as at the same time the
right thumb so r t of pul l s upwa r d. This pOSit ion, as seen f r om the
front in t he Fig . 22, i s s eeming l y just an innoc ent a c t i on ; however ,
it v e ry mi nute l y bev els t he s e t wo c ards so t ha t the back c a rd is a
mat ter of t wo thou sand s of an inch abo v e the fa c e AD thu s maki ng t he
left' 1st f i n ge rtip s job of pulling the back card easier.
.
. .- ; . I

:-\

)
,:
:]

]
'
~

"

. ,-

'<>
Fig. 22 '

Fig . 23

1 0. The ac ti on depicted in the Fig. 22 wou l d apply als o to cards

that may b~ ,spread widthwise. In any case, the left 1st finger
pushes the back card do wn until it is automatically stopped by the
fina l laC card thu s t he climax o f having f our Ac e s i s reached. The
Fig. 2~hows the f ou r Ace Climax i n a l engthwise spread whi l e the
Fig. 24 shows the climax with the cards held widthwis e. Rememb er
that all the end-jogging actions described for the lengthwise spre ad
will apply t o when the cards are hel d widthwise ex cept the jog would
be termed a side-jog to t he right.

,j
]

~.-,". _~ ~~ ~ __ ~ _

.....

. - 'L

......~...:.:t.:;~.

93

AA A

4> 0

<>

o
V
Fig. 25

Fig. 24

11. - You will now go into the next actions very quickly as they are
. designed t o let you tos s out the f our Ac e s for insp~~tion. This is
a must since the e ffect is strong and trick cards ar~ suspected.
With the cards facing the audience a s in Fig. ~ the ~right hand at
onc e comes over to the righ t end o f the spread wi t h the thumb at the
bac k and the! fingers on the face .
.
,
.
..

I
r,

~',~

.:

l 2. N~ x t , very quickly and while theaudieric~' is 'kt i l l ab ~or bing

t he c ha nge to Aces the right thumb pulls the back card; of the first
pair to the left of th e AD , to the right until this card i s in line
with the AD. At onc e proceed to pull the back card of the s e c ond
pair also-ro the ri ght until i t lines up wi t h the AD plus the card
already i n l i ne wi th the AD . The right thumb f oll ows by a t onc e
pulling t he back c a rd of the last or thi rd pa ir so i t al so l ines up
with the AD a nd t hos e already i n a l ignme n t . The Fig. 25 s ho ws the
right t humo pul l ing ove r t he ba c k c ard of t he l ast pair-to t he ri ght.
The le ft fi nge r s a nd thumb hold i ng the sides of the elongat e d sp r e a d
provide a perfect t r a ck along whi ch t he back c a rd moves e a sily and
smoothly until you have a total o f 4 cards in l ine, .a t the right end,
with the f a c e ou t AD. Fr om the fro~t th e" spectator sees nothing of
what has occurr ed.--Note right 1st finger along the top edge of
spre ad.
.-:.

'.

, i

: " : , .:

13 . Onc e all f our cards are a ligned as one , at the right end , the
r igh t hand does not move away fr om this end. Instead t he right
thumb presses on t o the back of the elongated spread while the right
fingers press onto th e face of the spre ad . The right hand thus takes
t he packet whi c h leaves the left hand free to turn palm up. The
right hand places its still elongated spread face up into t he left
hand so that the block of lined up c ards are towards the per former.
With the left' hand holding the cards the right hand moves up to
the tw o pro jecting ou ter Aces . The two Aces a re taken by t heir right
s i d e s , with the right thumb on the face and 1st and 2nd f i ng e r s beneath . Simply move these tw o Aces away from~e other two which remain held in the left hand as shown i n t he Fi g. 26. The elongated
spr e ad should be origi nally p ositioned s o t hat tne lined up bl ock
o f car d ~ ~ l l l a t e r al!!2.!!l.:..t .i c a lly fal l int o a Rear Cop or Gambl ers
Cop po s r'fi on .
14.

_--...... ~

-wll:: n- "tnEr-A v- - -ana -~1: fi os e--' a:lr e 'a a:y"'7lri a i i gnme n t .

i ne r i g . ~~ s no ws t ne
right t humo pul l ing ove r t he ba c k c a rd of t he l ast pair-to t he ri ght.
The le ft fing e r s a nd thumb hold i ng the sides of the elonga t e d sp r e a d
provide a p erfec t tr a ck along whi ch the back c a rd moves e a sily and

_.,":..... 1.'=-- .....--- .. - _...

]
,

-.

1
J
,/

Fig '. 27

Fig . 26

15. The right han~ t o s s e s its

two Aces face up t*~the table.
By this time the le ~t hand has
raised its l e f t ls t ,finger upward
very sl i gh t l y when you will fe e l
the bloc k o f 3 cards , t he 8S- 1 0C,
KH , l ower i t s e l f i n t o a lett , hand
Rea r Cop. The right hand c omes
back t o grasp the next 't wo Aces ,
by their right side , t o lift them
away from the left hand which retains the block of 3 cards in a
Rear Cop posit ion as seen in t he
Fig . 28
Fig . 27 . The right hand can toss
the remaining t wo Aces face up to '
the table whi l e the le ft hand can l ap the cards, if sitting or the
left hand merely dro ps normally to the side if standing . The Rear
Copped cards can be brought into a fu ll p~lm and later disp osed of
e i t he r bac k t o the bottom o f t he deck or in t o a ny c onvenient pocke t.

.J

l6
I n the even t that you u s ed t he wi dt hwi s e spread , th en af ter the
chang e to f our Aces t he r i gh t ha nd mu st t ake the c a r ds, from a bove
by the ends , in s uc h a way tha t t he f ul l AD i s t o t he ri ght a nd the
s tepp ed Aces t o the left. All fo u r right-ringers are a t t he fr ont
end a cross the top edge. The left thumb a nd fingers move t o take
the first Ace on the le ft by its left side a t center. The left
thumb gqes onto the face of the Ace but the left finger s go beneath
the sp r ea d . Here the left fingertips push the back card o f the pair
t o under the spread j u s t past the left side of the next Ace after
which the le ft hand removes the Ace t o place it face up to the table
on your left.
'

17.

Repeat the same pushing a c tions when t a k i ng the next Ace except
h~ r e t he left f ingertips wi l l be pushing t wo c a r ds t o the right and
j us t p a s t t he left side of t he 3r d Ace. The Fig . ~ shows th~ ex pos ed bottom v i ew of t hi s a c t i o ~
, 18.

~~
j

J
.

'~J'

\,

Having plac ed t he se c on d Ace face up to the ' t a b le t ~ ~~]

' Fig . 27 . The right hand can toss '~1

the remaining t wo Aces face up to '
the table whi l e the le ft hand can lap the cards, if sitting or the
j
Fig. 28

lp~r

h~nn

mp rplv

nrn n~

nnrm ~llv

rn rh p

~;np

;~

~r ~ nn ;na

Th p

R p~r

95

c omes back to remove the 3rd Ace . This time the left fingertips will
be pushing a blo ck of 3 c a r d s t o the right and in line with the remaining AD ." Because Ot the right fingers being ex t end ed , to ' t he left ,
a lo ng the-top end o f the AD the l a s t Ace , for the m omen~ is practi'c a l l y out of the spectatoTTs view. Als o th e right 1st ~~d 2nd f i ng e rtips anchor themse l ves around the upper left corner-ot t~e compl ete
block of c a r ds wh i c h a l s o inc l ude s t he AD. The upper r ~tht co rner
of the bloc k is al so pre s s i ng in fi rml y-agai n st the r igh t palm a t
the base of t he ri gh t 4th and 3rd f ingers. ' The Fi g . ~ s~p w s an exposed bottom view of the blocks ancho r ed cond ition at t hi~ s t a g e .
From the f r on t it is practically concealed.

Fig. 29

Fig. 30
19 . Having dispos e d of t he 3r d
-Ace the le f t hand c omes bac k but
this time the thumb and f i nge rs
peel of f the AD only by it s lowe r
left c orner ana pivot the AD out
t o the left while t he righthand
retains the remaini ng 3 c a rds
firmly ' anchored. The pivo t a l r e moval of the AD is sho wn i n the
Fi g . 30 whic h-rs t he pe r former ' s
view While t he ,Fig. 31 i s what
the spectator se es . --

Fig. 31

20. The cards that remain in the

left hand c an be lapped or brought
.
t o a f ull Rear Palm by s i mp l y pivo t i ng them inwa rd t oward the rig ht palm. You can now dispose bac k
on to th e deck or into a pocket.
.

2l ~
The basic presentational plot is that the game is Five Card
Stud and the f our cards you have are those tha t are v isible; howev er ,
another pl ayer is sitting there wi t h t hr e e of a kind such as 3 Queens.
When the first Ace appears you comment that i f you have an Ace in t he
hole you could wi n with three Aces but you'r e not sure about that so
you make a third Ace appear. Again your comment is that if the
fell ow ha s f our Que en s, on e in t he hole, he would win; the refore,
yo u make the 4t h Ace appear. The pre s entation is sk etchy but e ach
individual can-Duild on it acc ording to his own tastes.

I.

H
(1
i~

Ii

peel of f the AD only by its ~lo we r

left c orner ana pivot the AD out
t o t he left while t he righthand
re~Rins

~h e

remaini n o

r R r~ s

22. While the clockwise and counter-clockwise actions were used to

effect the changes some may prefer to s'imply move the packet slightly to the right, if you are holding the cards in the 'left hand, at
the s~me time doing the push action for the change. On~ .thing for
certain--do not cover the cards for any reason with the ~ther hand.
You will lose a lot of visual impact.
' !: ,,-,
;

I:,

By this time you should be familiar with the procedures for setting up for either" a lengthwise spread or a ~~ ~ t hw i s e
spread; there fore, the following will be brief description~ ' for a
couple ~f effects.
1ST EFFECT: A card sandwiched between two ather cards of like value
visibly, reverses itself. For the climax it is , shown to change to a
different color back. '
1. Assume the cards 'you will decide to use will be :a ,5S and the two '):
Red Deuces. The deck is a Blue backed one. On top ~th e deck place "
the regular 5S. From a Red back deck remove the 5S ~np place it some ~
where near the center of the deck. This arrangement 2~n practically
be made during any other effects since getting the regular"~ to the ~
top of the deck and later loading in the duplicate Red back card pre- ~
sents no real problem.
'
2. When ready to begin the routine turn the deck face ' up ' a nd say you .]
will need two Red Deuces. Spread thru the deck and toss out the Red
Deuces as you come to them. Turn the deck face down and start to
spread the cards and then raise both hands as you continue the spread
till you reach the Red back card. Up-jog this and then the left hand
holds the deck as right hand removes the Red backer to toss it face
up to the table. The reason you convey is that it doesn't seem to
ma.tter which card is used and your patter line is, llBesides the Red '
Twos I will need any other card. ll In essence you have forced the
card while seemingly removing one at random.

3. The deck is now face down in the left hand dealing position.
Get a lef~ 4th fingertip break under the top card. The right hand
picks up th~ Red Deuces to place them face 'up against the top of the
deck. Shift them about as if deciding on the suit order but eventu- ,..,..
ally square them up and take them, plus the top Blue back 5S, with
the right hand from above by the ends. The left hand , places the deck -~
aside and the right hand places the Deuces face up into the left hand ~
dealing position.

4~ The left thumb ' dea l s over the face Deuce while the right hand
]
picks up the tabled 5S by the upper right corner. Both hands approach"
each other with the"nght hand taking the face Deuce to under and
flush with the Red back 5S. The right hand now turns palm do wn to
sort of casually flash the back of the cards. The two back to back
cards from the left hand are held firmly as the right hand places
its cards to under those in the left hand. The whole series of
actions is pattered with, "The Five of Spades goes between the
Deuces."
/': '

S.

Your arrangement, from face to back, is now a ' Red Deuce, face down )

J,
j.

up to the table. The reason you convey is that it doesn't seem to

ma.tter which card is used and your patter line is, llBesides the Red '
Twos I will need any other card. ll In essence you have forced the
rard ,,,hilpc;ppminalv rpmnv;na

nnp.

::It-

r::lnnnm

_,--~:-=~ . _ ~ ~ . ~

.... .,:,,~~;.~_ '::"""_~'i

.. -

.... _ .. ~_ ~ _ _... .

.__ ..~

'-

97

Blue. back 5S, face up Red back 5S, and a Red Deuce. You are now set
to go into-Cither a lengthwi se spre ad or a widthwise spr ead. The
fol19 wing ,des c rip ti on wil l be f o r th e cards i n a lengt hwise spread.
The t wo bac k t o back c a r d s ar c pull ed i nward , as one, .t o expose a 55 .
The r i ght fing e rs reach i n unde r t he SS to pul lout oi , out- jog th e-othe r Red Deuc e .
-"
..

- ..

,,, ~

.6.

I
I

7 . . Soon as the r everse effect is r egistering the right hand comes

.ov e r to the right end of the spread. The right thumb go es onto t he
bac k of t h e Re d back card while th e ri gh t fi nge r s ~ on the f a c e bu t
wi t h the ri ght fir st fing e r extende d alon g th e to p' ~ ide edg e and
wi th t he bac k of the right 3r d fi nge r pr e ss i ng fi rmty aga i n st the
end edge ~he Deu c e on your rig ht. In t his way' you f or m a p e rfe c t
trac k alo ng whi c h t he Red , back 5S is pulled and i t will go no f ur .t he r than the end of the Deuce on the right because of the position
of the ri ght 3rd fi nger ag a i n s t this end. Note --Originally I u sed
. to , t r y a nd r emove t he c e nter c a rd by us ing the rig ht t humb to pu sh
back fl us h the Red ba c k 5S as t he r i ght finge r s pu l l ed the visi ble
card out from be t wee n the-Deuces . I fe l t thi s did not l ook ca s ua l
e nough at a time when you shoul d be having no t ro uble; t here fo r e,
do ing t he aligning a cti ons fr om t he bac k, as describe d, le ft onl y
one c ard projec t ing from unde r the Deuce and it s removal is no w easy
as the right fing ers and thumb gr a s p the project ing end of the face
do wn c ard t o remov e it f r om be t we en the Deuc es.

1
J

I'

,J
If

i~
~
~

I
I

~
~

1:"

a
I

"

!
I

lIi..
i

t-

J !'
,
t

Position the spread in the left hand in readiness { o r the f i rs t

effect which is that the f a c e uP . 5S s udde nl y turns fac e down even
. though it is seen t o be clearly trapped betwe e n th e D e ~ ~~s. Since
you should by no w be fam i l ia r wi t h t he pull bac k of th e ;~lu e 5S card
, the pu s hing of t he Blue SS face down c a r d and the re qu i r ed motions
to co ver t hese a c t i on s a ll t hat rema i n s is to kno w t ha t the fac e
do wn Blue ba c k 5S ha s now cov ered t he f a c e up Red bac k 5S thus
creat ing the illusion of it turning over .

8. The r i gh t hand shows the face and ba ck of the 5S. It is now

repl ac ed to between the Deuces but it go e s be l ow t ne now t HO al igned
cards at t he ou t er end or to your le f t de pend ing on th e posi t ion your
packe t is in . Just be s ure you do not fl a sh the un der s i de of t he .
still stepp ed Deuc es. With the 5S back face down between the face
up Deuces you a r e now rea dy to cause it to turn f a c e up again.
Simpl y repeat the same a c t i ons as be for e wh en suddenl y the 5S i s
again fac e up ; howev er , remember t hi s is a Red ba ck 5S. AgaIn be
sure t o do the ali gning mov e s a t t he ba ck s o a s to l e a v e on l y the
face up 5S p roj e ct i ng. Wi th th e r i ght hand r emove t he 5S to show
its f u ll-rac e bu t do no t s hoH i t s bac k. Replace the 5S-race up
again to under both ali gned cards on your left.
-9~
You are agai n set to ha ve t he 5S turn f a c e down again as once
more the Bl u e back fac e dOlvn ca r d lvill co v e r the f a c e up Red back 5S .
This t ime , whe n the 5S has t ur ned face down again, t he r igh t hand r e move s the bott om in -j ogged Deuc e to tur n i t f a c e down and re pl aces
it back u nde r t he cards . Turn t he o t he r Deuc e fa ce do wn on top and
square up the pac ket. You wi ll now go i nt o the f i na l phase which i s
that of a visual color cha nge.

10.

Turn the pac ket fa c e up i nt o the left hand .

The f ace card,

as the rlght t l nge rs and thumb gr as p the project ing end ot the face
do wn c ar d t o remov e it f r om be t we en the Deuc es.
8.

...... _

The r i gh t hand shows the fa c e a nd

ba ck of t he 5S .
-= .....

.., .......... .-.. ..J

.4- .....

.... _ _

_ _

.... 1_ _

1""\ _

L __ ....

1_ _ ,

_ _ _

.L. ~

It is now
_.,

--- ....

_. _-~

. _ ....;..--.:.. -

.c,.P'<O _ _

--:..._~

.I-J ~ ~'_

.- .... _! ~.. -

-- _:...-_.:.-... ~ --- - . ~ .

.'
"

really two cards as one, i s pulled back t o expose the face up 55.
Pull out the other face up Deuce thus you have your lengthwise-Spread.
Ri ght fingers rem ove the 55 and t urn it fa ce down . Replace it back
to und er th e, two ali gned ca r d s leavi ng a Bl ue back showi ng . All tha t
remains is to ex ecute the r e qu i red acti ons to visi bly chang e the Blu~
. bac k card t o Red bac k . Af ter the c ha nge the left hand si~ll holds
the cards in its spread c ondition. Turn j ogged Deuc e s face~d
own.
;
. i

11 . The clean-up will enable you to .toss the 3 cards out :~or in' sp e c t i on ; however, you must decide whether you-want these to be all
3 Blue back cards aga in or 2 Blue and 1 Red backer. Persotlally I
prefer t o end with all 3 cards of one color again and the fallowing
is my pr ocedure.
1 2. Squ ar e up th e s pread and hol d th e pa cke t face up in the l ef t
hand dealing posi tion. Spr e ad ou t the thr ee cards by us i ng a single
Buc kl e . The c entral card will be two as one 55. Hold the fan of
c a r d s between the le ft thumb a c r os s the f ac e s-and fingers beneath.
The rig ht hand r emoves t he center two cards, as one, 9t the upper
left corner wi t h le ft thumb on the index and 1st and t''i).d fingers
beneath at t he same corner . The right hand turns pa lm ~ldown to
flash the Red back of t he card(s). Turn s l i gh t l y left as you go
t o replace the 5S c a r d ( s ) back to be t ween the Deu ces; however, the
r ight fingers exe cute the Miracle Car d Change Moves to res u l t in the
bo t to m Red back 5S goi ng int o a Tenkai Palm while t he Blue bac k 5S
i s placed between-the two Deuces leaving the Blue back 5S out-jogged
. f or half its length. Comment that the back of the 58 tu rned Red Hot
due to the fr ictio n cau sed as it kept turning ov er. --Now you w ~ll
let it cool. By no w th e ri ght ha nd can lap its card or s i mply retain to unlo a d into a pocket l ater. Anyway the left hand turns i t s
fan of cards over to now sho w 3 Blue backs. Toss them onto the
tab le for any inspection.
'
13. If you want to leave the Red back 5S f or 't he f i nish simp ly fa n
ou t the ca rds, usi ng a Single Buck le again , t o s how a Red back card
between t wo Blue back cards. Ri ght ha nd r~moves the c ent e r card(s )
as on e and fl ashes the f a c e of the 5S. Conclude using the Miracle
Card Change mov e s to leave a s ingle~ed back 5S a nd two Blue back
Deuces.
2ND EFFECT: A Blank card sandwiched between two J okers changes one
at a time to three sele cted cards. At the c onclusi on the c ent er card
i s Blank and all c a r ds t os sed out fo r insp ecti on.
1. The abov e eff ec t is no t new or the best bu t i s u s ed t o fu r t her
point out the flexibility of the visual change technique. Briefly,
you need t wo look-alike Jokers .and a Bl ank card. All cards should
be identical i n wi d t h a nd le ngth to t he deck used. Fr om the deck you
have three cards fre ely selec ted and controlled to either top or
bottom. Now whe t her you want t o add the 3 selections off of the
f a ce 'of the deck to on top of the 3 car ds-you have on the t a bl e or
pa l m them out and onto the 3 tabled cards is up to you. I have ,my
own s p eci al methods for thi s but the above will suf f i ce f or the prese nt.

~
~j

]
] .
]

table f or any inspection.

13. If you want to l eav e t he Red back 5S f or 't he f i nish simp ly fa n
ou t t he ca rds, using a Single Bu ckle again, t o s how a Red bac k card

J ~'
J

.,

99

2. With the ' 3 s e l ec t i ons a dded onto your ' 3 c a r d s t u rn the packe t
f a c e up a nd tnumb ove r th e t wo face c a r d s to display a Blank face
car d be t wee n t wo Jokers . Nex t , do a r eve rse count t ak ing the J oker ,
t hen the Brank c a r d onto i t and finally the block o f ~ards as s eeming l y t he last J oke r .
. .~ ",.

3. Squ a r e up the p a c ket in the left hand while the ri gn t ha nd mo v e s

to 'above t he pa cke t. With the l e f t 4t h fi nger tip pull .# own the
bottom t wo c ards. No w the ri ght t humb and fi ngers gr asp th e block
of 4 c a rds to pull th em inwar d as on e Joker thu s ex p osi~~ . t he Bla nk
earn. Pull ou t and f or wa r d th e Joker below t he Bl ank a t t t he out e r
end. You now have your le n gt hwise spre ad.
~

- ,I
i

t '.
~

,~

4 . . Posit ion the packet in your le ft hand for the change . From here
yo u simply pull bac k t he 1st selection , wi t h the le f t 1st f i nge r t i p .
Ask for the 1st sel ection and execute the requir ed change. Pull bac k
the 2nd s el ection and r epea t the c hange to th e 2nd selection . The
same 'a c t i ons are made to finally s ho w t he card has changed to the
3r d s e 1e c t i on.
;&,

~~~~\

S. Squa r e up the packet and tur n it fa ce down into ~ h e le ft hand

dea li n g posi t i on . Thumb ove r t he t op t wo card s holding the block of
. ..., cards last as one. The righ t ha nd rem oves the cente r c a r d to t oss
it fac e do wn t o th e t ab le . Thi s wi l l be th e Blank f ac e c a r d. Square
. uP the two rema ining cards and get a brea k, und e r t he t op two cards ,
. wi t h t he lef t 4 th fin gertip .
6 . . Have spectator turn over the tabled card. Under the misdirecti on the bottom 3 sel ect ions can be lapped or palmed into a de ep
Gambl er's Cop . Tos s ou t t he t wo 'Jokers to co nc lude . As to whe t her
-. you wan t t o reproduc e t he selec tio ns, in the dec k or fro m your
po c ke t s , i s up to you to dec id e.

7. When doing the 1s t effect, where you remo ve the sandwiched card
a nd then replace i t~e sure that the left 1st f inger is over the top
end of the card on your left . This is s o that i n pushing the card
.ba ck into t he c en t e r i t wi l l no t a c ciden tally pus h out t he hidden
car d.

F INALLY- - I al s o ex p e r i men t e d u s i n g the D'Amico Change ac t i on s f or a

visua l change of the centra l c a rd i n a widthwise sprea d . For t hose
who may wish t o g ive th is a t r y here is a brief descri ption .

e
~

!f

I
I;
I Ii
!~

If

1. Assum e you have 3 c ards sp re ad out widt hwise. The Double card
is on your right. Tne spread i s held in the le ft hand .wi t h the tip
of the thumb firmly pr ess ing onto the first t wo cards on your left.
The left fingers are bene a th and the spread appea r s to be he ld more
or less at t he left f i nge rt i p s . The ri ght hand hol d s the Double
c a r d so the right thumb is on the f a c e ne a r th e right edg e whi l e
the right 2nd and 3rd f i ng e r t i ps a r e be neath, near the right edge ,
wi th the tip of the-ri ght 1st f i nger pressing ag a i n s t the edges o f
the Do ubl e card . Both thumbs ar e on the face of their respective
cards a nd th e grip is at cent e r o f ea ch s ide .

2.

The righ t hand moves i ts Doubl e card sharply to the right a nd

t
r"

"

p oc ke t s , i s UI/t; - Y;~ t~ - d ~ ~ i d~: - - -- - '

7.
_

When doing the 1s t effect, whe r e you remo ve the sandwiched card
,

...L

1_

.,

,..

...

t'"

1_ _

...

_ ._

~- ~.--- -- ~- ';-: '~ " ~:"'._.....

_. _..

at the same time the right 1st finger pushes the lowermost card, of
the two, to the left. This card should be pushed so its left side
goes slightly past the left side of the center card; At once the
right hand moves its now single card back to the right.
Properly
'e x e c u t e d it appears as if the center card suddenly changed while still
visible. A slight movement to the left, with both hands, lhen back
~ t o the right will aid in the illusion.
In any case, you will have
to experiment and practice to get this right and end with ,t h e cards
in alignment.
From here you can use any of the clean up m~thods
previously suggested.
.
~ .
.

.\.1'" ',
~
While the basic change principle can be lik;ned to a
, p l u n g e r type color change or that of the Edward Victor Change you
must admit that I've carried it further than others could have
imagined.

An added kicker is after the cards change to four

Aces the backs are shown to have changed to another , c o l o r and even
, a different design. When the Aces are handed out i t :it~. seen tha t
the backs have changed color for the second time.
Sirtt~ you should
know how to step the cards properly only the required c~rds and their
arrangement, before turning the elongated spread end foi end, will
be as follows:
The lowermost card, the AD in the Fig. 18, will consist of 3 cards, as apparently one AD, in-order of Red Back AD-Blue
Back X card, Red Back AS.
The next-card(s) up will show lOC-With
Red Back AC behind it.--The 3rd card(s) up shows an 8S wi~Blue
Back and a-Red Back AH behina-Tt. The last card(s) are a KH with a
Blue Back, with an X~ed Back card behind it. This arrangement enables you to show tne faces and the backs of the elongated spread
'a s four Red Back cards of different values. Turn the packet end for
', e n d so the AD becomes the top end card. Do your required change
' a c t i on s to tile 4 Aces. The back cards will show 3 Blue Back cards
and one Red BaCK card at the lower end. Rest the elongated spread
~ f a c e s up in the left hand.
Cop the Red Back card as right hand
~ t a k e s the right side of the spread, with thumb on the face and
fingers below. Turn the packet to show the backs' have changed from
. Red to Blue. Now do the actions to pull the backing Blue cards in
line to the right as already shown in the Fig. 25.
Next, place the
elongated spread faces up into the left hand sothat the gathered
cards will be deep in the left hand. Now remove each Ace, with the
right hand, one at a time to toss them face up to the table. When
you reach the-Iast Ace the left thumb moves it forward over the left
1st finger while the card block
retained in a deep Gambler's Cop.
Have the spectators turn over the Aces when it is seen they have
changed back to Red Back cards. During this misdirection you can
dispose of the copped cards in the lap or side coat pocket.

is

,.

.. , . .

J
]

J
j

].

]
'j
]

'J
]
]
]

"

J
, ":

]
]
.

--

-- ~

- --

- - - - .---

- ---

-~r

- .._-

- ---.

--

,,---

- - , - -_ .... -

- .._ . . b -

' a c t i o n s to tile 4 Aces. The back cards will show 3 Blue Back cards
and one Red BaCK card at the lower end. Rest the elongated spread
~ f a c e s un in the left hRnd.
ron th ~ R ~d R R~k rRrrl RS riah~ hRn~

101

DEVILISH MIRACLE SWITCHOUTS

Of all two card transposition effects the Devilish
is/in a class by itself employing a psychological approach
that convinc es both laymen and magicians that you are~imply hiding
their card as it is invisibly removed, returned, then :Ij.emoved a gain.
It does not insult the spectator's intelligence but ra~her depends
. on it for its strong unexpected climax . Those magicia~s who have
streamlined the five card packet handling, making the s~ l e c t i o n
simply vanish, do not understand the psychological se ~iof the
Devilish Mi r a c l e . Over the years, even though the orig t.a.al method
of Devilish Miracle became qui~e known, I have been abletto puzzle
even magicians by simply working out different methods for the
initial exchange of one selected card for the other selected card;
, however, they had to be direct and convincing. At one time I suggested, in the TOPS, using the ATFUS move (Anytime Face Up Switch)
'-i n conjunction with the Devilish Miracle and it worked out fine but
not anymore as the move has become too well known although in connection with the Deep Face Up Switch it will puzzl~~ them as to how
the selection became centralized without -a ny cutti~ of the deck.
Besides I wanted methods that consisted in not onlj~reversing the
selection but also centralizing it whil~ i n the pr02~ss of dealing
or placing the five cards to the table. The methods that follow use
this approach.
....
Mira~~e

~. ".

'

I
I

.I

1ST METHOD:
1. Before going into the actual exchange I will describe the original two card control that was taught to those who took instructi on s
- in the "Control Systems" before its publication in 1952.
2. Hold the deck in the left hand as for the Spectator Peek~ With
the right 1st f inger riffle back the upper right corner of the de ck
as you request a spectator to call 'Stop'. Time this so that the
card to be not ed will be in the lower half of the deck. Have the
spectator note the card, the n let the re st of the caids riffle off
of the right 1st finger but not befor e tfie left 4th fingerti~ moves
in and obtains-i break und er this selection. In-squaring the ends
of the deck the r ight thumb, at the inner end, releases the selection
so -t ha t it becomes the card below the break.
3. Approach 'a second spectator and request him to call "Stop" as
your right 1st finger again ri ffles back the upper right corner of
the deck. TliIs time the cards above the break are riffled back thus
the 2nd spectator's selection will be made in the upper half of the
deck . The 2nd spectator having noted his card the rest of the cards
are riffled-orf but this time the left 3rd fingertip moves in to
hold the break under
the 2nd selection.--."
4. At this point you have two breaks with the 1st selection being
the card below the break and the 2nd selection above the break.
The right hand cuts of f those caras-up to the 3rd finger break and
drops these to the table. Next, the right hana-can cut directly to
the l~ft 4th finger break to drop these onto the tabled cards or the

....... - .."w - - .-." . .. .. . . , . ,...~. _ . _ ' _ .. . . ._-......, . ..__ ..

H _.

. -

~-

~ '- .~ :

-:

"

'.

,...~.'r
't/ ~~!lf; :

T -. ;,:,.!! 7: ~ _ "' ~
~~ ~"

.... ..-...-..

L.
HoLd the deck in the left hand as for the Spectator Peek~ With
the right 1st f inger riffle back the upper right corner of the deck
as ~ou request a s~~~t~to~ to call 'Stop'. Time this so that the

~ lr.

... __ ... _ '

~.

~__l_.

.-:.-.

~_ . . - - . ._ ":_ _ :......_ _ -:---= __

.r.':"':' .

. __ ~.J...:.._~ ,,,,' ~._ ~.

.,.J-...... ~

,.i..:. .~

l.._

--.

,0 2

right hand can cut off small packets, dropping each onto the tabled
cards, until the break is reached. The right hand then takes the
rest of the cards and drops these onto the tabled cards. ' The 1st
spectator's, card is now on top of the deck and the 2nd spectator's
card is on the bottom of the deck.
--- :

-,

5. The above then is the initial controi of the two cards and now
what follows is the procedure to set-up for the exchange. 1 Pick up
the deck and in squaring it do an All Around Square Up t.o.tg l.Lmp s e
the bottom card. Remember this card, then cut the deck t~pring
both cards to the center of the deck. For the sake of cla~ity assume
the bottom card you noted is the AS while the other selectfbn is the
4D which you would not know and dO-not need to know for the actual
exchange.

]
]

6. With both selections in the center of the deck hold ' t he deck
with faces of the cards towards yourself. Spread the deck between
," ' both , hands, ' being sure to very slightly up-jog and down-jog the cards
that are fed towards the right hand. Your patter at :~ i s point is,
"I will use some cards at random from somewhere in t ]i1f , deck. " By
this time you will have reached the ,AS and 4D. The le~t thumb contacts the AS, at center of its left SIde, wlille the left 2nd and 3rd
fingertips-Will contact the back of the 4D at center of rignt sid~
The Fig. I shows the condition of the spread cards as it stilt faces
you. Note the slight up-jogging and down-jogging of the spread cards
a t the right end.
]

1
]

]
Fig. 2

Fig. 3

7. The left thumb now pulls the

AS to the left while at the same
tIme the left 2nd anq 3rd fingertips push the 4D to the right.
This results in-only the AS being
visible. These push and pUll actions are made as both hands are
lowered in order to display the
faces of the cards. The Fig. 2
shows only the AS visible withthe 4D stepped to the right. The
Fig.~ shows the exposed bottom
view of this stepped condition

J
]

J
]
]

J
]

which s hould be f ar enough to the right so as to present a single

le ft side edg e of t he vis ib le AS .

"

"

I
i
i
!;
~

I
i
i
l

Fig . 4

'; Fig. 5
~

f'

8. The right ' ha nd mo v es its ,p or t i on of the spre ad ; \plus the 'AS, to

the ri ght un til the le ft si de of the AS comes to th ~ 'r ight side o f
the cards in the le ft hand. The left~humb now moves to wards t he left
side of the AS until the t ip of the left thumb touche s the AS as sho wn
in the Fig. 4 where t he ri ght ' f i nge r s are already beginning t o turn
the face up AS toward s the cards held in the left hand.

9. As you cont inue t he tur nover act ions of the Fig . 4 , both the AS
and 4D wil l au t omati c a l ly al i gn themselves. Withou t pause the AS,
r eal l y t wo c ar d s now, is turn ed fa c e do wn onto the face of t he l ef t
hand c ard s; however, the l eft side o f the t wo ali gne d c a rds fal l
into t he Al tma n Tr ap, a t the bas e of the le f t t humb, a s in the Fi g . S.
The le ft 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers pr e s s aga i ns t the ri ght side of
its c ards-.-- ---

f1
i
,

Fi'g. 6

"

Fig. 7

10. , W i t~ the two cards trap ped as one the base of the left thumb
presses against the le ft side o f t he two aligned cards while at the
same time the left 2nd , 3rd, and 4t h fingers r elax. This causes the
two cards, as one, ~move to th e-rlght and become side-jogged as
shown in the Fig. 6 where the right hand has been moved out of the way

.LH l.V -'~ l ~-.M. i -l.1I1d:l l' J.' J. d,li, - d l. "' lol L\::
UC1::>ti V~' - l.Ji \:: - .i t;.J.. 'l.
\..uum u , ci'3 ' L t . <;",', 0 ' ~" .L b
The left 2nd , 3r d, and 4th fingers pre s s again st the righ t side of
i t s c ard s-.--

~~
'J"".-

'L

~ _ :_ .

._

__'__".

in order to clearly show th is side-jog. In actual practice the right

hand wi l l r emai n close t o t he cards in the left hand.
11 ; , T ~ e r i ght 2nd and 3rd fingert i ps no w press up against the right
side of ' t he .ltwo-stepp e d c ards thus fi r mly grasp ing them ~i th the
right fin gers fr om below and the pressure of the ri ght th~mb onto
the face of its spread cards -. The aligned face down card(s) is moved,
by the right hand, to the right for half its width. Thi~1is clearly
shown in the Fig. 'l . The uppermost fa c e down card is rea ~ly the 4D
while below it and in line is the AS . Note that the left ' ~humb is
on the face do wn card( s) '
~;'"
"~., '

12. With the cards st epped as i n the Fig . 1, the right 2nd and 3rd
fingert i ps co n t act the lowermost c ar d, the AS in th is case, then--pull it t o the r ight a nd un de r t he spr e ad. -rhe l e ft thumb, which
is press ing on to t he up p er most f a ce down card, keep s t he 4D i n pl ac e
thus no movement i s discerned . The pUl l i ng o f the AS to ' the r igh t
and und er the spr ea d is shown i n t he Fig . 8, an exposed bot tom vi ew.
Note tha t t he up , and down j ogged c ard s of t he r ig ht hand spre ad p revents a ny a c ci den t al exp o sur e , of t he pulled AS , at e~her t he outer
or lower end s.
-.";'\~~_
f

'"

~,

<

' .:

..
'.

,J

'

,"
'

."

. ':

,Fi g . 8

Fig. 9

'J-,
Fig. 10

Fig. 11

. 13. The right hand, hold ing onto its s p r ea d o f cards plus the supposed face down AS, moves off to the right in order to enable the
left thumb to deal over its face card. This card is then levered

,]

'J
J
J

':~;,:'{:;i.'~~~~,~ . :c:-~~~;~ .. '.,.::..'~ .

Jll,

I..~._.~~JLJl
,

,>

105

' , ove r 1 as in the Fig. 9 with the aid of the face down card that re: ' ma i n s visible. To all appearanceS you are repeating the same turn, ' ove r actions as you did before. As the card is levered over and face
down, ': onto ,' t he face up cards in the left hand, the left thumb moves
off to the left side in order to permit this card to f~ll flush onto
the face of the left hand cards. The left thumb dea1s ~~ver this face
down card and it is taken to under and alongside the supposed AS as
shown in the Fig. 10. The right hand holds these cards'; while tfle
left hand moves down in order to grasp the lower left corners of
both cards, remove them from the right hand, then the l~t hand
moves forward with the two face down cards, as in the Fi; 11 to
toss them face down to , the table.
'
" :

I
I
I
I
l
t
I
I

'

14. The AS is at this stage face down under the face up cards in
the right-nand. The left hand, having disposed of the two cards,
comes to join the right hand and continue the spreading , of the cards
from the left hand to under the cards held in the righ~ hand. During this you say, "Le t ' s use a couple of more cards." When you have
,
spread over another dozen or so cards, to under th~~right hand cards,
~".. ; , ,~ t he s e will now cover the reversed AS.
Here you rep~~f.lt identical
~:-, .', ac tions of turning two cards over, one at a time, td:~: take them under
; the cards in the right hand. These actions are simiLar to that a1" ready shown .i.n the Figs. 2-4-5-6-7-9 and 10 with no secret Double
-T u r nov e r and the two face-down si{fe-=-joggeacards held under the
:r i gh t hand portion as shown in ,t h e Fig. 10. This time it is the
', r i g h t hand which ' turns palm inward to display the two cards, that
. ,' , :, .we r e just turned face down, as in the Fig. 12.
This shows not only
the two cards again but subtly implies nothing wrong below the cards
as the face up AS has been covered by the continued spread of cards
to arrive at the-two cards you are now displaying. The right hand
turns palm upwards, then moves towards the two tabled cards to drop
off its two face down cards onto the tabled cards as shown in the

12.

F~g.
..

:.'

~.

t-

. ,'

"

" ,

i I .~

, .

:~

'.,

~,

..

_ _.~~

:.1

..~

.'

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

15. State you will need one more card. Spread the cards, as before,
further on in the left hand portion. After thumbing over a half
dozen or so cards repeat the turnover actions which will be similar
to that depicted in the figs. 2-4-5-6-7. At this stage the right
'ha n d will be holding one face {fown-car{f side-jogged, to the left,
, , under its face up car-ds. The right hand again turns palm inward to

~ ~ ' -~"'r-- '''''''''' -'::-~':r-

C~"Sl.: .4"

__ r~~~'- ~~.~~~"""''W-.:;;J " -;;;.~ o.:r i 9'Ci;t ".;l..-~-~~ ~~.A:l.-V - -

~--t r_- ' -- ~-u"o"":2:' v "U.

~~
--C::Z J

C;C;: X-~
f" -' --- ~ -

off its two face down cards onto the tabled cards as shown in the
F~g.

13.

--

. ......

--'---" .. -.

, .:::~

..

. now display this last or 5th card as .s e en in the Fig. 14. The right
. " hand turns palm down" then moves towards the four tablea cards in
'
,.:", . order to 'dr op off its 5th card onto them as shown' in , the Fig. !i.
... . , ...... . . f : ;'"
J"
I

f: .

~.:

I . ;

' .'

"

.
..

,f

. ,

."

'

..

_: .

~:

.;!.

"

,,

"

"

.. .

.....

.r

~,

'

' '''

'"

, ' ,',

]
.' "', ;.

.~ '

-:

; !

.'

,.

"
". ' I ' :

p. \

. '

'1

...

=.
...:

'.,

', ' '" ! ' . ,"

.'
.'

'

:.~

-.

'.

~.

.:'

. '~'

""':.

,I.

.'

Fig. 15

.. . ..

..,

~.

,I

'

16. ' The remaining cards in the left hand are placed ~ de r the cards
' -. " in the right hand. The . deck is squared, turned face d~~vn and tabled
, to your left. You are now all set to go into the Devifish Miracle
, , :.,' s i nc e the 2nd selection supposedly on the table is already face up
' . and centralized in ,the deck while the 1st selection is among the
, ...f i.v e tabled cards. An important point:-Which I avoided mentioning
for the sake of clarity in the technical description, is to make
: ~ . s~re that you call the name of each card that you turnover and later
: . deal to the table.
---- . .
... .
:'

'

'.

' . .-~,

1 . '

.. ,. '.;"

..

'

'.

. ; ' 2ND METHOD:

: . J.

. ' -

': .

-'

...

. ...
, ..... .
,

....

..;

.-. .... ,

1. This method makei use of ~ two 'c a i d pushof~ plus the '~ieight
called "Mechanical Seconds". It is most important that the Double
Pushoff is one in which there is~'t the usual 4th fingertip break
held. The detail's of this type 'of pusho ff are:rll the section on
Double Lifts elsewhere in this volume; however, a brief description
will be given at the point, in the routine, where ~t is used.
2. Begin by controlling two cards, via the specta~or peek, as already explained in the 1ST METHOD, to bring one selection t o the
bottom and the other selection to the top of the deck. Double cut
the top selection to the bottom. In an all around square up you
glimpse the bottom card. Next, in a casual Overhand Shuffle, run
four cards off the top of the deck, then throw the deck onto them.
In another all around square glimpse the bottom card and remember
it as your key card. Cut the deck to bring the bottom cards to
the center of the deck. For the sake of description let's assume
your key card is the IDS and the two selected cards are the 5C and
4D with the 5C being the second selection while the 4D the fIrst
selection.
-. . , . . ,. ",.. .
' "
.. .- -- " , ,.,' " '
.
.
'

1
]

,J
]
]

. "

' , 3 . Turn the deck face up and spread it between 'bot h hands till you
'r e a c h the key card, in this example the IDS, then start t o separate
the sp r ea d at this point as ,s hown in the Fig. 16 which i s also what

)
]

]
_ __. ----

. - ali '

i' 5Cj4 ' . ",Sf!

1. This method makei use of a two card pushoff plus the sieight
called "Mechanical Seconds". It is most important that the Double
Pushoff
is one
in which
there isn't
the
usual 4th fingertip
break
\... _ , .J
.,.,1... .....
..J __ ......... .: , __
_ r
.L.. '. :: _
r
. _,. _ r- r _
. . . , _ _ _ __
.L.. _

.. .:..

.L...!

__

__

_.A.!io-~ _" "",,~~ .~_ .t.~~ _

~ .... _ .......~:-.~";::"': ...

107

the spectators see. The right hand flips its :portion of the spread
face do wn, letting t h e spread converge, onto the left thumb which is
pu rp~~ely ,p c r o s s the face o f the left hand portion in o r d e r to keep
the halves separated. At once the right hand comes ov e r the c a r d s t o lift off the now face d own half fr om ab ove by th e e '~ s as in the
Fig . 17.
'::,
.~
, If

Fig. 1 7

Fig. 16
,

e'

"

'"
"

Fig. 1 9

Fig . 18

4 . Th e right h a n d moves t he fac e down h a l f to the ri gh t side o f t h e

face u p c a r d s whe re the lef t thumb n ow p r e ss e s d own onto t h e t op o f
t h e face down c a r d s at the lef t side. Th i s leaves th e right hand
f r e e t o tu rn p a l m up and take the face d own cards int o the right hand
de a l i n g position. The Fig . 18 shows the situation at this stage.
All these a c t i o n s are g i v e n some logic by pattering ab out using some
cards fro m the center of the deck.

.'
~

S . The le ft thumb n ow d eals over its' face card a s the right hand .'.
t akes it, rather ~ e ep in t o t his ha nd, bet ween the right 1st f i n g e r
and thumb, near the upper l e f t corner a s shown in the Fig:-19. The
right hand turns pa l m do wn and d epo sits this c ard fa ce do wn~o th e
t ab le as in the Fig . 20. This act ion of taking the cards i n t o the
ri gh t hand, then placing them to the ta ble, onto th e preceding cards ,
is co n t i n u e d. Th e F i g. 21 shows a third c ard b eing dealt ; however,
i n actua l performance t he-cards will be dea lt on to ea ch o th e r t o
form an un s qu ar e d packet ra ther tha n a sprea d of ca r ds . Remembe r
that each c a r d i s t a k en between the righ t thum b o n t op a nd the 1st

t
1

' .-/

-'

~.

\" \

.J .

.._~ _~._-<-l >L- .....,....~,,-

_ _~

. __:...........;. .

1) 8

f i n ge r curled . under it a s shown l n the Fig.

~.

1
]
'-.

1
I'.

Fi g . . 20

Fig . 21

6. As the right hand takes the 4th card and places it face down
on t o the tabled cards the left thumb moves to the left~side of its
c a r d s , just below the card's index, at the upper left rprner. The
tip o f the left thumb presses down on this left side edge just enough
to engage and push forward two cards as one. The Fig. 22 shows this
t wo card push-off being s tarted . Als o note how t he le f~ thum b has
been coc ked bac k t o insure tha t the f les h a t t he under s id e of i t s
t ip, just a long th e nail, wi l l engag e two ca r d s . The left 2nd , 3r d,
a nd 4th f ingertips are pressing against the right side of i~cards
t o further insure on l y two cards moving off to the r i gh t.

Fi g. 22
7~ '

P'i g . 23

Whe n th e rig ht ha nd come s ba ck , to ta ke th e 5th a nd f i na l car d ,

the l e f t . t humb s traighte ns ou t pus h i ng i t s two caras , as .one , o f f
to the r i ght si de. 'The right hand moves in t o ta ke t he c ard ( s) as
.be f or e , betwe en the right thumb and 1 s t finger. The Fig. 23 shows
t h i s taking action in progress as you-take a selecte d card-,-the 5C,
in this example.
--

'J;
..

]
]

8 . The right hand having taken the t wo cards as one moves t owards
the tabled cards t o place it onto them. Ac tually the actio n s of the
'J:
Mecha n i c a l Seconds a r e made thus holding back the 5C and placing
.
down the 4D i nstea d . Briefly, th e Me chanical Seconas acti on con s ists
in s i.mp Ly Tio Ldi ng ba.ck the face c ard, 5C i n this inst ance, by p r essure

J
]

~~~ , .

_ _

. -...._ . _ _ .

..~ .... _~ . _ . _

..

"

..&.ill::.... -

-._ -

.".__.. _-..1>_'_,._"__

--- - ---

109

of the right thumb while the right 1st finger simply moves outwards
moving out the second card, the 4D ~this case, as shown in the exposed action of the Fig. 24. This action, which is also a pivotal
one, ':is c dnti nu ed unti l the ri ght 1st fin ger has moved : its card ou t
f~r enough t o clear the deck.
Thi s ~l ear anc e ~ak es pl~e at the outer
r1ght corner of the cards when the r1ght hand 1S palmQ;own. The held
back -5C card remain s flush against the cards held in th~
,j. right hand .

'"

Fig. 24

Fig. 25

9. Keeping the righ t hand palm down the right thumb pres ses down
onto the left s ide o f its c ard s to turn them f a ce up. The ri ght
, ha nd' e nds ho ld i ng t h e r i ght s ide o f th e now f ac e up cards whi ch ar e
then p laced fa ce up onto the f a ce up c ards i n th e le ft hand a s s hown
in the Fig. 25. The
5C or second selection is now face up in the
, center
of the dec k, after the deck is turned fac e down, wh i l e the
4D, t he 1 st s electio n, i s the t op c ard of th e f ive t a ble d c ards.
From he r e you ar e s et fo r t he "Dev i l i sh Mi r a cl e " .
10. When th e requir ed Double Pushoff is made without any hesitatio n
. even t he magi cians wi l l n ot sus pec t a ny exc hange. Us in g a ny k i nd of
a brea k to ac c ompl i sh t he Double Pushoff i s no t go i ng to get by ;
therefore, in the ca ses ~ he r e one may f i nd some d ifficulty i n doing
the Double Pushof f an idea that I describ ed in Volume I of this
magazine can be used. Thi s i s a s follo ws:
11. Remember t hat ea ch ca rd plac ed to the tab le goe s on e on to the
other to form an unsquared packet. Also as each card is placed to
the table it must be po sitioned so that later, during the Mechanic al
Second s e xc ha nge, t he c a r d pivote d ou t , by the r ig h t 1st fi nge r , wi l l
be in line, mor e or l e s s , wi t h th e res t of the tabled-cards. You
have just d ~alt the 4t h card to the table. At this point the left
hand tilts inward so~at the s pectators can't see the face of this
packet. During thi s the l e ft t hu mb de a ls ov e r the fa c e single card
and keeps pus h i ng to the ri ght unt i l t he next card, th e 4D in th is
example, a l s o moves off s l igh t l y to th e ri ght . This s l i gnt movement
is aided by the 2nd joint o f the le ft thumb contacting the face of
the 2nd card or 4D. Me an t ime t he r i gh t ha nd sp re a d s out t he four
tabl~cards a s you a s k , " How ma ny c a r ds i s t hat?"
These op eni ng
actions are depict ed i n the Fi g . 26 from the performer's side.

10. When th e requir ed Double Pusho ff is made without any hesitation

. even t he magi cians wil l n ot s us pec t any exc ha nge. Usin g a ny k i nd of
a brea k to a c c ompl i sh t he Double Pus ho f f i s no t going to get by ;
therefore,
in _ 1-ther r ca_ _ses
~ he r e one may f i nd some difficulty in doing
h _
n _ ..... t.... 1 -. n
_
L _....
y
r _ ., _
_
~

~.

..:..1 _

......

-.:I _ _

__ ..: 1_ _..1

..: _ ~

,.

_,.

..... 'L

(
12. The left thumb now pulls back
the face card, the SC, until it
, c ome s in alignment With the 4D that
' ha s remained slight angled. Once .
the two cards are in, line the tip
of the left thumb th~ moves back
far enough to erig a g ej t he aligned
cards as already sho~p in the
Fig. 22.
From this pbint you can
now bring the cards in the left
hand into view, then ~~llow the
exchange actions, uSinl the
Mechanical Second, as already explained and depic~ed in the Figs.
~, .?-!, and 25.

Fig'. 26
3RD METHOD:

2. With the deck faces 't o wa r d s yourself spread the deck between
both hands till you reach the card you noted in this case the ~.
With the left thumb pull back the 5C, so it will become the face
card of the left hand portion of cards, at the same time the left
4th fingertip obtains a break at the lower right corner, below this
card. You can now lower the hands with the spread of cards not as
yet separated. The situation would be similar to that already shown
in the ~ig. 1 except you would not see the 4D since the 5C will be
covering it. ,,

'J.

3. The right hand moves to the left to converge its spread of cards. ~
At the same time say, "l wi l l use the Five of Clubs." Th~ right hand 1
now moves its cards to the right and then flips them over and face
4
down onto the f a c e of the cards in the left hand. At once the right . ~
hand takes these cards, plus the 5C above the break-,-from above by
1
the ends. This would be s imilar to that shown in the Fig. 17 except -~
the left thumb will not be between the halves but off to the left
, side of its cards. rn-a follow through unhesitating a~tion the left
j. ,
hand turns palm downwards. The left thumb pushes out the bottom
face card face down to the table. This card is actually the 4D
while the SC is face up below the face down cards held in the-right . ) ,
hand. The-reft hand having d ealt its card face down at once turns
.
palm up. This displays an entirely different face card adding to
the illusion of having dealt the SC to the table.
]
4.

Callout the name of the new face card, then the left hand turns

]
]
"

..

:- . ~ - -

, c ara oi' -t:'ne~J:ett- hand ~p o r t l"on' of -c-ard~at the - s ame- r l me tne left
4th fingertip obtains a break at the lower right corner, below this
card. You can no w lower the hands with the spread of cards not as
VPT

c:::pn~r~1'Prl

Th'"

C;t'l1",t';l'\n

T.'1'\111rl

1...",

c;m;l",y.

1'1'\

t'h~1'

~l",p~rlV

c h rvurn

. ~_ .._4t ..J~ _.. . __._'-.

.......

'

::~ l
~_~dIl_t

.:. . .o. . _:- __ ..~ ~ ._ ~~..::... ~.:.--_.~ ~-

1 11

palm do wn in ord e r to deal of f th is c ard f a c e do wn o n t o the tabled

card. Repe at thes e same i d e ntical actions f o r the n e xt three cards
call t~g ou~ the name of each card as it comes into view.
S. When th e 5th c ard has been dealt f a c e do wn turn th ~ left hand
palm up aga i n-ylis t t o show a nother ind ifferen t ca rd . Now t h e l e ft
thumb e nt e rs u nder t he l ef t s ide o f t h e fa c e u p c a rd s ~ t u r n t he m
ove r side wi s e, t oward s the righ t, then t he s e fa c e down : ~ ar ds ar e
p l ac e d t o unde r the fa c e do wn card s i n t h e r ight hand . The f a c e u p
SC is now i n c e n t e r o f the de ck whil e t h e 4D i s among the 5 face
aDwn ca rd s o n the ta b l e . You are a l l s e t to go into thetnev il is h
Miracle.
6.
If the Pick-up Move, with the right hand, and th e Wrist Turn
of ~he left hand are prop erl y timed, with no hesitat ion, the illusion
of having d e alt o f f the fa ce card o f t he le f t h a nd pa cke t , i s perfect.
To insu r e n o hang up , of the r i g ht hand t a k i n g all the c ard s a bo v e
th e bre a k , the r i g h t thumb shou ld con ta c t t h e b a ck :~nd a t t h e wides t
point of t h e br e a k.
I n o t h e r word s at t h e inner r ~ h t corner.
- ~.L
7. Whi l e I ha v e rec orded the Pic ku p Mov e in THE MAG"rC: . SEVEN in
1954
I hav e d i sco v ere d a previous sou rce. "My only claim no w is
the-imag inative ap plications of this idea . Meanttme I will let the
experts do their own dig gin g.
THE FAKE PUTDOWN
1. Th is is an i dea that I fir s t gave t o Al Sh a r pe for a p ro p o s e d
c ard b ook tha t never made its appearanc e . Whil e i t ha s no t h i n g t o
do with " De v i l is h Mira cle" it is a v e r y dire ct a ppr oach to a n ef fec t
wh er e i n a ca rd d i sapp ears from amon g f i ve ca r d s and r e a ppear s i n
the c enter o f the deck. The effect is not n ew only the method.
2. By any method c ontrol a s elect ed card to t h e bottom of the deck.
Cut i cards f ro m the to p o f the de c k t o the bottom. Glimps e t h e
In a n Ov e r ha n d Shuffle
bo ttom c a r d us ing an Al l Ar o un d Squ a r e Up.
shu f fle o f f half the de ck , then t h r o w the bala n c e o n t op . Your noted
ke y card is n ow in the c e n t er of the d ec k and th~ 4th c ard, whi c h in clude s t h e key card, is t h e se l e cted c ard.
3 . With the deck fa c e up a n d held low enough so that the sn ecta to r s
can also s ee the f a ce s , spr e ad the deck b etween both hands. This 1S
similar to that shown in the Fig. 1. When you reach the k ey card
.s e p a r a t e th e spread so that the key card remains as the face card of
the cards in the l e ft hand. ( Se e Fi g . 16) Th e r i g h t hand now flip s
its cards over a nd fa ce down o n to the fa ce up cards i n the le ft ha n d;
ho wever, t he l ef t thumb remain s b e t we e n t he two hal v e s as al ready
shown in the Fig . 17 . The righ t hand takes th e fa c e down ca rds , f rom
above by t h e e n d s , ~o mov e t h em o f f to the r i g h t a nd r e s t th e m si d e- jogged again s t t h e c~ rds i n t he le ft hand . Th e le f t thumb ke e p s
these fac e down c a r ds in p la ce whi ch l e av e s the righ t h a nd fr ee to
take the fa c e do wn car d s i nto a d e alin g pos ition. Th e situation no w
is similar to that already pictured i n the F i g . 18.
4.

The left thumb d e als over the face c ard an d the right hand takes

..... '- ........

.L.I ,""

.L...L ..L ~.l J.

lJ. ..L L a \..,....L ......

..LL,.

.J..J

a.

""" .L J

..LJ", V\", \.o

l-' p

...

v a.'-~.l

.... v

~ .ll.

""'.&.. .1."-'''- ....

wh e re i n a ca r d di sapp e ars fr om amon g fi ve ca r d s and r e a ppear s i n

the cente r o f the deck." The effect is not n ew only the method .
..,

1) ......

,.. ..........

,... .....

1-_.l

'

_ _ ..... _ ...]

..J

.... _

....... L _

_ ....... .....

..... 1__

...:1 _ _ , .

' I

....\

.-

--

'I

"

-.i'

' _ ~ 6 " ~ '-- ' '-

_ _ 0'"

]
it into t he Me chani cal Seco nd p o si ti on . That is i t is t aken dee p
onto t h e ca rds i n t he r i ght ha nd wi th t he 1s t finger below it, at the
upper end, wi t h t he thumb on top. Th i s is-rden t i ca l t o that pictured
in t.he .-Pd g .,19. The right hand moves towards the table top to place
its card f a ce-down as already s hown i n the Fig. ~.
..~,

"

5. As you t ake and place each c ard to the t able, one on t op of t he

other to for m a fa i rly squared packet, callout their nam~s. The
Fig. 27 shows some cards tabled and the right about to ta ke the next
card to deal it to the t a bl e onto the others.
'

.~r:"
'<,

1
1
]
]

"

Fig . 27

Fi g. 28

. . .. . .
:

.,

.. ,:

.~

~ I '. ;

. , ~.

Fi g . 29

.1
J

6. When yo u co me to t he selected card i t is taken in t he same way

as in the Fig. 27 ; however, this time, when the right ' hand places its
card against the-tab led c ard s, the r i ght 1st fing er r emains in place
wit h t he ri ght thumb on the fa c e of t he c ar d. The Fi g. 28 sho ws an
expose d end view of this p l a c emen t. Once this card ha s ac tua l ly
touch e d t he table d packet the r i ght ha nd moves of f hol ding on to i t s
card whi ch i s furth er pUlled back f l u s h , by . the r ight t humb , with
the cards in th e ri ght hand. The r i ght hand now stay s mo re or less
palm do wn as it aga in approa ches t he l e f t band . This act ion i s
shown in t he Fig . 29 which is an expos e d view . The l e ft t humb de a ls
over t he f a ce c a r d;as t he r i ght hand now turns to mee t and tak e this
t he Fig. ~ j
c~rthd. h Th e actfion herde is si~ilarhto thadt alrefakdydsho wn.in d
'..~~
Wl
t e new ace c ar coverlng t e car you a e puttlng . own.

J!
]

7. The ri gh t hand now pl a ces t h is ca rd, t he 5t h card taken, onto t he

tabled car d s . The right hand r emains pa lm down as the l e f t hand
places its cards face up to under the cards in the ri ght hand. The
right hand can now plac e the deck f a c e do wn to the table. , The selected c ard is now fa ce up i n the center of the deck wi th the s p e c t a tor bel iev i n g i t is among t h e tab led packe t.
8. Pick up the packet and do any classic False Count to count the
cards as five. If you do any of the other presently popular questionabl e count s y ou wi l l ove r p lay your ha nd and wi t h e a c h succ eeding maneuv er be come l es s convincing . You a r e t rying t o pre s ent a
mystery not a nove lty . Ev ent ua lly show yo u hav e only f our c ar ds and
that his has vanished. Rev e a l i t fac e up in t he deck to conclude
the effect.

]
']

]
]

th;

t~~~ h ~ d
t;bie d -p~~k;t rth;-;igh t ha nd m ;~;; ~ f f-h~i di~g-;~t;~ i t s
card whi ch i s furth er pUll ed back f l u s h , by the r ight thumb, with
the cards in th e ri ght ha nd. The rig ht hand now stays mo re or less
~ ~ :~_d~ ~n~ ~ : ~ ~ _ a g ~ ~ n __ ~~~~o~~h :~ ~~: _~~~t __ ~~~d. mr~ i ~ _~~ t~ ~~_~ SJ __ ~ _

J!~tJ.
1

l~jr-~~
' " " ' ~,.L,..:._~~.~~~"' ~

113

MARLO'S COVERED DECK SWITCH

The following Deck Switch will be found not only very

easy but deceptive even with someone burning the cards since the deck
. '. appears to be in full view at all time.
It was inspired many years
ago by a Victor Farrelli Bluff Pass in which the upper "Jl\ a l f of the
deck was secretly dropped onto the lower half while ret~ining the ,
top card.
,1

.Ii
,

I
I
I

"

The Covered Deck Switch was first shown .to

Art Altman
.... .\
and Carmen D'Amico in the early sixties.
Later it was s~own to Jon
Racherbaumer and he had it recorded on film, in 1972, taK~n in
Chicago. This film was run for Pete Biro, in New Orleans, then later
for several magicians at a showing arranged by Jon Racherbaumer
during his visit to a Texas gathering. The basic premise of this
Deck.Switch is also recorded in the Hierophant in connection with a
repeat "Collectors" effect using a four Ace packet that was handled
face up. The effect using the Covered Deck Switch, which will be
described further on, wa s shown to Dave Bendix i n ~icago at the
Drake Restaurant originally the home of the Chicag~~~ound Table of
magicians. The effect is also recorded in the correspondence between
Dave Bendix and myself.
First ','The Covered Deck Swi tch".

I
I

d
t
j

"1'.
"

__

1. The deck t o be switched in is face down in your lap . It is on e

card short. Assume th e card is the lOS.
This card can b e in your
lap also alongside the deck. The de~being used is o n the table.
When it comes time to do the Deck Switch the lapped lOS is palmed
and added to the top o f the tabled deck which is near the edge of
the tab le with short end towards you. My procedure is two fold.
Not only is the IDS added onto the tabled dec k but it is automati cally sep ar ated from the rest of the deck.
For this refer to "Adding the Aces", Figs. 1-2 -3, except here, as the right hand add s its
card a sep aration is malnt a i ne d , a t t he back e n d , by the right thumb.
The 1st f i nger is curled on top with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th finge rs e x tended along the ou t er e n d of the deck to-cQnceal tne-who1e f r o n t
end but the top of the deck remains fairly visible at this stage.
2.
For those who may hedge on the addition of the card, then the
extra IDS should be in the deck you are using. Later l ocate the
dupl i c a t e lOS and get it onto the top of the deck. Wi th the deck
properly tiDIed, short end towards you, near the edge of the table,
the right hand grasps it fr om above, by the ends, with the 1st finger
curled on 'top, the 3 fingers cover ing front end and the rig~thumb
at the inner end. The right thumb secretly lifts up the top card
at the inner end only, t h e n maint ains this separation.
3. Regardless of wheth er y o u decide to use the procedure in Step 1
or Step l, during ~his t he le ft hand has also picked up the lappeddeck, into a Mechanic's Grip, then carried it up against the bottom
of the table wi t h the deck's inner end project ing inward, past the
table's edge, for about a third of the deck's length. The position
o f both hands and decks is n ow as shown in the Fig. 1 where note
that the tabled deck is directly in line with the deck held under
the table.

- - -i"hg t:n e 'J\C'es , 19 S:-T=7=3~ except n e Ye, - a s--t h e ~r { g h'f - h a n d s- a acrs l ts

card a sep aration is malnta i ne d , a t t h e back end , by the right thumb.
The 1st fin g e r is curled on top with t h e 2nd, 3rd, 4th finge rs e xtended alo ne- the ou t er en d of the d er k To----r"Onr e Rl t ~w h o l e f r o n t

,-

_......

_- _.

.....
:.L...... ~ . ~ _ ._ .. __._ ~ . ._~~

-'~

.... ...._.... :. :...~ -

]
]

]
Fig. 1

Fig. 2

II

1
~

].
Fig. 3

Fig. 4

4. The right hand slides the tabled deck inward until its inner
end goes past the inner end of the deck that is held up against the
ta ble and is not moved. At this stage the. situation, viewed from
the left side, is as shown in the Fig. ~ with the tabled decks ou t e r
end as yet on the table.
. S. The action of Fig. 2 is continued with the result that the tabled
deck, minus the top card held by the right fingers and thumb, tilts
downwards and slides over the inner end of the deck held under the
table and into the lap; however, at this stage the right 2nd, 3rd,
an~ 4th fingertips are still touching the table near its edge.--With
the right hand holding only the top card of the lapped deck the left
hand moves its deck out to directly under the single card as seen in
the left side view of Fi~. 3. The Fi~. 4 shows the snectator's view
at this stage except deck shown added will be covered by s i .ng.Le card.
6. From the position shown in the Fig. ~ the left hand at once moves
its deck upwards to meet the single card held by the right hand.
Both hands raise slightly above the table as the deck is now brought
into a Square Up Po sition between both hands as in the Fig. 5 which
is the spectator's view. The Covered Deck Switch has been completed.

]
.]~

)
]

]
]
1-.L~

..,.

4. The right hand slides the tabled deck inward until its inner
end goes past the inner end of the deck that is held up against the
table and is not moved. At this sta~e the situation. viewed from

;{

. - '""- '.......-_.. "'"'" ...-->

O' . ..

"'.:-.~f.;<.......,.. _;.--""_ .__

....:<
_

,' - ... .. ..-'-

_"'~_ -_~":';"'
.

.~ ...._f.o:it; ......~,~-.:.. .><.." _

__ "".... =.:-....::'. J...o...-.

;.~~ ~.

_","r_ :_ ". ' ...

115-

J
J
I
I
I
I

7. Although the switch of decks

has been described in Steps once
the basic positions, shown in the
Fig. 1, are obtained the rest of
the actions, depicted: by the Figs.
2 to S, blend into jutt seemingly
picking up the deck t~, square it
or place it into the ~e f t hand
ready for dealing. WH~le my notes
contain other deck swi tFhes and
packet switches, someb.~.sed on
this covered idea, I have chosen
this one as being the most flexible
in its application to magical
effects one of which is the following.

Fig. 5

'.

.'

EFFECT:
the only
1. The effect itself is not new only the method and approach in
that th e cardician, no w turning psychic, never a sk s a s i ngl e que stion
or ev en makes a direct statement. (See also "ODDITY" now in "Early
: Marlo", Mag ic Lnc ; , Chic ago) Assume you are going to use a Blue
Back deck as the one in view for any of your other effects. The Red
Deck can be in either of the side coat pockets f r om which it can
easily be removed and secretly pl aced f ace down into your lap .
.2~ When you are ready for the mental effect in question do the
"Covered Deck Switch" . At this time this is easy since there isn't
any special attention called to the deck or yourself. After the
"Covered Deck Switch" you will have a Red Back deck covered by one
Blue Back card. The Blue Back deck has l apded in your lap either
still fairly squared or askew. Forget it for now.

;~

:!

it
.~

rl

;~

fi

I~l ~

.!;
J[

It

3. Turn the switched in

The righ~ hand tak es the
it face down showing its
corner along the spread,
to think of any card.

deck
card
Blue
from

face up and spread it from left to right.

at the left end of the deck and turns
Back. Use it to run its outer left
left to right, as you tell a spectator

4. After he has though of a card tell him to place your . face down
Blue Back card face down right next to the card he thought of~ Once
he has done this inform him that at this point you haven't any idea
as to whether he thought of th e card to the right of the face down
card or to the left of this card. Tell him to remove the card he
thought of towards himself l eaving it face up. During this time
your left hand has been in the lap and has gathered the deck into a
squared condition,then has left it in the lap face up for an easy
pick up of the deck later on .
4. Both hands are now again in view as the left hand now takes the
face 'down Blue Back card and uses it to scoop up the deck. The deck

;,

If'I"

"Ih

\l _._....

u
.1

ij

' '''' 7

.2 ~

- '.- -

--~ ~

.-._-. -.-

. -.

',~

-~

- - --:--

~-

,"- ." .

~ .-

-.,.. -

. ,.. ~",!, ~ - ,

--. _. ,-- '-' . -

r, ~ ' r

. ' ~" T"m7-"'<""'~""'""""", ~ - """" --''1Ir~

When you are ready for the mental effect in question do the
" Cov e r e d Deck Swi tch" . At this time this is easy since ther e isn't
any special attention c al l ed to the de c k or yourself . After the

'.

" :

: J '.. "

'

'

..
.c. .. ..
"

.'
' .,

- !

~ ~ : t.u.r n ~d . fac e do wn and po s i tioned f o r the "Co vered De c k Swi tch".

" ... R~.mind t.h e.. spectator that he had a fre e choice o f th inking o f any card
" a h d .r h a t 'e v e n at this late stage if he wishes to change his mind and
think o~ any other card he can do so . The left hand, during this
. patter delivery, has casual ly gone to t h e l a p and taken the Bl u e Ba ck
deck face do wn ~nto a Me c h a n i c ' s Grip deal po sit ion .
'f
' 5 . Tell the spectator that you knew all along that he wo~~~ decide
on the card h e h as in front of himsel f . Get set f o r the " 0:overed
Deck Switc h" as you te ll t h e spectator to tu rn his c a rd over and
face down. As he does this you at the same t ime do the decKt.~witch.
At once the right hand ribbon spreads the original Blue Back \'deck
face down, fro m le f t to r i g h t , as you say, "You thought of t h e only
" (' . Red Back card in t he Bl ue Ba c k dec k . " Ev ery t hi ng can b e e x a mined
except your l ap. The deck in the l ap c a n secretly be return ed to t h e
side coat pocket at an oppo rtune t ime.
6. Whi l e the Covere d i d e a wa s her e de scr ibed f or a d e ck s witch obvious l y ' i t c a n b e u s ed t o s witch out a packet-of c a r ds ! ~ Br iefly,
to exchange 3. of 4 Aces for ~ X cards, the 4 Aces are ~o wn . Thre e
of the Aces a r e turn ed fa ce do wn and the top one i s tur~~d face up
as you remar k a bout thi s Ace bein g the Le a d e r Ac e fo r t he other th r ee
Aces. Ta ble the packet as f or t h e "Co ver ed Deck Switch " . In yo u r
lap yo u have the 3 X card s. Ask the spectator to shuffle the d eck
and then to count-off 1 2 ca rds to the table. During all this you
have a mp le t i me a n d miSdi rec t i on to do th e "Co ve r ed Swi tch" unde r
co v er of th e fa ce u p Ac e . F r om h er e yo u c an g o into a ny Ace eff ec t
which wi ll fi t i n wi th this s wi t c h .
I have a couple of such but at
th is time hav e to leave room for some of the other items in this
volume.
;

NOTE :
In a disc uss io n on the " Cover e d Though t" wi t h Art Altman he
suggested a proc edur e, f o r the fa c e up thought of card, that would
' g~ v e mor e misdir e ct ion f or what he cons id ered t he cruci al switch of
the d e c k but I c a n't re call wha t i t was. However , fo r those who may
fee l the second s witc h o f t he d eck do es n e ed add e d mi s di r e c ti on I
have worked out the f o l l owi ng . All you n eed is a marking p en in
your right inside c o at pock et. . After the thou gh i of card ha s be en
remov e d and i s l y i ng f a ce u p on t he tab le s c o op up t h e d e c k . Squa r e
it up, tur n it f a ce d own , g et y o ur r ig ht t h umb br e a k und e r t he top
card, reta in t he d ec k in the right hand holding it from abov e by
the .e n d s . The le ft hand removes the pen from the right inside coat
p o c k e t . Hand th e p en to t h e spectator as k ing him to si gn th e c a rd
across t he f ace. Whi l e h e i s b usy doi ng that y o u hav e more tha n
the requir ed distract ion t o s wi tc h the de c k e ve n before h e fi n i s h e s
signing his name.
Immediately a f t e r the deck switch go into a casual
, . Overhand Shuf fle.
Turn the dec k f ace up and r ibbon spread ~t on the
table. Ha ve t he sp ect ator re tu rn hi s ca rd , st i l l fac e up, back any where i n the spr e ad.
Reque st him t o pus h t he s pre a d tog ether and
with the deck st ill f a ce up t e l l him to cut the deck several tim es
so that no one will know th e exact p osition o f his card. You take
the deck and s ay , "S omewh e r e i n t h i s de ck I hav e o ne Red Bac k ed
card," wi th t h is y ou ribbon spread the deck fa ce do wn revea l i ng the
Red Back card.
Push th is ca rd for ward out of th e spread. Say, "Name
your card," then hav e him turn the Red Back card face up for the

]
]

]
]
]

1
,.,.,
tl

Jt
]-::

.J
]

]
)

]
suggested a procedur e, f o r the f a c e up thought of card, that would
mor e mi s d i rec t i on f or what he considered t he cruc ial swi tch of
t he d e ck but I c a n't reca ll wha t i t wa s. However , fo r those wh o may
f eel the second s witc h o f t he d eck do es n e ed adde d mi s di r e c ti on I
have worked out the f o l l owing . All you n eed is a markin g p en in

' g~ v e

- -.'

"

I ., .

.1'1 7

... ,... ..

:.;. :". ,

..

..: ~;,".} :.. I

.c Li.max , Since you have the deck in your right hand, wi th a thumb
1 ' ~ ". -br e ak already under the top card~ you do not need to place the deck
JI
d i r e c t l y .: pn t o, t h e table but rather position your right hand so that
the backs of your right 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingernails touch the inner
edge of the table. This-sYings-the de~just slightly be r~w table
level but with .t h e top of th e deck still clearly visible. ~The right
I
Hand can now r elease the deck into the l ap holding only onto the top
i:
1
I . '. . card . At once the left hand, which has been in posi t ion up agains t
I
I,
the bottom of the table and on a line with the cards in the ;r i g h t hand,
"
'
i
I" : . simply moves inward and upward to meet the now s ingle card \teld in the
! " '. right hand and th e deck at once squared between both h ands et'y p osi' 1
r:
tioned for a n Overhand Shuffl e.
Besides using the Covered Switch as
i
a deck switch a Table Pass can be done using one deck. Assume you
.'
. '1
'.. J
have stacked the 4 Aces for a 5 handed game.
The 1st Ace from the
H :
t op is s t ac k e d at-one less than the required numbe F'Tif hands.
In thi s
~
case the 1st Ace from th e top would b e a t 4th position.
Have the d ec k
cut but .s ug g e s t that the spectator cut the<reck in hal f or better.
. ...:.
"Re a s on for this should be obvious. _The right hand r e aqhe s for the
'. . ", .
'. I
:..
. lower portion ~t the same tim~get~ing the break, wi tp.~the ri ght
. .: . " : . .': :' 1
,
thumb, at the a nn e r e n d .
It 1S assumed you und erst and ~t h a t the c ard s
: ~: .
1
are po sitioned a nd handl e 2 as for the Cover ed Deck Swit t.h.
Slid e
I ~ ' this half off of the t a b l e into the wa i t i n g left hand which i s just
~ll . ,; ;. : :.. ' below the table's edge to receive th e cards in the normal mann er.
Once the lower half of the deck reaches the l eft h and the right a t
II " once releases all but the top card .
The left hand drops sli ghtly
r
below table level with its cards but the right hand, with its singl e
' .' '\i
~
card as apparently s t i l l half of the deck, continues at once to
~
place it onto the ori ginal top half and at once drags this port ion
I
off the t able into the left hand and thus onto the cards it has held
. .1
l
ou t .
l" ~"

1....

.' ! '.:",- .

'

I,

1,

il

,~

:J
It

Ii-!~
I~

1M

I'
If
I~

!&

Ii
if'

!f

I~

~~

:Ifj
IJt),:

; .' .

The pa s s has been compl et ed in what app ears as a

. very natural assembling of t h e lower half of the cut on to the top
portion of the deck. Finally a compl ete Deck Switch, without th e
top card cover, can b e mad e if the right hand already has the deck
off of the table and holding it from above by the ends.
The left
hand has the deck, to b e switched in, up aga i n s t the bottom of th e
table as alre ady explained for the Coverd De c k Switch. The right
hand has to simply drop down ju st enough so that the deck it i s
holding goe s b elow the table level and out of vi ew for just a second
or two.
At once the right hand lets go of its deck with the left
hand immediately moving up, with its deck, towards the right hand.
At this point you hav e two choices of procedure.
One, both hand s
can move into view and the hands do a Square Up of the d eck . Two,
the right hand alone grasps the deck, with the left hand not coming
into view.
It should appear as if the right hand alone is-Kolding
the deck at all time~.

".

. I

'. ,j

,'.,j
'I
I

'.,

I~

I~

,~
;

~
y

Ther e will be tim es wh e n you will not be able t o get

the deck, from your lap, up against the table top, as depicted in
the Fig. 1, because there may be an interfering ledge just under the
table's edge that will not permit the deck to move in far enough
under the table leaving the inner end proj ecting too far.
Also some
tables have a skirt of about two inches or more around the edge of
the table thus in th e se cas es the d eck would be too far below the
table's edge . . To solve this I used an idea that later was published,

..

~
_ _ _ .

, _ . .u_.

. __ u . _ . _ _.

. _

'

~_

_ _ " .

~-' ~

--...

".~ '

';.:;.:.:.j.~~ ;.:::::

The pas s has been compl et ed in what app ears as a

very natural assembling of t h e lower half of the cut on to the top

".

I ."

_.

_~

_ _ -n -r-:

~ ,~

__ .~c. , _ .

_~
- ~
, ',
. -~

as a bottom replacement ' of cards to the deck, in the TOPS. This consists in the left hand holding the deck in a Mechanic's Grip with
the left thumb normally across the top of the deck. This deck is held
at a downward angle~ its lower end toward the lap. The right hand,
with a thumb hreak under the top card, moves the tabled deck so that
its inner end is ju st past the table's edge . The left hand, moving
at the wrist only, raises its deck until the upper end of ~~ i s deck
touches the bottom inner end of the tabled deck. The Le f tr.t humb has
also moved to the left side of its deck and may start to c q~e into
view past the table's edge and contacting the left side of :the tabled
deck as i f the left hand is about ready to accept it. The Fig. ~
shows the situation with the angled down deck practically o J t " of the
way of the tabled deck which by now has moved so that it is almost
free of the table's edge.
The tabied deck is brought
just past the table's edge and is
let f all into th e lap minus the
top card held back by the right
hand . At once the l ~ft hand le ver s
its deck upwards to:'.$t,eet the sing Le
card held by th e rigli~ hand and
both hands now square ~up the deck
as already shown in the Fig. 5.
Using the above idea should glve
you no trouble regardl ess of what
type of t able you en counter.

]
.~
,J

,]
~

.J

]
1}

,j -

]
]
]~.

Fig. 6

\.

ANOTHER MARLO DECK SWITCH

The Following Deck Switch, also recorded on the
Rach erbaumer film, is the e asiest and best of its kind.
I showed
two procedures of this deck switch to Johnny. Thompson years ago and
of the two the one to be described h er e was his choice. Only the
method of getting the l apped deck into the left hand has been chan ged.
1. Th e deck in the lap naturally mus t rnatch the size, c o l o r, and
design of the deck in us e.
Since the obvious application is also
for a packet switch, either face up or face down, the actual description will be for full decks with the deck's face down.

2. While , t h e sp ectator is busy shuffling the deck in view. the left

hand casually positions itself n ear the edge of the table. The back
of the hand is towards the s p e c t a t o r . The left 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
fingers are normally curved or cupp ed but the le~4tn-ringer rsextended and its length, as well as the l ower palm or-the hand,
rests against the table top.
The left thumb must at all times remain extended and its tip touching the left 1st finger at about
the second joint. Th e right hand has been in the lap durin g this
and picks up the l app ed deck, by its inn er ri ght corner, then raises
its outer end up to th e left hand.
The left 2nd and 3rd fingertips
press against the ri ght side of this deck, at-rhe upper-right corner,
thus also pressing th e left side, at upper left corner, against the

]
]

1
]

J
]
]
]

ANOTHER MARLO DECK SWITCH

The Following Deck Switch, also recorded on the

~ - --: . _:....~

w . o. .._ . _ .

119

II
II
I

palm of the hand. The Fig. 1 shows the left hand, which again moves
only at the wrist, placing the deck into the le ft hand. Not e that
the deck hang s downward , at ang le, past t he table's edg e. The le f t
2nd and,: 3r d i nge r t i p s wi l l als o be s li ghtl y pa st th e table's edge.
From the-nont the left hand looks perfectly relax ed.
.::;
"

r
I
I
i
I
I

..

Fig. 2

Fig. 1

.-

, !

,
1

'1

Fig.

Fig . 3

3. Once the deck is in posltlon the righ t hand can move i n t o view
as the spectator is reque sted to cut th e de c k and comple te t he cut.
The rig ht hand picks up t he t a ble d de ck , f rom a bove by t he end s with
the 1s t fin ge r cu rl ed on t op. The next act ions , whi ch a re v ery eas y,
shoura-be don e without a ny he sit at ion. The r i gh t h and bring s its
deck to dir ectly behind t h e l eft hand s o that t h e ou t er e nd of this
deck co me s to a bout the c e nte r of the c l i pp ed dec k. The Fig . ~ shows
the ope rator's v iew at th is stag e whi le t he Fig. 3 sho ws the s p e c t a tor's view which lasts for only a second.
.

4. At once the r i gh t hand re le a ses it s de ck whi ch f al ls into t h e lap .

Automatically th e ri ght ha nd moves to gra s p the end s of the cl i pp e d
deck, as i n the Fi g . 4 , then at onc e follow s thr ou gh by moving the
.s wi t c he d in d ec k f orw ard over t h e lef t 1st f inge r, as i n t h e Fig . S,
into a de a l i ng position . Pr op erl y timea-the v i ewe r will never s ense
the deck was ev e r out of sight. It se ems i mpo ss i ble to have switch ed
a deck from tne-time you take the tabl ed de c k .and p lace it in your

!,

//

. !

Fi~ .

Fig.

'1

' .'

left hand ready to deal. Try thi s out in front of your mirror and
yo u will qu ic kl y appreciate the a c t ion s pf thi s de ck switch.
'

..

,I

..,

'

"

, ....

,',

"

.'

.'

,
~

. -:; "

~t. :

]
Fig. 5

Fig. 6
. ~

S. You can do a color deck s witch or colo r packet s ~1tch by rals1ng

the outer end of the d eck, as it is moved for ward, so ' *hat the face
or bottom of t he deck comes i n t o view, for the spe ctator, a s in the
Fig. 6. Fr om here t he deck can be turne d ove r and face up tq h ide
its dTfferent c ol or back. If yo u do n ot want t o f lash th e f ac e s o f
the cards, for one reas on or anot he r, yet st i l l do th e swi t c h , then
s imp l y hold on t o the top card of the original tabl e deck , wi t h your
ri g ht hand, then add it on to the c l i pp ed deck as it is move d forward
t
a dealing
i ti
~ r.

- L n

p o

o n

]
]

MARLO 'S VI SUAL RETENTION DECK SWITCH

In this deck swit ch the to p of the deck i s visible,

then the bottom end as it is squared agains t the t abl e, then t h e deck
,i s r epl ac ed to t he t a b l e. Th e de c k is no t lapp e d i n t he true sense
: t hu s av oiding a ny possible s catt e ring of t h e deck that goe s i n to
y our lap .
.
1 . . As in "Another Marl o De c k Switch" the deck from the lap is
s ecr e t l y pl aced into the lef t hand, as i n the Fig. 1 , while the
s p ec t a t or i s busy wi t h the deck in vi ew. This time-th e right hand
. takes the tab led deck by the sides at its inner end, then places it
into the left hand so tha t its outer end r ests alo ng the left 1st
fin g e r wi th the left thumb a cross the t op o f the deck nea r t he outer
end . The r i gh t ha nd , whi ch is a t the i nne r en d of the deck , grasps
th e inner e nds of both dec ks . The c l i pp e d de c k i s in - jogged f or
abo u t an inch. The Fig. I shows the operat or 's view at thi s s t a ge.
2 . ~oth hands no w move the c ards into a n end tapping position. As
t he outer end of the .de c ks are raised the left hand moves slight l y
.upwa r d s so that the ou ter end of the top deck goe s below the left
1 s t finger. The Fig. 8 shows the per for mer's v iew during the end
tapp i n g a ction while tne Fig. 9 show s the spect at or's view where he
can s e e what appears as only one deck due t o the r igh t fi ngers an d
thumb e f f ecti vely concealing any t h i c kn e s s at t h e lo we r end s.

]
)

],
]
)

]
]
In this deck swi t ch the to p of the de c k is visible,
then the bott om end as it is squared agains t the t ab l e, then t h e deck
,i s r ep lac ed to t he t a b l e. Th e deck is no t l ap" p e d. in the true __ sens e
. +. 1...... ,... -. ..... .... ..:...J .: __
~

~, _,

..L

..L

-L

]
....

.. .41.
121

r"

..

Fig. 7

Fig. 9

Fig.
.: ~

I
I.t
1:

I
~

II
!,

~
1

.Fi g . 10

Fi g . 11

3. Bo th hands now move t o lower the d e c k ( s ) back to t h e t a b l e. Th e

back of th e l e ft hand a t a l l t i me s i s t owar d s t h e s p ecta tor an d at
th is time c ove r s t h e outer ends o f both dec k s. During t h is tim e th e
deck(s) is lo wered the right hand moves b6th decks inward unt il the
top deck, of the t wo, can be clip p ed a t its out e r e n d b etwe en th e
left 2nd and 3rd fi ng ertips and the cr e ase of t h e palm . At onc e the
right~n d, which re t ains t h e inner end o f the lo wer de ck o f t he two,
starts to pivo t out th is de ck t o the r i g ht as in the Fi g . 10 . Thi s
action is cont inued to the ri ght and for ward wi t h the r igh~hand
tabling the deck as in the Fig. 11. The Fi g. 11 serve s a double
purpose in t hat it i s also the starting posit i on of this pa rticul a r
Marlo Vi sual Re t en t i o n Dec k Switc h . Note t h at t h e cl ipped d eck ' s
inne r end has mov ed p as t th e t a b le's e d g e .
4. The right hand, having d eposit ed i t s deck to the t able , move s
back to the le ft toward s the left hand. The back of the right thumb
nail very lightly brushes the back s of the cupp ed left 2n d an d 3rd
fingers as the r i g ht hand then continue s stra i gh t do wn to b e lo w-rKe
table's edge and at onc e grasps t he l ower r i g ht co r ne r of the c l i pp e d
deck. The F i g. I o f " An ot h e r Marlo Dec k Switch" shows t h e simil arity
except here the rig ht h and r emov es the dec k f r om the l e ft hand to
carry it down to the lap. The left hand is f r e e to do whatever other

Ii

H
,

3. Bo th hands n ow move t o lower t h e d e c k ( s ) back to t h e t a b l e. Th e

back of t he l e ft hand a t a l l t i me s i s t owa r d s t h e sp ecta tor and at
th is time c overs the outer ends o f both de c k s. During t h is time th e

action it may have to do. Obviously the concealed deck, at the stag e
shown in the Fig. 12, can be released a~d let fall into the lap if so
desired .
-e,

or

MARLO'S DOUB LE UNDERCUT DECK SWITCH

:

Most all deck switches have one common p ~ocedure and

' t ha t is the deck to be switched in is always positioned ~ b o v e the
deck to be switched out. The deck switch to be describ ed has the
distinct dif ference of the switched in deck starting unde w:,the deck
to be d isposed .
~
1 . The deck i n t he l a p should be face up . The body is turned ve r y
slightly to the le f t. The righ t hand' s forearm is rested along the
table 's edge wi t h the right hand, rela xed at the wrist, dangling
]
past the table's edge. The left hand, which has casually dropp ed
palm down to the ' l a p and onto the face up deck, picks up the deck~
," t.urns ' palm up a nd ra is es th e deck to place i t into t~ right hand
'1
which take s , i t , fro m abov e by t he ends, as in t he F~1f~ g, with a ll
j
four f ingers a cr os s the fr ont end . The left hand th e ~ co nt inu es on
upwa r d to come into v iew and by this time is re ady to "a c c ep t th e dec k '1
from the spec tator.
~

J
]
]
,e-: ,

Fig. 13

2 . The left hand c arries the deck, which i s in a Mechanic's Gr ip,

to the l e ft a nd alongside the danglin g right hand. The right hand,
1
bending at t he wri st only , move s its dec k to directly und er the dec k
held i n t he lef t hand. The le f t f i ng e rs ex tend and drop very slightly J
to permit th is as s hown in t he Fig . 13 wher e the r ight 1st fin ge r is
'"!
now curled on top o f the deck whi c h is in view of the spectator.
3. Square up both decks but keep a le ft 4th finger break between
them. The le ft hanu under cuts half of t he-Iowe r deck placing this
half to the t op but le aving i t s ide- j ogged, to th e left, f or about
three quarters o f an i nch . The le f t han d un dercuts the remai n i ng
,ha l f of th e d ec k, up to t he br eak , to car ry it on to the already s ide jogged port io n. Af t er t h is Double Und ercut the deck to be switched
in is on top of the d eck to be disposed of and at this stage the
situation is similar to that shown in the Fig. 13 excep~ the side -

]
~

..8

]
]
j:
"

, .I

..-_ ----- _... . --- -. - - --. .- ________.:il ._......

.. __.....ur._ .

"

..

# )

123'

"

jogg ed co ndit io n is on ly about t hree qu art ers o f a n inc h.

I'

4. The upper deck i s now pinched, by

its upper left co rner, at the bas e of
the left thumb an d 1st fin i~r. Th e
right hand move s downwa rd wlth it s deck,
wrist act io n onl y , while tha l e f t hand
move s s li ght l y upwa r d at th~ s ame time
squaring it s deck, wi th o n e : ~ an d, whi ch
wi l l be s li gh t ly ask ew a fte r t he und er cut ac tio n s. The Fi g . 14 s h6~s t he
( compl e t ed , s wi tc h .
,-, -,
.
"
-,'

. '

4 .'

.. .

; . :: . ,

. . .

'

' I ,'

"

S. The deck in the ri ght hand i s re leased i n t o the l ap, th en it comes over
to tak e th ~ deck fr om t he l e f t hand to
r eplace i t to t he table . You can u s e
,-' ,
th is for a color deck swi tch an d you
~ i l l no t ' hav e to use matching fa c e c ard s since the D ou~1e Undercut,
~ : "
. wi t h de ck f ac e up , i s supp osed to be a cut to lose a c~~ d or c a r d s
!' ' . , t hu s a ne w f ac e card, at th e c oncl us io n of t he s e cut s, :J;;s pe rfe c tl y
. " . ',.l og i c a l -. - Some may want t o try dr oppi ng l e f t hand wi th t he lo wer de c k
.. . ~ . as' 'r i gh t hand places it s dec k on the table.
~ ,
I

~~

'.

.: '.

, <,

One may wond e r why the Marlo name prec e de s each o f

thes e d e c k switche s. I t may be an ego pr obl em bu t bas ica ll y I wan t
to make sure i t i s und er stood tha t I do not and never have c ha s ed
" a f t e r or idol i zed t he s o- cal led c a rd hust ler s and t h~ t all dec k
swi t c h e s I have devi sed ar e strictly my own a nd designed for magical
purposes where an aud i en c e is more attent ive to t he person , you,
handl i n g t he deck as co mpare d t o t he averag e c a r d player . Finally an
obvi ou s a pp r oa ch to dec k swi t ches and pa c ke t swi tches is " Pro pe l l ed
Lapping"; ho wever) the manne r in which you do t hi s as wel l . as how
you get ready for it makes th e differenc e. These hop e fully shall be
discussed at ano t her t i me in another volume . Also the "Visual Retention Switch" c an be u s e d to swi t c h a deck. The only di f f erenc e i s
the r i ght ha nd would take t he deck by its si de s ne ar t he i n ner end .
The r i ght han d a ppears to pl a c e t h is dec k behind the l e f t f orearm;
however , the right hand p laces it s dec k on t h e hi dden deck either
side - j ogged over the inner side of t he t a ble d deck or at an i nwa r d
angle a cro ss the h idden de ck . Thi s au toma t ica l l y br i ng s t he origina l
deck pas t t he ta bl e 's edge and a t onc e th e r i g ht hand simp l y l e t s go
of it s deck whi ch beca u s e it is past c enter of th e hi dd en deck,
topple s off into th e lap . The right is already on the hidden deck
how and the left hand mo ves to the left to expose the deck now on the
table.
NOTE: For t he Ma r l o' Vis ua l Retention Dec k Switc h y ou c a n do i t wi t h out t he end- t a pping pro cedure . I n th is c a se t he tab l e d de ck is tak en
by the right hand, f rom ab ov e by the ends , then pl a ced in to t h e lef t
hand s o i t s out er end projec t s pas t t he left 1st fing er . Righ t hand
leaves deck for a fe w seconds. Now as i f remembe r ing t hat the car d s
have not been cut the r i ght hand come s back to gra s p th e i nne r end o f
both decks. The deck s a r e moved inward until t he top deck is dr awn
into the left hand clip pos ition as in the Fi g. 8, th en at onc e the

-- ~

_ .-

-- - 0

--- ...

.1.-

.,

- - - - -

-J

- ---

ob viou s a pp r oach to dec k swi t ches and pa c ke t swi t ches is " Pr ope l l ed
Lapping"; ho wever) the manner in which you do t his a s well. as how
you get ready fo r it makes th e d ifferenc e. These hope fully s ha l l be
,.:t-i
.,+
__
..;.,....., n"t"'to "" + hr"\ -VOO ,,.,,1,,"""' . . . . .
" ,.-_
-f-t-.. _
. . " . . . 1 n _ .... _ _
c- r ' 1("" ~O ~

" '1"\ ""'+~ t:"l..

+ ~ "l"n"

"'T~

24

l ower deck is swung i n to view as in the .Fi g . 10 and Fig. 11. The
right hand then co ncludes its action of secretly t aking tne clipped
deck, ..from t he l e f t hand, similar to the Fig . 1. Obviously the same
action's can be done for a packet switch or a sTngle car drs wi t c h . It
can als o be done with a face up card marking t he or i g i na l ! pa ck e t .
This face up card is simply pulled down, with the rig ht l~t fing~r,
onto and in line wi t h t he clipp ed pac ket as the vis ible p ~cket is at
the s ame time drawn down into the left hand clip posi t i.on .l' A few
trials with this and you will quckly get the idea. Thus Y9,U can
switch a Blue Deck f or a Re d Deck because the pulled down ~o p Blue
Back c ard goes onto a nd covers the Red Backed deck. To all~appe ar
a nces the Blue Deck , which has just be en shuffled and ha nd l ed by the
spectat ors, is still the same Blue Deck but in reality a Red Back
deck with a covering Blue Back card. To eas ily insure the transfe r
of the top card you can resort t o the end-tapping procedure as it is
during th is time that you c a n down -j og the top card o f the up per-most
Blue ~eck in line with t he in-jogged Red deck. Just refer t o the
.Fi g . 8 and 9 of Vi sible Retent ion t o get the i de a of ~jlen to do the
down -Jogging of the top c ard with the right 1st fing e:=f:.. From here
t he r est f ol l ows as in the Fi g s . 1 0 and 11 or-th e Vi si ~le Retention
Deck Switch and end ing by using tne action of Fig . 1 to' get the
clipped deck out of t he l eft hand and i n t o the lap..
f

...

.'

I
1
]
]
]

]
]
~
~

~
::: . ...

J
]

., .

]
]
]

]
]
"

Jj

:. ~~

. _ . --~ _
.... ~.......

I.. ,

---125

[.

1 -

8 CARD OIL AND WATER (Dave Solomon)

This ro uti ne by Dav e So lomo n was stimu l a t e d by Dave $o lo mon ' s
own Oi l And Wa t er rou ti n e published in th e TOP S magazine whfc h re qu ired secret l y an ex tr a card; however , the st ar ting point ~~as a Marlo
phase which used only four Red cards and four Bl ack cards a~d which
has never bee n r e cord ed. Thus the rout in e that fo l l ows is 4 pure one.
(MARLO PHASE)
Fou r Red ca rds and four Blac k cards are .~~o wn in a
1.
face up spread with the four Red cards being the face cards. ;\ "Dur i ng
this s pre ading action, whi c h is don e between bot h hands, the fourth
Red ca rd is pushe d j u st pa s t t he l e ft si d e of t he th i rd Red c a rd thu s
st eppi n g the 4th Re d card , on t he l eft, below the f a ce t hre e Red cards .
The hands hold onto the Black and Red cards and separate j ust far
enough so that th e r i ght s ide of t he f i r s t f a c e Black c ard can b e f elt
to s l ip of f t he st eppe d Red c a rd . (Se e Fig . 1 of Ma rlo' s " Pure Oi l And
Water " rout i n e. ) Dur i ng t h is t he Bl a c k car d i s t hen p u~he d to t he
r i ght but a bove the stepped Red card . Without any hes ~~fltion the next
three Black card s are pushe d over, in a c on t i nu a tion o:f ' t he spreading
action, bu t s i mp l y go to unde r the packe t . The disp l ac eme nt a ct ion
has put t he pac ket , f r om t h e f a c e to t he to p, i n 3 Reds-l Bla c k -l Red3 Blacks order.
2.
Turn the p a cke t face down. Spread out, i n a f a n format ion, a l l
eight c a r d s be twee n bo th han ds . Hol d th e 8 ca rd ,f an i n yo ur left ha nd,
thumb on t op fi ng e r s below, whi l e t he r ight hand gra sp s the top f ou r
c a r d s of the fan, by the upp er e nd s , with thumb on top and fingers below. The r ight hand ins ert s its 4t h card f r om th e top to betwe en t he
4th and 3r d c a r d s, f r om t he bottom, of the f an he l d i n t he l e ft hand .
The r ig ht ha nd t he n mov es a way s till ho ldin g onto t he remain i ng t hr ee
c a r d s s till held i n a fan. The next three cards of the fa n , held in
t he right hand , can be flash ed e a c h time you insert a Black card be t ween t h e 3rd and 2nd c ard s , 2nd a nd 1 st c a rd s with t he l ast on e go ing on t op-oI t ho s e held wi t h the l e ft hand . The e l ongated f an i s
now very f a i r l y s quar ed up and he ld in the left hand dealing position .
3.
At th is stage do one o f your fa vor ite ma g ical ge stur es s u c h a s
squeezing the p a ck~ t or Dave Solomon's f a v ori te pr oc 6dur e of ta k ing
th e pac ke t, with the r i ght hand , by the lo wer rig ht corne r, wi t h
_t humb on top and 1s t and 2nd fingers below , t hen ge ntl y shake t he
packet after whic~he p a cket is returned f a c e do wn into the le ft
hand de al i ng pos ition . Coun t o ff th e top three car ds , Ta k ing t hem
with the r i ght ha nd, one unde r t he other, by t he upper ri ght corners
with the thumb on top, 2nd fingertip on t he face, 1st finger a long
t he to p edge at this cor ner, with the right 3rd and 4th fingers al ong side the 2nd fi nge r but cur l ed in sli gh tl y. As you go-to t a ke t he
4th card ~under t hose i n t he r ig ht hand exe c u t e Ma r l o ' s Cover ed
Se c ond De al.
( Se e Vol . 2 of th e Ma ga z in e _or this Vol . 3 under " Ps y~ h ol ogical Order " .)
The r ight t urns i ts cards face up to the ta ble
spreading them out to sho w four Bl ack cards. The f our cards in the
left hand ar e turn e d f ace up and spre a d ou t between bo t h hand s t o
s how four Red cards .
FACE UP SEPARAT ION PHAS E:

1.

With fou r Red c ar d s face up in th e

caras S~ l ~ ~ n e~a ln a ran. ~ne nex~ ~nree caras o r ~ne ran , ne~a In
th e ri ght hand, can be flash ed e a c h time you insert a Black card be t ween t he 3rd and 2nd c ar d s , 2nd a nd 1 st c a rds wi th th e la s t on e go i ng on top-oI t ho s e held wi t h the l e ft hand . The e l onga te d f an is
now very fa i r l y squared up and he ld in the le ft hand dealing position .

.....--c.o.. _ _

_ _

~
_

- - -. j l _..: ._'.

_ -"' , _111._,

left hand the right hand inserts the face up Black cards, one at a
time into the Red cards, by placing the first Black card to under
the last or ~th Red card of the fan. The next three Black cards go
between 't he 4th and 3rd, 3rd and 2nd, 2nd and 1st Red car~s respectively, thus you are holding an elongated fan which shows '1he Black
and Red cards alternated. Square up the cards and turn th~m face
down into the left hand dealing position . Again go throug~ some magical gesture us ing appropiate patter. Deal the top 3 cards taking
them one at a time under each other by the right hand and a~, before
on the 4th count do the Covered Second Deal. Retain the fo ~ cards
in your right hand while the left hand places its cards face~down to
the table. Do the Olram Subtlety to show the 4 cards you held onto
as four Black cards; however, use the last two Black cards to scoop
up the two tabled cards so that they will be back in the same order
of Bla~k-Red-Black-Black from the top down as when doing the Olram
Subtlety. (See Vol. 1 of the Magazine for Olram Subtlety.) Toss
the Black cards back face down to the table. Pick up the Red cards.
Show them as four Red cards. You show them as four Red ,~ r d s as fol.l ows : The left thumb deals over the top card and rig~: .hand takes
it by the upper right corner with thumb on top and 1st ~n d 2nd fingers below. The right hand turns inward in order to f l ash the face
of the red card. Meantime, the left thumb has dealt over the next
top card. The right hand moves down to pick off the next card to
under the one held in the right fingers and thumb. Again the right
hand turns inward to flash the face of this c ard while the left
thumb deals over the next top card of 'i ts cards. This time the right
hand moves down to apparently t ake this third card to under those in
the right hand. Actually, the left thumb pulls this card back flush
with the card in dealing position; however, the sound and illusion
of taking the card simulates the actual taking of the card as the
right hand again moves upward to flash the face of the Red card.
This time the r i ght hand comes down and takes the last t wo squared
cards as one on the count of "Four" to 'show and flash a Red card.
(The above count was shown to me by Marlo.) You have shown a separation of the Red and Black ~ards and are nQw ready to make use of
the actual existing condition for --THE MIXTURE CLIMAX:
1. Place the Black cards face down to the table.
Onto these place the cards face down, then, spread out the 8 cards
from right to left. Pick up the top card of the spread, a Red one,
using it to scoop up the spread; however, as the 'scoop up card' rides
under the tabled spread get it to slide into a position second from
the bottom of the spread. Turn the gathered 8 cards face up and respread them again to show that the Red and Black cards have intermixed
for the climax.
, ,2 .
Marlo solution rather than a Scoop Up, he does a Double Deal
stating that if you tap the cards with the top card (2 cards as one)
they will mix. For more details see Marlo's "Pure Oil and Water"
routine in this magazine Vol. 3.
3. When doing the above routine for other magICIans, Dave Solomon
makes them think he has extra cards by doing ' an obvious Buckle .
Count action during the showing of those four cards that may be In
his hands at the time. At the conclusion the magicians are surprised
that only eight card s remain thus making the reconstruction of the
routine that much more difficult.

]
]
]
]

]
]

]1
J
]

.. -..0 ...... -

................. -

~b\.A...L.~ ...

J.l'-Jv J

upnCL.J.'-L

\,..v

--L~c;...L .:;)J.1-

"""j,J\,;

...L(.,.L'-,""

v......

...,,""-

- - ... _ -

This time the r ight hand comes down and takes the last two squared
cards as one on the count of "Four" to 'show and flash a Red card.
(The above count was shown to me by Marlo.) You have shown a separation of the Red and Black cards and are nQw ready to make use of

11
..j

: -~.

""
-: ' ;";

-' -~-.:. -:-'"--:- .

.~

1 27

"

PURE OI L AND WATER

(Ed Ma r l o)

,
:. The follow ing routine was inspired by Dave Solomon's
"8 Card Oil And Water". It is not of f er ed he re a s an Lmpr .o v emen t
but r at her becau se it has some i n t e r e sting pro c edures. W h~; knows
but t hat you may u se idea s f rom t hi s r out i ne and Solomo n' s :to come
1
up wi t h a t h i r d ve rsion .
I~

1. Be g in by a sking the spe ctato r to take t he de ck , r emov e any f ou r

Red ca r d s a nd hand t hem t o you . Pl a c e the s e c a r d s face dowN ,i n t o
the le ft hand deali ng posi t i on . Now ask h i m to r emove any fe llr
, Blac k card s a nd hand t hem to you . Plac e these f a c e do wn onto the
Red cards and position the packet into a Master Grip Pos ition.

" "1,,

fr
,
,

(,

\I;

2. Say., "We have four Red cards and fou r Black cards . Altogether
we ha v e ei ght cards ." Here y ou coun t th e ei ght c a r d s bu t exe cute
the Bottom Deal Count on eve ry othe r c a r d, i . e . , on t he 2nd -4 th -6 th
card s taking the last two fairly on the c ounts of 7 and~ ~Th e --coun t is done ' s t r i c t l y in t he hands taking t he cards oh~-und er t he
othe r. To a l l appearances you have merely coun t e d t h e": ~5 g ht c a r d s .
' ( For de tai l s of the Bo ttom Deal Cou n t , with a n e w t ec hn i~ u e, s ~ e
this Vol. 3 of th e Ma ga z i n e .) Sa y, " The Bl ack c ards ar e on top of ,
the Red cards ." The r i ght hand takes the top card to fl a sh a Blac k
card . Repl ac e t hi s ca rd on to p . Take th e p ac ke t, from above by the
ends, th en tur n th e righ t hand p alm up to f la sh t he bo t tom Red c a rd.
The s e a ct i ons are t i me d wi t h the pa t ter lin e you de l iver . Retu r n
the pac ke t face down into t he l e f t hand. Squ e e ze t he packe t fo r
e ff e c t , then turn it face up . The pa t t e r line of , "Now the c ar d s
a l t e r na t e Red, Black, Red , Black , e tc. " are del iver ed as you up j og each Red card as you c orne to i t . Th i s s p re a di ng a nd up- jo gg i n g
is done be tween bo th hands . The Red ca r ds r ema in up-jo gged f or t he
momen t.

I
I

i
,

3. Hold th e elongated spre ad with the l e f t hand a s the right hand

grasps the upp e r en ds of , th e up -jogg ed Red c a rd s , wi t h thumb on t he
face a nd f inger s bel ow, t o pul l them i nwa r ds thu s dis e nga ging th e
Red c a r ds. These are place d onto t he face of t he Bl a ck c a r d s.
4. Both ha nd s now s pr e a d the fa ce up c ar ds between .both hands . Dur ing t h i s sp r ea d i ng action the fou r th Red car d , from the fa ce , i s
pushe d , by t he lef t f i ng e rs, as t he le f t t humb mome ntarily hold s
the t hir d Red card in pl ace, to past the l ef t s id e of t h i s thi r d
Red card thu s s tepp ing t he 4th Red card, on th e l eft s id e, belo w
the three face Red c a rd s . Each hand now holds onto their respec tive Red and Blac k ca r d s as th e hands move away f r om each other just
far enough so tha t t he r ig ht side of the f i rs t fa ce Black card ca n
be felt to s l i p of f ~he s tepped Red c a r d. The Fig . 1 s hows how by
an oppos ite slight up and do wn p re s sure of eac h pac ke t a s pace op e ns
up, at the lo we r end , of the stepped card . No t e tha t all fou r fingers of each ha nd ar e be l ow t he sp read card s .

5. Into the sp a c e cr e at ed t he fi r s t fac e Blac k car d is l oa ded. With out arty hesita t ion, the next thr e e Bl ac k cards ar e pushed over, in
a cont inuation of th e s pr e a di ng action, but these go dir ectly to
under the p ac ket. The d i splac eme nt ac ti on ha s a rra nge d t he pac ket,

,
I

"1

!I"

.'

momen t.
3.
n

Hold th e e l ong a te d spr e ad with the left hand a s the right ha nd

,.... .,CO'T"\C'"

+~

.....

1'~T"\ ""''''''

1""'I. ..........

,...:l ~

_ .(:

.. 1-.. .......

, ,,,,,,",

";l""'I.rT"""_~

n_~

,. . . . . . -"~

"l' _y..; ...."h

..... 'k ...."I"Y'I h

_ ""

+1.-.. _

~-_ .:..

..

--

__ _ ~ -..a-- __

"

..

. ..:.. . __ . .

".t..

--'-- -- , --..: ' .

]
]
..:

.f

'.,

"

...-- I"~t --!j-'

/,
~ , ")
I

// '

//

"

"

/ '
,-

"~ "

,
'....

,.

"

"

"'M
'
t-r" -- -----.......
.' ,~ "
i>

: ,1

'~

~ '\

- \t,',\ '

\\
' . -, '

<>:

~/ /--;'~~:~k>Y'

"

I
\

]
]
]

Fig. 1

'J

from the face to the top, in 3 Red cards-l Black-l Red-3 Blacks
order. Square up the packet.
, 6 . " ~urn the packet face down into the lef t hand dealing pos iti on.
The left thumb deals over the top ~ard which is taken by the right
hand, at the lower right corner with thumb on top and 1st and 2nd
fingers below. The 2nd knuckle of the right hand third finger
pre s s e s agains t the lower r i gh t c orner bo t tom ed ge o f the c ar d, then
moves ou t wa r d causing the c a r d t o p i vot fa ce up thu s showing it s
face. By pressing forward, on the back of the card, with the right
thumb, which moved downward when the card was pivoted face up, the
card i s again brought face dow-n. The nex t card is taken under a nd
a l on gs i de the first card. Now bo t h cards a re p i vote d , as a un it,
face up t o show tw o Black c ar ds . The next t wo c a rds are ta ken, on e
at a time, under those in th e r ight hand and then t ossed fac e down ,
t o the table. The patter for these actions is, "We have one, two,
three, four Black cards." Turn the remaining cards face up. Thumb
ov e r on l y two of th e f ace Red car ds , casua ll y showing t hree Red
c a r ds , as you s ay, "These are t he Red c a r ds . " Tur n the s e c ar ds
face down into the left hand. Spr ead or fan out these four cards
holding them in the left hand . With right hand pick up the tabled
c a r d and place it f ace down and up -jogged onto the t op card of the
fan . The next tabled card is i ns er ted be t ween the 1s t and 2nd c ar ds
of th e fan bu t s o that its sides are in line with the sides of t he
1 st c ard as shown in t he Fig. 2.
7. Pick up the n ext tabled card and insert it between the 2nd and
3rd car ds, 'of the fan , f r om the t op. At t hi s s tage 3 Bl a ck c ards
a r e up- jogge d . As the right hand re a c he s f or the last tab l ed c ard,
a ctually a Red one, the left hand turns inwards to f lash 3 Black
up -jogged cards seemingl y interlaced amo ng the four Red cards. The
lined up Black card hid e s the face of an actual Black card while
t he l e ft fingers co v e r the lower portions of this same Black car d.
Tu r n t he c a r d s face down. Insert the last card , in an up-j ogge d
c ondition between t he 3rd and 4th c a r ds of the fan. Squa r e up the

]
]

]
]

]
]

,J
]

]
]

\..UU IIIU,

l"IU.L\.- lJ

IU Vi/ C U

UV WU W Cl.l.U

w ucu

l.ue;

L.Cl.J.U

WCI.::>

P.LVUl.CU

.l.<:l.L.C

up,

\.-uc

card is again brought face dow-n . The nex t card is take n under and
a l ongs i de the first card. Now bo th cards a r e p i vote d , a s a unit,
f a c e up t o show tw o Black c ar ds . The next two c a r ds ar e ta ken, on e
at a time, under those in th e r ight hand and then t ossed fac e down ,

-"

.-.

- - -_.,

~ .'

-.

._ - ~-,

:. - ... _- 1

129
e~ongated

spread and hold it face down in ~he left hand dealing posi~
tion.The packet is squeezed for effect. The top four cards are
- de a Lt von e und e r the other, as they are taken by the right hand, at
the upper righ t corner with the -t humb on top and 2nd f i ng e-r t i p below
with the 1st f i nger a long the top edge at the upper-r i gh t ~o r n e r .
On the 4tn-card you do a covered 'S econd Deal whi c h result~ ~ in these
four cards being all Black. (See Vol. 2 of the Magazine f qr the
Covered Second Deal.) The four Black cards are turned fac ~ up onto
. the table and spread out. Turn the four Red cards face up .i p t o the
,l e f t hand and both hands , fan them out. The fan of four fac~~p Red
cards are now he ld in the left hand.
~
j

8. You are now ready to go into Dave Solomon's Phase whe re i n the
c a r ds are alternated wh i l e face up. My handling of this is varied
slightly as follows:
Insert the tabled Black cards, in an up-jogged
condition, so that they become th e 2nd -4th-6th and 8th cards from
the face of th e elongated fan. Square up the cards and turn them
- face down into t he left hand dealing position. Sque e z ~~ the packet
for effect. Take the top four cards, one und er the otli~ r and as
before do a Co vered Second De a l on the 4t h car d. The l ~f t hand
places i ts car ds face do wn to the table-.--The cards in tpe right
hand are shown as fou r Black cards using the Olram Subtlety. The
last two Black carus are used to scoop up the two tabled cards
and packet is l ightly tossed forward to the table. The order of
this packet should be in B-B -R-B order from the top down. The
Red (?) packet i s picked up a n d shown as four Red cards as follo ws:
The top card is taken by the right hand and its face flash ed,the
next card i s dealt ov er and taken under and alongside the f i r s t
card in a sort of fann ed condition. Both cards are now flashed.
The third card i s not shown but simply taken under and alongside
the first two. At once the left fingers revolve the last card by
placing the left 1st finger under the card to bring it face up
nipped by the side between the left 1st and 2nd finger. The left
thumb go es under the card to revolve it outward and fa c e do wn to
end up being he ld, wi th the l e f t thumb on top and 1st f i n ge r below,
by its left side, this card is placed to under the other thr ee
cards but in line and covering the one Black c a rd. The right hand
follows-thru by once more flashing the faces of the Red cards and
, then drops them face down onto the tabled Black pack et. The complete patter line for these actions is simply, "And here are the
one, two, three, four 'Red cards. These Red cards go on top the
Black cards."
9. At this stage the tabled cards are in order of 2 Reds-l Black1 Red-l Black-l Red-2 Blacks from the top down. Pick up the 8 cards
place them face down i n t o the left hand into a Mechanics Grip-or
Master Grip. While the right hand is above the packet and squaring
the ends the left thumb angles over the top card so that its outer
right corner projects past the right side of the packet for about a
quarter of an inch. At the same time the left 2nd , 3rd, and 4th
fingers acting as a unit slightly Bu c k l e the bottom card, at tEe
same outer right corner, then still movin g as a unit e ase out the
bottom card to line up with the angled top card in readiness for a
Double Deal. (See SECONDS-CENTER-BOTTOMS (1960) for more complete
details.) The right 1st fingertip and thumb f irmly pinch the upper
right corner of the two lined up cards and start to move them, as
one, to the right. During this movement to the right, the upper edge

"'.&.1.'-'

L-L..L.J\,.

I,...rYU.

r\-\..

V.I. ... ' - ' -

..... J.l"

...L..'-'.Ll",..

... ...L..J..1.5v,L...:;J

~'-'VV..LV'-'

1,.....lJ.'-'

.L(A,.-J\,...

,-c;A.,J.\..L

UJ

placing the left 1st finger under the card to bring it face up
nipped by the side between the left 1st and 2nd finger. The left
thumb goes under the card to revolve it outward and fa c e do wn to
end un b e i n o hp l il _ w i r h

thp lpft r hirm}, on ton a n d T s t

fin lJPr hplmv _

__ . _

"

. __ 1. _

.. -

. h

-'- '

_.:_ ~ . ,

of these two cards are pressed against the tip of the left 1st finger to insure further alignment. Once these cards clear the-packet
the supposedly single card is used to tap the ~ of the packet as
you say , "All' I have to do is tap the cards li~this and.,look what
happens." The two cards, as one, are replaced on top andrphe packet
is turned face up. You are now ready to show the colors g~ternated;
however, during the process you subtly set-up for the clim~x of the
routine ,wi t h what I call a ." Down - J og Displacement".
:f
.

"

With the packet face up you up-jog the face Black car~<~with the
right hand. The left thumb deals over a Red card, then the~eft hand
. moves upward to up-jog the second Black card. The left hand moves
downward dealing over a Red card and as it does the lower right cor: ne r of this card is just under the lower left corner of 'the 1st Red
card. This is shown in the Fig. 3 where note that the cards are in
sort of a V formation. Note that the up-jogged Black card sort of
covers
the-1st
.
.
-- do wn-Jogged Red card .
10.

'i ;

~. ; .

'-I . _. ,

-;

.:
-,

'

. '.~
~

':

- ..

..
_.

";."; .. .;

...._ :

:. ; .

:.

_.'

" '.

~ .

'

-, ;

.- , ;

f4fii{i;.,
, , . . ~', .'.'. .. . .';117Cfl,

----fj dr';
/0

;' . "."'l1"'-vv
/'Ji/~
~
/
' .

,, ' . .

. , ':

'

~\

t .

{~ )

:--:.

i J ,

. ".

'~
' '~"~
I \t"'..C.:~,~~. '
.

.,

.'

< ;

' ! '.~

..:

, : J',i ' " .

,
: ~ ...,
; T .

-.

Fig . 4
.

,1 1 . Wi t hou t any stall by a sl ight

indiscernable upward pressure

.'

very slight
Red card from

4 . .: ."..,' .'.; ~:dU~~1o~~:dl:~~C~h~~~dsi~p~rye-

" ",... "J.

.::: '

:\ c' , . . .

;"

4f
JS .:..- L

S,... <J~

' / ' -=-T -=- -

':

,.'

r-.- --

f the left hand a

At'" 7 . ..:
',: .ospace,
OIthe face

"I'

/./~fim<~--'
.' / ' " - _./

":- ::-,

..

Fig. 3

I.

". ;".-

-.

. '

'one of being al ternated as shown

in the Fig. 4.

... :: ' . '.',

,
'

.,

\.

' . i .

"

]
~~~~~a~r~~li~e
j ~~~sc~~~ ~~~c~ed
card but the appearance is still

. ~~

: .

"

..

.'

~! ~2. Without any stall the left hand

, . : : : " . moves upward as left thumb deals
'.: Fig. 5 ".':- ", ; . , . ! ~ .. .. . ' ,'ove r the third Black card to up,. . ;.d: ;-:; : "" :.;. :': ' :~ j o g it. At once the left hand
moves downward, dealing over
the third Red card, as once again its lower right corner comes just
under the lower left corner of the second Red card as seen in the
Fig. 5.
'

."

I'

,.

]
-,

.
. 0

I.

Fig. 3

. , " : :-,

: :

,::: '

", :

.'.

' 0, _ :
,_

: \ ';'" .. . . t

/ .

-
"

< ;

Fig. 4

, : J',i ' ' : .

;" ,

; r '.

_~:

"_~"'~ P"""._ .

......l..

, . .1,..:_ ".._..__
' , . . :.
"

'. _ .: . ...::::..

. :.c,,:,'~
.:"{,' ,_, ', .,

'.,

, ..'";,:..,,0

... -,.; 2::.

:.. .'

,,
)

"

,'478'7-"" ~"f

14!f,:_A

-r.
iT/ -'/ '

/ ~i.){;:Y
/

4'.-

'','/, ,!''11~

I'"

-'" r! ...~
.a

> .

"

-,\, :'---"
/ .

_,{!d~tJ. ' C:!/ \

I '

./

Fig. 6
'"

'

,13 . The left thumb q~ls this card

over to under th-e-.: two Red cards,
thus joining them} at the same
the elongated packet is more or
less converged as in the Fig. ' 6
which further disguises the true
condition.

-.

Fig.

Fig. 7

- 14. The left hand moves upward to

deal over the 4th Black card
and up -jog it. The left hand
moves down with its last Red
card where again its lower right
corner comes just under the lower left corner of the Red cards
as in the Fig. 7. Note the condition of the elongated packet.

IS. Without hesitation the left hand feeds its 4th Red card to under
and with the other 3 Red cards. Both hands move~wards each other
during this 1st movement to converge the elongated packet as shown
in the Fig. 8. To all appearances the elongated cards still alternate .
16. Believe it or not the patter
line for all the above described actions is simply, "The cards
now are mixed into Black-RedBlack-Red-Black-Red-Black-Red."
This will give you an idea of
the natural tempo and action of
the Down-Jog Displacement. Done
smoothly with no hesitation it
appears you have done nothing
but show that the cards alternate.

17.

With the cards still elongated

Fig. 9

Fig. 8

er left corner of the Red cards

as in the Fig. 7. Note the condition of the elongated packet.

IS. Without hesitation the left hand feeds its 4th Red card to under
and with the other 3 Red cards. Both hands move~wards each other

......- .. --. _.~1_

]
place them face up on the table. While they are on the table both
hands now square up the cards as shown in the Fig. 9 . .
..:

18. As you square the packet point out that the cards wilL be tabled
and that they are in Black- Red order . During this you t a keso f f the
face Black card, which exposes a Red card, to emphasize t ha]; the
colors alternate.
Use the Black card to scoop up the packe #, which
logically would still leave the card's colors alternated, tHen turn
the packet face down onto the table.
Snap your fingers over the
tabled packet.
Spread the top four cards to the right.
Tur~~ ,these
over to show four Black cards followed by turning over the remaining
four cards to show these are Red . This climaxes the routine.
I ST NOTE: Originally I handled the final phase in the hands.
It
was Dav~ Solomon's suggestion to table the packet for the . climax.
2ND NOTE: At the stage of Step 7 of this routine, I had a variant
handling of the Red packet, conslsting really of 2 Red-A~ Black-l Red
card from top do wn as follows:
The first Red cara is ~~lt over and
taken by the right hand which flashed its face;
The nex~ Red card
is taken to under the first Red card in a fanned conditi6p and the
Tight hand flashed both cards on the count of "Two". This time the
left thumb dealt over the 3rd card but it was taken onto the two
' - f a n n e d cards in the ri ght hand.
The right hand flashed the faces
of the packet on t he count of three but the Black card remained hidden by the two fanned Red cards. At once the left hand revolved its
single Red card face up and face down ending by taking this card onto
the cards in the right hand on the count of "Four" . Because the
order of the cards was changed they were then dealt one at a time on. to the tabled Black packet.
From here the routine continued. This
handling of the count is mentioned as it could fit into other routines requiring such a count.
TECHNICOLOR OIL AND

WA~ER

(MARLO)

Years ago I submitted to IBIDEM an Oil And Water routine

in which the Red Back cards and Blue Back cards were mixed and then
magically separated; however, it had nothing to do with the faces of
the cards.
Later other magicians came up with the idea of seemingly
using Red Back cards with Red faces and Blue Back cards with Black
faces.
Actually the Black face cards were two Blue Back and two
Red Back cards while the Red face cards also were two of each color.
Thus by inference when the Backs were intermixed it was assumed the
face colors were also intermixed. When the packet was turned face
up the colors were shown separated and naturally it was assumed the
colors of the Backs w~re also separate.
I found most routines based
on this approach to be somewhat confusing and not quite convincing
when it came to clearly showing that both Back apd Face colors did
actually separate. With this in mind the following routine was worked out towards that approach.
Consider it not as an end all to such
routines but at least a step in the right direction.
EFFECT:
Four Red Back cards with Red faces are intermixed with four
Blue Back cards that h ave Black faces.
The cards separate and each
time it is clearly shown that the Backs and Faces are of the required color.
For the cl imax, you can have the cards change to all Red
Back cards with Red faces or all Red Back cards to Black faces.

"

.r

handling of the count is mentioned as it could fit into other routines requiring such a count.

]
]
]
]
]

]
]
]

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

J
]

1
.J
I

.J

.,
~~i"'

"- ~

J
--:-":'.-:- ... ~.:~.,..~ -- -;~ - j - -~- .
133

1. From the Blue deck remove the Black 10-7-6-8 of mixed Clubs and
Spades.
From the Red deck remove the Red 6-7-8-10.
Place the Red
7H-8D onto the face of the Black cards.
On top of the Black cards
place the 8H
in that order from top down.
The .r e ma i n i n g
6D-10H are left in the lap faces down.
As one may surmi~k these arrangements are made very quickly below table level or wit~ a little
nerve can be made openly as you place the required cards 'f -a c e down
to the table and later secretly adding the extra 7H and 8~ to the
bottom of the 8 cards you openly placed onto the table.
if you want
the all.Black face card climax, then in your lap place 8 R~~ , Back
cards wlth Black faces.
~.
J7D-10D-6H

.,

' 2 . With the packet face down you say, "For this we use four Red
cards." Here your left thumb deals over the tDp four cards as the
right hand takes them, one under the other, to place these face down
to the table. Now say, "And four Blue cards." Here you thumb over
the top three Blue cards again taking them by the right hand one
under the other.
These three Blue cards are then placed to under
the card(s) held as one in the left hand.
Retain thi~packet in
your left hand while the right hand turns the four tab~~d Red Back
cards face up as you say, "These Red Back cards have Red faces."
Now turn the Blue packet f a c e up into your left hand.
The left
thumb deals over the face two cards taking them on e under the other
by the right hand.
On the third count do either a Block Push off
or Single Buckle to take a Block of cards, as apparently one, to
under the cards in the right hand.
The last card is snapped by
the left fingers and placed onto the fac e of the cards in the right
hand.
The right hand replaces the cards, still face up into the left
hand dealing position.
The patter line for all these actions is,
"And these Blue cards are one, two, three, four Black cards. II
3. Spread out the face up Black cards, holding the last thr e e cards
as one, to hol d them in a f a n in the le ft hand.
Be sure to have the
left 1st fing er extend along the top end of the last card(s) t o conceal its frontal thickness.
Also holding the fan of cards rather
deep in the left hand further conceals the ~ast card(s) thickness
if you worry about this.
You are ready to start intermixing the
colors but first remember to always start with the Red 10 and 6 and
not the Red 7 or 8.
4.
Pick up the first Red card,
either the 6 or 10, to insert
it directly-under-the last
card(s) of the fan.
Leave this
Red card out-jogged -for about
two -thirds its length.
The next
Red card, the 6 or 10, is inserted between the-4th and 3rd Black
cards from the race.
Italso remains out-jogged, but more important is that the left side of this
second Red card comes about a
half-inch to the right of the
Black cards left side as seen in
the Fig. 10.

Fig. 10

~.
~preaa out the
race up ~laCK caras, hOldlng the last three cards
as one, to hol d them in a fan in the left hand.
Be sure to have the
left 1st fing er extend along the top end of the last card(s) to conceal its frontal thickness.
Also holding the fan of cards rather

rtppn

in

rhp

lp-Fr

h"'lTlr1

-Fin-t-hpr

("nT1("p"'llc:

t-h p

J"'lc:t-

(""'lrr1(c:l

t h-i(" lt-TlPC:C:

__ "

_ .J--

.. _

.... . _

- ....

...... .:. .

____

,'.
' ~ ' 34

. j:

.'
"

'5 . The third Red card is inserted between the 3rd and 2nd Black
c a r ds while the last or f ourth Red card is inserte d between t he
2nd and 1st Bla ck card. Al l Red cards are ou t - j ogge d . The right
hand no w co mes to grasp the elongated cards so that it ha~ hold of
s i x o f the cards that make up the el onga ted fan. The thum~s of each
ha nd are on the face s of the c ards with the fingers b e n e a ~h . Bot h
hands move away from e a c h other sort of momentarily splitting the
fan as show n in the Fig. 11 (Eleven) in a sort of indicat ofy gesture
a ccomp an i ed by the patter 1 i ne , "Re d and Black cards are mix ed. 'I
Du r i ng t h is slight s ep ar a t i on of the f a n , the 3rd Red card T\~rom .
the face actuall y clears the 4th Black card(s)~ort o f Icl rcking l
of f as seen in the expose d baC'Kview of . Fig . 12.

Fig . 11

(
_. -

'7

. /J...V-> "

.,.. ...- . /.~

Fig. 13

Fig . 12

- ~ -- --

6 . . Without any hesitation move

the cards to ge th er whe n the
c l e a r ed Red card wil l now ride
to 't he back of the elong at ed
fan as is seen in the exposed
bac k ~iew o f Fii . 13 . From
the f r on t it a l l l ook s ver y
fair especially i f you do not
he s i t a t e in c onv e r g i ng the e longated s pr e ad . Once the
s i de s are more or less flush
your right ha nd c omes ove r the
elonga te d packe t , thumb at back,
finger s at f r on t end, to push
a l l card s fl ush and square up
the pa c ke t .

7 . Turn t he packet face down i nto the left hand dealing positi on .
Squ e e ze the packet f or e ff ect . You can no w thumb of f t he f irs t f our
cards which will be Red cards. The s e are t ake n by the right hand,
at t he l ower right corner with thumb on top and ' l s t and 2nd fingers
_ beneath~one un de r t he other. Th is r ig ht ha nd ta~i s i mportant to
c on f o r m to the ha nd l ing of t he Blu e-Black cards . Anyway, the right
han d t os ses i ts four Red Back cards fa ce up to the t a bl e spre ad ing
t hem out.
These will be t he 6-10-7 -8 cards of that col or so it i s
imp ortant that the Red card insertions always start with the Red

- ~ ---

- - 0 - - --- -

-. -- - -- - -- -

c l e a r ed Red card wil l now ride

to 't he back of the elong at ed
fan as is seen i n the exposed
ba c k ~iew o f Fii . 13. From
the f r on t it al l l oo k s ver y
+"" .;,...

nt""' T'\ n,...'; ,.. 1 1 , ,,

'; .i= ' ''I'''\ 'n

,.11"'\

-n ,, 'f-

]
]
]

]'
]
]
]

.,;1

~
"r

.~;,..;...... ._ -, ~

135

1
-";

:~

The Blue cards in your left hand are really in order of 2 Blue 1 Red-l 'Bl ue - l Red-l Blue for a total of six cards which you will
show as 4 Blue using the following count techniques: Thumb.' over the
top Blue-card taking it with the right hand, by the lower ~ght cor ner, with right thumb on top and 1st and 2nd fingers be l owi-, You now
come over as if to take the next card but actually do a Cov~red
Bottom Deal. The left fingers simply Buckle the bottom card, then
relax as at the same time the right 1st and 2nd fingertips c~ntact
the face card as shown in the Fig. 14 which shows an exposed tpack
end view of the Buckle and Take with the right fingers.
-.

8.

:\ : ...

'

~o<!l

I-

\, t

\,

I
, J.
'-

., ..,",

. ~-

'.

'.

.:

"

Fig. 15

Fig. 14
r ' .

"

. : "::1
. . . ; . -;

'; t:
; ,

. . f;

~ .

_-_ :.-:.;

.----:::::----"

.,

. : ~.

. ," '

rrfrr~

Ii

- I~-

>-0.,

,"

"

:
- 11li-:--~,
~
f-.J. I,
I

I'

/ /

,i '/11(

-'-:-

-.,

.'

>",

"

4"1

. ..

'

. ~ .+

Fig. 16

---

'

. :

,/

1"/

I~'

,, /

"
'

:i t!~--. ,:0

/--......

- - .-. . ~

"-

Fig. 17

9. The right hand, having taken the bottom card, moves to the right
in a normal take action with the two Blue cards in a sort of fanned
condition. With the two cards held fanned in the right hand, the
right hand comes over as if to take the 3rd Blue card to under the
two held by the right hand. Actually y oU-Oo. a Second from the
Bottom Covered Deal. In other words the left finger again Buckle
, t he bottom card but the right 1st and 2nd fingertips move int o this
space, as shown in the Fig. ls-rG move out the next card from the

Ji

"

-..::.-

_- -

.....

,~~

. '- . ..:

-:-:

_ _' ".i , _

...

bottom as seen in the Fig. 16. The completion of this unique count
],'
results in the Fig. 17 with three Blue Back cards held, in a fan,
with t?e ri~ht hand while the left hand retains apparently the single
Blue Back card. Actually, the left hand now has a Blue ~card with a
.Red 7 and 8 hidden under' it.
; .~, : __
,,;-, '
. :~ : "
'
]
10. The three Blue cards from the right ' hand 'ar e placed) to u'~der
the card(s) in the left hand and the packet is turned f~te up. Here
you now show these as four Black cards using either a single Buckle
or B~ock Push Off on the third count. The last card is s~~pped and
placed onto the face of the packet. Return the packet face .up to
the left hand and spread them as four Black cards by holding the last
three cards as one. You have shown the Blue backs and Black faces
of the cards and are ready for the next phase. Before proceeding,
let's title this particular count combination the "Unique Count" so
~ yo u will know what to do.
Also in doing this Unique Count do it more
,or less to your right to conceil the Buckles; however, later I 'will
;". de t a i l another count procedure using Buckles on~y. 1
'# '
-Ag a i n start w'ith the Red 10 and 6, then 'f o l l pw

\'4.1th" the

Red 7
and 8 inserting them under the~th card, between the 4th and 3rd
BlaCK card, between the 3rd and-zlld Black cards, between the
and
1st Black cards; however~his tIme, as you insert each Red card,
push it flush or all ~he way in. This now will give you an excuse
to show that you really did alternate the Red and Black cards by
up-jogging the Red cards and using the Down-Jog Displacement on the
4th Black card from the face.
11.

zna

]
]
~

]
]
]

12. The action is as follows:

The left thumb pushes over the
face Black ~ard w~ich is support-]
ed by the rlght flngers, thumb
'
on the face at about the center '
of the right side with the fin- '
:'ger s beneath, against the face
~
of the packet. The right hand
J
moves upward to up-jog the Red
card, then moves downward to
]
,~
_ ~ n - j o g the next Blac~ card.
Continue this up and down action
until the third Red card is upjogged. As the right hand moves]
downward, to down-jog the 4th
Fig . 18
Black card, the lower right cor- ,
ner of this card comes just under 1
the lower left corner of the third Black card from the face. The Fig. J
18 ~hows this action where again note the slight V separation of the
4th and 3rd Black card at center or joining portion of the el ongated
fan.
.i

_ ",

13. Without any stall move both hands towards each other as at the
same time the 4th Black card rides under the 3rd Black card and above
the 3rd up- jogged Red card -a s in the Fig. 19.--Still keeping the
rhytnm-of the jogging action, the left hand moves its block of Red
cards to up-jog it as apparently the 4th Red card as in the Fig. 20.

J
]
]

,~

ed -by-the Uright fingers, th~~b - on the face at about the center

of the right side with the fin- '
:'ger s . ben ea t h , against the face

J
1

,-" ,

137

Fig. 19

Fig. 20

.'"

As soon as the situation of Fig. 20 is reached, both f~~nd s converge

the elongated fan, then the right hand comes over abov,* the cards to
push all cards flush and square up the packet.
.
.

r.

14. Turn the packet face down into the left hand dealing position. "
You are now set to cleanly take off the top four Red Back cards by
the right hand, one card under the other, then turn them face up to
the table to show four Red cards. The Blue cards are shown as four
Blue backed cards using the "Unique Count" as per Steps 8 to 10,
Figs. 14 to 17 inclusive. The three Blue backed cards Tn the-right
hand are placed to under the card(s) in the left hand. If the
"Unique Count" is not for you, then use the optional procedure described at the end of this routine. Anyway, turn the Blue cards face
up and show them as four Black cards via the single Buckle or Block
Push-Off placing the last card onto the face of the packet. Re-spread
the four Black cards face up holding the last three cards as one.
You are set for the third phase of the rou~ine.
15. Again start with the Red 10 or 6 inserting them into the last
or bottom position and between~he 4th and 3rd Black cards. The 7
and 8 go between the 3rd and 2nd Black cards-and 2nd and 1st BlaCK
cards respectively. The Red cards are all in an out-jogged position,
then pushed flush very cleanly. You will now emphasize the Backs
and Faces of each card during which you will do another displacement
as follows:
"
16. The left thumb deals over the face Black card which is taken
by the right hand, at about center of its right side, with thumb on
the face and fingers . on its back. Say, "Black and Blue" as your
right hand turns inwards to show its Blue back. Take the next card,
a Red one, to under and alongside the Black card, then again turn
the right hand inward to display its Red back as you say, "Red and
Red." Keep this up for the next cards until your right hand has
five cards. When you take the 6th card, a Red one, make sure its
left side goes past the right sIde of the 5th card, a Black one, for
about the width of the white border althougnthe Fig. 21 shows an

1
r

..
,.
f:

up and show them as four Black cards via the single Buckle or Block
Push-Off placing the last card onto the face of the packet. Re-spread
the four Black cards face up holding the last three cards as one.
You are set for the third phase of the rou~ine.

L~

__.....,

t-

"
"3 8

]
]

. ,,
Fig. 21

Fig. 22

exaggeration fO L~larity. This

time when the r ~g~t hand turns
over to show the ~ a c k s of the
cards, the thumb aeals ov er its
face Black card and als o turns
i nward t o display its Red and
Blue back as i n the Fig. 21.
J our patter f or this last action is "Blue Black-Red Red."
17. Now both hands turn palm
up but as they do you get the
! '
lower right corner of the face
Black card from the left hand
t o come just under the lowe r
, Fig. 23
lef t co r ne r of the 5th c a r d .
This c aus e s a mi nu t e-5e pa r a t ion
at these co r ne r s as in the Fig. 22 where note that the face Black
c a r d from the left hand will be above the stepped 6th Red card of
t ho s e in the right hand.
18. Without pause, move both hands together to converge the spread
with the 4th Black card riding above the 6th Red card. Square up
t he packe~nd turn it face down into the-reft hand dealing position.
Do your magical squeeze, then deal over the t op four Red back cards
and turn them face up to the table to show f our Red face s.
19 .

The Blue packet is now handled a litt l e d i f f er en t l y . Turn the

face up into the left hand de a l i ng position . The right thumb,
a t .ba c k end, lifts up two cards, then th e right hand, which is above
the packet hold ing the ends, moves these two card s as one off to the
right, then grasps the packet f r om above by the ends. This leaves
the left hand free for the left fingers to move out the two lowermost
c ards, to the left , as in the Fig . 23. Do not confuse this s pr e a d
with the Ascanio Spread or the Half Ascanio as I had this i d e a publ ishe d i n M.U.M. bac k in t he '50 's , in co nnection wi th a Jac k Sandwich, l ong be f or e I ever heard of e it he r Asc a n i o or his ha lf bro t he r;
however , the envious c an credit Max Katz i f t hey wish .
pac~et

J
"

]
]
]
]

]
]
]

Fig . 23

Black card trom the lett hand

t o come just under the lower
lef t co r ne r of t he 5th c a rd .
This c aus e s a mi nu t e-5e pa r a t ion

139

20. With both hands still in the same position push the cards
flush but hold the break, with the left 4th fingertip, below the
two face cards. With the right thumb li~up a third card to~ '
join the fac~ two cards and again regain the left 4th fingertip
break. Maintaining the left 4th fingertip break, "fIl:e right hand
pivots the packet s idewise, to-the right, to bring it fa qe down to
the tips of t he left fingers and thumb which grasp the pa~ket now
by its left side. Also a step will be formed, at the low~r right
'. corner, due to having held a left 4th fingertip break dur,1ng the
, sidewise turning action.
--

.<
.f'" . .. '

I'

r
I ..

- 21 . The right hand still holds the packet from above by t *e ~nds
which leaves the left hand free to move its fingers to under the
" pa c ke t. The left 4th fingertip pulls down on the step and again
,ge t s ' a break below the top three cards. You will now show four
Blue backs. The right hand grasps those cards above the break, at
about center of the left
.....
.... c
side, with thumb on top, 1st
fingertip again~t the edge-.,:. of the right s i~~, 2nd and
.'
..
~
3rd fingertips a.~a i n s t the
~co~
IaCe, in readiness for the
/' ~
1 . : I' . , - ..... . . .e
D' Amico Spread. As the right
-. . .
/
1 "
II
If .
.~....
hand does the D' Amico Spread

";

..

'-- : - - :

',., . l' :. / . .' It~ "'-'--!--- '\

.. ~
Ifi --_.
./

.\
.

~~ ~~:e~e~~aL~~~m~~:I1~~~~~

the left thumb simply deals

over two cards as one. This
resul ts in each hand disp laying two Blue backed cards in
each hand as in Fig. 24., ..

Fig. 24
' 22 . Having shown four Blue backed
, cards, those from the right
hand are placed onto those in the left hand and the cards are
squared up. You will no w do a re- mixing s~quence. Place the four
Red back cards onto the Blue back cards. Be sure that the Red 7
and 8 are on top. Your patter now is, "Remember the four Red c ards
are on top of the Blue cards." During this patter you spread the
four top Red cards, using both hands, during which time the 4th Red
card from the top is slid just past the left side of the 3rd Red
back card from the top. This causes a step under the 3rd Red back
card. Move t he Red back cards to the right as the l e.f "tthumb pushes
over the top Blue card on l y. Continue the right hand movement to
the right until you hear the stepped card click off of the Blue
back cards' right side at the lower left corner. When this happens
you move both hands towards each other and the top Blue back card
will automatically be fed above the 4th Red card.
23. In squaring up, get a break, with the left 4th finger, under
the top two Red back cards. Hold this break as your right hand
pivots the cards sidewise to the right in order to make that step,
at the lower right corner when the packet is face up. The left 4th
fingertip pulls down on this step to regain the break. While the
packet is face up execute the "Screening Action" to lap the lower-

Fig. 24
' 22 . Having shown four Blue backed
, cards, those from the right
hand
are
placed
onto
those
in
the
left
hand and the cards are r_ ..__
,..._ . ... .....
..... ..J .. .._
v ...... . . . _..: ... ,
.
~

..:.. _

...3_

.....

. _ ___ _

T"\1

~_

........... 1- .....

_-~'-- ' "'l

most two Red backed 7 and 8 cards. This leaves you with 8 alternated cards. Do a Squeezing action, then turn the packet-face do wn.
Do another magic squeeze action saying, "Twice as much magic is needed f orvt h i sc " Grasp the packet, at the outer ends, s tr a dd l i ng it be. tween the right 1st and 4th fingers. Now do a one han~;fan to show
the backs all al terna ted-.0

"

",
"

24. You will now show that the faces alternate, but du~ing this you '
set-up for the next phase of the routine. Square up the packet and .
turn it face up into the left hand dealing position. Pa t.ster, "Not
only have the backs mixed but the Red and Black cards al~~. ~s you
'c an see they are i n Black-Red-Black-Red-Black-Red-Black-Red order."
During this patter you start by up-jogging the Black card, then down. jog the Red card, up - j og .t he Black card, down - j og the Red ca.r d , e t c . ;
however, during this you actually do the "Down-Jog Displacement" as
described in "Pure Oil And Water l l at Steps 10 to 18 inclusive and
Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive. Thus you have the apparently still mixed
packet tabled and f a c e down. The right hand now pushes over the top
four Blue Back cards to the right and the Red back ~ r d s to the left.
During this your left hand is busy getting those t~d\1Red back cards
out of the way. I'm assuming you wi l l use the all R~d back with
.. Black fac es c l i max and th i s 8 card packet should coniist of the Blac k
. Eights-Sevens-Tens-Sixes to conform to some sort of logic. The left
' hand gets the 8 R~d back cards face down into a Rear Palm or Deep
Gambler Cop. Meantime, the right hand turns the four Blue backed
cards face up to s how the Black fac es and then turns the Red back
cards face ~p to show the Red faces.

25. Since the effect appears to be over you will find it an easy
matter to turn the Red back cards face down and scoop them off the
table onto the 8 cards in the left hand ; howev e r , get a left 4th
fing ertip break-b e low these ad ded Red cards. Also hold the packet
in a deep Me c han i c s Gr ip to conceal the front end thickness. The
.r i gh t hand turns the Blue back cards face down and adds them to the
top of the cards in the left hand. You now have a break below the
top . 8 cards. A lappin g t ec hn i que ,' brie fly ' touched upon in Vol. 2
of the magazine, wi l l now be described.

~.

26. The right hand, coming from

'a bov e , grasps tho se cards a. bove the brea~, by the ends,
to move them forward f or
;
'. about an inch. The right hand
grasps the outer end of the
packet, with all four fingers
covering the outer end jog con, dition and the thumb at the
' ba c k , as in the Fig. 25.

27 . , The right hand turns the packet

]
,
].

],

J
~
.'
~

~
~

-]

]
~
~I
.."

,.
]

, ~ ;,

face up, turning it inward, so

that its outer end, which no w
']~
becomes the out-jogged 8 Bl a c k
cards with Red backs, comes di rectly onto the left 1st finger. ]:
This automatically lets the in-

. Fig. 2S

]
l:l.llg ~ r

L.qJ

o re a x

o e.i. ow t.ne s e

a.uu e u

rce c

car us ,

Al.SU

nUl.ULUe

paC K ~

l-

in a deep Me c han i c s Gr ip to conceal the front end thickness. The

.r i gh t hand turns the Blue back cards face down and adds them to the
top of the cards in the left hand. You now have a break below the
top . ~ cards. A lappin g t ec hn i que ,' brie fly' touched upon in Vol. 2

"]

,_.............

_~ ~

---

..

-- -

~-'- --~ - _.... '

_ _~_ ~ t ... .

j ogged Blacx and Red c a r d s fall

low into the left hand as in the

Fig. 26 wher e you will note that

the cards are back far enough
to easily fall intQ~ the lap a s
the r i ght han d move t t o a bove
th e Black c a r d s to 'g.:rasp them
~y 'the ends.
.1

..,,

28. Turn the vis ible Blak

cards
' or;
face down into t he l e ft hand
de ali ng positi on. Squ e e ze the
pac ket f or effect, then with
the right ha nd do a one-hand
fan to show all cards are Red
backed. For the climax, turn
them face up to the table to
s how t hem all Bl a c k face c a r ds.

Fig. 26

:.. f'

.~ t.
,i

; .~

29 . I n the event you decid e to use the all Red back elJmax wi t h
Red faces , t he n t he proc edu re i s s i mpler. During t he {ime that t he
right hand is s howing t he tab l ed cards a s hav ing separated, the le ft
hand gathers the or ig ina l lapped Red 7 and 8, plus the Red 6 and 1 0
that were in the lap at the s tart. These f our c a r d s are herd facedown, in a deep Gambl ers Palm, in the left hand . The r ight hand
sweeps t he four Red back ed tab led c ards face do wn onto those in t he
left hand. The card s are squar ed and taken by t he r i g ht hand, from
above by the ends , with t he r i ght 2nd -3rd-4th f i nge r s extended along
the outer end to conceal its th ickness-.--The r ight 1st finger i s
c urled ont o t he packet and the t humb is extended alo ng the i nn er end
of t he packet . The left hand p i cks up the table d f ou r Blue backed
cards face do wn i n t o a de aling position. The left hand now moves
inwa rd to wards the righ t ha nd as i f to place these Blue bac k cards
to under t hose i n t he rig h t, but actual ly you do the Propelled Lapping action whi c h se nds t he four Blue back cards directly into the
. l a p . Al l t hat remains i s t o c on c l ud e by s hQwing all c a r d s Re d ba ck
wi th Red f a c e s . My personal preference is for t he first c l i max
des cribed. Ins tead of doing the spread actions of Steps 19 to 21
inclusive, whic h may be found cumbersome f o r some, the f ol l owi ngcount,using the El msl ey Me cha n i c s wi t h my add ition on ha nd l ing the
cards on the 3rd and 4t h counts , will be f ound to flow very smoothly.
The c ou nt can-oe done-rTIto t he left hand or the r i gh t hand . I t will
be de s cr i be d into the right hand . The Bl u e (?) p a c ke t is face down
in the le ft hand. This p acket c ons ists of six cards in order of ~
Blue cards-l Red card -lBlue card-l Red card-l Blue card . Th e right
thumb and fingers grasp the right side of the packet and does a
D'Amico Spread as at the same time the l e ft fingers and thumb gr asp
t h e left si de of t he ..pa cket with t humb on t op a nd fingers benea th .
The t op c a r d 'i s t hu s ang le d of f to th e rig ht f or the righ t hand t o
e a sily take this card, on the count of one, into the right hand
de aling position. The le ft thumb pus he s over a bl oc k of cards wh i c h
i s taken into the ri ght hand , appar ently onto the c ard in the ri ght
ha nd ; however, this s ingle is actually rel oaded to under the single
car d at t he left fingertips and thumb. At onc e , a s the bl ock i s
taken i nto the right hand on t he count of " Two", the left finge rs
sprea d its two cards, the top one being moved to the right. Now on

caras race ao wn l n T. O a ae a.11ng POS 1T.lon. rne .1el:T. nana now moves
inward to wards the righ t ha nd as i f to place t hese Blue bac k cards
to under t hose i n t he rig h t, but actual ly you do t he Propelled Lapp ing action whi c h se nds t he f our Blue back cards directly into the
'l an .

All

"t h::1"t

rpm::1;nc::

i c::

Tn

r nnr lnn p

hv

c ho u r i

ri

~"

r~r nc::

Rp n

h ::lr k-

.I.
I

the count of -"Three" the top card from the left hand is taken to
under the cards in the right hand. On the count of "Four", the
final card from the left hand is also taken to under the cards in
, the right hand. At this stage the cards in the right hand,are in
a dealing position. To avoid any undue shifting of the P?~ket for
the face up count, the right fingers Buckle the bottom car~ very
- ~lighhtlYbwhil~ the left hand turns palm down to position t~e tip of
Its t urn agaInst the left side edge of the buckled card as in the
Fig. 27, a back view of this action.
~~
. ..
\~

]~.

~'

'

.!

7"

. .,

L. ' ',

Fig. 27

Fig. 28

30. Press the left thumb . onto the face of this buckled card main-t a i n i n g the buckle while the left 1st and 2nd fingertips press onto
the top of the packet at its left side . Now simply turn the left
hand palm upward when the buckled card will be automatically sidejogged, for about three-eights of an inch, to the right as shown in
the Fig. 28. From here go into the identical count actions already
described of taking the first card into the right, then the block
as your left fingers resteal the 1st card, spread these two with the
left fingers, then take the 3rd ana-4th card counts to under those
in the right hand. The six card pacKet is still in its original
order ready for the re-mixing phase of the routine.
31. While there is no problem using the "Unique Count" to show the
six card packet as all Blue backs thus setting up for the Buckle
Count to show four Black face cards, some may prefer to use the following "Optional Count". The six card packet, from top down, consists of 2 Blue-l Red-l Blue-l Red-l Blue. The packet is .f ac e down
in the left hand. The right hand comes over the packet to sort of
square the ends but actually to give cover to a Triple -Buckle executed by the left fingers. At the same time the right thumb holds a
separation on these three cards until the left 4th fingertip can obtain a break above these three cards. ("Marlo Buckle Break" from
Ireland Card Annual, 1956) The left thumb deals over a single card.
The right thumb and fingers grasp the lower right corner of this
card and at the same time the right 1st and 2nd fingertips enter into the buckled space to firmly grasp-rhe double card also, then the
right hand moves to the right to form what appears as a three card
spread. The right 2nd fingertip contacts the 3rd card(s) of the -

"_i
,
_~
~

r1
~

'j _
]

]
,

J
hand palm upward when the buckled card will be a~tomatically sidejogged, for about three-eights of an inch, to the right as shown in
the Fig. 28. From here go into the identical count actions already
described of taking the first card into the right, then the block

"_~

~l ' - ~ , -k:!....~~~~--=:: 'O"'-'L.._~_.:<;~_-- . . . . . . . . .:-~._---....a.t"'''''~L: . " i" " '--,; , ~~ :':""~':'~J.. _ ,- ., ~.. ....~...,;;..i,i;, !:..'-._ . ..::.::.: '.- ' ""--,, _:,, _.~ .. L
:ot ....

__

14 3 ' I

,t

',
I!:
~...s

"

.,
1

s pread t o press it against t he card ab ove it . The l e f t fingers

bu c kle the bottom card away and the left. hand moves it s s i n gl e c ard
t o the l e f t to di splay a spre ad of four c ards. During this face down
d i s p l a ~ the Jlef t 1 s t
fing er i s ex t ended a lo ng the t op edge of the
sp re a d c on t a c t i ng e a c h card . The right t humb and fingers are at the
lowe r right corners with th e sid e o f the ri ght 3rd fing er, pressing
, a ga i n s t the lowe r edges of the s pr e ad to i ns u r e-arignmen~ during t he
. next move . Thi s con s i st in the left 2nd , 3rd, and 4th f i pgert i p
pressing agai nst the fa ce of the Doubre-cara-tha t c o m p r is~s the 3rd
Blue car d fr om t he t op. This is a Red card whi c h the le f t finge rspus h to the righ t un t i l i t is well un der t he to p t wo card ~tthat comprise the spread. At thi s po int, bot h hand s move away fro m ea c h
othe r with the left hand hol d ing onto the t wo single Bl u e back card s
while the right hand s eeming ly holds two Bl u e back cards als o; however,
these are really four cards with t wo Red back cards under the two
'
Blue pack cards. Return the cards from the left hand to under those
in t he ri ght hand. Square up the packet and place if face up into
t he left hand dealing positi on . The left t humb pushes ov e r a single
c a r d, which i s grasped by the right thumb and finger~~a t the l ower
rig ht c orner, then do a Double Buckle to t hus spread ~~yt four Black
fa ce cards . Again the action is that o f t a king two c ~t d s in each
ha nd and then the two single c ards fr om the left hand a re placed on to t hose in the r i ght hand . Thi s brings t he t wo hi dden Red cards
. to below t he four Black car d s . All you need to do no w is r e -sp r ead
t he f a c e up car ds and yo u are in posi ti on a s r equ ir ed to c onti nue
t he rou t i ne. As on e can see , you can s ub s t i tut e the " Op ti onal Coun t"
f or th e " un i que Count" and the El ms l ey Me chan i cs as i n St ep s 29 t o
30 inclusive, Figs . 27 and 28 inclusive , yo u c an e a s ily pe r f or m t he
" :rechn ic ol or Oil And Water" r ou tine.
32 . While the actions depicted in the Figs . 27 and 28 were for a
l eft hand to a right hand, they can be applied from th e r i ght hand
to the left hand. Also wh i l e the application of the Down-Jog Dis placement , as depicted in the Figs . 3 t o 8 of "Pure Oil And Water" ,
was to that of an Oil Amd Wa t e r r outine, the idea is applicable t o
o t he r effects as wil l b ei s hown in ot her pag.es o f this magazine .
10 CARD OIL WATER TELECOLOR

(Dav e Solomo n)

The foll o ~ i n g is base d on Mar l o' s me t hod a l t hough no

coun ts are us ed.

1. ' Se t - up from , top down - 1 Blue back card with Red fa c e .. 3 Blue
backed cards with Black faces - I Red backed card wi th Bl a c k face 1 Blue backed c a r d with Black face .. 4 Red backed card s with Red
fa c es. Turn packet face up into the left hand dealing position .
Sp re a d the cards ou ~, between both hands , to display eight cards by
d ealing over 5 cards, Triple Buckle to make 6th card a Double, then
a s ing l e card-and hold last two as one . Take-the face four Red
face c a r ds into the right hand , keeping t hem spread or fanned, then
t u r n bot h hands palm down t o s how the backs of the f our Red ba c ked
cards in the r ig ht hand and f our Blue ba c ked c a r d s i n the l e f t hand .
Place t he c ar d s tog e t her wi t h th e Red fa c e c ard s go i ng back on to the
face of the Bl ack f ac e car d s . Squ ar e up the pa c ke t and turn i t face

:'

nann ~o a rlgnL nana, Lney can oe apPllea xrom Lne r l gnL nana
to the le ft hand. Also whi l e the application of the Down-Jog Displacement , as depicted in the Figs . 3 to 8 of "Pure Oil And Wa t er " ,
was to that of an Oil Amd Wa t e r r outine . the idea is applicable t o
ieI~

,I

Jt

~1'

I
It

,
I

II

!'

1:
I I

il
;J
l~

PI, -

_ _

--","--..J _

__

~'

i...:.I1

".

_~ ~ _

down into the . left hand.

2. Deal the top 4 Blue back cards, one at a time, to the table to
reverse.thetr order. Turn the remaining cards, in the left hand,
face up, then spread them to show four Red face cards ag~in holding
. the last three as one. With the right hand pick up the tAbled top
Blue backed card and flash its Black face. Deal it face ~down to the
't a bl e . Turn the cards, in the left hand, face down and b~ck into the
hand dealing position. Do a Hit Double Lift to deal top t wo cards,
as one, face down onto the single tabled Blue back card. ~ i c k up
the next Blue back card, from the tabled packet, then flaS~'itsface
and deal if face down onto the tabled Red-Blue cards. Continue this
alternating dealing process as you flash a Red face, a Black face,
a 'Red face, DO NOT flash the next Blue backed .card, then ~lash and
deal the las~two cards, Red, as one, onto the alternated tabled
: packe ~ .

3 . . Pick up the tabled packet. Hold it in the right hand, at the

lower right corner, thumb on top, fingers below, then~~ive the
packet a slight shake as a sort of magical gesture. ~~r n the packet face up into the left hand. Deal off the four fa~~ cards, one
at a time, taking them one onto the other in the right hand to show
four Black face cards and place them face up to the table. Do not
show the supposed remaining Red cards but place these face up to the
't abl e . Pick up the face up Black cards and place them face up into
the left hand. You now show the faces and backs of these cards
using the Olram Subtlety. Briefly thumb over the face card only
taki~g it at the right side with the right'hand.
Both hands turn
palm down to show the backs of the card in the right hand and the
back of the packet in the left hand. Turn both hands palm up.
Deal the face Black card of the packet to under the card in the right
hand, then drop both face up to the table. The Red back card becomes
the lowermost card. Repeat the Olram sequence with the remaining
two cards to flash their backs and faces. Toss these face up onto
the tabled Black face cards.
"

4. Pick up the Red cards and turn them face down into the left hand.
Do a Triple Buckle and get a left 4th fingertip break. Spread the
cards as follows: Push top to the-rIght, then push over two cards
as one followed by a Single Buckle to form a spread of four Red
backed cards. Square the packet and turn it face up into the left
hand. In a further squaring of the ends, the right thumb, at back
end, lifts up the face two cards in order that the left 4th fingertip can get a break below them. Your right fingers and thumb firmly
grasp the face two cards, at the lower right corner, to move them
over to the right as one. Thumb over the next two cards to form a
spread of four Red face cards. Using both hands openly exchange
the second and third Red face cards in a sort of casual display
action. The object here is to get the Red face Blue back cards together under the face Red face card. To check the order of the cards,
after this displacement, will be, from top down, 3 Red backed cards
with Red faces, a Blue backed card with Red face,-a Blue backed card
with Black face and a Red backed card with a Red face. After this
displacement the four Red face cards will still be held, in the left
hand, ina face up fanned or spread condition.
S.

THE FACE UP MI XTURE:

The tabled Black cards are inserted, in an

1
]
]

}
)
]

]
j
,]

]
]

J
]

the iowermost card. Repeat~the Olram sequence with the remaining

two cards to flash their backs and faces. Toss these face up onto
the tabled Black face cards.
"

4.

Pick

UP

the Red cards and turn them face down into the left hand.

'J

,]

~ ...

~ -

_
...

_:.~ ---~. ~~~2~::=tj;~~ -_:-

__:.t~~Ji~~

.-;..,;. .:

~I

_- . ~I

~ ~~._ ~ _. ~.... -'.....i..... ~ - . -

145

,1

ou t - j ogged condition by starting at the face of the Re d, face cards.

Thu s the l a s t Black card will be the Red ba c ked card. - Square up the
cards ~n? tu~n the packet face down into the left hand. Reverse
count the top four Red backed cards into the right hand. '; The left
hand turns palm do wn to place its squared packet face up 't o the table.
Wi th the Red back cards placed f a c e down and s qua red b a c k~ i nto t he
le ft hand, dol the Olram Sub t l e t y to flash the backs and f ~ces of
these cards mak i ng sure that the one Red backed card, wit ~ a Black
fa ce, becomes t he lowermost card of the fac e do wn Red back ~~ packet.

.,'
i~t~(the
,

f!

I,

"

6. Pi ck up the Black card packet and plac e it face up

l ef t
hand. Get a break below the two fac~ cards. The right hand grasps
the lower right corner of 2 cards to move th ese over to the right,
then lef t thumb pus hes over a single card followed by a Single Buckle
t o thu s di splay four face up Black face ca rds. Squa re up the packet
and turn it fa c e do wn into t he le f t hand . Thumb over the top 3 c ards
. holding t he last t hree cards as one. The le ft f i nge r t ip s , f r om be low,
press up ward s s lig htly to maintain a sepa:at ion be~we~~ the t~p l
fanned cards 'and the 'bl oc k of 3 c a rd s . WIth t he rIgh~\:ha nd p i c k up
the tabled Red back cards using the following Ma rlo Di splacement
idea. Wi t h t he rig ht hand ta ke top t wo tabled cards to scoop up other
-2 Cards. The r i gh t thumb sp r e a d s its - cards to t he left to for m a r e verse fan or spread. The right hand now rests it s spread agai ns t the
t op Blue back card but i n such a manner that onl y three of the uppermost cards rest aga ins t t he left sid e of the top Blue backed c ard.
By pressin g downwa r ds ver y _
s l i gh t l y the lowermost Red backed card will be free and sl ightly separated, at the lower r ight
corner, fro m those abo ve i t as
seen in the Fi g . 29 , the perfor mer's back end view .
6. Suqare up the cards wi th
the displaced Red bac ked Red
face card go ing into the space
below the top 3 Blue backed
cards. Now s ay, "Don 't f or ge t
the Red cards ' are on top", as
you casually deal off the t op
two cards t o reve rse their or Fig. 29
der and br ing t he Red back Blac k
face card to the toP. Turn the
packet face up a's you conclude with, " And the Black c a r d s - are on the
bo ttom. "
7. Do the Shake Gestur e wi t h the rig ht hand holding t he packet face
up by its lower r i gh t corner. Replace the packet face up into the
left hand. Show that the col ors now alternate by spreading the c a r ds
be t we en both hands; however, when you reach the 6th card, which will
be a Red face Blue ba c ke d card, run it under the-spread so it ends
up on the bottom as you immedi ate ly re-s quare the packet. Wi t h right
thumb, a t the back end, release the lowermost t wo ca r d s , in or der t o
get a l e f t 4th finger tip break, then lap these using t he Marl o
Sc r e en i ng Action. You have ~ cards that are no w in order of

mer 's back end -view:

6. Suq are up the cards wi th
the displ aced Red bac ked Red
f ace c a r d going into the space

_:_ _ -:. _ _ ff __

~ J 146

B-R-B-R-BB-RR.
8. With the packet stil l face up get a break above th e two l ower-mos t c'urds. ,1 Beg i n by down-j ogging the fa ce Black c a r d and up - jog i ng the Red card . Down- j og and up-j og the hext Black an4"Red cards.
As you down-jog the next Black card you actually leave b~hind two
Black cards. At once up~jog the remaining two Red cards~: as one,
then immediately strip out the Red cards pulling the colq~s apart.
Toss each packet to the table where the spectator can now' examine
them. The above is David Solomon's subtlety.
_~~
.. :
~~-

".-:

9. MARLO NOTE: Instead of doing the Down ana Up Jogging a cti on

pr oceed a s foll ows. Deal of f th e face c a rd s two at , a time . When
you have thu s dealt of f two suc h pa i r s "o n on t op of the othe r,
, t he next neal is to do an Open Double Deal with right fingers
, s p r e a d i ng out these cards as they are tossed onto the tabled cards.
" , .T'he remaining two cards are simply spread, as the right fingers
take them, then tossed onto the tabled cards. The cards
are now
!\
properly al~ernated and the spectator can examine th~ to s e e that
the colors of the faces and backs do alternate.
"'-'\i.

....

- ., ,

]
,~

. ..

"

SECOND TECHNICOLOR OIL AND WATER

'~

(Ma r l o)

EFFECT: Same as already under "Technicol or Oi l And Water" ex cept

in this method only one extra card is used. This plus some subtleties could make this ' a favorite.
1. Required are 5 Red back cards with Red faces. The 10H and 10D
are the interchangeaQ1e cards and only one of them will~ seen-,-among the 'other three, during the routine. Also 4 Blue backed cards
with Black faces. All cards should preferably be-spot cards . In
your lap have either 8 Red back cards with Black faces or 8 Blue
back car ds with Red faces . ' The s e eight cards shoul d hav e comp l i mentary values t o those used in t he r outine. For example, the cards
s e en in the actual routine, in this case, are a Red face 6-7-8-10
and the Black faci cards are also a 6-7-8-10; therefore, the 8 card
-pa c ke t in your lap should consist of 6-7-8-10, two sets, all one
color. These are face down in your lap.
- 2. The packet used for the routine is arranged, from top down, the
4 Red back cards with the red 10 value at 4th from the top. Then
come the 4 Blue back cards wit~the ot her Red 10 value at the bott om.
This pac ke t is ea sily arranged by r emo v i ng t he-requ i re d 5 Red bac k
c a r ds f r om the Red deck withoui ca l ling a t tention to the-specific
nu mbe r ,at this stage. , The Red 10 value cards shou ld be the top and
bo t t om cards of this packet. TliTs packet, in a squared condition,
is placed face down ' to t he table. From the Blue deck remove the
required 4 Black face cards and toss th em face do wn onto the tabled
Re d back packet. Pick up the assembled packets and spread the top
4 Blue cards and in resquaring get a left 4th fingertip break under
the top Red back card. At once the left hand transfers the bottom
f our remaining Red back cards to the top of the packet whi c h is held
by t he righ t hand , from above, by t he ends. Transfer the pac ke t
f ace down i n t o the left hand dea ling positi on to s tart the r outine.

J
J',

"

J
]
]

]
-

-- - - 0

--

with Black faces. All cards should preferably be spot cards . In

your lap have either 8 Red back cards with Black faces or 8 Blue
back car ds wit h Red faces . ' The s e eight cards shoul d hav e comp l i mpnt-~rv

v ~l"",c::

t-"

t-'h"co "cor!

;Tl t-'ho ,..""t-;Tl O

PI"'\'"

oV<Jmnl",

t-'ho

,..",,..r!c::

.,.

._ ..... . .. ...._.
~

. _

' _. 4

l'
f

ti .'"

'

3. During the counting off of the Red back cards you must always
do it the same way in order to condition your audience for a later
false count. The count off is a natural one wi th left thumb pushing
oy e ~ the top card which ~s taken into a right hand dealing position.
The n ext.' thr ee Red back cards are likewise taken, one at.. a time onto
each other, as you audibly count, "One, two, three, four . ~e d back
cards." Then toss these face down onto the table.
.
.;
.. ~.::

4 . The Blue back cards are counted in a simtlar manner ar{:d in fact
the last two cards are taken as one in the same way as y~u'would
take a single during this type ' of count. This action, if ::i.:~t. can be
called that, is to slmply
clamp the last two cards at
,,,: ' t he i r left side, near the up_ per left corner, between the
' . : left thumb and first finger
.. . -' a s the four left fingers slide
and curl in under the card(s)
and against the . palm as shown
in the Fig. 30 ~ t h the right
'-'., ~.' hand about to t 'if'Ke this card(s)
onto the others. ':: Since the
left fingers .are out of the way
; the card(s) can be taken deep
"" ' . enough into the right hand for
the right thumb to clamp down
on them on the count of "Four
Blueback cards." Executed with
..
" ' : .:- ". !:...:.'
rhythm this moveless' move has
Fig. 30
the illusion of having pushed
over the last card.
~ II

~.

1...- .-

: .;' _ r, >:

5. The Blue back cards are replaced face down into the left hand
dealing position. The right hand turns the four tabled Red back
cards face up as you say, "These four Red back cards have red faces."
The right hand turns the Blue back cards, end for end, face up back
into the left hand. The cards are shown as four Black face cards
by thumbing over the cards, Qne onto the other to take th em into the
right hand, then doing a two card pushdff on the third card(s) with
the last card going under the packet. The patter line for the above
actions is, "And these Blue back cards have Black faces."
6. Place the Blue back cards face down into the left hand. Buckle
the bottom card, with th e left fingers, to transfer it to the top.
Now spread out the four cards face down by holding the last two
cards, a 'Blue and Red, as one. You now insert the Red back cards
face down between the Blue back cards; however, follow the rule of
making sure that 'the Red 10 value card is always the last card to
be picked and inser fed. The count-offs of the Red back cards have
been arranged so that the 10 value card will always be the last
card when these cards are turned face up. Insert the Red back cards
in the following order. First Red back card to under the fan of
Blue back cards leaving the card out -jogged for about half its
length. The second Red back card is inserted between the 4th
and 3rd Blue back cards from the top. It also remains out-jogged

tIt
I.'
"

5. The Blue back cards are replaced face down into the left hand
dealing position. The right hand turns the four tabled Red back

:!
:!

 J f3.t>1
I. ..

.'

"

. Fig. 31

]
]

.J

<: ".

._ -.-, ..

~'~i:~~.\- -

. . ..

<

'. - - ~

.;.,...;;; *,

.-

:--".:

' .

apparently still interlaced as in the Fig.

3l~

-r ~
H ' ~ .;._ ;

.-

---:..-

.' ... -

" :

8.

The ;eft fingers extend and converge the still elongated packet
the rignt hand comes over the packet and pushes all cards
flush and square into the left hand dealing position. Turn the packet face up, do a magical squeeze, then thumb off the foui!face up
cards, without reversing their order, which are taken, by ~the lower
right corner, by the tips of the right thumb and fingers i~ a fanned
or spread condition. The right hand places these cards faee up to
the table. The Red 10 value will be the last card from th~ \face.
The Black cards are now shown by taking them wi th the right~;f,!land,
, a ga i n by the lower right corner as before, one under the other. Do
'a Single Buckle or Block Push-off on the third card as left fingers
snap the last card and place it onto the face of the other Black
cards. Square up the packet and replace it face up into the left
hand deal ing position.
~
w~ile

> .

'

9. Thumb over the face three cards of this Black packet, holding
the last two cards as one, to form a fan of four Blac~~cards. The
right hand takes the Red cards and inserts them, practl~ally flush,
one at a time, in the follo wing order. The first Red da r d is inserted to under the last, 4t h card from the face, Black card. The
second Red card is inserted between the 4th and 3rd Black cards
from the face. The third Red card goes between the 3rd and 2nd cards
from the face. The Red 10 value card is placed between the 2nd and
1st Black cards from the-race, then the packet is squared ana-held
face up in the left hand.
10. You will now again show the ,c a r d s as mixed at the same time do
a Down-Jog Displacement as follows: The face Black card is down jogged and the Red card is up-jogged. Down-jog the secondBlackcard
and up-jog the second Red card. As you are about to down-jog the
third Black card you do the Down-Jog Displacement, at the lower
corners, with the third Black card. Without hesitat~on, up-jog
the third Red card. As you down-jog the fourth Black card do a two
card push-off as you again do a Down-jog D~splacement. At once
out-jog the remaining Red card. Converge the elongated packet and
display it in this condition ' f or a few seconds, then with the right
hand, from above by the ends, push the cards flush. Turn the packet
face down into the left hand. Squeeze for effect. Thumb over the
cards, one at a time, taking each one onto the other, into the right
hand dealing position. These four Red back cards are then turned
face up and only slightl y spread out. This is done to conform to a
later action. The Blue back cards are counted in the same manner,
taking one onto the other into the right hand dealing position, except do a two card push-off as you take the third Blue back card.
Sna~ the last Blue back card and place it to the bottom of the packet.
Turn the packet face " up to show them as four Black face cards. This
count is done by taking the cards, with right hand, at the lower
right corner, one under the other in a fanned condition. Do a single
Buckle or Block Push-off on the third card. Snap the last card and
place it onto the face of the cards. Square up the packet and replace it into the left hand dealing position.
11.

Thumb over three of the Black face cards holding the last two

ana uP-Jog ~ne second Ked card. AS you are abou~ La down-Jog Lne
third Black card you do the Down-Jog Displacement, at the lower
corners, with the third Black card. Without hesitat~on, up-jog
the third Red card. As you down-jog the fourth Black card do a two
card nush-off as VOll a c ai n no .q Tlown j o o ni .<::nl.qrpmpnf', At" o n c.e
v

_ .L ~

149

],
' a s one to form a fan of four cards. The right hand now inserts the
Red face cards, one at a time, leaving them in an out-jogged position.
The second Red face card is inserted between the 3rd and 4th Black
face cards remaining out-jogged but with its 1eft-sIde goIng about
.' a half inch past the right side of the Black card that is above it.
When the second Red face card has been inserted the situation will
be as already shown in the Fig. 10 of "Technicolor Oil .A~ Water".
Insert the third and fourth Red face cards being sure th~ Red 10
value card is inserted last between the 2nd and 1st Blac~'cardS-from
the face. Holding the elongated spread WIth botn-liands, :bne hand at
each respective side, you now displace the 3rd Red face ~a!d to the
bottom of the elongated spread as previously explained in \f,Techni. color Oil And Water'l at Steps 5 and 6 and shown in the Fig~. 11, 12,
and 13. After the displacement of tne 3rd Red face card to the
bottom the sides of the still elongated packet are pushed .flush. The
right hand cemes above the cards to square the ends flush. Turn the
packet .face down into the left hand dealing position.
12. Squeeze the packet for effect. Next you seem to count off four
< Re d back cards taking them, one onto the other, into ~the right hand
. dealing po s i t i on , Actually you do a false count on t"te count of
"Two", then follow thru t aking the cards fairly on t h: counts of
"Three" and "Four". The right thumb goes under the'rfght side of
" t h e Red back packet in order to turn it face up. As you do this
the right thumb a nd fin gers do a tight spread of these cards or just
enough to show that these cards have Red faces but not enough to ex pose that onl y thr e e cards are ther e. Besides you at once do a
' c oun t of the Blue back cards to show four cards. Just do the mechanics of the Elmsley Count but preferably from a dealing position
in the left hand and into a dealing position in the right hand. During the mechan ics of the E1msley Count you will take the first card,
then reload this card 'back to under the packet as your right hand
now takes the block of ca,rds on the count of "two". The two cards
remaining in the left hand are taken, one at a time, to under the
cards in the right hand. Transfer the packet from the right hand
into the left hand as you also turn the packet face up.
13. With the packet face up repeat the above E1msley Count mechanics, to show four face up Black cards, being sure the last two cards
of the count are taken to under the packet. Turn the packet face
down into the left hand dealing position. The right hand comes over
the packet as if squaring the ends. The right thumb, at the back
end, counts off the bottom three cards, then the left 4th fingertip
moves in to obtain a break, at the lower right corner, above the
bottom three cards and below the top three cards. You now will
spread out the packet to show f ou r Bluebacked cards thus hiding two
" Red back cards which are the 3rd and 5th cards from the top. This
"'f or mi ng of a four card spreadcan be done in two ways and you can
' t a ke your choice frpm the two handlings that follow.
14. First, with the right hand still above the packet the right
hand moves those cards above the break to the right. At once the
left thumb pushes over the top card. The right hand holds all the
cards, by the ends, while the left fingers move out only the bottom
card to the left to display a spread of four Blue back cards. The

~l.'
-j

].

]":
,.

;:

'J'"

J
"

.~:;

]
]

J
]
]
]

.~-

- ~- _ ."

-.~

.........-

: ~ ~.

-~ :- ~,

.. _ -

now takes ' the block of c ar d s on the count of "two". The two cards
remaining in the left hand are taken, one at a time, to under the
cards in the right hand. Transfer the packet from the right hand

.: "

other p r ocedur e i s f or t he right hand to hold the cards at the lo wer

right co r ne r, t humb on to p, fin gers be ne a t h , while t he l e f t thumb
deals ~Y e r th e to p c ar d . At this stage the ri gh t thumb and fi ng ers
have a grip on the s ingl e top Blue back card as we l l as -:the block of
cards. Do a Tr i p l e Buckle with t he left finge r s as the -'r i gh t hand
also gr a sps the Double card to also move it to th e righ t~ The right
2nd fing ertip 'now comes in contact with the block of rem~ining three
cards and at the same time the left fingers do a Single ',Buc kl e , then
carry this card to the left thus forming a spread of suppqsedly four
cards. Actually the c ards in the 2nd and 3rd positions a~e doubles
.wi th a Blue back card covering a Reo:-back card.
\;
.

.,

15. In e ither cas e having f orme d the f our c a rd sp read t he l eft t hu mb

and f inge r s ho l d t he spread , t humb on t op , f i n gers b elow. The r i gh t
hand moves t o pick up th e t abl ed fac e up Red c ar d s. These c a r ds are
.t a ken by their l e f t side, t humb on the t op an d finger s on the f a c e ,
t hen t a p s t he i r r i gh t s ide a gainst the t able top t o mor e or less
,.s qua r e the si des. As the ri ght hand mov e s to plac e ~~ i s packet on to
.t he Blue ba ck c ar ds the ri gh t fi ngers pul l the fac e :e 4 r d t o t he r i gh t
f or about the wi d th of t he \vhi t e borde r . This a c t i on' <Fo r ms a st e p,
on the l e ft s i d e , just u nd er the t op two c ard s. The iight ha nd packet is pl ac ed onto t he upp ermost Blu e back card so that only the
, wh i t e bord ers of each c ard makes contact. If you go past this point
simpl y mov e the right hand packet sli ght l y towar d s the ri ght until
the uppermo st Blue c a rd i s felt
to fal lo f f of the stepp ed Red
..
' ba c k card a t the lower righ t
corner s. Th is ac t io n will
cause t he lowermo s t Re d back
c ard t o separate fr om the re s t ,
e s p ecially if the right hand
press es downwards very sligh t ly as shown in the Fig . 32, a n
.expo s e d bac k end v i ew. Al l
tha~ rem a i ns is to push al l
cards f l u s h when t he l owermos t
Red back car d wi l l automatica lly
go to below the top Blue back
card of the packet. To a l l ap pearances you seem to me r ely
have plac ed the Red bac k p acket
Fi g . 32'
on to the spr ead of Bl ue card s .
(

,-'

16. Turn the packe t face up i nto the l eft hand dea ling po s iti on .
You will now do a Sc reening Ac t ion lapp ing move to ge t r i d of t he
one extr a Red back 10 value card. Brief ly , execute t he ac t i on s,
with the l e ft fi ngers , t o hol d back the l owerm ost Red bac k c ar d a s
the ri ght hand , which is a bo ve t he pac ket hol ding it by t he end s,
moves t he res t of t he packe t fo r war d and past th e l eft 1st fing e r
for about hal f its l en gt h. The ri ght hand no w fl exe s tne-outer end
of the packet so tha t i t more or l ess bends ov er t he left 1 st f i ng e r .
Under cover of this f l ex i ng action the left 1st finger can-eisily,
without any tell -tale movement, kick the extra-lO value card into
the lap.
-17.

Turn the packet ov er and face down into the left hand.

- ,r ~,

;;J?
.
:\ :-u ,
\..

..

: :

.
I

.-___
-_
._

_ .~
__
i

ft-- _. ._~ -'

Squeeze

espec i a l l y~ i f t he right hand

press e s downwards very sligh t ly as shown in the Fig . 32, a n

,

_ ,.

__ ..!

A "': '

"

.,
I'
. t'

'"

j~

__

.>I _ ~ _ _.. _

..

_ --...:o-.:

.~ . _~

.._

, . .
-- _. - ......... - -

.1-:...:. _:.:1

'-_ l..~ _

..

. _

....,li.

'.{_ _" ' ~-!

..

~~~ - - .

.~

-': ~

.. . it for e f f ec t. Gras p the outer end of t he pac ke t wi t h th e right

' ha nd , t h en fan i t out to s how th e Red ba c k and Blue ba c k card s ar e
. ., n ow alte r nated . Re-squ a r e t he packe t and plac e it fa c e up in t o the
. , left hand d ealing posit ion. You no w show t ha t t he Red and Bl ack
f~ces alter nat ed and at the same time do the Down-Jog Di~placement.
'!p Be g i n by up-jo gg ing t he fa c e Black card and do wn- jogging th e f irst .
, .. Red card. Up -jo g the next Bl ack, t hen go into the actions: of the
, ~ po wn - J o g D isplace~ent as explained in Steps 10 to 18, Fig ~. 3 to 9,
" l; ~n ho e r fe thedPacke~ 1S squdaretd fahce u P on the tabBle thbenkthe- P, ackareet,
d
. w ace own, 1S sprea
0 s ow t h e f our top
l,ue ac ca.J;';.s
separated fr om the Red back cards.
. . . ';:;~. ,.
: . 1> i . t. " ~ . \~..' .: .l i. '"i

'J.,

'J

. 17.

Your le ft hand mean tim e drops in t o lap to get the 8 Red backed
At t h i s stag e y ou exe c u t e- th e requir e d
. ~appi n g actions a s dep icted by t he Figs . 2 S and 26 a t Steps 26 to
. : 28 of t h e "Te chnic olor Oi l And Water" r ou t i n e to cl i max t he r outine
- t o show 8 Red ba ck cards with Black fac e s.
'.

" ' ~ c ~ r d s t hat have Bla ck fac~s.

NOTE: For th ose who may fe e l t ha t the f inal bit, of ~~howing a ll 8

cards as c ons isting of one color .~ ac ks a nd f a ce s i s a':'\J:li t too mucli
for them, f ee l free to e l imina t e th is part .
~
NOTE: I have described the Down-Jog Displacement as being started
.' . with the second card that is down-jogged thus at the conclusion you
have the f irst down-jog ged card interlaced between the first and
second up-jo gged c ar ds . This opening procedure' r esults in a good
illusion of the cards st ill remainin g i nt er~ocked especia lly when
the face c a rd is removed and t he n ext c ard is of the opposite co lar;
ho weve r, i t i s poss i bl e t o ge t both c olors to gethe r wit hou t us ing
the scoo p up subtle t y to do t his and s ome may wi s h t o elimi na t e
t he scoo p up. I n t hat case , star t the j ogg ing pr oc edur e by do wnjogging the fir st or f a c e c ar d, t hen up - j og the second or n ext c ard.
From t h is po int as you down-j og e a ch of the requ i r ed c ar d s you do
the Down- J og Disp lacement . Thi s wil l re sul t in all f our car ds of
one colo r down-jo gged a nd to gether while four up - j ogged cards wi ll
also be to ge t her. , Actual ly on l y the jo gged .po s i t io n of each group .
of cards still ret a i n th e illusion of the cards a s s t i l l be ing i n terlaced. Do not let th is situation r emain for any length of time
but simply push all cards flush and square immediat ely after the
final Down-Jog Displacement . With proper tempo and no hesitation
this procedure will ge t by. Sinc e each color i s already sep arated
there obv iousl y is no n e ed to use the s c oop up but simply conc l ude
by showing th e co lors s e parated a ft er t heusua l magi c a l incant ations.

n
~,j

,J
~}

']
]
]

J
J
"'J

."

>

J
j ogg i ng the-fir st or f a c e c a r d, t hen up- jog the~ second or n ex t c a rd.
From t h is point as you down-j og e ach of the requ i r ed c ar d s yo u do
t he DownJ og Disp
lacement
. Th i s wil... ..lt... ..:,re__ sul
t i ..n. _ all
f our
car ds .,,';'1
of
,-"1 ", ,,,,,, ,t_ , .r _
...: ...... ...... ...... ...... ..l
.... _ ...J .......... _ .... .....1-. ....... _
.L -.. ......_
...:
...... ...:J
_ ....

"" T'\O

_~_

t:.-.:....~~~ . d.>- " - .-' 4 ~~ ~ .-...4~ - _

. ~ : ~, ~ ~

153

II~
j

'I
I

. THE RE-OPENED PREDIGTIDN

EFFEct: Tne performer openly writes a name of a card ... . The spectator shuffles the deck after which he holds the deck fac~ down and
deals cards face up to the tab le. At anytime he wishes , ~he deals a
card face down; however, he has the option of changing 'hp. s mind,
turn this card face up, then deal any other card face do~n. He
himself removes the face down card which proves to be ~he predicted
card.
.\'J:!. "
~'.

Many of the original methods I submitted to the initial

"Hierophant" conform to the conditions outlined. The follo wing
method is based on one that uses the .Hung Card and a change in the
approach is what permits the spectator, at the conclusion of his
deal~ to turn over the face down card.
A very strong point is that
you never handle the deck once the spectator has shuffled it and
the Open Prediction is made while he shuffles the c~~ds and not
after.
'
.
~~
"~ \t

1. Obviously the method is done while seated at the 't a b l e . On

your side you already have the card to be predicted in a paper clip
that has been previously placed on the table's edge just below table
level. Assume the card to be used is the lOS. This is placed, face
towards yourself, with the cards' upper right corner only being inserted into the cl ip. This card can be there long before you start
or the card can be lapped out of the deck, then loaded into the
clip. This i s eas i ly done by the left hand grasping the lower s i de
of the card, then by moving the left hand at the wrist only its upper right corner is pushed into the clip, to prevent the card's top
side from accidentally peeking above the table's edge the right
hand, palm down with fin gers and thumb pointing to the left, positions itself at this point near the edge of the table. The spectator is busy shuffling the cards and while he is still doing this
you now write your Open Pr ed i c t i on depending on what card you
happened to secretly obtain from the deck: In this example we
assume it is the lOS.
2. Having had the deck shuffled the spectator is instructed to deal
the cards face up, from a deck held face down, then stop when he
reaches the card you openly wrote, in this case the lOS. Let him
deal about ten cards, then stop him as you now explain that he is
to deal a card face down at any time he wishes. _
I~

< ,

3. When the spectator has dealt a card face down you stop him. The
right hand reaches for the face down card taking it by its lower
left corner with 1st and 2nd fingers on top and thumb beneath. Swivel
the card so it end s up being held lengthwise with the right fingers
and thumb now hold ing what has become the upper right corner. The
back of the card faces the spectator. Point out that this is the
card he dealt face down; ho wever, if he wishes to change his mind
this card wi l l be turned f a c e up and he can decide on any other
card as he continues the deal.
4.

Regardless of whether the spectator changes his mind or not you

hand, palm down with nfiilgers ~ndthumbnpoi~ti~g

tions itself at this point near the edge of the
tor is busy shuffling the cards and while he is
you now write your Open Pr ed i c t i on depending on

t~ -thel~ft,Op~si

table. The spectastill doing thi s

what card you

.. .

. '--

-~-

- - - , ~- -

~. ~ :

l54

you will event.ua Ll y end up holding a card lengthwise with its back
to the spectator. Now read carefully as to how you handle the card
tha t <ha s be en decided upon. The right hand, wi t h its card, moves
towards the table's edge as the left hand moves forward towards the
face up dealt cards. The palm down left hand fingers ipread t hese
face up cards to the right. At this precise moment the ~left forearm
will momentarily screen the card in the right hand. T~~ right hand
carries this card downward behind the table's edge. As 'soon as
the right fingers touch the table top this card is rele~~~d, to fall
into the lap, as at once the right thumb contacts the hu~g card and
pulls it up to meet the right 1st and 2nd fingers. This very quick
and easy switch is completed by the time the left hand moves back
to the left. To all appearances ~othing has happened since the
right fingers and thumb are still holding a card in an identical
position. The card, if the timing is right, never seems to have
left sight. The patter line, to cover these actions, is simply,
"Remember,
you could , have dealt anyone of these cards," as the
.
left hand spreads the face up dealt cards.
~~
'
:. .
~

- ~~

~ i:

5. The card from the right hand is .now replaced fac~ down onto
the face up dealt cards. The spectator deals thru the rest of the
deck with the predicted card not making its appearance. At this
stage, if you have executed the effect correctly, you should hear
,r emar ks like, "It can't be", "Idon't, I won't believe it", "Don't
't e l l me" and so 'forth. For the climax let the spectator turn over
the face down card.
.", .

6. Note that after the spectator has decided on a face down card
he continues to deal the rest of the cards. This is an added time
factor that on occasion will make them forget you ever handled the
face down card. Thus this approach is recommended over my original
method using the Hung Card.
2ND METHOD:
There are times when a face up card is used as the open
preqJ.ction instead of writing it out. In this case the following
methC1a, -which can be done with a bo rr owed deck, is direct in its
approach.
:
1. For this you will need a deck of your own; however, the other
'd e c k , which can even be Bridge size, can be borrowed. For this
description assume that both decks are regular Poker ~ize and a r e
contrasting i n color. Your own deck, which let us say is Blue
Backed, decide on a card you will use. Suppose you decide on the
5S. Onto the back of this card, along the right side border and
top and bottom borders, apply a slight smear of white wax. The
left side border of the card is untouched. To check au just how
tacky this card will be place another card onto its back and press
it along the right side borders and top and bottom borders. There
will be no flare out of the cards. Next hold the waxed cards by
their left side, at center, with left thumb on top and fingers beneath.~w split or separate the cards by pushing the top card to
the right with the left thumb while the left fingertips pull the

1J
1.;
.'

'j'.
.~
~

J
.]

:l
r)
~

J
J

J
J~
c-

)
]

]
face down card. Thus this approach is recommended over my original
method using the Hung Card.
2ND METHOD:

u~

eo

"'

,..!......

- ,,:e c$.., .. r!

Yf" "~' 1

. , ..

:' "

155

bottom card to the right. The cards should form a two card spread
without undue effort. If you have ani trouble in getting the cards '
to splitt then you probably applied too much wax. Remove or scrape
off any excess and try the splitting again. Eventually you should
have a card that has enough wax on the required borde~~ to insure
good adhesion of another card to it and yet not hang u~ when you
need to split them.

":
rh

2. With the above waxed card properly prepared it is placed on

top of the deck and the deck cased. Now assuming the o th~r deck,
or borrowed deck t is a Red Backed deck and you have beentusing it
for some effects you will find it a simple matter to locate the SS
in this deck and convey it into your lap during those effects.
~

. 3 . Now you are ready to begin the Open Prediction. Have the spectator shuffle the Red Back deck that has been in use. During this
you .r emov e the Blue deck t which has been in your left side coat
packett wit h your left hand. Both hands just natur~lly stay belo~
table level as you remove the deck with your right~~and and toss
the card case, with your left hand t onto the table. } The left hand
at once goes below the table level. The right hand places the
deck into the left hand, then picks up the lapped SS to place it
face up on top of the deck and thus onto the top face down Blue
BaCKea-SS. Quickly cut about 5 or 6 cards from top to the bottom
of the deck, then both hands move into view as they square and
squeeze the deck t not too obviously, to make sure that the back to
back SS cards will be in alignment as they adhere to each other.
All the above is done while the spectator is busy with shuffling
his deck while you say, "I think I have another deck someplace.
Hope all the cards are there. No matter, only one card will be
needed.
4. By this time perhaps the spectator is finished shuffling his
cards; however, it doesn't matter as you continue with, "You
shuffled your deck and I will shuffle mine." Here do an Overhand
shuffle, shuffling off about half the d eck , then throw the rest
on top. This brings the waxed back to back 5S towards the center
of the. deck. Again you square up the deck, squeezing lightly, to
insure good adhesion of the 5S cards. Here you say, "I will use
one of the se cards. It doesn't make any difference which one.
This one here is alright. What is it? Oh, the Five of Spades. As
good as any." During the above patter line 'you have spread the
deck between both hands with the faces towards the audience but
the backs of the cards towards yourself. This indirectly conveys
that you could not see what card you up-jogged until your right
hand removed it and-pIaced it face up onto the table. Needless
to say .that the cqrd(s) you up-jog is the SS that is facing you
while the spectators are looking at the face of your original SS
belonging to your deck. In placing the card(s) face up to the
table do not toss the card(s) because of the added weight. Just
casually lay the card(s) to your left with the end of the card(s)
toward you. The visible face up SS is your Blue Backed card while
under it, face down, is the 5S from the spectator's deck. The left
side of this card(s) are unwaxed.
5.

The spectator is now instructed to deal his cards face up and

Ul;;l;;Ul;;U.

4. By this time perhaps the spectator is finished shuffling his

cards; however, it doesn't matter as you continue with, "You

'f

.~

]
stop when he comes across the 5S in his deck. After he has dealt
a few cards face up again stop~im and tell him that at any tim he
wishes he an deal a card face down.
He continues the deal and
somewhere along the line he deals a card face down. At: this point
you stop him and let him know that he can change his mi~ and deal
some other card, further in the deck, face down.
: .-

6.
Each time you ask and give him a chance about chang ing his mind
as to the face down card dealt your right hand also pickS up the
card by the upper end at the upper left corner with the ~.ght thumb
on top and 1st and 2nd fingers below. When he has decidea on the
face down card you say, "Let's place it with this one." Here the
right thumb keeps pressing onto the upper left corner but the right
lstfingertips moves to curl around the side edge of the card at
this corner. The opposite or upper right hand corner moves between the right 4th and 3rd fingers at the base of the palm. ' Th e
right 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers are curled naturally under the card.
The major holding points on the card, at this stage",,1" are between the
thumb on top, the 2nd, 3rd fingers below, the 1st f~:nger curled around theleft sideat the upper left corner ' andthe " 4 p p e r right
corner pressing against the base of the palm near th~ 4th and 3rd
fingers.

]:
.

-'j

' 7.

]
.,].
~
i

The above grip on the card is practically automatic and is accomplished as the right hand moves, sliding close to the table, towards the face up SS.
The left fingers keep the 5S in place as the
right hand with itS-Card moves to under the SS as-Shown in the
Fig. 1. Note the position of the card in the-right hand.
The front ) .
end of the card is screened by the right fingers while the right side- ;
of the card is hidden by the right palm which is sliding across the
table towards the tabled SS.

3
J

J
J
Fig. 2

8.
The right hand moves its card downward a~d to the left until the ~
face up 5S upper left corner touches the tip of the right 1st finger
with the-right thumb on top near this same corner.
The right 1st
~1
finger remai~s pressing against the side of its.card keeping it trap - "J
ped between It and the base of the palm.
The FIg. 2 shows that ap'
parently both the SS and the face down card, in the right hand, are
'~l
in line; however, tne Fig. 3 shows how the top end of the face down

1
....1

- . - .-. . -;-- -- - - ' - - .-

- -. - - - . -

- - ---- .- -

.- - " - . .. ~ ..

- --- ~

.. ..-- .- - _. -

. - -_ ~ ~

table towards the tabled SS.

__~ . - ......-7_-

. _ . ~ _~

__- ...

~-~ -

..

- . ........

~ .-~ -

...

- . ':.:" -----.~- ~--

. J

L........s-.....Il.n

.c.

1 57

,.
I .

,;;

I'

Fig. 4

Fig . 3

- :'I

car d rem aini~t up- jo gged while

its right s iae rema ins sidejogged . Each- of these jogs
a re for about a half inch or
more . Again note the clipped
po si ti on of the face do wn
c a r d at its upp er end.

11

I,

9. When the cards reach the

po s i t i on of the Fig. 2 the
le f t hand at onc e grips the
s i de of the waxed double 55
c a r d s , at center, with l e f t
thumb on top and the fi ngerFig. 5
tips b e lo w. This is easy to
do since the card fr om the
right hand being retained will automatically r aise the waxed cards
off the table suf ficie ntly for the left fingers and thumb to gr asp
the sides of these c a r d s . At on ce, by an oppo s ite slid ing action
of t he left thumb to the right and the left fingers t o the left,
the wax ed pa i r i s split .as s hown in the Fig . 4. Th i s spl it is
s hown with the waxed cards with the righ t hand still in position;
however, the spl i t can be don e a s the left f i n ge r s car r y the wax ed
pair to the le ft as seen i n the Fig. 5. Note t ha t the right hand
at thi s stage remains mot ionless and still curled with the ri ght
thumb now extended a nd t ouc h ing t he ri g ht -1st
- fingertip..
10 . Once the spl it pair has been put aside, te ll the spectator to
keep dealing the cards loo king for the 5S. During this you can
l ea n back and relax as at the same t i me-rhe right hand mo ves to wards the edge o f t he t a ble wher e t he c a rd is easily d i s po s ed of
by l e t t i ng it drop into the l ap . Remember to keep the ri ght hand
relaxed and close to the table during all these actions.
11 . There maya tendency with s ome to get the retained c ard into a
Tenkai or Marl o Palm positi on a s if to pro ve something or co ve r up
a guilty con science. By all mean s av oid this because if you actually

thumb on top and the fi n ge r tips b e lo w. This is easy to

do since the card fr om the
right hand be ing retained will automatically r aise the waxed cards
Fig. 5

n++

+'hn

1"' '':J 'h, l o

C"'" + +';,,,,; o T'l+ 1, r

-l=",...

..~ ': ;

---- .

101._,.'
_ ~-

..L58

d i d what you s uppos ed l y did th ere isn ' t any rea s on f or ex t endi n g
the right fingers . In fa ct , they would simply remain curled thu s
extending the righ t fi nge r s i s a consc iou s effor t t o pr ove s omething .
-:

.1

'v

3RD METHOD:

.....

'.

This method c an al s o be done wit h a b orro~e d deck but

it will be des cri be d a s i f u s ing your own car d s. I t was ba sic a ll y
e card
in spired by a method of Bob Parishe s' in which a DoubLet-Fac
.~~.
was used. What follows is a different approach.

1 . Assume the Double Face card is a lO S-S D. From the dec k pr eviou s, ly rem ove t h ~ ~e card. One of the s e car ds you decide t o u s e f or the ]'"
Op en Predict ion and for the description let 's say it is th e IDS .
The 'r e gu l a r I DS can be face down in your lap or in the Hung Card
gimmick with the face of the card t owards you and positioned lengthwise. The Double Face card can be on the bottom o~ t he deck or ou t ,
of the dec k al so i n your l a p . Si nc e you wan t th e ;We c k shu f fl e d by
the spectator the Double Face card can a l so be in 'ytiu r l a p with the
I OS face uppermost. Besides this you will need some white wax in
:, '
your le ft side coat pocket. I n this same poc ket you have some paper J
or small note -book for writing t he Op en Predicti on .

.2. Have the deck shuffled by the spectator. Meantime ~et the DOUble)
Fa c e c a r d into you r left hand, the IDS side outward, into either a
full pal m or a Gambler's Rear Palm.--rake the shu ffled deck with
your right ha nd , fr om above by the ends, placing it int o the left
'J.
ha nd and adding t he Double Face car d to t he bo ttom of the deck . Th i s ~ :
is done f or the pu rpose of s howi ng ho~ the s p e c t a t or is t o deal the
cards face up. Return the dealt cards into the center of the deck
and table it as you say, "Before we start I will write the name of
,a card." The le ft hand rem oves the pad fr om lef t c oa t po c ket and
a ma r ki ng pen fr om the insi de l ef t co a t poc ket . Wr it e do wn or
prin t " The Ten of Spades". Return the pen t o your pocket.

J
1

....: 3 . Hand the deck to the spectator t o deal the cards face up, on e
at a t i me, then stop when he re ache s the IDS. Let h im d ea l a few
c a rd s and t hen inform him tha t he i s t o d eal any one of th e card s
f ace down . The left hand picks up t he pad and returns it to the
l eft s i d e coat pocket. While there the l eft 1st fingernail scrapes
a bit of the wax so that a smal l amount will more or les s roll under
t he n a i l.
~

4 . When he deal s a car d f ace down s t op him. Wi th the r ight hand

p ick up the f ac e down c a r d by its right s ide. Transfer it to the
l eft hand whi c h takes it by the left side so that the left 1st
finge rtip contacts the face of the card , at about center, with the
le ft t hum b Qn to p at cent er . Your pa t te r a t t his po i nt i s "You
deal t t h i s card face down but you cou l d hav e dealt any one of the
o t he r s f a c e down" , as your right hand gestures towards the ta bl ed
f ace up car ds. The l e f t hand now gestures with its face do wn card
as you say , "But you dealt this card face down. If you want to
chan ge you r mind we 'll t ur n this c ar d f ace up a nd y ou c an deal any
othe r c a rd fa c e down." If he want s to c han ge his mind this card is
-'~

and table it as you say, "Before we start I will write the name of
,a card." The left hand removes the pad fr om lef t c oat po c ke t and
a ma r ki ng pen f rom the insi de l ef t co a t po cke t. Write do wn or
prin t "The Ten of Spades". Return the pen t o your pocket.

.J

JI
II
I

159
'

turned face up and he can continue dealing and deal 'any other card
face down.
Regardless of this you should always manage the card to
be held in the left hand as already described .
.. :
-,
S. As soon as the spectator has decided on the face do~ card the
left 1st fingertip curls inward and presses against the ~face of the
card,~en the tip of left 1st finger is moved forward ~ich action
rolls out the bit of wax from under the nail and against~ the face of
the face down card.
The right hand takes the card, frorn "the left
hand, to toss it face down onto the tabled face up cards ~ ~ , Here you
say, "Let's speed up things a little. Turn the deck face\n.lp and
deal them to find the Ten of Spades."

II
I

!
I

i,
"

,
[!

6.
The face card of the deck is the Double Face card with, in
this example, the SD showing while its opposite side has the IDS.
,Th e spectator just-may note that the SD has been dealt onto tne-face
down card and this will add to the deception; however, do not call
attention to this. Either they notice or they don't and let it go
at that. With all the cards having been dealt face ~~p the spectator
has not come across the Openly Predicted card in thi~tcase the IDS.
Pir:lc lin 't,hp. d ec k to square it, still faces up, between both handS
and also presslngupwards and downwards with the respective 1st
fingers which are curled on the top and bottom of the deck during
the squaring action. This insures that the face down card will
adhere to the face up card below it.
Spread the deck on the table,
from your left to right, in a neat, evenly spaced ribbon spread.
The face down card still shows and the SD, if anyone noticed, is
still right next to it. As an excuse for this ribbon spread you
say, "Let's just make sure you didn"t pass it up."
7. You also look over the spread making a comment, "I don't see
it anywhere, what card are we looking for? Oh, the Ten Of Spades.
Let's see what that card is." As you direct attention to the face
down card the left hand moves to the left end of the spread and
flips the spread face down to reveal a face up IDS. The original
face down card is covered, due to the wa~, by tne-face up card
that was directly below it. The right hand reaches for the IDS to
take it and place it into the left hand which takes it by the-Ieft
side.
The IDS side faces the spectators,on your side is the SD.
Boldly the right 1st finger snaps the right side of the card as
you say, 11 Incredible, the Ten of Spades."

I.

I'

Ii:,

Ii

~; I

i'"
r'

8~ If you have the nerve just toss the lOS face up to the table
while you gather the rest of the deck.
Cut the deck to bring the
waxed Double Back card to the top of the deck. Hold the deck in
' t h e left hand and with the same hand pick up the face up IDS onto
the deck.
You can easily do a left 4th fingertip release of the
,Dou b l e Backer at its lower right corner. Do a Double Turnover,
using one hand or two hands, to turn the Double Backer and the IDS
as one onto the top of the deck when a back will seemingly be on-the lOS. Remember the effect is over and all the above maneuvers
ease your conscience as regards that Double Face card. There are
other devious ways to convince (1) that the lOS is a regular card.
As an example, if the regUlar lOS is taken from the lap and added
to the face or bottom of the decK, then the Double Face lOS is

it anywhere, what card are we looking for? Oh, the Ten Of Spades.
Let's see what that card is." As you direct attention to the face
down card the left hand moves to the left end of the spread and
~lips _the spread face down to reveal a face up lOS.
The original

"

..

.l r

.'
l

.j

<I _

take n onto the r egular IDS, then be doing a Double Turnover onto the l
face: .of t h e d eck the re gular IDS can be de al t o f f the face o f the d ec k
and t oss e d out for any curiouS-Sp ectator.
.~

9.
These thi ngs are mentioned be cause too man y t imes ~ ~ore wo rk
go e s into the c l e an -up o f an e f fe ct than the actual e f fect.
Just
let it b e or do a dir ec t typ e of ex ch ang e of th e Doubl ~ Face IDS
while th e de c k is still s pread out on th e table.
Recomm end ed--r5'
the Hu n g Card Exc h a nge wh i c h i s ideal if th e right hand\r:hold s the
IDS fac ing spec tators while the left hand fi nge rs.movi ng ov e r t he
sp r ea d f rom l e f t t o r i g h t , wi ll p l a c e t h e lef t f ore a rm a s a sc r een
when the r i g h t hand makes i t s swi tch o f cards . Th e p a t t e r fo r t h e
act i on is simp ly, rl An d ju s t th i n k, you co u l d h ave cho s e n a n yo ne o f
th~s e card s."
The other alt e rnative, if not using the Hung Card,
is to us e the Slydini method of swit chin g in whi ch the left h and
hold s th e l a pp ed c a ~d up -ri ght but belo w t able l ev el.
The ri g ht
hand ge s tures i n a n u p wa rd a n d downwar d ac tion, a c.somp a ni ed b y
app r o p i a t e pat ter .
Du r i n g a dow nward a c tio n t h e jfght hand dip s
its car d slightly below table level, at o n c e dr o p s l t , then the
ri g h t f i ngers and t humb n i p the c ar d f ro m the l e f t hand to b ring
it f ace out into v iew.
Pr o pe rly t im e d t h e IDS n ev er se e ms to h ave
left the si ght of the sud ienc e.
Re gardless of wh ich o f the above
two method s of ex c ha nge y ou d ecid e on the import ant th ing is t o
mer ely t o s s the now r e gu l ar c a r d, i n thi s example the I DS, f a c e u p
to t h e table .
Let t h e s p e cta t o r, if h e wan t s , p ick u p~e tabled
l OS t o l o o k i t over ; however , do n ot suggest this . This s h ou l d b e
no co n c er n o f yours si n c e the effect i s ov er.
Sco op u p the d e c k
and p la ce it in the left h and dealing p o s i t ion.
You hav e a waxe d
Doub l e Ba c k card s t i l l in the d eck wh i c h c an b e used, as you may
wish, i-n other effects that are dep end ent on such a card.
4TH METHOD:

The Spec t a t o r ' s Open Pre d i cti on

'"'?l

'.

Th is me t hod is base d on t he Pa ul Cur r y me thod in his

boo k "Sp e ci al Effect s " in whi ch the s p ect a to r is ma d e a wa r e of the
fact that th e predicted card was ac tu ally in the deck.
Also the us e 1
'o f the Jok e r, sp ecially g a f f e d , permitted fr ee shu fflin g. by the
.~
spec ta tor b e for e a n d af te r t h e card wa s no t ed by both th e p erf orm e r
and t h e s p e c tat or. What I d id not care for i s that th e J oker cou ld
not be handled by the spec tat or and t he h a n dling of t h e cards wa s
too ti g ht and no t tho roughly c onv incing . Also t he drop p i n g o f the
Joker, b y the pe r former, ont o t he fac e d own card insp i r ed to o man y
Opti011S. As an e x ampl e, since the perform e r dropped the Joker onto
the f a c e down card there isn't any r eason why below this Joker you
secretly added a . face do wn pr edicted card and a face up X card.
At th e co ncl u sio n of the sp ect a tor's d eal a l l on e wou l d nave to d o
~
is p ic k u p the face u p de c k, loc a te the f ac e d own c ard dea l t b y t h e .J
spec t a to r, us ing the natu ra l fa ce to face s e pa r at io n a t thi s p o int ,
Cente r Re v e r s e o r Side - jo g t h i s card f o r ha lf it s wi d th , t hen r e.)
spr e ad t he deck face up on t h e tab le to sho w t he J ok e r s t i l l n ext
i
to a face down c a rd wh ich coul d be r emov e d by the spectator.
Also
th~ r equi r ed situ ation could b e obtained during th e sel ection of a
card wh i c h wou l d be fa ir, not f o r ce d , cho i ce. Ag ain an examp le,
the u n g i mm i c k e d Joker c an b e p laced fa ce d u p i nto the d eck a t ~ ny
poin t by the s p e c t a t o r.
Picking u p the d e c k y ou wou ld s p read lt

W.L;:'H,

.L-H

UL.HCl

4TH METHOD:

CJ.J.CL.L.;:'

L.J1c1L.

a l. I::

UI::1J CIlU CHL.

Ull

Th e Spec t a t o r 's Open Pre di cti on

;:'UL.H

L.aJ.u.

'"'?l

'~

,
I
k

l
I

"I

, ,:

.~ .':-~:::.

'-.

.: .',

:.:.; ::. ~,- "

161

with the fa~es o f the cards to .~he spec tat or. Br eak the d e c k at
t he - f ~ c e up J oker plus the car~- to t he left of it.
The r ight hand
is r~ised ,so that ~spectator can note this card next t o the , Joker: Meantime the left hand has dropped to the s i d e' and turned
the top card of its portion face up. Also a left fing~tip break
i s ob t a i n e d bel ow it a t the lower right c orner. B oth~ands, with
c a r d s still facing the spectator, are brought together:i The noted
card and Joker are squared up against the top of the l~t hand
portion until all three cards, above the left 4th fingertip break,
are perfectly squared . The right fingers and thumb , re~~" o f d e c k
_
s t i l l held in the r i g h t hand, grasp the right side of these 3 cards
as on e to up-jog them, for only one-third of its length, as 1f you
merely up-jogged the Joker.
Since a back still shows on the spectator's side this is all perfectly logical.
The left hand alone
ho 1 4 s the still upright deck as the r i g h t ha n d s t r a d d l e s the o u t e r
end of the up-jogged card(s) to conceal the thickness. As the
hands are lowered the up-jogged card, which are now in a "Scoop
Up Palm position, similar to that shown of the rig~ hand in Fig. 1
o f the 2ND METHOD o f the " Ope n Pred icti on" , are refu:Qyed fr om the
outer end of the deck. The right hand can then pla2e the Joker
face up into the left hand rather deep to keep concealing its thickness.
If you need to know the name of the card, then place the
card(s) face down into the left hand . While the s pec t at or is busy
re-shuffling the deck the right thumb, at the inner right c o r n e r
lifts up the top card only thus noting the index of the spectator's
- card. At any rate the effect is then concluded as outlined in the
b e g i n n i n g using either a Center Reve rse o r t h e S i d e- Jo g t o get the
actual d e a l t face d own ca rd out o f play . Now what I wante d was
basically the idea that the performer wa s apparently unaware of the
c a r d chosen by the spectator thus i nd i r e c t l y conveying what seems
l i k e an uncontrolable situation but eliminating the sleights and
s t il l make the final handling direct as possible . The fo l low ing
is , t h e result.
1. For this you will need some wax as w~ll as a r egular Joker and
a Doubl e Face J oker with , say, a IDS on the o t h e r si de . From t h e
d e c k remove th e regular IDS . Therequired conditions n ow are some
wax in your left side coat pocket, the deck is in its case with the
two Jokers place face up on the outside of the flap. The regular
J oker should be the face Joker, the regu lar lOS is eit her in y our
l ap or in a Hung Card gimmick wi th i ts back toward you. The r e gular lOS can be the face card of the two Joker s under the flap thus
when you remove the card case, from your left side coat pocket, the
c as e is momentarily below table level where the right thumb can
ea s il y ' e n ga g e the I DS pulling it ou t int o y our lap.
Lat e r y ou can
alway s get it int o the Hung Card gimmick if that is what you decide
t o u s e . Performances will eventually determine the best procedure
f or you.
-2 . When ready to do t h e e f fe ct t a ke the de ck out from the left
s i d e co at pocket . Hold it in the left hand by the sides, with the
flap end uppermost and to the right. The right thumb and 1st
fing er pinch out the f ace Joke r , regu lar Joker , fr om u nd e r -rhe ova l
op en i n g , t o pla ce i t fa c e up to t h e tab le . Re p e a t by removing the
next Joker, the Double Face Joker, to deal it face up onto the

s t il l make the final handling direct as possible .

is , t h e r e s u l t .

The fo l l owing

1. For this you will need some wax as w~ll as a r egular J oker and
a Doubl e Face J oker with. say. a IDS on the other s i d e . From t h e

. ,l

If .

..I

]
tab led J oke r . The right hand pick s up " t h e t wo Jo k e rs, wi t h the
r ig h t fingers digging i n u nde r th e right si d e o f t h em a nd the ' thumb
o n the f a c e, the n squares t hem up and t ur ns th em fa ce .d own . The
b a c k of the r e g u l a r Joker covers t h e Dou bl e Face c a r d ; ~ Th e who l e
s e r i e s of a ct ions i s simply that yo u r e mov e d the J o k er~ and placed
th em aside . Remove the deck f rom the c ard case pl ac i ng t h e card
c a s e to your l e f t.
Hand the deck to t h e spec ta t or f o~; s huff l i n g .
3. After ge t t ing the deck back hold i t fa ce up i n the We f t hand
dealing posit ion a s you give the spec tat o r the f o l lo w i n ~ ' v e r b a l
i n s t r uc t i on s . " I want you to hold the dec k fa ce u p i n your hand .
With the othe r hand c u t off some c a r d s , t h e n t urn them ove r and
fa c e down on to the remaining face u p c ar d s. ' This is to mark o f f
t he card you cu t to." Here you s p r e a d thru the cards t i l l you
rea~h the fa ce t o face c on d i t i on and po i nt ou t the face card mark ed ~ff in t h is ca s e.
Right the ca r d s a g a i n a s y ou co ntinu e wit h
th e pat te r . " You c a n cu t anywhere and as you can ;,~ e e y ou wi l l g et
a di f f er ent card eac h t ime ; ho we v er, I don' t w an t ~fou to be i nf l uence d by the f ac e o f th e c a rd y ou may cu t to arla~in o rd er to
ma ke this a strictl y r and em choice pl a c e the d e c k u ~ d er the tabl e
and c u t to mark off a card. Al so I will not b e a b le to s e e the
ca rd you cut to.
But fi rst, shuffle the deck aga i n . "
4.
Th e s p ectator h a s shuff le d t he deck a gain and i s a b ou t to compl y wi th y our inst ruc t i ons wh en you sto p h im a nd say , "Scme ti.me s
whe n cut ting th e deck ou t o f si ght for this you ma y i n ad ver te n t l y
t urn t he d eck ov er a n d e nd u p get ti ng the ori gi n a l bo ttom c ard.
To make s u re t hi s d oesn ' t happen let 's p la c e a J oke r on the f ac e
o f t h e d e c k and in t h is way you wi l l kno w t h at the J oke r sho u l d
be facing the c ard y ou c u t to ." Dur ing t h e above patter li n e y ou r
right hand ha s turned t h e Jokers face up . Take the face J oker,
the Double Face card, to place it Joke r side up onto the face o f
t he deck . The s p ec t a t o r now places t h e c ar d s under the table to
c u t and f a c e t h e m as instructed .

]
,~
.J

]-

., 1,

S.
On getting the de ck back hold i t in the l e f t hand dealing pOSl tion and say , "I f I wa~ to run thr u the c a r ds now to where you cu t
I d on 't want to know what ca r d
~
I would al so s ee what card you cut .
yo u have marked o f f so I will turn the d ec k ov e r and I want you on l y ,J
t o note and r emember your c a r d. " He r e tu r n the deck ov e r, the n
s pr e a d t h e d ec k between both hands till you r e a c h the Joker . At
this point y ou s ho u l d have a fairly even sp read of cards where they
me e t fa ce to fa ce . Th e next step is to simpl y r aise b oth hand s ,
with the spread maintained , a s y ou ask t h e s p e c t at o r to remember
the c a rd next to t h e Jok e r . Actuall y he will be n oting the IDS
sid e of th e Dou ~ +e Face Jo k e r but to him e ve ry t h i n g a ppea r s f a i r .
Do no t make any mov e s of a ny ki nd , in ord er to prove som e thing.
Onc e the s p ectator h a s no t ed hi s card ju st lower th e h and s when
again t he Joker app e ars t o be ri ght next to hi s f ace down card.
Some may pr efer to rai s e th e hands f i r s t and th en t o s p r e a d the
card s to wher e they meet f ace t o f a c e in or d e r tha t th e spect ator
may not e his card.
Now ke eping th e spread just low er the hands
when i t appears that th e Jok er is ri ght next to the card h e noted.
6.

With the hands lo we r ed op enly split th e d eck where the cards

be ~aclng the c ar d y ou c u t to ." vu rln g t he above patter Il n e y ou r

right hand has turned the Jokers face up . Ta ke the face Joker ,
the Double Face card, to place it Joke r side up onto the face o f
T' n ~

r1prlr

Tn<>

C T\ <> r T' <J T' r. ....

nr.",

l .... 1<Jroc

+ h e-

r <> .... r1c

llnrlo".

+ho

+ ....h 1 o

+ '"

ii'

.~- ~.--.

-._..:.:-

.10-_

_ _

~ _

... .. _ _

... . .....-

.--. ,-

..:.-

163

. ..

meet face ~o face . . The left hand has the face up cards with a Joker
at its face.
The right hand has the face do wn cards. With the left
thumb flick the lower left corner of the face down card that is
supposedly' the spectator's card as you say, "Remember your card.
Let's' just place it back into the deck." Here the Le f t ..!ha n d , with
the aid of the left thumb, turns its cards face down . .:l h e right
hand places its face down cards onto those in the left "band and
the deck is squared . Continue by saying, "We have s omel i d e a at
this time just about where your card is soa couple of ihuffles
should lose its whereabouts." Table the deck and give ~ ~!.. . several
Riffle Shuffles keeping the Double Face card at the bott6m of the
deck.
.

:' 1 '

7. Hand the deck to the spectator telling him to hold the deck
face down and deal cards, from off the top, face up one at a time
and ~o stop when he reaches his noted card.
In this case he would
be look i n g fo r the l OS as he deals. Wh ile the spe~tator is dealing your left hand picks up the card case to place ~t into the
. " , : , left side coat pocket. While there the left 1st f~ernail scrapes
a bit of the wax to under 't h e fingernail, then the 'h~nd is taken
out of the pocket. All this takes seconds and while ',jou are watching the spectator deal.

,
;

;.

1
t

f
t
..

~~

i'

"J.

.,
i"

-;
~
~.

";

8.
Let him deal about ten cards or so when you stop him and inform
him that as h e deals he is to deal one card face down at any time.
The spectator r e s ume s his dea l and som e where along he deals one
card face do wn.
Stop him as your r i g h t hand picks up the card by
its lower right corner. At this stage you ask him if he wants to
change his mind and turn this one face up to deal another card face
down .
If he changes his mind the right hand turns the card face up
and he resumes the dealing.
9.
Let's assume that the point is reached when the spectator does
not want to change his mind as to the now face down card in the
right hand. The right hand transfers the card to the left hand
which takes it at the center with thumb ~n the top and the left
1st finger below. The right hand now spreads some of the face up
tabled cards as you say, "Remember, you could have turned anyone
of these cards face down but you decided on this one.
You are
sure this is the one you want?"
During the above patter the left
hand is gesturing with the card and under cover 9f this slight
action the tip of the left 1st finger is pressed up against the
face of the card, till its naIl also contacts the card, then the
left 1st fingertip is moved forward which will cause the bit of
wax under the nail to rollout and be spread out onto the face of
this card at its center. You need only a very slight amount that
will easily flatten out against the face o f the card.
In other
words you don't want a ball of wax. The right hand takes this
card to toss it face down onto the tabled face up cards.

10. Let the spectator continue the deal for about three more cards,
then stop him as you say, "Tell you what.
Let's speed up the deal.
Just turn the cards face up and deal them out, one at a time, till
you come to your card." The spectator now conclude dealing out
the cards but has not come across his card. With this you pick up

l'
ii

(.

..

9.
Let's assume that the point is reached when the spectator does
not want to change his mind as to the now face down card in the
right hand. The right hand transfers the card to the left hand
which takes it at the center with thumb ~n the top and the left

the st i l l fa ce up d ec k and square i t up betwee n both hand s a t t he

same time applying pressure t o the t op and bottom of the de ck with ~
the .l s t fi nger of e ac h hand whi ch are c url ed on top a nd bot t om of
the <reck r es p ec t i ve l y. The right hand no w r e s pr e ad s: the deck f ac e ~
up, from left to ri ght ', in a fairly ev e n s pr ea d as yoi! s ay , TILe t ' s _~,
make sure you di dn' t p ass up your c a rd.
I don 't kno~ ~what it is
but do you se e it a nywhere? 1I After a ~ho r t p~r u s a l o ~ t he spr e a d
'~
c a rd s, a sk the spectato r what card he 1S lo oklng f or . : ; When he names J
i t po i nt t o the face down card saying , TlT ha t' s the on l Y, c a rd we
have n' t s e en, l e t's s ee . 1I Wi th this the le f t fin ger s -d.~ in under
the l e ft end of the spr e ad a nd flip the spre ad over and~ face down
which reve als a f a c e up lOS or the s pe c ta t or ls card . The bit of
~
wax on the a c tual l y d ealttac e down c ard ha s now b ecome a Dou bl e
Back card and does not s ho w it s face .
v

11 . The righ t hand r emov e s th e face up lOS and tr a n s f er s it to t he

l eft hand wh i c h t ak e s it by its left end, thumb at the back and
fing er s on the lOS side , then th e right 1st fingeE~ s n a p s the right ]
end of th i s caraas y ou s a y , 1I0ne c hance out of f;j,,~ty - t wo but you
.....,.
did it." The l OS side i s st i ll fa cing the s p ec t a t c'r a s t h e righ t
hand retakes t ne-c a r d by it s right end with fing e rs: on the l OS si de l
and t humb on t he back or J ok e r s ide . Dep end ing on wha t your ap pre- ~~
hension s ar e you can just toss t he lOS fac e up 'to th e t able , p ick
up th e dec k, tur n it f a ce up and pl a c e th e lOS into t he cent e r of
~
the dec k . I f you fee l t ha t you s ho u l d hav e the lOS l at e r examined, j
then you do t he Hung Card Swi tc h, a s a lready des c ribed in t he other
methods , thi s time the l e f t f inger s movi ng over t he face down cards, .~
fro m left to right , as you remark abo u t t he f a ct t ha t anyone of them j
coul d hav e been the c ard t ur ne d over. The switch is made when the
~~
l eft ha nd moves to th e ri ght end of the f ace do wn sp read and i ts
for e a r m g ives perfect co v e r. The re gUlar I DS can ' be tos sed f a c e up .~
to the t a bl e where it c an be picked up by the cu r ious while you
gather the re s t of t he de ck . You now a lso have a n impr omptu Double
Back card whi c h yo u c an c e r tainly u s e to your a dv a nta g e .
The f i na l method , at l e a s t at this time, c an be done
with a borr owed de ck as l ong as it has t wo Jo kers. The in t erest ing
as pec ts a r e t hat on ce the de c k is ha nded to you it is n ev er ou t of
sight a n d s t r anger y e t you r eal l y do not kno w t he card t h e sp ec t a to r
will eventually no t e as his.

'I
.,Jl\

For th i s yo u wi ll ne ed the wax in your l eft side co at po c ket .

Also you wil l need some c i gar or ci ga r e tt e a shes whi c h wi ll b e u sed
as a so r t of r ou gh i ng s ubstan ce . Thi s is an i dea I c ame acro ss i n
an Abbo tt publi c a t io n i n the 40's and hav e us ed in v a rio u s way s.
Since almo st any plac e you go ther e are smok ers and ashtrays this
is pr a c t i c a l l y an always on hand substance. In the event that you
'1
are go ing to vi sit or wo rk i n a non-smoke r s pl a ce , th en you can
J
carry th e very smallest o f c ontainers a bout ha lf full with t he a shes .
In th e event that you a re a s moker a ci gar or c igare tte t ha t is
simpl y ou t wi l l have enough ashe s at t he burnt end f or t he r e qu ir ed ~
purpo s e. Assumin g you ha v e th e a bove on hand all that i s required
is a bor row ed de ck th at has the two Joker s in it . At times e ve n
"'1]
though t he J o ker s may no t be in the d eck t he chanc es ar e that th e
1.

.l.V~<J Q. ~ JIl

..l.V<J;:'

!-,<JJ..l.<J\..- L.

\..-V V I;; J..

J.H I;;

J. CbU ..l.Q.J.

..l.UO

\..- a.H

u c

L. v .:>;:, cu.

.l. C1.\..- 1;;

u!-'

to t he t a bl e where it c an be picked up by the cu r ious while you

gather the res t of t he deck . You now a lso have an impromptu Double
Back c a rd whi c h yo u c an c er tainly u s e to your a dv a nta g e .

165

party, whose. deck you are using, has them handy somwhere. In this
case simply ask for them. These playing by ear tactics will be
left to the individual but for the clarity or description it will
be a s.s.ume d. tha t the borr owed deck has the two Jokers and you are
aware of this before you go into the effect.
~~
';

"

Ii
j

f
I

.,
i

2. Stating that you would like to try an interesting e~p'eriment

have the spectator shuffle his deck of cards. During t ijis you
secretly get some ashes on the pad of your left 1st finger near,
but not on, its tip. Take the deck from the spectator, ~ith the
right hand, by its inner end with thumb on top and finger~o on the
bottom. Turn the deck over end for end to bring it face up into
the left hand. The four left fingertips should contact the under' s i de of the deck at center of its width. The right hand, which
is now above the deck as if squaring the ends, moves the deck back
and forth slightly. During this back and forth movement the ashes
from the left 1st fin ger a r e lightly rubbed aga inst the top card's
back , This action transfers the ashes over a fairly good area. At
times a slight circular action of the deck is added ~~ o insure,that
the ashes are well spread over the card's surface. ;'}t p e s e a c t i on s
take only seconds and are covered by asking the spect~tor if there
are any Jokers in the deck, something you already know.
3. On getting an affirmative reply you spread the face up 'deck be~
tween both hands and up-jog the first Joker you come to. Remove it
with the right hand, turn it face down, then place it to under the
deck. Repeat the same actions when you locate the second Joker.
Turn the deck face down into the left hand dealing position. The
left thumb pushes over the face up Joker with the right hand taking
it and dealing it face up to the table. The left thumb now presses
firmly onto the next face up Joker as it is dealt over the r;ght
side of the deck. Because of the applied ashes the Joker and the
face down card below it will move off as one card. T4e right hand
deals this Joker, which is now an impromptu Double Face card, face
up onto the face up tabled Joker. Hand the rest of the deck to
-s p ec ta tcr for shuffling Rub off excess ashes by dropping left
hand out of sight, then simply do a kn e ading action with the finger
and thumb. Spectator is to, hold the deck face up and cut the deck
to mark off a card. The details are as already explained in the
previous Double Face card method. When th e spectator is finally
ready to do the cutting of the cards you now introduce the Joker.
If you have taken the trouble to position both Jokers, one on the
other, near the edge of the table, so that their inner ends pro- ject slightly past the table's edge, you can place your right 1st
and 2nd fingertips on the face Joker, then press firmly ,as you--drag~is Joker towards yourself, you will find two cards as one
will move off and be easily -t a ke n , by the inner end, with the
fingers on the fac~ and thumb below. The Joker is now placed face
up onto the face of the deck. The other and probably safer handling for most is to pick up both Jokers by their ends, with the
right hand holding them from above, then transfer them, still faces
up, to the le ft hand which takes them at center with thumb on the
face and fingers beneath. The Jokers are still in a squared condition as left hand turns palm down, to flash the back, then palm
up, an action which is excused by the patter line, "We'll use one
of these Jokers so you will know that it will be facing the card
oL

.
II

e
r
,',
j'

r
I

I,

I
,j

.J

..... .t"'.t'"J.. ..... '\,,;-.

'-4v ..... _ - '

.....J,. ...

o..J_,,",-_.a.

..................

face do wn card below it will move off as one card. T4e right hand
deals this Joker, which is now an impromptu Double Face card, face
up onto the face up tabled Joker. Hand the rest of the deck to
-s p ec t:a tor for shuffling Rub off excess ashes by dropping left
_ r
_'= _,_ . &. .., __
"' _
..
.. ., . .,
,.. .
oL

' - _ _ ...::I

.- ._ L.

c .

166 .

you cu t to a n d ma rk off . " Th e l e ft t humb a n d f ingers pr e ss fi r mly.

Th e l e f t rhumb pu s he s the f ace card to t h e ri ght wh i l e t h e l e ft
fi n g er s p u-l l th e u nd e r card t o t h e l e f t.
Thi s r es u l t s. in a t wo c a r d .
s p r ead wit h the f ace J oker be i ng th e impr omptu Do u bl e ' ~a c e car d.
jt
The ri ght ha nd t he n t a ke s the f ace Joke r t o pl a c e i t f i ce up o n t o
J
the f a c e u p d e c k . Th e rem ai n i ng J oker i s toss e d fac e q p t o th e
.~
t abl e.
4.
Fr om h er e pr oc e e d as alread y d e sc rib e d in t he p r ev io.~.s method
u si n g a Dou b l e Fac e ca r d . Br ief ly , t h e s p ec t at or ha s tak en th e
')
f a ce u p de c k out of s ig h t to cut o ff s ome c a r ds a n d turn them fac e
J
d o wn in o rd er t o mar k o f f whe r e h e c ut . You t ake the de ck a n d c omme n ti n g on ho w y ou don 't want t o k now what h i s ca r d i s , ( You r r eal l y ~
d on 't ) t u rn t he d e c k ove r . Ra ise b o t h ha nds to s pread th e d e c k t o
t
wh e~e th e y me et a n d he n ot e s hi s card .
Thi s wi l l be th e ca r d t ha t
u
i s c linging t o t he J o ke r wh i c h, i s n ow fac i ng y ou . Lowe r b oth
han ds an d s p l i t t he d ~ c k at t he J oke r s o it be come ~ the f ac e car d
o f the le ft hand po r t l on . Tu r n t h e s e c a rd s fa c e d ~n , th en tho s e
fr om r i gh t hand go face d own o nto t ho s e in the Le fttihan d as yo u
po i n t ou t that h i s car d i s go i ng bac k t o somewh e re in t he deck.
Tab l e the d e c k an d r i f fl e s h uf f l e i t as yo u re t ai n t he i mp r omp t u
Doubl e Face card on th e bo t tom. Han d t h e d e c k f ace d own t o th e
sp e cta t o r a s y ou re que st h i m t o d ea l a nd st o p wh e n h e re a ches hi s
c ard . Me a ntime , t he l e ft han d p ic k s u p t h e tabl ed fa ce up Jok e r
and p laces it into th e l e ft s ide c oa t po cket a s if to get i t o u t
of t h e way . . Duri n g th is yo u r l e ft 1 s t fi ng e r s c r ap es a b it of wax
t o u n d e r t h e nai l.
S . As bef or e you s top th e s p ec tat or 's fa c e u p d ea l a f t e r a b out t en
c ar d s o r so, t hen info r m h im a bo u t tu r ning a n y card f a c e down dur i n g 1t he d e a l . Your p roce d ure , as b e f or e, a f te r he has d e a l t one fac e
d o wn i s to pic k it u p with the ri g h t hand a nd ask him i f h e wan ts
~
t o chang e h i s mind . Ev en t u al l y, whe n he h a s d e c id e d on the f a c e
d own c ard , t he ri gh t ha nd p l a c es t h e c ar d fa c e dow n i nto the l e ft
"I
hand a n d wh il e t h e ri gh t hand s p r e ad s s o~e o f t he f a c e u p ta b l e d
~
c a r ds, t o t e ll h i m h e c o u l d ha v e tu r n e d a n yon e o f th e m f a c e d own ,
your l e f t 1 s t f i n gertip r o l l s ou t the wax , f ro m und er i ts na il, to
~
s p r ead it ac ross the f a ce o f t he c a rd dec ide d u p on b y t h e sp e cta t or . j
Retu r n th i s ca r d f ace dow n o n t o th e f ace up t able d c a r d s.
6.
Le t th e s p e c ta t o r c on t i n u e t h e d e a l f o r a bo ut thr ee mo re ca r d s ,
th e n s ay, " Wai t, l e t ' s hav e the d ec k . " He r e t ak e th e dec k fr om him
and t u r n it f a c e up into you r l e f t ha n d a s f or d e a ling . TIle l e f t
t hu mb p r e s s e s f irml y on to th e f a c e card, wh ic h i s t h e J o k e r, i n
o r d er to i n s u r e t hat t he J ok er a n d the car d fa c e do wn b el o w it move
o f f a s o n e car d . Th i s c a r d ( s ) i s d e al t on to the fa c e u p tab l ed
ca rds f o l l owe d by 'two mor e c ard s dealt , on e at a tim e, on t o th e
t abl ed c ar d s . Your exc use fo r tak i n g t he d e c k i s to s how the s p e ct at or ho w t o s peed u p l o o k i ng for h i s card b y d e al i n g t h e m f r om a
f ac e up de c k . Th e d e ck s i n ow ha nd ed bac k t o h im and he c on tinu es
d e ali n g t h ru t he r e st of th e de ck no t s t op p i n g bec a use he has n ot
s e en h i s c ard.
7 . Wh e n h e has dea l t ou t al l th e c a rd s l o o k at him a nd s ay , " Yo u
d i dn ' t s t o p a t yo u r card . " To t hi s he wil l re p ly tha t h e h a s n't
s een h i s card . You p ic k u p th e deck , s qua re i t b etwe e n b ot h hands

]
)
'1

167

",
'j

making sure that the card you waxed will adhere t o the c a r d below
it. Ribbon spread the deck f a c e s up, from left t o right, which
will .expos e only one face down card in the spread. Again your excuse "f or t'his is to make sure the spec tator didn I t pas's up his card.
Finally ask him what card he is looking for, when he na~es it this
' i s the first time that you know wha t it is. Flip the (~ce up spread
over and f a c e down wh i c h will reveal his card face up. '{Now here is
the good part . The right finger and thumb simply pick ~u p the inner
end of the face up card only to lift it up ou t of the sPfead and
toss it out on the table. The spectator can pick up thi ~ 'card and
look at and he will fi nd nothing that will g ive him any 21u e as the
card appears and even smells n ormal as c ompared t o roughing fluid .
You still have an impromptu Dou bl e Backer in the deck which you can
use in continuing effects that may requir e such a card. You can
eventually clean up the Double Back card by doing some effect which
gives you an excuse for putting the deck out of sight for a momen t
such as below the table level or behind your back where both hands
can be used. The Double Backer i s as silently as R~ s i b l e peeled
apart. One of these cards will have more wax, the t.~ J; i g i n a l waxed
card, t han the other. Your thumb 'nai l or the finger~ail can scrape
off enough of the wax leaving it in passable condition. Later on,
as the deck itsel f becomes worn and tacky, no one will notice any,t hi ng t o arouse suspicion . On the sub ject of using t he ashes this
works best with cards that are anywhere from new to used cards that
spread singly wi t hou t having any other cards sticking or cling ing
to them. Ther e are times when I have opened a brand new d ec k of
ca~ds and on spreading them be t we en the hands f ound they clung to
each ot he r as if they had been treated with roughing fluid. These
kind of cards, new or old, should be avoided unless you intend doing
' t he "Marlo Spread Double Lift" which is a refinement of a Double
Lift from a Spread Fan that I had in the IB IDEM l ong before any of
the o t he r card men came up with their "Kooky Doubles" from the
center of the deck.
: At this time I will make a Few additional observat ions
as concerns the "Open Prediction". For example, in the fina l v er s i on
just described while it can be done with a borr owed deck there may
be those who may point ou t that after the apparent free selection of
a c a r d by the spectator the performer shuffles the deck. The other
point that could be picked on would be the method of disclosing the
fa ce down card by flipping the ribbon spread cards face down. Now
these two points can be dealt with. The only question now will be
whether the procedure will be any better. Anyway, it's up to the
reader to decide for himself as to the following:
.
1. The pr ocedure for getting one of the Jokers back to back with
another card, using the cigar or cigarette ash idea, which you
really do not know is as already described in the final method.
Also the f orcing of t he c a r d , usin g t he J oker, real ly an i mpr omptu
Double Fa c e card, is again as describ ed in the final method but now
the procedure changes.
2 . You have j ust l owere d your hands with the spread de ck . The left
hand portion is face up with the face card being the Double Face

the o t he r card men came up with the ir "Kooky Doubles" from the
center of the deck .
: At this time I will make a Few additional observations

168
r

J ok er.

The cards to the r ight are fa ce down and t he f ac e:..down car d .~

r i g ~t ne4t to the J oker is supp ose dl y the ca r d note d by t~e s p e c t a t or .
The right hand ta ble s it s fa c e down c ards reques ti ng ~ h e specta to r ,
to cu t the se cards in orde r to lose his (?) ca rd. Du ~~ng this the A
r i ght hand sq ua res up the f ace up card s a nd sec retly g~tsa br eak
,~
be low t he face up ca r d tha t is ne x t to the Joke r.
1t:.

3 . The ri ght hand t a ke s of f the Doubl e Fac e c a r d' plu s ~ h e one f ac e

up ca r d a s apparently t he s i ngl e Joke r an d pl aces i t fac e up under
the ex t r a fa c e up Jo ke r that ha s remaine d on th e table. The Le f t
"1
hand mean t ime ha s do ne a wr ist t ur n to pl ace its ca rds f a ce down
.~
to the t a bl e . The sp e c t ator i s in s tr u c te~ to cut t he se in half
and t hen place the other half, whi ch supposedly c onta i n s hi s note d
c a r d, into the c enter of your hal f . He then i s to l d to pick up t he j
whole dec k and shu ffle i t .
'>.'.

From th is po in t the pr e sen t a t i.ona I procedure L$ as exp.La i.ne d in "'~l

.il:
t he fina l me t hod up to th e point wher e the spe c ta ~~T ha s fin al l y
de c i ded as to th e c a r d that he dea ls fa ce down . Si nce you do not
need to wax t h is card you do not need t o t ou ch i t ; however , wha t
. you do du r ing his dea l is to get a bit of wa x under the l e ft 1st
finge rnail.
--4.

5. The sp ectator havi ng de a l t his c a r d face do wn a nd th e dea l i s

mo me nta ril y s t opped at this po int . The right hand pi c ks up t he .
Jo ker s , f r om ab ov e by th e end s, t o ca r r y them t o t he le f t ha nd which .
takes them by t he si de s with t he le f t 1s t f i nger cur le d unde r nea t h . 1
Nee dle ss t o say tha t the le ft 1st fingertip rolls out the wax ag a i ns j
the bac k of th e X card. At once-the Jo kers are lo wered i ntu th e
le f t hand . The extr a fa ce J ok e r i s dealt off t o the tab l e and then J
the rema ining Jo ker , rea lly 3 car ds as one , a r e p laced d i r ec t l y on t o j
t he fa c e down car d that i s on the t a bl ed fa c e up ca r ds. Your excu s e
for t hi s c a n be t o mark his ca r d as being nex t t o t he Jo ke r or to
~
s ay, "I don't want you to forg et your card during the dealing so fo r l
the f i rst t i me will you tell me what ca rd you are looking for?"
W~e n he tel~s yo u its n~me yo u wr i t e it ? n to ~ h e f ace of the 'Joker
,
wlth a marklng pen bu t ln a small spa c e Ju s t l n cas e you ma y have to j
rep ea t the eff ect . In a ny c a se , dur i ng e i t her the ' mark i n g of f '
~
with t he J oke r or wr i t i ng on it the tabl e d pack e~ has be en pic ked up
for either purpos e du ring w~ich the proper pres sure is.a~plied in
"
order that the waxed card wlll adhere and cover the orlg1n al f ace
.d
down c a rd.
6. Your work is a l l do ne. The spect ~tor c an no w f i ni s h the' dea l i ng ~
a f te r whi c h he hi mse l f can spre ad the deck f a c e up. Sinc e t he
~
Joker and t he noted selection may cling when the spectator spreads ..
the cards all you have to do is spot the Joker and with your f i nger- ,
tips lightl y pat i t s fa c e at th e same t i me movi ng t he Jo ker to e ithe l J
the l e f t or th e righ t in order to exp os e t he fa ce down c ar d whi c h
the sp e c t a t or himself can t ur n over.
7. This ti me, a fter th e above, you wi l l have an imp rompt u Double
Face card, the on es waxed back to back, in the deck a nd su r ely you
can ma ke u s e of it in a no t he r mira c le .

J..1::1. 1.

llCtHU .

r n e

e x

t ra

I Ci ~ t:

J U K. t: l'

.l ~

u e a .r i,

U I I

l.U

1.11 t:

t.a u

.i e

a rru

i.n e u

'-'

the rema ining J oke r, rea l ly 3 car ds a s one , ar e p lace d d i r ec t l y on t o j

t he fa c e down card t hat i s on the t a bl ed fa c e up ca r ds. Your excu s e
for t his c a n be t o mark his ca r d as being nex t to the Jo ke r or to
~
s ay .

"T don't WA n t

v ru i

I n fnra p t

vour

r;:J rrl d n r i n o rh p i1p ;:Jlina c::n

f n r ':;

... ----.:...:.-

to

170

under it. What could possibly happen? ' That is what you convey to
your spect ators .
.. : .

.1

VANIS H AND POKER COMBI NATION

-.".~
(

EFFECT: Four sel ected and sign ed cards vani sh from the d e c k . Four
Aces ar e pl ac ed on top of the dec k. Two Aces plus three ~~ d i t i o n a l
c ards, wi t h each pa ir of Ace s, are de a l t ou t be tween the ' ~ e c t a t o r
and the c a r d i ci an. The dea le r gets t he f our Ace s and the s p ec t a t or
fin d s he has the four s i gn ed c a r ds.
1. The a bove effe c t makes u se of t he as h i de a ; the r e fo r e i t c a n be
don e prac tic al ly impromptu wi th a borro wed deck wh i c h should be in
f a i r ly go od c on d iti on and not t a cky. I f you use your own c ard s, a
n ew d eck, or on e ju s t sl i ghtl y u s ed i s best. The se c r et pre paration
co ns i s t s i n rubb ing c igar or c i ga r et t e a s he s over th~. ba c k s of the
f our Aces whi ch t hen are pla ced on t op of t he de ck un~~ i l ready to do
the ef fect. A quick -drying marking pert , suc h a s t he t~Sharpi e" ,
s hou l d als o be on hand. In the event tha t you do no t wi sh to have
the fa ce s of you r card s ma r ked up, th en during a f a ce up de al o f th e
cards you wi l l hav e to c allout each c a rd as it is dealt. Otherwis e
th e sp ect ato r s will be r equ este d to watch for their signed ca r d s.

J
'

,
.j
:]
-'

2. The obj e c t now will be t o get t he f our s e l ecte d car d s s o that

each one i s p ai r ed onto an Ace . I have tried s ev e r a l methods , in c l ud i ng Tilt, then decided on a pr ocedure t ha t also d i stributes the
pa ir s into t he de ck . To s tart y ou g ive the de ck some s hu f f l es whi ch
wi l l r et ain the to p 4 Ace s. The deck i s ribbon s pr ead fa ce do wn a nd
f our c ards a re sel ected . . Pick up the balance of t he deck . Giv e out t.~..
th e mark ing pen and a sk each s p ec t ator t o s ign his name a c r o ss the
J
face of his card . Dur ing thi s yo u t ur n ar ound so that y ou do not
s e e the c a r d' s f aces when they are being si gned . Needless to note
that if you have held out the 4 Ace s on your per s on , then t his ~ o u l d
be the time to add them onto t h e t op of the deck . Thi s is rec ommend- '
ed in the event yo u wi sh t o p erform ot her e f f ec ts befor e goin2 i nto
this "comb i na t i.o nv .
~
]

3. Wi t h t he de c k he l d fa ce down in t he left hand d e aling po si tio n

s e c r e t l y get a left 4th fingertip b reak , at t he l OWer r i gh t co r n er,
bel ow the top Ace . W
Ttn t he r i ght hand take one of the face down
s el ect i on s, flash its face t o t he spec tato r , the n p lac e the c a r d face
do wn on t op of t he de ck . At onc e t he rig h t hand co me s ov er t he de ck
to pick up t wo c a r ds as on e, from above by t he ends , with the ri ght
1st and 4th fi ngers stradd ling t he out er end( s) of the card(s). The "
card( s) rs-t he n i ns erte d into the lowe r p art of the deck. The r ight
hand move s t o above the deck in ord er to pu s h t he c ard(s ) f lu sh wi th
t he de ck . As this push -in is c omp le t e d the righ t fing e r s wi l l be
at t he front end of the de ck , 1s t finger i s cur led on top, wi th the
t humb at t he back end near t he l owe r righ t c or ne r. It is dur i ng
.1.
this t i me that th e ba l l of the r i ght t humb engag es t he to p card, an
J
Ace, wh i le t he ri ght hand lower s the inner end of th e dec k, very
sli ghtl y, enab l i ng the l e f t 4th f i n ger tip to obtain a bre ak below th e J"
top Ace a t the l ower ri ght corner. Now the ne xt si gned c a rd is tak en
by t h e ~ight hand . The Card ' s fa c~ i s f la shed , c a r d is p l aced on t op ,

.J

l our c ar o s a re s e I ec t ed . .L-'lcK up the ba l an c e at t he d ec k . GIv e out . ~.'

th e marking pen and as k each s p ec t ator t o sign hi s name a cr oss the
J
face of his card . Dur ing thi s yo u t ur n ar ound so that y ou do not
s e e the
card
's f aces when they are being s i gned . Needless
to note
...:.
...
J_' _
,.(~'L..

...

J_

~~ .

1_ ...... .. __

'_

~1..1

.L.

.L.1_ _

'"

,,___

.1... 1

."

.~ I

.....1 -

.
-

;; - ;..'

....
~ ~.~~ ~.~~

.:

.
,
.
~.:-A;I4~~ _ ~_ _"""':< _ _ ~~_"'...-'-..~'::':_.=-"'~"~ :'_ ::J"._-:-=-~_'':::'__':-. ---;.~.-~-::: ....
-

171

:.

. .

t wo ca r ds as one lifted off, placed into the deck s l i gh t l y above where

the first pair was inserted, pushed flush as -a t the same time a break
below the top Ace is again obtained. Repeat this procedure for the
remalnlng ~wo signed cards. The end result is that ea~h Ace precedes
. the s i gne d card with it and are ev enly distributed thr~;the dec k .
.

. .. ,.'

. '. ,'

4. Pl a c e the deck fa ce down t o th e tabl e and let the SRecta tors each
give the deck one straight cut. This is so that they wj Ll. lose track
of the approximate pos ition of their cards in case anyone of them
should be that observant. Pick up the deck and wi t h th ~ifaces towards
you slightly spread out s ome of the face card s and some & the cards
nea r the t op. In case an Ace i s t oo near t he top or bo tt om casually
cu t the cards t o bring that Ace either further from the t op or further from the face of the -deck.

.A

,
;

S. -Hold the deck face up in your left hand as for dealing with the
left 2nd, 3rd and 4th f i nge r t i p s against the right side of the deck.
Dea l -tEe cards face up t o the table and as you rea ch each Ace ma ke
sur e you apply more pressure, with your left thumb,~~ o insure two '
cards coming off as one. Having dealt thru the deck~inone of the
cards that were signed show up. Your initial excuse; for dealing
the cards face up, is for each spectator to note at what numbers
their cards will fall. Your count will end on forty -eight as you
conc l ude with, "Seems your car ds have vanished."
6. At this stage you delay going into the follo w up while you let
the spectators th ink about the vanish of their .c ar ds perhaps even
adding your own verbal comment such as, "It's all done with the invisible ink you used to sign the cards." After a while say , "Let me
s how you an interesting Poker dea l. " Here you turn the deck face up
in your hands. Spread the cards taking each c a r d under the o t her
as they are fed into the right hand. When you reach an Ace push
over t wo cards as o~e Ace, then take it, by the right side, between
the right 1st finger below and the thumb on the face, then very openly p lace i~o under the c ar d s in the left hand. To al l appearances
you have simply p l ac ed t he Ac e to the t op of the deck but rea lly t wo
c a rd s as one Ace. Repeat thi s procedure f or the r emaining 3 Aces.
With all four Aces on top of the deck hold the deck face down in
the left hand dealing position.
-

7 . This time press very lightly on the top card of the deck in or der
t ha t onl y a sing le c a r d moves of f . Dea l this card face down in front
of the spectato r as you say, "An Ace for you." Deal over the next
ca r d , take it with the right- hand, s how its face a s you say, "An Ace
for me" and place it face down in front of yourself. Deal the next
ca r d face down to the table for the spectator as you say, "Two Aces
f or you ." Flash your Ace and deal it face down for yourself saying,
_"Two Aces ap i ece. Now I will g i v e us each t hre e additi onal ca r ds t o
see which one of us c a n better his Aces." Here deal three cards, one
a t a t i me , between yourself and the spectator. Use your 5th card to
-s c oop up your hand. Square it up and turn it face up t o tne table
s ay i ng you will see if you bettered your hand . Spread out your cards
t o show 4 Aces saying, "Seems I got two pair, two pair of Aces ."
Look at the spectat or and s a y, "Do no t feel t oo ba d--you have their
s igned cards. " Wit h t hi s your -righ t hand flips his card s face up,

"

as they are t e d into the right hand. When you reach an Ace push
over t wo cards as o~e Ace, then take it, by the right side, between
the right 1st finger below and the thumb on the face, then very openly place i~o under the c ar ds in the left hand. To all appearances

"Tn'1

h4"'l '\ Tn

~';YnY'\' '\r

""I""n _ _

...:1

+h_

1\ _ _

+ _

..... 1-.._

...._ ......

_..c .... 1-.._

A __ l ...

t...........

_ _ ...,,11 ...,.

-f- .....,._

.;

.-' ~..

...'

172
s pread i ng them out to s how the fo u r s ign ed car d s .

8. Wl;l.e n wprk i ng on a cl oth c ove re d s urfac e o r a c l ose - up pa d the

f a c e up Aces ar e s hi ft ed aro un d a nd a t t he same time pre $s ed aga i ns t
th e c loth s urfa ce thu s ru bbi ng of f a ny a s hes . Also , i n Q;:de r to rUb ].
off any a s hes that may hav e be e n t rans fer re d t o t he s i.g nad c a r d 's
.'
faces yo u t ak e precaut ions t o s lid e each c ard face down, ~ o w a r d s
the specta to r , dur i ng the initial deal ing of t he c a r d s . :~ h e d ec k ,
aft e r some f ur t he r shuff l ing a nd ha ndl ing, wi l l be f r ee of th e e v i denc e and ha nd le qu ite no rmally .
\~.

"
NE W AP PROACH TO A REVI SIT

One of th e be tte r men t al e f f ects i s R. W. Hul l ' s

1
3C REVI SI TED i n " Gr ea t e r Magic " as well a s a no t he r method i n h i s
~
" Eye- Ope n e r" Boo kl e t s . Si nce t hat ti me the re ha v e be en pub l is he d
s eve r a l methods , i n v a r iou s publ ic a t io ns , which did ~ ~ t u s e a dup!l .
l i c a t e c a r d; howev e r , in a l l cases th e dupli c a t e wa s ::ll1 wa y s i n t r o1
duc e d unde r the pre t ex t of it be ing a ma gic card or i )ma gnet ic c ard .~
o r on e that yo u wante d s omeone n ot to t h i nk o f, l i k e th e AS , unde r
_
th e ass ump t i on that t hi s was t oo obv i ou s a cho i c e . I n any cas e th e r e
wa s n' t a ny real solid r ea son for u s i ng this car d. The fo l low i n g
.~
method ha s a built in r e a s on and th e ef f e c t , to t he a u die nce , is ---

EFFECT : Before an y on e th in k s of a card a ca r d i s p l ac ed fac e do wn

o n t he t able . Fr om th e dec k t he spe c t a t o r fr eel y choo s e s a ca r d .
Thi s c ard i s fairl y l o s t i n th e de ck. Witho ut l ook in g a t the fa ce s
of th e car ds t he p erformer l oc a t e s the sele ct i on . The f a c e down
t a b l e d card i s no w s hown t o be t he card a s pec ta to r ha s t hou ght o f.
Obviou s l y th e a bove e f fec t i s hop efu l l y onl y what
th e a ud ience will r emembe r and no t the overall ha ndl i ng t hat gets
t he r e sul t . One thin g i s guar a n teed a n d that i s i t wi ll puzzle
mag ic ians and men ta l ists a li ke not c ount~n g th e l a ymen.

1 . Fo r t hi s yo u wi ll r e qu i r e t wo ga f fed d ec k s of same co lor and

de s i gn p l us a dup licat e card . The decks ar e r ough e d a nd co ns i st of 1
a l l a like cards pa i red on t o the faces o ~ t he r e gu l a r ca rd s. For t he 1
s a ke of clar lty assume you s tart by hav lng a deck of 53 a ll 2C car ds . .
52 of these are r ou ghed on t he backs . One r e gu l a r d eCK, whien matches
t he c ol or , des ign , a nd si ze of t he 2C dec k i s a r ranged from Ace to
'1
King for each s u i t. Al l th e s e ca rdS-a re r ough ed on th e fa ces . Ta ke J
th e Heart s a nd Diamonds ca r ds and place a 2C onto th e f ac e of e a c h
c ar d . . Rep e at th is pro cedure wi t h t he Spa des a nd Cl ub s ' s u it pai r ing '1
..
them with the 2C car ds.
.
~
2 . You now have ap pa r ent l y t wo dec ks o f ca rds . One d ec k c on sis ts
J'.
o f , f r om t op do wn , Hea r t s a nd Di am ond s fro m Ace t o Ki ng with a 2C
pai r ed with each . The ot her d eck , fr om top do wn , run s i n Spa deS-a nd
Di amond s al so Ace t o Ki ng with a 2C pa i r e d with ea c h c a r d. Ne x t
p l a c e a Jok e r on the bott om of eaen dec k . Edg e ma r k t he ba c k of the J
AC and t he back of th e AD . Pl ace both d e c k s in t o t h e ir c a s e s so they J
wrl l l a t e r be remov ed f a c es dow n. Bot h c ard ca s e s s hou l d look a l i ke
es pe ci a l l y ar ound t he br oke n s ta mp ar e a . You have on e r e gul ar 2C r e - ,
l

,j

':
:l ~-

- -..... ~-_ .~ -

Iee l

'I
,I
[I
1
I
t

___ __-__ .... .. .. .:r..~ _:..-..

.. _~ _ i.'t.o.~~_LL

maining. Place this card face down into the oval opening of the deck
that has the Heart and Diamond cards. Thus the 2C is later easily
removed by i t s e l f . Place both decks into your left side coat pocket
wi th ,. ;the Spade and Club deck nearest the body, then t he Heart and
Diamond case. You are all set to do the effect anytim~f any place.
"

i
1

3. When re ady to do the effect your opening remarks ar~ as follows:

"If I were to ask you to think of a card and then remo~~d a card, to
place it face down on the table and that card turned out to be the
one you thought of you would probably say, 'So wha t . You. js i.mp l y read
my mind' and you would be right. But if I took a card a ~~ placed it
face do wn to the tab le befor e you thought of a card , then you could ' nt
say it was j us t mindreadi ng." He r e you take t he Heart/Diamond deck
out o f your pocket, remo v e the f ace do wn 2C from the oval opening and
table it face down. The left hand returnS-the deck to the pocket.
Continue with, "Now that I have placed myself into an unalterable
position 1for the first time, think of any card." Wait a moment, then
ask if he wants to change his mind. Eventually ask, "What card did
you fi nally decide to think of." Assume he names ~li.e 6C. At once
say, "I don't wa n t anyone to think I wa s just lucky..; so I will r i s k
another chance."
.
7~
4. The left hand removes the Spade-Club deck from the pocket. Remove it from the case and hold it face down in the left hand. You
can give it several Charlier Shu ffles which is to simpiy spread a
few ca rds, c u t the dec k, s p r e a d and cut and so on; howev e r, during
this you r e -locat e the Jo ker so it becomes the bottom card aga in.
This is do ne by feel alone as it is the only single card among the
roughed pai rs.
S. Now spread the deck between both hands as you ask another spectator to touch any card he wishes. Make sure that you drive home
the point of an absolutely free choice at this stage. When he
touches the back of the c ard very openly out-jog it, for half i t s
leng th, t hen re-square the deck, into the left hand, leav ing the
roughed pai r out-jogged. With the right.hand grasp the right s ide
of the deck, thumb on top with f i nge r s below, then lift it up wards
in order that the spectator can note his card which in this case
will be the 2C.

.'

.;
,!

i'

i~
I,

I"

6. Very openly push the card flush with the deck, ' indirectly showing no control ov er the card, then give it some Charlier Shuffle
cuts and a gai n bring t he J oker back to the bottom of t he d e c k .
During all this hopefully you have remembered the name of the thought
of card which was only mentioned once and which by now, ' has been
forgotten by the spectators .
7. With the deck -ba c k in sequential order your patter is, "You
have fairly chosen a card and it has been fairly lost in the deck.
Through a mental p r oc e s s I will try to feel the v ibrations of the
card you now have on your mind." During this you quickly spread to
where you know lies the 6C paired with a 2D. This is made quite
easy due to the ed ge marKed AC. This pair-is out-jogged and the
rest of deck squared into the-left hand.
8.

i'
:t

Ask the spectator to name his card.

When he names the 2C .your

tator to touch any card he wishes. Make sure that you drive home
the point of an absolutely free choice at this stage. When he
touches the back of the c ard very openl y out-jog it, for half i t s
leng th, then re-square t he deck, into the left hand, leav ing the

174

ri gh t ha nd e ither r emo v e s or p i vo ts t he ou t -jogg ed pair f a ce up a nd 1

onto ' the t op of the deck t o show t he 2C"
Tur n the 2C' f a c e down onto "j!
t he "top 0' the d eck and at once l ift orf, a t the inner r i ght corner,
the 't op card wi t h t he right Ls t fi nge r a nd thumb. The l e ft ha nd
"?j
plac e s the d ec k as i de f a ce down whi le t he r i ght hand u s e-s it s c a rd J
t o scoo p up th e t abl ed car d . By th i s t i me th e l e f t hand i s f ree t o
move towar d s t he c a r d s in the ri ght hand.
'

i.

9. When the hands mee t t h e two car d s a r e now s imp ly s h~~t ed , betwe elJ
t he fin gers a nd thumbs of eac h hand, pa s t e a c h other . Dut ,ing this
shuf ting pr ocess kee p an eye on the r egu l a r 2C a lthou gh y6u c an fe e1 1
t he dif fer enc e betwe en t he smooth r egu l ar 2Cand t he r oug hed c ard.
J
Your p att er, t o cover t he a c t i ons from Step-~ t o t h i s po jnt , i s,
" I have be e succ e ssful in f at homing one thought ", h ere the l e ft
'9'l
hand tur n s th e 2C f ace up a s you add , " in yo ur cas e t he Two o f
j
Club s ." Drop t ne 2C fa ce up to th e ta bl e a s yo u c ont in u e with,
"Bu t wha t a bou t t hi s c a rd whic h has be en her e a ll the time b e f or e
you ' t ho ug ht of a c ard. Tell me , what c ard d id you jna lly t h i nk
"'~i.i1.
of? " On the s p ec t a t or naming his card, t he 6C i n t m:,s c a s e , s l owl y
t ur n th e face down c ard ov er to s how i t i s hi s t hougJi't of card .
1 0 . Put th e r egul ar 2C and the 6C f ac e do wn onto the t op of th e ded]
Place t he cards in the-case and pocket it . Later you can easi ly r e s et thi s deck and pl ac e t he r egu l a r 2C with t he Hea rt an d Di amond
'Cj
deck un l e s s yo u hap p ene d to u s e th i sde ck i n the e f fe c t. The fact
.1
,~
that you n ev er ha ve to look a t t he fa c e s of th e deck is a very
s t r ong fea tur e and th e u s e of a n app are n tl y fre e s e le c ti on l e av e s
l it tl e or no cl ue t o t h e solut ion of th e menta l myste ry .
11 . In t he ev ent that the first s pectator s hou l d actua lly t h i n k of
t he 2C do not conclude the effect r i gh t ther e i nst ead yo u wi l l have
a n even stronge r e f f ect by u s ing t hi s a pp r oa c h . Say , "I don ' t want
an yone t o th i nk th a t I was jus t lucky . I hav e to l e av e no doubt in
you r mind ; th e refor~, I wil l do i t wi th t wo cards . tl Her e have a
_~
se cond s p e c t a to r t h l n k of another c a r d. Assume h e thlnks of the 10 D. 1
Remove the Hea r t -Di amond deck from your 'poc k e t , t hen r emov e it f r om .its ca se . Gi ve it some Charli er Shu ffl es or no t. In e i t h er c ase
hav e a t hird s p e c t a to r . f reely t ouc h any car d . Out -j og t hi s c ar d ,
sq uare restof de ck, l i ft up deck and l et him or he r al on e n ot e the
c ar d whi ch wi l l be the 2C . At thi s s tage you say nothing and the
spect ator, if he r em embers the 1s t spectato r 's n ami n g this card ,
will either smi l e or a t mos t wi Tlt hi nk p erh ap s yo u ' ha ve someho w
go t mixed up .

1 2 . Push the card flush showing obvious l y no contr ol 6ve r t he car d . ','
St at e you will f ind t he ca rd by me n ta l vibrati on s . Th i s t ime you
J
ou t- j og t he p ai r e d 2C and 1 0D. Impre s s th e f a ct that th e t h ird
1
s p e cta t or had a n aosolute ly-Fr ee choic e of se l ecting any card, t hen
ask the f i rs t s p e c t a t or what card he is thin ki ng of . Whe n he names
t he 2C you say, " An d th e c ar d (he or s he) fre e ly s e le c te d i s t he
c ardy ou th ou ght of " as you r emov e t he ca r d t o pl a c e it fa c e up onto
t he dec k .

1 3. Turn th e 2C f a ce down an d p l ac e it on t o t he table away f r om th e

or i gi na l t ab l eo-c ar d . At th is po int the 1 s t spec ta to r may rem ind

J
'}
,j
-,

-I

JI

~ ! ' ,

_ "',", ~"" "

""', -

. .,. .

..,

175

.1
J

you that the original tabled card was to be his card. Look at him
and say, "I always keep my commitments." He turns over the tabled
card ~,nd ~% is the 2C.
The attention now turns to your tabled card
and when that happens you say, "That s the card he thol:l~ght of
as
you point to the second spectator who thought of~he lO~. During
.t he s e shocking surprises you have casually gathered the; ~cards and by
'
.
11-.
now cased and pocketed the deck.
I

II ,

14. In the event no one can remember the sequence of evepts, then
simply go through the original procedure of shifting the \~abled 2C
with the lODe Turn over the 2C, then later reveal the lOD conclucing
wi th, "Your two thought of caras. 11
UN-GAFFED APPROACH
For those who do not mind a little extra work the
next un-gaffed methods will closely duplicate the e~ect.
1. The deck itself is set-up in Ace to King from t~~ down with the
13 cards of each suit in C-H-S-D or der f r om the top down. A du pl icate AC is used in this case ana it is the card that is tabled. The
.. deck can be visible from the start. The Aces of Hearts-Spades-Diamonds
can be edge marked. The deck itself is given 4 Backward Out-Faros
which leaves the AC still on top and t he KD on-the bottom. Or you
can give it four Out- Faro Shuffles beforecasing the deck. Also
crimp, very slightly, the lower left corner of the KD. In this corr dition the deck is cased .un t i l ready for performance: The duplicate
AC is just under the cut-out as be fore.

2:

The patter and presentation is as before except you give th~

deck two perf ect Out-Faro shuffl es. Your cut at 26 will be easy
since the 5D will be your first 26th key on the first Out-Faro and
the 7D on your second Out-Faro. Get a break under the top two card s
and cut the deck in half keeping the break with the left 4t h finge rtip.
Now set-up for a Fingertip Peek using the "In-Fingertip Control':' explained elsewhere in this volume. Note that during this Fingertip
Force the spectator will be seeing a mixture of cards passing by to
strenghten the implications of a mixed deck.
.
3. Having forced the AC very openly square up the deck, even dribbling it from the righ~hand into the left hand. Give the deck
several straight cuts eventually cutting the crimped KD to the bottom
of the deck. Next, give the deck two Out-Faros. Your-26th key wil l
be the 3D on the first Faro. On your second Out-Faro cut to the
QQ whicn-will give you a split at~. Your deck is now back in order.
te

'.

""

' 1

4. Assume that the 1st spectator had named the 9H after you tabled '
the duplicate AC. You now quickly thumb thru the-face down deck to
where the edge:marked AH is then thumb over 8' cards, including the
AH, then out-jog the 9th card or 9H. Ask the second spectator what
card he no w has on his mi nd . On getting the ans wer the right hand
removes the out-jogged card to place it face down on top of the deck.
At once do a Double Turnover to show the AC face up on top of the
deck. Turn the card(s) face down immediately thumbing off the top

deck two-perfect Out-Faro shuffles. Your cut at 26 will~be easy

since the 5D will be your first 26th key on the first Out-Faro and
the 7D on your second Out-Faro. Get a break under the top two cards
and cut the deck in half keeping the break with the left 4t h finge rtip.
Now set-up for a Fingertip Peek using the "In-Fingertip Control':' ex-

.
]

176

card, the 9H, face do wn to th e right hand as the left hand places th E)
deck face ClOwn to th e table.
.J;!
'.

.r

5. From her e conclude the e f fe c t just a s a l re a dy e x p l~ i he d a t St ep s ,

8-9-10 of th e "New Appr oach To A Revi sit ". Again note t1~at nev er do j
you look a t th e f a c e s of th e c ard s.

::.

2ND ME THOD :
Here the dec k i s not s ta c ke d bu t you still use a du plicat e card. Als o yo u do have t o l oo k at the faces o f t het c a r ds , as
if t o l oc a t e th e c ho sen ca r d ; however, you do r emove only on e card
.,
fr om t he d ec k, while it i s f ac i ng you, but ther e isn't anyS1li ftin g j
of other car ds dur i ng i ts r emoval .
. ..1' .

1 . . Assume t he du plica t e card i s the 4D. One i s on th e bo t tom o f

the d eck a nd th e o t he r 4D is t he one und e r t he ov a l opening as be fore . Thi s i s th e on e r emoved a nd t a bl ed , th en th e s~ectator i s
as ked t o think o f a card . He name s a c a r d a nd y ou s :HliPl y r ememb er
it. Suppo s e he deci d ed to thi nk of t he JS. You s hu Efjl e t he de ck
ret ai nin g th e dupl i ca te 4D on the bo t t om" ,.,

2. Pi c k up t he de ck t o squa re it between bot h hands du ring whic h

time ge t a br eak under th e top c ard, with the ri ght thumb, at the
back end. Undercu t ha l f t he dec k a nd l et t h e l eft 4t h fi n ge r t i p
~
t a ke ove r the break a t th e l ower ri ght c orn e r . Se t-up for a Fi nge r - .J
tip Force us i ng t he " In-Fingertip Contro l" a s explain ed elsewhere
../J
in this v ol ume . With the 4D Pee k Forc ed cut t he c ar d s or s hu f f le,
either Overhand or Ri f fle snu ff le , t o c ontr ol th e 4D to th e to p of
the de c k .
3. The contr ol of the Fi nge r t i p Peeked c ar d must be on e that ha s a n ]
a i r of i mp os s ibil ity ab out it as t his now give s you t he ex cuse to
_
look ov er th e fac e s of the c ar d s in or de r to f ind it. You mu st no t ,
whe n go i ng over t he faces of t he c ard s, c u t th e card s at any po i n t
a s th is plUS the r emov al of a card could. arou s e s u s p i c i on . That i s
J
whyt1ie du plicat e 4D Na s controll ed to th e top s o that no w yo u wi l l
up-j og a nd remove on ly one c a r d which yo u p lace ' t o th e top o f th e
deck. The 2nd s pe c t a t or think s you ha ve remov ed hi s card Nhen i n
re ality youJ1av e r emo v ed the c a rd th e 1st s pecta to r thought of , in
thi s c a s e t he J D.
---

1
-1

4 . Ask th e s econd s p e ctat or to name his card. Do a Doubl e Turno ver

to s how t he 4D face ~ p on t op of th e deck. All that r ema in s i s t o
~
turn the 4D lic e down on t o the top of t h e dec k, take the t op card
into the TIght han d and us e i t to scoop up th e tabl ed c ard, the
dupli cat e 4D . Sh if t th e c ar d s a ro un d , u sing t he p r e s ~n t at i on al
patter p r eVio us l y ou.tlined and conclude the effect by turnin g the
4D f a c e up, then, in accordanc e with t he pr e s ent ation, f i na l ly r e J
ve al th e J D a s a pparent ly t h e card tha t Nas on th e tab l e be fore a
.J
c ard was tI10u ght of by the spectator.

]
.

.,

3RD METHOD: If you hav e cle a rly under stood th e rea son f or th e pro cedur e of seem i ng ly f inding th e se c ond spe cta to r ' s c a r d , then th i s
method c an be bri e fl y d e sc ri bed . I t c an be done wi th a borrowed

J
1

.J

....~

----..a ~ t~~ ~

-.;......r~~

.-.:

.....

~ __ ... -:..c- ~ _ ~~ ~

. - ..
_---

I
I

177

deck as all you require is a card to match only the size of the deck.
In other words a stranger card.
_
.

"1

' :

.f

1. Suppose your stranger card is the SC. From the bo~owed deck
manage to secretly remove any X card. In your lap the .~ards can be
arranged with the! card coverTng your 5C card. Both c~rds are face
down with the .! card on top of your stranger SC.
.'?
,
2. Have the deck shuffled and cut. Palm the two card; .~om your
lap and secretly add them to the top of the deck as you scoop it up.
Thumb through the deck, with faces towards you, find the SC, belonging to the deck, then toss it face down to the table. It-rs assumed
you will do this as you go through the presentational patter previously outlined with 1st spectator thinking of a card.

3. Get a card break under the top 3 cards of the deck. Maintain
this ' br ea k while the left hand undercuts the bottom .palf of the deck
to the top with the left 4th finger, then taking ov~~ the break between the halves. Set up-ror the "In-Fingertip Cont~pl", explained
elsewhere in this volume, then Fingertip Peek Force your stranger
SC card.
4. After the spectator has noted the card very openly square up the
cards and give it several straight cuts making sure you do not cut to
the stranger card.
.'
S. With the faces of the cards towards the spectator and backs towards yourself, spread the cards between both hands as you say,
"Somewhere in the deck is your card." During this you watch for
your stranger card which is easily recognizable from the back among
all the others. Do not thumb over any further than where a regular
card is to the right of the stranger card. Re-square the deck and
get a break one card above the stranger card. Cut to the break to
again bring the stranger SC to second fro~ the top.
I"

6. You now go through the faces of the cards, towards yourself, to

seemingly locate the peeked card, the SC, but in reality you look
for the 1st spectator's thought of car~ This is the card you remove and-pIace to th~ top of the deck.
7. Ask the 2nd spectator to name his card, then do a Triple Turnover to display the 5C face up on top of the deck. Triple Turnover
. again to turn the 5C-race down and at once thumb off the top card,
the 1st spectator'S-thought of card, taking it with the right hand.
From-rliis point on follow the exact same procedure, as already described in the previous methods, to conclude the effect.
8. Again in the rare instance where the 1st spectator may actually
think of the already tabled card you follow the alternate procedure
as described for the very first method.
9. In all t he above methods the approach of apparently finding the
second spectator's selection is much better than the usual procedure

Q..J..~

\...1J,.1;.

\,..,u,~.1.';;:).

JJV

il.U \,...

L..J.J.UJuu

U V

Ili:;;~

0.111

.1. U l.

~11,,",J,.

L.J.1.a.lL

rYl.lv.1. v

a.

J.

";;;:;;;O\A.~Q..L

card is to the right of the stranger card. Re-square the deck and
get a break one card above the stranger card. Cut to the break to
again bring the stranger SC to second fro~ the top.
6.

You now go through the faces of the cards, towards yourself, to

..

1. 78

of aski ng t he spe c tat or no t to thi nk o f a certa in c a rd bec aus e yo u

~
will use that one. In the new approach J after the two cards have
been -:shi fted about and t he second spectator's selection is turned
face UP J you have a logica l patter l i n e as you say, "I g\:> t yo ur
,
thought of card but how abcu.t the one tha t was on the tal!le all : this j
time.
When t h is car d is reve a led you hav e appar ently rea d the minds '
o f bot~ specta tor s instead of getting stuck wi t h an extr~ card for
no l og l c a l reason.
~

II

NOTE:
In Edg e Ma r ki ng t he cards do not mark th em at the ' u t e r
left side or n ear the corne r . Instead ed ge mark them at the left
s i de near t he lo wer l e f t c o r ne r. Als o mark th em on on e si de only,
near the le f t corner, not on both sides . Your thumbs, during the
sp re ading of t he c ard s, wi l l a lso aid in cover ing this edge mark
and ~he e agle eyed ones will see nothing at the upper ends where
they wil l normally focu s th eir gaze.

l"

1.j

]
]

].
]

..

.~~

.~

.....
.. ~
. ~1IIlJII

179

THE STAPLED CARDS

EFFECT: I wo c a r d s of the s ame value and c ol or are s t ap l ed
to ge t her . La ter a signed c a r d changes places with one of the
stap l e d cards r esulting in t he signed se l e c t i on s t ap l e~ t o the
other value card.
- .....
I

I,

lt
I-

,j

The basic effe c t f i rs t app e a r ed in a book t -it l ed "Sc a r ne

On Car d Tr ic ks"; ho wev er, my method s bas i c a ll y sta r ted after r eadi n g the v er s ion by Paul Har ris in his l a t e s t book "Las ~:e g a s Cl oseUp". Before going into any of my methods the reader maY' be interes t ed in a versi on that was worked ou t by Bert Fenn ove r twenty -five
years ago. Here then, from his own notes, is:
STAPLED CARDS -- Bert Fenn 7-12 -52
Thi s is really a double effe ct. The 1st one s erves as
a build up and also misdirection for the second, which is the real
effect. The second e f fect is taken from one i n S~~rne On Card
. Tricks which called for duplicates and preparatiori\~nd lost some
of the punch this way . The 1st effect is taken fro$ Bill . Simon,
"Unexpected", Page 133, EFFECTIVE 'CARD MAGIC.
Th i s versi on i s i ~p rompt u - - t ha t is, if there happe n s
to be a s tapli ng machine around when you want to per fo rm. I use
a l i t t l e pocket stapler whi ch is on sale at Of f i c e Supply st ores.
It's the si ze and shape of a f ountain pen , but it works just like
t he desk model s used in of f i c e s t o s t a pl e papers t ogether.
Secretly br ing the Joker to top of deck. (It is not
e ssential that the Joker be used; however, it is re commendea-5ince
it is easy to rememb er and follo w.) False shuffle and false cut
dealing Jokerf.u. to table, then make a separate cut and deal a
second card f.u . to table, suppose f or examp le it is the lODe As
you do this you patter:
.
"Among gamblers there is a superstition t ha t the first
t wo cards to which you cut when you fir st pick up a d ec k will be
Luc ky Cards . Now I'm not a bi t supers titi ous, but whenever I
wan t to use t wo cards f or a t rick I always like to u s e t wo Luc ky
Card s , like these instead of two deuces , or tw o Ace s - - Who knows?"
Have card selec ted and control to top. Pick up lOD,
u se it as sc oop to pick up Joker and place these two card f.u.
on top of deck and i n squaring steal the top f . d . selcard beneath
them. Set deck to table f.d.
"One gambler insists that no matter wha t the conditions
he can al ways cut to one or the other of his lucky cards. I've
never tried that -- here's the way I use my .lucky c."
As you say above, deal off the f.u. J oke r to rt. hand,
hol d i ng the other two cards as one in lef t. Replace J oke r below
t hos e in left. Pause. Then again show t he Lucky Card s by doing
th e buc kl e move and taki ng to p two as one i n rt. Hold t he s e two
car d s at center of rt. side with thum b on face & 1st & 2nd at back,
&c l amp down har d wi t h thumb s o that s ome of the fle sh at ball o f

"

"

::'"I

it is easy to rememb er and follo w.) False shu f fle and false cut
dealing Jokerf .u. to table, then make a separate cut and d eal a
second card f.u. to table, suppose for example it is the lODe As
vou do t:hic;

VOl1

n ::l TTP r~

..
180 ,

thumb presses on flesh of fingers as well as on card. Shift Joker

to si. mi l a r pos i tio n in l e f t ha nd . "P rove" thei r singlene ss by
f l.app i.ng 'their edges to ge t her with an up - a nd- do wn mo t i on of each
hand. Re p lace Joker beneath th e la D.
'-,1'

...

"

Hol d t he square d Luc ky Cards f . u . in rt. betw~e n thumb

& 2nd a t rt. corner s. Narrow end of card is toward you i .] Deck i s
on tabl e to your l e f t with narrow end toward you. Plac i left hand
on dec k a nd r iffle rt . s i d e of d eck up ward wi t h l e ft thum~. Rt.
ha nd shoves the lucky c a r d s i n t o d ec k and ri g ht bac k out. ~ S p r e a d
to show a f .d . c a r d between t he f . u . lucky c a r ds -- whi ch y ou ap parently " c a ught ll in y our plunge i n t o dec k . Thr ow it to tab le as
di sc overed selcard .
.
Trick i s over. Casually drop th e two Lucky Cards on
deck and doubl e cut Jok e r to bo ttom. laD is thus on top.
.

Of f e r t o repeat the tri ck " t he hard way" ~4:. Pick up

s e l c a r d , place i t f.u. on de ck and have . spec . write "fui s name on
c a r d using deck as a table . Turn s el c ar d f. d. Fa l s ecc u t , a ppa r e n t ly bury ing c a r d in d e c k . Se t deck on t ab l e.
Bring ou t s t ap l e r. "This t ime 1'11 use my own 1 i ttl e
di abol i c mac hi ne - - we ir d c ont rap t i on , i sn' t Lt ; ! ' Take cap o f f
sta p l er & l a y on t a bl e r eady to use . "--- and of co urse my --- "
here you s t a r t lo oking on table f or t he l u c ky cards . "--I seem
to have lost my l u c ky c a r d s. Let' s s e e if I can find t hem . Why ,
t he r e seems to be something to what that gamble r said a f t er a l l.
Hmmm, wi l l have to remember that."
Be ing c a r eful not to f l a s h f . d . c ards, hit the two
s i des of c a r d s to g e t he r as befo r e to pr ove t hey a re singl e c ar d s .
Squa r e up , back to ba c k , Joker showing, and staple t hem to gethe r
a t both nar row ends . Thr ow t he stapled cards t o table .
Pi ck up de ck and . ho l d for Cha rli e r Cut. Pick up
st apl ed c ar d s and hol d . a s pe r f i r s t e f f ect. Do Charlier Cut,
!hrowing stapl ed cards i nto cent er of deck as the ha.lves f a l l
t oge ther at compl et ion of cut. Thi s places stapled card s just
abo v e la D i n c enter of dec k.
Spr e a d deck - - and here' s t he patter punch. " I ho pe
you do n ' t exp e c t me t o have your card st apled betwee n t he t wo
lucky 'c a rds -- I'm not that goo d a magician -- but I did find your
card."
Remove Fr orn s pr ead the stapl ed c ard tog ether with th e
card j u s t be l ow it and dr op to ta ble . Say Name of se l card , tu r n
" it" ov e r --- amazemen t --- " Why t ha t ' s t he Lfl D my l ucky c ard."
Turn ov er s t a p l ed c a rd r ev e a ling s e l card , co mp l e t e wi th s i gnat ur e
stap l e d to Joke r . f i n i s .
NOTE: Notice how the first eff ec t pr ep a r es th e specs.
to exp ect th e se l card to end up be twee n t he tw o s tap le d cards. I t
wor ks two way s . Firs t ly , in t he sec ond e ffect a fter the c hange i s
made it pulls their attention away from "what ca rd ll - - - and this i s

Be ing c a r eful not to f l a s h f . d . c ards , hit the two

sid es of ca r d s t ogether as b efo r e to pr ove they a re singl e cards.
Squa r e up , back to ba ck , Joker showing, and staple t hem to gethe r
a t bo t h narrow ends . Thr ow t he stapled c a r d s to t a b le.

]:
"

J
J

.. ~J....:.:~
, ....
A _"--~~"""-_~_

, '
-~
- _. ~ __ ~~. __ .I'~..~~..... ; _
" " , , - ,......
tl :,-",.i2
.M,
..~ --"ol.'~ ~l::..":"'__ ....L...:.-_..~~ .... ~.---...L ~

~.

_ -..::.:,.,.,~ ': _ : -.. ...~

_......._ _. . .

181

important since you can't s how the one --- to "how many cards"
in ot he r words , c onvince them you have only two cards here -- they'.ll be trying to find an extra card, not-"5ee what cards you
have ~' Then, once they're convinced you hold only two cards you
s t ap l e the se1 card to get between these somehow, since 'Kou've led
the m t o bel ieve you 're gonna "repeat it t he hard way". ,'. Again you
can 't show the bottom card , but again before they c an tb ink ab out
th is t hey're t oo busy trying t o figure out how in t he h~ll yo u're
gonna ge t a c a r d betwe en the r e. And even a magi s hou l d be f oole d
he r e --- even if he figures you've s omehow managed t o hOiq a
doubl e card, h i s attention is gone and he's not worrying~about the
ca r d you don't s how, or lo oking for a switch that t ook place.
What follows are the methods that I worked ou t under
the'title of:
MARLO ON THE STAPLED CARDS
EFFECT: This basically remains the same in that on~ of the stapled
value cards seemingly changes places with a signed selection .
1ST METHOD:

Usin g a freely selected and s i gn ed ca r d .

1 . For this yo u will need a Do uble Back card made by rubber ce menting two cards face to face. Another requirement is to staple
a 6C, from the back to the face, then rubber cement another card,
face down, onto the back of this stapled 6C. From the face a
staple will show thru the 6C but nothing Will be seen on the back
of the card. If you intena-making this item a regular program
item you also can use a deck of all 6S cards plus another regular
deck. All cards natual1y will be of~he same size, color back and
design . Only one deck will be in actual use while the other two
are used to replace cards as the ones fr om the performing deck
are used up. Also, a quick dr y i ng marking pen should be handy .
2. The deck to be used has a set-up on t op consisting of the
stap l ed ~, regular 6S and t he Double Back c ar d fr om t he t op down .
Deck is l n case.
3. To perform , remove the deck fr om the c a s e. Remove the " top
two c a r d s , without reversing their order, t o toss these face up
t o the table in an over-lapping conditi on so that the face 6S
will cover the staple but still show two Black sixes. Your-remark
f or this is , "I want to use these cards later but the rest of the
de ck I will shuffle." Here you can ~very freely shuffle the deck,
either Overhand or Riffle Shu f f l e s even actually losing the Double
. Fa c e thick card, then later, in a cut or another Shuffle, control
it back to the top.
4. With the Double Back card back on t op of the deck have a card
fr e e l y selected. Take the selected card and turn it f a c e up on
t op of the de c k r ema r k ing t ha t you wan t eve ryone t o kno w what card
wa s s e l ec t ed. Hand the marking pen to t he spectat or as we l l as t he
deck requesting h i m t o ma rk the c a r d with his initia l s or wri te his

.L l-~JJl

yuu Gl.L::>U Call

u~t:

a ut:cK. UI al.l. 0;:' carus

Pl.u~

anUl::ner regul.ar

deck. All cards natually will be o f~he same size, color back and
design . Only one deck will be in actual use while the other two
are used to replace cards as the ones from the performing deck

18 2

name a cr oss i t s face.

5. ~ r a k e Jb a c k th e d eck i n t o your left hand into dea ling .p osit ion.
'The ti p of le ft 4t h f i nger ', does a t wo c ard c ount at the, lo we r
right corner 1n order to get a break bene ath these two ~ards . Bec a u s e of t he thic k card you wi l l find this count very e a~y and
fast. Now do any t ype of two card push - of f to apparentl~ turn the
sign ed card face down . De a l the t op c a rd, t he Doub l e Back card,
to the tabl e as you say, "Le t ' s put this card a s ide for a1,t 1}lomen t . "
At once dr a w atte ntion t o t he f a ce up sixes you remov e d e a~li er.
Al s o , as if from hab it, do a Marlo Sl i p Cut as you c as u al l y rai se
bo th hands during th e actu al Slip Cu t. Actually, you want t h e cut
bec ause you do n' t wan t ev er yt hing to ap pear to pat when you start
with th e t a bled s i xes .

6 . ' The r ight hand picks up the sixes with the fingers on the fa c e
and the thumb be ne ath . Turn the right hand p alm up ~rin g i n g the
sixes f a ce do wn. Flip the lo wermost 6S face up on ~.~ of the deck
and p lace the rem aining secretly stapled 6C f a c e d ow~\ o nto t he 6S
as you say, "The sixes we ' l l place fac e to face, 11 as you c asual l y
s pr ea d the top fe w c ards to show the co ndi tion . Re-squ are t he
cards ge tting a break belo w the top 3 c ards, i .e ., faced sixes plus
n ex t c a r d , t he s i gn ed c a r d, of the deck. Hold t he s e from above by
t he ends with t he ri ght ha nd. as the l e f t hand thumb pee ls off t he
t op fa ce . down car d, of t hose in the rig ht hand , fa ce do wn onto the
t op of the deck. At on c e drop t h e supposedly sing le face up 6S
f a c e up ont o t he t op of the deck . You r patter f or t he s e ac ti ons
is, "Te ll you wha t , let's plac e t he six es bac k to back so you c an
s e e them."
7. To al l appearanc e this is what you seem t o have done except
the true s itua tio n , f r om t he top down, is a r e gular fa c e up 6S,
face do wn sign ed selection, t hen the secr et stapled 6C. Ta ke-of f
t he top two back to ba c k cards, s up posedly th e six es-Sinc e on e
st i l l shows face up , the n us ing your pOCket st aple r you stapl e th em
tog e the r so t hat t he po s ition of t he s t a pl e will coincide a s clos cly as possible t o the posit ion of the staple o~ t~e s:cretly stap led
6C. Drop these back on t o t he top of t he d eck, whi c h 1S now on 't he
table off to your le ft .
8. Pick up the de ck into your left hand and hold it in a dealing
p osi t i on . As t he ri gh t hand reache s f or t he ta bled card , suppos ed l y th e s i gn ed select ion but really the Double Back c a r d , the lef t
4th f i nge r tip can e a s i ly get a break below the secretly sta pl ed 6C.
Thi s s tapled card is easi ly r a i s ed of f the deck, at t he 101-J e r rignt
co rn e r, by simp ly pr e s sing t he l e f t t humb on the t op of the upp e r
l e f t cor ner. Thus the break is no w und er the secretly stapl e d 6C
plus the suppose d st apled sixes . The ri ght hand has mea n time pic ked
up the Doubl e Back c a r d by the l ower right corner, thumb on top
wi th 1st and 2nd f i ng e r s belo w. Pla~e the Double Bac k card along side t he s t a pIea c ards, a s i n th e Fig . 1, t hen at the same t ime the
right f i ng e r s a nd thumb a l s o gra s p t hose c ard s above the break, the
s ec r e tl y s t ap J. ed 6C p I u s t he supp osed stapled s ixe s, to mo v e these
cards of f to the r ig ht as in t he Fig . 2 . Wi t h t he card s s till
spread , a s i n Fig . 2, the right hand turns th em over and back onto

]
_J
.~

.i~

."j
J

"1

.
'~

_J

1
j

I .
I U d~ ~ dpp~drdn c~ cnl~ lS wn a~ you seem ~o na ve aone eAcep ~
~
the true s i tuatio n , f r om t he top do wn, is a r e gu l ar fa ce up 6S ,
face do wn sign ed s elect ion, t hen the secr e t stapled 6C. Ta ke-of f
N
the top two back to ba c k c a rd s , s upposedly th e six e s-Sinc e on e
_}
st i l l shows face up , then using your pOCket stapler you st aple th em

i -n n A i- h f:). -r

C~

+ h "'=t+

+ h~

1""\1"'\ C" ; + '; I""\Y'\

r\~

+-'h o

ri-,",,'r\ l

,...

".7';"

""1""\':; "1""1,....":; ,1l":"t,

"1

C-

,....' r'C' ~ _

..183

the top of the deck. Your patter line for these actions is, "We
have two stapled sixes and your signed card." By the time you
reach the words, "signed card", you will have turned the cards over
and at once re-spread the top two, the secretly stapled face up 6C
and the face up selection which is ac tua l l y already s t -apl.e d to tne
68, as seen in the Fig. 3 where note that the staple on the selectIon is covered by the stapled 6C. Also in Fig . 3, th ~ right hand
has changed position to grasp tne still spread face up cards by
the lower left corners with thumb below and 1st
2nd
- and -, fingers on
the faces. The next move is not a move but strictly an ~illusion.
You will do a Monte Move but do not move the fingers and~thumb as
for the usual Monte Move. Instead simply turn the right hand over
palm up, to the right, which brings the still spread cards into the
position shown in the Fig. 4 which brings the supposed stapled sixes
into view and the supposed selection face down.

. Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

" .

9. Without any stall the left thumb keeps the face down supposed
selection in place while the right hand takes the supposed stapled
sixes as shown in the Fig. 5. Address the spectator saying, "Place
the stapled sixes between your hands." Make sure he has the stapled
cards covered between his palms before you proceed into the next
step.

10.

),

}'
" .

The right hand takes the supposed face down selection, by the

.-:

.1

Fig. 6

Fig . 5

~ lli1

: f\

i~,

upp er r i gh t c o r ne r with thumb on to p and f i n gers b ~ l;:;'~, wh i l e t he

"
le f t hand t ur n s the d ec k fa ce up . To d o th is simp l y ~la ce t he lef t ..
thumb un de r t he l e f t s i d e of the deck and l ever t he dec k over and
face up on to the fin ger t ips of th e le ft hand . The left thumb,
which i s now on th e f a ce of the deck, plus th e l e ft fin ge rt ip s below pUl l the de c k inward and bac k i nto t he le f t hand de a l ing p o si t io n . The r i ght hand place s it s fa ce down ca r d , s up p o s edl y the
se l ec ti on but r e a l l y the se c r e t l y s t apl ed 6C , in to the outer end
of the face u p dec k l e a v ing the face d own c a rd au t - jo gged but it s
sec r et st apl e sho uld be concealed by th e dec k.
11. Wi t h th e r i g ht ha nd g rasp t he dec k, by the lo wer ri gh t cor n er,
with thumb on the fac e and finge r s below . With the l e f t t humb down ri f fl e Lhe upp er left c or ner of t he d~ck . Sta r t t his down-ri ffl i n g
act ion jus t belo w the f ace do wn ou t-j ogged card. The patter fo r
t he s e actions is , lIYour c a r d is projecting in full v i ew and in the
de c k. Watch , I g ive it a magic riff l e and now this card is a six ."
Here the r i ght hand flips t he deck ov e r a nd back into the le ft hand
to r eve al t ha t t he out-j ogg ed c ard is now the 6C. The Fig . 6 s ho ws
how rt he stapl e is h idden by the deck at this po int.
1 2 . For the cl imax have the spectator lo ok at the stap led cards
he has held between h is ha nds to discover that his ~igned s e l ection is no w s t a pl ed to t he 6S. During th is s urpr is e th e ri ght hand
c a s u a l l y r emove s t he ou t -jo gged 6C and turns it f ace do wn on to p of
the d ec k . In doin g t hi s tur n donot expos e t he se cr et sta p l e on
the face of th is 6C. To conce al the s tap l e just be s u re to g ras p
t h e outer end of tl):'~ face up 6e , with the right hand, then turn i t
down , t owards yo urse lf , on t o the top of the deck .
NOTE : At seve r al point s, in th e above routi ne, I originall y us e d
t wo card spr e ads, suc h as t he D Arnica Spr e a d, bu t due to t he s ta ple s
the card s had a f l a r e out whe n t he re should not ha ve b e en, t hus
t he s e proc edures we r e discard ed .
l

"]
-~

,]

",id

'1'

J"
.. ~

-1
_J

. . ....

n ..1. L.l l.

L. JI c;

J. .LbJ .lL.

J LG.J 1 U

b .l. Q. .;:) !J

L.J J.C

u c; \.... .1'- ,

UJ

with thumb on the fac e and finge rs below .

ri f f l e Lhe upp er left c or ner of t he d~ck .
act ion jus t be l ow the f a ce do wn ou t-j ogged
t he s e actions is . lIYour c a r d is vroiectinQ"

\.,J i e;

.L.\. I W \:J. .J.

1. .1... b lJ,L.

\...VJ lic; l

With the l e f t t humb do wnSta r t t his down-riffl i n g

c a r d . The patter fo r
in full v i ew and in the

__

. _._ ~

. ,.,.

_._..

~_J'_. ~

~l.."

,,,._ . _~

_._-_I_..

. . _ __

" ~.~

_ ,... . .u---....., 1

L~L

'tJ... ~

185
- -- .

2ND METHOD:
1.

.This is similar t o the 1ST METHOD with a slight change

due t o

the ~fa ct Jthat you use an imp~omptu 'Double Back card and no secretly

stapled card . Can be done wlth a borrowed deck and the only requ ire ment is to secretly staple one of the Black Sixes and then r emove
t he staple to leave puncture holes that will not be notice d during
the handling until you, later in the r outine , point them out.
2. Assume you have managed to stapl e a 6C, then removed the s t a p le.
On t op of the deck you should have the 6C-6S. then two X cards face
to face to form an impromptu Double Bac~card.
3. Begin by removing the top two six es , without reversing their
or d e r , to place these face up to the t a bl e with the sixes spread
ou t but so that the face 6S will cover the staple marks on the 6C.
Si nc e the pa tte r and presentation is similar to that of the lST-METHOD only the mechanical actions, t o ge t the desire d r esu lt s,
will be des cribed.
4 . Spread t he de c k between both hand s, be ing c a r e fu l n o t t o s p l it
th e t op i mpr omp t u Do ub l e Back c ar d , a s you le t t he sp ectat or fre ely selec t any card. Hav e t his c a r d plac ed f ace up on to th e to p
of the d eck , th en hav e the sp ec t ator sign his card .
S. Do a t r ip l e turnov er, then take the i mp r omp tu Do uble Backer ,
fr om ab ove by the ends , wi th the r i ght hand . The left fingers
and thumb be nd t he sides of this Doubl e Backe r downwards slightly
t o insure that it will stay as supposedly a single face down se lec ti on when i t is t a bl ed t o your left .
6 . At once call attention to the tabled sixes. Right hand picks
them up, with fingers on the faces and thumb below. The lower most 6S is flipp ed face up on top of the deck and the 6C is dropped face down onto the 6S. Spread out the top few caras and in
resquaring get a break under the top three cards, the faced sixes
and the selected card, then move the three squared cards off to
the right. The left thumb peels off the top card, the 6C face
down onto top of the deck, then the right hand drops itS-card(s)
onto it. You have apparently changed you r mind and placed the
sixes back to back . Actually the signed selection is just under
the face up 6S .
7. Take off the back to back cards and staple them together.
Drop these onto the deck. Pick up the deck into a left hand deal- .
ing positi on . . Get a break , with the le f t 4th fingertip, under the
stapled c a r d s and the s i n gl e c a r d , the 6C, oelow them.
8 . The right hand picks up the impr omp tu Double Backer, by t he
ends fr om above, to place it in a side-j og g.ed position to the
r i gh t , b~t sq uare up de ck , keeping a left 4t h fingertip break .
The rig ht thumb en ters into the break , at tne-Io wer r i gh t co rn e r ,
wit h the 1 s t and 2nd fingers on top. Turn t he c a r d s ov e r ou t wa r d
t ipp i ng tne-de c k towa rd s y ou r se lf a t the s ame t ime.
9.

....

Once t he cards hav e be en tu rn ed over, bring ing th e pre -st a pled

-- -

-:;

-~-_

_- ~ ~

6 . At onc e call attention to the tabled sixes. Right hand picks

them up, with fingers on the faces and thumb below. The l ower most 6S is flipped face up on top of the deck and the 6C is drop -

..

'J

186

,-: ,

. 6C uppermost, the left thumb

positions itself ov e r the
~
perforations or where the
staple wou l d have been. The ~
right hand comes over the
j
deck to grasp the ends of
the cards. During this the 'J:
ri g ht t humb, a t the back e nd, "
can easily release the Doubl e
Backer. ' Th i s rel ea se is a i d - ,
ed by the stap led c ards abov e i
it. The right hand now move s ~
the ' s t a pl e d cards to the righ~
while t he le ft t humb hol d s
~
back the 6C. The situ ati on i j
now as shown in the Fi g . 7 .

"

Fig. 7

10, ' The right ha nd now chang ,}

to gras p the side -jo gged cards in a manner identic al to that shown
in Fig. 3 of the 1ST ME THOD ex c ep t the s pread s itua t ion wi l l st ill
be as dep i c ted i n the Fig . 7. Now do the Move le ss Mon te move to
j
get th e cards in to t he position alr e ady shown in the Fi g. 4 exc ept ~'
in this case the stapled cards will be towards you and the supposed
sele ction away from you .

...J:J

11. Hand the stapled cards to the spectator to hold between his
~
hand s. Take t he f ace do wn c ard and inser t it in to th e ou t er e nd
-, "
~
of t he d ec k whi ch i s t urne d face up.The fa c e down c a rd r ema i ns
d~ t
out-jog g ed . Do your magical riffle. Turn dec k face d01vn to re1
veal the f ace up 6C. At this stage remo v e the 6C and no w po i nt
out t he p erf ora tedhol e s in t he 6C. For t he cl imax hav e t h e s p ec tator loo k a t hi s stapled cards WEere he f i nd s h is si gn ed sel ection. ~

l~

3RD ME THOD : Thi s met hod is similar to the 2ND METHOD e xce pt you
do not requ i re a n impromptu Double Bac ker. You ma ke us e of the
perfora t ed 6C or not . If y ou dec ide not to bother with the p erfo r a t ed 6 C , ~he n you need no prep ara ti on e x cep t to have y our p oc k et sta pl er handy and a marking pen.
1. On getting the deck bring the t wo Black sixes to the ~op wi th
the 6C a s t he to p c ard. Holding the deck i n the l eft ha nd d e a l ing
posit i on t he rig ht 1st fing er does a Hit t e c hn ique , a t the lo wer
right corner to turn over the top 6C ,face up onto th e deck. Still
using t he Hit t echn ique lif t off the 6C pl a c i ng it f ace up to th e
tabl e. Turn the 6S f ace up, i n the same manne r, onto t he t op of
the deck, This tIme do a Hit Double Li ft carrying the 6S and the
face down card below it t o the ri gh t but do a K. M. Move-t o r e verse the fac e down card , a s t he le ft ha nd does a wris t tur n,
leaving it on th e deck wh i le the rig ht hand carries t he face up
6S to the table ont~ the face up 6C.
2 . Ke ep the left hand palm do wn to conc e al the reverse d X card.
With the right hand gra s p th e outer end of t he deck l e avi~g the
le ft ha nd free t o tu rn palm up.Plac e t he f a c e up deck into the
left hand de a ling posit i on .

i~

'-1 ;.
J

..,
-i
J ~

J' I,J'
"

I"

tI

J
i

'1~
'f r
nOl e s In ~ ne DC. ~ o r ~ ne Cl I max nav e ~ n e s p ec - y
tator loo k a t his stapled cards WEere he f i nd s his si gn ed s el ec tion. ~

ou~

~ne

p erI Ora~eG

3RD ME THOD: Thi s me t hod is simil ar ' to the 2ND METHOD e xce p t you
do not requ i re an impromptu Double Bac ker. You ma ke us e of t he
pe rfora t ed 6C or not. If YOU dec ide not to bother with the p er-

l~
i~
;.

.J w
I

i'i

, - --

--

. .-:-_...

187
- -...

3. Spread the face up deck between both hands for a free selection of any card. Take the selected card and turn it face down
to ?lace it under the face up deck. Turn the left hand palm up,
square the deck, then hand the deck to the spectator so that he
can sign the face of h~s selection. There are two cards face up
but do not worry about the spectator discovering this as he is busy
signing his card. Take the deck back into your left hand. Do a
Double Turnover apparently dealing his card face down to the table.
Thus the X card is on the table and his selection is secretly on
top of the deck.
4. Pick up the two tabled sixes with the right hand, fingers on
the face, thumb beneath, then turn the right hand palm up bringing
the sixes face down . Flip the lowermost 65 face up onto the deck,
then drop the 6C face down onto it. Spread out the cards, then
resquare getting a break below the top three cards which are held,
, ~ f r o m above by the ends, with the right hand. The left thumb peels
off the face down 6C, then drops its apparent single 6S really two
cards as one, onto~he face down 6C. In accordance with the presentation you have decided to place the two sixes back to back.
The actual situation is no~ the face up 6S, selected card face
down and the face down 6C.
-5 . Take off the top two back to back cards while the left hand
puts the deck to the table. Staple the supposed two sixes back
to back, then drop them back on top of the deck with the 6S uppermost.
,

,,

6. Pick up the deck with the left hand getting it into a dealing
position. The right hand squares the ends of the deck during
which the stapled cards plus the next card, the actual 6C, is
picked off the deck. The right hand holds these cards from above .
by the ends and moves to pick up the tabled card to under the
cards in right hand. Pick up the tabled card so it is side-jogged to the left for about half its widt~. Square the packet
against the deck, towards the left thumb, at the same time leaving the side-jogged X card on top of the deck. A left 4th fingertip break is held below the remaining cards to enable tne-right
hand to change position and grasp the cards at the inner end,
thumb entering the break and 1st and 2nd fingers on top. The right
hand turns the cards outwards-a5 left~nd raises upwards slightly
so that the 6C now faces you. The packet is back on the deck
with the lef~4th fingertip again holding the break.
7. The right hand regrasps the cards, above the break, with the
- right hand from above by the ends. The left thumb moves over to
cover the spot wh~re a staple would normally be. The right hand
moves the packet off to the right side of the deck, then the left
thumb peels the face 6C to the left resulting in the cards now
being shown as in the-Pig. 7 of the 2ND METHOD. The left hand
alone now holds the cards and the hand is lowered to display the
cards to the spectator. There is a discrepancy here but not even
magicians can discern this.
8.

The right hand now grasps these cards i n a manner identical

n~J.L"..d J.

..... 11\."

t LQ.'p.Lc;U.

\.....Q..L U.:1

..P~U';:)

'-lIe;

l~C:;A

l.

\.....0..1 U ,

l..JJ.C

o.\,....

\,...Ua...L

v"",,,

..J..,;:)

picked off the deck. The right hand holds these cards from above .
by the ends and moves to pick up the tabled card to under the
cards in right hand. Pick up the tabled card so it is side-jogged to the left for about half its width. Sauare the packet

- ~-~ - .

188

to Fi g. 3 o f t he 1ST METHOD e xce p t t he spr e a d s i t ua ti o n wi l l s t i l l ]

b e ,a s s hGwn in the F ig . 7 . Cont inue by doi ng the Move less Mont e
Move to g et thes e cards into t h e p o sit ion s ho wn in the Fig . 4, of ,
the 1 ST M ETH ~ D , exce p t i n thi s cas e th e s ta p l~d ca r d s will be n e a r - J
e st t o you wl th the ap p ar en t f a ce do wns e l e c tlo n n ear er the s pec.
t a t or s .
9 . Hand t he s t a p l e d c a rd s to t he s pec t a t o r t o hol d be twee n h is
ha nd s . Tak e the fac e d own c a r d wi th the r i gh t h a n d wh i le th e
l e f t h and t u rn s the de ck fa c e u p.
In se r t t he fac e d own ca r d i nt o
t he ou t er e nd o f the dec k l e av ing it out-j o gg ed for half its
l e n g t h. Ex ec u te the magi c riffl e a c t i o n s . Tu rn the deck ov er
and f ace d own to r ev e a l your card i s a f ac e u p 6C. Ha v e the sp ec t a t or lo o k ov e r hi s s t ap l e d cards whe r e he f indS-hi s s e l e c t i o n
to c l imax the rou ti n e.
Sh o u l d a nyon e me nt io n that there a ren ' t
any ho l es in t h e 6C t el l t he m y ou r magic i s s o st rong it remov e d
t he dama ge . To prov e i t do a t orn a n d re sto re d c a rd e f f e c t .

~~
~

11

-'"

]
\.

4TH METHOD : Th is u s e s the app ro a ch of a ppa r e n t l y s t a p l ing th e t wo

Bl ack s ixes befo r e a sel ec ti on i s ma de.
1. Fo r this y ou wi l l n e e d the s ecr etl y st ap l ed 6C u s e d in t he
1 ST ME THOD. Thi s s hows a st apl e thru th e fa ce o rthe 6C b u t no n e
on the bac k b ecau s e of another ca rd r u b b e r cement ed tot h e back
of the 6C. The two Blac k si xes a re on t op o f the d e ck wi t h t h e
s e c re t l y-s t a pl e d 6C u p p e r mo s t.
2 . Fa n off th e t Op t wo s ixes and place th e se, i n a s p r e a d , face
up to th e table s o tha t t h e fac e 6S cover s the stap l e i n the 6 C.
Ha nd out the d e c k for shu f f ling. -an g et t ing the d ec k b ack h o ld
i t in the l e f t h a nd d e aling po sit i on.
3 . With right hand pick u p the tabled six e s so t hey wi l l b e fa c e
down in t he p alm up ri g ht ha nd . Fl i p t h e l owe r most 6S f a ce up on
t op of the de ck , t hen dropth e 6C f a c e down onto it. S pread t he
c ards , t he n r e - squar e -g e t t i n g ab r e ak bel ow t h e t op 3 c ards .
Menti on ab out putting t h e sixes bac k t o b a c k as 't h e l e ft t humb
p e els off t he f ac e d o wn 6C a nd p lac es th e fa ce up 6S , re ally two
car ds, on to t h e ~ .
--4 . Thumb off t h e 6S a nd the c a rd below i t.
Sq u ar e t he m up and
ho l d them by t heir-reft s i des wi th t he d e c k sti l l i n de a ling p osition.
St a p le t he 65 an d t he c ard bel ow i t, t h en p ull th em ba c k ,
flu sh o n to the d ec k, -Wit h the l e ft f i ng ers a n d t humb . Do a t u rnov er of the stapl ed c ards plUS t he s e c re t ly st ap led 6C . To al l
a ppearanc e s yo u have mer e l y s ho wn bot h side s of t h e stapl e d six e s .
Th e s e c retly st aple d 6 C , no w s ho wi ng , a d ds cr e d ence to the i l l us i on .
-S.
The r i g h t hand t a k e s on ly t h e s ecr etly s t a p l e d 6C, from a bove
b y the e nds , t o pla c e it to the tabl e . The l e ft h ana do e s a
wri st tur n duri n g t hi s i n o r d er t o co nc eal th e actu a l c a r d stapl ed
to the 6S .
Ke ep th e deck f ac e d own . The ri ght ha nd g r as ps it s
o u ter eM whil e l e f t han d tur n s p alm up to r eta ke the fa c e u p d e c k

]
]
~

.~
...,.

)
"'l;

j.

]
....
:l

"]
~

..,.,~

1.A

-j

-~
,

...
~

'1

...

~_ ::'O- .~ _ ._~

. . . . . . ...
....:...~

-..::-.~...-.~ ,"", ~ ~

..

~ .

4,-.... . . . ~ __. ....

~._ ~~ . '

189

in t o t he left hand dealing positi on. The card s t a pl ed and n ow

fac e up bel ow the deck is the c a r d that will be f orced.
". .

.1

6. The left thumb down riffles the upper left co rn e r as the

spectator is requested 'to call "Stop". At the point stopped the
face up cards are taken at the lower left corner with the right
hand, thumb be l ow and fin gers on t he face. The right hand turns
palm up bringing the backs of the cards to vi ew, then these cards
are plac e d t o unde r the f a c e up cards in t he left hand. Next,
turn the whole deck over. Thumb thru the face up cards, between
both hands, till you reach the forced s t a p l ed card but be sure
you do not rem ove the face up cards un til the left thumb moves
acr o ss the f or ced stapl ed card and c overs t he staple.
7 . . The r ight hand pl aces its cards face down t o the table . Keep
, your left thumb over the staple as you request the spectator to
initial t he outer end of the forced card. Leave the signed card
face up on the le ft hand por ti on . The r ig ht hand pl a c e s the
tabled ha l f onto those in the le ft hand but a l e f t 4th fingertip
hreak i s he ld above the signed card. Double Undercut the s igned
card to the t op, raising the hands on the second cut to c onceal
,t he face up stapled card.

t:

,
~

!{
i

...~:

8 . You now have two op t io n s of getting the signed card int o play .
First, you can do the Curry Cha nge , preferably using the No-Break
Technique f r om Vol. I of the Marlo Maga z i ne . To all appearances
you have mer e l y t urned over the stapled sixes in order to show its
other side, t he 6S side .
9. The second option is t hat you can simply p ick up the tabled
stapled 6C to place it on top of deck, onto the signed stapled
card , without expos ing the signed card. Do a Double Turnover ap pa re nt ly showing the ot he r si de , the 6S s i de , t o infer that the
sixe s are stapled . The 6S, with its s tapled signed card, is now
deal t face up to the table whi le the left hand does a wrist t~rn
to c onceal the stapled 6C left behind.

\
r-

t-

"
~

I'

10. Cut the deck whi l e it i s face up. Spread the deck between
both hands t ill you come to ~ h e face down card, then up - jog it
only far enough so as not to go past the secret staples. This
card is assumed to be the s igned card but actually the 6C. _ Do
a magic riffle. Turn the deck face down to reveal th e !ace up
6C. Have the s p e c t a tor turn ove r t he tab led car ds wher e he
IInds h i s signed card sta p l ed t o t he 6S .

>:-

,f

5TH METHOD: Here the two Black sixes are actually stapled back
to back and left on the table before any c ard is selected.
1. For t his you wil l need t wo pocket size staplers. One stapler
is in vie w on the table while the other one is in your lap. Plus ,
a duplicate 6S is als o in the lap with its face uppermost.
2 . From a shu f f l ed deck remov e t he two Bl a c k s i x e s and s taple
t hem ba c k t o bac k . Place them t o the table with the 6S uppermost.

"

I'

L
t
!{
i

J
!~

stapled 6C to place it on t op of deck, onto the signed stapled

card, without exposing the signed card. Do a Double Turnover ap pa re nt ly showing the oth e r si de , the 6S s i de , t o infer that the
sixe s are stapled . The 6S. with its s tapled signed card. is now

.....

"

_ ...

190
3. Ha v e a c ard sele c t e d a n d si gned b y th e s pe c t a t o r . During this, ]:
tak e t he d e c k, with t h e rig h t h a nd, f rom abo v e by th e e n d s.
Ex .
tend the'left hand for the spectator to p l a c e hi s c ard fa ce d own
onto your l e f t palm . The l e f t hand move s back toward s t h e de c k
a s if to place the card to u n d e r t he de ck . Actually this card i s
prop e l l ed into y our l ap a s t h e lef t hand tou ches the bo t tom of
the d e c k.
At onc e bo t h h and s cut the d eck to a p p a r e n t l y bury the
~
sel ec te d card .
Jj
4 . 'Ha nd the d e c k t o t he spe c ta to r t o shuffl e. . Whi l e h e is thu s
oc c u p i e d both hands casually drop into y o ur l a p . Place the sel ec t i o n and the dupli cate 6S back to back a nd s t a p l e them as
qu ietly as you c a n. Any humor ou s r e mar ks, to cr eate lau g hte r,
wi l l h e l p a t this point .
5 . Palm the ca rds in the ri g h t hand with the 6S ag a i n s t the palm.
The l e f t hand come s up and t a k e s t he t abled s ixes i n t o t he left
pa lm with the 6S uppermost . Tel l t he spectato r t h a t y o u wan t him
to hold the stapled s ixes between his hands "L ike th i s . " When
yo u say t h e wo r d s , "Like this ", t h e left hand moves to wa r ds the
ri g h t hand which has come up t o ta ble l e v e l a n d n ear the e dg e
by this time . As b o th pa l ms meet, the c ard s f r om t he l eft hand
a r e propel l e d i n t o the lap a n d a t the same tim e th e ri ght hand rel e a s e s i t s stap led c ard s onto the l e ft p a l~ .
Wh en the c uppe d
ha n d s separate al l seems the same since t h e 6 S i s still showing .
6 . Hand t h e stapled c a r d s to the s p e c t a t o r to h old betwee n his
h a nd s . At once drop both hands into your lap and qui ckly and
s ile n t l y p r y the 6C c a r d away from the 6 S . P l a ce t he 6 C f a c e u p
into a le ft hand Gambl e r's Cop p o s i t i on-or Re ar Palm. -nuring this
also turn your att ention t o the s pe ctat o r with the deck. With the
righ t hand take the de ck, f rom abo ve by the ends , t hen drop t h e
d e c k into the l e f t hand whi ch has moved u p but st i l l r e ma.ins b e lo w
t he table's level . Th is procedure insures no f lash o f the palmed
c ar d in the lef t " hand during its addition t o the bo t t om of t h e
d ec k . Once the c a r d is added the l e f t h and a t o nce moves u p ward s
to b r ing the de c k i n t o v i ew.
Prop erl y tim ed it ap pears th at th e
deck wa s in view at all t imes . Cut t he d ~ck to centrali ze the
6S. Say you will command the sp ec f a tor's selec ted card to turn
over.
7.
Turn the de c k fac e up and spread it be t we e n both hands t i ll
you reach the f a c e d own c a r d and up -jog it f or ha l f its l ength.
Do y ou r magica l riff l e , the n t u rn t h e d eck over to reve al the 6C.
Point out it s stapl e mar k s.
For the climax ha.ve the sp ectatorlook at the cards betwe en his h ands where he finds his signed selection.
THE P INNED CARDS

( David Solomon )

The fol lowin g item Ha s in s p i red b y the "Stapl ed "Ca r d s "

a n d whil e it uses t h e Marlo methods o f switch ing a n d ex changing
the app roach is di f f er ent f r om a c ommer c i a l a n d con stant p erfo rm ing po int.
Th e effe c t may b e c onsidere d sim i l ar to the "Stapl ed

also turn y ou r att ention t o the s pe ctat o r with the deck. With the
r i g ht hand take the de ck, f rom abo ve b y the e nd s , t hen drop t h e
d e c k into the l e f t hand which ha s moved u p but st i l l r e ma.i ns b e lo w
t he table's level . Th is procedure insures no f lash o f the palmed

"]
]
.J
\~

_~~

191

Cards"; however, all you need is a deck of cards with a 1/8" hole
drilled thru it and a few brass type cotter pins, such as used in
binders, just in case you may lose or misplace one or two. Since
most magic dealers have a workshop anyone of them can easily drill
a hole thru your favorite deck of cards for an inexorbitant price.
Assuming you have such a deck and cotter pin the instructions now
are as follows:
(Note - The term cotter pin seems to be more
descriptive- of its shape as compared to the more general term of
Paper Fastener.)
1ST METHOD:
1.
can
ing
the
use
two

Marlo Pure Method

The top card of the deck is secretly turned face up. This you
have set well in advance or reverse the card during some toyof the deck. Assume you have done just that and are holding
deck face up in the left hand dealing position. State you will
two holy men making a humorous reference to the fact that the
Black Kings, with a hole in them, will be used.

2. Spread the face up deck between both hands and ou~-jog

Black Kings as you come to them. The left hand holds onto
deck while the right hand removes the two out-jogged Black
to toss them face up, in a slight fan 'or spread condition,
table. During the spreading of the deck be careful not to
the secretly reversed card.

,I
I,

n
,

the two
the
Kings
to the
expose

3. Re-spread the face up deck between both hands as you request

a spectator to either touch any card or name any card. This card
is up-jogged and the spread is then converged into a more or less
squared condition, into the left hand dealing position. The right
fingers hit the left side of the chosen up-jogged card, pivoting
it out of the deck to the right, then turning it face do\Vll i t is
openly placed to the bottom of the face up deck. Let's assume
the chosen card is the IOH.
4. Turn the deck over and face down into the left hand. This
brings the chosen IOH into view. Below. the IOH is the secret
face up card. Give-the spectator a marking pen, then hand him
the deck in order that he may sign the face of his chosen card.
He will not remove the lOH but use the deck as support for -his
writing. When he has sIgned the card take the deck, plus the
signed card, into your left hand. Do a Double Turnover to turn
the card(s) face down onto the top of the deck, then at once
thumb off the top card face down to the table.
S. At this stage the spectator's signed card is on top of the
deck but it is assumed it is the face down card just dealt to
the table. The deck is face down in the left hand dealing position. The right hand picks up the two face up Black Kings, with
fingers on the face and thumb beneath, then turns palm down to
bring the still fanned Kings faces down.
6. The right fingers, from below, flip the lowermost King face
up onto the top of the deck, then the remaining King is dropped
face down onto the face up King. Spread over the top three cards,

....--- - - -- - r

- - -s'~

....,--

- . -.~ - ~....-

. ..-

- -- - . -.

- --- .. - - ~-~

openly placed to the bottom of the face up deck.

the chosen card is the IOH.
4.

Let's assume

Turn the deck over and face down into the left hand.

This

" J

.1

192 ,

. t h e n r e squ ar c th em, ge t t i n g a momen t ar y br e a k b elow them with the

l e f t ,:~ f,ingerti p, as at o n c e the ri ght hand grasp s t hese three
c a r d s , f r om a b ov e , b y the e nds . The l e f t t h umb openly peel s o f f
the face do wn Kin g, onto the deck , with th e right hand d r op p i n g its
c a r d s, with a fac e u p King , ont o th e to p. Your p a tter for th es e
a c ti ons is , " I c ou l d p lace the Ki ngs b a ck t o ba ck li ke t h is." Now
d e a l over t he fac e u p Ki n g follo wed by tak i n g t he next f ace down
card, the ot her supposed King but reall y t h e signed s election , on to
t he f a c e up King a s yo ur p atter c on c lud e s with , " But I wil l pl ac e
th e m face to fa ce instead . "

7.
Th e ri ght h a n d hol ds onto the two face to face c a r ds while the
l e f t h a n d p lac e s the dec k face dow n t o the table . Tr a n s f e r the
fa c ~ to f a c e car ds to y ou r l e ft hand whic h hol d s them, b y th e i r
Th e right hand
l e f t side, with thumb on top and f ing er s b elo w.
pic ks u p th e cotter pin a n d pins t h e t wo c ards from below, then
spr ead s th e t wo prongs on t op. Swivel the t op face down c a r d s o
tha t the u pp er and l ower e nds o f th e f a ce u p Ki ng a re visibl e.
To s s the pinned cards t o the t a bl e .
8 . Pick u p the d eck holding it fa ce dovm in the lef t hand . Get a
l ef t 4th fi ng er b r e a k u n d er the t op card o f th e d e c k using e i the r
a slignt spread o f t h e "t op c ar d o r a 4 th fingertip c oun t a t the
l owe r r ig h t corner.
To cove r this ~ction, the rig ht hand is pick ing up t he sup pose d tabl ed s election.
The r i g h t hand p lace s this
c ard o n to the t op of t he deck , the n a t on c e l i f ts up two car d s, as
one, f r om a b ove b y th e e n d s . Us ing a r i ght 1st an d 4th f in g e r
straddl e g r i p at the outer end of t he c a r d ( s ~t o keep-them in
a li Knment, the ri ght thumb moves to the out er left c o r n e r and the
c a r n ( s ) will sl ip into a so rt o f a Scoop Up Palm Pos iti on .
(S e e
"The Op en Pr edi ctio n " , el sewhe re in t h is volum e , f o r t h i s g rip. )
Th e card(s) are no w inse rted , f o r ab out half their l e n g t h , i n t o
the out er end of the dec k . Be sure to lower t he deck to prevent
anyone spotting any possible f lare ou t a~ the outer end o f t h es e
ca rd s t hat are sup po s edl y a single s el ec ti on but in reality a
Ki ng and ! car d.
9. The right hand grasps the lower right end o f the deck , with
thumb on top and the 1s t and 2nd f i ng e rs b e l ow. As you s a y,
"Wa tch y our c a rd. I I T~l e ft t humb do wn- r i ff les the outer l e f t
co r n e r of t he de ck , sta rting this act ion anywhere below the out jo g g e d cards . The r i g h t hand now turns the deck sidewi se, to the
le f t, whi ch bring a Black King in t o v iew . Behind i t is the X ca r d.
10. The ri gh t ha n d re ac hes f or t h is Ki n g wi t h t h e thu mb g o i ng on
the face of this Ki ng , at t h e u p p e r l ef t c o r n e r, with the 1st a nd
2n d fingers be neath at t h is same c orner. The right t hu mb p resse s
onto th e fa. ce of th e Ki ng , movin g it to the l e ft, wh i le th e righ t
2nd fi n g e r ti p p u s he s t he low e r X c a rd d ownward f o r a b ou t a qu ar t er
InCh o r more . At on c e the left- 1st f i n g e r eng a ges the ou t e r e n d
o f this X card and p u s hes it flu~wit h the d e c k . Without any
h es i t a t i on t he ri g h t finge r s and t humb sw iv el th e Ki ng to th e ri ght
and ou t o f th e d e c k t o to ss i t fa ce u p to t he t abl e.
11.

All t h a t remains i s to let the spec tator look at t he ta bl ed

"The Op en Pre di ctio n " , el sewhe re in thi s volum e , f o r t h i s gr lp .)

The card(s) are now inse rted, f o r ab ou t half their l e n gt h , i n t o
t h e out er e nd of the dec k . Be sure to lower t h e d e ck to prevent
anyone spotting any possible f lare ou t a~ the outer end o f t h es e
ca rds t ha t are suppo s edl y a single s el e c ti on but in r eality a

"1

193

pinned cards wher e he f inds his s igned selection.

cards.
2ND METHOD :
.-:

Let him unpin the

Da v e So lomon

.1

1. This makes use of t he Ma r l o P ip Cover in combinat io n wit h the

D'Amico Sp r e ad. A s li g ht set-up i s required a s f o l l ows:
Fr om t p e
top of t h e deck do wn - the 7H with i t s center pip towar ds the lower
end of the d eck followed by~he 6D and 6H.

I
I

2. With the deck face down in the left hand d e aling posit ion get
the deck i n t o posit ion, by grasp ing the sid es of the deck by the
inner s i d e s , so it e n d s u p be ing h e ld by t he s i d e s, wi t h l ef t
fing er s and t h umb, ab ov e t he le ft pa lm . Th e r ight thumb r if f l es
the l eft s id e o f t h e deck , n ear the lowe r left co rner, in o r d er to
e nab l e you t o sp ot the i n d e x e s a t this c o rner.
Stop t he riffle
wh e n the right thumb reache s t h e 6H. The r i g h t hand l ift s o f f the
squar e d three cards , then i mmediately d o e s a D' Am ico Sp r ead. When
the fa ces of t he c ards c orne in t o view y ou a r e showing a 6H and 6D.
Use Marlo 's Buffall oed i dea fr om "Classic al Foursome" byca l l i ng
the c a r d s, f r om fa ce t o top , as t he , "Six o f Hear ts and S i x o f Di amonds. " Flip t he spread f a c e down onto t h e t op o f the deck l e tting them co a lesce int o a squar ed cond ition wi t h the deck.
Deal
. off the t op c ar d f a ce do wn calling i t , "The Six o f Hearts".
Fl ash
the next ca r d fac e up s ay i n g , "The Six of Diamonds." Place this
actual 6D f a ce down und e r the tab l ed card wh ich is actually the 7H.
3. Hav e a card se l ec t ed. Take i t f r om the sp e ct ator plac ing it
face u p on t op of the d ec k. Hand him the d ec k and a mar king pen so
he can si gn th e f a c e o f hi s card. Take the de ck from him, wi th your
palm u p lef t hand , s o it wi l l be in a dea l ing po s i t i on . Th e rig h t
hand does a Hi t Double Lift moving o f f t wo c a r d s back to back a nd
do t he K.M.Move , to exchang e the signed card for t h e ac t u a l 6H,
using either the r ev e rs e d fingering ac t i on s or the de al o f f me thod
expla i n e d in Volume I o f thi s Magazine on page s 41 to 4 3 inclusive .
The supp o s e d selecti on i s a ppa ren t ly f a ce do wn on-the table. The
actua l se le ctio n is on to p of t h e d ec k.
4 . Top pa lm the sel ect ion into the right hand. The le ft hand
places the deck face down to your le ft while the .r i g h t hand a t the
same time adds palmed card to the tabled two cards, using a Spider
Addition.
By this t ime the left hand is also f ree and i s held
palm up t o r e c e i ve t he cards now b e ing slid off the tab l e i n t o the
waiting left hand.
S. Squa re the car ds r alsln g t hem u p to t he f ing e rtips a n d thumb
of the left hand which ho ld s the packe t , by its s i des, wel l abov e
the le f t palm. Do t h e D' Am ico Sp r e ad wi th Ma rl o Pip Cov e r whi ch
~ s w i th left thumb moving over o nto the u p per left ind ex o f the
7H to cov e r i t s p ip value . Thu s when t he t wo c ar ds corne in t o v iew
you are sup p o s e dl y s h owi ng a 6D and 6H for the sec o n d t i me .
6. The r ight fingers f li p the doubl e card, a c t u a l 7H and se l ection,
as one fac e down into the left hand.
Fo l l ow b y f l i p p i n g the 6D f ace
down onto the card(s) i n the left hand. The ri g h t hand moves~o

.--:-'t'

- -.

----r-

- ~

- -~

---- -- -

--:--

_.-

- .

-- ~

."; ~.-- ~ -

do t he K.M.Move , to exchang e th~ -~i gned - c a rd for t h e a ctual 6H,

using either the r ev e rs e d fing e ring a c t i on s or the d e al o f f me thod
exp la_ .i n e d in Volume I o f th i s Magaziner on page s 41 to 4 3 inclusive .
'T' L

..1

_ _ "

_ _ ..L !

.....

.,

"l

.,

-,

.,

rn1

194

abov e the c a rds to gr a s p them by t he ends. During thi s the left

. ha nd c a n do either a Gambl e r' s Cop of t he bottom 7H or you can l a p
the card using Marlo ' s Sc ree ning Act i on . I n e i the r ca s e t he right
hand tab l es the now two face down c ards which consist of the 6D
a nd t he sele c ti on f rom tfie to p do wn. At t hi s po int, i f you d id . a
Gambl e r ' s Cop-, t he l eft hand c an r each i nto your le ft side co a t
p ocket t o o bt a in the co t t er p i n. I f the c a r d is to be lapp ed, t h e
cott er pin c an al r e ady be on t he table.

7. With you r left hand pick up the tab l ed t wo c a rd s. Turn t he t op

c ar d face up, the 6D , to p l ac e i t fa c e up to und er the f a c e down
card. Pin the c ards to gether, then swivel th e cards so that the
upp e r and lower end s of t he 6D is v isib l e f rom unde r the face down
c a r d.
8. Pi ck up t he dec k a nd t ur n it fac e up in to the left hand. Pic k
up the supposed fa ce down se lec tion and p lace i t f ace down i nt o the
ou t er end of the deck leaving i t ou t -jo gge d f or a bout half its
l eng th.
9.
Restate the apparent s i t u a t i on, i .e . , t he sel ec t io n in t he dec k
a nd two p inned s ixes on the tabl e. Wi th the rig h t hand hold t he
inner end of the dec k, a t i t s lower r i gh t c or ne r , whil e the left
thumb down r iffles the side of t he de ck near t he up p er l eft cor n er .
Tur n the deck over to bring i n to v iew t h e 6H . Ha ve the s p ect a t or
ex amine the pinned car ds where he finds hiS-s igned s el ection.

3RD METHOD :

Gaffed Pi p Method

.~

(Solomo n)
.

1. Thi s u s es a ga ff ed c ard sugge st ed . by Simon Aronson and I wor ked

out t he ha ndli ng. The ga ffe d c ard is a regul ar 2S with on e index
be i ng a 2C . Di stribute the 2S and 2C in to d ifferent parts of the
de ck wi tn-the 2C pr eceding the 2S . .-rhe 2S s hou ld hav e i t s f ake 2C
index a t yo ur end of the deck. --2. When ready to do t he effect t ur n the deck ov er side wis e i n or d e r
to keep the fake 2C index a t you r e nd of t he d ec k. Spr ead the de c k
face up, be tw een bo th hands, out -jo gging the regular 2C, then cont inu e t he sp rea d i n or der to out-jo g the ga ff ed 2S . The 2S lowe r
2C i ndex wil l be hidden automat i cally by the spread of cara~. It
also wi ll remain hidd e n, when t he ri ght hand r emoves the out-jog ge d
Deuces , by the re gul ar 2C above it and spr ead of f to th e right.
The dec k at this st a ge IS mor e or l e ss co nv e r ged into the lef t hand .
The lef t t humb goe s un der t he l e ft s ide of the de c k in ord er to t urn
it face do wn. . The t wo f a ce up Deuces are no w placed face up onto
the top of the deck.
3. Turn the de ck s i de wise t o br i ng the dec k fa c e up aga in . With
the right hand momen tar ily grasping the deck, from above by the
ends, separate the deck fro m the Deu c es using either the n atural
brea k a t the back t o bac k c onditi on , t he Pull Down Move or the l e f t
4t h finge r tip Ki ck Coun t. I n a ny c a se, ge t a br ea k with t he tip of
the left 4th fi ng er a bov e the two Deuce s.

]
]
'''l

II

..j

J'

J.
1
J

4. Main t a i n t he break as yo u sp r ea d t he de ck fac e up for a s p ec t ato r t o rem ove and sig n a ny c ard . This c ard i s r eturned fa c e down

......

c-

L.. .l .J.v

J.J. u...1 .L"""- ...... ...L. ...

J.5 .

.J.. J. J.\",.;

5e;t...L-LV u..

,- o..~u

..L.o::J

.1.'-' 5 U - ..L Q..L.

IJU

n.J.. \,.....l J.

V~.1.v

.J..J. .L'--l\. ~ ~

be i ng a 2C . Di stribute the 25 and 2C in to differen t parts of the

de ck wi tn-the 2C pr eceding t he 2S . .-rhe 2S s hould have i t s f ake 2C
index a t yo ur end of the deck. --2.

When readY t.o do t.hp. p'ffpct. t.llrn t.hp. (lp. ck ov p.r "i rt p.wi <:; p. i n or Cl p. r

... _.- ....

- -_ . ~ -----_

.... .

195

to the c en te r of the face up deck, then ,controlled to above the

Deuces using the 'under the spre ad cul l of the se lect ed card. Us e
Ma rlo ~ ,s t eclm ique whi c h br ie fly is as follo ws:
The face up spread
of cards i n the right hand s hou ld be a f a i r ly long on e and ma intained
by t he r igh t hand a lone a t the point whe r e the cards have be en separated. The le ft ha nd has the balance of t he deck in a left hand dealing pos it ion. Ext end the le ft hand to receive t he fac e down selec tio n ont o the fa c e of this por t io n s o t hat i t wi l l be side-j ogg ed,
to the r i g h t~ fo r abou t a t hi r d of i t s wid th . The ri gh t hand s pr e ad
of cards ' now move s towards and onto the fa ce down card. The ball of
the le ft t humb a t onc e plac e s its elf on at lea st two of th e f ace
up c ar ds that a re t o the righ t of t he f ace do wn selec tion. Th e
le f t 2nd a nd 3rd fingertip s press up a gai n s t , t he f ac e of th e sel ect ed
card,~ ke ep it i n plac e~ whil e at the s am e time the left thumb
p r e s ~ e s on and pulls, to the left, the two face up c a r d s .
Also the
r ig h t hand, s t ill maintaining t he l ong s pr ead , a ls o moves to t he
l ef t. , These simultaneou s a ctions co v e r t he f ac e down selection ap par e ntly l os ing it in to t he face up dec k . Actually once t he se l ec tion is c ov e r ed by the face up cards~ the right 2nd fingertip pulls
the. s el ec t ed c ard t o t he rig h t until it cl ear s the dec k a nd no w is
fr e e unde r the s pr e ad of cards s upport ed by the r i ght hand. Once
this co ndi t io n i s ob t ained the dec k i s a t once squared; however,
during t h i s squar ing action the left 4th finger pulls down on its
two Deuc es in orde r t hat the face do wn-5el ection wi l l ride in a bov e
t hem. (See als o Ma rl o ' s fa ce do wn tec hniqu e fo r th i s els ewhe re in
t his v ol um e. )
5 . The squ ar ed deck is once more t urned ov e r sidewise t o bring the
deck fa ce d own in to t he 'le ft hand . The r i ght hand c omes over, f rom
above, t o grasp t he now thr ee f ac e up c a rds, us ing the natur a l back
t o back sep ar a tion~ to l i ft them up to the left f i nger s a nd thumb
which holds th e cards, well above the deck, by the sides . The right
hand i s now f re e ,to grasp the ri ght side of these cards in order to
do a D' Amico Spre a d. Du ring at t ention on t he spread Deuces the l e f t
4th fi nge r ti p ge t s a bre ak un der the top c a rd of the dec k .

I
i

I
.I

6 . Squ are the Deuces, st ill fac es up, a ga i n s t the top of the dec k
secret l y addi ng t he top card of the dec k . The right hand aga in moves
to a bov e t he c ar ds~ to t a ke them by t he ends, a t the same t i me t he
right thumb hol ds a brea k, at 'the back end , on the secretly added
face down card . Now do the fa ce up switch . In this case t he left
thumb peels of f the fa ce up 2C; however, the r ig ht 1st f inger, which
i s cu rle d onto the fac e of the packet~ is moved inward so that its
nail covers the Club pip only , not the 2 value, as the left thumb
p e e l s of f the 2C s o that i t r ema i ns s ide -jo gged, f or half its width,
t o the right sIde of the deck. Note that the 2S is no w visible but
the ri g ht 1s t f i ng er covers the fake Club pip. --The visible Blac k
, 2 value ad OS-t o t he decep tion . This is a Mar l o suggestion and at this
' .:s t ag e things do not have t o be rus hed.
7 . The ri ght hand now moves to apparent ly pick up the side -jogg ed
2C to unde r th e 2S. Actually as the ri g ht hand moves to the le ft
an d flush agains~the left side of the deck, the right thumb releases
its fa ce down card t o cover the fa ce up 2C. At onc e t he right ha nd
mov es the pack et up a nd above the deck. -gomentarily the left thumb

\~hi ~jl - hoicl. ~ - th ~ -~ ~~d~ : ~ ~il ~b;~e -- t h ~ - d~~k, -

by -th~ - -~id ~s .

Tl~ ~ --~ ight

hand i s now f r ee , to gr asp the ri ght side of th ese cards in order t o

do a D' Amico Spre a d. Du ring a tt en t i on on t he spread Deuces the l e f t
4th fi nger ti p ge t s a break under the top c a r d of the deck .

.
196
and 2nd fin ger grasp the sides 'of these c~rds. This leaves the righ t 1
handtre e to s i mp l y move i ts r ig h t f i n g e rs a c ro ss t he fac e of the
.J
g a ff e d 2Sdown t o the lower ri ght corn e r whe re t he y no w co ncea l the
fake 2C-rnd ex a s the right t humb slides to under these c ards at the
s a me cor n er.
Tur n the c a rds t o t he r i gh t b ri n g ing them fa c e do wn.
j
Sp r ead them slightly a s you place them fa ce d own t o the t a b l e.
Cu t
the de ck , to central ize the face up 2C, then t ab l e t h e de ck f ace
do wn t o y ou r l e ft.
--

8.
I n t r od u c e th e cotter pin and hand i t ou t for inspe ction i f you
wi sh. Next , pick up the two t a bl e d ca r ds and ho ld t hem face do wn
in the l e ft hand.
Th e ri ght thumb go e s und er the se c ards, at the
lo we r l e f t co rner, with the 1st a n d 2nd fingers on top . The right
f i ng e r s remove the bo t t om c a r d and t ur n it face u p . The r i g h t
thumb h ide s the fake 2C ind e x as the fa ce u p c ard is r ep l a c e d t o
und er a nd fl us h wit h the f ac e d own c ar d.

'1

.J

9. You wi ll n ow s h ow the se c a r ds again a s the 2C and 2S as f ollows :

You hav e j u s t s ho wn t he 2S a n d a re abou t to turn-the ca r ds over t o
~
sho w the 2C. The ri g h t hand t a kes the cards, f r om abov e by th e ends , '_~
t h e n turns palm up.
The left hand comes ov e r pa lm down t o take the
~
c a r ds by i ts s i d es as ~hown in the Fig . 1. The lef t hand turn s p a l m j
up, then spr ead ov e r t he top c a rd a s i n the Fi g. 2 to show t h e f ak e
Repea t the a bove moves t o again s how t h e 2S.
2C index.

F i g. I

Fig . 2

10. Some may pr ef er the Marlo mov e s for app ar ently showing bo th
Deuce s. Th i s i s d on e a s f oll ows : Th e I .ef t t humb move s to u nde r
the face to fa ce cards to lever t hem ove r at t h e s a me time the le ft
hand a lso move s s o it s p a l m i s to the ri g ht. At once the rig h t
hand gras ps the out er right corner of these cards a n d turn them
ov e r and inward . Meant ime , the l eft hand has turned pa lm u p and
the right hand fo llows by replacing i t s cards in t o t h e l e ft hand .
The ac t ions t i med prop erl y ap pea r s as if you r e all y did turn the
cards ov e r but a c t ua l ly only turned t hem e n d fo r end thus you can
no w s ho w the fake 2C i n d e x a s already shown in t he Fig . 2 . Repe at
the moves to againshow the 2S.
11.
Ins e rt th e co tt e r p in from the to p do wn, th e n s p r e ad t h e pr o ng s
u n d e r the ca rds . Swive l the c a r d s on l y far enough t o exp o se t h e
28 index but not the lower fake 2C ind e x.

~Jl '
197
12. Re-s tat e the a ppar e nt si t uation - viz - th e two Deuces pinned
and the selected card in the deck.
Sn ap your fingers ov er the deck,
then s~r e ad~ it, f aces down, to rev eal the 2C.
Pick up the pinn ed
cards and turn them ov er. Swiv el the lowe r mos t card, so its lower
and u p p e r e n d s will show , t o rev eal t h e se l ec t e d ca rd.
Remov e th e
cot t er pin a nd hand t h e signed sel e c t ion to the spectat o r.
Right
hand gra s ps th e lo wer left cor n er of th e fac e down card, with thumb
on th e b o ttom or f a ce and f i nger s on top, to turn it face up.
Use
the 2S to scoop up th e 2C a n d tur n t hem both f a ce do wn onto the t op
end Of t he s p r e a d.
Pic~up t h e s pr e a d a nd hold deck in the left
hand . Place th e t op card fa ce d own i n t o t h e u ppe r hal f of the dec k.
This is the ga ffed 2S card an d i t s 2C inde x will be at the inner end
of the d e c k.
Pl ace~hc ne xt top c am, the 2C, into the lower half
of the de c k. You a re now s e t to r e p eat the-ef f ect a t anothe r t abl e.

~
~
~

DOUBLE -BUBBLE METHOD:

Dav e Solomon

tfi

,
i
I

tJ

II

~ !
i

'it

'" It
s-

l I

. I:

:
"4

I~

t~

I:

Jl

al

I I:~
I!

II

1.
For t h is y ou wi ll requir e a c a r d t h at is ' u sua l ly associ a ted wi th
Taylors Peek Deck .
I n t h i s c a s e tak e a 6S a n d 6C , then trim on e end
of the 6S a b ou t one s i xty - fourth o f an i n c h . Apply abou t a quarte r
of an inch strip of either double s i d e d Scotch tape or rubber cement
onto t he ba ck o f t he 6S d o i n g th i s on t h e u n trimmed e n d of this card .
Re pe a t t h i s p r oc e s s applying t h e adhe sive o n the f ace o f t he 6C at
. o n e end. Place t h e 6S face up ont o t he face u p 6C s o that the-pr e p ar ed e nds mee t a n d the c a rd s b ecome c ement ed at~his one end. Aft er
the c ards hav e dri ed to 'a d h e r e p e rma ne nt l y h o l d the cement ed end and
with the f i n ger s of the other ha nd pull back on the upp er ends o f
thes e c ar ds.
Due t o t he f ac t t ha t the f a ce 6S wa s trimme d s hor t er
t he back ca rd , 6C, will be pUll e d ba ck onl y to e x p os e . i ts face.
You
ar e no w ready to-u s e this ga ffed card .
2.
On to p o f the deck you should ha ve t h e ga f f e d card with its open
' e nd nearest t o y ou . Under t h is is t he regul a r 6C. , The deck is fa ce
do wn in t he lef t hand . Wi t h r i gh t hand p i ck o f f th e to p t wo car ds
and d o a simula ted D'Ami c o Spread t o s h ow the t wo Sixes. Turn th em
face down onto the top of the d e c k . Next, turn to the right to
bring the left sid e of the dec k in to the sp ectator's vi ew. The
righ t hand is a b ove t h e dec k wi t h fi ng er s a t th e front e nd a nd
thumb a t the back end . With t he r ig ht thumb o p enl y p u ll u pwa rds o n
t he b a c k end o f t h e g a f fe d card , t h e n open l y a ls o s imula t e t h e ri g h t
thumb lifting up a second card . Actually the right , hand moves upward slightly wh i c h br ing along the cemented ca rd but the ri ght
thumb pre s ses i n ag a ins t it t hu s it ap pears tha t you have lifted
o ff t wo c ards wh ich a r e s e p ar a t ed at the b ack e nd; howev e r, onl y
the ga ffed card will b e placed t o t he t able.
The regula r 6C remains on top of the deck.
-3. Have a card fr e ely selected. This card is placed fa ce u p onto
the d eck whi ch is handed to t he sp ectator i n or d er that h e may
sign his c a rd, o n i t s f a c e , wi t h t he mark i ng p en y ou a lso have
handed him. After the card has been signed take the deck from
him with your pal m up left h and.
Now do the K. M. Move to exchange th e si gn ed c ard f o r the r e gul ar 6C whi c h i s dealt face
down to t h e t ab le.
( For t h e K . M. MoveS-see Vol ume I , pag e s 39

~;!

:,1
~

t- i

~j

~ne
DacK ca rd , OC, Wlii De pUii e a DacK oni Y to e x p os e . l t s iace.
ar e n ow ready to-u s e t his gaffed card .

rou

2. On to p of the deck you should have t h e ga f f e d card with its open

' e nd neares t t o y ou.
Under th is is t he regul a r 6C. The deck i s fa ce

.,

. '

-. 198 '

to 43" .
:

.1

4.
Top palm ' t h e to p card, the selec tion, . i n t o the right h and . The
le f t hand places t he deck t o y our l e f t as the r i ght h and a d d s the
p al me d c a r d to the tabled Sixes on y our r i g h t and a t th e s a me time
s p r e a d s these 'c a r d s which will show as on ly two cards . Place these
c a r d s face down i n t o 'your left hand .

s.

You now have two choices of p r ocedures.

(A)
You can pin the c a r d s as t hey now li e . With the
c ards p i n n e d h old the m by t he ir lower e nd s in th e l ef t
hand with thu mb on t op a nd fin g e r s below.
The right
f irst finge r t i p e nga ges th e upp er end of the card s
a n d du e t o t he fac t tha t the fa ce 6S c ard i s sho r t er
you will 'b e pulling back t he 6 C be hin d whi ch i s als o
the hidden selected card.
Thu s you wi l l be d i splaying
two Sixes .
(B)
Don't pin the cards as ye t .
Instead, you f i r s t
pull back the 6S, as in sugge s tip n A, to show t wo
S ix es.
Th e l e f t fing ers n ow p us h out th e bot tom g af fe d ca r d wh i c h is tak en b y th e right hand, at the up per
r ight c o r n er, th e n turn ed fa ce up Stud fashion to brin g
the g lued edge towa r ds the f r ont end . Th i s f ace 6S
gaffed card i s then r e p l ac e d t o under t h e supp osea-face
down 6C but really the selecti on . Now p i n the car~s ,
t h e n swivel the fa ce up 6S so both it s l owe r a n d upper
ends will be visible from-under the fac e down c ard.
Place these to the table .

']
]

6 . Th e s u pp o s e d selectio n o n the t abl e is pl a c ed fa ce do wn and ou t- ~]

jo g g e d in t o a fa ce up spread of c a r ds . Turn t he fac e up s pre ad ov e r
and fa ce d own whic h r ev e al s t he out -jo g g ed 6C.
Turn the pinned card s
ov er t o r e v e a l the s ig ned se le c t i on . Unpin-rh e cards to hand th e
ry
sele ct i on t o the s p e c t a t o r.
Us e the fa ce u p gaff ed 6S t o scoo p up
. t he 6C, then place both face down on the to p end of the sp read .
.
Sc o o p up the deck into .a s qu a r e d- u p cond it ion . You are s e t to r e p e a t the effect anytime.
CLI PPER METHOD :

Dave So lomo n
1. For this you will r equire a duplic at e Jok er which
is sp ecially ,p r e p a r e d . Put a l
cotter pin fr om the b ac k o f
.2
the c a rd so i ts pr ongs wi ll
proj e ct from th e fa ce side .
Be nd the on e longer point
down wa r d s aga inst the face
of the Joke r , then put a
_
s trip of Sc otc h tap e across
1
this prong to k e e p th e cot t e r J
pin in p la ce . Th e Fig . 3
shows th e .f a c e o f th is p re - "J:
p ar ed c a rd.
F i g. 3

6 . The s u pp o s e d selectio n o n the t a bl e is pl a c ed fa ce do wn and ou t- ~]

jo g g e d in t o a fa ce up sp r e a d of card s . Turn the fac e up s p r ea d ov e r
and fa ce d own whic h re vea l s t he out-jo g g ed 6C.
Turn the pinned card s
r-.. ... .,. _.....

....,....

....... _

.. ~" ,.,

4-

1.... .....

......: __ ..... ..J

..... ,

.I- ..:

..... __

'I' Y

__ -=--1 _ _

-l _

.s.......

,_ _ ~

L'__

I _

_ .

'C

199

2. The gaffed J oke r is on the bottom of the deck a nd is added

s ecre t l y du ring the cou r s e of othe r effe c ts . The reg u lar two '
J o ker~ should be out of the de c k and ly i ng off to on e s i de un t il
you need them .
3. Assum ing .you have arrived at t he stage where you are ready t o
pe r fo r m the effe ct ha ve a card selecte d , s i gn ed, the n re t ur ned t o
the c en t er of the d eck whe re s ec retly your l e ft 4th fin g ertip ke eps
a bre ak a bove it a t the lo wer right co rner. Keep the d ec k in you r
left hand a s your rig ht hand picks up t he t wo J oke r s. The t wo
J okers are handed to the spectator who i s instructed t o place them
fa c e to face . Next , hand him t he co t t e r pin reques ting him t o pin
the c a r ds together .
.

4. Whi le t he sp ec t ator is cl ip p ing or f a s teni ng t he t wo J okers and

everyo ne' s eyes are on h im you ha ve ample mi sdir e ct ion f or your ne x t
move r Th is consi s t s in simp l y moving a l l four l e f t f i nge r s i n to
the br e a k, pres s onto t he t op c a rd and pull it ou t and ar ound to
t he bot tom as in the Fig. 4. Natu rally t he right hand hol ds the
de ck fro m above , by t he ends , during thi s move which result s in the
se lect ion being turned over and brought face to face with the
bo t tom gaffed J oker . You wi l l fi nd tha t the one remaini ng prong
will eas i ly s l i p into th e hol e of th e sele c t ion a s th e c ards line
up. Co nclu de th i s acti on by be ndi ng do wn t h i s l a st pr ong onto t he
s el ec t i on thus pi nn i ng i t t o t he dup l icate J oker as s hown i n t he
bott om view of Fig . 5..

Fi g. 4

Fi g . 5

S. The cl i pp ed c a r ds are copp ed into a l eft hand Rea r Palm or

Gamble r 's Co p. The l e ft ha nd drops b elow t ab l e l eve l a s the r i ght
hand pl ac es the de ck asid e. ' The right hand no w drops to below
table lev el wher e a t onc e the cards f r om th e left hand ar e tak en
into the cl a s s ic pa lm po s i t io n wi t h the r i gh t ha nd. The le f t hand
now move s into view . These ac t ions, timed pr operly s houl d appear
as i f the right hand wen t out of play wi th now t he left hand taking
up t he a ction .
6. The l eft hand ha s a f ur t her excu s e as you ext end it towards th e
spectator a sking for the Jokers. Keep the l eft hand ext ended as you
requ es t th e s pe c tat or to pick up th e deck. When he ha s do n e that

.~

200

]
you say, " Hol d t h e de c k b e twe en you r h and s - l ik e this." As you
:
r e ac h t h e last t wo words , "like this", the left hand moves to wa r d s
-- ~
the table's edge as the right hand comes up to meet it.
During this
y ou do "Prope lled Lapping " lett ing t he card s f r om y ou r le f t h and g o ]:,
into your lap a s th e ri ght h and simply r e leases its ca rd s into th e
l e ft hand .
Keep th e hands cupped f or a second or t wo, then simp ly
move the right hand away .

7.
Rai s e t he cl i pp e d c a rd s h id i ng t h e p r ong s wi t h l eft thumb. SWiv e l
t h e cards to show t h e Joker so both ends a r e visible . Ask th e spec- ~
tator to name his card . Lower the cards slowly to s how his c ard
~
k eepin g y our l eft thumb ov er the spot that ha s one pron g mis sing.
~
Ra i s e t he cards aga in so Joker f ac e s the spe cta to r . Un pi n the se le ction fro m the Joke r and hand him the sele ction .
NOTE: To c omp l ete th e e ffe c t y ou prob abl y should alr e ady have
ano the r Jok er face up in the de ck whic h t h e s p e c t at or d i sc ov e rs b e f or~ you disclose his pinned selec tion .
2ND CLIPPER METHOD :

Mar lo

1.
Thi s use s the Solomon Joker Gaf f p lus t h ree d u pl i c at e Jok er s.
The Jo k e r ga ff i s i n t h e l ap.
Two reg ular Jo k er s are a t the f ace
o f the deck wh i l e the third Joker i s secretly face up on top o f the
d e c k ; ho wever , begin by having only one Joker at the face and th e
oth e r J o k e r face down o n top o f the d e c k coverin g th e r ev e rsed or
fa ce u p J oke r . Th e de ck is p la ce d i nt o t he c a rd c ase unti l y ou a re
r e a d y to us e it . The cott er pins o r p a p e r fas tene rs s ho u l d b e i n
y our left side c o a t pocke t.
2. Wh e n y o u start the e f f e c t remove the deck from the c a s e s o i t
c ome s ou t wi t h backs uppe rmos t. Turn the deck face u p. When y ou
s e e the Joker say , " Le t' s ge t t he J oke rs ou t of th e way f i rst. 1I
Thumb t he f ir s t J o ke r o f f the f a c e o f th e d ec k to the ta bl e so it
i s f a c e up.
Sp r e a d thru the deck l o o k i n g f or t h e s econ d Joker .
As you near the l e f t end of the spread do a Bl o ck Pushoff of t he
last t wo or thr e e c a r d s . whic h p r e ce d e the t op Jo k er.
The Bl o c k
Pushoff wil l conc e al the r ev e rsed Jo k er bringing into view the t op
Jo k e r which is t a k e n by the lef t hand and to ssed ont o the tab l e ,
f ace up, with t h e othe r J oker . Re -s qu a r e the deck int o the lef t
h and.

~\

.j

J
]

3. Dur i n g S tep 2 you have subtly con v e y e d t h at al l c a r d s a re face

u p and t ha t o n l y t wo Jokers wer e pr e se n t . Re-spread the d ec k, stil l
faces up, b etween bo th hands r equ est ing th e sp ectator t o nam e, touch,
or r emov e any ca rd.
Take h i s c ho s en c a rd, t urn i t fa ce do wn, pl a c e
it u nder the fa c e up deck , square u p the c ard s, the n tu r n t he de c k
f a c e up.
Bel ow his c ar d i s t h e s ecr et fa ce u p J oke r .
4.
Hand th e d ec k to t h e spe cta t or a long with a
to s i gn his card on t he face . When he has done
from him with y ou r p al m u p lef t h and . Wi t h th e
do a Double Tu rno v e r o f th e fac e u p ca r d ( s ) , a s
o f t h e deck, th em immedia tely thum b off t he' t o p

\.-. '

marki ng pen fo r him

this, take t he deck
ri g h t hand a i d i ng
one, onto th e top
.~
ca r d do wn t o the tablej

J
2. Wh e n y o u start the ef fe c t r e mov e the deck from the ca s e s o i t
c ome s ou t wi t h backs uppermos t. Turn the deck face u p. When you
s e e the Joker say , " Le t' s ge t the J oke rs ou t of th e way f i rst . 11
Thumb t he f i rst J o ker o ff the f a c e o f th e d ec k to t h e t a bl e so it
is f a c e up . ?pread thru the deck l o o k i n g for t he s econd Joker .

J
,

,.
. 201

5. Turn th e de ck fa ce up in to t he lef t ha nd . The ri ght hand p i c k s

up the supposed signed card, real ly the Joker, to place it face down
orr t o tt he face of the deck as you say, "We will cut your card into
the center of the deck." This you do, using only one cut , but at
the same time the lowermost card , the actual signed card, is lapped
us i ng a c u t t i ng action as described in Volume I, pag es 313 t o 315 .
Thu s you accomp lish a double purpose, you c ut the Joker i nto the
c e nt er of t he d ec k and l ap t he signed se lectio n at the same t ime.
6. The right hand takes the deck to table it . face down while your
left hand casually drops into your lap . There you get the selection
and turn it face do"~, if it is not, then place it onto the project ing prong of the pin . This you can do very easily by feel and at
t he same t i me bend down the upright prong so the cards are p i nn e d.
You ' wi ll hav e p len ty of time f or t he s e ac tio ns bec au s e t he r i ght
ha nd wi l l also be busy handing the spe ctat or th e tw o t ab l ed Jokers,
on e ~t a time , f or examination .
7 . When the specator has conc l ud ed examing the Jokers, the left
hand moves towards the left side coat pocket to remove a few of the
p aper fasteners . Meantime, the right hand has casua lly dropped int o your l ap where you palm the cl i pped c a r d s s o tha t the s i gned c ard
is agai n s t the pa l m.
~' .

8. Once the spectator has fastened the Jokers extend your left hand
f aT them .no the Propelled Lapping actions under the excuse of show~
ing him how he is to hold the deck between his hands. After some
magical Mumbo-Jumbo ask him to spread the face down deck between his
hands when he find$ a face up Joker. Your cards , wh ich previously
hav e been s wi v ell ed at rig ht ang le s t o expo s e bo t h end s of th e fa ce
up Jo ker fr om und er the s upp o sed fa ce down Jo ker, are no w tur n ed
ov e r to show his selec tion.
(Be sure your left or r i ght thumb covers
the missing prong spot when you initially show a Joker .) Since the
he a d of the pin is showing all you need to do i s apparently close
the prongs, from the bottom, in order to - let his selection fall free
to the table f or his inspection.
9. Ta ke t he J oker from the dec k and pl ac e it f a ~e down onto the on e
you hol d. The se, al ong wi t h the othe r paper f as t en e r s are p l aced
ou t of the way in to your lef t coat pocket . The pinned card s in your
lap are also pocketed since the left hand will drop be l ow the table
level, pick up the pinned cards onto those in your left hand, then
t ravel to the left side coat pocket . Keep in mind t he effect is
ov e r s o all these act ions shOUld be d one with a clear co n s c i e nc e .
THE DOUBLE DOUBLE BUBBLE:

Wi th Two Selec t ion s - Solomon

1. This uses the Bauble Gaff whi ch is the two Sixes of Clubs and
Sp a de s pasted at the lower end with the face card, the 6S, c u t a
six t y - f ou r t h of an inch at its upper end. The set-up on-top of the
dec k is t he Gaffed card , 6C a nd 6S fr om the t op down . The p a s t ed
end of the gaff i s a t th eu ppe r end of the deck.
2.

Li ft up t he top 3 c a rd s a nd do a D'Amico Spr ea d showi ng the 6S

-I

1I
up "J o ker fr om und er th e s upp o sed f a ce down Jo ker, are no w tur n ed
ov e r to show his selec tion.
(Be s ur e your left or r ight thumb covers
the missing prong spot when you initially show a Joker .) Since the
he a d of the pin is showing all you need to do is apparently close

202

1.:

and 6C.
Flip the spread cards face down letting them converge
squarely on top of the deck.
Turn to your right and let the spectator.seeyou .obviously lift up one card, then another, really
separating the gaffed card at the inner end only, then holding the
separation place this face down to the table apparently squared up.

3. Spread the deck faces down and have a card selected.

Turn this
card face up on the deck.
Hand the deck and a marking pen to the
spectator in order that he may sign it across the face . Take the
deck back.
Do a Triple Lift and as you start to turn the face up
card face down do the K. M. Move (See Vol. I, pages 39 to 43 of
the Magazine .) to exchange the selection for the 6S as the left
hand does a Wrist Turn and remains palm down.
This leaves the 6C
face up on top of the deck with the selection face down below it:

"'!

4. The right hand takes the outer end of the face up deck, thumb
on the face with the fingers below, which leaves the left hand free
to turn palm up.
The right hand places the deck face up back into
the left h~nd. Spread the deck faces up for a second selection to
be made . Take the card, with the right hand, turn the card face
down and place it under the deck.
Turn the deck over and hand it
to the spectator, along with the marking ~en, for him to sign his
card across its face.
Take the deck back , do a Double Turnover
bringing the card(s) face down on top of the deck , then thumb off
the top card onto the supposed first selection . The true situation
now is both selections are on top of the deck while the two regular
sixes are face down on the table.

1
l

,S

]
].

It

]
'1

'l

5. Palm off the top two cards into your right hand.
The left hand . 1
places the deck onto the table, to your left, while the right hand
adds the palmed cards to the gaffed card which is slid off the table -'i
1
into your left hand wh ich by now is free to receive the cards into
-.-""
its palm up hand .
'1t

6 . With the right fingers, at the front.end, separate the gaffed

j
card to again flash two sixes.
In a squaring action lap the gaffed
card using Marlo's Screening Action.
Next the left 4th finger gets
"'A
a break under the top c~rd and the fingers press onto the top card
c~
of the two , then pull it around and face up to the bottom thus
bringing the cards face to face.
This is an open action but is done
quickly to that you do not flash the face of this card although the
-j
right hand, which is holding the cards by the ends from above , gives ...;~
you sufficient cover.
.~

7 . Pin these two cards, then place them, still squared, to the
table. Turn the deck face up and place the two tabled cards, the
supposed selections ' but really the sixes, face down into different
parts of the deck . Turn the deck face down and table same. All
that remains is to do the magic.
Spread the deck to reveal two
face up sixes.
Reach over to the pinned cards and swivel the top
one to expose upper and lower ends of one selection. Turn the
cards over to reveal the other selection. Have the spectator unpin
the selections.
.

'1

'-~
"

~
--~

J
~~

'1
d'

"

..

..... :~

203

MARLO'S D. D. BUBBLE METHOD:

1. This wts inspired by Solomon's version of the effect with two
selections. In this the gaffed card is altered in that the two
sixes are g l ue d or cemented, at one end, f ac e to face. As before
the 6S is cu t across its top end f or l ess than a six ty-fourth of
an i nch. Al so a n AS wi l l be us ed a s a sort of tal isman or mag ic
ca r d. The se t - up ITom to p down is t wo r egu l a r six e s, Ac e of Sp ades
and t he gaffed card wi th i ts f r e e en ds towa r ds t he f r on t end o f
the de c k . The ga ff shou ld have t he 6C a s the lower or face up card
of t he t wo.
2. Thumb off the top two sixes and toss th em face up to the table.
Turn over the AS and t os s th is fac e up to t he table away from the
sixes. Make some remarks about the ma gical powers of the AS .
3. The right hand r e a c he s f or the t abl ed six es durin g wh i c h t ime
the left 4th fi nge rtip rel e a s es t he gaffed c a rd, at it s lowe r ri g ht
corne r, t he n move s in to hol d a bre a k be lo w it . The r ight hand
plac es its s i xes f ac e up and f a nned ag ainst t he top of the d ec k but
side-jo~ge d to the r ig ht .
The left t humb kee ps the f a c e up sixes
in place which leaves the right hand fre e to Stud . De al the face 6S
card face down onto the face up 6C but so that the 6C still showSfor half its width. Your patterhere is, ltI willpIace the sixes
fac e to face. lt
4. Square up the s i xes ste a ling the ga f f ed c ard below them. Tur n
t he s e car ds over boo kwis e to the l e ft a nd back onto the top of the
. d ec k. The r ight ha ~d is st ill a bove t he deck and hold ing t he end s .
The r i ght 1s t fing er engages the top card of t he gaf f a nd li fts it
upward, then the r ight 2nd fin ger eng ages the face u p card sho wing,
the 6S, the n this s ep aration is kep t as th e right hand lifts the
gaffed card off the deck, you have apparently lifted off the original f a c ed sixes. Next, let the gap close as you seemingly squar e up
the two face to face sixes, between the t~ps of each hand and well
above the d eck, aft er whi c h the ri gh t ha nd p lac es t h e faced ' s ixes
to t he tabl e. In ord er to i ns ur e t he separation of t h e gaff the
righ t 1st fi nge r pull s up ward on i ts top c a rd un t ~l the f a c e up
vis ib le si x is more or less li f t ed of f t he de ck , at t he fro nt e nd ,
a ft e r whic h t he ri ght 2nd f ing er t i p can e nga g e this c ard ' without
inadvertentl y lift ing up the r egular face do wn six just below the
gaff.
S. Take the AS and place it face up on top of the deck saying,
"We'll use theAce of Spades later." Do a Triple Turnover turning
the AS face down and bringing the regular faced sixes to the top.
Turn the deck over and place it face up into the left hand de aling
posi tion.

6. Spread the deck fac e up and have a card selected. Take it with
the right ha nd, turn it face do wn and place it under t he dec k. Turn
the deck over, with the right hand either end for end or sidew ise,
back into the left hand showing the f ace up s election. Hand the
deck to the spectator, along with a marking pen, for him to sign
his card across its f a c e . Take the deck back in your palm up left
hand. Do a Tri p l e Tur n over to turn the sel ection f a c e down a nd

upward , the n the right 2nd fin ger en gages the face u p card sho wing,
the 6S, the n this s epar ation is kept as th e right hand lifts t he
gaffed card off the deck, you have apparently lifted off the origin:11

f::lrprl

~iyp~.

N p YT .

1PT

t-h p

U::ln

r1n~p

::l~

vnl1

~p pminu1v

<:.nl1 .'::n' p

I1n

"


'~

2 04

.~

bring the f a c ed sixes to the top. Lift off the top card , u s i ng a
Hit Method , wi t h the right 1st finger , a t the l ower ri ght c orne r.
As the r i ght hand st a rts t o lift off the top c a r d the l e f t hand
does a Wri st Turn to conce al t he f ace up six that remains on top of
the de ck . Keep t he l e ft hand pa lm do wn wh i le t he right ha nd p l a c e s
\ he s upp o s ~d s-e Lec t i on , rea l l y a six, f ace do wn to the t able a nd
away f r om th e tabled ga f f ed card.
7 . The ri ght hand gra s ps t he outer end of the f ace up deck. This
l eav es the le ft ha nd fr ee t o t ur n pa lm up , t hen the right hand repl ac es the deck fa c es up in to the l e ft hand d eal ing position .
Spr ea d t he dec k fac e up, betwe en both hands, for a sec ond s election
t o be made. Take thi s card, turn it fac e dbwn , pl ace it unde r t he
deck, the n turn the d e ~ k fac e up into t he l e ft hand . Hand t he dec k
to t he se c ond specta t or , alo ng wi t h t he marking pe n, f or him t o
si gn hi s card ac r oss i ts fac e. Tak e t h e deck i n to the palm up l e ft
ha na, wi t h t he aid of righ t hand do a Double Turnove r to turn the
si gned card fac e do wn and bring t he second six face down on top of
the de ck. Deal the t op card f ac e do wn on t o the fir st suppo s ed sel ecti on. You now hav e two r egul ar six e s fac e do wn on t he t a ble and
t he t wo se l ec t ion s a re on top of th e de c k. The AS is at th i rd position fr om the top .

1...iJ

8. Do a Tripl e Turnove r to bri ng the AS fac e up in to view on to p of -,

the de ck . With t he ri ght 1 st fin ger dO-a Hi t Do u bl e Li f t , a t th e
,j
inner rig h t c or ner . As t he-ri ght hand s ta r t s t o move the c a r d(s)
off to the right the le ft hand does a Wr ist Turn . At the s ame t ime .,
you do a K. M. Move in whi ch the l e f t fingers press agai nst the t op
card of the t wo, as one, being moved off to the right. The l eft
f inge rtips hold bac k t h e card un de r the AS wh i l e the rig ht hand
move s off to the ri ght wi t h its now sing l e f a c e ,up AS . Th e held
back card has f o l ded f a ce do wn onto th e top of th e deck , cover ing
t he other fa c e up c a r d , thus the r ight hand can turn pa l m up. All
. l ooks quit e f air but you now have the t wo sele ct ions fa ced on top
of the dec k .
.
.

.J

9. The ri ght hand uses the fac e up Ace of Spades to tap the two
suppo s ed s e lections and ' the t wo ta bled sixes saying, " Th i s will
help t he magic - two selections - t wo Six es." Repl ace t he AS face
up on top of the d e ck, t hen do a Tripl e Tur nov e r , u sing the-natural
back to back s epar a t i on, bring i ng the AS fac e do wn a nd the fac ed
s elections to the top . With the left 4th finger tip release the
tw o faced c ards, the n the left 4th fingertip presses again st t he
c a r d s to hold a break, at the lower right corner, below' the two
faced cards . These actions are made as the right picks up the
gaffed cards, by the end from a bov e .
10. Bri ng the gaff towar ds th e t op of the de ck . Pi c k up t ho s e
c a r d s above the break, secre tly, and at once the cards are r a i s ed
up to the left fin gertips a s if to squ a r e th e sides. The ri g ht
ha nd hold s t hi s p a c ket, fro m abo ve by t he ends , a s at onc e the l eft
thumb pus he s t he to p c ard of t he deck off to the right and th e
l e f t fing er s , from belo w, press upwards t o le ver the AS face up on
t op of th e deck as you s ay, "We' ll use the Ace of Sp aaes lat er. "
The le ft ha nd p la ces th e dec k t o th e t a b l e .

mo ve s off to the ri ght wi t h its now sing l e f a ce,up AS . Th e held

back card has f o l ded f ac e do wn onto th e top of th e deck , covering
the other fa c e up card, t hus the r ight hand can tu rn pa lm up. All
looks quit e f air but you now have the t wo selections faced on top
' of the deck.

']

J
J

205

11 .

The r i gh t hand p lac es its pack et into t he left hand so that i t

pr o ~~ u d e s , p 8 s t the le f t ~ f i nge r f or a bou t a t hird o f it s l engt h .
The righ t ha nd a lso ma i n ta1 ns i t s hold of t he end s of the pac ket .
Be sur e t he r i g ht 2nd , 3rd . and 4t h f inge rs are acros s t he fr ont en d
of t he pac ket t o conccar-iny t hi c kne s s. Hol d the pac ket upr ight
wi t h the back c a rd fa c i ng t he spec tato r , the r i ght 2nd fi ng ert i p
pu l l s bac k the top c a r d t o s how a s ix . Turn the paefet ov e r s i dewise a nd bac k i n to the l e ft hand with t he ri g ht hand aga in ho l d i ng
t he ends . le ft : 1st finge r pulls down on the l ower mos t car d t o e xpo s e t he fa ce

of~e

o t he r six.

The packe t i s s ti l l he l d u pri ght .

The r i ght t humb l i f t s up the t op t wo cards at the bac k end a nd

ho l ds t he s epa r a t i on .
l Z. He r e the r ig ht hand move s downward t o sor t o f cl o se t he ga p or
sepa ra tion of t he cards a t t he outer end . As the r ig ht f i nger s
cov~r t he l e f t f i rs t fi nge r t his le ft 1st f in ger , st i l l press ing i t s
t i p against the top end of t he pulled down six , pushe s i nward c au s i ng t he gaff t o move i n t o a sor t o f Rear Palm f rom wh i c h po s i t ion
you ca n eas i ly l ap t he gaff us i ng Marlo ' s Sc re e n in g ac t i on . You
ha ve only t he f aced s el ec t ions whi c h a re n ow pinned , then plac ed to
t he t ab l e.
13. Pi ck up the deck wi th the l e ft ha nd . The rig ht hand u se s the
f a c e up AS t o scoop up t he su ppose d t wo s el ecti on s . Square u p t he
th r e e caras and t ur n t hem over a s you p l ac e th em on top o f the de CK.
The AS is f ac e down on to p of t he de c k co v ering t wo f ac e up s e lect io nS:14 . You can now s i mp l y cu t t he dec k, t hen la t e r r evea l the t wo
s i xe s f ac e up ; however, my pre f e r enc e i s f o r a s l ig ht ly s howi er
hand li ng whi c h brings t he fa ce up AS back be f or e disc los i ng t he
fa c e up sixes . The pro cedure will~e br i ef l y de sc ri bed on the as s umpti on that you a re faa iliar wi th t he Block Slip Cove r Up Cu t .
You can l ook t his up in " Adva nc ed Finger tip Cont rol " , Page 155 ,
St ep s 1 t o 5 inc l us iv e; however , a br i ef d e s c r i p t i on will be giv en
here .
I S . Wi l h the dec k f ac e down i n the le f t ha nd get a bre a k unde r t he
t op c ard of th e dec k wi t h t he l e f t 4 t h f ing ert i p. The r i ght hand
i s above t he de ck sq ua ri ng the ends-wTt h the r ight thumb t a k ing over
and ma in t a i n i ng t he brea k , a t t he back end, on the t op card . The
l e f t hand un dercuts ha l f t he de c k a nd c ar r ie s it t o the t op t o
momen t ar i l y r e s t it ther e so t ha t about a half inch of t his underc ut
po r tion s til l remains si de~jogged to t he le f t. At on ce the l e ft
fin ger s pU ll t hos e c a rds be low t he r igh t t humb br e ak t o t he l eft an d
in li ne wit h t he top si de -jogg ed por t i on an d then t he l e f t han d
ca r r ie s bo t h port ions , now f l us h , in another s imul at ed unde rcut to
t he l e Et . Thi s l eaves t he r i ght hand with a s i ngl e face do wn c a rd.
The two face up s ixes ha ve not be en expo sed durin g th e se Bloc k Slip
Cover Up ac t i ons and ar e now c en t r a liz ed i n t he de ck .
16. Once t he s ingl e ca r d i s in t he r i gh t ha nd i t i s s na ppe d [ ace
up, by r e l ea s ing t he outer e nd fr om t he r i gh t f i nge r s , end in g up
be in g he ld fac e up , by th e new cu- cr end, with the th um b on t he face
a nd f i nger s be low . The a ppea r- a nce of t he AS i s qu ite su r pr i s i ng .

_ .

206 -

18.

Fo r those wh o may wan t t o avo i d lapp i ng t h e ga f f o nly a s l i g ht

Everythin g is t he s ame u p to th e St e p
10 . At St e p l a , when t he AS is fa c e u p on t op o f the d ec k , th e left
t hu mb d ea ls it f a c e up to the t ab l e. Th e pa c k et is i n the r i g h t
hand at this s t age and the d e c k i n t h e left hand . Th e packet is
held above the de ck with left fingers holding the s i d e s and the
rig h t ha nd h ol d i n g t h e end s. The gaf f ed c a r d is on t op o f t wo f ac e d
s e l e c t i on s so you ca n show t h e sixes by lifting, with right 2nd
fi n g e r , t h e uppermost c ar d o f t he gaff. Next , turn the packet o v e r
si ~e w i ~ e and return it t? its p o s iti on o f be ing he ld a bove the d eck .
ThI S tIme the l e f t . 1 st fI nger pull s d own t h e out er end o f the l ower most card to sho w a n o t he r si x. Clos e t h e out e r ends a t the s ame
time th e r i gh t thumb g e t s a bre ak, at the back e n d , u n d er the t op
t wo faced se le c t i ons .
In a s i de s qu a r i n g a cti on , a s t h e packe t is
lowe r ed n ear er t o the top o f the dec k, the gaffed c a r d i s unlo ad ed
o n t o the dec k . At once t h e left hand plac es the deck aside and t he
bu s i n es s of pinn ing the two card s you n ow hold i s a ttended t o.
chan~ ~ will a c c omp lis h this.

1 9. Fr om here s i mp l y con t i n u e wi th the re st o f the a cti on s a s expl a i n e d i n S t e ps I I to 17 inc l usive. You wi ll fi n d t he g aff e d c ar d
do es not i n t e r f er e wit h t he end r esul t a nd in fa c t may a l s o b e u s e d
as a Doubl e Ba c k ca rd for any effect that may require such a card
as i t has b e en h e re.
DI RECT P INNED CARDS:

]
_

~i

~.

l
a

.]...

,~
~

Mar l o

1.
In th is method t wo Black King s are actually pinn e d together yet
late r one of the s e car d s t urn out to be a s i gn e d s e l e c ti o n wi t h the
othe r King appe ar ing i n t he deck . Th e r e are no d u p l ic a t e s.
The
s e c r e t is probably the simpl est of all gi ving the effect a mo s t
d i r e ct ap pr o ach . One o f t he Ki ng s s imp l y h a s i ts hole, thru wh ic h
the pa per fas te n e r or cott e r p in is ins ert ed, e n l a rge d just enou gh
so that l a t e r, by simply pu lli ng ba c kon t h i s King , it wi l l slip p a st
the h e ad of th e p a p e r f ast e n e r.
Fo r t hi s d e s c r i ption a s s ume th a t

,.:11

J
si d~ w i ~ e and~~ tu~; - it - t ~ i t s p o s iti;~ - of- b~i~g h e l d a b o; ~-th~ d eck .
This t ime t h e l ef t 1 st f i nger pull s down the out er e n d of the l ower most c ard to show a n ot he r six. Clos e t h e out er ends a t the s ame
Ti m r->

T h ",

~i (T h i-

i-h ll ln"h

(T",t-c:

<:>

h ~ ", <:>1t-

<:>T

t- h r->

"h" ,.. lr

onrl

"nrl n Y'

i-h o

+ ,... -n

a
r~

2 07

the XC has i t s ha l o en l arged .

2.

The on l y se t up , wh i ch i s done t o sub t ly conv ey t hat t he King s

d o s t ay t o g e t h e r when p i nne d , i s to pu t t h e paper f a s ten er t h r u

bo th Ki n g s, f r om t he b a c k s , wi t h t he p r on g s spre ad ou t o ver t he f a c e

King whi c h s hou l d be t he KC wi th the en l ar ged ho l e. The s e pinned

King s are on t op of t he deck wh i c h wi ll ea si l y fi t i n t o t he card
ca s e despite t he pap er f as t e ne r .
3.

When r ea dy t o per f orm r emove t he dec k f r om i ts case.

Call at-

ten t i on t o t he h o l e s i n th e d e c k a nd t he t wo p i n n e d c ard s. Th e t wo
p i n n ed c a r d s a r e s wi v elled a t r ig ht a ng l e s a nd t he rig h t ha nd hol d s
onto t he o ne e nd of t h e t op card .
I n t his c o ndit i on bo th s i de s o f

t he p inned Kings c a n be s hown wi t h the spread pr ongs ef f ec ti vely

camouflaging t he l a r ger ho le in the KC. It al so shows the Ki ngs d o
not come a par t . The l e f t hand pl aceS-t he deck a s ide .
4 . Wi th t he Ki ngs f a c i ng you unpin th e Ki ng s and pu t t h e paper
fast e ne r a s i de . Wlth t he Ki ngs s t il l fa ci ng you p l ac e the l e ft
thumb over the hole i n the KC. Lowe r t he hands and wi th t he ri ght
ha nd r emove the l owe r KS ana-t Tan sfe r i t onto t he f ace of the XC .
The l e f t t humb an d f i nge rs fan or s pread the Kin gs so that t he-now
l owe r mos t KC will s how t o t he Ti ght s i d e , f o r ab out a th ird of i t s
width it s nole be i ng conc eal ed by the f a c e XS. The r i g ht ha nd
p l a c e s the Kings fa c e up to t he t abl e .
S , Ha ve the dec k s huffled by t he spec t a t or. Tak e i t ba ck wi t h t he
r i gh t hand , f rom abov e and by the end s, t o pl ac e i t i nto t he l eft
hand ; howeve r, as you do t h i s the l e ft f i nger t i ps con t ac t the bo t t om \
ca r d pus hing i t t o the rig ht a s a t th e same t i me the Ti ght ha nd
turn s the dec k f ac e up . sidewi s e to the r i gh t , on t o t he f a ce down
c a rd t hus the card i s r ever s ed i n the a c tion o f t urn i ng t he dec k
fa ce up in to the l e f t ha nd . This i s a s ta ndar d reverse move and
done well , witho ut any noi s e , i s s ti ll a d ec epti v e move espec i a ll y
i f you move t he hand s to t he lef t du ring ~ h e t ur nove r act io ns.

6 . Spread the d ec k fa c e up be t wee n bo t h ha nds f or the sel ec t ion

o f a c a r d . Ta ke it wi t h t he r i ght hand , turn i t f ace down and place
i t und er t he dec k. Tu r n t he deck ov er br i ng i ng t he s el ect ion into
view. Be l ow i t i s a f a ce up X ca r d . Ha nd t he de ck t o a s pec ta to r
along wi th a marking pe n , i n o rd er that he may s i gn h i s ca r d across
its f ac e . Tak e t he de ck ba ck wit h the pa l m up l e ft hand . Do a
Doub l e Li ft Tur nove r to br ing t he s e l ec t i on f a c e down , t hen a t once
thumb o f f t he t o p card f ace do wn to t he table . The s elec tion i s
now on t op o f the de c k and the X c ar d is on t he t a bl e . As sume t he
s e lec t ion is the 4C.
7 . Get a l e f t 4 t h fi ngertip b r ea k under the top ca r d a s t he ri ght
ha nd r eache s fo r tlle t a bl ed King s . The r i gh t hand p i c ks up t he
t a bl ed c ar ds by t he rig ht thumb d i gg i ng i n u nd er the le f t s id e of
t he Kings an d the f i nge rs on the f ac e a t t hi s s i de . Thi s will mOTe
or l e s s squa re up t he Kings as th e r i ght hand now tu r ns t he King s
so t hey f a ce t he spec tators with t he right hand now hol d i ng t he
righ t s i de o f t he c a r d s wi t h t humb on t op and fin gers on the f a c e.

"

~,- ...l

ff ,

8 . Bo t h hands are raised s o de ck and Kings face audience .

Th e
right hand bping t h e Kings towards the top of t he d e c k . The right
hand rests t he Kings against the top of th e deck but side- jogged t o
the right for a third of their width.
The left thumb is placed over
the hole of th e top King and a lso keeps this KC in place as the right
hand removes the l owe r mo s t KS to turn i t f a c e Tip . You now say ) III
will pac e the King s face totace." Here the face up KS is seemingly
placed f ace to face wi th th e KC as seen in the F ig . -6-.- Actually the
lower le ft corn er of the faceup KS is secretly being inserted under
the second card, that above the b r e a k , a s sho wn in the F i g . 7.

P'l g . 6

Fig. 7

9.
Ins ert the face up KS so it will remain side -jogged, to th e
right, for two thirds its width.
The hole shows in thi s KS but the
left thumb keeps covering the hole of the to p card. At thIs st a g e,
the left hand 'i s lo wered, the lef t 4th fing e r break is also rel e a.s ed ,
With t h e ri ght
t o cle arly show the Kings a ppa rently face to face.
hand ~oming over the deck, from above by th e end s , square up the
Kings at the same time a u t oma t i c a l l y lifting up three cards to the
fingert ips of e ach respective hand.
The right hand alone now hol ds
these cards, by the ends , while the left h and places the re st of the
deck asid e .
1 0.
The l a r g e r hole in the to~ KC wi ll be c a mou f l a g e d by t he smaller
hole i n the sele ction th at is juSt b elow the KC; howev er , if you
want to play saf e keep t h e pa cket upright withthe back of t he KS
towards the spectato rs.
Transfer the cards into the left hand wh ich tak es the cards by their sides still ke eping the packet upright.
II . With the right hand pick up the paper fastener and insert i nt o the c ards from the back side . Hol d th e en ds of t h e card s with the
right hand, the right 1 s t finger curled a gain st t he head of the paper
fasten er to k eep it in-pIa ce, wh ile the left fingers sprea d out the
prongs on the oth er side of the cards.
The left thumb can move onto the h e ad of th e paper f as t ener to aid in this operation but the
right hand remain s holdin g the ends to k eep th e cards as square as
p ossible.
Th e cards ar e no w turn ed ove r sid ewi s e and back into the
left hand.
The ri ght 1 st fin ger now pull s b a~k t h e top card to
show th e f a c e of t h e K"8 to th e spect ator as in the Fi g . 8 . On your

-- -

...... . -

_ ...... ~ -

.. --- - ,..""' . ..... .

.....~

.. ...'-'_._-

",I, ~

.....

~ ...

~ .

......

......- ........

. . . "\..- -. . . ... . ~

"

.: ~ v- - o:..,

...... O';;' ~ ~ .......-,.'A.? " ~

l eft thumb keeps covering th e hole of the to p c a r d . At thIs st a g e,

the l e f t hand 'i s lo wered, the lef t 4th fing e r break is also rel e a.s ed ,
ro

rl p :1rlv

<b ow

1- hp

K i na "

::l nn ::l rpnt-l v

f::l r p

t-n

1-::l rp

llT it-h

t-hp

r;al)-t-

209

side you will be looking at the selection as in the Fig. 9.

,

.1

.' .

t
I.,
.

Fig . 9 .

. Fig. 8

1
'1

I
~

i
1
j

Fig. 10

I"
~

f
1

I
;;

~
j

:l

F.ig. 11

12. Turn the cards over again sidewise. The right 1st finger
again pulls back the top card, this t i me to show the KC, but at the
same time it is pull ed back far enough so that the heau of the paper
fasten er slips thru and out of the large hole. The hand positions
and the action at this stage are seen in the Fig. 10, the performer's
view.
13. Once the KC is free of the paper fastene r they are again turned
over sidewise lito the left hand as for dealing but in a sort 'o f
deep position . The free KC will fall into the left palm and the
hands can now execut e theJMarlo Screening Actions to lap the KC as
shown in the Fig. 11.
14. The pinned cards are now rested in a left hand dealing position.
The ri ght hand gras ps the inner le ft cQrner of the cards as i n the
Fig. 1 2. The ri ght ha nd tak es the cards turning them over, then
swivelling th e cards at right angles, places them to the table as in
the Fig. 13, to again show the KS.

;1
:1
I

I"

Fig. 10

/
F.ig. 11

.-

.(.

..
t"

. t.

:Fig . 13

Fig. 12

If you do not

w~sh

.~ ..
to
the ac~
tions of Fig. 12 and 13 a~e
done with the loose KC ending up in a Gambler'S-Cop
as in th~ Fig. 14. The choice
, i s yours or depends on whether '
you are standing or seated.
.~
If copped the palmed KC is
~
disposed of in the left side
coat pocket in the act of
removing the, deck which
you have replaced there
while pinning the'cards.
F~g. 14
The KC is also added to the
deck-rn a face up condition
or inserted directly into the center of the deck. This is done to
set-up for the climax of the effect.

15.

lap the

c~rd,then

16. Assuming you have lapped the KC the procedure is now as follows:
Pick up the deck and square it between both hands . The right hand
holds the deck, from above by the ends , then dribbles the cards face
down to the table as you say, "When I do this I want you to call
'Stop' ." By this time the cards have all been dribbled to the table.
Pick up t~e deck and again square it between both hands. ' The right
hand again holds the deck, from above by the ends, but the left hand '
casually drops into the lap. While there the KC is taken into the
left hand so the KC is ' face up . The right hana-dribbles the cards
and times this so-about half the deck will have been dibbled off to
the table whe n the spectator calls, " Stop" . The left hand moves
upwards, but not past the edge of the table, remaining below the
table level. The right hand merely drops its half of the deck into
the waiting left hand, onto the face up KC, then moves to pick up
the supposed tabled selection . This is placed face down onto the
top of the dribbled cards. In the meantime, the left hand has also
moved into view with its cards. The right hand now picks up the
/

yuu

n~v~

r~p~~c~u

')
--

Ln~r~

while pinning the'cards.

F~g. 14
The KC is also added to the
deck-rn a face up condition
o r inserted directly into the center of the deck. This is done to
set-up for the climax of the effect .

:1

"

211

card s f r om the l ef t hand, aga i n fr om a bove by the ends , to p l a c e

t h i s half on t o the dribbled cards as you say , "Your car d in t o t he
m idd l ~ of .t he d ec k."

;:

17. Square up the deck and place i t f orward on the tab le . Sn ap

yo ur fingers p v er the deck , t hen spr ead i t, fr om l e f t t o r ig h t , to
r ev ea l the face up KC . Turn the pinned card s to r ev ea l the selec t io n. Have t he s pectat or unpin the c ar d s.
18 . For t hose who do not mind working of f the d e ck, avoid ing c op ping or lapping the KC, t he n when the c a r d s are p inned t hey are
s hown a s already detailed but with the deck held in the left hand .
When the KC is lo osened the cards a re turned ove r ont o t he d ec k .
The loose KC, now fa ce up, drops onto the deck while the r i gh t hand
mov e s t o grasp t he i nn er left
c or ner of the cards in a
manner similar to that al r e ady s hown i n the Fig. 12.
The right hand turns the
c ar d s ov e r, swivell ing them
a t r igh t angles , wh i le t he
l e f t hand tilts inwards to
co nc e al t he f ac e up KC.
The Fig . 15 shows this action with the left 4th fin gertip pressing do wn on to
t he KC t o keep it in place .

Al l that remains is t o
c u t the d eck c entra l i z i n g
the fa c e up KC. The right
hand pi ck s up the s uppo s ed t abled selection to i n s e r~i t fa ce down
i nt o the center of t he de ck . Co nc lude t he ef f e ct in your be st
sho~~ a n l i k e manner .
~9.

Fig. 15

"-

I"

\
I
I

1
I

JlGlHU

)!.L L;l\ :>

up

un e

:>uppu:>eo. t.a o.i eu s e r e c t a o n

i nt o the center of t he de ck .
sho~~ a n l i k e manner .
"-

t. u

.i n

ser

t;

.i t;

IGlCe o.own

Co nc lude the e ffec t in your best

"

' l
- r,

'
'.

THE INTERLACED VANISH

-: .
The following methods of the Int erlaced Vani~h are the re sul t~
of personal pre fer ences of procedure and eventual cl1max as compar ed i
to th e ori g i nal Paul Harri s effect. Those who are familiar with th e j
Harris method and climax can compare and decide if they want to at
least adopt some of the changes some of which are not to bring the
interlaced packet n ear the deck, avoiding the Kardyro-Biddle Count , ~
using selected card s in itead of Aces as the cards interlaced among
four face up Kings and a climax in which a signed selection appears 1
in the card case.
,~

EFFECT: Three selected cards are interlaced fac e down b etween four " ~
face up Kings. The Ace of Sp ades is placed in a card case. The
~
thr~e select ions v ani sh from b etween the Kings.
Two of the sele ct ed a
cards are re vealed in the d eck but the third card turns out to be
the 'card o riginally placed i n t o the card case, the Ace of Spades,
the third sel ected card, which was previously signed, is found in
the card case.

]
]

1. Before go i n g into the description of the Interlaced Vanish it

is advisabl e that th e reader first make himself thoroughly famili ar
with "The Flexible Count", described in another section of this
volume, as well as the "Opec Count".

talll

2. From th e d eck r emov e th e 4 Kings and while doing this also

manage t o place th e AS some where near the bottom of the deck. Toss ~,
the Kings f ace up to the table, one at a time, in KH-KD-KS-KC orde r. j
The face card will be the KC. Turn th e deck face CIOwnana spread i n g
it face down, between bothhands, have 3 card s freely selected. Th e :"'~
3 selected cards can now b e signed by tKe spectators or you can ha v e I
Jllst the 3rd sp ectator si gn his sel ection.
If you have one p e r s on
'!#
s e1ect alr-3 card s, then have him sign anyone of the 3 cards but
you keep thls card in mind and treat it as the last or 3rd card o f
the three cards.

Jl

3. Place the deck face down to your left and within reach. Collect
the selection s face down, into your left hand, in order of 1-2.3.
'
When the 3 selections are turn ed face up they will be in 1-2-3 order
from the face to the top. For the sake of clarifying the-descriPtiOp. j'
assume the 3 selected cards are the SC-6C-7C from face to top.
.,
-

~ .i;

- - -

4. With the ~ sel ected cards face up in the left hand the right han~c
picks up the face up Kings to place them onto the cards in the left 1
hand. Now you say, "For this effect we use the four Kings and your J ,
thre~ chosen cards."
During this patter line you spread out the
Kings, between bofh hands, at the same time the left fingertips preSSj".'
up against the back of the last King, the KH, to keep it in place as
the Le ft thumb p I ace s its elf on to the KD, tKe 3rd c a r d from the face.
Now the right hand moves the 3 Kings towards tnc-left. The left
~b
thumb also pu l l s th e KD to the left. This results in the last King, t
the KH, which is basically kept in place by the left fing ers, to move ,.}
to under the spread of 3 Kings and past the left side of the KD to
create a s t ep at thi s sIde. Without any hesitation the 3 selection s '/
a r .e spread out. The face card of the s e 3 cards, the SC in this case) J

;- "

11: race aown, c e t.weeri no t n nanas, nave ~ caras r r e e i y s e i e c t ec . .rn e ~~

3 selected cards can now b e signed by the spectators or you can have I
JllSt
the 3rd spectator sign his sel ection.
If you have one p e r s on
'!#
_ ,"'it
.,~

'1

..

-- . . .----

r_

--_

- - - --

213

will click off of the step, at the left side of the KD, at the inner
left co rner as seen in the Fig. 1 where by pressing the Kings downward~ 'ver~ s lightly, a separatio~ will f orm at the inner end, as in
Fig . 1.

It

Fig . 1

Fig. 2

Fig . 3

Fig . 4

s. As both hands move to close the spread the 3 select ed cards mov e
int o the separation f ormed and go ing a bove the KH which was stepped
and under the 3 face Kings.
When t h e packet of-cards is turned face
d own the order-o f the cards, because of the displacem ent move s, will
be KH, 3 selections in 3 -2 -1 order, KD-KS- KC from the top down . Deal
the~op-3 cards face d own-to the tabIe . --Tnese 3 cards n ow c ontain t he
2 selectIons and a KH. The 3rd selection is on-top of -t he packet
remaining in the l 'ett hand. You are now ready to interlace the cards.
6. ' Tu r n the King packet fac e up. The right hand fans out t his packet
with the faces towards yourself. The left hand picks up the top c ard,
the 3rd selection, in o r d e r to place it b e t we e n the Kings as in the
Fig. 2. Th i s selecti on faces the spectators and is in direct ly conveyi~g th e idea t hat the tabled cards ar e the select ion s wi t h ou t
having to use any o f the so called "f I a sh " methods . This selection
i s placed be tween t h e 4th and 3rd cards o f the fanne d Kings , as i n
t he Fig. ~, thus coverIng the 1st selection or SC in thi s c as e.

7.

In th e even t y ou' may be wo rried ab out s omeone behi nd y ou , t h en

t
I

Fig . 3

Fig . 4

'. '

fan the King packet face down and Ln s e r t the selection face up under
the top c ard of the fanned cards as in the Fig. 4 . Now turn the f a n
face ~p to 'get into the position shown in the Fig. l with the fan o f
cards facing you.

OJ

Fig. 6

)
)
1
',.Ii

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

8.
Pick up the ne xt tabled card and insert it between the 2nd and
3rd cards of the fan, between the KD and KS . Now lower the-rlght
hand so t ha t the spectator sees the-faces-of the fan.
At th e same
t ime the left hand picks up the final tabled card, suppos edly the
last sel ec t io n but reall y the KH, to start placing it between the
1st and 2nd card s of the fan, as in the Fig . S, then c omp l e t e the
InSertion a s in the Fig . 6. Bringing the faces o f the Kings into
view gives you good misdirection and logic for not showing the supposed final selection.
It also presents a fairly convincing picture
o f everything being fair.
9 . Push t h e cards flush and place the packet into the l e f t hand
dea ling position with the Kings being face up . You will now repe at
showing the cards under the excuse of impressing the sit uation of th e
interlaced cards . Thumb over the KC grasping it wi t h the r ight hand,
thumb on th e face, fingers below, DY its right side . Thumb over the
face down card and out-jog it b y moving the card out with the left
hand . Thumb over the KS, then out-j og the next face down card and

],

.J
J
]
..

~\

/
Fig. 7

(.

Fig . 8

8.
Pick up the n ex t tabled c a r d and insert it between the 2nd and
3rd cards of the fan, between the KD and KS . Now lower the-rlght

215

ou t- jog it with the lef t hand moving outwa rd aga i n . As the le f t

hand mov es i nward wi t h i ts cards the l eft thumb deals ov er the KD
so t hat i t -s low e r ri ght corner go e s und er the lower left c or n e r'To f
the KS as in t h e Fi g . 7 wh i c h i s the s tart of the Down -Jog Displacemen t T" For more deta il s on t he Down - J og Di s p l a c eme n t see t h e " Oi l
and Wa ter" r ou t i n e s in this volume . No t e that a s each car d is ou tjogg ed the elonga te d sp read is c on ve r g ed l e ngthwise to the r ight.

'

10. Fr om th e p o i nt of Fi g. 7 th e lef t hand move s t he KD to t he r ig h t ,

conv e r g i ng t he s pr e a d , as at-the same time the le ft hano move s ou tward ) with its remaining cards, to apparently ou t -jog the last fa ce
do wn c ard a s i n t h e Fi g. 8 . The e lo nga t ed spr ead is at this po int
simp l y conv e r g ed l engthwi se. You n ever show the l ast card but it
will n ot be n oti ce d .
11 . The converged el onga t e d packet is he ld in t he left ha nd as the
righ t hand moves to abov e the c ar d s in ord er to pus h th e ou t -jo gged
card s flu sh . Dur ing th i s the r ig ht thumb l i f ts up, very slightly)
the i nn er e nd of t he p ac k e t and a s t h e ca r d s a r e s quar ed th e l e ft
4 t h fingertip gets a break b el ow the se li f t ed ca r d s at th e inner
r i gh t corner . There are fo ur cards above the br eak whi ch cons i s t
of 3 Ki ngs and on e fa c e d own Ki ng at ' 2n d fr om t he fa ce . Th e 3 c ard s
.b e l ow th e br ea k c on s is t of th e 3 s el ection s wi th th e 3rd and 2n d
sel e c tio n s f a c e down and t h e 1st se le ct i on f a ce up. rn-thi s examp le ,
fr om t op down , t he 7 C- ~ and SC . .
12. The 3 s el ect ions a re no w Bo ttom Pal med in the l ef t hand a s t he
right hana, which is s till above t he p ack et holding the end s., helps
.t he l e ft thumb s pre a d out t h e f i rst two ca rds t o a lmo st acci den t ally
s ho w 2 Kings wi th a face down c a r d between t h em as in t h e .Fi g . 9 .

Fi g.

Fig. 10

13. The right ha nd hold s onto its cards while the left hand t urns
palm .down . Th e right hand moves to place its cards to the table as
the l e ft hand mov e s to d ir ectl y ov e r the t abl ed dec k, on y our le ft,
to a dd t he pa l med card s to t h e t op a s i n the Fig . 10 . The lef t hand
at on c e mo v e s i t s f inge r s an d t humb to a r oun d th e sides of th e dec k,
as in Fig . II, in order to pick it up and turn it face up by simply
turning the-reft hand palm up.
14.

Wi th the deck f a ce up th e c a r d s ar e s pr e ad between both han d s as

I,

I
II
i

~1 6

you say, " I wi l l nee d to elim i n a t e a b a d luck c a rd f o r t hi s e f f e ct t a l

work . You know it is the Ace of Sp a d e s." By th i s time yo u hav e
J
arrived a t / a nd out-jo gg e d the AS as in th e Fig . 12 . With the right
h and 'y'e mov e t he AS and t u rn i t f ac e do wn , then p l ace it under the fa c r ~
u p d e ck . Turn tne deck over d isplayin g the face u p AS .
Do a fo ur
c ar d t urno v er t u r n i n g t h e AS fa c e do wn on t o th e d eck . Th is bring s
'
th e ~ sele cti ons ' to th e t op wi t h t he 3rd s e Le c t i.on , in th i s case the
'~
7C, a s t h e top ca r d which is the s ig ned sele ction . Take the to p ca rd ~
a n d place it fa c e do wn in t o t he ca r d case whi ch rema i n s i n f u l l view .;i
o f t he aud ience.
Pla c e the d ec k fa ce down to t h e table .
'Tj

..!

-,-

:PJ
11

Fi g . 11

Fig . 1 2

15. Tu r n your ~ t tention to the ta bl e d card s . You wi l l no w s h ow

t h a t this p a ck e t , whic h cons ist of the four Kings with one fa c e do wn
. King, a s ap p a r e n t ly s t i l l being s even ca rds with 3 fac e d own cards
b e t we e n fo u r f ac e u p King s . Fo r th is you do the iTFle x i b l e Count" ,
d e s c r ib ed in anothe r secti on o f th i s vo lume , s t a r t i n g wi t h Fig . 8
and S t ep 5 of thes e instr u c tions . Hav ing s h own the pac k e t as appa r entl y still co n ta i n ing 7 cards th e re al situat ion i s that you hav e
fou r Ki n gs wi th t he KH fac e d own in th e s ec o n d po si ti on f r om t h e
f a c e. Thumb over on ly t wo c a r d s t o show 2 fa c e up King s wi th a f a c e
down card b e t we en th em as you say , "R emember, y o u r c ards a r e betwe en
th e King s ."
Hol d t he p a c k e t in your l e f t h a nd.
Snap y our fi nge r s
ov e r t h e p a c k e t, t h e n d o Marlo ' s Ope c Count wh i c h a pp arently shows
four fa c e u p Ki ng s . The f ace do wn cards hav e su d denly an d vi suall y
vanished . Aft e r th e " Marlo Op ec Coun t" the f a ce down Ki ng wil l b e
t h e lo wermo s t c a rd o f t h e f a ce up pa cke t . Th e requir e d c ou n t y o u
s h ou l d have studie d a nd r emembere d b e f o r e go ing into the Interl ace d.
Vanish a s su g gested in the op eni n g par agr aphs o f this effect.

16. With t h e King packe t in your l eft h a nd i mm ed i at el y a fte r the

"Ope c Coun t lt th e l eft f i n ge r s buc kle the bottom c ar d . Th e right
hand pl aces its thumb under th e 3 King s , that a r e a b ov e th e buckl e d
c a rd , wit h th e ri ght f i n g e r s on top . This a l ~ ta k e s p l ac e a t the
inn e r r ight corner as shown in the F i g . 13 , the p erf ormer's exposed
view.
-17.
Fr om t h e Fi g. 1 3 t h e righ t ha n d a t once turn s its cards over
and upw ard to th e po sition sh own in th e Fig. 1 4 . In a continuing
actio n t he l e f t th umb c on tac ts t h e t op c a rd or t he for ward c ards

i
,

U e;;:: :;'\... ! ' lo U e;;:: U

loll

a .n o

t.n e r

:seCL.lUll

U I

CIll. :S

v o r u me ,

::> L a r L; l. I lg

wr

t.n

ag

and S t ep 5 of thes e instr u c tions . Having s h own the pac k et a s appa r entl y still co n ta i n ing 7 card s th e re a l situation is that you hav e
fo u r King s wi th t he KH face d own in th e s ec o n d po si ti on f r om t h e
f a c e. Thumb over on ly t wo c a r d s t o s h ow 2 fa c e up Kin g s wi th a f a c e
down card b e t we en th em as y ou say , "R emember, y o ur cards a r e betwe en

..-~

...

21 1

while th e r ight thumb and fingers spread the 3 card packet into a
display o f no w a 4 c a rd spread a s in the Fi g .-l S wh i c h shows the
p e r Eo r me r .' s v iew with th e fac es o f the four Ki ngs facing th e spect ator. Ta ke t wo c a rd s in e a c h hand and toss them f a c e up to the table.

Fi g. 14

F ig . 13

18 . The disclosure of the 3

se lections now takes place and
since the r e al impact o f th e e f fe ct
is already over the disclosur e
should b e qu ickly done with. Th e
top 3 card s of the d ec k hav e t he
cards in o r d e r o f 2n d s el ect i on on
t op (6 C), the 1st selec t io n fa c e
up b elow it ( S ~ t h en t h e f ac e
do wn AS . Th e follo wing method is
a l l do n e in the han ds a nd wi ll b e
di ff icult for a n yon - loo k ing
magici an to r e c o n s t r u c t .
19. Pick up the deck and Double
Cut the top card to th e bottom
which disclo ses the 1st selection eSC) face up on top of the deck as
you address the 1st sp ectator by simply saying, "Your card the (name
of card)." Toss th is card face up to the table. You have the 2nd
selection on the bottom at this st age with th e AS on top.
Hold~e
deck wi th t he AS on top. Hold th e deck with the r i ght hand from above
by the e n d s.
Swing Cut th e top half i n t o the l e f t hand. As the
right . h a n d fl i p s i t s lo wer ha l f fa ce up, on to t he cards i n t he left
hand, the l e ft t hu mb also qu ic kl y p us h e s i ts t op c ard for wa r d a nd
then p ul l s it . b a ck i n order t h a t the l e f t 4 th fi ng e r t i p can ge t a
bre ak, un d e r the AS , just as t he r i ght h ana-po rtion falls f ac e up
into and onto the-car ds in the l ef t hand. Th e f ace card, o f the
face up p orti on , is t h e 2n d s elec t i on (6C). Aga i n simply s a y, llYour
card the (name of th e caTd)" as you address th e second spectator.
You ar e holdin g a b reak between the halves and th e AS is no w face
down und er this portion . With th e right hand gra sp~he low er right
co rner, o f those cards above th e b r e a k, with the thumb on top and
1s t and 2nd fingers beneat h.
Flip th is portion over and flu sh onto
the deck-wfiich disclos e s the now face up AS.
Stop short , th en say ,

\," ~

Fig. IS

I
1I

I
I

do wn AS . Th e follo wing metho d is

al l do n e in th e h and s a nd will b e
di ff icult for a n yon - l oo k ing
m "ln- ;

r ;

f"l"Y"l

+;"'\

'Y'"orr'\"Y\ c-+ ""t"n;,.... +

.._ ..

.... .

__._--_._-_.

..- .....

....-

. ."'.......

"I knew that card was bad luck."

Ask the spectator to name his card,

then tel l hi m to look in t he card c ase whe r e he finds his signed selection to cl imax the routine. No w onl y hope that they will remember
all of the routine and not just the ca rd ap pearing in the card case.
2ND METHOD:
1. This is identical to the method just explained with
only two exc eptions. First the deck must be placed face up to the
table. Sec ond , th e bottom palmed, cards can be in the Classic Palm
or in a Gambl e r's Cop po si tion. Use whic he ver fits your situation.
The palme d ca r ds are added to under th e face up deck as the r i ght
hand ei t her p la c e s t he deck in to the l e ft hand or drags it of f the
table in to the wa i t ing le ft ha nd. For mos t the Gambler's Cop sho uld
be f ound ea sy and tro ubl e f re e .

3RD METHOD :
Those who may balk a t palming may still resort to
t he f l ip ov er addi ti on of t he 3 se lect ions to the deck; howev er, the
follo wing method gives th e desIred 'result in a much cleaner way.
For this f he AS must 'be on top of the deck.
1. Again the procedure is identical to th~ 1ST METHOD up to the
point whe r e you have a bre ak above t he 3 select ions while they are
still in th e 7 card pack e t. The ri ght nand holds the packet from
above, by t he - ends , with ri ght thumb maintaining the break, abo ve
th e l selec t io ns, at the bac k end.

.:;jI

]
r"

.J

2. The l e ft hand p icks up the dec k i nt o a left hand dealing pos it io n.

The r i ght hand co me s over and pl aces t he tip of the 2nd finger a ga in s t
th e top c a rd at a bout an i nc h fro m t he upp er end, pusn-the to p c a rd
of t he deck forward . During t his the rig ht hand wi ll come t o r e s t
a bov e the de ck wi th t he top card now out-jogged f or a little less
than half i ts length.
3. The le ft 4th fingertip pulls down on those cards below the right
thumb break and at the same time the left hand does a Wrist Turn to
conceal this a dd i t i on a nd also bring the out ~jogged AS into view~
The left hand remains palm down while the left 1st fInger pulls the'
AS back and flush with the deck. At once the left hand turns palm
up and thumb s off the top card to th e table. By this time the rig ht
hand has plac e d its King pac ke t to t he t able. The left hand drop s
the dec k to t he tabl e and t hen the supposed AS is placed into the
card case.
-. , 1

4. From this point the rest of the routine continues as detailed in

the 1ST METHOD.
4TH METHOD: 1. Before p r oc e e d i ng into this method the reader should
make himself familiar with the Switchout Move explained in the sandwich effects in the s ection titled, "Additions to Switchout", Figs. 19
to 22 although a brief description and some illustrations will be
inclUded here. Again th e SC-6C-7C wi l l be used as the supposed selections for clarity in the-descYIption.
2.

The AS s hould be th e t op card of th e deck .

-- 0

- --

- --

- - ----

- - . . . ..... --

_.- -

.. ... -

r.- ..--- -

..... ..~

.......... }:' . ..... --

The four King s are

_ ........

- ... ... -

--.- ....... 0

- b~~

t he top c a r d at abou t an inc h f r om t he upp er end , pusn-the to p c a rd

of t he deck forward . During t his the right ha nd wi l l come t o rest
above . t ~ ~ ~e ck wi th t he top card now out-jogged f or a little l e s s

I
~~

II

JI

JI
] ~

... .. _ ....

'

219

arranged in order of Red - 2 Black-Red and displayed in a s pr ead between both hands. The deck is ribb on spread for three s e l e c tio n s to
be ma~e. The th i r d sele c te d c ard i s als o s ig n e d. Durin g a l l this
you nave ample t i me a nd mi sd i r ect i on t o reyerse th e bo ttom Red Ki ng .
The selecti ons are pl aced face down to the tab le in l- ~-l ord er s o
the 3rd sele~tion i s the top card .
3. With t he rig ht ha nd pi c k up the to p card of th e thr ee ta b l ed
car ds and p l a c e i t und e r n eath a nd a l ongs ide the Red King . Tilt th e
ri gh t hand to s how the face of the selec tion , as in the Fig . 16,
th en place these cards to under the packet in the left hand as-in
the Fi g . 17. I n squaring up the packet almost a c cidentally t i lt the
hand s upwa rd s o a s to again f las h t he f a c e of t he s el e c t ed ca r d a s
in the Fi g. 1 8.

lIf~t,
I,

.j

iI
\:

r
1\

I'

I..

Fi g . 16

Fig . 1 7

Fi g . 1 8

Fi g . 1 9

4 ; Pick up the n ext se l e cte d card to pl ac e it under th e ne x t Kin g,

then s how the se c ards as in the Fi g. 16 ; ho weve r, this tim e, whi l e
you s e em to rep eat p la cing t he pai r orca r ds t o unde r tho se in t he
lef t hand, t he left fingers buc kl e the bottom c ard very s l igh t ly,
a t the inner right c or n e r only, the face King 1s l owe r l e f t corner is
f ed into th e buckle d spa ce as show n i n t he exp osed v i ew of Fig . 1 9.
Without hesit atio n pu sh th e cards f l u s h , th en again square up thepa ck et and on c e more fl ash th e bot tom se lecti on , no w t he secon d"

I
I'
i
I

---- .
20

sele c tio n, as i n t h e Fig. ~ and eve rythin g l o oks normal.

5. With t he ri ght hand still above th e p ac k et , whil e it is still
ra is ed, t h e ri ght thumb l i f ts up two c ard s at the inner end and g e ts '1
a l e ft 4 t h fing er t i p bre ak belo w them . Lo wer the hands , then d o
.
anyon e Of t h e "P a. ke Pusho f fs II (de scrib ed el s ewh er e in this volume)
to app ar e n tl y d e al ov er t he f ace King f or abo ut h al f i ts wi dth . The ~
l e ft th umb ke eps th is card(s) in place while the r i g h t h and p ic ks u p
the l a s t t abl e d c ard, by it s inn er rig ht corne r .
Flash the fac e o f
this card, th en y ou a pp a r en tl y i nsert i t t o und er this King but
r e al l y under the p a c k et. The Fig . 20 app ears as if t he f ac e d own
selec ted c a rd i s go ing under the Ki ng bu t r e ally i s under t he p ac k et.

.j
Fig . 20

Fig . 21
6.
Push the card until it is
flu s h with t he f ac e King a s in the
Fig . 21 , t h e n a t o n c e the r ig ht
thumb-pulls the face King to the
ri gh t expo sing wha t a p p e ar s to be
t h e c aT d you j u s t ins e rt ed as
shown in th e Fig. 22.
Fo r more
deta ils o f thi s s ee-MarIo's
Add i tio n t o Switc hout.

7. All 3 selections are now to g ether und e r th e 4 Kin g s. A face

do wn Red Ki ng i s a t second f rom
the top of the King packet. Us ing
Fi g. 22
the au to mat ic b ack t o b ac k s ep a r ation get a bre a k a bov e th e bo t t om
3 f a ce do wn s elections and hold this brea k with the right ' thumb a s
right hand holds the p acket fr om above by th e end s.
Th e l ef t hand
pick s up t h e deck into a face do wn deal ing pos i t ion . You n ow wil l
secre tl y a dd t he 3 s e l ec t ions on to t h e top o f ' t h e deck usin g t h e
out -jog ging p r oc edu re of th e AS as alr eady expl ained in Steps 2 and
3 of the 3RD ME THOD . The lef~hand t h e n places t h e d eck f ac e ao wn
to t h e ta ble a n d right hand pl ac e s th e Ki n g s t o t h e tabl e.
8.
Pl ac e th e s upposed AS i n to t he c ar d c a s e a n d pl ac e it o ff to t h e
side. Th e 4 King pa cke~has o nl y on e r e v e rs ed card s o f o r th is y o u

- -- ~-

.. _ - ..

- -. -

-- ~-

n- o

--

_..

_ .. -

Fi g . 21 , then at o nc e the r ight

thumb-pulls the face King to the
ri g h t e xpo s ing wha t ap p e ars to be
th e caT d you j u st in s er te d as
shown in ~he . ~ ig. 22.
Fo r more

.J
~
~

,~

"I

'J
t

.J

.,,
~

.-"i1

,-

~!

" ~. _ ,..,<",AI,

221
use "The Flexible Count" to show them as 7 cards with apparently 4
Ki ng s .fac e, up and l face down selections. - The reader should refer to
this in the section on "The Flexible Count". With the packet in the '
left hand, thumb over two cards, showing 2 Kings and a face down card,
as you say, "Your cards between the Kings-:-" Now you seemingly vanish
the selected cards by using Marlo's Opec Count, which one should have
read before coming this far, then showing only the four Kings remaining, using the Buckle procedure as in the Figs. l3-l4-~.
9. The deck is now picked up and the 3 selected cards are no,v dis closed. This is identical to that already described in Step 19 of
the 1ST METHOD except you will have to turn the SC or 1st selection
face up since it will be face down in this methoCf: From here the
rest is identical up to and including the discovery of the signed
selection in the card case.
STH METHOD:
This method uses the basic interlacing procedure of
Harris but the method of getting the required displacement of
2 Kings above the selection is far superior and very direct . . I have
purposely avoided any illustrations for this displacement to see if
, t h e written word alone will convey its direct simplicity.
P~ul

11 .
The AS should be a few cards from the face of the deck which can
be either face up or face down on the table depending on whether you
want to add the eventually palmed selections to the top of the deck
or to the bottom.
If you decide to use the ovt-jogging addition,
then the AS would be the top card.

2. The 4 Kings are in C-H-S-D order from the face to the back.
These
are held-face up in the-left hand.
The 3 selected cards are collected,
face up, into the right hand, in order of 1-2-3 so that the face selection is the last or 3rd selection which-now-logically can be signed
while the cards remain in your right hand.
It I S almost as a marker
card for the o.t.h e r two selections and your patter line can be, "S'i gn
the packet."
3. The left hand spreads out its cards to the right using onlyon~
hand, the right hand spreads the l selections to the right also using
one hand.
If you find this awkward for you, then place the packets
together, selections onto the Kings.
Respread the cards, still face
up, taking l fanned selections into t h e right and holding onto the
spread of i Kings in the left hand:
4. You will now apparently replace the 3 selections to under the
4 Kings. Actually as the cards from the-right hand go under the
Kings the lower left corner of the lowermost selection makes contact
with the lower right corner of the second King from the face of its
packet or in this case the KH. A very slight upward lift with the
cards held in the right handwill create a space between the 2nd and
3rd Kings from the face.
Without any hesitation the right hana-moves
to the left to converge the cards into the left hand.
To all appearances you have simply placed the 3 selections to under the 4 Kings
but they are now really between the 2nd and 3rd Kings from the top
or bottom.
The packet is turned over face down, into the left hand,

' '' ' ,-.'. ' -"- ~ilrrl

n e If x i.rig s " are .i n L,-t1-~-1J o r o e r r r orn '[De race '[0 '[De oa cx .

ine s e
are held-face up in the-left hand.
The 3 selected cards are collected,
face up, -= into
the right hand, in order of 1-2-3 so that the face se1 ..... __
.....
L..

A--

--:

...... _

.L

1_ _

""1 _

_..L.

__

~ __,

_..,

_.L..

.1 .

_ ,

. ""':""'"'

~ -"

,
It- ,

-)

~22

t h en a t onc e the top 3 cards are de a lt, one a t a t ime , fa c e do wn t o

t he t a b l e , Yo ur pa t t e'r , "Fou r Kin gs and thr ee chosen c ards . Let' s
start ' with p la ci ng y our c a r ds t o th e t a ble.," adds to t hi s dis pl a c ement de c ep t ion .

J!
~

S. Your p atter c on t i nu e s wit h , " Gives me a c ha nc e to f a n out t he s e

King s so I c an p lac e y our c a rd s be t we e n th em . He r e the King( s) are Ai
tur ne d face up f or the Pa ul Har ris sp read . Gr a s p the upper co rne r
of t h e King p acket wi t h your l e f t h and, t humb on t op , f i n gers be l ow,
whi l e the ri gh t t humb a nd f inge rs s pr e ad the fa ce King, a t the l ower ~
right corn er, to the r i ght to exp ose the nex t King~s i ndex bu t s pr e a d
the lowr mos t tw o cards , a c t u al s el ec tions, for on ly t hei r border s.
Hold th e Kings in th e lef t hand .

"The r i ght ha nd picks up t he f i rs t t ab l ed c ard, the 1 s t s electe d

c ard . } by t he l ower r ight cor rie r. Flash its fac e as you---say, "Your
cards wi ll be pl a c e d between the King s. 11 Ins er t t h e selection, f ac e
do wn, be t we en t he 4th a n d 3rd car ds of th e spread l eaving i t in - jogge
fo r a bou t a th ird or-its l en g t h. Pla ce t he n e x t t ab led c a r d, r e a l l y
a KS, b e t w e e ~ t he 3rd a nd 2nd c a rd s of th e s p rea d but l e av e this c ard
i n-::-ro gg e d past th e-r5t ins er ted card . Pick up the l a st tab led c a r d, ,.
r eall y t he KD, to pl ace it be t ween the 2nd and 1s t card s wh i c h a r e
the KH and the KC. The Fig . 23 shows t ~l a 5 t c ard i n s e r t e d, past
t he i n-j ogge d ca r d b e lo w i t, t o be t we en t he t wo vi sible Kings .
6.

J"

,
,
~

.J

]
Fig .

Fig. 24

23

')
1

7. The right hand c ome s over the el ong ate d spread to push the c a r d s
flu sh. Duri ng t h i s th e r ight thumb l i f t s up on t h e i n -jogge d ca r d
and as the packet is squar ed the l eft 4th f ingertip ge ts a br eak below
it. The 3 sel e ct i ons belo w t h e bre a k a re either class ic Bottom PalmedJ
o r .into a- GambIer 's Cop . In e i t he r c a s e t he left thumb can t hen
sl i ght l y spre ad th e 3 face c ard s t o almo s t inadve r te n t ly exp ose 2
fa ce down car ds be t we en th e King s . Th e right .h a nd pl ace s i ts Kin g
packet t o th e tab le while the l ef t hand moves away to s ecre tl y add
t he palm ed c ards to t he top of th e dec k as in th e Figs. 10 and 11
o f the 1ST METHOD or t o under a fa ce up de ck if using the-GambIer 's
Cop. In e i t h e r case the added sele c tions wi l l b e i n ord e r o f 2n d
s elect io n , 1 st s e lecti on f a c e up, 3rd se le c t i on or 6C, SC fa ce up,
7C i f us i n g ~e s e examp l e c a r ds. Th e l e f t hand now-na s~he de ck .

.]

8.

The AS is removed a nd placed face up onto t h e t op o f t he deck.

/.

223

Do a 4 card Turnover onto the deck but remember the 7C or 3rd selection
will show f ace up; ther e fore, as th e turnover is being compl eted the
left .h and ,p-o e s a Wr i s t Tur n . With the left hand palm do wn the left
thumb de a l s of f the top card face down to the table. (Thi s is the
K.M. Move as detailed i n Volume II of the Maga zine.) The left hand
at once turn s palm up a nd places the deck to the table. The supposed
AS is now placed into the card case which is now placed off to one
Side. Now turn your attention to the King packet.
'
9. Pick up the King packet. You will now show these four cards as
seven or app arently as 4 Kings wi th 3 face down sel ections. For this
,' us e the " Fle xible Count'iT as explainea in this volume; however, briefly,
the fir st 3 c ards a re pe e l e d off, on e at a ti me i n t o either the left
or righ t ha nd. On th e count of " Four" you exchang e the single card
for ~he 3 c ards you j ust peeled of f. Now conclude the count as you
take the-3 car d s , on e a t a time, onto the singl e card.

Fig. 25

Fig. 26
.

I
i'

Fig. 27

Fig. 28

10. Spread the face 3 cards, as in the Fig. '24 , to show face down
cards between the Kings as you say, "You cardS-between the Kings."
In closing up the spr ead you actually line up the two face down cards
and the two face up Kings as in the Fig . 25. This is a simple maneuver
of the left thumb pulling the uppermost face down car d t o the left
while the right thumb pulls its face King to the right.

Fig. 25

Fig. 26

I'

I
i

11. Both ha nd s move int o a cupp ed or Pr ayer position wi t h the thumbs '
and 1st fi n ge rs c l i ppi ng ea c h pair of c a r d s a s i n t he Fig. 26 . Wi th j
e ach pai r of ca rds firml y p inc hed both hand s do a Wri s t Turn; a s in
the Fi g. JJ.., durin g which th e le ft hand will have th e face down Kin gs '1
whi le t h e righ t hand wi l l have the face up Kings . The l eft t humb
~
go es unde r the f a c e down Kings a nd t urns them fa ce up as at t he s ame
time both hands ' turn palm upward and spr ead out the 4 Kings as in
~
the Fi g . ~ .
j
12. Drop the Kings face up to th e tabl e and turn your attenti on to
..
the d ec k in ord er t o r eve al the 2 s el ec ti ons, th en the AS a s a lready ~
de t a i l e d i n the 1ST METHOD a t Step 19. Climax t he e f fe ct by having
the 3rd sp ectator rem ove his s lgnea-card f r om the c a rd ca s e.
~

]
~

'1

.j

'1
~

1
oj

]
"' ~

J
J
"'1
~

. .)
~ '\J

!l

")
.....

J
j

.,

"' ~

'I

"

22 5

THE FAKE PUSHOFF

!.1

The f ollowing methods simulate the pu shing o f f o f a

c a r d while actually using the Hit Method Double Lif t or having a previ ous break. The s e ideas of- 11 Fake-Pushoff were. first Sh01\'11 to
Ar t Altman a~d Bill Simon in 1954 and Ma r l o restricted their use
st r i c t l y for l aymen performances ; however , in 1956 a t Shue l iens ' i n
Chic a go, was th e firs t t i me he use d t he Fa k e Pus hoff Hi t met hod while
p e r fo rmi ng a s er i e s of car d r ou ti nes f or a mi x ed gr oup of laymen a nd
t h e visi ting English magicians among whom were Eng land's to p magi c
dealer Ha rry Stanl ey, t he notabl e Le\vis Ganson, and t h e very ~lever
Ken Brooke . Both pr oc edur e s o f t h e Fak e Pushoff wer e again discussed
with Bob Vee s e r i n 1961 . Dur ing th e va r i ou s per formanc e s and di s cussi ons wi t h the a bov e mentione d c a rd exp erts nothing of an unn a t u ra l .nature was n o t ic ed; however , Art Weygandt of Oak La wn , Ill ino i s,
poin t ed out t hat in t he Hit met hod of th e Fak e Pus hoff i t s e em ed
s uper f l uou s to us e t he Pu sho f f a ction once the ca rds ha v e bee n
grasped, at the inner ri ght corner, by the right fingers and thumb.
Admit t i ng 't he tru i sm of this, let's po i n t ou t that i f th e reader
decides t o u se the Hit method r e ga r dle s s , t he n t hen there must be
practically no h e s itation between " getting hold" of the t wo c a r d s
and the left thumb 's action of simulating the push - of f . Th is does
not hav e t o be th e 'c a s e fo r th e 2nd Met hod as t he bre ad k obt ai ne d and
h eld i s, a secr et on e an d thu s apparently t he r ig ht ha n d s eems n o t t o
ha v e hold of any c a rds . At any r a t e having informing ly prefacea the
tw o that f oLl o w.i t he reader is left to ma ke hi s own, de ci s io n . I wi ll
begin by describ i ng a " Bl oc k Pusho f f Te c hn i qu e " th at was or iginally
sent to Char les As te, J r ..
', .

If:
r
f
I~
~

10

.I

BLOC K PUSHO FF TE CHNIQUE

On t he Bloc k Pushof f wi t h f our c a r ds, you' re try i ng
to make i t lo ok too mu ch like a deal . Actually all you nee d to do
is move t he three cards over a b ou t 1/16th of a n inch . Just enough
so t ha t ri ght fin gers can grasp the b l o c ~ of thr ee ca rd s, a s on e,
and then turn them or s how t hem, or whatever your purpo s e may b e.
Ano ther idea i s this :
Hold th e cards, with righ t f i ng e rs ~ a s i n Fig. 1.
Cards are i n 'left han d de a ling po s i tion .

~~ .
:i

~~ ,

."

I,

ll"

..f .

~; .

~
"

,I

,',

"J '
i

~.
1

Fig . 1

Fi g. 2

't
":'

f
r
~

On th e Bloc k Pushof f wi t h f ou r c a r ds, y ou' re t rying

t o make i t lo ok too mu ch like a deal . Ac tually all you need to do
is move t he three cards over a b ou t 1/16th of a n inch . Just enough
CA

f'h "l f'

r; n h~

+;n " ~rc

r ~n

n~~c ~

+h ~

h1nrv

n+

~h~o o

r~~rl ~

~~

~~ n

Now move l e f t t h umb fo r ward t o pus h off bloc k whi le l eft for ef i ng e r i
s ort of moves back t o pull bottom ca rd to the l eft . The t wo o pp o s i t e
a ctions pl'Us t he r i g h t fingers pinch ing the lower corne r o f the packet
wi ll g ive a n e at pu sh o f f illu s ion of only one ca r d . The ri ght h a nd I
can th e n immediate ly tur n t hem face up. A r ep e a t o f the ab ov e a ction J
.
t urn s them face down .

ADDED NOTES : Some may fi nd it bet t er, sinc e it will give more cover J
to the block , for right finge r s and thumb to grasp the upper right
co r n e r of the car ds . The right 1st f i n g e r should press fi rmly do wn
a~ross t h e t o p end o f the b lo ck ,-at t h i s upper r i g ht corne r .
Tne-r i gh t 2n d f inger unde r t he bloc k a t this c or ner a n d thumb on top.
The le~thumb must now not o n l y push the block to the right but
must follow alon
on the left side of the cards, as righ t fingers
a n d t h umb p u l l t e bl ock to the r ight as i n Fig . 2.
This a ction
co v e r s any possible f lare ou t on t h e lef t s id e of-the block du r ing
the pushing and t urnover .

"]

Th e st an d ard Si n gl e Buckl e c a n be a p p lie d to t he

f o l l owing IISi mu l at e d Pu s h o f f"; h owe v e r, it i s d esc ri b e d usi n g th e
Pull Down Move instead . This Pushoff Technique , fo r a b lock t h a t
will keep the blo ck i n perfec t alignmen t , is to ho l d the p ac ket i n
le ft han d Me c hani c ' s . Grip wi t h l ef t 2n d, 3rd, and 4 t h finge r ti p s
p ress ing firmly against right s i d e of packe t to keep-it in p e rf ect
a lignment . Now the left 4 t h fi n ge r doe s a Pull Down o f t he bottom
ca r d as r ight 1 st and 2nd fingertips mo ve into t h e space with r i g h t
thumb on top orth e blOCK to b e appa re n t ly push e d of f to th e ri ght .
'~
Th e r i g h t fingers and thumb travel a long th e righ t side of the b lock 1
un t i l they r e a c h the cen t er of the block on r i g h t side . Ri gh t f i n g e r SO
a nd thumb gra sp the b lock fi rm l y , st il l p r e s sing i t aga i nst t h e b a s e
of l eft t humb, as l ef t t h umb co c k s a n d mov e s ov er t o th e up per l e f t
.1
cor n e r as in F ig . 3 . The right fingers now actuall y move t h e block
.A
~o the righ t but at th e sam e time the left thumb pushes o n and
f o l l ows the b lo c k t o the ri g h t simul atin g a Pusho ff o f the bl ock as
in Fig . 4 t he r ight f i n g e r s fli p th e blo c k fa c e up a n d flush ont o
..
t h e c a r d-i n rig ht hand . Th e l e f t thumb moves ov e r to the l e f t side
o f dec k to permit this turnove r . Immed iately al l left fi ng e r s n ow
squ e e z e th e c a rd s to ma k e sure t hey are a g ain aligned.
Repe at th e
ac t i o n s, o f Figs . 3 and i, to tur n t h e b l o c k face do wn.

r,

1
~

'1

. ,~

_.'l!

Fig . 4

Fig . 3

.
_

.....

... _

.........

.....

.. _

... . L ......

'

~_

-4._

.J..~

~ .,I- J.

"""" ~ l""""

.......

_,1...

...,J

1,Ao ..l.l,, _

.l.11.'-""""" ...J

""' V"" "

... -

J
V.& ..l _

-.t" 1....

......

-~

....

cor n e r as in F ig . 3 . The right fingers now actually move t h e block

~o the right but at t h e sam e time the l eft thumb pushes o n and
f o ll ows the b lo c k t o t h e r i g h t simulating a Pusho ff o f the bloc k a s
in Fi g. 4 the r i ght fi n ger s flip th e blo ck f ace up a n d flush on to
t h e c a r d-i n ri~ h t h and . The l e f t t h umb move s over to the l e ft side

.l

,J

1..
~

_.~ -=
. -----:------~-~~====T11

-,

227

1ST METHOD:
1. Hol d the deck in l eft hand in t he familiar Mechanic ' s
Grip with the s i d e s of the d eck bevel ed to t h e r ig h t . The le ft t humb
pr e s s e s fi'rmly on top of de ck cur v i ng the pack downward s slightly .
The le ft 2nd, 3rd and 4th f i ng er s press in aga i n st the r igh t s id e of
deck; how ev e r,~e s e fIngers a re pos i t i oned so a s to l eav e the lo we r
righ t corner of the de c k un covered .
.2. The rig ht 1st fi nge r .now doe s t he Hit Me t hod of Dou ble Lifting
t he c a r ds at t ne-l ower righ t c orner . Du r i n g this l i f t ing proce ss it
is "i mpor t an t that t he lef t 4th fi nge r kee p pr e s sing again st s id e o f
d eck altho ugh s ome may pre f er-to us e pres sur e o f t he l eft 3rd fi nge r .
In e i the r c a se t hi s prevents a n a ccidental flare out o f th e cards
durin g th e li ft ing p r oc e s s. I n fa ct th e li fti n g a c t i on , which c an
actual l y be done a c ar d a t a t ime for a s many as des i r ed, is com"p l e t e l y cov er e d from the vulnerable r i ght side as seen i n the Fig. 5 .
The ~ i g . 6 shows t he co mmo n fa u l t of t h i s li ft.

Fig. 5

Fi g. 6
3. Once the desir ed ca rd s are
lift ed the r ight 1st a nd 2nd
f i nger s enter un der-these c a r ds
as r ight t hum b go es on top. Thu s
the c ards are gras p e d , at this
moment , at t h e l ower r i gh t c or n er
between r igh t thumb and 1st and
2nd fin gers.
4.
Immedi at ely the left thumb
moves b ack to the position sho wn
i n Fi g. 7 apparently in r eadin e s s
to push over a card.

Fig. 7

5 . Now th e le f t t humb a c t ua ll y
pushes th e c ard s f orw a r d as at
s ame time the right hand, which has a firm gra sp on the cards, moves
to th e r ight . To all appearances the l e ft thumb has pushed over a
single ca rd a s in Fig . ~ whe re not e the curved appe ar ance of th e c ard.
.

6. The ri gh t hand c on t i nue s by t ur n i ng the card(s) fa ce up a nd a t

. same time le ft t humb kee ps pre ss ing for war d unt il th e cards are r eady

Fig. 5

Fig. 6
3 . Once the desir ed ca rd s are
lift ed the r ight 1st and 2nd
fi nger s ent er un der-these c a r ds

22 8

t o be turned f ace up when the left t humb moves ou t of t he way to

take .-.. .its Rlace alongside l e f t s ide of de ck .
,/

7 . The c a r d ( s ) aie turn ed face up and flush onto deck . ImmediatelY .J

the ball of right thumb is run al ong the back end o f deck to aid in
the squar in g of th e fac e up card s wi t h the d eck as well as ke eping
~
the r e qu i r ed bevel t o the pack in readine s s f or a r ep ea t of t h e
j
i dentical actions i n or de r to apparentl y push-off and turn the c a r d ( s )
face do wn.

1J

2ND METHOD : 1 . Here again the deck is held i n the Mechanic 's Grip
in left hand . Th e right hand c omes over deck to pos it ion i t s t humb
at l ower ri ght co rn er of deck while the right 2nd fin ger comes onto
the upp er right co rner and is near the tip of left 1st finger. The
r i ght 1st fin ger is cur led on t op of deck near th e right edge o f
deck . The rig ht 3rd a.nd 4th fingers have the ir normal position and
t he wh o I.e pict urel"S as shown in Fig. 9 .

J
]-_

'1

"l!

Fig . 8

Fig . 9

Fig. 10

Fig . 11

2 . Durin g the time the hands are in th e po sition shown in Fig . 9

t h e tip of right 2nd fin ger secretly l ifts up two c a r d s, or more- if
ne ed ed, a t the upper r i gh t corner. Th i s lifting ac t i on is c o mp l e t e ~ y
c ov er ed from t he fr ont be c aus e th e le ft lst ..fing ertip wi l l be pres sI n g ,
do wn on the to p ed ge of the d ec k as ri gh t 2nd fi nger tip is busy doi ng

Fig . 8

\\
1/

.....1
Fig . 9

229

th e l i fti ng. The Fig. 10 sho ws t he f r on t e nd of dec k as it wi l l

'nor ma l l y l~o k dur ing the-secret lifting whil e the Fi g . 11 shows the
ac t i on exposed wit h the le ft 1s t fi nger ou t of th e wa y . -3. With the required t wo cards l i f t ed a nd f irmly gra spe d th e l e f t
thumb moves t o the left side of the deck, then pu shes the two c a r ds ,
as on e, t o t he r i ght with t he r ig ht hand moving to t he r i ght a t the
same t i me. This a c ti on is similar to tha t i n Fi g . 8 ex cept i n t h i s
ca s e the rig ht ha. n d remain s a bove the deck hol ding t he c a rd s a s i t
moves to the right.
4 . The l e ft thumb alo n e n ow kee ps th e pushed ov e r c a r d ( s ) in pl ac e
as immediate l y t he r i gh t fingers a nd t humb grasp t h e ri ght s i de of
the .ca rd(s ) , similar t o Fig . 8 exc ep t the rig ht t humb a nd fing ers
gra s p the ca rd( s ) at c en t er o~ r i ght si de , t hen give them a slight
up - ward bend al ong the l en gth of t he c a r d ( s ).
S. As th e ' c a rd ( s) a r e abou t to be t ur ne d fa ce up onto th e deck you
have three a lte r na t i v e s . One : You c a n turn th e c a r d s face up a nd
flush onto dec k, t he n r e p e~th e secret l i ft actions alre ady explain ed
and go i n t o t he pushing of f and tur n ing of the card s fa ce do wn.
Two : You can i n -j og t he ca r d( s ) as you tu rn th em f ac e up on to de c k.
rn-s qua ring up card( s) flush with deck the r ig ht t humb ca n l i ft up,
at bac k e nd, thus obtain i ng t he bre a k a gain a nd, of cours e, y ou a re
set to rep eat the pus h-o ff actions to turn the card(s) f a c e do wn.
Three: As y ou have b en t the cards upwa r d s s l ight ly , duri n g t he f a c e
up tur n, there wil l be a s l ig ht br i dge separa ting the t wo c a rd s from
re s t of deck even t hough the ca r d s are squared with t h e pack . It
i s a s impl e mat t e r -f or right thumb and fing ers t o lo cate and lift
sl ight ly at t his br i dge and positi on the r i ght f ing e r s fo r the r ep e a t
of the pu sh - of f act i ons .
6. I t is i mpor t a n t to rememb er t hat i n each instance whethe r pus hing
the c a r d s fac e up or face down th e right .hand must i mmediately gr a s p
the ca rds by the r i ght s i de fr om which po s i t ion t hey ar e turn ed
e i ther fa ce up or face do wn as the ca se may be .
.THE PUSHO FF TECHN IQUE
Thi s Pushoff i s recommended for sophi stica ted Cl r cumst a nc e s and n ot for use in obviou s tip-off e f fects such as an
Ambi t i ous Card rou t in e.
Th e la ter di s s ect io n of t he method wil l show i t s
f lexi bility of c ho ic e i n pr oce dure .
1. Hold th e deck i n left hand in the u sual Mechanic's Grip. The
ball of l eft t humb pr es ses aga i ns t the l eft s i de of deck n e a r the
uppe r left c or ne r ; The left 1s t fin ger is curl ed around top end of
dec k. The tip s o f le ft 2nd , 3rd, and 4th fin ge rs a r e pr e s s i ng again st
the ri ght s ide of d ec k. 11le DaTI o f ri ght t hum b i s -r un l i gh t ly a c r oss
the back end of d ec k. The Fi g. 1 show s th e po s it ion of deck i n l ef t
ha nd and right thumb being pressed aga inst -ba ck end of de c k .

- - - 0--- - , - - ---- of th e push- of f a c t i ons .

~~

~~b-

.. ~

.t' ~ ~ ~

~ ~~

..... ...... 0 ... .........

..

.....

...... b - ..... -

. . . . ..., .....

..... ......-

- J:" - """

"'"

6. I t is i mpor t a n t to remember t hat i n each i n s t a nc e whether pushing

t he c a r d s fac e up or fa ce down th e right .hand must imme d i a t e l y gr a s p
1": h

P.

c. ~ I

n .~

hv

r h P. r ;

0-

hr

c: ; t1 p

of r

"m

t.r h

,.., ,, c ;

t- i " "

t-

hp

"

';l

t-

11

r n

r'l

'- -'-"'-~

F ig . I

.. ~

1.._.

'-..

Fig . 2

]
Fig . 3

Fig. 4

2. The a c t i on o f the right t humb is important to i mme d i a t e l y

re-sq uaring the cards a f t e r a card o r c ard s hav e b e e n ei the r turn ed
fac e do wn or f ace u p .
3. The tip of the left thumb is n ow run lightly along t h e l e f t s i d e
edg e o f d e ck un til th e l eft thumb a rrive s in a s or t of cock e d posi t io n, as in Fig. 2 , and pres sing d own on t h i s edge ab out a quarter of ]
the wa y fro m t op ~f deck .
~
4. With l ef t th umb pr es s down j us t en ough so that t he b it of f lesh,
j u s t under t h e side of the nail , will engage the left side edge of
t wo c a r d s. The Fig. 3 shows th e f ro n t view o f the l e ft thumb 's
positio n at thi s stage .
5. On c e you see two card s movin g off the left thumb moves for1vard
wi t h t h e t wo cards kep t i n p e r f e ct a l ignme nt b y t h e pres s ure of th e
The c a rd rid es
t i p of t he left thumb on the card(s) l eft side edge.
ov e r only the t i p of th e le ft 2n d fin g er with t he tips of th e left
2nd a n d 3rd fi nge rs keepi ng baCl<a ny ot her cards f rom mov i n g unl e s s
su ch a n action is desire d f o r added decepti on.
The Fig . 4 shows the
c a r d ( s ) now push ed strai ght o ff to the rig ht side of t he aeck .

Fig . 3

Fig. 4

2. The action o f the right thumb is i mport ant to immed iatel y

re-squJ a_ _ring
the
cards a f t e r a c ard o r cards have b e e n eithe r tu rn e d
._ _
__
c _ _ _ _ _

....:..

"

.'

~ -~

231

..

Ii
!

r.

!-

iI .
I '

6. The r i g ht fin ge rs now grasp the righ t s i de o the cards, a s in

Fig . 5, an~ then flip them face up and in -j ogged, as in Fig . 6 . Note
that Tn Fig . 5 , when the right fingers have grasped the two cards as
' on e , the left-thumb automatically shifts its position so that it i s
now pressing on the two cards . Also in Fig. 6 the right hand immediately comes over the fa ce up in-jogged c a r d s in order to keep them in
place.

Fig . 5

'Fig . 6

Fig . 7

Fig. 8

.:tl

7. At Fig . 6 there is no hesitation as t he right thumb pushes the

c a r d ( s ) forward and flush with deck. As the right thumb pushes the
card(s) flush a separation is maintaine d,- by the right thumb , at the
lowe r right c or ne r. Next , with the ri ght hand s ti ll ab ove the deck
an d really havi ng a grip on the fa ce up c ard( s ), the lef t hand moves
the de c k very sl i gh t t o the left . This a cti on, which can be done by
th e right ha nd i f de si r e d, angles the c ar d( s ) as in the Fig . 7 . At
onc e the l e ft thumb c ocks itse lf to pos i t i on the undersi de of-i ts
tip agai nst the l e ft edge of the ca r ds as in t h e same Fig . 7 . No w
thi s i s import ant. The a ngling of th e card( s ) in Fig . 7 is-ex agge r at ed f or c l a r i ty onl y. Ac tuall y t he an gl i ng of th e c a r ~( s) , a t the
up p e r lef t co r n er, i s no mc,r e than on e s ixty -f our t h o f a n i n c h . Ju st
en ou gh f or th e flesh, a t th e und e r s ide o f th e t i p o f l e ft thum b , to

/7

'32

pr es s ag a i ns t t he edge of th e c a r ds .
8. The l eft thumb now pu she s th e co rd (s ) to th e right a s in the
Fig. 8; howev er, a ga in r em emb er the c ard(s) rid es lightly ov er th e
tip aT the l eft s ec ond fing er which at the same time pr es s e s a gainst
the ri ght s i de of th e d e ck to ke ep a l l ot her card s in plac e unl e s s
y ou may wis h t o g ive the illu sion o f havin g f ann ed over say, thr ee
card s i n whi ch ca se th e pre ssing o f the re st of th e thumb ag ainst
the top card s of the dec k a nd the ea sing a nd l owering o f the l e ft
2nd and 3rd fi nger tips wi l l pr emi t th e ext ra ca r ds t o rid e p a st the
Tight sicre-of the de ck . This is a Bob Stenc el subtlety.
9 . The r e st of the a c t io n , fo r tur nin g th e c ard s fac e do wn, is
id entic al to Fi g. 5 where right hand gr as ps the ri ght side of th e
card{ s). Thi s timi th e ca r d (s ) a re turned f l us h on to d ec k where
th e r i ght thumb f ol lows by r un n i ng a lo ng th e bot tom end o f d eck ,
as in Fig. !, to in sure the card s be ing in line with re st of deck .

]
]
]
]
]

10. It i s imp ort an t tha t th e tip s of ri ght 2nd , 3rd, and 4th f i nger s
act a s a gau ge e as i ng ou t of the way just enou gh ~l et thetl"o c ards C;)
as on e, pa ss ove r them ye t k e ep back the r e st of the ca r ds .
~
11. You can now turn the c ard(s) fac e down onto the top of the
de ck, then at onc e deal over the to p car d whic h is then de alt wi t h
as de sir ed; howev er, th e foll owing i dea , whi c h basicall y app ear ed
in Hugard' s "Card Mani pul ation s #2" , gives th e impre s sion that you
never l et go of th e c a r d . The Hugard de s cripti on t ell s yo u t o,
"Pl a c e th e car d(s) so that i t ( they) c o i n c ide exact ly wit h th e to p
end o f th e d eck but do not r el ea s e the grip of the right thumb a nd
finger .--Wi~ slight upwa r d push of th e thu mb ti p on th e f ac e of
t he lowe r card , rel e a s e i t a nd draw th e top c ard away to th e ri ght."
The und erlining i s mi ne to emp hasi ze the di ff erenc e betwe en th e
abov e and th e s mooth flo wing a ction of the f o l l ow i ng :

]
]

12 . . The f ac e up card( s) are grasped, with' the right hand, with the
thumb on the fa ce lower index and 1 st and 2nd fing er s b elow. The
ri ght hand moves it s c ard ( s ) to the-Ti ght unt il th e left: s i d e of
the c ard(s) are in lin e with the ri gh t sid e of the deck as well as
the to p and b ottom c orner s o f th e de ck. Start t o turn th e c ard (s)
face down un til t h e c a rd ( s ) i s al most f l u s h wi t h t op of d eck but
prevent e d by th e r ight thu mb being betwe en th e c ard(s ) and the de ck.
J
At th is pr eci s e moment the ri ght thumb pu sh e s th e face c ard t o th e
ri ght, its ri ght s i de being presse d aga i ns t th e l e ft fin ger s, wh i le
I
th e right 1st and 2n d f i ng e r s pull the t op card to th e -Le f t : . The
top card i s thus fre e to be carried awa y to th e left and inward
pa st t he l eft s id e o f th e deck. To in sur e that ~unlo ad ed card
or cards, dep endin g Dn how many cards compr is ed the turnov er, re r~
main on th e top of th e de ck i n perf e ct ali gnm ent wi t h th e de ck, the
,.&1 .
left 2nd , 3rd, a nd 4t h f i nge r t i ps press down s l ig h t ly onto t h e ri gh t
side 0 rt hecIe c k wiTI1the left 1st fin ger, a t th e out er end, pr es sin g
onto th e upp er ri ght corn er . Tne-l e ft thumb ha s mov ed o ff t o th e
le f t s i de of t he de ck during this:. Pro pe r l y pe rf orme d th e illusi on
r
is that you never let go of th e c ard . For a n ambitious card bit you
simpl y f ollow thr ough by t a kin g th e tr av ellin g c a r d t6 t he l eft and
ins ert in g it int o th e l eft si de o f th e d e ck. If you wi sh to tabl e

11

Ii

];
J

] I,
.

..-

~._-

......

- _.

--- - -- - _

- - -- . - _ . ~

LL

~,

233

' t he card it is as before carried off to the left but then the right
2nd finger goes und er the card at this corner which causes it to turn
and end up being held in a lengthwise position,back to the audience,
by what now becomes th e inner right co rn er. Use as desired.
,

ADDING THE FAKE PUSHOF F

1. Wh i l e a l l t he a cti ons of t he Pu sho f f sho w the c a rd(s) being
pushed str ai ght of f t o the r i ght, as i n Fig s . ! and! t h e r e wi l l be
times when, e i t he r due to the condition of the deck or the hands,
the cards may separ at e slightl y. In this ca s e a couple of procedures
to cover up this cond ition, c an be used. One is to be sure to ke ep
,'. . the -cards movin g.
I have un d erlined "moving" becau s e if th e Pushoff
ac tio ns a r e c on t i nuo us and n on -he s itant t he spe cta tor's e y es c annot
focus themse l ves f as t eno ugh t o sp o t a ny s u ch minute s ep a rat io n s;
ho wever , you y ou r self wi ll be a ble to s ee s uch minu t e sepa rati on s
beca use y ou wi l l be sub c on s ci ou s ly and del ib e r a t el y l ooking f or t hem .
To summar ize - - The ac t i on s dep i cted in ' t he Fig s . 2 to 8, then ba ck
to the conclusion as i n Fig. I, ar e non - h esitant and continuo us although you can sto p, when t he - c a r ds are as in Fi g.' 7, in order to let
spectator fully note the card as at this point the card(s) should be
in alignment.

'.

2. The ot her solu t ion to cove r up any spre a d of th~ c a rds -i~ t o pu sh
the cards ov e r very, v e ry sl i ghtl y as you are lo oking at the lef t
sid e, ne ar upp e r l e f t ~ o rner , of t he de ck . During t h i s y ou will be
able to cle a r l y s e e t ha t t wo c a rd s, as one bu t v ery sl i ght l y out of
line, are abo ut to move for ward. The specta tor will no t disc ern
this and in f act th e situa tion to any onlooke rs would appear only
as i n Fig. 9 because the Pus ho ff act ion is so slight.
At this stage of Fig. 9 the
two cards have been advanced far
enough over the r i gh t sid e of dec k,
at the upper right corner, t o e n abl e t he r i ght fi ng er s and t humb
to gra s p t h e c ards by~t he upp er
right corne r; howeve r, the r eader
is referred to Fig. 14 ., shown
furth er on in text, In'ord e r to
clearly show the card(s) over the
right sid e of deck at the upper
right corner.
3A

",

"

4. The ri gh t thumb and fi rst

f inger al s o , g i ve , f ur t her aid in
al igning the t wo c ar ds as f ol l ows :
The right first fin gertip i s pressed on th e t op edge of th e c ard s
while the tip o f ri ght thumb is pressed a ga i nst the ri ght edge o f
the cards. Now in a mil king action th e righ t fi r s t fingertip and
right thumb converge as at the same time the first finger and thumb
keep pres sing against their respectiv e edges of the c a rd to thu s
align them. During this whol e alignment proc ess the right 2nd
fingertip is under the cards at this upper ri ght corn er. Once the
Fig. 9

this a nd in f a c t th e situa tion to any onlooke rs would appear only

as i n Fig. 9 because the Pusho ff action is so slight.
3.

At. t.h i s s t a o e of F'i o .

q rh e

".

milking or sq ue e zing action ha s al ign ed t h e c ar d s, the right hand

ma ke s 'a' slight turn , jus t as i f the fingers and thumb wer e s l ig h tly
tur ni n g a s crew , which wil l br i ng t he r i g h t thumb a u toma tic ally on
top of ~he c a rd ( s ) to r e sul t in th e situa t i on no w b e ing sim ilar to
that which is s hown iri Fig . 14 where t he r i ght thumb and f i ng e r s no w
ha v e a firm gr ip on t he c a r JTs ) uppe r r ight c orner .

]
]

5. Once the ~ o sit i on of Fig . 1 4 i s attai n ed the left thumb simula t es

a pu sh ing of f o f th e c ard s whe nwhat ha ppe n s i s tnatth e ri ght f i nge r s "
and t hu mb car r y or mov e the t wo cards, as on e, o ff to t he r i gh t s i de
j
o f t h e deck as at t h e same time , the tip of le ft thumb pressing against'
t h e left edge of the c a r d s , f ollows al ong a s i f pu s h ing the ca r d(s).
The s i tuati on at thi s s tag e would be s i mi la r to tha.t which is shown
, in th e Fi g. 1 6 . The r i ght f i nge rs a nd thumb can no w easi ly f lip the
c a r d ( s ) face-Up onto t h e deck in an i n- j og ged position with right
hand at once coming over and above t he deck , as in Fig . 6 , in or der
;
that the in -jo gged c ard c an b e pu shed f l us h a nd l eft 4th-fin ge rtip
break ag a i n obt a in ed a t the lo wer right co rn er b e low t11e ca rd s.
From here the a c t io n s, depicted i n Fig . 7 , t o angle the c ar d( s) i s
made followed by a repeti tion of the Fa l se Pushoff act i on s already
d e scr ib ed i n order t o t urn t he car ds face do wn . For mo r & de t a il s on
this refe r to liThe Fa k e Pu shDf f".

]
"

J
]

OVERCOMI NG PROBLEMS:
1. THE FLARE - OUT . Th is i s where you hav e st art ed of f two card s bu t
th ey a re no t perfectly square but rather min ute ly f a nn ed as i n th e
Fi g. ~ whi ch is an e xa gge r a t i on showing the back de s i gn o f the c a r d s.
Act u a l l y the card s may be fanned t o on l y show th e ir white bor ~e r s .

Fi g . 10

Fig. 11

All that you do is v er y l i ghtl y, wi th left thumb , pull back the

t op card until it comes in line with the und er 'c ar d as in the Fig . ll.

2.

3. Dur i ng this pu l l i ng back act i on the l e f t 1st fi nge r , which i s

a cross t op end of de c k, he lps i n keeping the under c a rd in p o s i t on .
Also, onc e the c ard s a re in lin e, the tip of l eft 3rd fing e r pr ess e s
a gain s t the rig ht side of t he card(s) thus keepingthem momen tar i ly
t r a pp ed between it and base of left palm . This ena bles the lef t

"......1
J

\I
i.
I
I

!
I

] I
i

235

thumb t.o move to the extreme left side of the lined up cards and
pressing do~nwards on this edge easily moves off the two lined up
cards as one.
2. TACKINESS. Here you may be getting three or four cards when you
really onl y want t wo. To aid in overcoming this merely down rlffle,
with left thumb , the left corner of deck and try again.
3. ONLY ONE CARD. You thou ght you pushed over two cards but find
it is only on e. At this stage you have the situation as pictured
in Fig. 4 but it is a single card. To overcome this obstacle merely
keep pressing down and forward with left thumb until the second card
moves off very slightly as in Fig. 12. The Fig . 12 is again an exaggeration as actually the second card is moved over for only half
the width of the white border of the deck.

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

The left 1st fing er, at top end of deck, and tip of left
2nd finger underneath will keep the under or 2nd card in place as
Ieft thumb pulls back the top card in line -wi~the under card. To
keep these cards in line the tip of left 3rd finger presses again st
right side of the two cards which in turn become trapped between tip
of left 3rd fin ger at right side and base of left thumb at lower left
corner. The trapping posi t i.on , is shown in Fig. 13 which again is
exaggerated as in actuality the two cards will be-in line and angled
off deck for only half the width of the deck's white border.
With the two Cards in line and momentarily trapped the left
thumb is now free to move and press its tip down on the extreme left
edge of the two cards as in Fig. 11 which is still the exaggeration
as actually the situation would appear more like Fig. 2 because of
the white borders of deck blending with the two slightly angled off
cards.
From here you continue into the Pushoff actions previously
described.
4. FLEXIBILITY OF CHOICE. Assuming you have pushed over one card
and then went into the situation shown in Fig. 12 from which you
bring the top card in line with the under card as in Fig. 13.

/
Fig. 12

Fig. 13

]
Whe n 'you r eac h ih e situation shown in Fig . 1 3 y ou have s eve r a l
],
alt erna ti v e u s es . For examp le , bec aus e th e t wo TIned up c ard s a c t ual ly project~ ov e r de c k, at upper right c orner, yo u c a n grasp them '
between t i ps o f right thumb a nd 1st and 2nd fingers as i n Fig. 14 .
the le f t thumb fo ilowi ng, as ri gh t hand moves t he ca rd ( s ) " to the r i ght,
then turn t h e c a r .d I s ) f ac e up onto top of the deck as in Fi g'. l:i. You
can a l so go i n t o any othe r Doubl e Li ft procedure .

],

.'

"

.,

Fi g . 1 4

Fig. 15

]
1tJ

Fig . 1 7

Fig . 1 6

With ca r d s as in Fig. 1 3 th e r i ght f ing ers c an gra s p th e t wo

cards , as one, at up per right corner to deal them off as one card ,
a s in Fig. ~, onto some tabled cards .

.lOJ

Wi th ca rds as in Fig . 1 3 the t ip of r i ght 2nd f i nger en t ers und er

th e s e c a rd s, with right t humb on to p and 1 s t finger at front edge, to
thus do a Seco nd Deal ( Se e "Related SeconaDeal) as l e ft thumb holds
bac k top card . The action is s e e n in Fi g . 17 .

1J

THE PRE -SET PUSHO FF

1. For th is yo u wi l l u s e t wo hand s a nd prev i ous ly obta in a l e f t 4th
fin gert ip br ea k be low t he t wo or three c a r d s yo u wish to pus hoff.
2.

With th e break held with tip of left 4th finger b eneath two c a r d s

\ )

237

the right hand comes above deck in the manner similar t o the Fig . 7.
Also the left hand moves the deck to the left thus automati cally
angling.the~wo cards at upper left c orner , as in Fig. 7 , a s appar ently
on e card .
3. From here jt will be found an easy matter for left thumb t o push
of f the two cards as in the Fig . 4 to immediately turn the cards fa ce
up and in -jogged as in Figs . 5 anei' 6 '.. . ith the left 4th fingertip
getting its break .
4. From the position of Fig . 6 the in-jogged cards are ' pushed flush
with the deck, then the angling of Fig. 7 i s made and then the actions
of Figs. 8, 5, and 6 are rep eated but thIs time let the cards fall
face dOHn-and flush-with deck. End with the action of squaring up ,
a s in. the fig. !.
S. Remember that whichever type of Double Lift you do the exact
actions must be done when t a k i.ng or turning, o r dealing off on e c ar d.
j

ADDED SUGGESTIONS : The two cards , a s on e , c an b e f lipped ov e r fa ce

up and seemingly f l ush onto the t op of t he de c k bu t actua l ly int o
the Al tman Tr ap.
(S e e "Advan c ed Finger tip Con t ro l") Now .i t is
simply a mat t er of th e left 3rd a nd 4 th f i ngerti ps press i ng i n
against the righ t s ide edge or-the ca r ds t o a l ig n them . The l eft
3r d and 4th fi ngertips now pu ll inwards on th e l owe r right cor ne r
or-~he two cards , very ~l ight ly , to ang le th em off a t t he up p e r left
side just enough for the tip of t he left thumb to engage the c a r ds.
From here continue into the actions a lready de s c r i be d for turning
the cards face do~~ .
If you do not know th e Altman Trap, then, when
t he cards ~re f lush and face up on top of the deck, do a left 4th
fingertip release of the cards at the natura l back to back separation.
Now the tip of the left 3rd finger presses against the right side of
the cards and pul l s them inwards to angle them as required for the
Pu s ho f f Double.
While the description has ~een for a two card pushoff
with the use of the left 4th fingertip release and the angling action
of the left 3rd fingertip-yQu can very easily do multiple Pushoffs .
Also you wilr-rind all techniques described apply equally well when
the deck is handled face up and I have made good use of ~uch in
several effects . Finally these Pushoff techniques are fairly
sophisticated and it would be to one's advantage not to use them
obv i ou s l y in usch effects as the Ambitious Card especially . since
such have been exposed in public magic books under the guise of
f urthering the art of magic. Remember l a ymen and even magician s c an
a ss ociate s l e i ght s with effect .
ADDI TION TO PUSHOFF TE CHN I QUE
This is a n aid i n get t i ng th e de sir ed numb e r of
c a rd s when do i ng th e Pu s ho f f Techn i qu e.

1. As sume th at y ou wis he d t o pu sh-of f t wo cards a s on e; ho we v er,

as you s tar te d th e Pus hoff , as i n th e Fi g . l, you not i c e yo u a c t ua l ly

]I
3is

t1ngert1p release of the cards at the natural back t o back separ~t1on.

Now the tip of the left 3rd finger presses against the right side of
the cards and pul l s them inwards to angle them as required for the
D"

c- h,,++

n,.,,,hl

c>

..

.
r:

,
_.i

r
--

'--"~ "' "

__

, <It' ,

. ... . .""

,, '

'."

]
~ave pushed over a block of 4 cards in fair alignment.
Grasp the
right side of this block with the right hand, thumb on top and 1st
and 2n~fing~rs below, at about center and near the right edge. Make
suretne right fingers and thumb pinch the block firmly.
'

]!
~,

i
i

]', I
~

1
.J

],
,

.1'

c",

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

2. With the right hand holding the block of 4 cards firmly the left
thumb pushes the block further to the right until the left 2nd and
3rd fingertips contact the face of the lowermost card of th~block.
The tips of the left 2nd and 3rd fingers press up against the face
of the lowermost card while atthe same time the left thumb keeps
pushing the block to the right. These actions will result in the
lowermost card being held back by the left fingers while 't he left
thumb now is pushing 3 cards as one. At once the left 3rd finger
extends in order that-its tip can contact the face of the next lowermost card, in this case the 3rd card from the top of the block. The
left thumb keeps pu shing to the right as the left 3rd fingertip
presses upward in order to keep back the 10werffiost-oT 3rd card. The
result will be that two cards as one will now be held ~the right
fingers and thumb as in the Fig. ,~,

"I
~

']

~;-

n
\~

'],.
1,
~11

]
]
~.

1
.Jt

' Fi g . 4

Fig. 3

]
"

']..
<:;;.1\. L.CUU::l

.1.U

V i uC;J.

L.Jl a. L.

.L L.::l

L..LF

<..-a.u

<..-vu L.a.<..- L.

L.UC

.La.<..-c

V.L

L.UG

HCA L.

most card, in this case the 3rd card from the top of the block.
left thumb keeps pu shing to the right as the left 3rd fingertip
'1:""\.,... r..r-r- r.C"'"

"'Y'\.'t.r.., ~r=I

~~

............. ,..l,.... .......

r-c

11' __ """

1--.. . . . _ 11"

+kr-.

, ...... ." ,.,.... _ 1>."''' ,... ....~

"Z"V"~

_"", ....... ...:1

'"

.LVWGi-

The
""rk"

'],.

...

_.'A _

.:: -. ~ --' ''-

. .....

~. ..

--- - -

239

3. With the ri gh t fi n ge r s and t humb st ill ho l di ng the two cards,

as on e, firm l y the le ft thumb pUlls back the t wo other adv anced
card s to th ~ le ft and f l u s h with the top of the deck as shown in the
Fig. 3. With the t wo ca r ds no w a s one th e ri ght hand c an flip them
fac e up a nd co n t i nu e wit h th e remaining ac t i ons , o f th e Doubl e Turnov e r, a s e xplained in "The Pushoff Techniq ue " .
4 . Obvi ously if you have pushed ov e r a bl ock of on l y 3 ca r d s, the n
ho l d i ng back only the one card wi ll result in a tw o card pus hof f a s
in the Fig . 4 . On the o t he r hand should you desire a pushoff of 3
c a r d s a s on e-but hav e pushed over a bl ock of 4 ca r ds, th en hold ing
back onl y on e ca r d will re su lt i n th e s ame situa tion a s in th e Fi g . 4
exce pt the f orwa r d c a rd(s) will be 3 c ards a s on e. Thus it b ecom es
qu it e obvi ou s that by in i ta l ly pus hTng over mo r e card s than you
requ i r e you c an, by usi ng t he a ctio ns des c ri bed , ge t mul t i p le lifts
of 3, 4 , or 5 as b e i n g apparently only on e card pushed ove r. In
do i n g mU ltiple pusho ffsiover the u sual tw o cards /i t is adv i sable to
ke ep the c a r d s moving . Thus you would push , turnover , p ush, and
tu r no v e r i n as rhythmic a manner as you c a n.
I

ANOTHER DOUBLE TURN OVER

T. "

OBJ ECT: To cl e arly push ov er on e card to cl e ar l y show the fac e of a

' s i ng l e car d yet on turn i ng t h e card fa c e up t o a c tua l ly have t wo
c a r d s, as one , face up on top of the deck .
1 . Deck i s held i n the left hand in a Straddle Gr ip Positi on . The
le f t thumb pushes ov e r t h e top card and a t t he sam e time the left
thumb c ont a ct s th e s ec on d c a r d pushing it a lso but s l i gh t l y b e h i n d
th e top c a r d in r ea di n e s s f or the Alle r t on Move . The ball of l e f t
thumb contac t s the t op car d, during --t he pusho f f, while th e s econd
card i s cont act ed at a bou t th e crea se of th e left thumb. The r e s u l t
is as in the Fig. 1.

"

Fig. 1

II
j

.~

"

2. Raise
card. As
while the
push th is

t h e le f t hand f or t he pu rpos e of showing the single t op

the hand i s raised the le ft thumb pulls back th e top c ard
le ft f i n ge r s , pressi ng on the face of the se c on d card,
s e c ond card to the right and past the right sid e of the top

t h e t op c a r d in r ea di n e s s f or the Al le rt on Move . The ball of l e ft

thumb contac t s the to p car d, during - t he pu sho f f, wh il e th e secon d
card is con t act ed at a bou t th e crease of th e l eft thumb. The r e s u l t
is a s in t he Fi g. 1 .

':;;:::"

-'

-1. _

o
. c a rd as in t he Fig . 2 wh ich is the performer 's v iew . At onc e th e
1
right thumb and 1st ~nd 2nd fingers grasp the projecting single ca rd J
by t he' upp er righ tco r n er as in th e Fi g. 3. The deck still fac es t he
sp ecta tor a n d hi s vi e w wil l be that seen Tn the Fig. 4 .

]
]

.]
Fig. 3

Fi~ .

Fig. 4

3. With the c ards momentar ily as in the

3 the left .t humb pushes ]
the t op c a r d to the right to l i ne it up wi th tlie projec titig se cond
card. This a li gnmen t is also aided by the po sition of th e right 1st ~
finger along th e to p e dg e o f the cards at their outer right c or n e r s . :
The rig ht thumb c an a ls o a id in the a l i gnm ent by pull ing th e to p card
to the ri ght as t he le ft thumb als o pu s h es to the rig ht. The b ac k
knu c kl e of the rig ht 3r d fing er wi l l a ct a s a stop, by pressing i n
against the ri ght s i de-edg e of th e card s, to further insure ali gn men t of the two ca r d s as shown in t he Fig. i , the performer' s view.
4 . At the stage of Fi g. 5 the
r ight finge rs and thumb have a
firm gr i p on bo th c ard s. Both
hands ~ r e l owe re d as at t he same
t i me t he ri ght hand turns bo t h
c a r d s, as one , flu sh onto th e t op "
of th e deck. If y ou are f ami l i a r ,
wi t h the Altma~ Tra~ (See Adv a nc e d ,]
Fing ertip Control) you can us e
t ha t . From he re you can turn bo th ~
cards, as on e, fac e do wn onto the
top of th e d eck.

Fig . 5
2ND TECHNIQUE (F or Another Double Turnover):

1. Bas icall y i n this type Tur no ver the desir ed num be r of c ards should
b e pu sh ed ove r a s close t oge t he r as po s sibl e bu t in o r der to cle ar l y
show th e und e r l ying s qua r i ng up t e chniqu e the des cr iption wi l l be
,.
give n with t h e cards s ep a r a t ed from each other . The chief disarming
feat ure of t h i s particu lar technique is tha t while the deck i s h eld
J",
in th e Mechan ic 's Gr ip th e hand is perfectly relaxed with the l e ft

4. At the stage of Fi g . 5 the

r ight finge rs and thumb have a
firm grip on both c ards . Both

fl
~

,
r-

o-- _ . _ ~

~l'

... _

241

2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers

agains,!: the rigJi"t side of
cards a hd a ssume that the
the second card as in the

normally extended rather than pressed up

the deck. The left thumb pushes over two
tqp card has been pushed over in advance of
Fi g . 6.

Fig. 7

'Fi g . . 6

2. As the left hand turns inward

and slightly upwards, and the right
hand moves to meet the deck, the
left thumb pulls back the single
forward card, in as close alignment
as possible, with the second card.
The second card iskept.by2nd and 3r d
fingertips pressing upwaras against
the face of the second card. The
result is shown in the Fig. 7 where
t he right f i nger s and thumb a r e a l ready grasping the oute r right
corner of both car ds a nd help ing
in the -alignment of the t wo cards.
Fig. 8
3. With the bottom of the deck
practically facing the spectators the right fin gers a nd thumb square
up th e t wo cards into per fect ali gnment using t he techn ique previousl y
de scri bed. Briefly, the r i ght 2nd fingertip pulls th e face or second
card to the right and up a gain s~he back of the ri ght 3rd f i nger
wh ich ke ep s t he rig ht side of t he cards in line. The ri ght 1st
fingertip is along the top edge of the cards helping i n aligni ng the
ends of the t wo cards. The Fig. 8 now shows the t wo carns in line
as one.
The right hand now starts to move its cards to the right, with
the left thumb following alon g in a simulated pushoff of the card(s),
while at the same time the hands are lowered soon enough for the
spectators to see the movement of the card(s) being apparently pushed
over to the side of the deck as in the Fig. ~.
4.

,
I

\.

i,

I'i

5. The right hand can now flip the card(s) face up into the Altman
Trap to thus display the suppos edly single card.
(For details of
the Altman Trap see "Advanced Fingertip Control".) From this point

~ \

result is shown in the Fig. 7 where

th e right f i ng er s and thumb a r e already grasping the oute r right

..<',

..

. hi .

the card(s) c an be eas ily turn ed face down onto the t op of the deck .
It ':ls pos s i bLe to do Mu1 tiple Lift s by first 100se1y s p r e ad i ug
the dec k into an ex agge ra te d bevelled co nditi9n . The le ft thumb can
now p r e s s and very sligh t ly break of f, t o th e rig ht , a ny amoun t of
card s s o that only their white borders can be seen by yourself . The
Fig. 10 shows how f ou r cards, with their white borders fairly close
but the a ctual number v is ible to you , have been pushed ov e r by the
le f t thumb.
6'.

Fi g. 9

]
~
.'

..J

Fig . 10
7~
The ri gh t f i ng e r s and thumb
~
move onto the upper right c or n e r of
t h e s e c a r ds befo r e raisi ng the de ck .
Th e po s i t i on of the han ds an d the
c a r d s i s shown i n th e Fig . 11
wher e the ba c k of th e ri ght3 rd '
f inger i s pr e s s ing aga inst t ~
r i gh t side of the ca rds n ear th e
up p er rL gh t co r n er . The r ig h t Is t ,:.
fi n ge r is along t h e t op edge of~e
c ar ds a t t h i s cor n e r.
.-:;J..

8 . With t h e righ t finger s i n the

pos i t i on s hown i n the Fig . 11, the
Fi g. 11
r i gh t 2nd fi nger wi ll cover~he
i nd ex es-0f th e s l i gh tly pu s h e d
ov er bl oc k of c ar ds . As the ha n ds are r aised th e r ig ht 2nd f i ng er tip
pull s th e fac e c ards, t wo or th r e e dep en d i n g on whe t he r a tr i p l e or
qu adruple turnover is to b e made, to th e r ight. At the same tim e t he
back of t h e right 3r d fing er, near the nail , presses i n agai ns t the
ri ght side of the blOck of ca r d s to align them as one simil a r t o that
alr e ady shawn in t he Fig . ~.
9 . From h e r e on j ust follow the Turnover a ctions already explained
by lo we rin g th e han d s and s eeming ly pushing ov e r onl y on e c ar d ,
reall y fou r c a r ds as on e in th i s cas e . Depict e d i n th e Fi g . 9 is
what th e sp e c t a t ors se e , From this poin t you c an t urn t h e ca~d(s)
fac e up i n t o the Al t man Tr a p as pre v i ous ly sug ge s t ed . In th e pr ocess
o f a l igni ng t he c ard s you will no ti ce t h a t , a t time s th e l e f t thumb

_u_ .._..

r - -- ---u

.._ _..-

c a r d s i s shown i n th e Fig . 11
wher e the ba c k of th e ri ght3 rd '
f i nger i s pr es s ing aga inst
t~
_ _
~

~~

r~

+~

~~

,~

1\,;
~

1
,

I
1

.--'! _..

243

also aids by pulling the top cards to the left.

I:

'3RD TEC,HNIQlJE (Stud Type Turnover):

1.
Here again the deck is held in a re laxed Mechanic's Grip.
The
t op two cards are advanced as already shown in Fig. 6 of the 2ND ,
TECHNI QUE . Now the Stud type action to be described-will align t he
two cards as one; however, again keep in mind that y ou should push
over -two cards, or more if desired, as closely together as possib le
without using any tight techniques.

2. The right hand comes over to contact the upper right corners of
both cards and starts to pivot them to t he right as in the Fig. 12 .
At ,t h e same time the left thumb pulls the top card to the left aM
in line with the 2nd card as in the Fig. 13 . The two cards are in
perfett alignment-yrapped at its l owe r left corners, a t the base of
the palm, and the right 3rd finger at the upper right c orners . The
right 'thumb , also presses-rll against the right side of the cards to
further he lp in aligning them.
Th e right 1st and 2nd fingertips
press on t o the top of the cards. At once tEe cardTS) is Stud dealt
face up, as in the Fig. 14, to f lash the face card.
In a foliow t h ru
the right hand flips thecard(s) back face down, sidewise to the left,
' o n t o the top of the deck.
The action is a 'f l u i d one from start to
finish.
This technique is especially go od for successiye Double or
Multiple Turnovers.

r .

Fi g . 12

Fi g. 1 3

Fig. 14

Fig. 15

"t

Itft
\01
~

Fig '. 17

Fig. 16

' 3 . Remember the cards must be

. pushed over as close t o g e t h e r as
possible but even if they are
separated the technique of ,t h e
Figs . 1 2, 1 3, and 1 4 will li ne u p
the c ard s.-T h e , F i gs. 15,,1 6 a nd
17 s h ow 3 c a rd s se p a rated and c on v er g e d i n to a si ng le un it rea dy
f ~r t he S tud Turnove r .

~)

~~
"~

J1

-J

4 . To insure a def inite n umber o f

c a r d s spread the de ck as previously ~
shown in the Fig. 10 . The required
number of cards is-now pushed a
Fig. " 18
little to the right by t h e left
~j
":
,
thumb . The right hand comes over
to engage the upper right corner with the r ight finger and thumb in
readiness for the aligning process as shown in the Fig . ~ .

5 . From the pos iti on o f t he Fig . 1 8 go i n t o t h e alignin g p r o c e s s as

in th e Fig. 1 3 , th en into t he St u d~y p e t ur n over as i n th e Fig. 1 4.
I t is a t urnover tha t k e ep s the c a rd s mov ing, i s v ~ ry n atur al a nac o nv i ncing . Don; t mi su s e it.

THE TURN OVER TIP

OBJE CT: To eradicate the flare-out usually present in Do u b l e or
Mult lple Lifts especially of the St ud Deal type . Also i t is applicable t o spreads such as the D'Amico Spread whe.n the s upposedly single
card may consist of more than two cards .

.~

1 . To get the basic idea assume you are s e t to do a fo u r card push o f f a s apparent ly a single card which is t u r n e d face up , i n Stud Deal
fash i on , t o be rested face up onto top of t h e deck but s i d e- j o g g e d
-1
fo r half its width .
I f yo u wi ll examine t h e right side o f th i s b l oc k J
you will no t i c e a mi nu t e f la r e out a lo ng the ri gh t side o f th e car d(s ) .
Normall y in a f o l l o w th r o u g h ac t i on, in wh ic h t he card ( s) is t urne d
' 'l
fa c e u p and at once tur ned back face down on to top o f de ck, this
f lare - ou t is not noticed beca use the card(s ) keeps mo v i n g; ho we v e r,
.

'"It

J
Fig. " 18

little to the right by t h e left

,
thumb. The right hand comes over
t o engage J::_
th __
e upper
right
corner
with
the right finger andn thumb in
.... t....... __

__ "

..;

....... _

,.. r-

..: _ _

.: _

.....

_ _

_ ,_ _ _

__

.L

,-.

_.

]
~

ji

245 .

."

.1

i f t he ca r d ( s ) is re sted face up, s ide-jogged f or half i ts wid th,

on t op .of the deck for any length of time this flare-out be c omes
qu i t e obvious to those with even fair vision. My solution f or thi s
is a simple one and insures a single edge appearance so that even a
fair ly large block of cards seems like only on e card .
2. Assume you are doing a push-off of a bloc k of fo ur cards as on e.
Do the usual Stud Deal to turn the card( s) face up but as the cards
pivot face up the right hand gently tap s or presses~e card(s) lef t
side against the top of the deck . The left hand has momentarily---turned slightly to bring the top of the deck facing to the right .
T~e Fig . 1 shows this simple pressing or tapping action and should
on l y take-a second . In fact properly done there isn 't any awarene ss
t ha t this action ever t ook place.

Fig . 1

Fig. 2

3 . During the pressing or tapping action of Fig. 1 you will note

that the right 1st finger also presses onto the right side edge of
the b lo c k of caras. Thus the squaring of the card ' s sides takes
p l ac e between the top of the deck agains t ~he left side edge of t he
block and the ri ght 1st finger on the ri ght s ide edge of the blo c k.
4. Onc e the s i de s of the bl ock of c ar ds are ' s qua r ed of f the l e f t
hand turns palm up t o bring the top of de c k uppermost . The right
ha nd als o has turned palm up as it compl e te s turning its c a r d ( s )
face up against the top of the deck as in Fi g . 2 . Note that in t he
Fig . 2 the left 1st finger is pressing against the top edge of the
b lo c k- o f cards whIle the outer side of t he r i g h t third finger , at or
n e a r its t i p, is pr essing in against the lowe r edge of the bloc k .
Thus the top and bo ttom edges of t he bl ock ar e not on l y squared off
bu t t he card (s) r emai n s i n a so r t of f rame as i t i s d i s p l a y ed.
S. Once the blo ck of car d s hav e be en squared of f the ri g ht hand can
move away leavin g the l ef t hand f r ee to displ a y the card ( s ) s ide jog ged o ff to t he r i ght on t op of the deck. The le f t hand c an tilt
th e f r on t end of th e de ck do wnward s o as to conc e al a ny f r ont e nd
thic kn e s s of the bloc k. Wit h pr op e r a t t en t i on to detail s a fairly
l arge block c an be pass ed off as a single card.
6. Once th e card(s) ha ve b e en sho wn sufficiently th e ri gh t hand
me r ely f l i ps the c ard( s) ov e r s i dewi s e to the left a n d fa ce do wn

3 . During the pressing or tapping action of Fig. 1 you will note

that the ri~ht 1st finger also Dresses onto the riuht side eoge of

'-

'j

flush onto top of the deck.

From here proceed with whatever y o u
have in mind but hope fully this will not be wasted in an obvious
manner ~like ~n Ambitious Card effect .
7 . To apply this technique to the D'Amico Spr ead simply do the usual
spread; however,. when the spread is made the left side o f the bl ock
o f cards is pressed against the top of the deck as shown in Fig . l.
The squaring off technique is identical to that of handling only a
single block .
In other words , concentrate on the b l o c k o f c a r d s and
the remaining single card of the .spread presents no problem .

Fig . 3

.J
]
!

Fig. 4

8 . Once the block has been squared off the s upposed two ' ca rd sp read
c a n be rested against . the top of the deck as shown in Fig . 4 where
again note how the cards are once more in a sort of locked frame.

]
"

,J

9 . Note that in the Fig. 4 the face single card is angled so its
outer erid projects over the outer end of the block while the l e f t
1st finge~ is lying along the uppe r l e f t corner o f t he bl ock thus
concealing its thickness . Between the cover of the single projecting
card and the cover of the left 1st finger at outer end near the l e f t
corner plus the squared off lef~ide the block is to all ,a p p e a r a n c e s
Study Fig . 4 to get the idea .
a single card of a two card spread.
Fr om here the left hand alone , with deck in h a n d~ ca n display the
s p r e a d cards until such time when the right hand is ready t o turn
t h e m back face do wn and flush onto the top o f deck . From here go
into whatever you i n t e n d e d.
10 . So me may prefer the following technique for the D'Amico Spread.
Be g i n by simply positi on t h e still sq ua red car ds wit h thei r left side
a g a i n s t the top of the deck . The tip of the right 1st finger presses
on the top side edge while the lower side edge is pressing against
th e to p of deck . The situati on at this stage would be similar to
that shown in Fig. 1 previously. With the packet of cards thus
trapped the right thumb pulls the fa ce card up wa r d s o i t s t op side
edge moves past the tip of the right 1st fin ger. ' At the same time
' b o t h the left and right hand start to---revolve palm upw ards but with
the cards from right hand st il l pressing the remai nder o f t he b l ock 's
l e f t side edge a g a i n s t the top of the d eck. This double action will
now b evel the l eft side edge of the block inward , to the right , under

9.
Note that in the Fig. 4 the face s ingl e card is angled so its
outer e rid p r o j e c t s over the outer end of the block while t h e left
1st finge~ is lying along the uppe r l e f t corner o f t he bl ock thus
concealing i ts thickness . Between the cover of the single proj ecting
card and the cover of t h e left 1st finger at o uter e nd near the l e f t
c o r n e r plus the squared off le f~ide the block is to all ,a p p e a r a n c e s

]
't

'j

247

the face card of this block thus presenting a clean single edge o n
the left side of this block . The illusion of two single cards only
having ' been 's p r e a d is very good. A few trials and you will get the
idea of how all this blends into seemingly only one acti on , that of
simply doing a two card spread .
Can be applied also t o Multiple
Spreads.
MARLO SPREAD LIfT
This is a refin ement of an idea I pub lished in
IBIDEM years befor e any one thought of remo vi ng two or more c a r d s as
on e fr om within th e deck.
The original idea in IBIDEM u s e d a Fa n
Sp r e a d during which you could spot cards t hat remained in perfect
alignment . These cards were then removed , as apparently one card,
fr om within th e f a n . This method and the one to be described de pend on the cards having a clinging or sticking quality.
Naturally
the older or used decks work best but there are occasions when you
will find som e new d ecks, prob abl y because of being in stock too long,
have this almos t roughing fluid typ e tendency.
Before jumping to
c onclusions th ere wi l l be a suggestion for doing this spread lift
with even the slic kest of decks; howe ver, let's start with the assumpti on that you have a used deck.
1.
Sp r e a d th e deck b etween both hands very lightly touching the cards
with th e left thumb which pushes the cards to the right.
As you do
this somewher e along you wi l l feel a thick card as it glides past
the left fing ertips from b elow . Your eyes at this point can now
furthe r tell y o u if it is a Doubl e or a Triple and if it is in perfect
alignment.
Til ting the spread cards downwa rd, to the right, will
f urther aid in spotting the left sid e edge o f t he card (s) t h u s easily
seeing if i t is more than one, two , or three cards.

f.
t

2. Ass umi ng that you h a v e come a cross two cards i n perfect a l ignmen t
t he righ t hand, which stil l h olds o n to its part of t he spread c a r d s ,
o u t - j o g s the Double card, as one, for a bout half i ts leng th . The
l e f t hand alone now holds onto the still slightly spread cards while
t he r ight hand pivots t h e out-jogged card(s) o u t of the spread.
This
i s d one b y the right fingers contact ing the left side of the o u tj ogged card(s), then pivoting them clockwise to result in the card(s)
being held face down , by .the right side, with t h e thumb o n t op and
f ingers below.

3. The face down card(s), in a follow thru of the pivQtal action,

at o n c e are placed face up to theleft hand which grasp the sides of
the card(s) holding it well above the deck.
Having displayed the
cards face sufficiently the righ t hand grasps the inner right c orner
o f the face up card(s) to flip them face down o n t o the t op of the
d ec k .

4 . You are now in a position to do anyt hing t h a t depends on a

Dou b l e Lift; however, d o not waste it in a n Amb it i o us Card rou t i n e
bu t rat her i n a more subt le manner whic h will preven t even ma gic i a n s
from knowing you use d a Double Li f t .
5.

Now to make this Spread Li f t work wit h even s lick ca r ds y o u use

.-a:ligrimen'L7.. ~f1. Tii n g--:Cne-spTeaa.--- c-ay Q-s . Qln"h v/arcl", -. i iy "' f il'e

ilgTrr7--Wr.i''"Y-
further aid in spotting the left sid e edge of the card(s) thus easily
seeing if it is more than one, t wo , or three cards.

"

r_

.,.

an ev e r r e ad y gimmi ck that y o u a lm os t never n e ed to carry b ec au s e

~
it is avai l ab le a lm os t a nyw he re y o u go . This g im mi ck is nothing b u t
ci g ar b~ ci~arette ashes whi ch i s un obtrusively picke d u p o n t o y o ur
le ft 1 st f i nge r . when y o u g e t t h e de ck a ll yo u n eed to do is s ecr etly "
ru b t~a shes c n .t o t h e fa c e of t he bottom c ard . Cu t the deck to b r in g j
t h e bo t t om c a rd to t he c en t e r . Now y ou spre ad t h e c ard s betwe en b o t h
h a n d s t i l l you near the c e n t e r when your left t h umb s tarts app lying
mor e pressure o n to the c a rd s. You will know wh en yo u come to the
thick card b y tou ch . Due t o t h e a shes t wo card s wi ll mov e o f f as
i f the y h ad roughin g f l u i d o n th em. From her e the r e st o f t he a c tion
i s as a lready des cribed ex c ept f or one important d e t a il . Th e c a r d ( s ) _!
ar e p l ac e d face up flush onto the to p o f t h e de ck . Now wi th left
-~
thumb agai n fi rm ly p r es s in g on the card( s) th ey will mov e o ff , to th e
., .
r i g h t a s on e wi th th e r i ght hand, t h e n turnin g it fac e do wn.
Now a
ve r y l i g h t pressure of the left thum b wi ll d e al ov e r o n l y the t op card . ,]
6.
On c e more h e ed t h e advi c e o f not u s in g th i s i n som e tri t e mann e r.
The re ad e r i .s re f err ed to " Th e Re - Op e ne d Pre di c t i on " , th e final on e ,
~ hi c h

makes go od use o f t h is idea . This idea ca n be u s e d t o make 3

,.o r ! ca rds move as one by alternately treating the ba cks and f ac es .
o f the c a r d s that c o n t ac t ea ch oth e r .
I n fa ct , any th ing tha t ha s been '
d o n e with r oug hing f l u i d c a n be done in a few mome h ts on a borr owed
.J
d e c k . La t e r s ome Far o Shuff les , Ri f fl e Sh uffl es, Sp ringing o f th e
c a rd s, e tc . , will prac tically eradica t e t h e work - no c l u es.
(.

:~1

!,J

]
]

249

THE FACE UP PUSH OFF

OBJ ECT :' , To have two or more cards t urned fa ce up and square with
deck, as apparently one, then to push the face up cards, still as
one, off to the s i de to be turned face down.
1. Begin by pushing off two cards as one using either the Marlo
Pusho ff or on e of the Fake Pushoffs. When the card(s) is over the
s i de of deck the right fingers bend the cards downwards slightly a s
in Fig . 1.

..

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

2. Turn t he c a rd ( s )
thumb on the ex treme
c a u s e the right si de
fingers as in Fig . l

face up and square wi th deck. Pl ac e t he lef t

left side of the cards. Press down and t his will
of the c a r d s to lif t up past the tips of the left
whi ch is exaggerated f or c l a r i t y .

3 . ' With tip of left thumb you can now easily push the cards of f the
deck past the tips of left fingers in a manner similar to that explained in the "Pushoff Techn ique". If you wish you can use, because
of the li ft off of cards at the right s i de , any other method to t urn
the cards face down. For example, the Hit method or the method in
the "SPADE" book for the "One Hand Double Turnover" in which the cards
are pushed forward by the left 2nd and 3rd fingers and thumb which
easily can grip the right side '~the lifted c a r d ( s ) .
.
4. All that remains is for right fingers t o t ur n the card fa ce down.
Pr e s s ,down on deck firmly , with left thum b , t o take ou t th e bend as
you deal off the t op c a r d .
'.

fingers as in Fig . l whi ch is exaggerated f or c l a r i t y .

you
can_ now
easily
push .,the
cards
of f the
3 . . With tip of left thumb
r
r.: _ _. _
__
_
_ __ __ _ __ _ _
_ __
_ ...... , __
...1 _

_ 1_

......

.J_ 1_ _

.L.

--= __ _

_,.

JL

~_

..JI...

__ .

]
STEVE DRAUN ' S PACKET PUSHO FF LI FTS
In the handling of a small pa c k et of cards several
year s a go St eve Draun develop ed the f ol l owi ng "No-Get Ready l1 t echnique f or a two c ard lift or turnover.
1. Assume you have a f our c ar d packe t i n t he l ef t han d deal i n g pos itio n. The bal l o f t h e l e ft t humb does a Bl ock Pu shof f , o f those c ards
abov e the s i ngl e ca rd , in a small arc to the rigl~t.

.}

.j

Fig . 1

Fig . 2

' 2 . At thi s stage t h e tip o f the l e ft 1s t fi nge r pr esses up a gain st

the bottom or f ace ca rd of the block a~he outer right corner. This
upward pres sur e o f the l e ft 1st f i ng e r t i p k ee ps the lowermost card in
place whi le the l e f t t humb gently pushe s ov er t hos e c ar d s abov e t h i s
s econd card . This r e s ul t s in a 3 c a rd ang led spread a s i n t h e Fig. ' 1.
The t op c a r d of the 3 c ar d s i s now a Dou b le c a r d in p erfe c t ali Qnment
as a ppar ent l y one c ard. Go into Stud Type Turnover as in Fi g . ~.

3. The two c ar ds can now e i t h e r be lifte d or turned over, by the

right hand . As t h e l ift or t ur nover i s a bou t to be don e t he l e f t
thumb pu l ls back t he remainin g ca rds flu sh wi th the card i n t he l e ft
ha nd . A St ud t yp e turnover , to show t he fa ce of t he car d ( s ) and t hen
fo llo wi ng thru by tur n i ng . t he c ard ( s) f a ce do wn, onto the card s in
the left hand, is an excell ent handling for th is type of pushoff.

4. If you have 5 ca rds an ~ s t i l l wi sh to do a Double Li ft or Tur n over, then the pro cedure is the same a s t h e op ening mechani c s i n t he
case of 4 c ard s except when y ou r e a c h t he co nd ition of the Fig. !. you
will ha ve 3 c ard s a s the top ca r d. At th i s po i nt the t ip of the l eft
3rd fin ger-come s into playas it now pre sses up ward against the block
or-3 cards, a t the outer ri ght corner, c ausing the lowermost card of
these 3 to be hel d bac k as the l eft thumb, co n t inuing its pus hin g
actio n- in an ar c , pushe s ov er t wo c a r ds as on e. It is i mportan t that
t he l e f t thumb doe s no t r e a ll y pus h on to p of the c a rds bu t i n reality
the ba ll o f the l eft thumb presse s against th e left s i d e e dge o f the
cards near the upp er left corner. See the Fig. ~.

J.

S.

Once th e two c ar d s a r e arced over as one the ri ght ha nd pos itions

p la ce wnl le ~n e l er ~ ~n um o g en~~y pu s nes ove r ~no se c ar a s aoo ve ~ n l S

s econd c a r d. This resu lts in a 3 c a rd ang led spread a s i n t h e Fig. ' 1.
The t op c a r d of the 3 c ar d s i s now a Doub le c a r d i n p erfe c t al i Qnment
as a ppa r ent l y one c ard. Go into Stud Type Turnover as in Fig. ~.

"

J
]

]~
j

ii'

~,

251

I.
I

itself, at t h e upper right corner,

for a Stud Ty pe Turnover.
In the
:Fi g . 2 the ri g ht 1st fin ger is at
the top edge a t tnIS corner, the
right 2nd f i ng e r is on top of the
card near the right side e d g e o f
the same corner. The right thumb
presses against the right s i d e
edge at this corner thus the fingers
and thumb are converged at the upper
right corner. As the right hand .
pivots its card(s) face u p the left
thumb pulls b a c k t he rema in in g
cards flu sh and square i n t o the
left hand.
Th e f a c e o f th e card (s)
hav i ng b e e n shown th e r i g h t hand
Fig. 3
1 0 11 ows t hro u g h b y fl ipp ing or
turning its card(s) f a c e down onto t he cards i n the left h a nd.

"

MARLO'S EASY FLEXIBLE TECHNIQUE

When Steve Draun showed Haivey Rosenthal his Double

Pushoff, Harv e y Ros enthal had trouble tryin g to g e t it down; however,
when I show ed Harve y t he following t echnique he did it immediately
with no pr obl ems.
In a ll fairness it must be mentioned tha t my technique wa s insp i r e d by Steve Dr aun's or iginal method.
1. Aga in y ou h a v e fou r " c ards face d own in the l e ft h a n d a s f o r
dealin g. The l eft t hu mb pr e s sing again st t he l ef t side edge o f the
cards n e a r the upp er left cor n er, do e s a Block Pu sho f f arc i ng o v er
the card s. So on as the bloc k is ar ced ove r t h e r i ght 1st and 2nd
finge r t i p s c on ta c t t he t op of t h e Bl ock at t he upper ri g ht corn er.
The 3rd finger press es aga i n s t t he t op edge o f th i s cor ner and the
ball-oI th e t humb p r ess es a gainst the right side edge near the sam e
corner. This Stud Typ e Po sition is s h own ' i n the Fi g . 4 and a t this
point the left 2nd f i nge r t i p is pressing up ward against the bottom
or face card of~e block at the uppe r right corner.
2. The left hand now moves, ln
an arc, slightly to the le ft while
the right h and mov e s slightly downward and to t he right. Wi th the
left 2nd f inge r t i p press ing up
" a g a i n ~t h e bottom card of the
Block the bot tom card wi l l be
forced p ast th e tip o f t h e right
3rd fing er to r esult in a th ree
card spread a s in the Fig. 5.
The tip of the right 3rd fi n ger
must keep pr essing against the
top edge o f the corner to k eep the
two cards aligned as one.

1,

Fig. 4

cards n ea r t h e upp er left cor ner , do e s a Block Pu shof f arc i ng o v er

the card s . So on a s the bloc k is ar ced ove r t h e r i g ht 1st and 2nd
finger t i ps co nt act t he t op of t h e Bl ock a t the uppe r ri g ht corn e r.
Thp ,r n

~;ncrpr

nr p ~, p,

~cr~ ;n ,r

rhp rnn p n crp

n~

th; ~

rnr npr

~nn

r hp

'1

./

]
]

]
]
Fig. 5

r ig . 6

3. The ri gh t ha nd do es a St ud
Typ e Tur nov er to bri ng the c a r d s
face up and held alongside the
"'~
face do wn cards i n th e le f t hand a s
i n the Fig . 6 whe r e t h e l eft t humb .
has a l ready pull ed its rem aining
car ds flush with t h e c a rd in t h e
left hand . Al l t ha t rema in s is
to turn or flip th e card(s ) f a c ~
do wn o nt o the c ards in t h e l ef t
hand.

4. With a p ack e t o f 5 cards in t he

left hand in order to-do a Doubl e
Fig. 7
Li ft f o ll ow t h e e xact pr o c e dure as
illu s tr a t e d in t he F i g s . 4 a nd 5
but whe n the sta g e o f the Fi g. 5 is re ach ed the tip of the left 3rd
fin ge r now presses up wa r d against t h e new bo ttom o r fa c e c ar d.
Now
simpl y con tinue t he ide n t ical ac ti on s , o f le ft hand a r c in g to th e left
and righ t ha nd arcin g to t h e ri ght a n d downward, wh e n th e r esult will O
J
b e a f our c ar d spread , as i n t h e Fig . 7 , wi th t he Doubl e c a rd u nde r
_
control by t h e r i ght fin ge rs a n d t h umb ~ Now do the Stud Typ e Turnover, ~
as pictured i n the F ig . 6 a s at the same tim e the l eft thumb pull s i t S ]
.c ard s f lu sh i n t o the l e f~ hand a s f o r d ea l ing .

S. Whil e oppo s ite ac t ions, o f eac h h a nd, we re des c ri be d some may fi nd

t hat movi ng on ly. the righ t ha n d i s s uffi cient and in fa ct onl y th e
left 2n d a nd 3r d fi rtge rs can peel each bottom card free of the Bl o c k
and p a st t he t ip of t he r i g h t 3r d f i ng er. Th i s ac t i o n i s esp ec i a l l y
recomme n d e d whe n d oin~ t he Pu sho ffs , to g e t e i th e r a Double, Tripl e,
or Quadrupl e Li ft from the top of a deck of cards.

]
)

6. One of t h e r e ason s this tec hn ique i s fl e xibl e is that it can b e

done " From A Fu l l Dec k Of Ca rds" he l d in t h e l e ft hand.
In o rd er to
do thi s y our i nit i al Pushoff can be more c a rd s t h a n wha t y ou rea lly
n e ed si nc e th e e xc e ss card s can b e pee le d or held back by th e tip s o f
the l e ft 2nd, 3r d, a n d 4th fingerti ps .
In th e c a s e of a f ull d e c k o f

Fig. 7

Li ft f o l l ow t h e exact p r o c e dur e as
illu s tr a t e d i n the F i g s . 4 a nd 5
but whe n the s t age o f the F ig . 5 is re ached th e tip of the left 3rd
fin ge r now presses up wa r d against t h e new bo t to m or f a c e c a r d.
Now
simpl y c ont i n u e t h e ide ntic al ac ti on s , o f le ft hand arcing to the left
and righ t ha nd arcing to t h e ri ght a n d downward, wh e n th e r esult will

2 53
cards the starting action of the left thumb is altered so that the
tip of the thumb contact s the left side edge o f th e deck , near the
to p, ne a r the upper l p.f! c o r ne r . This starting pos i tion i s identical
to t ha-t shewn in the lF l g . l of th e Mar l o Doubl e Pu sho f f.
This position enabl es you to cl early s e e wh e the r you ar e push ing off, as apparently on e card, t wo , three , o r f o u r cards in a bloc k.
Th e positi onin g o f th e right f i n ge rs i nto th e Stud Type Pos ition also enabl es you
to fe el i f you have th e de s ir ed n umbe r of card s in the block or more .
7.
Sup po s e y o u wan te d to d o a Doubl e Pushover bu t have pu s hed ov er
3 c ards i n s tea d . The r i g ht fi nge r s position th e ms el v es into th e Stud
Typ e Posit ion wh i.I.e the left 2n d fi n gertip co nt act s th e bot t om o r f a ce
card, of the se t h r e e , at the u p p er rightcorner . The s itu ation i s a t
this sta ge similar to that a l r eady s h own in th e Fi g. 4 ex c ep t in t his
case you wo u ld have a full d ec k in your lef t hand . Tne l eft 2n d
finge rtip presses and holds bac k the bottom card of the 3 whi~the
r i g ht fi n ge rs arc to th e r i g h t and do wnward cau sing t h e l owe r mos t
card 'o f the 3 cards t o b e f o r ce d past the r i g h t 3rd f i nge r t i p which
keeps the t op t wo cards i n perfect alignme nt . Again the s imi lar ity
is as in t h e Fig . ~ except with a ful l d ec k in t he l e f t hand .

,~

8.
Su p po s e y ou ha d pu sh ed o v e r a b l o ck of 4 car ds bu t wa n te d onl y a
Doubl e Li f t or Tur nov e r .
I n th is c a se the l eft 2nd fi nger tip wou ld
ho ld bac k th e botto m c a rd , o f th e fo ur card s , wi ~t he r i ght fin g e r s
mov i n g t he bl o ck of t hree car ds i n a manner s im i lar to t h at alrea dy
s h own i n th e F ig . 5 . Now the l e ft 3r d f i nge r ti p pr e s s e s u p aga ins t
th e bo t to m c ard of-th e 3 c a rd blo c k--:r:0 ke e p it b ac k as th e rig h t hand
co nt i nu e s to a r c , t o t he r i g h t, n ow wi t h only t wo c a rd s i n ali gnmen t .
Th e situa t i o n i s n ow as a lrea dy picture d in the Fig . 6 e xc e p t y ou
have a f ul l d e c k o f c a r d s in the lef t h and in t h i s c as e.
9 . Since you can push o f f ev en 5 cards and s t ill e n d up wi t h o n l y
a Do u b l e card, throu gh th e u s e of the left 4 t h f inger t i p, f o r the
3rd bo ttom card o f th e b lo c k , to hold back the card, it beco mes q u i te
o b v i o u s t hat MUl t i p le Li ft s a re just as eas y . All you n eed to do is
b e sur e that y o u initi all y s tar t t o push.off , wi t h the t ip of the
lef t t h umb , t he ac t u a l requ i r e d n umb e r o f c ards or more tha n th e
requi r e d n umbe r but c ert a in l y n ot less .
In the ca se-whe r e y ou pus h
o v e r more than the requi red numb er of c ards t h e ex cess cards are
s i mp l y held ba ck by the left 2nd , 3r d , o r 4 t h fingertips this de pend ing on how many mo r e you pushea-0ve r t h a n the needed a moun t .
Thus u p t o a 5 ca rd Turnover or Lift c an be done a s easily a s a 2
c a r d Lift o r Tur nover . I n the c ase o f Tur novers or Lifts that are
i n th e 5-4 -3 ca tego ry , then t h e l e ft side o f t h e turned c ard s sho u ld
be ge ntly- tappe d agains t the to p o f t h e d ec k to square o f f any fla r e
out that may o c c u r al ong the left s ide. Th is is e s p ec i a lly t r u e i n
cas e s whe r e a Stud Type Tu r no v e r i s used . Fo r more details r e f er t o
t h e "Turnov er Tip" .

, .

-.-

9 . Since you c a n push o f f ev en 5 card s and s till end u p wi t h o n l y

a Do u b l e card, throu gh th e u s e of the left 4 t h f inge r t i p, f o r the
3rd bo ttom card o f the b lo c k, to hold back the card, it beco mes q u i te

..

MORE CARD SWITCHES

,:. The basic mechanics of the card switch to be discussed
first appeared in the R.C .T . seri es, Chapter 12 on "Card Switches" .
Exp erimentation and changes in technique produc ed flexible advant a ge s which should c a u s e the reader t o think before pass ing t hem by
too qu i ckly thi s s ec ond tim e ar ound .
1. A card i s palme d i n t he righ t ha nd, in the
FI RST TECHNI QUE:
cl a s s ic ma nn e r with 'the out er r ight corner pressing a gainst tip of
t he ri ght 4t h fing e r a nd th e inner left corner a gainst th e base of
t he righ t thumb a s sho wn in Fi g . 1. (See also " Magic Wi t hou t Appara tus" by Ga ultier") The grip on the palmed card, as in Fig . 1, permit s f a i r l y fr e e movem e ~r of t he res t of the ha nd and th e hand can
b e hel d pa l m do wn agai ns~ the tab l e top wi t hou t lo sing t he grip on
th e card.
"" ,"

]
]

])'
'

~.

Fig . 1

Fig. 2

2. Th e st artin g position for

th e' card switc h i s f or the
ri ght ha nd to r e s t' it s f i nger tip s a ga i ns t th e edge o f th e
tab l e. Th is enab le s t'he p alm ed
c a r d t o a ls o be he ld against
th e right p a l m and y et the hand
can real ly r e l ax. The l e f t hand
~eanti me has gripped the t a b l ed
ca r d, whi ch i s lyi ng le ng thwise
in front of you, by the inn er
le ft corn e r with th e l e ft thumb
und e r t hi s , corner a nd t he 1 st
a nd 2nd finge rs on t op.
Fig . 3

Fig . 1

3. The ri gh t hand no w starts t o

mov e t owa r d s the tabl ed card , a s
in t he Fig . 2 , t hen cont i nues
until it c omp let e l y c ov ers t he
tab l ed card as in th e Fi g. 3.
Ac t uall y a t Fi g . 3 wha t ha pp e n s ,
und er co v er of the r i gh t hand ,

Fig . 2

)
...:...'!

255
is t h a t the palmed ca rd goes d i rect ly on to p of and in li n e wi t h
the c a r d held by t h e l e f t hand . The lef t-r5t and 2nd fi n ge r s hav e
moved upw a r d, o ff o f its card, s l igh tly toa l l 0'" t~ palme d c ard
moving in . The end result i s t h at b ot h c ar d s are i n line a nd he ld
by t hei r inner r i g h t corne rs with the l e ft finger s a n d thumb .
If
the ri ght han~ we re mov e d away the c a rd ( s ) would a p pear s i mi la r t o
You d o not do this bu t keep t h e h a n d s , f o r
t ha t s ho wn i n Fig. r;t.
the mom ent, as in the Fig . 3 .
4.
From th e position of Fi g . 3 you have two o p t ions .
On e , th e r i g h t
hand c an move a wa y d i r e ctl y fr om the positi o n of Fig . 3 .
Or t wo, y o u
can l e v e r bot h hand s outwar d , t h e lit tle fin g e r side of e a c h ha n d is
r e s t ing firm ly against the table top du ring this o u t wa r d l e v e r i n g
act io n, as if to look at you r card . Once having looked at it the
bo t h ~ands can l ower towa rds the table wi th the right hand then
moving away to t h e right . This only e xplains t h e two possible actio n s .y ou can adopt but not t h e actual switch technique which now
wi l l follow.
5 . As s oon as t he hands reac h the p osition shown i n t h e Fig . 3 and
bo t h cards a re i n line, t h e l e f t f i nge r s pul l the i nne r left co rner
o f t h e top ca rd inwa rd c au sing the t op card to a ng le in suc h a man n er as to e xp o s e the out er l e f t c orner and the i n ne r right c orn er o f
Th e Fi g . 4 s h ows the an gl ed co nt h e l o we r or o r i g i n a l ta b le d c a r d.
di ti o n o f t h e to p c a rd wi th the r i ght h and omi tt ed .

. '.

..---- '

----

~-~ .

F ig . 4

Fi g . 5

6. Th e rig ht 4 t h f ingertip n o w engage s the exposed u pp e r left

co rner of the lowermost card wh i le the inner right c orner o f thi s
c a r d i s engag ed b y t h e base o f the righ t thumb . Wit h these two
corners t hu s t r app ed , the l ef t f inger s and thumb can n ow move out
the top card a s s h own in t he Fig . 5 , a n expo s e d view of the a ct i o n
In ac tu a l perf o r with th e right ha nd turned p a lm towards yo u rself .
manc e, the rig h t h a n d would b e , mo r e o r les s, pa l m do wn agains t the
t able as t h e origin al p a l med card i s moved into view as s h own in
F i g. 6 .
7.

Onc e t he s witc h has bee n ac comp lis h ed t h e ri g ht h and mov e s bac k

i::__ _

.. :

_ _

""_

'-

_ ....

t o r ~st it s f inge r tip s a ga i ns t

t he tables edge wh ile the left
fingers reta in its ho ld o n the
ne w c a rd .
8. Wh ile t h e switch wa s de scrx b ~
ed as a c a rd fo r card sw itch i t
can be d one s ev eral tim es,each
time .f o r an e nti r ely d iff e r e n t
c ar d, b y hav ing the right h and
i n itially palm a number of cards
such as f ou r Ace s.

9. As sume that you have fo ur

Aces p a lme d in t h e r i g h t h and
whil e on th e tabl e a re fou r X
c ar d s l yin g i n a r ow from leTt
Fi g. 6
to r i g h t.
The l e f t hand takes
the f irs t ca r d on your l ef t
and hol d ~ i t b y th e inne r l e f t
corn e r with 1 s t and 2nd fingertips on top a nd thumb b elow . Br ing
b ot h hand s t owa r d s ea ch o t h er , a s i n the Fig . 2, un til t he fo ur
card s i n t he right h a n d go on top of th e s ingle card in th e left .
h a n d and a l l c ar d s a r e a lign ed at the point of F i g. 3 .
10. Onc e the c ard s are in l i ne a n d he ld b y t h e left fin g e rs and
thumb, by the inn e r le ft corners, the l eft ls t and 2nd f i nge r t ips
pull th e top card i n t o a n angle d pos i t ion as-al ready s h own i n t h e
expose d Fig . 4 except in thi s instance fo ur ca rds wil l remain ln
l ine with t h e t op c ar d only a n gl ed.
11.
At th is point you can leve r t he hands u pwa r d, on y our side
6 n l y, as i f t o glance at t h e ca rd you just picked up .
Lower the
h a n d s a n d at t h e same t im e the l e ft f i nge rs and t hu mb mov e ou t th e .
top an gl ed c a r d wh i le t h e rig h t han d holds back i t s oth er four
c a r d s.
These switch a ctions are identical to those shown in the
Figs . Sand 6 .

1 2.
Th e l e ft h a nd r e pl ac es it s c ard b ack to i t s o r ig i na l place i n
the lin e o f fou r cards . All tha t remains is t o r ep e a t t he same
s wit c h for ea ch of t h e remaining three t a bled X c ar d s r e s ult i n g i n
the t abl ed c a rd s n ow b e in g the Ac e s with the r I g h t h and now h avi n g
four X ca r ds.
1 3.
I f th e swi t ch has been p ra cti ced e n oug h yo u can do a f a ce u p
visual ch an g e so that b y stro king, sa y , a 5 spot value card it
c ha n g e s t o a 4 - 3 -2 Ace in t u rn .
I d o not a dvise such an approach
b u t o nl y u s e it to po int out how easi ly and qui ckly it can be do ne.
14. While I h ad us ed p aper cl ips on a card in on e form or anoth er,
as a mis dire ctive tool, fo r a swit ch of a ca rd, su ch a s in t h e
" Card Switches" Chapter 12 , the follow ing is ea sy t o d o u s i n g the
card swit c h und e r di s cussion.
15.

Th e c a r d to be palmed i n the right h a n d c a n b e in y our l a p.

11. At th i s po i nt yo u can leve r the hands u pwa r d , on y our s ide

6 n 1 y, as i f t o glance at t h e c ar d you just p icked up .
Lower the
h a n d s and a t the same t im e t he l e ft f i n g e r s a n d t hu mb move ou t the .
top an gl ed c a r d wh i le t h e r ight hand hold s bac k i t s oth er f our
c a r d s.
These s wi t c h actions are identical to those shown in the

I ',.

]
]

:~

257
This
s id e
loop
Fig .

l e a v es th e h a nd s free t o plac e a pape r c l i p o n the long left

o f t he car d that i s on the ta b le.
Place th e clip so i t s sho r t
is uppermost or on the back of -the c a r d at about c e n t e r as i n
7.
,' .

Fi g. 8

Fig . 7

16. With th e left h and posi t i on t he c a rd so t hat i t s long s i de ,

wi t h t he cl i p , i s near to yo u . The right hand meantime has d roppe d
into the lap, palmed the card face out , then has come to res t its
fingertips on the tablefs edge .
17 . Both hands approach each other with the palmed card sliding
along on t op of t h e card held by the l e f t fingers.
Th e l e f t thumb
c a n pr e s s up wa rds on t h e fa ce o f it s c ard, at th e i nne r l e ft co rn er,
in ord er to s o r t o f b end i t up ward s sli ghtl y i n or d e r that th e l e ft
s id e o f t he palme d car d wil l s l i d e i n t o t he paper c lip as s h own in
the exposed inner view o f the Fig . 8 . .
18. Continue the action of the Fig . 8 until both cards are in line
and have the pap er clip on them . Raise or leve~ the hands upwards
sl ig htly , on y our side on l y , as if to glimpse t h e clip p e d card. As
both h ands low er- a t th e s ame time the l e ft 1s t and 2nd fin gert ips
pull t h e to p c ard i nto a n a ng led p os ition as a lre ady exp laine d . The
l e ft fingers - and t humb c a n n ow move out t ne t op c a r d, p lus t he pap er
c l i p which has been transferred to i t, whi le the r i g h t hand r e t a i ns
t h e u n d e r or original tabled c a r d. This i s now identi cal to t h e
F i g. 6 except there will bea paper c l i p on the l e f t si d e of the c a r d.
To al l ap pearance s it would se em imp os sib le f or any e x c hange o f card s
to hav e t a ke n p la ce .
1.
Thi s t echniqu e is in t erest ing from the s tandSECOND TECHNI DE:
pOInt t a t t e c ard to b e sw i t ched in do e s not have to be c lea r e d
f ro m un d e r the r igh t han d bu t simply is r e lea sed d i r e ctl y fr om the
ri ght hand. Aga in a c a r d is palmed in the r i gh t hand while t h e left
f i n g er s and thumb hold the t a b l e d card by its inner lef t corner .
Bo t h hand s appr oach each other as a l ready d e p i c t e d in the Fig . 2.
Thi s time the ca rd in the r i ght hand mu s t g o und er th e card held
2.
in th e left h and.
To do thi s easi l y th e ri ght ha nd r emain s f la t ,
f i n g ers clos e t ogether , wi th t he p a l me d c a r d be i ng he l d main l y by

i n ord e r to sort ot bend I t up ward S sli ghtl y i n or d e r that th e l e tt

s id e o f t he pa lm e d car d will s l i d e i n t o the paper c lip a s s h own In
the exposed inne r view of the Fig . 8 . .
., n

,.,

...... .: _ _ _ _

.L.

1_ _

.L .:

-c

.L.

1_ _

T"' ':

_ . __

..L

=.,

,~

A...

the p ressure point s of t h e righ t 4th fingertip at the out er l e ft

co r n e r and the ba se of the r ight thumb on the inner r i g ht c or n e r .
Re f e r t o. the ,Fig . 1 f or this basic grip . Next, only th e r i g h t 1st
finge r is raised very slightly or just enough t o cr e a t e a spaceoetween t h e right 1 s t f i n g e r and the palmed card .
I nt o t h is s pace
the out e r right cor n e r of the t a b l e d card i s fed a bo ve the p alm e d
c a rd, jus t a bove t h e palmed c ar d ' s i~ner l e ft c o rn er , as i s s h own in
th e op er ato r' s ex p o sed view of th e Fig . 9 .

Fig . 9

---------------

Fi g . 10

3 . Onc e t he p o si t i on of Fig . 9 is establ ished, b o t h hands move to

the p osition as already shown i n The Fig. 3 a t which point both
cards will be lined up . Next , l ev e r the hands upward, o n your
si de o n l y, as if t o glimpse or look at the c a r d.
During this the
left t h umb pulls the face or bottom card towards yourself thus ang ling the bottom card as in the exposed inside view of the Fig . 10.

4 . . Note t ha t at Fig . 10 the i n d e x corner of the top card is now

going to be engage d by the tip o f the rig ht 4th finge rti p . On c e
t he t ip o f the righ t 4 th finge r fee ls th is 'c or n e r the r i g ht hand
fin g ers n ow s tart to curl i n ward . This r esul ts i n th e to p c a rd
automatic al l y be i ng b e ll i ed up into t he right p alm a s shown i n the
expo sed out e r s i d e vi ew o f th e F ig . 11 (Eleven).
Naturally t h is
palm ing a c ti on is n ot seen si n c e bo th h a n d s wou l d b e against the
table to p, espec i a l l y t h e out er sid e of the .r i g h t h a nd.

]
rl' ,
"

~t

J
]
Fi g. 11

Fi g. 1 2

~er~ ~numD pu~~s ~ n e race or Do~~om cara ~owaras yourse~r ~nus ang~ - l i n g the bottom card as in the exposed inside view of the Fig . 10 .

4 . . Note that at Fig . 10 the i n d e x corner of the top card is now

..

--_._- --_ ....: _~ - _ ~ --._- -- - _

..__._--

259
S. As t h e a c ti o n o f the Fig . 11 is made th e ot h er f inger s will al s o
curl in au to ma t i c a l l y s o tha t th e s in g l e c a r d now sh owi ng, f ro ~ u n de r
th e r i g.h t h a n d , wi ll end up b e in g h eld b y th e si des wi th the r i ght
1 s t fi nge r c ur l e d on top ,
The l e ft f i ngers and thumb s t i l l ho ld th e
ou t e r end o f th i s c a rd . The Fig . 1 2 shows the p o s iti on o f t he c a r d
a nd both hands . a t this stage .

6. Once the switched in c a r d is in view , as in Fig. 12, the left

hand lets go of the card while the right hand alone now holds it .
After a pause the right hand can now simply release the card in view,
t h e n with its palmed card once again moves to rest its fingertips on
the edge o f the t a b l e.

l
J

l
I
I'

II
I

. I:

MUL T I PLE SWI TCH TECHNIQUES:

1 . Wit h a s l ight te c h n i ca l a d di ti on
t he two p r e v i ou s t e c h n i q u e s can be used t o effec t an exchange of
sev eral cards p a l me d in the ri ght hand for seve ral cards that are
tabled . 1rhile the amount of c ards that you wish to s witch is dependent on wha t purpose you wi s h to accompl ish, such as effects,
that we r e suggested in the ori ginal "Card Switches" , Chapter 1 2,
where four f ree l y selected cards turn out to b e the Aces, th e fo l l owi n g description, for the sake of clarity , will be that of exc h a n g i n g two tab led cards f or two c a r d s t ha t are palmed i n the
ri gh t ~ and.
The g rip on t he palme d c a r ds . is as a l teady shown i n
th e Fig . 1 o f t he 1 s t Te c hnique.
2. The l e f t hand holds its cards by 't h e i n n e r lef t c or n e r with the
1 s t and 2nd f i n g e r t i p s on top with the thumb below . Now the pos i tIOn of tne left 3rd fingertip becomes i mportant.
In this partic ular technique the-tip of the left 3rd fing e r is also on top o f the
c a r d and is near the -left 2nd finge~
3.
Bo t h hands move t owards
e a ch o t h e r wi th the c a r d s
f r om the rig ht hand g Ol ng on
to p o f those in the left han d;
however; this tim e the l eft
1 s t and 2nd fing ertips mo ve
upward wh i l e the 3rd fingertip and t humb hola-Dnto the
c o r n e r of the cards . This
will result i n the palmed
car ds inner left corner mov ing on to the l e ft 3rd f inger
as the car ds ar e l in ed up .
At o n c e the l e f t 1s t and 2n d
fingertips come down on top
Fig . 1 3
o f t h e cards . Thus the cards
a re now all in line except
that the side of the left 3rd fingertip ha s kept a separ ation, at
the inner left corner, of the t wo tabled c a r d s from those in the
right hand as shown in the Fig . 13 .
4.
Bo th hands can n ow lever u pwa r d s a s if to lo ok at t he car d s.
Durin g th i s t h e le ft 3r d fin g e r a nd 2nd fi nger f irml y pinc h betwee n
th em t hose cards a bove-the separation;-by t h e inner left co rner .

~I
3.
Both hands move towards
e a c h o t h e r with the c ar d s
f r om the rig ht hand g Ol ng on

i....

The two cards

thumb aids in
cor n e r , ~ f the
s ho ws how the

above the separati on are pul led inward whi le the l e f t

this angling action by p ressing against the inner left
two cards that are below the separation . The Fig . 14
t op t wo c a r d s have been move d and a ng le d . Al so no t e
th at th e br e a k b r s ep ar atio n
h e ld b y t he r ig ht sid e o f the
l e f t 3rd f inger tip is p ra ctic a l l y- a - f l e s h break .
In other
words , just enough t o enable
you to easily angle the u p p e r mo s t c a r d s as s hown i n the
F ig. 14.
5.

Lowe r t h e hands back to -

~ards the t a b l e but the left

fingers, which now have hold

o f t he n ew 2 cards b etween
lef t t humb and 1 st a nd 2nd
f i n g e r s. Move t h e s e cards out
to a position similar to that
Fig. 14
already shown in the Fig . 12,
. e x c ep t in t h i s case the .c ar d s
i n view are s t il l a bov e t h ose p alm e d i n t h e r i ght h and.
Keep t he
righ t 1 s t fi nger c url e d on t op of t he v i s i bl e ca rds . Dur ing thi s
time the left hand changes position in o r d e r to turn palm upward
and grasp the left end of the visible c a r d s , with the thumb on top
and fing ers be low . The next actions, usually a c cepted in various
games of chance, i s to shift the cards so that it doesn 't appear as
i f th e v i s i bl e ca rds have c leared t h e r ight h and . To do t his th e
l eft thumb mi lks of f the top c a r d, o f tho se h eld v i sibly by the
right hand , then this c a r d i s transferred t o under the ca r d he l d in
the right hand as well as below the p a l me d c a r d s.
Now the right
1st finger mu s t be straightened out before you milk off the second
card . This i s because the palmed c a r d' s c o r n e r would be momentaril y exposed du r ing th e tr a n s fer, to t h e bo ttom, of the sec ond card,
Onc e the sec ond c ard i s t a k en and p l a ce d t o u n d er the ca rd in th e
r i g h t hand, t h e right 1st finger will now engage the c o r n e r s o f the
palmed cards t hu s the packet is again held as in the Fig . 12 but
this time the palmed ca rds are abov e those that are visible thus '
the right hand can mere ly re lease the sides of t he visible c a r d s t o
let th e m fa l l t o th e t ab l e . The ri gh t h and c an mov e b a c k to rest
its f ingert ip s ag a i ns t th e tabl es edge .
6 . By applying the 2nd Technique approach , in which t h e palmed cards
move to underthe tabled cards , an even more deceptive s wi t c h is the
res ult . From the s t a n d p o i n t o f action everything is t h e s a me except
as t h e hand s appr o a ch , simi l a r to the F ig . 2 , t he c ard s fro m the
right hand g o be l ow t he t abl ed ca r ds tha t ar e h el d i n the l e f t hand.
Ag ai n t hi s a ction i s s imilar to t hat shown in t h e 'Fig . ' 1 3 e x c e pt in
t h is c a s e your left fingers and thumb will b e holding two c a r d s while
the right hand has the two cards palmed .

]
...

,~

.j
:

~;J

, .

.11.GL .1J..U ,

..... .1.1 \.; J .1

l.- J l. ..1. ..::J

'-.,.. G. .L \,..l.

..1.. ,.:)

'-.La.li..:J.L. 'C'.1..L\,:;.\.L

L..V

UJJ. \.L~L

\,...1.1'-..,.

\..o c;L J.\.L

1 .1\.,..0..1..\..1.-

..LJ.l.

the right hand as well as below the palmed c a r d s.

Now the right
1st finger mu s t be straightened out before you milk off the second
card . This i s because the palmed card 's c o r n e r would be momen t a ril y exposed dur ing th e tr an s fer. to th e b ot t om. of t h e sec on d card .

I
I

l;

J .
I
~

,] I

)'

J
.L..5 J~""

ilJ lI

7 . Th i s time , a s th e ha nds g e t into ba s icall y th e p os i ti on s hown i n

th e Fi g. 3 , th e tip of t he l e ft 3rd f i nger mov e s to und e r th e car d s
it is ho lding , th us the tip o f the lef t 3rd finger now a ut omati ca lly

.I.

,
I
i

JI

I
f

I-

261
go e s on to p of the c a r d s in the r ig ht pa lm as t he cards a re all lin,e d up.
Reme mber tha t the pi n ch gr ip is at t h e e x t r eme inner le ft
corner wi t h t he left third fi ng e r t i p holdin g th e separation.
.; .

,r

8. ' Th e s e p a r a t i on actually extends a l ong the left e n d o f the

ali gne d c a rds u p to the outer
ri g ht corne r.
Because o f th i s
ex te nded separation t h e righ t
4 t h f i n g e r t ip c a n eas i l y en gage the outer r ig ht corn e r of
thos e card s abo v e the b r e a k.
The r i ght f i ng er s no w sta rt to
close s l owl y which actio n b el lies tho se cards above th e s eparation u p into the ri g h t p a l m.
Th e Fig. 15 s h ows this acti on
expos e d, from the ou t e r side ,
wit h the pa lm of the r i g h t
h a n d t i p p e d ou t wa r d s t o clea rl y s ho w this palming a ction .

F ig . 1 5

:~
I

9.
Obviousl y the p a lming action ta kes plac e with the out er side of
the r ig h t han d a t a l l times hugging the t abl e. Also to all ap pearan c e s y ou r ha nd s are moment a r il y i n t he p os itio n as in th e Fi g. 3
and then , with the pa lm o ff , a ut oma tica l ly ge t int o a pos i ti on i de nt ic a l to t h a t shown i n th e Fig . 12 with t h e r i g h t 1s t finge r c urled
on top with the other righ t fingers and thumb hold ing the s i d e s.
The right hand alone c a n hold the cards , then a few seconds lat er
jus t release th em so they fall ba ck to the table . The r ight hand
c a n n ow move tow ards the edge of t h e table to res t i t s f i nger tips
on the edg e of t he ta ble .
10. Whil e the tip o f the 3r d f i n g e r in each c a se was us ed to k e ep
th e c a r ds s epa.r a t e d some may pre f e r t o us e th e tip of the 2nd f inger
or eve n t he t ip of t he 4 th fing e r . Exp erime n t a n d choo s e whi c h y ou
feel i s bes t f or you.
THE

W~RLO

ACTIONS

1 -.
Th i s i dea wa s fi rs t cont ri buted by mysel f t o th e TOPS f r om whe r e
it was promp tl y l i f te d . To cover up t h i s obvio us f a ct i t was refe r re d
to as the Slydini Impas s.
Yet a n y th inking ca rd man k n ows that the
approaches in ea c h c a se are qu it e di f ferent.
Let's get b ack to the
purpo se o f the mechan ic s as it applies to th e s e card switche s.

- I

r"

;,

!~
I

I.

2. Assume y ou hav e j u st ma d e the s wi t c h a n d both h a n d s are i n the

posit i o n al r e a d y s ho wn i n Fig . 12 . The le ft han d l et s g o o f the c a r d s
fi rst and c a s u a l l y drops i n t o t h e lap wh i le t h e righ t hand f or the
moment holds the c ar d s .

Ii

j!

!!

I'

Ii:

3.
The rig ht ha n d no w lets i ts card s f a l l to t h e tab l e, t hen mov es
back to rest its fin g ertip s on the ed ge of the table.
The palm ed
cards at this stag e will be h eld again st the table's edg e whil e the

iI

on the edg e of the ta bl e .

10. Whil e the tip o f the 3r d f i nge r in each c a se was us ed to k e ep
th e c a r d s se n a rated some ma y nre f e r t o us e th e t i n of th e 2n d fi n~e r

lower end or ends will move away from the palm thus mor e or l e ss
this l~~er ~~d hangs free .
4.
The left hand b e n d s at the wris t and th e left hand grasps the
l ower l e f t corne r of the card or cards , with th e l e f t thumb on t op
and 1 s t a nd 2nd f in g e r t i p s on th e f~ce , the n th e l e ft hand pu ll s
th e c ard o r c ards d ownwa r d and f ree o f th e ri ght h an d.
5. Th e r i g h t h and is no w f re e t o s or t o f mov e the tabl ed ca rd or
car ds slightly forward thus i ndirectly conveying the emptiness o f
t h i s hand. Meantime, the left fingers and thumb pu ll i t s c a r d o r
c a r d s into a Gamblers Cop position.
6 . The ri ght hand now picks up the tabled deck , from above by the
ends, to mov e it past the table ' s ed g e and casuall y drops the dec k
into the left hand, which remains slightly below the table's edge
t o prevent any flash of the c a r d s in the left hand.
Once the deck
. has been added to the card or cards in the left hand, t h e left hand
moves upw ard and the deck is squared up between both hands . The
swi tch of the card o r cards has been comp leted and a ll i s c l e a n e d
u p.
Pro c e e d t o con c l u d e whatever pur pose y ou had in mind .
A BLAC K-JACK SW I TCH

:1
1
~

,>

In Black Jack the f a c e up card i s u s u all y ~se d to cover

the face down ca rd o r cards.
In this switch you are able to switch.
out the f a c e dOh~ c ard while the face up card still covers it .
In
the following instructions the Figure references wil l be those pre vious ly used in " MORE CARD SWITCHES" .

1 . Assume you have an Ace of Spad es already palmed in the right

hand as in the Fig . 1 of " Mo r e Ca r d Switches" . The tabled cards are
a fa ce up Jack of Spades with a low val ue card fac~ d own below the
J ac k.

rJ

2 . Th e r i g h t han d i s comf o r t a b ly res ting n e a r t he t abl e' s ed ge . Th e

l e ft hand g ras p s the two t abled ca rds, with thumb be low and 1st a n d
2n d f i n g e rt i p s by the inner l e f t c o r n er.
Bo th cards a r e p ra c tica l ly
rn-a l ignme nt . Th e si tu a t i on at this stag e i s simi lar to Fi g . 2 excep t that a face u p Jack wou l d be showing as its uppe rm ost card .
3. The right hand and left hand move towards each other with the
palmed c a r d in the right hand going in under the two cards held by
the left fingers and thumb . This action is shown in the Fig . 9 bu t
again a face up Jack would show in this ca se .
4 . Th e hands keep moving towards each o t h e r until al~ 3 cards are
in li n e and at t h e moment comp letely c ov er e d by the r i gn t hand wi th
the left fingers a n d thumb now holding al l 3 cards b y t h e ir inner
lef t c o r n e r s.
Th e Fig. ~ now s h o ws the s it~atio n at thi s stage .
5.

Whil e seemin g to lo ok or p e er

V lUUS 1.Y

us

eu

1.11

"

lV1 U l~

L,l\KU

a t your sup p o s ed fa c e d own ca r d ,

'-= -

J
]
')

J
]

;:) W 1.1 L,rt c;:) .

1. Assume you have an Ace of Spad es already palmed in the right

hand as in the Fig. 1 of "More Card Switches" . The tab led cards a re

' ,3

j "I
263

!
, !

!
[\

11

iJ

'i

;.1

the one below the face up Jack, the left ,lst and 2nd fingertips
pull inward on its top card, the face up Jack, to angle it to expose the ouner right and left c orners of the card just below the
Jack. At once the left thumb pulls the lowermost card, the Ace of
Spades, also inward until it is angled and in line with the upper most card, th e Jack. The resu lt is that the center card remains
jutting out as shown in the Fig . 4 with the right hand omitted .
Again a face up Jack would be the top card in this case.
6 . The outer right corner of t he center card is engaged by the
tip of the ri ght 4th finger. By pres sing inward on this corner,
with the tip of t he right 4th finger, the right end of this card
will be pre ss ed in a gainst~e palm near th e base of the thumb.
The left fing ers and thumb can now move its trip and bottom cards
out from under the right hand as shown in the Fig. 6 bu t again the
face up Jack would be showing. All th at remain s is for the right
hand to move back, with its new palmed card, to near the table's
edge. You can now c l e an - up using the "Marlo Actions ". In any
case you now have a Black -Jack.
SI MULATED VISUAL RETENTION SWI TCHES
In this switch the impression conveyed is that the tabled
card never seems to be completely out of sight . In the second switch ,
t o be described later, while the tab led card is covered it is for
such a brief second or two that again this visual impression is re tained.

i \ A palmed cardislinthe right hand in a Gamblers P~lm position whi le

. - ' the left 1s t and 2nd fingers are on top of the inner left corner,
wi th thum~elow, on the tabled card as shown in t he Fig. 1.

\
"

i
;1-"

Fig. 1

fig . 2

2. The r i gh t han d rests pa lm down on t~e tab le 's edge , the ou ter
end of the palmed card pressing against the table 's edge, with the
left hand fi ngers ho l d i ng t he inner l e f t corner of the tab led card.
The Fig. 2 shows this starting posi tion .

3. The ri gh t hand moves over onto the 't a bl e d c ard in such a ma n ne r

tha t th e ou t er right corner of the t abl ed c a rd i s visible from un d e r
' t he r i gh t hand a t i s right s i de. Al so both inner left cor ne rs o f
the ta bl ed card and the palmed c a r d meet and are a t t h is time grasp - ~
ed at t hes e c orne rs by t he left f i n gers a nd thumb. The Fi g. 3 s ho ws .]
the pro trud ing , corner, from unde r the r i ght hand, while the Fig. 4,
sho ws the po sition of bo t h c a rds a t this st a ge wi t h the r i gh t ha nd
omi t t ed .

1
J
' Fi g . 3

Fig. 4

Fi g . 6

Fig. 5

, 4. The l e ft f ing e r s and thumb

n ow pullan the tab led card unti l i t s protruding c or n e r dis appear s a nd is f or t h e mom en t
cover ed by th e right hand. Also a t th i s s t a ge b oth c ar d s are
in line un d e r the ri ght hand as
shown i n th e Fig. S.

Fig. 7

S. Wit hout hes i ta ti on the l e f t

f i nge r s and thumb pullout , to
t he l e f t, the to p c a r d of the
two un til it emer ge s from out
of the ri gh t ha nd fo r th e pur po s e o f looking at t h e c a rd.

"1

,;

.~

J
"

.]~
.>

---'- --~_.

_ _ .....,
~

..JI

I~ --=- ~-

265

This action is s ho wn i n the Fi g. 6, the performer's view, while the

Fig. 7 Sho ws the s pectator's v iew .
f

6. Prop erl y t i me d and executed to all appearances the tabled card

s eems n ev er t o have l e f t sight of t he onloo k er s. All t hat remains
is fo r the l e f t hand to r ep l a c e t he new c ard face do wn to t he tabl e
as th e ri ght ha nd moves back to the table's ed ge thus go ing back to
a position similar to that alr e ady shown in th e Fi g . 2.

!l
t

SECOND METHOD :

COVERED KICK OR PUSH SWITCH

This method is a n e asy s witch but the methods to get the

switch ed card out of play, which I first publi sh ed in the TOPS, will
be fou nd a ppl icab l e to othe r probl ems.

i.iI

1 . I n this case the palmed card , whi ch in th i s e xampl e is t he Ac e

of Cl u bs, i s i n th e st and a rd cl ass ic p a lm. The tab l ed c ard i s a ga in
held by its inn er left corner with the 1st and 2nd f i nge r t i p s on top
and ba ll of thumb bel ow. The starting posi tion-oI both hands is
simi l ar to that already s hown i n the Fig . 2.
2. The r i ght ' hand now a ppro a che s t he tab le d card, as shown in the
Fig. 8, with the palmed card moving above the tabled card. The right
hand con t i nue s it s movement un til the t abled c ard i s cov ered. At
t hi s precise moment the l e f t fingers r e l e a s e t he t a bled c ard, le tting
it l i e flat on the table , then a t once g ra sp th e inn er left corner
of the pal med c ar d as shown in the Fig . 9 , the oper ator's vi ew.

:.:
-:

.
to

Ii
to

f;

Fig. 8

j,
;!

Fig. 9

r:

3. At once the l ef t fi nge r s move out the card to the left while ~ h e
right f our f inge rs cu r l i n to expos e t h e back of the c ard. At the
same time thi s card is p ivoted upwa rds wi t h its lower side hug ging
the table. This results in the Fig. 10 with the tabled card remaining behind the ri ght hand and the Ace of Clubs which note has be en
moved, f or half i ts l engt h, pa s t the le ft e nd of the hi dden tab l ed
card.

.r

4. Maintaining the position of both hands', at ,e a c h end of the up right card, the right thumb contacts the outer side of the tabled

I-

i
I

1
ij

~ ,:
to

'- - 0

266

." . . . -':

..

Fig. 11

Fig. 1 0

-~

Fig . 13
card and pus hes or kicks this card off th e table into the lap. The
Fig . 11 shows this action fr om the performer's view while the Fig.
12 shows the spectator's v i ew.

n~

S. Let's assume you do not wish to lap the card but instead wish t o )
keep it under control and available for one reason or another. In
this case, after you attain the position sho wn in the Fig. 10, sim~l y ' l
lower the visibl e card back on to the t abled c ard so that it rem ain s
.~
end-jogged fOT about half its length , t o left as seen in the Fig. 13.
1
6. At the Fig. 13, note that the right 1st finge r is curled on top
whi le the right 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers-ire on the outer sides of
the cards with the thumb lying-across and against the inner sides
o f the cards. Fr om this position the left fin gers pull its visibl e
card to the left while at the same time the right fingers straight en
ou t and the right hand moves palm downward. Also the right thumb
engages the i nn er sid e of th e hi dd en c ar d a nd push this c ard fu rther
under the palm of the right hand until the hidden cards outer side
c on t a c t s the right palm along the length of t he right 4t h finger .
At this stage th e hidden c a rd will be under the palm but pre ssure on
this card wil l be mor e on th e card's outer side as the right hand

j
oJ.

J~1 -;

J(
",,'

.J

Fig . 13
7~

card and pus hes or kicks this card off th e table into the lap. The
Fig . 11 shows this action fr om the performer's view while the Fig.
,

"'"I

_,

.....

1...

..... _

....... ......

.I....

_ ~

,_

_ _

-:

.J

r----~ -.-----.---

- ,"

- ~ - - --- -~ ~- ~ - _

..... --

'

~I' !

L __

~._~ -=-... - - _._--

267

I
I

slides back towards the table's edge. The Fig. 14 shows an exposed
view to show or emphasize the pressure point or contact of the right
hand on.th ehidden card. In actual performance the card would be
concealed by the right hand .

..
j

Fig. 14

Fig. 16

l'
I

.~

Fig. 15

Fig. 17

7". With the right hand at the table's edge, with ~he right thumb
just past the table's edge, the right thumb moves 1n under the right
hand and onto the card as shown in the Fig. 15. The right thumb
moves in far enough until its tip comes more or less near the upper
right corner of the card. The right thumb now can carry the card
down un til it can be held slightly below the table's edge. At the
same tim~ the right hand, with slightly spread fingers, moves forward to rest on the table as depicted in the Fig. 16 .

.t

8. To further add a little deception the left fingers release its

-t a b l e d card to move towards the table's edge. While there the left
thumb, which should be just below the table's edge, extends to the
right. The right hand moves to the left, the right thumb carrying
its card along the table's edge, until the tip of the left thumb
can contact th e upp er l eft corner of this card. This leaves the
right hand free to turn the tabled card face up as in Fig. 17.
The held out card is still under control and can be used as you may
decide.

," "" .'. :. 9, " The reader will note that most card switches are th ose of a d,e -

:/ -',':".. .:Il a yed nature . That is whil e a switch of a c ard has been accomplish;'" - ed as f !'1.r a s, t he aud i e nc e i s c oncerne d no th i ng a s y e t has happ ened.
':
f or this reason t he y a re mor e conduc i ve to eff ec ts s inc e the card
in question has be en s wi t ched lo ng befor e th e actual c l imax of the
effect .
MARLO KICK SWITCH
The idea of using the thumb or t he fingers of t he ha nd
to e ither k ick a car d or c a r d s or a coin t o off the t a bl e into the
'l a p or int o a sleeve or be h i nd so mething or unde r an object , suc h
a s a deck of c a r d s , is strictly mi ne . The beginnings c a n b e s e e n
in the. "Re volu t i on a r y Car d Te chnique " c ha pt er on "Ca rd Swi t ch es",
th en lat e r in t he TO PS ma ga z in e a. s we l l as th e KABALLA. Wi t h the s e
publicl y re cor de d s our c es ava i la b le it s ho u l d no t ha v e am a zed me
when 90 % of " Car d Swi t ches" wa.s publ ished by a chro n ic edi to r as
or i g ina l ma teri a l . In t he mea ntime , the Wreck was cred it ing the
Tong unde r Co r ny lie s fo r other of my original id eas a lo n g th e se
1 ine s .
The one to be d e scrib ed i s a varia t ion of a card switch
I had in the TOPS which us ed a thumb k i c k. The one in TOP S was
done us i ng onl y 'one han d . Her e t wo hands wi l l b e us e d to g i ve
' good c over fo r a nat ur a l and inde t ec t a b l e s wi t c h of either one
ca r d or several . There is on ly a s l ight change in the t e c hniqu e
f o r sev e r a l c a r ds. The s wi t c h will be desc ribed f o r on e card ,
t h e n i t 's on l y a minor cha nge f or the s witch o f sev e r a l c a r ds .
1 . A c a r d , which may have been in th e lap or generally held ou t,
.: .i s palm ed in t he righ t hand wi th the b ac k of t he card again st the
palm . The ri ght han d f i nger tips r e s t normally on t he edg e
o f t he tabl e and a lso a i d in
keeping the palmed c a r d i n
place without any u ndue stra in
on th e hand. The le f t hand
oc c up i e s a similar position,
on the l eft, while a c ard l i es
face do wn , in a leng thwis e p o si t ion, near the ed g e of t he
ta b le. The Fi g . 1 shows t he
vi ew fro m the pe r f ormer' s side
at thi s s tage .

2 . Both hands n ow move towa rds

Fig . 1
the tabl ed card. As the hands
meet th e l ef t hand fi ng e rs mu st
be above the r i ght ha nd fin gers. The un dersi de of t he le f t t hu mb has
also co n t a cted t he t ab l ed c a r d a t ab out center. At thi s s ta ge, both
ha nd s a re st i ll r es t ing, on the tabl e, al ong the length of t he 4th
finge rs and palm. Thus the cupp ed ha nd s are more or l ess s ti l l --lev ered above th e card as in the Fig . 2, the p erformer 's v iew, while
the Fig. 3 show s t he s pe c tato r ' s v i ew.

J.

,
is palm ed in t he righ t hand wi t h the b ac k-of t ~e card again st the
palm . The ri ght han d f i nger tips r e s t normal ly on t he edg e
o f t he tabl e and a lso a i d in

....

269
.'

..

Fig. 2

Fi g. 3

3 . Two things happen at once at the po int of the Fig . 2 . The left
thumb kicks or pushes the tabled card into the l a p (or irito a shel~)~
then both hands l owe r their palms as if t o lo ok at the ~ab le d card.
The Fig. 4 shows t he tabled c a r d being ki c k ed of f to the l ap wit h
both palms no w l owe r e d .

,.\ \
. Fig. 4

. Fig. 5

4. With the tabled card kicked off and both palms still lowered
the right hand at once rel~ases its palmed card to the table. Now
follow ,c l o s e l y . Both hands now lever upwards as if having picked
up the tabled card and you a r e looking at it . Actually both hands
are empty and are in a position simi lar t o that shown in the Fig. 3 ,
the .s pe c t a t o r ' s vi~w . From the operator's side -a card remains face
down on the table .
'
5. Without any
br i ng the palms
ing the back of
ering t he card ,
i n the ~ig . 5.
,,,,

6.

noticeable break in the r hy t hm both hands mov e t o

t o the ta ble top with the right palm actually touch the new ' t a b l e d ca~d. I t a ppears as if you are lowt hat you seemingly l ooke d a t , ba c k t o t he table as

'.

As s oon a s the hand s hav e exe cu te d t he l owering ac ti on of th e

j.

.r

"""'- __.

.... _ _"_ _

0_

FJg. 5 bo tho hands at once move a.wa.y t o expo se the tabled card. Each
h~nd mov e s to i t s res pective or i g tnal posit jon r e s u l t i n g in a. $itu~
a tion a s, a l r e.ady pi c tu r ed ~ n t h e Fig . 1. The c a rd s wj t ch ~ s easy
and $ 0 rap id th at it c an 5 e . done w~ t h the ca rds face up; howeyer~ do
not spoil or tip off t h i s switch with such an obvious approach.

7. To s wi t c h a numbe r of c ar ds i s jus t as e as y. The right hand has

t h e card s p a lmed . Assume th a t the tabled .packet consists of 5 cards
with 5 cards palm ed in th e ri ght hand. The starting posi tion for
thi s switch is the same a s f or a . sing le c a rd t hus t he Fi g . 1 is to
b e l oo ked a t .

]
']

8 . Bo t h hand s now move to wards the tabled cards so that the hands
are a s shown in t he Fig . 3 , t he spec tat or 's v iew . The Fig. 2 wo uld
appl y here ex c ep t f or on e minor chan ge. Th is i s tha t the le ft t humb
mu st c ont act t he ou t er s i de of the tabled packet as shown' in the expos ed per f orme rt s v i ew of the Fi g. 6.

l.:A~

]
.

J
Fi g. 6

Fi g. 7

~""

9. The left thumb at once k icks off the tabled packet into the
lap as at th e s ame t ime both palms ar e lo w ~r ed to the table. The
le f t t humb will be in th e way or betwe en t he tab l e t op and t he
palmed cards in th e right ha nd . At t h i s poin t curl th e f ing ers,
of both hands, inwards at the same t i me levering the palms off the
tabl e. us i n g the line of t he 4th f i ng er s and bas e of pal m as pivot
points a ga i nst t he t a ble top.-----rhe curling in o f the f i nge r s wi l l
expose the back of a card or cards. At this point the thumbs will
be on the f a c e of the cards, right thumb at about the center, with
the le ft , thumb n eare r t he le ft end of the card. The f ing ert ips of
eac h hand wi l l be on the ba ck of the cards. Wit hout any 'pause, bo th
.ha nds fan out the five cards, a s if looking them over. With the
Fig. 7 showing the op erator's view, you already know the spectator
is simp ly lQo king a t the back s of the fanned cards.
. 10. Having looked at the fan for a reasonable length of time, conver ge th e c ard s by r e s t i ng their lower sides a ga inst the tabl e top
a nd g iving t hem a sl ight t a p as a n a i d . The packet is t he n r epla c ed t o its app ar ent ori gin al position. All i s a gain as in th e un iversal Fig. 1 .

J
"1

---~

-,

.J
~

11.

Wh i le t he s wi tch wa s d escr i bed as on e packet for another it

I
Fi g. 6

'~

Fi g. 7

~""

9. The left thumb at once k icks off the tabled packet into the
lap as at t he s ame time both palms ar e lo w ~r ed to the table. The
10 + +

+ h l u n 'h

"l .T; 1 1

'ho

;"t"\

+h ~

'f.r., ,,,,7'

"" "t'"'

1, o +-"T.r"L rt,T'\

+ l-t .!:'l

...... "h 1 o

+""'Y'\

""T"\~

+1-..1'"\.

l'

: ,"'"---

j'

'l

--iJ

2 71

It
i

,"

;1
I

can be made so that only the required c a r d s , of the tabled 5 cards,

would be add ed to fi l l in those i n the right hand. ' Br i e f l y; assume
you hi v e thr e e c a r ds in t he r i g ht ha nd p a lm . Ther e ar e two des ired
cards in the 5 ca r d ta bled pac ke t. The 2 cards yo u wa n t should be
on top. The Yeft hand move s f i r s t . The - l eft thumb digs i n und er
the tabled p a cke t , f r om t he inner side at about center, with the
left fingert ips contacting the top of the packet. The l e f t thumb
pushes the c ards forward, on the fac es, while the lef t finge rs pull
the top cards towards you. Th is results in a spre ad of cards for
just a l it tl e p a st t heir whi te borders . Foll owi ng clos el y, on the
heels of t h i s s preading acti on, the r i ght ha nd move s to over the le f t
fing e r s, t hu s momentar i ly the tabled c ards ar e scre ened. At this
time t he left t humb and fing er s e a si ly lif t or l e v er up wards th e
top t wo card s of the tabl ed packe t . You will find this separation
of t he need ed 2 c a r d s very easy due t o t he initi al spread of the
tabled cards. - The r e s u lt i s that the t op 2 cards are levered up
again st the 3 card s in the right hand palm~ Thus 3 of th e original
tabled c ar d s-r ema in f a irly squa r ed and on the table be h i nd the f i ve
cards a nd bo t h h a nd s. At t h i s s t ag e th e si t u atio n is tha t similar
to th e Fi g . 6 . Thus t he left t humb c a n now ki c k the un wan ted 3
cards i nt o the lap. Thi s is at once follo wed by the ,hands fanning
or spreading out the card s as a lready shown in the Fi g . 7.

.l
'F

VISUAL RETENTION SWI TCH

Thi s i s pr obab ly t he simpl e s t c a rd s witc h, for on e c a rd
or seve ral c ards, that you will ever do . It happens so c asually and
easi ly that th e on l oo ke r can't p ossibly spot a nything that resembles
a slei ght . Even if the ov eral l effect may suggest a card switch as
the on l y poss ibl e an s wer the s pectator will not be able to tell whe n
it ha pp en ed let alone how i t was a c c ompl i shed. I wi l l be g i n by des cribing the s itua t io n y ou hav e to have for the card swi tc h, the n
later of fer a coup le of suggesti ons a s to'how you can ge t the r e ~
quired condit i ons.
1. The deck mi nus on e card i s ou t be i n g s hu f fled. The on e t a r d you
he l d ou t is behind the left hand wrist. The left hand should be more
or less closed into a loose fist. The card itsel f is l y i n g lengthwis e
and near the edge of the table
as in th e Fi g. I whi c h is the
performer's view. Fr om the
spectator1s v iew , who is seated ac r o s s the tab le , he does
not see th is card .

I,
\,

D_0_-

!
I

:1

Jl

::oj

Fig. 1

2. Assume that the spectator

has spr ead out the d eck face
do wn and at your request pu s h ed any card fo r ward. Tak e the
c a r d, with the r i g ht hand, by
it s u pp e r l ong si d e with the
thumb on t he face and all f ou r
finger t ips on the top as in
the Fig. 2 which shows th e

.!

.1

.)

overall&effect'ma~ sugg~st a~card

a slei ght . Even i f the

switch as
the on l y poss ibl e ans wer the s pectator will not be able to tell when
it ha pp e ned l e t alone how i t was a c c ompl i shed. I wi l l be g i n by des cribing the s i tu a t io n y ou hav e to have for the card s witc h, then

,. '

"

.1

]
.

'.

'.

, o r.

. . ; ... .
I

' ,'

ow

. . . .' '< ':; ..'.Fi g , , 2: .' . : : :.. .

.

",

"

.~::'. : , :, ':"
',0

,-~,~

'

.\

'1.-

.:

.
': _ .

F'ig . 3 '
.

~"

. '

., ",L,.:.
.'

..

'
I,

0'.

'

.:.

. ...
:

~.

.:"

. .

.J'

'

. .

" <:. '

.,

. ..
.

. . ..

"

"

'

",,~

'

,"

_~J'-'.

- - " . \

'j :

'
.

.-.',

. .A-'=--:--: . .~

.' . . ~ . ~

. ..

, :-:'

., f

.. " .

~ .= .:.~ ._~ :

' I

.
,

../

..

, ;

.'

r?i
.j

Fig. 4

Fig .

5 '

spectator's view as your iighi hand is about t o . mo v ~ t owards your self.

'1
.j

3. The r ight ha nd mo ve s ba ck t owards yourself , pa s t y ou r l e f t hand,

' . t he n t he right ha nd starts to l ower t he card to the table but a ct ua l l y i t is brought d i r e c t l y behind the tables edge as in the Fig . 3 ,
the performer's view . From the front the spectator1s v i ew i s that
of the Fig. 4 wh i c h sho ws how the c ard in the ri gh t hand is a l re a d y
out of sight behind the l eft wr i s t . The t i ps of the right fi nge rs
also alr eady a r e t ou ching t he i nne r lo ng side of the o riginal tabl ed
card. Study Fig s . 3 a nd 4 in your mirr o r .

:-,

Once th e card in rig ht hand is brou g ht past t he tab l e ' s edge,

as in the Fig . 3, i t is at once r el ea s ed wh i l e t h e fo u r righ t f i n ge r . tips c on t a c t the tab led c ard . At onc e the l e ft hand mov e s to t he
left, to expos e the tab l ed card, then at the s ame t ime the r ight
fingers impart a sl ig ht f orwa r d sliding motion to th e t abl ed c a r d .
This action i s seen in th e Fi g . 5 and th e whol e should a pp ea r as i f
the ri gh t ha nd simply plac ed i ts c a r d 'f a c e d own . to t he t a bl e. The . .
The s ligh t forwar d sliding a c t i on i mp a r t ed t o th e card a ids in th is

, 4 .'

.)'

)
'J

,J

r- -- - ~ .,.. -

Fig . 4

Fig . 5 '

i
,I
273
illusion.

II
II

I':
;

5. To .emphasize ho w i mportant this s lf.gh t forward motion of the

right fing ertips can be, just place four or five cards, squared,
behind the l eft wrist as in the Fig. 1, except here you will have a
packet , of cards. Now take four or five cards, with the right hand,
by their upper long side.
Tap the right end and lower side of the
cards against the table top to sort of square the packet. Now hold
these exactly as you did the single card in the Fig. 2. '
6.
Next move your right hand
towards yourself, past the left
hand and into the pos ition shown
in the Fi g. 3. The cards from
the right hand are quic kly dropped p ast t h e table's edge . The
right four fingertips contact
the tabled packet and immediately spread it, very slightly,
forward wh ile at the same time
the left hand swings to the
left to expose the now spread
out cards as in the 'Fig. 6
which is the view from the
spectator's side.

i:

:r

:it

"r.

Fig. 6

,' y

7. That is the very simpl e and direct action of the Visual Retention Switch; however, get ting the c ard, behind the hand, in position
for the s witch is also not very difficult and two practical method s
will be described.
THE FIRS T METHOD: 1. This is don e while shuffling the deck on the
table.
It can be used to leave be hind one or more cards.
For the
description assume you wish to leave four.desired cards behind your
hand.
2.
To begin, the card or cards must first be controlled to the
bottom of the deck.
The right hand cuts off the top half to the
right in preparation for the usual tabled riffle shuffle.
Begin by
the left thumb releasing the desired cards off of the bottom of the
left hand portion.
Follow by releasing a small block of card s from
the right hand portion onto the four desired cards. Now riffle
shuffle in the usual ma n n e r to mix the rest of the cards.
3. Start to telescope the halves into each other but when about an
inch or more of each half is still end-jogged, the right thumb lifts
up, at the inner side near the inner right corner, its end-jogged
cards. This results in the whole deck raising off the table, at
the inner side only, except that the original bottom four cards will
remain flat against the table. Thus a break is formed between the
bottom four cards and the rest of the deck above them.
4. As the cards are now pushed flush and square the l e f t thumb obtains and holds a break, at the inner side, between the bottom four

.':.

THE FIRS T METHOD:

t-~h l{:>

Tt-

r,;,n

h{:>

1.
11 CA rl

This is don e wh i l e shuffling the deck on the

r t'l

lA<:JUA

hA h ; nrl

AnA

AY'

Tn AY' A

r':lY' rlc-

t:: A '"

i-ho

..
-..:...

-'

---

~.

~6
,

cards an d the 'r e s t of t he de c k.

Th e right ha nd next takes the
right end of ~he deck by its
s i d e s, with the r i gh t thumb
now taking over the break . This
l e a v e s the l e f t hand free to
mo v e in f r ont , of t h e dec k as
in th e Fig . 7 , thci v i ew fr om
t he op e r a tor ' s s ide .

~"

\,..

s. As soon as the lef t hand

moves in front of the deck,
t he r i gh t thumb releases its
bo t t om cards, then car ries the
res t of t h~ deck e it her over
the l e f t hand or t o the r i ght
Fi-g . 7
of the left hand to deposit
the deck on the table in front
of t h e spectator for either shuffling or cutting . This depends on
t he effect you have in mind at the time.

J
THE SECOND METHOD:
1 . Th is i s als o a v ery p ra ctica l meth od ev e n
though it means more or l e s s getting way ahead as the c ~r d or cards
that are to be rung tn are already out of t he deck and faces down
in your lap . How you get them there should be no problem to any
one familiar with such t e c hn i qu e s. Readers of this magazine can
r e f e r to the other volumes to find such procedure s .
2. As suming you have a ca rd alr e ady in ybur l a p, 't he ri ght hand
c a suall y dr op s in t o t he l a p and palms t he c a rd wi th t he back of th e
ca rd against the palm. During these actions the s p ec t a t or is busy
s hu f f l i ng the dec k .

)
1
.s

3 . You now s e em to cross your

hand s. The left hand moves t o
t he r i gh t wh ile a t t he same
t ime the ri ght hand comes up
fr om t he lap to move' t o t he
left and in back of the left
hand as shown in the Fig . 8,
the op e r a t or ' s view .

4. The r i gh t hand re leases i ts -','

pa lmed c ard s o it r emain s on
~
th e t a b l e beh i nd th e l e ft han d.
Th e r i g h t hand can n ow move out
t o either take the deck or move
s ome other object . In any ca se,
Fig . 8
the desired card i s now in po s i t i on f or the swi tch.
I t is unde rsto od that the same procedure can
.
bring i nto p l ay s evera l ca r ds if s uc h is r equired .

s. The app licati on of t he Vis ual Retention Switch is quite obv ious.
As with most switches, t h e prediction effe ct , in on e fo r m or anothe r,
op e n or closed, is the usual path taken. The more deceptive the

,J
.~

J." ~ """ """'.II ~ ..l.J."' O

1'-" \.4

.t. L Vo V

""'"

\Ao..L.L

\Ao,.....;

/ ""'

_y ,

"" _

J
0.1...1.

'-"

c a suall y dr op s int o t he l a p and palms t he c a rd wi th t he back of the

card aga inst the palm. During these actions the s p ec t a t or is busy
s hu f f l i ng the dec k .

1.s

,
J

-~

275

the switch the greater the mystery created. Since there is practically no move, in the true sense of the word, when making this
swi tch -:the JIT'Ys tery is practically guaranteed.
MONTE SWITCHOUT

'i
.\

OBJECT: During a Three Card Monte routine to switch out the Ace of
Spades, or any other Black card among two other Red cards, for an X
card or a specific card like an Eight of Spades in the following sequence.
After any routine in which you use only the 3 required cards an
extra card is secretly added to the bunched up 3-cards which should
be in 'order of Red, Black, Red. In this example, the Ace of Spades
would be i n the center of t wo Red Eights. All 3 cards are face
down when the extra card, in this case the 8S, would be secretly
palmed and added to the top of the 3 tabled-cards. Since this sequence is done seated at the table the extra card can be in your
lap until it is needed.
1.

2. Assume you have secretly added the 8S and are ho1ding 'the squar ed up packet, faces down, from above by~he ends, with the right
hand. With the left palm up below the packet the left fingers and
thumb bend the sides of the packet downward in .. readiness 'f or the
familiar Monte. The left fingers peel out the two lowermost card?
so they are side-jogged, to the left, for about half their width.
The top card is two cards held as one. The right hand alone holds
the cards. The lowermost card is easily dropped off to the table on
your left. The next lowermost card is dropped off in the center, to
the right of the first card. The l ast card, really two cards as one,
are placed on the table, to your right, to result in the layout as
shown in the Fig. 1.

-t
i

.,

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

!;
;

I;.

I'
I'

!!

3. The right and left hands pick up the two outside cards, from
above by the ends, then turn pa1m 'upwards to display their faces as
shown in the Fig . 2.

4. Both hands turn palm down but the right hand continues towards
the tabled AS to pick it up to under the card(s) in the right hand.

~--

-- --.

_.. _

""9._

__

-"'-y.t"--

Ao

"""

_ _ .. " ' ' ' ' ' _

""''"'"

the right of the first card. The last card, really two cards as one,
are placed on the table, to your right, to result in the layout as
shown in the Fig. 1.

c-'

. _,

~76
I

Thi s pi ck -up is made so that the lef t si~es of t he c a rd s c ome

f l u s h put tDe right sides are s eparated at their right sides thus
forming' a Vin whi ch t he op en end of t he V is to the right s i d e .
Both hands-aga in turn palm up to displ ay the c ards, the AS no w show ing, a s in th e Fi g . 3.

Fig. 3

]
]

Fig . 4

5 ." No w both ha nd s t ur n palm down wit h the l e f t hand "continuing on

across to the p erformer' s right side of the t able . In order to p ermit t he left hand to move in this di rect ion t he rig h t ha nd move s i n ward, towar ds the per former and ne a r the edge of t he t ab l e; however,
th e car d(s) he ld by the ri gh t ha nd is clearly v i s i ble to the sp e c tator, from h i s v ~ ew, as seen in t he Fig . 4 .

J
)

6 ; Dur i ng whai t he audience s ees in t he Fig . 4 th ey don 't see the

p er f or mer ' s view in wh i c h the AS -is released to fall in to the l ap
as shown in the Fig . 5. This r el ease i s eas ily done by sl ig h t l y
extending, outwards, th e t i p s of th e r igllt f inge r s and t humb. It
is hope d tha t the re ad er no ti c e s tha t t he Fig ur es s ho w t ha t t he
for efingers of e a ch hand a r e c url ed on to p' of the car d s a t all t imes
and that the 4t h fin gers of each hand a re not contact ing the cards .

Fig . 6
7. Onc e the lef t hand has dropp ed its c ard to the table the right
hand mov es to the le ft, after the left hand has a l s o moved back to

p er f or mer r s vi ew in which the AS -is relea~e~to fali in to the l ap

as shown in the Fig . 5. This r el ease is easily done by s l ight l y
extending, ou t wards, th e t i p s of th e r i gllt f i nge r s and t humb. It
is hope d tha t the r e ad er no ti c e s tha t t he Fi gur es s ho w t hat t he

~. I j
..,..~

277

your left side, then the lowermost c ar d i s dropped of f on to th e

table a~ .in tpe Fig. 6 . This drop -off is quickly accomplished by
the right 1st finger pressing downward on top of the card(s) which
automatically forces the lowermost card t o drop off t o the table.
The right hand ~oncludes by tossing its c a r d into the center of
the table. The situation at this stage is s i mi l ar to that alre ady .
s hown in the Fig. I

I.

8.
Don 't ask the s pe c t a t or where the AS is. Instead address them
a s follo ws: "You probably would not bet on this card", as your
right hand turns face up the card on your r i ght . Point t o the card
on your left saying, "Am almost sure you wou l d be.t on this card but
if you did you would lose." Your le ft hand turns this card fa ce up.
With o ~ e card still face down on the table your r i gh t hand picks up
the card on your right. Turn this card face down and ho ld it face
down by it right side, at about the center , with thumb on t op and
1st and 2nd finger tips bel ow. Now you s a y, " You wonder wha t would
ha ppen it)Tou cho se that card. In that c a se I would do this . " Here
yo u do a Mexican Tur nov er which leaves the .Red 8 fa ce up and th e
s upp osed AS face do wn i n your right ha nd . Still hol din g t his c ard
face down t he bac k s o f the
righ t fi n ger s pr e s s on to t he
fa c e of the Red 8 and move i t
to the . r i ght . StIll holding
the fa c e down card in your
rig h t hand now c on t inu e by
s ayin g, " You wou ld n oW be
anx i ous t o c er t a i n l y bet on
t hi s c ar d but if you did you
would f ind yours elf b e h i nd 1h ,.::
ei gh t ball. " With this t. u r n
the c ard face up and place it
be t we en the two Red 8's to
cl i max the routine as-In the
Fig. ' 7.
Fig . 7

You will find that the use of the Mexi can Turnover in th is c a s e
is not only a great sell but gives them s o much to think about tha t
they can 't recons truct as to just when you may have rid yourself of
the Ace.
9.

SECOND MeTHOD - FOR THE RECORD: 1. Thi s method may appeal to s ome one on l y because the AS is clearly t os sed face down to the table , yet
on co mp l ~ t i on t he AS i s not among the three cards .
2. The start of t h i s sequence is a s a l ready ou tlined until you a r rive at t he poin t of wher e the AS i s be ing dis p l ayed as i n t he p r ev iou s Fig . 3 . This time t he AS-rs a ctua l l y to s s ed fa ce down to the
t ab l e, t hen both hands turn palm up t o s how tw o Red 8' s as in t he
Fi g. 2.
--3. No w bot h hands tur n palm down and mo v e t owards eac h oth er until
th e le f t hand covers the r i gh t hand a s in th e Fig . 8, the spe c ta t or ' s
vi ew. From the per fo r me r's side th e r ig ht 3rd finger ti p c on ta ct s th e

r,

would find yours el f b e h in d 1.; ;"::

eight ball ." With this t ur u
the card face up and place it
'\... ,, -1- .. ...,... ....._

....

t..,...,

~ ...... .....

n ...

..Ji

0',..

......

~'.

1 .

up p er edge of the t a bl e d AS and a t on c e ki cks this Ace off t he t able

into th e l ap. The l e f t ha nd whi ch is cov e ri n g th e ri ght hand, c ove rs
. t h i s k i ck ac~ i on a nd th e Fi g. 9 sho ws t he op er a tor's vi ew. Onc e th e
Ace is kick ed off th e right hand at once rel e a s e s its lo wermost c ard
into the sp a c e vaca ted by the Ace . Aga i n r efer to th e Fig . 9 whic h
also shows the release of the lowermost card. Again this release is
mad e easy by the right 1s t f i nge r pressing downward on the c a r d ( s) .

Fi g . 8

Fig. 9
4~
By no w t he l e f t . h an d has
moved t o the r i gh t and t o ssed
its card to your r ight. The
le ft hand mov e s back to yo ur
left s i d e . The ri ght hand no w
travels t o the left, a s i n the
Fig. 10, to tos s or deposit
it s card t o yo ur left .

All that r emains i s to conc lud e

t he r.out i n e a s a lready expl a ined . Whether y ou want to reproduce the Ace in some manner
i s up to you a lthough personFig . 10
a lly I feel th e ef fe c~ has a
more l as t i ng impression if you
l e a v e them wondering what happened t o t he Ace . For o t h e r routin es,
us i n g a n extra car d in a 3 Card Monte sequence, the r e a de r can find
th em in "Mir a c l e Card Changes " an d "Ca r d . Switche s" t wo chapt e r s o f
th e REVOLUTIONARY CARD TE CHNI QUE S s er ies .

>

f.

CASED SWITCHES
The following switches involve the u s e of card ca ses ,
ei t he r empty or with a deck of cards enclosed , using a Kick Switch
tec hn i qu e of Rick J ohn s ons' fro m his book "Practical Impossibilitie s" ;
ho weve r, my approach a nd u s e of this Kick Switch is differ en t. It
is mor e subtl e si nce I have avoided it s obv i ous a pp l i ca tio n to i n stant a nd s o cal le d start l i ng vis ua l cha nges as rega rds ca r ds . Whil e
my app roac hes do ha v e cha ng es in the siz e , s hape , o r co l or of th e
ori g i n a l ob j e c t they are of a delayed t yp e. Thus the re is a tim e

r.Lg

.LV,

L.U

L.U ::> ;:>

UI'

U I:: P U S l t;

i ts c ard t o yo ur left .
All that r emains i s to conc lud e

I
I

)1
.si
),

lap se between the Ki ck Swi tc h and the ac t ual s howi n g of the c hang ed
obj e c t which may not be as startling as an instant visual change i s
more sutprislng since now there is no way for the on l ooke r t o pin point the precise instant of the switch . Before proceeding into s ome
of the details of these Cased Switches may I mention that I have also
tried "Propelled Lapping" for them but have discarded this as not '
fitting into the approach that was desired . Hopeful this brief men tion wi l l prevent the re-invention of the same ideas by using t he
"Propelled Lapping" technique .
1ST APPROACH :

To s wi t c h one deck for another .

1. Since there isn't any effect in this instance the switch will
not b e expected or suspected. To all appearances you have had a
deck in use with which several effects may have been performed.
During the course of these effects the deck has been perhaps, handled, shuffled , c ut, examined and so forth by on e or more of the spe ct a t o r s . This deck is then placed back i nt o i ts card case a nd the n
tabled in full v i ew o f everybody . At a , l ate r t i me ' y ou p ick up t he
t a b l ed ca rd case, op en it, remove the ca rds f or perhaps further
effe cts . Need less t o s a y, that this dec k is no w eithe r a stacke d
de c k o r any other kind of gaffed deck th a t y ou may r equ ir e .'
2 . Le t',s ass ume t ha t you have s ome s p eci a l dec k o f car d s t hat y ou
wis h t o ge t into p l a y l a t e r in t he rou tin e wh i c h you ha ve s tarte d
with a regu lar de ck of c a r d s. Both dec k s hav e th e same 'c o l or , b ack
d e s i gn and i dentical card cases . The ' ga ff ed' de ck , meaning any
t yp e inc luding stacked, memorized or o therwise, is in your lap wi th
the oval opening side uppermost . The de ck which yo u have be en using,
for other effec ts , is now placed into its c a r d c a s e and the card c a s e
is casually placed in front of yourself with the oval opening side
uppermost with this end away from you . At this point your manner de pends on the situation at hand; however, whether you are working for
l a yme n or magicians you can always get them into some sort of co n versation as regards the effects you thus ar have performed.
3. Assuming you have managed a time lapse one way or another your
l eft hand rests its fingertips on the table's edge while the right
hand casually drops into the lap to obtain the deck and get it either
into a Tenkai Palm Position or a Marl o Palm Position. The right
hand then moves up to also rest its fingertips on the table's edge .
The si t.ua tion is now as shown in the Fig. 1 with the tabled card case
in fr ont of you, near the table's edge, while the other card ca s e
i s in a Tenkai Palm Position in the right hand.
4.

You mus t r emember you are not do i n g a n effect ; therefore , the

a ction s are n ot po i n t ed up in any way. I t s hou l d b e done a s if
you mere ly p i cke d up t he deck withou t maki ng a ny c omme nts to that
e ffe ct . Bo t h hand s mo v e t owards the tabled dec k and c up the ms e lves,
fo r t he moment, around th e dec k. The l e ft fo ur fingers go ov e r t h e
fou r right fi nger s. Th e left thumb hu gs or l i e s clo s e to th e left
1st 'f i nge r . Th e ri ght thumb is no t vi sible fr om th e f r on t a nd appear s t o aid in the p ickin g up of th e tabl ed card ca se . The r ight
fin g e r tip s, e s pe c i a l ly th i r d fi nger tip , almo st tou che s t he oute r end
of th e c ard c ase. The Fig . 2 s hows the per form e r' s v i ew a t this

nex~

L, J..1vJ.

v.L. ..... v ' - l.. .::J ,

...L.::>

J .1.V

YV

P.LQ..,"-v\,A.

..LJJ. , - v

..L

..... .:>

'-(A.~

""-L

,,- u. ~ ,,-,

f;A.l.&. ......

'-"Lv

'-(..4...1- '-L-

'-~.JV

is casually placed in front of yourself with the oval opening side

uppermost with this end away from you . At this point your manner de pends on the situation at hand; however, whether you are working for

....."'
.
~;

'. 8 0
-

's t a ge while the Fi g. 3 s hows the spectat or' s view, if he is e v en

l ooking .
.r

Fig . 1

.. Fi g. 2

]
r],~
't.

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

S. The right 3rd finger now kicks inward against the ou t e r e nd oJ.
the card case causing it to be kicked off the table and into the lap . 1
The Fig . 4 shows the tabled card case in the act of being kicked off j
the table . The left four fingers, which are in front of the right
fingers, cover this spasmodic kicking action .
6. At once, Following the kick action, the right thumb swings or
p i vo t s the Tenkai Palmed card case towards the fingers of the right
hand until the right fingertips contact the outer -end of the card
c a s e , at its under s ide, thus gripping the outer end of the "card
c a s e between the rfght fingers on b ott om ~ the thumb on top . This
f ir st pivota l a ~tlon lS shown in the Fig. 5, again the performer 's
view . Fr om t he fr on t the situation i s s ti l l more or less simi la r t o
th a t already shown in t h e Fig. 3 .
7. The p i vo t al ac tion of t he Fig. 5 i s c onti nu ed un t il the switc hed
in c ard c ase end s up on i ts lo wer s i de wi t h th e fi ngers o f bot h han d s
a t th e ir respect i ve e nds of t he c a rd c a s e wi t h th e thumb at th e bac k
as i n th e Fig . 6 . From th e fr ont th e t abl ed c a s e ha s me rely be e n

1..J

281

picked up and is now held as shown in the Fig. 7.

'I

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

8. Once y6u have reached the position of the Fig. 7 yo~ have two
options. One, you can sort of toy with the card case and then replace it back to the table. You have accomplished the switch so ihat
later, using the identical actions, you simply pick up this card case.
Two, with the deck in the position shown in the Fig. 7, you follow
thru by the left hand holding ' onto its end of the card case while
the right hand moves to its end of the card case to flip open the
card case as shown in the performer's view ,of the Fig. 8. Note
also that at this stage both hands have also slightly raised the
card case off of the table iop.
All that remains is for the right fingers and thumb to reach
in and remove the cards, then go into whatever routine or effect
you had in mind.
9.

2ND APPROACH:

The Color Changing Card Case

Here you are more or less doing an effect so you must make them
fUlly aware of the original color of the card case; however, here
again the approach you use is important. It is not done in the
manner of a color change of a card which in most cases is visibly
1.

"

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

r.

~I~r~- "

' ,.J't'

].

instant. You don't want the change and the method that closely
associated even though the temptation to do this is very strong .

.r

2. Assume you have a Blue Card case and a Red Card case and each
is of the s a me size and brand. Also supp ose the cards are in their
respective cases.; however, let's further assume that you have just
changed a Blue back deck into a Red back deck.
You now place the
changed deck, now Red backed, into the Blue card case, then position
it on the table in readiness for the switch. Your left hand can
place this card case while the right hand drops into your lap where
, i t gets the Red card case which also contains a duplicate Red back
deck.
The hands now assume the position as already shown in the
Fig. 1 except the card cases are Blue card case on the table and
Red card case in the Tenkai Palm Position. At this stage do not
call attention to the tabled card case or its color.
3. Again without any pointing up of the color of the card case,
or even its presence, both hands move towards the tabled card case
and quickly but casually execute the Kick-Switch actions as already
depicted by the Figs. 2-3-4-5 and 6; however, the situation at
Fig. 7 must be with the four fingers of each hand closer tog ether
as to practically conceal the now Red card case.
The reason is
obvious - you still do not want your audience to be aware of any
change.
Note that the Fig. 9 shows the Kick-Switch in action with
a card case of an entirely diff erent design just in case you want
to change not only the color of a Blue. deck to Red but also to a
. t omp l e t e l y different design in that color.

1;.'
<

.'

'

....~.

"j

'"

..

.,

~~

{J.e

]
]

;'

'~ .

:]
]
Fig. 9

Fig. 10

4. With the Red card case now between your hands and fairly well
concealed you address your audience as follows:
!lWell, I changed
the color of the deck . but now the Blue card case doesn't match. If
I were a real magician I should be able to change the card case in to the same color, like this." Here you slowly separate the hands
letting the Red card case come slowly into view until it ends up
being displayed as in the Fig. 10 which also shows the case with a
different design.
When the card case ends up being held as in the
Fig. 10, fingers and thumbs of each hand revolve th e card case,
by their 'r e s p e c t i v e corners, to show b oth sides of the now chang ed
card case.

. ~

1-

I
J
.,.~

-r

~.

'- - _ . ~";':""

Jl' - - -

~_

-._._Jo

... _ _

.-

_ _ ______1

:11'

~~

283

s. Using the above approach as outlined the color change of the

card c a se is s ur pri s i ng and mor e important the onlooker will be
more puz zl ed a s t o just whe n t h is real l y too k pl ac e.
3RD APPROACH: . The Diminishing Or Enla rg i ng Card Case
i

1. For th i s you will need a miniatur e card case, with deck inside,
to match , in colo r a nd d esign, t he re gular c a rd cas e. These are
obtaina ble in the Bi cycle brand of c a rd a nd th e Fi g. 11 sho ws ju st
such a sma ll c ard ca se in the righ t han d Tenka i Pa l m Posit ion. Obvious l y t o get mi ni card ca s e t o the s t a ge d ep ic t e d by t h e Fi g. 11
you will f irst go thru the requ ir ed sta ges as shown i n t he Fig. 1
to 3 i n c l u sive . The Kic k Switch action are then mad e as in the Figs. ' 4 to 7 inclusive ex c ept that a miniatur e deck ends up being
held ~s in t he Fig . .!l, the op erator' s view.

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

i . At t he s t ag e of Fi g . 12
the f ingers of e ac h hand a r e
close togethe r so t hat the
small card case is not s e e n .
Now slowly ~ eparate the hands
to bring the small card c ase
into v ie w as in the Fig. 13 .
Sho w a l l sides of the c a rd
case and even t o ss it out for
inspect ion .if you wish.
3. Naturally you can always
cause the miniature cards
and case to become regular
size by simply rep eatin g the
Kick-Switch mov e s as de p ic ted

Fig. 13

l to 7 inclusive.

in the Figs.
4TH APPROACH:

Delayed Card Switch

1. Here the switch is ma de while se eming t o only look a t the card

or cards, then re pl acing th em faces down to the t ab le. To fe el t he

f .

'.

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

i.

At t he s t ag e of Fig . 12

L ................ .

logic of the actions place a c a r d face down to the table with the
long s t ? e tgward s operator. Both hands approach the tabled card as
a l r e a dy s h own in the Fig . 1. Note tha t the right thumb i s behi nd
the ha nd s as in the Fig. 3. The right thumb digs i n unde r t h e lo n g
side,n e a r e s t y ou , o f the card to raise it up wa r d a nd i nt o the po s ition s h own i n th e Fi g. 6 . The fr on t view is a s i n Fi g. 7 and you
are loo k i n g a t th e fa ce-o f th e c a rd.
Now r epl ac e t h e card b a ck
face down t o the t abl e into its ori ginal lengthwise posit ipn.
2.
You can g o thr ou gh t he abov e St e p 1 severa l t imes to ge t th e
.f e e l of t h e a ct i on s wh ich will or should be simi l a r wh e n do ing t h e
a c t ua l s wi t c h .
3 . When ready to do the a ctual switch the t a b l e d ca rd l ies l e n g thwise ~n fron t of you near the ed ge of the tab le. Your right h a nd
has t he card , to be switched i n, in a Tenkai Palm Pos i t i on . The
s i tuation is s im ilar t o that alre ady s h own in the F ig . 1 except
t he c ard on t h e table l i e s lengthwise wh ile t h e palme d c a r d is fa ce
u p in a Tenkai Pa lm Positi on .
4.
From the p os i t i on of the Fig. 1 all you ne ed t o do is .e x e c u t e
the actio n s depicted in the Figs. 2 t o 7 i nclu siv e which will se n d
the tabl ed ca r d into your lap with-you noldin g and lookin g at t he
face o f th e r equir e d c ar d . Conclud e b y simpl y lo we r ing thi s c ard
b ack, f ac e do wn, to th e ta b le into its origina l po s it io n .

S. While the d e scr i p t io n , for t h e above, wa s for a sing le card

s wi tc h you can do a Multiple Ca r d Switch just as easily by first
br i d g i n g the side s o f the fou r o r fiv e card s upward s . Thu s the
r ight third fingertip can engage t h e r a is e d c a r d s ~ a t t he ou t e r
long side, to kick all of these cards off the table and i n t o your
lap . The actions for the Mu l t i p l e card switch are iden t ical to
tho se already e xp lained for t he single card; however , when the
situat io n of Fig . 6 and 7 i s r e a c he d t h e r ight thumb a nd f i n g e r s
spr e ad or fa n t h e card s upwa r ds in t h e s tanda rd manne r of loo k ing
a t sever al c a r d s . The l e ft fi n g er s a nd thum b c a n a i d in th i s
spreading ac ti on if need be.
You c an re-square th e p acket b efor e
replacing i t f ac e down to table or you can lower th e cards to the
table l e av i n g them in ~ f ann ed or s prea d condi t io n.
The cho ic e is
.y ou r s and wi l l probably depe n d a lo t on what i s intended t o f o l l ow .
6 . A f i n a l sugg esti on , fo r thos e who may wish t o giv e it a t r y,
is to u s e the Vernon Change fo r the col o r change o f a c a rd c ase or
for t h e diminishing and enlarg ing card case . You wi ll f i n d that
e ven wi t h the d e cks of c a r ds in their card c a s e s the Vernon Change
mov es c a n be done without diff i culty .
If y ou are s eat ed when you
do the change the c a r d case in the Tenka i Palm Positio n , a f t e r the
c hange, c a n eas ily be l a p p e d.
I f s t a n d i n g, then the p alme d c a r d
case c an be dro pp ed behind some other objec t on t h e tabl e o r i n to
a servan t e.
I f a wa y from a l l t ab l e s, the n y ou will have to wor k
out some ot h e r mean s o f disp osing o f t he pa lmed car d ca s e su ch as
sl eeving o r d roppin g it in to s ome pock et, secr et or otherwi s e, in
your app ar el.
You ca n u s e th e Ver n on Change f o r a c a sed in deck
switch; howeve r, y o u will hav e t o work out a differe n t appro a ch s o
it will f it, mo re or l e s s, into c ard t abl e p roc e du r e.

~J

]
)
)
r

, .
~

] I'
" ")
J

...

..... ::, .L.l.\.-

\.- .. Ao............ ""'"

..L

..........

J..5v ......

t....J...

'-("oL ..IL

V..lJ.5U-5V

..... J L ......

.l,U-.J...J\.." U-

'- U

.L '-A- oJ

l..L. t...' . ; .l,

l ong s i d e , to kick all of these cards off the table and i n t o your
lap . The actions for the Mu l t i p l e card switch are iden t ical to
those already e xp lained for the single card; however , when the

"'1

.j lI

r .

.
'

285

ADDITIONS TO SWITCij OUT

The following a r e additional approaches to the
Marlo Switch that appeared in TOPS for November, 1976. It will be
described together with some added subtleties.
-. ,

.f

Assume you are going to use the Black and Red Fours. On top of
the deck you should have a Red Four. With deck facing you spread it
between both hands as you comment about using the four Fours. What
you do is up-jo g the remaining thre e Fours plus any! card. Next,
remove a Red Fou r first, t he n behind it remove the two Black Fours
and then the X card. Place all four cards to the top of the deck.
Rem emb er the c ards st ill face you during all thi s. Once the four
cards are on top of the deck you can square up the deck and hold it
in the left hand dealing position as the top of the deck is now
brough t into vi ew.
1.

2. The order of the cards, from top down, are an X card, two Bl ack
Fours and t wo Red Fours. Thumb over the top four c,!rds but then in
resquaring th em y ou secr etly pick up the next or fifth card. The
squared fiv e card p ac k et is turned face up onto the deck with the
left 4th fing erti p holding a break, at the lower right coiner, beneath~em.
Next, the left thumb de als ov er only the face three
cards t o dis pl ay two Red and t wo Black Fours. The right hand places
the two Red Fou rs to tabl e fac e s up. The right hand flips the two
Black Fo~rs, r eally three cards as two, fac es down onto the top of
the d eck. The X card precedes the two Bl ack Fours on top of the
deck.
3. Spread the deck, between both hands, for a free select ion of any
card. In resquaring the deck the left 4th fingertip gets a break below the top X card of the deck. The right hand picks up the two f ace
up Red Fours~to place them on top of the deck . At onc e the right .
hand grasps all the cards above the bre ak, the two Red Fours and the
face down X card, to lift th em off of the deck and thus square the
sides 'of tnese cards with the left thumb and fingers. Now the right
hand alone hold s the Red Fours a s the left thumb very slightly pushes
over the top card of the deck in order for the left 4th fingertip to
get a sli ght br eak below it at the lower right c orne~ You now
maintaIn this break during the following action s. The left thumb
peels off the face Red Four, from the right hand packet, flush onto
the top of the deck. The right hand with its Red Four, really two
cards back to back, places it onto and a l on gs i de the first Red Four
as shown in the Fig. 1 where the left thumb clamps the two Red Fours
in place. Note that at this point the face Red Four is side-jogged
for only about a third of its width.
4. The right hand takes the spectator's selected card and holding it
by the center of right side seems to insert it between the two face
up Red Fours as shown in the Fig. 2 which is basically the spectator's
view. Actually the selected card is being inserted into the break
that is still held by the left 4th finger. The Fig. 3 shows ' the
performer's view of this action-.--

li>

~
_

card. In resquaring the deck the left 4th fingertip gets a break below the top X card of the deck. The right hand picks up the two f ace
up Red Fours~to place them on top of the deck. At onc e the right .

_ _,

,,-I . ~

-, . ,;.",J

<II'

!,
", . ~

"

'0:.....

]
.

1. j
]
]

Fig. I

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

. S. The right hand moves its card ~

inward -and to the left until it
j
lines up with the side-jogged
card(s) as seen in the Fig. 4. Once
this card is ' in alignment the right ~j'
thumb pulls the face Red Four to
the right thus exposing what appears
to be the face down selection but
'1
actually the X card. This is seen J
in Fig. s. TEe selection itself
is parit~lly into the break and
more or less in line with the
visible X card but separated from
it by the two Fours.
<-

6. With the cards as in Fig. 5 above the left thumb and the right
fingertips do the following ac~ion. The left thumb presses onto the
visible X card and pulls it slightly to the left. The right 2nd and
3rd fingertips at the same time pull slightly to the right. Also
during this action the 1st fingers of each hand have been pressing
along the top end ed ges of the cards to keep alignment as well a s
cover any visible edge movement of cards. The Fig. 6 shows the positions of each hand durinQ: this slight sliding movement the purpose

J
:3
'-~

,j
L

~~ 'I

Fig. 3

-,

-,

11 1
"I
I

of which is to later present a single edge to the spectator's card

when it is -~ g a i n shown to hi m as in t he Fig. 7. To all appearances
his card still seems to be between the two Rea Fours.

Fi g . 7

Fi g . 6

-...
Fig.

Fig. 9

7. The left hand is now lowered to bring top of deck again into
view. The l e f t thumb now pushes the f ace down X card plus the face
Red Four to the right while the left fing ertips-press upwards ag ainst
the spectator's card. This results in the X card being the forward
card as seen in the Fig. 8, a bo t tom view wn er e the left f i nge r t ip s
are about to engage the s elect ed card and pull it flush into the deck.
8. Onc~ the left f ingerti ps have pulled the selected c a r d -f l u s h with
the de c k the t op t hr e e card sandwich is dealt o f f, one card at a
time to 'under eac h ot her as shown in the Fig . 9 whe r e the right ha nd
'ha s c leanly taken the face Red Four and is ab out to t ak e the next
card, the supposed face do wn selection, to under the card in right
hand but still in a fanned condition.
9. In the pulling of the selected card flush with the deck any edge
movement at this stage is covered by the 1st fingers of each, hand still
cov e r i ng the top end edges o f t he cards ; howev er, one can make the
pulling ba c k of the selected card as Pfirt of the dealing off o f the
three sandwich cards. You wi ll f i nd t at there is ample cover given

~.

VI

i:~

simply by the dealing action alone.

you feel most relaxed with .
.:

Try it both ways and decide whichj

.1

1 0. With the 3 card sandwi ch sp read ou t on the table the right hand
takes the top card of the deck and casually turns it face up using
i t as a point er towards the tabled sandwich cards. The spectators
see a Black Four and this adds a convincing touch. The right finger s
have taken the card by the upper right corner, with thumb below and
1st and 2nd fingers on top, to turn i t towards the tabled c a r d s as
snown int"1le Fig. 10 where both hands are also shown as related to
the tabl ed cards, The face up card in right hand and, the deck in the
left hand.

11. During the pointing action

1
of the Fig. 10 above th e l e f t thumb _~
moves over tl1e top card just enough
to enabl e the left 4th fingertip to " ~i
get a break beneath it at the lower~J
r i gh t corner. The right hand ret ur n s its card face up onto ' the
~
top of the deck:-Atonce the right ~.~
hand comes over the deck in order J
to grasp the two cards; above t h e
break , from above by the ends.
The left thumb pushes ov er the next .a
top card and this c ard is flipped
face up, on top of the deck, with , ~
the a id of the left side of the
1
Fig . 10
~
.
card (s) in the right . hand. You
now have two Black Fou rs face up with fue actual se lection b etween
t hem. You can set t h'e Black Fours for another Swi tch of cards or
end with the obvious conclusion by cutting the face up Black Fours
into the deck, then later vanishing the supposed selection from bet we en the two Red Fours which is in turn disclosed be t we en the two
Black Fours in the deck.

In looking over some of my notes I came across the

following idea of min e that was recorded for me by Neal Elias and .
Bert Fenn in 1949, September, in Colon under the title of I1Simp li fied Sandwich-swltch
Here is the original brief description.
l1

1. Have known c a r d face down between two face up deuces making a

sandwich . Catch one card break on deck, left hand.
2. Take spread sandwich in right hand between thumb and fingers at
e nd s and square on deck, stealing top card face down beneath sandwich.
3. Immediately pull off top face up deuce onto deck as per Biddle
Move but ho ld break beneath it. Pull off face down card onto deck
at same time stealing face up deuce to bottom of right hand packei.
4 . Apparently you have one f ac e up deuce in ri ght hand -- actually
you have a deuce sandwich of three c a r d s . These cards are dropped

.._..

a_.~

_ "~

~~_ "'

...

~_ .~

~_ ~~

_y

..

~_

..

_.~

_~

~~ ~

~~_~~

..

~V

_" ~V . .

t hem. You can set t h'e Black Fours for another Swi tch of card s or
end with the obvious conclusion by cutting the face up Bl ack Fours
intn

r h

rl p r"k

thp n

1 ~tpr 1T:::l n i c:hina th p

C:lln nn c:pr1

c:pl prt-inn

-Frnm

h p-

ill

.,J i

'

.
.......;._
' ' _ .._~_",_ " __,,,.,::,_._._
. --'-"o--"'-.... _ _--........_ ... ~_~~ ......... _ ~... _.

i.
II
!!
'II,

......v

_. ._

.,

. .... . ~ .... .. _

~ ..... _ _

.
....

.)'!

_~ .

"~ . _

. . . . . . . '. . . . .

..... ,

,Ii

'

289
/'

as one onto deck, and you fin ish by spreading top 3 cards and dropping
this d~uce$andwich to table.

S. The c ard in mi dd le ha s be en switched wi t h top card of dec k.

direct a nd lo gic al.

Very
"

While work i n g wi t h the above "Simplified Sandwich

Switch" I came up wi t h some vari ations that may be of interest to
the reader.
1ST VARIATION:
1. Assume you have a known c ard s andwiched fac e down between the t wo
face up Bl a c k Deu c es. The f ac e Deuc e is the Sp ade while the lo wermost
Deuc e, i s t he Club. The righ t hand r eaches for the tabled sandwic h
card s whil e t he le f t hand s ec r etly ge ts a br e a k , und e r the top c ard
of th e deck, wi th t he t i p o f th e l e f t 4 th fi ng er at the lower r ight
cor n e r. The ri ght ha nd has p ic k ed up the t abl ed c ards wi t h t he thumb
on t op and t he f i nge rs bene a th.
2. The s till fan n ed or spre ad out 3 c ards are r e st ed against the
to p o f the dec k as l eft thumb pr esses do wn on i t to kee p these c a rd s .
i n place . The ri gh t hand c hange s po si tio n t o go a bove the c ards a s
if to square the end s , o f the c ards . The 3 c a r d sp r e a d is S (.[ 1.1 ,1 r e d '.:;':
on the dec k and a t t he sam e time t he ri ght ha n d grasps a l l the ca r d s
abo ve t he br e a k , fou r c ards in a l l , ho lding th es e 4 squared ca r d s
from above by t he e nds . '
3. The packet in the right hand is brought against the top of the
deck so that t h e l e ft side of the pac ket in th e righ t hand coincide s
with t he l eft sid e of ~deck. The left thumb presses onto the fac e
2S in order .t o peel it off onto the d eck as shown in the Fig. 11.
Wlien the right hand packet clears the ' face 2S a break is obtained
below this 2S with the tip of the left 4th Ilng er at the lower right
corner.

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

4. After the 2S has been peeled off onto the deck the right hand
with its packe~starts to move to the left as if to peel off the

,
"

3. The packet i n th e right ha n d is brought against the top of the

deck so that t h e l e ft s ide of the packe t i n th e ri gh t ha nd coinc ide s
with t he l ef t sid e o f ~d eck. Th e l e ft thumb pre sses on to the fa ce

o
next c ard or t he f a ce do wn car d. Actuall y the r ight ha nd moves over
to t he 'Le f t un ti l it a lmost co v e rs t he 2S but n o t quite a s se en i n
the Fig. 12. When the po s itio n of Fi g . -r2 is reac hed both hands
rhaidse upward1 s a~dki t is d Url"n g thi s pwaro mdovem jent t hka t t~e r jight . h ]:
1 e f ac e up 2u
an secr et y pIC S up tn
S t o un e r tIe pac e t In t Ie rIg t
hand. Wi thou t any hesita t ion t he r ight moves upward f ar enough so
that about half of i t s packe t is visible over the top end of th e
deck a s s e en f r om t he performer' s s ide i n the Fig . 13.

]
]

......

Fig. 15

S. Without any pau se t he l e f t

thumb peels off th e t op face down
card of th e packet so that it will
remain out-jog ged for hal f its
length. The Fi g. 14 s hows the
pe r f or me r 's view o~t he pee ling
a ct i on on the s e l ec t i on whil e t he
Fi g . 15 shows t he sp ect ator's
view .--You will note t hat ev e r ything is lo gical from t he spec tato r's vi ew since he thin ks t he
f a c e down c ard, of t he rig ht ha nd
pac ket, is the a t he r Deuc e.

1
JiI

)
)

6 . Once the selected card is pUl l e d , ~

clear, of t he ri ght hand c ard( s) ,
~
it r emains up~ jo gged wh i le the right hand p l ace s its suppos e d sin gl e
.J
face up 2C f l u sh a nd square with the r est o f t he deck. The dec k is
still f a c ing t he spec tator. The ri gh t hand now co me s ov e r t he dec k
and on l y s ta r ts to push -the ou t-jo gged c ard f l us h ; hOlvever, you stop
and then lower your hands t o bring the deck into th e position shown
in the Fig. 16 where to all app earance th e out - jogged f ace down
selection wil l now be pus hed flush with t he d eck and s e emingl y back
to between the fa c e up Deuc es.
7 . Once t he suppose d sel ec tio n is pushe d f l ush t he le ft thumb d e al s
~
or spreads the top three c ards a t onc e to disclose . the s andwic h. This J
is th en t ak en by the right hand and t abl ed . The ~ctions desc ribed
can be used to a l s o van i sh a c ard. In thi s c a s e you do not se c r e t l y

..Lv.L l .5"' I J. .

J..J. .L 'C:'

.i -.L.

b _

..1.. "'1"

.;:) l .LU VV .;>

l..l.LlV

pe r f or me r 's view o~t he pee ling

a ct i on on the s e l ec t i on whil e t he
Fig. 15 s hows t he sp ect ator's
view .--You will note that ev e r y-

I'

I?ick Up a no t .her card to under the th ree c ard sandwich. Instead with
Just the thr e e ca rds be g in by peeling off the fac e card, as in the
Fi g . .Ll , on t o t he t op o f t he deck.

' f'

:fl'
I" ~I

)fi

8 . Next go th r ough the identical a ction s as s hown in th e Fig . 1 2 to

16 inc lusive whi ch wi l l re s ult in t he s e l ec t e d c a r d, at p oint orFig. 16, to a c t ua lly be below t he t wo f a c e up c ard s. In t his c a s e ,
after t he selected c ard is pus he d
flush, you a t once li ft of f onl y
the two fa ce up c ard s whi c h remain
squa r e d. This l ift o f f of the t wo
f ac e up c a rds i s automati c as the
right 2nd , 3r d, a nd 4th f i nge rs
. pr e s s downwaros , ve ryslightly, on
the out e r end o f t he out-jo gged
selection wh i c h l ever s th e fr on t
end of t h ~ two fa c e up c ards off
of the d ec k at thi s ou te r end .
The right finger s and thumb c a n
a t onc e lift off the tw o face up
......
ca r d s as apparently stil l 3
~---sq uared car ds and p.l ace t hem f ace
up to th e tabl e. Later you can
Fi g . 1 6
show the sel e cted c ard to have
vanish ed f rom be t we e n t he s andwich ca rd s.
9 . The fol l owi ng ro utine i s a further developement of t h e 'or i g i na l
Swit c hou t I published in TOPS , Nov embe r 1976, plus an approach of
mine re corded by Bert Fe nn i n 1949 a nd lat er publ ished in " St i c ks
And Stones", #1 7 . The follo win g rout i n e make s us e of t he dec k but
basic ally two sandwiches are isolated from theaeck during th e actual
transpostio n.

:~

THE ISOLATED SANDWICHE S

"

-;..

.,

j.

"

"i ~

;'

.'
!

j;

r
I

'.
"I -

i'

EFFECT: Two c ards a r e sele cted and placed a side on t he ta ble. Two
Red Aces are shown and p lac ed in the pocket . One of the sel e c tion s
is pl a ced betwee n two Bl ac k Aces wh i le the ot her se l e ct i on is p la ce d
in the deck . The Red Ace s ar e r emoved from the pocket .and sho wn.
A ca rd ap p ea r s vis ib ly between t he Red Ace s. It is the c ard tha t
was or i g inal l y b etwe en the Bl a c k Ac es . Th e card now be t we e n t he
Black Aces is th e c ard t hat was p lac ed in t o the de c k .
1. Remove the f our Aces and tos s t hem f ac e up to the ta ble. Have
deck ~ h u ff le d . You wi l l have t wo cards se lected u sing a ve ry di r e c t
appro a ch as follows:
2. Table t he deck and explain that you need to use two cards and
that you wi l l u se the t wo ca r d s he will cu t to . Have h im cut th e
deck and you p i ck up t he l ower portion s a y i ng, "I TII us e two c a r d s
fro m where you c u t." Dea l ove r the si de of t his port i on t he top t wo
card s, a dvan cing the t hi rd c a r d sli gh tl y, whi c h a re ta ke n, i n a fan
condition, by the right hand. Me ant ime th e l eft thumb p ul ls back the
advanced third card with the l eft 4th fin gertip obtaining a br eak
below it a t th e l ower ri ght co rner-.3.

Squar e t he t wo c ar ds, in t he r i ght ha nd, agains t t he to p of t he

I
!~

:~
"

-;..

--- - - - - - 0

-- J

transpostion.
THE ISOLATED SANDWICHE S

----

_a _

_
~

__

]
' d e c k as a t once th e r igh t ha nd move s to o ver t he c a rds to p i ck up
three c.ards .J f rom a bove by the ends , which are ra ise d up to t he l e f t
fingers and thumb wh i c h grasp the sides of the three cards to hol d
t he m well above the cards in your left hand . The righ t ha nd now
g r a s p s t he l e f t , si d e of t he thr ee c a r d s a nd does a D'Amico Spread
to show t wo cards . As sume the face si ngle c a r d is a 6D a nd the face
c a r d of t he s ec r e t dou ble 'card is a 5H. Call the nameof the 5H as
,yo u t right fin gers , fro m bene at h, f li p this car d (s ) fa ce do wn onto
the t op of the deck . At onc e t humb over the sup posed 5H to take it
f ac e down und e r t he face up c a r d in t he rig ht ha nd. You r pat t er for
this i s , "Rememb e r the Five of Hear ts and the Si x of Diamonds ."
Plac e these cards t o the t able.

4. With the p a ck e t of c a r ds st i l l in y ou r l e ft hand th e ri ght han d

pick s up th e 4 Aces to pl ace them face up onto the card s in th e
l e f t hand . Op enl y arr ang e the 4 Ac e s f rom the fa ce to the top, in
2 Red Ac es - AC and AS .
In re -squar ing the Aces secret ly a dd the
t op ca rd to ' bel ow the m. The righ t ha n d a t once takes the f a c e up
Ace s , pl u s i ts se cr e tly added fa ce down card , f r om a bov e by th e end s,
whil e th e l eft ha n d p lac e s its po rt io n of cards fac e do wn to the
table . "Th e situatio n at this point is the SH fa c e do wn be ne a th t he
4 fa ce up Ac e s. "Th e t wo tab led cards ar e assumed t o be - t wo selec t ed
c ard s but ac t ua l ly one sele c te d ca rd is fa ce up whi l e t he fa ce do wn
c ar d is an X c ard .
5. You now apparently pee l of f , i n to t he l e f t hand , th e tw o Red
Aces; howev er , yo u a c t ua l ly u s e a Kardyro -Biddle Move stea l i ng the
first Red Ace as you p eel off the s e c ond Red Ace . Some may pr efe r
t o get away fro~ the above mo ve and use t he f oll owi ng : Rest th e
Ace s in t h e le ft hand as t he right thumb, at the back end , li fts up
t wo c ard s, t h e Red Aces , th en a ng les t hem of f t o th e l e ft as i n t he
Fi g. 1 7 . The rig ht hand g r a s ps the right si d e o f t he Aces wh ile the
left thumb pe e l s off the fa c e Ac e into the left hand . The Fig. 18
s hows t he start of the pee ling of f act ion .

]
]
]
1
~W

J
c'

]
'1
_..J

]
1
,~

Fi g . 17

Fi g. 1 8

6. "The l e f t ha nd pe e ls o f f t he fa ce Ace i n to t ]le l e f t hand d e aling

posi tion. As the l eft hand goe s t o pe e l of f th e second Red Ace th e
Re d Ace a l r eady in th e left hand is r e -loadcd t o un der the c a r ds in

t wo c ard s, th e Red Aces , th en a ng les t hem of f to th e l e ft a s in t he

Fi g. 17 . The rig ht hand gr a s ps the right si d e o f t he Aces wh ile the
l e f t thumb pe e l s off the fa c e Ac e into the left hand . The Fig. 18
s hows t he s t a r t of the pee ling of f act ion .
.~

J'I'._-- _.~.~~
-;,
-- - -- -'-'-'--~

"' __' ~ _ _

.1

~_. """ _ _ ' _1lo.... _ ~1

_.._

._

-, _ . _

. ._

... .

-.14 . .... _

II

293

fl

1J

the right hand as at the same time the se c ond Red Ace is peeled off
into th~ lef~ hand. The left hand places i t s supposed two Red Aces
into the left side coat pocket with the face o f the Red Ace again st
t h e body.
7. The righ t hand places the Bl ac k Ace p a cket face up i nt o the left
hand deal i ng posit io n but wi t h t he rig ht ha nd stil l a bove t he pac ket
holdin g it by t he ends . The le f t t hum b pee ls of f t he fa ce AC plus
the bot t om Red Ace , by u s i n g a buc kl i ng a cti on on t he bo t tom-Red Ace ,
wi th the left fingers , to aid in getting the bottom Red Ace in align ment with the peeled off AC, into the left hand dealing position .
The right hand now has the-AS plus the selected SH face down under
the AS. Place the apparently single AS face up onto the AC in a
side~ogged position, for half its wiath, to the right as-rn the
Fig . 19.

,1--=:::""",

Fig . 19
,,.

Fig. 40

8. The left hand alone now holds the side-jogged Aces deep in the
left hand dealing position. This is similar to that shown in the
Fig . 19 above except t he right hand would n ot be in t he picture.
The right hand is free to pick up the supposed face down SH on t he
t abl e. Place th i s car d face do wn on to the or i g i n a l bottom-ha l f o f
the dec k as yo u sa y , " The Five of Hear ts we wi l l retur n bac k t o
wher e y ou cut . " Drop the or i gi nal top half of the dec k onto the
lowe r portion t o lose the supposed SH.
9. The right hand now picks up the face up 6D and turns it face
down.
It is apparently inserted between the two Black Aces . Actual ly the reft fingers buckle the bottom Red Ace, very slightly, at its
lower right corner and the face down 6D is inserted in to the buckled
s pac e as shown in the Fig. ~ from the-performerts inner view .
10. The right hand moves the face down card forward and to the left
un til it is flush with the AS making sure it is aligned perfectly for
t he moment as shown in the Fig. ll.
11. Onc e t he c a rd s are i n line, as i n t h e Fig . 21 , t he r i gh t t humb
merel y pul l s, t o th e r i gh t, t he face AS to br ing-rnto v i ew th e b ack
of th e s upposed 6D f or abo ut hal f itswi dth as in t he Fig . 22.

I
8.

Fig . 19

left hand alone no w holds the

Fig. 40
side-io~~ed

Cjl /
Ares deen in

!
i

I
1

I
r

'i

.4

Fig. 21

Fig . 22

,
J

,.,

ejI

,.

]
Fig .

1.J

1 2 . The right hand grasps the c ards , from above by the ends, then
,
turns p alm upwards t o sho w t he 6D f a c e up -b e t we e n two f ~ce do wn cards
taken to b e the Black Ac e s . Also the left fing ers pull the face u p
lOS do\yuwards a s if to central i ze it or expose it mo r e . This is
S1iOwn in the Fig .. 23 ; ho wever, ' this action wi l l c au s e the 6D to be
s t e p p e d to the riglit o f the fa te down SH secretly a b ov e the-6D . This
is i mp o r t a n t for th~ n ext mov e.
---

1 3. The ri ght hand no w turns p al m do wn t o rest t he spr e ad in the

l e f t hand and the r i g h t hand sh i fts t o t h e l e f t in ord er that the
r i g h t 2nd, 3r d , and 4th fing ers e xtend along the front end o f the
s a n dwi cn-c a rus. The-reft 4th finger , b e n e a t h the cards, pulls down
on t he righ t s i de o f the 6n:-as in the b ot tom view of the exposed
Fig. 24 , wi th t h e l e f t 2na-and 3rd finge r t ip s con t a ct i n g the r ight
s id e or t h e p u l l e d down-sel e c t i on in t h is c a s e the 6D.
14. Th e ri ght 2n d , 3rd , a nd 4th fingers s h ou l d be exte nd ed a lo ng
the f r ont end o ~h e -spr e a d to-Concea l t h e mov e ment o f the se le c te d
card, the 6D h ere, a s t he lef t fingers p ul l t h e 6D t o th e l e ft a n d
in line with the AC and th e conc e al ed Red Ac e a l so on t he l e ft in
line wi th t he AC .--The Fig . 2 5 sh ows thi s action f r om th e exp o s e d

.~

Fig . 24

.J

~J

._ . ,

__ _.

.,. _ _ . _

__

..,:J_ ~

.d
295

bottom view. ' Al s o the right thumb will automatically get a break,
at the back end, on the two lowermost lined up cards which will consist of t he 6D and a Red Ace face to face. Study the Fig. 25 and
you wi ii get~he idea .

.j
.~

.il
I~

;~
f

Fig. 26

Fig. 25
15. The righ t hand
left side along the
ment, of the spread
are released into a

"

~1

,t
it
{.

t.

moves its sandwich of cards as if squaring its

base of the left thumb. - During the ' inward moveof cards, the cards below the right thumb break
deep Gambler's Cop as shown in the Fig. ~.

16. The right hand no w plac es the spre ad of cards to the table whi l e
the left hand, wi t h its copped cards, drops to the side. Once the
right hand ha s dropp ed its cards to the table the left hand moves up
and straight ba~k into the left side coat pocket. While there the
copped cards are placed onto the 'ba c k of the Red Ace that was already
in the pocket. All the 3 cards are squared, then brought out with
the cards in a deali ng position wi t h a face up Red Ace showing.
17. The right hand grasps the left side of the c ards and does a
D'Amico Spread to display two Red Aces. Square them up, then turn
them face down into the left hand. Again grasp the left side of the
cards do ing another D'Am ico Spread to show t wo backs. Resquare the
cards turni ng them f a c e up into the left hand. Again grasping the
left side of the cards repeat the D'Amico Spread to show t wo fanned
Red Aces. The Red Aces ~ace the spectators and the cards are held
in the right hand as seen 'in the Fig. ~.
18. You will now cause a card to visually appear between the Red
Aces. Mome n ta r i l y grasp the left side of the spread Aces with the
. left hand, thumb at the back with the fingers on the faces, which
enables the right hand to re-position itself so that the ball of the
right thumb will be placed onto the card's lower right -corner at
the back with the 1st and 2nd fingers on the face at this same corner.
Now with the ball of the right thumb push upward on the bottom end,
at the right lo wer corner, of those t wo cards that are lined up as
one. During this movement of the - right thumb the right hand is also
moved up ward slightly, as if about to catch a card, when suddenly a
face down card will appear between the face up Red Aces as in the

in the pocket. All the 3 cards are squared, then brought out with
the cards in a deal i ng posit ion wi t h a face up Red Ace showing.
t

.'J
T;j

17.

The right hand grasps the left side of the cards and does a

nt !\vn';""'"

c "",OV'r"\.""...:1

+_

~~

.-

04-,.r_

.....1

1\.-,.., ,...

C"

'*.......

~ l...

_.. _

6
!
I

Fig. 28.

This is startling if it is timed pr ope r l y .

r;--:---::--_

Fig . 2 8

'Fi g . 27

1
]

19 . Ask the spe ctator what card he has between the Black Ace s on
the table. On getting the repl y, " The Six of Diamonds" , you say,
" Tha t is now betwee n the REd Aces I I , as yo u turn your 3 card spread
over t o reveal the sel e ction i n thi s example the 6D. - Now ask wha t
card was pl ac e d i n to the de c k . On getti ng a rep l yof , " Fi v e of
Hearts" , show tha t this c a rd is now between the Bl ac k Ace s .
What fo llows are so me v ar iations in handling t ha t
may appeal to the reader. The lengthwise handl ing of the card s wi l l
be fou nd easier whi l e the other handling is a mor e sophisticat ed
a ppro ac h t o my ori g i na l sandwich effect as rec orded by Bert Fenn
in
and lat er .pub l ished in
' LENGTHWI SE HANDLI NG
1 . Si nc e t he basic effect is the s ame as already expla ined all you
have to do is the r equired Steps leading up to the po int whe r e you
hav e a Red Ace in yo ur pocke t as supposedly t wo Red Aces whi l e the
rig h t hand ha s ap paren t ly two Black Aces bu t rea l ly , be low them, a
sel ect ed card fa ce down wit h a Red Ace fa c e up below t hat . On e
suppo s ed s el e ctio n has a lready been repla ced i n t o"the dec k a nd t h ~
remaining s ele ct ion i~ s t i l l face up on the table .
2 . The right hand is holding t he Bla ck Aces fro m abo ve' by the end s
and the face Ace is the AC . Peel of f the AC , secret ly also taking
t ~e bo t t om Red , Ace, intO-th e 1eft ,hand bu~retains a l e f t 4th
f i nge rt i p br ea k between th e AC and the s e cre tly t a ken Red Ac es as
se en in the Fi g . ~ .
3. The right hand now has a fa ce up AS with a face down se lec ted '
c a r d s ecr e t l y under it. Place the AS-race up onto the AC in an
in -j ogged position for less that haIT its lengt h as shown in the
Fig . 30. Remembe r to maintain your l e f t 4th fingertip break bet ween~h e AC and t he Red Ace .
--4.

Pic k up t he f ac e up s el ect ed card, wi t h th e ri ght hand, th en t ur n

' LENGTHWI SE HANDLI NG

1.

Si nc e t he basic effect

1S

the s ame as already expla ined all you

]
I

~ -_

. . . -... --~

_.---"""

------

....

297

.. :

.f

'

t '\
"F ig . 29

Fig .

i t face down. Hold t h e c a r d by its right side near the lower r i g h t

corner. Start to in sert its upper left corner just onto the tip of
the left 4th finger.
This automatically, easily, with no fumbling
s t a r t s the-5el ected card to between the AC and the bot tom'Red Ace .
. Study t he F ig . 31 t o give y ou a n i dea o f lio w the fa ce do wn c a r d is
apparen tly b e i n g-p l a c e d between the t wo Black Aces . The Fig . 32
shows how the card h as bee n moved to .t h e left and then f o r wa r dl n a
c o nt i n u i n g action of seemingl y placing the selected c ard to between
the Black Aces.

Fi g. 3 2
5. Whe n the inserted card reaches the stage pictured in Fig. 32
the right hand changes position so that the thumb and 1st and 2nd
f i nger s c a n push on t h e i nn er end of the face do wn se lected c a rountil it g oes f lush wi t h t h e fa c e AS a s i n th e Fig . 33 . Con tinu e
t h is p us hing act ion o n th e i nner ena o f t he i n -j oggea-cards u ntil
t h e aligned cards end up as in the Fig . 33 wh~re note that the face
AS a l mo s t covers the AC but leaves just the A index showing .
It
$liould all appear a s I t y ou accidentally puslied the AS t oo f a r a n d
the n ext a c t i on a dds cred ibi lity t o thi s. The rig ht-rst and 2nd
fi ng er t ips n ow pul l t he face AS i nwa r d, a s i n the Fig~4 , to-eip o s e
a fa ce down card . This is supposedly t h e original sho\~selection
but a ctually is t h e one that was apparently buried in the deck.

98

I.

/
]
Fi g. 33

Fi g.

Not e als o t h a t t h e face down card remains in p o s i t i o n s o that on l y

t h e A index o f t h e AC is s till s h owi n g . You wil l nee d this co n d i tio n- to g i ve an e xcus e f or y our next ac ti ons.
..::.

6. The ri gh t ha nd grasps the right s ide of th e elongated spread ,

th e n turns t h e card s t owa rd s t he sp e cta t or in or d e r t hat he c an see
his se lected c a rd a s i n the Fig . 35 . Ha v i n g s h own t h e selec tion as
be i n g sandwiche d be tween the Blac~Aces ret urn the cards into t h e
l e f t hand .

:.],,
.

]
1
J

'"1

Fi g . 3 S

Fig . 36

7 . You no w seem to notice , f o r the first time , that the AC is not

exposed enough . The ri gh t h a nd r e aches over the out e r e na o f the
AC and pulls it f orward as in t he Fi g . 36 . Remember that the AC had
TIle Red Ace in line w i th it and no w whenyou pull only the AC IOrward
th i s l e a v e s the Re d Ace automat iclly stepped down under the AC.
]
8.
Dur i n g th e time t he right ha n d is i n t h e p o s i t io n as shown i n
th e Fi g. 36 , cove rin g t he o ut er e n d , the l e ft 1 s t finger has perfect
c over t o en g a g e, wi t h i ts .t i p , t he s teppe d d o wn Red Ace a nd t o pul l
it inward until it lin e s up wit h t he se l e c t i o n as sho wn in th e ex po s ed bott om v i e w o f th e Fig . 37 .

J
]
'"1

J'I

..vit. ' -

_ .-

.--...... -

'

. '"- c .._._ ~_ ...... "-.. ~ -~ - - ~

...... - -._ - ~- - - ~- - -~ - .-

299

.~

11
;~

ir
;,

:Ii
. ~,
'H
~t
! t~

i~l
~I

>...,
,t,

Jl
:~
~~

:ii
~,

~t

"r.:

;
"

f..

~
:~

:~

ir
1~

'.

;~

.,.

Fig. 38

Fig. 37

\~

if

"

9. Continue pul l i n g inward s on

the Red' Ace and the selected card
until they more or less line up
with the in jo gg ed AS but not past
it. Thi s brings tne Red Ace and
selection, which are face to f a c e ,
into a d eep Gamb l e r ' s Cop p o s i t i on .
All you hav e to do i s l et the ri ght
side of t h e el onga te d s pread , n e a r
the u pp e r AC, r est a g a i n s t the
l e f t 1 st fInger a s. y ou relax and
lowerthe l e f t 2nd , 3r d, and 4th
fin g ers when t he Red Ace a nd s e, lec te d c ar d will f all into a de e p
Fig . 39
Gambl e,r ' s Co p as s hown in the ex,-posed v iew o f the Fi g . 38 .
10. The r i g ht hand grasps the ri ght side of t h e elongateds p r ead t o
place it to the table whi l e the l e ft hand.ret ains the co pped ca r ds
as shown ln the Fig. 39, the perform er's s ecr et a c t i on . All that remains is to conclud e !lie e f f e c t as a l r e a d y deta iled in the p re v i ou s
method.

iik

VARIATION OF ORIGINAL

II

l~
I~

"

;!

i~; '::
r~

1. ' Th i s is based on my original swi t chou t and i t s strong feat u re

is tha t t he s p ecta to r himse lf p la ces his c ard face do wn betwee n t h e
Aces. Al so t hose familiar wi th the o rig i n a l move , wh e r e t h e card
clicks o f f of the st e p f or a dis p l a c emen t, will be p u z z led since
their c ard is still s e e mi n gl y sa nd wi c h ed betwe e n the t wo Ac e s.

1:

I~

!~

I'i :I
I

l~

it

2. The situat ion will be basi call y t h e s a me a s in th e previous

methods. Th at is you wi l l have a ppaTe n t ly t wo se le c t i on s on t h e
table but actually a fa ce do wn X c ard a nd a f a ce up select ed card.
Assume that the select ed card s are th e 9H and 4D. Th e 9H will h ave
been sccTetly stolen face down to underthe 4 race up Aces which

I'
ii
~

~ ':,.-

~.

~
t

.ft

:lJ

Fig. 39

..L..LJ..1. e \..,;.L

YV J.~ v l.l

\..ou . v

.1\..\,..., \..l.

.l""\..'-~

Cl. JJ.\"..L

.::>\..,; -

, l ected c ar d will fa l l i n t o a de e p
Gamble,r ' s Co p as shown in the ex posed v iew o f the Fi g . 38 .

arc in order o f 2 Red Aces - AC and AS .

. ta ble wi th a f a ce down X card-.-

Th e 4D is face up o n t h e

3.Pr~~ endJto peel off the fac e 2 Red Aces actually taking only on e
whi le the ot h e r Red Ace becomes tEe botto m face u p card o f the pac k et
held in the ri ght hand . One Red Ace is in the pocket. Th e Bl a c k Ace
P a c k e t in the right hand has a fac e up AS -AC, face do wn selec ted ca rd
th e 9Il and a face up Red Ace . This order IS from th e face t o t h e t o p .
4 . With t he lef t hand p e e l o ff the face AS p l us the lowermost Red
Ace as apparently on e card.
To all a ppe a r anc es e ach hand holds a
Bl a c k Ace . The AC has the f ac e down 9H beneath i t.
Ha v e t he spe c ta tor who s e l e c t ea the 4D p la ce his c a r d face do wn onto t h e AS .
Ge t a lef t 4t h fi ngertip-b reak below i t a t t h e lower right co rne r , .
the n r lace t he AC face u p onto t h e cards in t h e l e ft hand .

'\1
.~

]
,.'1
r .

S . Wi~h the right hand sti ll abo ve t h e pac ket the le ft t h umb push e s
over the AC to the ri ght u n t i l ha lf of the wi d t h of a face down c a rd
is cxp o s eif" . Th e right hand grasps the AC p l u s t h o s e c a r d s above th e
b r e a k t o move them .t o t h e r ight thu s forming a sandwich of AS , face
do wn ca rd (s), AC . .Se e Fig. ~ but r i g h t hand is above t h e card s.
6.
The right hand takes t h e spread of cards, from above by the end s,
t h e n turns p al m u p to d ispl ay the f ac e of the 4D. Also the left
fingers pull the 4 D downwards t o fo rm the r e quir ed st e pp ed c ondit ion
of the 4D and the9H above it .
Refer to Fig. 3.l. for this si tuation.
7. The right h a nd t u r n s pa lm down a gaIn and rests th e spr e ad into
the left hand. Th e left fingers now hold onto the AS , plu s i ts
secret Rcd Ace, in a de aling position . The right hand, still hold i ng the AC and th e face down card(s) st arts to move o f f to the ri ght
l et t i n g the lower l eft c o r n e r of t h e f ac e down card(s) to brush
a cross the face o f the AS at i ts l ower right corner . Du r i n g this
act io n yo u wi l l fee l a c l ic k as t h e lower l e f t co rner of t he face
d o wn 2..!:!, whic h i s stepped to the righ t and ' be low the 4D , clicks off
o f t h e low er right c orner of the AS.
Once you feel tliTs has occurr ed
th e left fingers buc kl e, very s ligntly, the Red Ace that is under the
AS . Th i s a ction is shown i n t h e Fig. 40 whi ch is the p erformer's
VIew of the action.
8 . The right hand th en move s b ack
to th e l e f t durin g whi c h ti me t h e
bottom 4D, o f the cards i n the
ri ght h and , i s f ed into the buckl e d
s p a c e . The Fi g. 41 shows the e x posed b ottom viewo f this action.
Your excus e for sep aratin g the
sandwich in the f i rs t place is to
simply s a y , "Rem ember, your card
b etwe e n the two Black Ace s ."
40

9. Now t h o s e who may be fam iliar

wi t h my original sandwi c h d i s pl a c e-

i"

~ _

....... 1_

.~

v,i

]r
'J
J

~- -~ ~ s- - 'r.- - ' ~

s e c rc t 1\CO Ac e , I Ii a o e a i m g p o s i t i on . Th e r i g n t nan c , s t i i r hol<1 ing thc AC and the f ac e d own card(s) st arts to move of f to the ri ght
l et t i n g the r- Lo we r l eft corner of th e f ac e do wn card(s) to bru sh
~

:~

1.
~

- --- - ... ---' ----.... ---

-.

-2 .. .__. . _. .

.. ..

. ...........

-._....

'"

.... _-~.

301
ment will be thrown because your right hand c an take the ~andwich,
[ro m ab 9ve by t he end s , to ag ai n s h ow tha t the 4D is still between
t he fa ~~ do wh c a r d s. The Fig. 42 is wha t a ctua l ly tak es plac e when
the act ion of t he Fi g . 4 1 a bove"""lias be en comp le te d .

}
~

"

F ig .

Fig . 41

10.
Ha ving s ho wn the 4D as sti ll being s andwi che d the s p r e a d i s
rested in the left hana-but with t he ri ght hand s ti l l abo ve it h oldi n g t he end s. Move t h e righ t hand t o t he l e ft in o r de r t h at the
righ t 2nd , 3r d, and 4th fingers extend a c ross the fron t end of the
s p r e a d in order t o conceal the nex t acti ons .

..
"

11. The left fingers e as i l y engage t h e 4D , at i ts right side, be ca use i t is stepped past the 9H , t h e n purr t h e 4D t o t he lef t , un ti l
it is a l i g ne d wi t h the REd Ace-be l ow i t . Th e se-actions a re i den ti cal
to th a t alr e ad y sho wn in the Fi gs. 24 to 25 o f the previou s method.
All tha t remains i s f o r the r ight h an d to~ a k e t h e 3 c a rd sp read a nd
place it to the table while t h e lef t hand cops t h e faced 4D and Red
Ace . Refe r to previous method Fig s . ~
f or identi cal-moves .
F r o~ t h is point o n conc lude t h e effe ct as ftlready outlined to show
the appea rance of the 4D to b etween t wo Re d Ace s whi le t h e 9H , whi ch
was ap pa r e n t ly pl ac e d In th e d e c k, is no w b etwe en t he t wo Black Ac e s .
FULL CIRCL E
Th e effe ct i s the same bu t t h e handling , using my
original a p p r o ach , is simp l er t hu s the reason for the above t i tl e.
1. The two s e l e c t i o n s are mad e a s alrea dy d et ailed wh e re y ou a ppa rently have on e select ed c ard fa ce down a n d on e fac e up on the t able.
The order of the Ace s is 2 Red Ac es, t h e AC a n d AS f r om t h e fa c e to
the to p . Beneat h t h e 4 fa ce u p Ac e s yo u nav e a lic e do wn se le c ted
ca rd, t he 911 in this e xample , which was s ecretly added from the de ck
to u n de r t he Ac es while arra nging the m, in to the r e q u ir e d order ,
ag a inst t he t op o f the d e c k.
.
2.
In this ca se when you peel o ff the Red Ac es you actu a lly do t ake
botll of them and pl ace th em in your left side co at pocket with the

!.

ii
I

j
I

II

Ii
Ii

II

[I

L'i''"

..
.",

to th a t alr e ad y sho wn in the i- i.g s , L4 to 25 o f the previou s method.

All tha t r e ma i n s i s f o r the r ight h an d to~ ak e t h e 3 c ard sp read and
place it to the t a b l e while t h e lef t hand cops t h e f a c e d 4D and Red
Refe r to previous method Fig s . 26
f or i d e n t ic a l -mov e s .
Ac e.
1~

'

.... 1_::'_

,
b2
f ace s t owa rd s t he body . Your ri ght ha nd, whic h hol d s i ts Bla ck Aces
from ab ov e by th e end s, ha s 3 c ar d s which ar e the fa ce up AC-I\.S a nd
a fac e down s e le c ted c ard in-thi s cas e th e 9B.
-: .

4 . Turn a t te n t i on t o the cards in your left hand. You c a n sp r e ad o u t t he s e card s by d e a ling over th e s ing l~ AS, then d o i ng a Si ng le
Bu ck le to move tw o fa ce d own car d s , as a ppar ent ly one c ar d , t o the
ri ght - t o f o rm th e sandw i ch . If yo u p r e f er th e sandwic h c an be f orme d
whI le t Ile ri gh t lland i s hol d ing t he car ds fr om a bov e by t he e nds . In
eit her ca s e make s u r e ' tha t the fa c e AS i s fa r e nough t o t h e r ig ht t o
expose ha l f t he wi dt h of the fac e do\Vll c ard . Ref e r to p r e v i ous
Fi gur e ~ that s ho w a s i mi l a r s itua tio n .

5. Th e r i ght ha nd ta ke s t he spr e ad c ar d s fro m a bove by

s how th e 4D s andw i c h ed betwe e n t wo face d own Aces . The
ti p s pUll~h e 4D d ownward in ord e r to s e c r e t l y f orm t he
st ep b e t we en tne 4D a n d t h e 9B above it . The s e acti on s
pi ctur ed in t h e Fig. 23.

the - ends to
l e ft fin g e rr e qu ir e d
are a s a lrea dy
-

6 . Turn t he ri ght hand p al m down a nd r e st th e sp rea d i n t o t h e l e ft

ha nd . The l e f t ho l d s onto the AC , th i s c ar d is t o th e l e f t, whil e
the ri g h t hand mov e s t o -t he rig11f with i t s AS a nd t he fa c e down
car d (s ) . During th i s mo v emen t to t he righ t~he lo wer lef t COr n er(s)
of t he face d own ca r d ( s) b r u sh a lo ng th e f a ce o f t he AC. This acti on
i s c ont inued un t il yo u fe el t he s t ep cl i ck off o f th e-ro wer l e f t
co r ne r of t he AC. At thi s po int th e upp ermo st fa c e d own ca r d wi l l
ha v e it s l owe r-re f t cor ner s t i l l res t i ng onto t he l owe r ri g h t c orner
o f th e AC . Thi s sta ge is simi la r to tha i .shown in t he Fi g . 40 of
" Va ri atIOn s of Or i ginal" excep t there i s no Bu c kle us ed s i nce i n
thi s c a s e t he AC i s onl y a s i n gle c ard.
7. Onc e the l owerm o s t fa c e down car d , th e 4D, has c l i c ked o f f of
the AC th e ri gh t hand s t a r ts t o move ba c k t oth e l e f t. The 4D wi ll
no w be go ing und er the AC wh i I. e th e f a c e do wn 9B w i Ll. r ema Ln'Tsand wi ched . The Fi g. 41 of- "Va ria ti on s of An Or ig i na l " s hows a s im ila r
ac t ion exc ep t ag a i n t he r e is onl y a s i ng le AC i n th e l eft hand th us
as t he r i ght ha nd c ontinue s i ts ac t i on to t ne l e ft th e 4D c ard will
automa ti c al l y go bel ow th e AC a s in the bo t tom expo s e d n e w o f t he
Fi g . :1:1. .
8 . Continue th e sq uar i ng up a cti on until th e p a c k et i s in th e l e ft
hand a s in t h e Fig . 44 . You r ex cu s e f o r t he sepa r at i on of t he c a rd s
i s as before of s i mp ly s ay ing , " Remembe r , you r c ard i s betwe en th e
Bl a c k Ace s . " Th e l e f t ha nd a lo ne now hol d s the pack e t .
9. The ri ght hand t a ke s th e ca r d s f r om t he l ef t ha nd by t he inn e r
r i g h t corner with thumb on t op a nd 1st a nd 2nd bene ath . Extend y ou r

...,1

]
J~

]
]
]

]
)

J
]

II'..i

' --- _.__.

.,

:i

.:i:..

, 11
,

- - -- - - - -_._. .- - ,-- _ .. "- - - I

a ......

I'

303

...

Fig . 45

I )

Fig . 46

rig ht hand with t h e pa cket a s you a sk .a s p ec t ator to hold ou t his

hand . Regardless of which ha nd he ext e nd s you put t he ca r d s back
i nt o yo ur l ef t hand . Aga i n e x tend your ri ght ha nd th i s t i me with
the pal m up a nd fin ge rs ex tended as y ou say, " Hold your palm up "'
like this." The right hand ag ain takes the packet by its lower right
corner but t hi s tim e the lef t f i ng e r s buckl e the bottom c ard, a s i n
the Fi g. 4S i n re a d iness f or t h e Gamb l er's Co p. With a f oll ow t hro ug h
the ri gnt-na nd remo ves the card s f rom t he left ha nd and a t once s pr e ad s
t hem out while t he lef t hand , wi th i t s c opp e d card , as in the Fig . 46 ,
c an drop to the si de. The ri gh t ha nd p l a c e s it s s p r ea d ou t sa nd wicnc ards onto the sp ectator's palm up hand as king him to pl ace his othe r
palm down ove r the~.
.
lO ~
The l eft hand goes to the side coat pocket to r emove the t wo Red
Aces and while ther e just a dd t he palmed c ar d onto t h e b ac k of t he
Red Aces. Whe n t he l e f t hand br i ngs ou t t he Red Aces, whi c h wi l l be
[ a c e up i n t he le ft hand , the righ t hand tr an s fers the face Ace to
under the pac ket a s if to just s ho w t he two Red Ac e s . You no w hav e
the face do wn 4D sandwiched betwe en th e t wo fa c e up Red Aces . Go
int o the 'D 'Am ico Spread sequenc e to show both sides o f the Aces and
t he n hav e t he 4D card appe ar be t we en them . Conclud e by hav ing th e
spectator loo kat the Bl ac k Aces a nd the card he holds whe re h e f i nds
the 911 which was se emingl y plac e d into the deck at the very beg inning.

Fi g. 45

Fi g. 46

ri ght ha nd with t he pa cke t a s yo u ask . a spec t ator t o hol d ou t his

DIRECT STATEMENTS VS . INTERROGATION

It is t he pu rp ose he re to ma ke cl ear t he d i f fere nc e
b etwe e n int errogation, as k i n g a quest ion, or mak ing a sta t ement.
I n a bo okl e t on The Pa ra llel Pr i nc i pl e, wh i c h should evoke some k in ~
of r e s ponse f r o~ Harry Lor a yne, t h e chro nic Ed it or o f the fo rmer
Pallbe ar ers and no w t he Inte rlocutor, i n this c ase a middleman pl a y i ng bot!l si de s ag a i ns t each oth er, con tinu e s di spensing mi s -informa tio n e ither <.l el i ber a t el y or becau se he do esn ':t know any better.
After all whe n he c a n ' t te ll the d i ff er ence be t ween a "Stop" eff ect,
in whi ch t he s p ect ato r has a cho ic e of de ali n g c ar ds and st oppin g
whene v er he c hoos es, wi t h a restr icte d " betwee n one a nd ten" numb e r
cho ice one must co nc l ude h im to be a co ~ plet e id i ot . _
. ,

, ~I

.
~he foll owing are some o f the qu otes fr6m th i
" Pa r all el Principle ". On pag e 17 of the bookl et , para graph 2 , is
this, . "You arr i ve at it by a s impl e in t erroga tion proces s .' This
pro ccss is ol<.l a nd I don't kno w who i nve n te d i t . I do kno w that i t
. app ear ed i n c ar dici a n- t yp e a r t i cle s where cre d i t is always c are f u ll y
' esta b lis hed' and h istory al way s carefully i gno r ed, but a s to t he
fir s t appear anc e in pr i n t , I do n' t kno w th e so urce." Ag a i.n on pa ge 1 8:'
the 3rd para g r a ph , i s this, "You a l ways a sk just three .questions a nd- j
the fi rst t wo ar e .always , " Odd ?" and " Red ?" . .
.- _. ;
.
.
.

<

"

Now I dou bt i f any c ardici an in his r i ght s enses

ever cl a i med to have ori gi na t e d th e "in terr oga t i on p r .o c e s s " and a I so
do c s no t know i ts or igina l sour ce . The underl ini ng of ' t he word " a s k"
is mine so t ha t t he reade r c a n fully appre ciate. the difference in t he J
f o llow ing quote f rom the " Ca r dici a n", 1 953, on Page 1 37, pa rgraph B
in which I hav e, for emphas is he r e, und e rlined the wo r d s "not a
qu e s t i on " and "a statement". Her e is th e quot e, "Addr e s s the sp ectator and say, "Th i s i s no t a que sti on, but a s ta teme n t . Your c a r d
i s a Red ca r d . " The sp e ctator will a cknowle dge t h is. Wi thou t stopping s a y , " And fu rthermore i t is a Hea rt" , nami ng t he suit of t he card that i s sti l l in t h e pack. Shoul d t he s p e~t a t o r ac kn OWl edg e th is
st at emen t y ou fi nis h by say i n g, "It was the Eigh t o f Hearts " , t hen
repl ace the c ar d in yo ur ha nd into t he pac ke t wi t hout s ho wi n g it.

paragr~ph

.
The next few sentences , in t he same
ha v e
]
on e error and i s not a s. I or iginal ly me a n t it to be; howeve r , it wi l l
be quoted verb atim in ord er to emph asi ze wha t I intended and i t s
,
d Lf' Eer c nc e . Here is the quot e: " On t he ot he r hand , shou ld th e s econd ]
stat eme n t be denie d , you a c t surp r is e d a nd a sk : "Wha t was your ca r d ?" -'"
In t h i s ca s e, he wou ld name t he Ten of Di amo nd s. Very slowly tur n
ov er th e card i n yo ur hand. I t app ears a s i f you kne w his card all
t he t i me an<.l we re only pUlling his leg."
.

]1

As mentioned above the error is in asking for the

nu mo of the c ard. The word s s ho u ld have be en, " Name yo ur c a r d."
As you c an see this i s not a qu estion but a r equ e s t. Als o , when
s howi.ng t he fa c e of t he name d c ar d I add , " I though t s o." Ask ing a
llue s t i on i s habitual ev en amon g se as oned ment alis t s . For examp le ,
WhCll doing thc standard Br ain- Wave deck, where all the wor k has be en
donc f or t hcm, t h ey s til l as.!., "Wh a t c a r d di d you t hi nk o f '" , in st ead

'1 -

-.

&.

-... . . . . . . . .

'1. '-' -

_ _

-.J

J
]

-.Jl -' - -

a t or and say, "Th i s i s no t a que stion, but a st at ement . Your card

i s a Red ca r d . " The s pecta t or will ac kno wl edge t h is. Wi thou t stopping s a y, " And f urthermore it is a Hea r t " , nami ng the suit of t he card that i s sti l l i n t h e pack . Shou ld th e s p e ctator a cknowle d ge th is
t

..

.) .. ...- . .. ,.

..

3 05

o f perhaps so mething like , "F or the fir s t t ime, revea l your thought s
to t he r e s t ' o f the audience a s I already know them ."
,
In 'a n effort t o show t he d i f f er ence be twee n "Interro ga tio n a nd Dire c t St a t emen ts " t he f ol l owing menta l effe c t with c ar ds,
wh i c h ha d been dev e lo p e d by mysel f and kep t sec r et f or man y y ear s ,
'ena bl e s a me ntali st t o r evea l a ment all y se l e ct ed po s s i b i lity , fr om
among six c a r d s, wi thout as k ing a single qu e st io n and mak i ng onl y on e
d ir ect stateme n t .
DIRECT STATEMENT MENTAL DISCLOSURE
ErFECT: A spectator thinks of a c a r d . the mentalist makes one direct
stateme nt and reve a ls th e men t a l ly chosen card.
1 . On top of the dec k have six c ards in a kno wn order. This c an be
u sing your favorite mem ory system, the Si-?tebb in, or the Ei ght-Kings
do gge r a l. Assume the Eight-Kings arrangement is used. Not paying
any attention to s uits or col or remove six ca r ds c on s i s t i n g of the
8- K-3-l 0- 2- 7 va lues. Arra ng e t he s e c a r d s, f r om the to p down, in the
f ol l owing or der of 10- 2 - 7- 8 -K- 3. Place t he se on top of t he deck and
p la ce t he cards into the c a rd case un ti l r e a dy f or p erfo rmanc e .
2 . Remove the c a r ds f r om the card case . Table the de ck and give it
three Ri f fle Shuffles a dd i ng an X c ard, on t o the six ca r d set-up, Hi t h
each shuffle.
(See No t e A at end.) This is a convincing a nd trouble
free shuf f l e procedure. 3. Plac e the deck f ac e do wn into t he left hand dealing position.
Thumb over t he top c ard a nd take it wi t h the ri ght hand, t hum b on to p,
finger beneath, at t he lower ri gh t corner. Rais e t he r i ght hand , to
flash the fa c e of this card , th en lower t he ri ght hand to t a ke the
next t op card t o under and flush with the f irst card in the right hand.
Flash t he f ace of this card. Repeat thi~ procedure with the third
c ard . What you a r e doing i s the open i ng action and patter of the
"Stre aml in ed Di s cernment " fr om tr pa s t e bo ar d Presto tr , 1938. In ot her
words t he firs t thr e e car d s a re flas hed fa irly qu i c kl y du r i ng t he
pa tt e r line of, "I ' m going t o show you some cards, like this , and I
wan t yo u t o think of anyone of them. Am I going t oo f as t ? I will go
ve r y slowly and you th ink of anyone of these cards."
4. By the time you have fini shed the above patter the first card o f
your ai rangement , the 10 value card, has been t aken flush under the
three cards you had f la s he d . Since the s pectato r hasn't re ally discerned the f i r s t thre e cards he now can't think of them except fro m
those you now show him very slowly.
5 . , I n taking each of the next cards you take them one under the o t he r
a s be fo r e except now you more or less have them spread ou t s o that .
ea ch previ ous c a r d can sti ll be seen as you add the l i ne, " Th i nk of
anyone of t he s e, take yo u r time and c ha nge y our mi nd , if y ou wis h , t o
any other o f these c a rd s."
6.

Af t e r you hav e t a ken t he s i xt h c a r d, of your setup , to show it

3.
Plac e the dec k fa ce do wn lnto t he le tt hand deallng posltlon.
Thumb ov er t he top c ard a nd take it wi t h the ri ght hand, t hum b on to p,
finger be neath, at t he lower ri gh t corner. Rais e t he ri ght hand , to
f lash t he fac e of thi s c ar d. th e n lower t he riQ h t hand t o take t he

"' -

]
l o wer th e r i ght an d say, " Ke e p th i n ki n g of yo ur .c a r d
If h e ha s
mad e a mental choice h e wi l l not say anyt h ing a t th i s point.
On th e
ot her hund if he te l l s you t h a t he has not th o ught o f a c ard as yet,
t hen simply raise th e right hand, showin g him th e fann ed or s p rea d
faces of the si x car d s as you add , " I sa i d take y o u r time . Ju st
t h i n k of anyon e .you l ike . " I n eithe r case h e wi l l h a v e t h o u gh t o f
one of yo ur s ix cards.
v

"

7.
In r e t u rn i h g th e s t ill spr ead or fanne d c ards to the t 6p o f t h e
d e c k i t wil l be fo und an eas y matt er to obta in a l e f t 4 th finge rtip
b r e a k be low th e t op 3X cards.
Und ercut half th e de ck ~the top
maintaining t h e brea~below the ori ginal top 3X cards . Place the
d e c k behind y o u r back or below the tab le, i f seated at such, then cut
tll e deck at t h e .b r e a k to b r i n g yo ur s ix possib ilities t o the t op .
(S e e Note !.3-)
8.
Be h i n d your b ack or un d er t h e ta b le t h e top 3 card s a r e t humb e d
o v er , wit h ou t r eversin g t h e i r ord e r, then t h e c e~tr al c ard of t h e s e
thr e e i s tuin e d face up . Plac e th e s e 3 ca r ds to the b ott om of th e
deck.
Re p eat t humbi n g ove r th e nex t top thr e e card s an d turning
t h e central c ar d fac e up .
In sert th es e 3 cards into the c enter of
th e d e c k but obt ain a l ef t 4 t h f i ng e r t i p- b r e ak b e low them.
Br iefl y ,
th e ri g h t ha n d ins ert s t he "3Card s , a s a b l ock , i n t o the o ut er e n d
of t h e deck.
Th e l e f t t humli p u l ls do wn the out er l e f t corner t o
c reate th e opening .
Inse rt the 3 c ard s fo r h alf t h e i r len gt h but
side-jo g g ed, f o r ha lf the ir wi d t h , to th e ri ght . Th e ri ght hand
o mes over the d eck t o p ush the 3 o u t - jogge d ca rds inward.
Thi s
'a c t i on of pushin g strai ght i n retains th e s ide- j o g . The l e f t fin g e rs
p US!1 up wa r d on th e r i g h t side of th e 3 si de- jo g ged cards and as b o th
h an d s square t h e deck th e l e ft 4th f iiig e r t i p ge ts a br e ak bel ow t h e
c a rd s .
9.
Th e above Di stribution Ac t i o ns ta ke o n ly s ec o n d s . Th e order of
you r ca rd s i s now i n the pro p er Eigh t - Ki ng seq u ence . The c entral 3
c ard s , fro m to p do wn , a r e t he 8 -K -3 valu e s. wi th th e K f a c e up.
On
th e bott om o f th e d e c k the three- cards , from the top-do wn, are in
1 0- 2-7 o rder wi th the 2 va lue fac e up . You onl y n e e d to know t h e
v al u es of ea c h ca r d i n-the dog g e r e l . The spectator will s upp ly the
actu al n ame o f t he c a r d.
'

1 0 . Brin g the de c k f o rwa rd holdin g i t in t he l e f t h and d e a l i n g

po s i t i o n . You' a r e a bout t o g o ln to you r o ne di r ect s ta t ement . Th i s
d i r e c t s t a t e men t is i mp ortant sinc e i t d o esn't s eem to leave y ou a ny
a lter nativ es and yet s u r p ri s i ng ly it doe s to even gr e ater e ff e c t .
Lo o k at i lle specta tor remind ing him t ha t h e ha s thou g ht of o n e card
out o f fift y - two d iffere n t c ards . Now make your Di r ect St a t emen t
of, "I ha v e r e v e r s ed o n e card i n th e d e c k and th at c ard i s rig ht
n e x t t o th e c a r d y o u a r e th i n k i n g o f.
Not f i ve o r si x card s away
f r om it but r i g h t ne xt t o it . " At th is po i n t d o not as k the q u es tion
" Wh a t i s yo u r ca r d~ I n s t ea d y o u say , " Fo r the fIrSt ti me n ame y o u r
t ho ught of c a r d. "
1 1 . TIle cllanccs o f th e spe ctato r ' s card b e i ng r i g h t n ext to a r e ver s ed car d ar c g r e at e r th a n i t
b eing one o f th e tw o fa ce u p car d s;

~.

]
]
1,11

]
1

.A

.~

II

:,

'.1

]
]
;]
~l

)
]
:]

-]

J
,

,I

.,

..

_ --". , .-

-~

... ". ~~ :-....-. ..~~ . . ... _--_..__..

307

therefore, we )ViII deal with this first.

If the card named is an
8 or 3, then it is in the center of the deck next to a f ~ce up card.
ITeleaie your break, then lo wer your left thand to the table. The left
thumb now pushes or spreads the ca rds, out on th e table, from your
right and moving to the left. As your left hand re aches the end of
the . spre ad do a Block Pushoff to hide the face up card at this end.
With the ~prea~ out cards on the t able remo ve the fa c e up c ard plus
the face do wn car d that corresponds to the one he named. Turn th e
face do wn card face up to reveal his thou ght of card. Should one of
tlle bottom cards, the 10 or 7, be named simply cut the deck at the
brea k, then proceed tospreaa out the deck f a c e s down as describ ed.
Remove the fa c e up card plus the correct face do wn card and reveal
it .as the one he thought of. In either case you have fulfilled
.
your direct statement of your face up card being right next to the
one the spectator has on his mind.
.

~.,
;

12. Suppos e that after makin g your direct stat ement th e sp ectat or
names on e of the c ards you alre ady have face up. I use a cryptic
line that g i ve s t h e impre ss ion you kn ew the sp ectato r 's tho ught r i ght
a lo ng. Shou ld he n ame t he K, whi c h is th e fac e up c a rd in the center
of the deck, you r el eas e the br e a k a nd do th e .s p r ea d i n g of t h e dec k
on the t abl e a s de s cri be d or be t wee n bot h hands i f working away fr om
a table. Shoul d he name the fa ce up card that is , a t the bottom of
. the dec k, the 2 , cut t he deck at the br ea k a nd reveal the fa c e up
c ard as sugge st e d. The cr ypti c l i n e , a f te r the sp ec t ator has n ame d
the c ard, i s to loo k a t him and say, Il You don 't un de r s t a nd, t hat i s
th e c ar d I rev e rs e d," as you sp r e a d to t he cor r e ct fa ce up card.
No t i c e that not onc e i s a que st i on asked a nd yet you very eff i c ientlydisclose on e o f 6 choices i n a m6s t d i re c t mann er. I wonder what
qu e s t io n s h i s t or y wl i l ask or to pa raphase Be r nard Shaw, "Wi ll t h e
chronic editors' history tell lies a s usual."
NOTE A:

Origin ally I had the 9 ca r ds on th e bottom b elow a cr i mp ed

This p ermit ted f re e shuf f ling of th ose c ard s a bove t he cr i mp e d
c ard. The spect ator then cut the deck and compl et ed it which brought
the required card s to the center. Now th e deck was spr e ad f ace down
between both hands as you said, "I'm going 't o show you s ome card s
from the dec k a nd I wan t you t o t hink of anyon e of them." By th is
time you have re ached the crimp and no w r ais e the hands. At th e s am e
tim e the c ards o f the ri ght hand sp rea d are more or les s s qu ared,
plus the f our c ard s tha t we re b elo w th e br eak ar e qu i ckly thumbe d
over, onto-the f ace of th e ri gh t hand pa c ket, s qu arel y onto eac h
other. Whe n t he 4 t h t a ken card, whi c h is the fi rst c ar d of your
arrang ement, cov ers-the fa ce of t he c a r ds i n t h e r i ght hand y ou stop
a nd then, using t he s ugges ted pa t ter line, show hi m the n ext 5 c a rds
ver y . s l owly be i ng sur e t o. l eav e t hes e fanne d or s pr ead t o' s how t he
faces or index e s of the s ix po ssibilit ies. Onc e a card has been
thought of the deck is very op enly squar ed and . tabled. s o that all
seems out of your control. Cut at the crimp and Ri f fle Shu ffl e to
bring the crimp to t he bottom a n d th e original 9 card s to the top.
Behind your back los e the top 3X cards to the bottom, then handle t he
remaining six c ard set-up as outlined.
c a~

NOTE B: At Step 7 of "Direct Statement Mental Disclosure" you can

get pretty sophisticated in your handling. You can return the 9

..",

NOTE A:
c a~

. _ .. . ..., - .....-... l -,.

.- . "-.-..,- .-.-- - -... . . ~

-~ .

-.. . . .... -

' ~"

~. t "" ~

.- ....

.- . ;... ;;-- ; ..r: ... . -- . .. -:"'

~,

.~ ~. ~~ "' ~

.--.......-.....--.. .,.. _...... - ........,... _ aN._.,,,

Ori gina ll y I had th e 9 car ds on th e bottom b el ow a cr i mp ed

Thi s perm i tted f ree s huf f li ng of th os e c ard s above the cr i mp e d

~t

f
1

,,

..

.. _._

-..-

..

~. -

,
~ .. _..... _ ..... .. :.... : ~.;"-.:.~_ . _~~ ...._ '"- .,..-..... ~ __ ... ~.~ ~,...._

~ .. ~

__. ._. __ ....

._ , _

. .. _ .... ..1.1
.

}]
cards to the top of the deck and hold no breaks. Table the deck fo r
a Rjffle Shuffle. Undercut the bottom half to the right. Now do a
Block Transfer Riffle Shuffle of the top 3X cards, of the left hand
s cc t i on, using ei ther a Strip-Out Shuffle-,-a Push Thru Shuffle, or
a Shank Shuffle. The second shuffle is a fair one except to keep the
, 6 card set-up on top. This combination of two shuffles is excellent
Tram the stand point that if the undercut is made as if it is the
top half being used, then it appears as if the top cards during each
STiUffle are being lost. One method, to give the lilusion of the top
h~lf being taken, is to undercut half the deck to the right but slipping the top card along with the bottom portion, i~e., a Slip Cut.
On the first shuffle, which is either a Strip-Out, Pull-Thru, or a
Shank, you will do ohly a Block Transfer of 2 cards from left portion to the right. If you donlt want to do any false shuffles and
still lose the top 3X cards, then simply get a break, with left
thumb at inner s i de Tiie a r the left corner, under the 3Xcards. lin th
right hand pullout half those cards that are below the bre ak, just
as if 'Stirting a Zarrow Shuffle, except now with the 6 cards on top
of the right hand section give it a fair shuffle but retting the 6
cards of the right hand portion 'fall last. In any case you can now
proceed with the distribution of the six possibilities as already
described.

'\"

i:"..'

"-~

,J

)1
<1
'<~

.II

;J'
rCl

'~.~'

,]

~I

(J I
<~

, 'J
"'.....

]
"

<,

J'
'\

,'<1
.,.

309

SIGNED CARD TO

M~TCHB OX

EFFECT: -: . A fr:-eely s el ec ted a nd si gn ed card app ea rs i n a mini a ture

ma t chb ox.
. The above eff ect is a cl a s sic one that is rem embe r ed
by the spec t ato r s bec a u se it i s easil y r e-de scr ibed to another pe rs on
some t h i ng along the line of, " Di d I se e a good tr i ck. This magician
made any c a r d app ear in a mat chb ox . " Any o t her details s uc h as tha t
the card was s i gned, r eturned. to the deck, s huf fle d by the sp ec t a t or
and that th e ma tc hb ox was i n f u l l v iew at all t i mes usu all y ar e
bro ught out i n t he fur the r discus si on of t he e f f ect. The impor t an t
thi ng i s he r emembers the s i mpl e pl ot and ca n s t ate i t i n a fe w word s
~o c apture t he i nterest of the listener.

.~

The re have be e n many me t hods devi sed to get the c a rd

in t o t he matchbox . A method in on e of t he Frank Chapma n books co ns is t ed in f olding the se le cted card in t he ac t of p alm i ng i t o f f the
bottom of the dec k, compl eting the .f ol d on the way to th e pockcit
wher e t he no w f olded c a rd was load ed in to th e p a rti all y opened dr a wer
o f t he ma tchbox , t hen c l os ed as t he hand op en l y r emoved t he c l os e d
mat chbox f rom the p ocket . Mat t Schulien , a l wa y s us i n g the dire ct
approac h, load ed the ma t c hb ox r i gh t out i n f r on t whi l e remo v i n g a
match f or the pu r pos e of li ghtin g s omeone's cigar o r ci gare tt e.
Today t he Schulien boy s , usin g t he same d i r e c t approa ch , lo a d a mat c h
pack u s i ng the same mi s d i re c ti on o f lighting s omeone ' s cigarette .
There have be en a lso methods us ing dupli c at e matchboxes in which the
empty match box t ha t was in full vi ew wa s swi tch e d for the one th a t
now was secretly loaded . ' Amo ng the be tter on e s i n this li n e was one
by Tony Gor gio and pu bli s hed in the GE NII maga zine .
The me t ho d th at foll ows i s one I devi s ed a nd i s rad i cally d i f fer en t from any ofiliose me nti one d. It us e s only one matchbox
wlli ch i s i n full view a t all t i me s and t he box is handle d wi th on e
ha nd on l y to lo ad t he c a r d.
1 . Required is a min i-ma tchbo x of th e type found u suall y in t he
bet t e r resta uran ts. I f you are a smoke r you hav e the re qui red ex c u se f or ha nd ling th e matchbox or even having one . On t he other hand
is you do any effe ct in whi c h matches a re nece s s a r y, even so me match
puzzle, you also have a r eas on for c arrying the matchbo x around. The
matchbox sh ould be no more than hal f f ull or ev en l e ss i f des ire d .
2. Assumi ng yo u hav e been using the ma t c he s f or one re as on or another,
there will come th e . time when you mus t s ecr etly remo ve the drawe r o f
tlle mat chb ox a nd keep i t i n y our l ap. This ca n be don e in ma ny wa ys
at a so calle d oppor t une mo ment ; howev er , a v ery s i mpl e and s p ec i f ic
me t hod i s as f oll o w~ : The l e f t hand hold s th e sides , o f t he t a bl e d
matchbo x, wi th t humb on t he inne r s i de a nd 2nd fi nger on t he out e r
side at the le ft end. The le ft 1 st fi nge r tip i s touchin g the dr awer
of the matc hb ox on the l e f t e nd . ------rhe ri ght ha nd , f inger s p ointing
to t he left and palm do wnwa rds , mo ves t o ov e r t h e box a nd f a r enough
so th at the r igh t f i nge r s wi ll co ver t he l e f t 1 st finger tip . Un der cover of the right hand th e l eft 1st fin ger pu s hes the matchbo x
dr awe r s o it mo ves to the ri ght as-Ia r as possi ble. You ma y have to

The me t ho d that foll ows i s one I devis ed a nd i s ra d i ca lly d i f fer en t from any ofiliose me nti one d. It us e s only on e matchbox
wlli ch i s i n full view a t al l t i me s and t he box is handle d wi th on e
ha nd onl y to lo ad t he c a r d.

,fi

- -_ .

-J
rais e the l e ft end of th e bo x in orde r f o r t he loft 1s t f inger t o
mov e i nt o the sl e e ve o f the bo x fa r enou gh to pus h t "Fi"Cdra we r o f th e
box unt i l i t s r ight end con t ac ts t he r i ght palm , At th i s po in t the
palm of right ha nd c an edge pa lm t he 'r'i gh t end o f the d r awc r . Next ,
the right hand moves back to the right, c a r r y .i ng the mn t c hhcx d r n wc r
with it, as the matchbox cover comes into view again. At this s t ugc
the right hand has the matchbo x drawer idge palmed as in the Fig. 1,
an expos ed v i ew) wi t h t h e le ft hand still holdin g the le f t end of
the match box s le eve and th e si de s fa cing the audie nc e and t he per f o rme r . Thcis e actio ns a r e no t part o f the e f fect but a re done while
patteri ng or di recting' atten tion t o a spect ator for one reason or
another such as having him shuffle the deck of cards. The right
hand with its palmed matchbox drawer casually drops into the lap
wher e the right hand le a ves the draw e r , mouth up , in t he l ap. The
matc hbo x sti l l has a normal app earance "fr om the f r on t and no on e
wil l -no t ice t hat the d r a wer i s mi s s i ng esp ec i all y sinc e th e box has
nev er l eft t he sight o ~ the a ud ie nce .

Fig . 1

)
}

Fig. 2

3. With everything s e t a s requ ired y ou a re now r e ady to do the

eff ect. The matchbo x sl ee ve is in front of y ou to you r ri ght and
rem ains i n vi ew. From the deck have a c ard s e lec te d and sign ed on
the fa ce . Ha v e it r e t urned to t he c e n t er of the dec k, th en con t r ol
it v ia under th e spread using the t echnique expla ined elsewhere in
t hi s v ol ume. I n a f ollow up s ide-squaring a c t ion-the bottom c a r d is
lapp ed using th e Sc re ening Ac tion . The deck is ,~ow handed to t he
spectator, As you s ay , "Shu ffl e t he c ards, " r.bo t h hand s r a i s e sl i ght ly "and indic a te a n Overhand Shuff l e . Now r elax l ettin g both hand s
casuall y dr op to your l a p.

,)

4. I n you r l a p both hands qui ckly be nd t he card in half lengthwise

fo l lo wed by bending t he left ends ov e r t o mee t t he r i ght ends . At
once the righ t fin gers pre ss the f ol de d c ard fla t into th e mat chbox
cover so that the open end s of the card a r e to the ri ght and th e
clos ed end s to t he le ft. The Fi g. 2 sho ws how th e ri ght end o f t h e
card wou ld pop up if t he ri gh t hand is moved away f r om i t .

S. While t he r ight hand is pu t ting t he folded c a r d into t he mat c hbox ,)

drawer th e l eft hand is moved up to th e t able. Next) the r i ght hand ~
palms the matchbox draw er by simply clippin g the ends of th e dr awer

J
Fig . 1

Fi g. 2

3. Wi th eve ryth ing s e t a s re qu ired y ou ar e no w r e ady to do the

effect. The matchbo x sl eeve i s in front of y ou to you r ri ght a nd

""
~

311

between the ball of the thumb and the side of the 4th finger. The
inner side of the dr awe r is along the base of the fingers a s shown
in the palm up view of the right hand in the Fig. 3.
.r

I).

I
I

1,1

II i~

. \1

i"~

'~

Iit~I

Fig . . 3

- Fig. 4

<~

I
~'

:~

:f

: ~1

I i.
I

J
:i,

it

;~

Tu-

r
i
'"

iI
t

;,

~.

'.

6. , The palm position of the

drawer is obtained while in the
lap. The right hand now comes up
to rest palm down on the table
and near the matchbox drawer. By
this time you have also instructed
the spectator to table the deck and
are about to tell him to cut the
deck. As he goes to cut the deck
your right hand moves towards the
rna tchbox cover in an outward angle
so that the drawer's inner' left
corner starts to feed into the
.' Fig ~ 5
"ma t c h box &leeve first. The right
thumb is,-extended in order that it
may contact the left end of the matchbox sle ev e in order to keep it in
. place. At this ~tage the Fig ~ 4 show~ whai the spectator may be seeing
if he i~ even looking. The Fig~ 5 shows what is transpiring ~nder the
right hand at this point.
'

k'
~

i
[:
/'

r.

7
Cardi cf an 's
Club

;
}"

r-

" Fig.

.r,,.

Fig. 7

---- - " _ ..... --

_:... . . . . T.

_.a.'

.,.J

.J..lLl1.t:::I"

..Lv.L L.

, c or ne r starts to feed into the

"ma t c h box &leeve first. The right
thumh i S .- 'pxtpnnpn in n-rrl"'''' +"h.,+ ~-1-

l1 2

7 . The r i g h t 1s t finger n ow c u rls i nward , as in t h e Fig . ~ , to

pres s again s t tne d r a we r a nd the sl e e v e at t h e i r ou ter a ngles where
the y mee t . .I Thi s c a u ses bo th the s l e ev e and drawer to st rai g hte n out
as in the Fi g. 7 wit h the r ight h and omitted.
Note t ha t at this
stage the draw e is alre ady started into the s l e e v e .
,

8. The ri ght t humb no ~ pr e s se s th e ma t c h bo x s le eve t oward s the

ri g h t c a u s i ng it to t eles cope over the 'ma t c h b o x dr a wer . The l:ig . 8
sho ws how th i s a c t i on a p p e ar s wi th the righ t hand sti ll o v e r t h e
matchbo x whi le the Fi g . 9 shows an expo s ed v i e w of th e situ ation.
Note that the loaded cara, which may still hav e a t endency to pop
up at its free right ends, is automatically f or c e d down as the
matchbox sl eeve and d r a wer tele sco p e into e a c h ot h er. Now y ou k no w
why it is i mpor tan t tha t t he folde d card s hou l d be loaded wit h i t s
clos ~ d e n d s t o t he l eft, if you are usi n g t h e ri ght hand to l oad th e
matchbo x dr a we r.

Card; ci an' s
. Club

.)
Fi g . 8

,'-<'

Fi g. 9

9 . Jus t as you reach the stage s hown in the Fig . 8 the specta tor will
h a v e cut the deck and you will be s a ying, "Let 's just mark the cu t. l I
Also th e sp e c tato r by th i s time wi l l be loo k ing at y ou r hand wh i le
it is at the st age o f th e Fig. 8. To all 'app e ar anc e s y our r ig h t ha nd
no w picks u p t h e mat chbox . Th e-ri g h t thumb c ompl e t e s the t e l e sc op i n g
a c ti on as the as sembled matchbox i s now t rapped between the ba ll of
t he t humb and the s i d e o f the ri gh t 4th finger . Thus the spectator 's
view i s n ow o n l y t h e ba ck of ri g h t hand bu t the posi t ion o f the .
matchbox is similar t o that sho wn i n the Fig. 3 . Wi t h ou t he sita t i on
the right hand move s f o r wa r d to deposit the mafchbox onto the top of
the Lowe r p o r t i o n o f the d eck just a s you r e ach the wo r d s , " ma r k the
cut. 1-'

"'

'~

~~

.1

1 0; , The righ t hand , having d e p o s i t e 6 t h e matchb ox on t o t h e lowe r

po rti on o f the cut d eck, turn s p al m up and g e stur e s to wards the or iginal top portion o f the deck as you say, "Place that half on top of
the matchbox. 1I The r i g h t hand g e s t u r e is made to indir ectly convey
that no switc h h a s taken p l a ce o f the mat c hbox i n the e vent that
so meo n e i n y our a u d i e nc e may suspect or b e awar e of suc h a p r oc e du r e .

11. With the match b ox b etween th e halv e s of t h e d eck t ell the

spectator that you will c aus e his c ard to app e ar right wher e he cut;

. 1
~

.1:-

9 . Jus t as you r e a c h the s tage s hown in the Fig . 8 the specta to r will ~
h a v e c ut the de ck and you wil l be s a y i n g, "Let 's just mark the cu t. l I
Also th e sp e c tato r by th i s tim e wi l l be l ~ ok ing at y ou r h and wh i le

iI

jl

>'1 1-'- .--- .- - -- -' - -,- - - ..~

#-.. . .. ... - _

_ .

" ._. _ . :

. _.

~:J

313

I~

;r

" 1
I

li.
"

.'

however, you 'will give him a choice and that is you will make his
c a r d appear on the top of the lower half of cards or on the bottom
o [ the upper hal f of cards. It doesn't make a ny d i I f or c nc c wh i c h Ill'
choos es but' f or t he sa ke of co mpletene ss as s um e he choos e s his c a r d
to app ear on the bot t om of t he upper ha l f . Snap you r finge r s over
the deck s andwic h, t hen t ell him to look. ' He wi ll natur a l l y ta ke
orf the top por t i on of t he cards t o look at th e bottom c ard. His
card i s not there but you insist that you did what he asked for .
-Te l l hi~ to replace his cards bac k onto the matchbox. Tell him that
his ,c a r d is now on the bottom of the u pp ~r half. After only a bit
of misunderstandi n g you po int out tha t t he mat c hbox is on the bottom
o f the upp er hal f. Conc lude t he eff ect by le tt ing hi m op en a nd l ook
into the ma t chb ox whe r e he fi nds his s igned card.
12 ~ , Some final bi ts of advice will further aid in getting things
to work out smoothly for you. First--if you find it too tricky to
do the steal of th e matchbox drawer while it is held clos e to th e
table, then just have the matchbox off the t able an d sb rt of handling it idl y be tween bo t h ha nd s . The left hand holds t he l eft end
o f the box, by its s i de, wi t h t he le f t thumb on t he i nn e r sid e and
the l e f t 2nd fi nger on the ou t er s i de. The right fi ngers a nd thumb
sort o f gl ide a l ong t he s i des o f the box. At so me po int the r i gh t
hand moves to the lef t and co mpl et ely screens the bo x. At this
stage the position of both hands, from the f r on t , is as in the
Fig. 10 .

.-----==------

.,

;;l

. Fig. 10

11

13. Wit h t he han ds i n po s itio n of t he Fig. 10 th e l eft 1st finge r ,

which ha s been cur l ed on t he to p of t he mat chb ox near t he-Ie f t end ,
push es the drawer to t he r i ght until the ri gh t end of t he drawer can
be edge pa lmed in the ri ght pa l m. Thi s act io n i s expo sed and shown
in the Fig ~ 11 where the left 1st fin ge r has pushed the 'dr awe r to th e
right.
I

--

14. Once the r i ght hand has t he drawer ed ge ~ a l m ed , a s already

sho wn ill t he Fig . 1 , the lef t hand moves to the l e f t and dep osits
the ma tc hbox sleeve t o t he t a ble wh ile the r i ght han d c as uall y moves
down to t he l a p where you le av e the ma t chbox drawer in t he lap.
From here you are al l s e t to go into th e eff ect at any ti me.
15.

Regarding the actual loading of the drawer into the matchbox

( }

CI

{l

a.

]
sleeve you wi l l find that after a bit of p ra c t i ce you r a ng li ng of
the J rawer i nt o the sle e ve, as s hown in t he fi g. ~, will be ve ry
sl i gh t to almo s t str ai ght so th a t you wil l not n e ed t us e th e rig ht
1st fln.g.er , in order to star t t he telesco ping-actio n, but s i mp ly
press to the right, wi t h t he r i ght t humb, thus t elescoping t he matchbox sleeve and its drawer in one cont inuos action.
THE

3~

SECOND STAC K

-The fo llo wing s t ack is based on so me of the i de a s

of t he Ov erhand Shuffle St ac k that wer e pu bl i shed i n t he "UNEXPE CTED
CARD BOOK", 197 4. At this poi nt I may add that whi l e I ne v er cl a i me d
to be the first to devise a n Ov e r hand Shuffle St ack u sing no in-jo g s
-o r out- jogs, t here were some publi she d in old gambl ing e xp ose books
and one I rec all is " The Blu e Book", I did wor k ou t my own f ormula
plu s give i t the t erminolo gy of " The Le ssi no ut St a ck '". To t hi s I' m
as entit le d as Alex Elmsle y when he applied the t erms " I n" and "Ou t"
to Fa r o Shuffles. As to the "Le ssinout Cull" I hav e n ev e r come
acros s any system in print or oth er wis e that comp a r e s or even resemb le s th e one 1 publishe d in "Dec k Deception", 1 94 2. Wh il e th e
title is called "The 3 ~ Second Stack" 1 have been t i me d wit h a n
Olympic's time ~atch and did the st ack in well und er 3 s econds; however, the standard wa t c h es a re not that accur ate so tEe 3 ~ s ec ond
time is a safe bet for such watch es. Obviously you wi l l hav e to do
a bit of underhanded work to pull this off but at the end wi l l be
given a routine th at makes it a l l look very legitimate. For now the
description of the stack will b e giv en.
1. Remove the four Ac e s f rom the deck a n d toss them f ac e up t o the
tabl e. Ask if anyone has a sto p wat c h or one wi t h a Second hand .
Dur i ng th is you have pl enty o f t ime to crimp the bo ttom c a r d of th e
deck. Next in a cas ual Ov e r hand Shu f f l e run 4 c a rd s to the bo t t om
an d t hr ow t he dec k o nt o t hem. Run another 4 c a r d s and throw the
J ec k onto t hem but ke ep a l e ft 4th finge r t i~ br e a k above thes e four
c a rd s. Pos i t i on t he d ec k face down into the le f t ha nd as f or dea ling but be s u r e to maintain the l eft 4 th f t nge r t ip break ab ove t he
bottom f our ca r ds.
--2. Pi c k up, wi th your ri ght hand t hre e of t he fa ce. up Aces . Your
ri g ht finge rs wi l l be on the face of the 3 Ace s and your thumb be lo w. When you t ur n yo ur r i gh t hand pa lm up t he thumb wil l be on
to p o f the bac ks and t h e fingers on the f aces. Spr ea d the t hr ee
Ace s from righ t to l e ft. You now seem to place t he 3 Aces to t he
bottom of the dec k. Actu all y t he to p Ac e , fann e d or -s pr e a d t o t he
le ft, wi ll go i nto t he bre a k held by the t ip of th e left 4th f i nge r .
Thi s sec ret inse rtio n i s made a t the deck's lower r i ght cor n er a nd
the top Ace' s lo wer le ft c or ner . Once t h e corne r of t h e top Ac e is
safely into the bre a k the le ft 4 t h f i ng e r t i p can rele a s e i t s break.
The rig ht hand follo ws thru by SImp ly pu shing th e 3 Aces t o t he left
and und er the deck. The ri ght hand picks up the l~st Ace and pl aces
it on top of the deck . Your patt er is briefl y, "1 will pl ac e three
Aces on the bottom and on e on to p. 'I
3. Position the cleek for al1 Overhand Shuffle as you ask the "timing
spectator" to tell you when t o start. Soon as he s ay s, "Go", you

vu r ~ n g
~n~ s
you nave pl en~ y o r ~ ~me ~o crlmp ~n e Do ~ ~o m c a r a or ~ n e
dec k. Next i n a cas ual Ov e r hand Shu f f l e run 4 c ard s t o the bot t om
an d t hr ow t he de ck on to t hem. Run another 4 c a r d s and throw the

d ~ r. k

o n to thp.m hllt

k~p.n

R lp.ft 4th f inC1p.r t in h r p. Rk Rho"p thp,p fnllr

-1
c4

\.

315

very quickly r un off the top 5 cards, then without any hesitation
pull the top and bottom cards-:- mentally counting, "Two", then continue wi t h 3- 4-5 and throw the deck onto these cards. Soon as you
t hr owit he de ck onto the shu f fl ed off cards at once say, "Done".
This "'ill cause the spectator to look at his watch, i f he hasn't becn
looking at it all the time, as you casually cut at the crimp and complete the cut; This subterfuge saves you a half a second.
4. The time he gives you should be in the 3 ~ second area. Regardless of his answer you say, "And I stacked them for five hands", as
if this wa s i mportant. Deal out five hands of Poker-snowing you have
the Aces come to you on every fifth card.
I.;

THE

4~

SECOND STACK

This is nothing but the familiar Milk Build Stack

but 1- may add that the way the fingers and thumb pull the top and
bottom cards is very important. First in any run off of the top
cards the thumb of the left hand must not do the actual pulling off
or the card. Instead the left thumb lies near the outer left corner
on top of its cards. The right hand moves down and the top card is
practically jammed under the left thumb which raises slightly to
receive it, .t hen automatically presses down to hold it back as the
right hand moves upward again to continue the run of cards. Just
think of jamming the card s to under the left thumb each tim e and
you will get the idea. When it comes to pulling the t op and bottom
cards you really only loos en th e top and bottom card s by a slight
pressure of the left thumb and the tip of the left 3rd finger. This
lossening action then lets the top and bottom cards pra c t i cal l y fall,
onto the cards in the left hand, almost in perfect a l ignm en t although
any mis alignment is good a s it c amoufla ges the run of car ds and makes
the shuffle look mor e normal. The loosening of th e top and bottom
cards also prevents t he u sual noi s e COllman to the Milk Bui l d S huffl ~.
Now in to the Milk Build Stack in 4~ seconds.
1. Upenly place 3 Ace s on the bottom and one on t op. Position the
deck for an Overhand Shu f fle a s you as k the spectato r t o time you .
2. When he s ays, "Go", you qu ic kly run off the top f ive cards. Nex t
pull the top and bottom card s me n ta l ly counting " Two", then a single
run o f cards up to the men t a l count of " Five". Wi t hou t any pa u s e
continue the Mi l k Build f or t he next two Aces and then t hrow the cards
from the left hand back onto the ~ of .the deck as at onc e you say,
"Done".
3. As you realize by throwing the shuffled off cards back on top
you have eliminated a lot of time that would be eaten up by such
things as an in- j og or . Pick Up Shuffles. Your time should be well
in the [our and a half second range. Conclude by dealing out five
hunds of Poke~making the number of hands seem important, to show
you have stacked yourself 4 Aces.

any mis alignment is good as it camoufla ges ~he run of ~ards and mak~s
the shuf fle look more normal. The loosening of the top and bottom
cards also prevents the u sual noise COllman to the Milk Build Shuffl e.

"'T

..1. . _ . . 1 . 1

1l.~

.,

"1 _

T'\

..

..,.,

~~

J .

.',
:]',
'!o."

THE OVERHAND ROUTINE

J,

,
In this routin e you will use both of the above stacks ]
and n6t onl~ logic will give you a reason for doing it again but tJlc
first stack attempt conditions the spectators to the same opening
actions as fat as th e placing o f th e Aces i s concerned. Also th e
,l'G'
first exhibition enables you to easily get set for the next st ack.

-1

1. Begin by telling the spectators that you have been trying to be at ~,

the clock in the stacking of cards and that you wo u l d like to see
~
how fast you can stack, say, the i Aces.
'
2.
H~re you remove the four Aces, then place 3 on the bottom of the
decK and one on top of th e deck . Do the Milk Build Stack a s alre a dy
desc ri ~.
Wh en th e spect ator tells you ho w long it took, do not
say much at this point exc ept to remar k, "Five Hand s- Four Aces . "
Deal out 5 h an d s bu t o n ly f ou r ca rds to e ac h hand a nd th en tur n ov e r
your hand-to s h ow th e 4 Aces:- At this ti me you a t once se cre t ly
crimp the bottom card ~ f th e d ec k.
3 . Wh il e th e sp ectator s a r e bus y b e in g a ma zed a t th e four f ace up
Ac es you tur n your att enti on to gat he r i ng th e oth er four hands a s
follow s:
Drop th e d eck f ace d own on t h e 2nd p a ck e t or h and.
Th e
right h and p i c ks up th e d ec k while a t th e--sELm e tim e t he l eft h and
pic k s up the 1 st ha nd o f 4 ca r d s . Th e ri gh t h and p l ac e s th e d e c k
'I
<:>nto tbh e i c areTS hi n lthe lef~ h an d with tbh e l e f t 4 !h df i n gk er tdip ho b t a4in- , 4
~n g a
r e a K, at t e ower rI g t corner,
e twe e n t 1e c c' a n t e
j

~~~~S iac~h~o~~g~~t~a~~en~~pp ~~k ~h~Pd~~~.r em a in ing

t wo h and s to

pl~c e

iIi

4.
You have the requi red condi tions to g o into the thre e a nd 'a hal f
sec ond sta c k.
To g iv e a lo gic al exc use f o r the r e p e at y ou ask the
~~
SI~ e c t a t o r , as i f you f ? rgot, ho w lon g it tJo o k yo u d to s tacfk the c a rd s.
IS an s we r n atur ally WI l l b e h i gh e r tha n t1 re e a n a hal - s ec ond s .
To thi s you sa y, III s ho u l d d o b e tter than that . Would you mind timing :
it again?" Now y ou have th e exc use t o g o . in t o th e thr e e a nd a ha l f
/1
second st ack a s you a g ain s eem to p la c e th re e Ace s to the bo t t om, th e .J
top Ac e go ing i nto t h e br e a k, wi t h th e l a st Ac e on top.

',J

"l:

5. When the deck i s square d you c an tak e it from abov e, b y the e~d s , .J
with the right hand which turns pa l m up to displ a y the bottom of the
deck.
The le ft fingerti ps , pull th e bottom Ac e to the le ft e n ough to
expo se t h e Ace b el ow a s yo u say , "T h r e e Ac e s on the bottom." Ret ur n
the deck into le ft hand d e aling p o s i t i o n . Deal over the to p Ace and
..
take it i n the ri ght h an d , b y it s l ower ri ght corn e r, with thumb o n
top and fin g er s b en eath.
Show this Ace as you conclu d e your rem ark s -j
~
.
with, "And on e Ac e on top." Return t h e Ace f ac e d own onto th e to p of
the d e c k.
No w proc e e d into the "Thr e e And A Hal f Second Stack" a s
already outlined to conclude y ou r rou tin e in an up-be at mann er.
,

NOTE: The ulld erly ing mechanic s of the three and a half sec on d sta ck
can be done for a g re a t e r numb er o f hand s.
Up t o twelv e if you onl y
-)
deal out to just g et the 4 Ac es. Beca use of th e long er run o f c ar d s
J
it will t a k e more tim e but n ot a nywhe r e near th e time i t wou Ld a c t ua l- .;
ly take to say s ta ck 4 Ac es fo r a ten ha n d po ker st a ck. A s e v e n h and

. .. ~ .. _ . . .,,:

-:; - ~ .

- :,,:.:.:..-. -:~ -_

. . -;:"-:" _- :"'--

7.. :,.:- - _

.;;.: ~.:..: -~- -:;

:;..' -'

.;: .,_ ' ::. _ ..;...:::.: - ;,:. ...:- _ - __-..:.- ~

.0

".

~ .:.

_ "_ _

._,;.... -:.:. "'.:.;. ' - ~.. _ _ :,--,: ' ~. ~ _ .-, " ....~.::-:.' -_-..: - :::t"";.,, "'-:= :'-~ .._ .=t'".: :..-~ ._ - ' "-

second stac k.
To g iv e a lo gic al exc use f o r the r ep e at y ou a sk the
spectat o r, as i f you fo rgot, ho w lon g it t o o k yo u t o s t a c k the c a r d s.
Ili s ans we r nilt llra 1 1v w; l l he h; (Jhe r th iln th r e e iln d a h ill f s ec ond s .

."

~~

',J

~I I

~! r>J.J""" ;).,o, -,",~"'-,,,,,,"".,~-'~,, ",,...._ ..._

.......~.n

'

. . _.-::'~~ _.~_-J~-.k;.., ,

:.,..

_--.._.~_.. ~.~ __ --",- ..-.~..... '-':L..:............._uJ.~..

---!

. _........ _ ...

. ..

_~

. -:--......_ ... . .

"
.-:....~. " _~

. . _

.....:....- -.1.:-. ..~. _' _-

__. .,._ _
" .""'"'"';.....:.. . c;;_

i
t

3 17

:11

'I J

poker s-tack can be demonstra ted as being done in three and a half
sec onds thru the use of the Se c ond Deal. To do this your initial
start must be with 7 cards below the crimp plus the 4 cards being
held scpa r at c d , by the l e f t 4th fingertip break, at the bottom of
th e deck. As before on e of t11:e 3 Aces goes into the break with the
other tW<Y ', going t o the bottom. The last Ace goes on t op . Do the
Ov er ha nd ShuJ)fle as for the 5 card stack. When you cut at the crimp
you ,will have 7 cards ov e r tne 1st Ace while t h e other 3 Aces wil l
be every 5th card. In dealing out the hands your Secona Deals on
the first--round will be done at 7. The second r ound at 6. The third
r ound at 3 and the 4th round at 2. You will notice that-there isn't
much to remember sInCe the numbers at which you start the deals are
progressively l ower. Thus the first two rounds is 7 and 6, then it's
half of 6 or 3 on the third round, then 2 on the la~t rou~d. The
complete-numerical tip-offs are 7-6-3-2.- You don't have to be a
memory expert for this - just a good Second Dealer.
DUNBURY DELUSIONS
- The following method of a direct Dunbury Delusion
was inspired by Bob Walker's approach to the effect. While I worked
ou t the basic three card handling the idea of eliminating all tabled
cards, leaving only the supposed wrong selection in the hands, is
that of Dave Solomon's as well as the variation of the Veneri Turn.
The effect is well known in that three cards are shown which appar 'en t l y give a 'clue as to the whereabouts of the selected card. Since
one of the three cards is the selection a failure seems evident yet
at the conclusion the cardician does have the s elected c ard. While
Charlie Miller has b~en associated with the effect, due mainly to
his particular method, the original method by Victor Farrelli should
not be overlooked.

5j
"

::f

1. Have a card selected and c on t r ol it to second from the top of the

d6ck. The control should be one, as I have mentioned on several
occasions, that has an element of impossihility and a miss is highly
probable. Fingertip Peeks, Faro Controls, or Crimp Controls are
among those you can conside~.
2. Wi th the selec ted card 2nd from the top of the' deck, thumb over
the top 1 cards, in a spreaa-Qr fan, taking them with the right hand
by their inner right corners with the thumb on top and 1st and 2nd
fingers beneath. As the right hand holds the fan of 3 cards the left
4th fingertip gets a break under the top card of the aeck by the left
thumb slightly pushing it off to the right and then pUlling it back
flush with the deck.
3. Your patter during the above is, "I wi ll use these three cards to
find your card. I ' Re -square the 3 cards against the top of the deck.
At the same time the right hand moves to over the deck to grasp' all
! cards, up to the break, from above by the ends. The left hand
places the deck, to your left, faces down.
4. Place the packet of 4 cards squared and face down into the left
hand which holds ,them in-a Mechanic's Grip. , You must now spread the
cards so that only l cards will show and the top card of these is a '

"

..

. j

.-

"

~ --

.J
.-'

1!. 8

do ubl e card . Thi s is ea sily and c as ua l l y done us ing either St ev e

Draun's PUS!l Ov er Lift or Ma r l o ' s Fl exibl e Tec hni que a s descirb ed
else\Vhcr e i n, the p r es ent vol ume .

s. Wi th the 3 c a r d s spread and still held in t he left ha nd the right

hand g.r a sp s the ri ght s ide o f t he c a r ds wi. th th e t humb on top a nd
fi nge r~ below. ' The ri ght ha nd r ai ses th e ca rds to show their fa ces
t o t he spectat ors as you say , " These ar e t he t hr ee c ar d s I will u s e. t1

1,1

,6 . Rep l ace t he 3 c ar d fa n bac k into the l eft ~and but main tain t he
3 card spre a d. TIl e ri ght firg ers a nd thumb now do a ,St ud Turno v er
'o f t h e to p two c ar ds, a s one , t o f l a sh i ts f ace while the l e ft t hum b
pu lls ba ck i t s t op ca r d flu sh wi t h t he r ema i n i n g car d. The r i ght
ha nd flip s i t s card fa c e down on to t he c a r ds 'i n the le f t hand and
the Ipft thumb immedi ately thumbs off the top card to the t a b l e.
7. Your patt er for t he act i ons i n St ep 6 i s s i mpl y , "This ca r d t ells
me t he c olor of your c a r d. " The s pectato rs now think the se l ec t e d
card is now face down on the table . To f ur th er s tren gt hen th is t he
r ight ha nd takes t he c ards, f rom the left . hand, th en do es a D'Am i co
Spr e ad ( Se e al s o Pinch Sp r ea d i n this v olume ) whi ch s hows two i nd i f f e rent cards~the s e lect io n being hidden .

1
. _tI
]":..
~
~I

8. Call attention 't o the valu es of the two sho wn cards st atin g t hat
you wi ll us c t he total of t hem t o c oun t down in t o th e de ck . By t hi s
time y our l e f t hand has a lready picked up the deck a nd i s ho lding i t
fa ces do wn in a deal ing pos ition . The t wo c ards from the right hand
a r e f l ip pe d f ac e do wn onto the to p of th e dec k.
9. Let's assume t ha t the t otal of t he t wo shown c a r d s add ed up to
1 2. Count off 1 2 c a r d s from the deck , .i n t o the ri gh t hand, t a king
tliem on e onto tne ot he r. With t he l e f t hand drop the dec k on t o t he
sup po s ed sele cted card . The l e ft hand comes back t o t a k e t he 12
c a r d s by their left sides, thumb on top- fin gers beneath , then the
ri gh t hand a t once gr a sp s the 12 car ds f r om above by th e ends. In
a f ol l ow t hr ough s e qu ence t he ref t finger s remove the bottom card
of , the 1 2 c ards. The right hand dro p s it s r emain ing ca rd s on to t he
top of tne deck .

,~

10. Yo u are holding a sing le c ar d in t h e l e ft han d as y ou ask t he

spect ator to n ame hi s card. When he names it, l ook pu z zl ed f or a
whil e a nd then say , " That "s r ig ht " , a s you ' turn t he c a rd f a ce up to
d is c lo s e his s e le c t io n. An a udie nc e re action is gu arantee d eve n
am on g ma gic ians .
.0

J-

2ND METIIOD: I dev i s ed th is method and thos e that follow simp l y

bec a us e I [cIt that there wasn 't any logi cal r e a s on f or t he third
c ard. Als o t he deck r ema i n s i n the hands throughout t he e ffect .
1. IIere control the s e le ct ed ca F.d to br d f rom the top of the dec k.
Assume tha t the sele cte d card i s t he 3D . Thumb over 2 cards remark i ng
abo u t using the v a lues o f t hem to fincttheir c ard. Dur ing this t he
l e f t 4th fingertip ha s obtained a br eak und er th e top sel ected c ar d
or thccreck. Re - s qua r e th e two c ard s, ste al ing th e 's e l ec t e d c ar d
n bove t he br ea k, t hen a t onc e r a i s e t he 3 c ar d s up to t he fi nge r tip s

\.-H \,OJII

VJL v

vu\.-v

",H I;;

V"'H 'C' 1..

n .L"' J!

"' He

.1. 1;;1. ...

u a. u u

U1.V l!

", HI;;

U CI... .l'

V ll l- V

c u

sup po s ed s el ec t ed card . The lef t hand c ome s back t o t a ke t he 12

c a r d s by their left sides, thumb on top- fingers ben eath , then the
ri gh t hand a t once grasps the 12 car ds fro m above by the end s. In
a f ol l ow t hr ough s e qu en ce t he reft fingers remove the bottom card

n ,r

+~ n

1 ?

~~~A~

T~ o

~~ " ~+

~"~~

~~n~~

~+~

_ n ~~~~ ~ ~

__

n_ ~~

~ ~+ _

+~ _

L~

319
and thumbs of both hands.
Do a D'Amico Spread t o show the f a c e s of
two c ar ds.
The f ace card, of the t wo card spread, wi l l be the 3D
o r selected /ca rd. You no w use an idea t hat ori ginally a ppea r e d-rn
"Classical Four s ome".
Ca ll the cards as you see them.
I n other words,
say, "The Three of Diamonds and (wh atever the unde r card happ ens to
be)."
2.
Flip both cards face do wn ont o the top o f t he deck . The top card
is de alt face do wn to the tabl e as you repeat, "The Thr e e o f Diamonds ."
The rig ht hand t u r n s t he n e xt c ard f ac e u p a s you also rep e at its
name and then add, " Whic h tota ls up to" (h e re you a nnoun c e th e to tal
. o f .t h e tw o cards). Turn t h e face do wn card on t o the tab led card .
3. The spe cta tor t hinks h i s 3D is on the tab l e bu t you have i t on
top of the de ck. All that remains is to c o n c l u d e the effect as already explained using the Veneri Tu rn Variant.
3RD ME THOD : 1. Con t rol o f t h e s el ecte d c ard is again to 3rd f r om
the top o f the deck. The procedure is i d en t i ca l to the 2NDMETHOD
up to the point wh ere the t wo value cards are shown via the D 1 Am ico
Spread; h owever , h e r e y ou f l ip t h e t wo c ar d sp r e ad fa ce do ~n on t o
the top of the deck.
2. Star t to count the c ar d s f aces down to th e t able , one onto the
ot her bu t on the 3r d c ar d do a Benza i' s Cop and co nti n u e t h e c oun t .
On th e f ina l numbe r d e a l t h e c ard o f f t h e de ck p l u s the c o p p e d card
along on to i t . Plac e the deck as ide , then pick up th e c o u nted c ard s
to recount t hem by si mp l y s pr e adin g t h em b etwe e n both h a n d s . Whe n
you reac h t he l a s t o r b~t t o m c a r d of the co un t s o rt of snap i t with
the le ft thumb.
Th i s is a sort o f subl i min al to u ch remind ing the
s p e c t a t o r that appar ently his card was the fir st card d ealt to the
t able and t h us c ou ld n o t be the to p c a r d o f th e counted c a r ds.
Resquar e t he c ar ds and tabl e the m. Take o ff the top ta rd , and in
accorJance wi t h the presentation y ou eventuall y disclos e it a s hi s
c a rd .
4TH ME THOD : 1. Her e co nt r ol t h e se lec ted c ar d to 2nd fr om the t op .
When you do the D'Amico Spre ad th e selected card will be 2n d f r om th e
face and is actually two c ards passed off a s one. A Marlo Di spl ac ement ide a is now use d by f i rst c alli n g the name o f t h e se le c t ion ,
then flippi ng t his c ard(s) o n l y f ace do wn onto the deck, t h en a t
once the left thumb d eals this face down to the table. Th e r emain i n g c ard is then called and pl aced fa c e do wn onto th e tabl ed c ard .
From he.r e conc lu d e using the Ve ner i Turn Var iant . Obviousl y a
Benzai's Cop or Second Dea l can be a l s o used bu t i n this c a se y o u
ma y as well s how two single cards.
In fact, you can also substitute
the K.M. Mo v e f o r exchan gi n g th e a c t ua l s e l e c t e d card, either on the
first turn do \Vll o f a c ard or on t he second tur n down of th e c a rd.
Ot h c r appro achcs such as a Mira c le Card Chang e, Si mul at ed P l a ceme n t ,
Si mu l at e d Pickup, and so on can be applied to the Dunbury theme but
it' s best to de c id e o n one or t wo that you can pe rform under a n y
conditio ns. Th e ot h e r app r o a che s can b e u s ed f or t hose gathe r i ngs
with other magicians .

table and t h us c ou ld n o t b e t h e to p c ar d o f th e counted c a r ds.

Resquar e t he ca rd s and tabl e the m. Take o f f the to p ta rd , and in
accorJan ce wi t h the presentatio n y ou eventuall y disclos e it as hi s
c a rd .

1/

..

. .~.:

.. :

POKE R PREDI CTIO

,/

EFFECT: The s p ec ta t or s hu f f l es a de ck of c a r ds whi l e the Car dic i an

wri te s a p r ed i c t i on. The deck is cut and twenty-five c a r d s a r e
c ounted off . Th~se c ards are dealt into a five ha nde d Poker Game
by the spectator . The Cardi ci a n' s predi cti on r e ad s , " You wi ll de a l
yoursel f the f our Ace s ." On the s p ec t at or turning ov e r his c ar d s he
fi nds the f our Aces .
The above e f f e c t is on e I gave t o Rufus Stee le f or
one of his boo ks an d la te r r e e pub Li s he d in " The Ca rdici an". The
f ollowing vers ion has slight variati ons in handling t h a t can be done
either , stand i ng or sea ted a t a t able.
1. The first pr eparation c onsists in firs t secretly remo ving th e
fo u r Aces and c l i pp i ng them under a pen cl i p whi ch i s in t he s hi r t
pocket on -t he left . The Aces are clipped a t their upper end s, faces
~
.'
toward s th e body , on the ou t s i d e of the shir t pocke t as in the Fig . 1 . J
Your co a t s hou ld be butt oned at t his time .

Fig . 1

Fig . 2

2 . Leave the t wo Jokers in the deck so it i sn't tqo noticeably

sho rt. When ready to do the effect hand the deck out for shuffling .
On its return take the de ck i n t o th e rig h t ha nd, as for deali n g, with
t he deck he ld fa ces up . _
3. With both ha nds touch bot h si des of y our che s t a s yo u say , "I ne e d
a pen. " The left hand unbo ttons the coa t and t he right hand , with its
de ck faces towards the body , travels to under the coat . Quickly the
rig ht hand aligns the de ck and the c l i pp e d c a r d s, then t he ri ght hand
mov e s downwards and pull s t he Ace s c lear o f t he cl i p . Thi s is ea sily
don e by the ri ght 1s t fin ger whi ch i s cur led over the top end o f th e
dec k and the fingersand thumb grasping t he s i d e s of all ca r ds. At
onc e the le ft ha nd pu l l s back t he le ft s i de of t he co at to di spl a y
the pen as in the fig . ~ .
4 . The r i gh t 1st fin ger a nd thumb no w r emove th e p en from the sh i rt
pocke t . The r i ght hand t r an s f e r s t he pen t o the le ft hand , th en
pl ac es t he de ck fa ce down to t he table . Wr i t e yo ur p redi ction on the

. ;P.I
-----,...
...,-"...

--- -:::.

Fig . 1

Fi g. 2

>

J
)

\
]

r,I
11
r

inside flap of the c ard case or on a handy piece of paper, then turn
the p r~ d ic t, io n wri t ing s i de down.
S. Have the spectator cut the deck prefacing this by saying, "Cut
the dec k i n ha l f. " Point to t he lower p orti on a s you s a y, "We will
use the .ca r d s "r i gh t wher e y ou cu t." Pi ck up t he dec k and place it
into the left hand as for the Ma s t e r Grip. (S ee SECOND-CE N T E R S ~
BOTTOMS [or cletails of the Ma ster Grip) Stat e, "We will need only
t.wcn t y- T' Lvc c ar ds" as yo u t urn sli ghtl y to the left. The cutting of
the cleck appr oa ch is t hat sugges t ed by Dave Solomo n.
Here you seemingly count twenty-five cards from the left hand into
the ri ght ha nd wit hou t re versing t hei r orde r. On the co un ts of 5-10-15
and 20 you execu te the Bottom Deal Count. I n this vol ume t he r e i s a
section on the Bottom Deal Count and you can choose from these methods
the Qne you pre f er. The excess c ards r emaining i n ,t he lef t hand a re
plac ed a s i de an d t his touc h i s su btl e es pec ia l l y if you r eplace t hi s
portion face up whi ch dis p lay s t he or i g ina l bot tom c ar d .
6.

"

'if.

.,

,I

"

~.j

i~'

"

I:

'"
r

~~1

",;

'tJ

~il

,I
f

.
"

7. Al l that remains is to ha nd the t wenty -f ive cards to the spect ator to dea l ou t fiv e hand s of ,Poke r . Now i mpres s on him t ha t he
shuf fle d, cut, and dealt the ca r ds. Rev e al yo ur pr ed iction, t hen
have him tu rn over his hand for the climax.
The re i sn' t any problem i f he cu ts and l eaves mor e than the requ ired 20 card s but wha t i f he cuts de ep an d leave s you ' l e s s ? Suppos e
he does-and as you count you end up wi t h only 1 6 c ard s? In t h i s
c a s e 3 of the Aces wi ll be a t the St h -1 0t h- 1S t h-Pos i tio n bu t that
l as t Ace i s t he 16th c a r d. I n t hiscas e theoovi ous remar V is, " I
need nine mor e c ards ." You spre ad the deck and a s k th e sf ect ato r to
r emove 9 mo re c a rds a nd hand them to your ex tende d l eft $and . When
you have the 9 c a r ds you pi ck up t he coun t at 1 7. As t he left thumb
s hove s over tne to p c a r d to t a ke it under the c ard s i n the right hand
the right fi nger s very slightly buckl e th e bottom Ace -a t the l owe r
left co rne r onl y. I n t o th i s space the lJth-18t h-1 9th-20th ca rds are
sort of spr ea d co un t ed, t hen the r emaincrer:- wi t hout anY1JTeak in the
rhythm, ar e s i mpl y ?pread count ed t o under t he c a rd s i n t h e l e f t hand.
This procedure again is a subtle one if you think about it. Obviou sl y
i f your count i s 20 cards to 24 c ar ds t he ext ra c ar ds, to make up t he
2S c a r ds, a re simpl y placed und er t he pa cket since a l l 4 Ac es will
DC at their r equired S-l O-!i-~ posi tio ns.

-, 8 .

ADDI NG THE ACES

The f ol l ow i ng t wo metho ds of a ddi ng th e Aces to t he
deck are those devised f or th e "Poker Pred ict ion" ef fec t. The f i r s t
me t hod i s on e us ed i f you decide on the or i g i na l pr ocedure of having
the sp ec t a to r count off t he r e qu ire d 25 c a r ds whic h you then recount
to doubl e check. The Second. Me thod aaas t hem to the bottom of the
deck ancl c an be used either s itt ing down at the table or standing.
1ST METHOD :
1. The deck has been shu f fled and you t ake it to place it slightl y
on your l eft wi th i t s inner end proj ec ting ab out a hal f inch ov e r the

,. _.t._ ".. . . .,

'.1._'" ~

,-It,...&.

"""

"","~.i."'"

~.L \,A. . L \,,4

"".1 .1. ...... .....

\".....

J .....

\,A..L.

...... .l"l..

..... ...... .1 L ....... V

""""

.....

"' ..L \.;

j1 ....c;4,. .I..Lu

r'

J:L \v J.L

yo u have t he 9 c a r ds you pi ck up t he coun t at 1 7. As t he left thumb

s hoves over t Iie to p car d to take i t under the c ard s i n. the right hand
the right f i nger s very slightly buckle the bottom Ace -a t the l owe r
.' left co rne r onl y. I n t o this space t he lJth-18 t h-1 9th-20th ca rds are
sort of spr ea d co un t ed , then the r ema in~ without anY1JTeak in the

..

.:

".

1.

1:.3 2 2

edge of the table. The four Aces are secretly already face down, in
n squared packet, in your lap.
.

2. T~~ rig~t hind reaches for the card case to place it in front of
yourself. The left hand moves towards the right inside coat pocket.
The right hand casually drops into the lap and at once takes the 4
Aces, from above by the ends, with the four right fingers extendea
along the front end while the right thumb is extended along the back
ond.
The left hand removes the pen from the left side coat pock e t and
0"'h
as it comes into view the right hand moves up and towards the deck as 1
in the Fig. I, the performer I s view, while the Fig. 2 's h ows wha t the
J
spectator may not even pay attention to since his eyes will be on the
pen.
'11

03 .

~-

...;1

Th.

J
)
Fig. -01

Fig. 2
4. The right hand adds the Aces
)
directly onto the deck at the same
time curling in the right 1st finger l
on top -o f the deck as in the Fig. 3, j
In a continuing action the right - ~~
hand picks up the deck to hand it
to the spectator requesting him to
count off 25 cards while you write
something on the flap of the card
case.

5. While you are writing the pre~

diction the spec ta tor is busy count --1
ing off 25 cards,- one at a time to J
Fig. 3
the table:- which gets the 4 Aces to .,'
the bottom of the packet. -After you
have written the predictiori, close the flap and hand the card case to ~J
the spectator.
6. Since you were not watching the spectators count while writing the \
prediction it is perfectly logical to ask for the packet of 25 cards
<l rid then recount it to double check the amount.
Dur ing this you do the' :
Bottom Deal Count, using anyone of the suggested techniques, at the

:.]

']
4.

The right hand adds the Aces

~irpr~lv

nn~n

~hp

~pr~

~~

~hp

como

323

counts of 10-15-20 while the 25th card is au t oma t i c n Ll y an Ace. This

procedure cuts dOHn on one Bottom Deal Count as well as giving you a
good rhythmic fair count of 9 cards b ef or e the first Bottom Deal Count.
From here conclude the effec~ already outlined.

2ND METHOD:

1. Here the! Aces having been secretly removed are placed into your
left coat sleeve. When it comes time to add the Aces drop your left
h ~ n d t o the side letting the Aces fall onto your curled left fingers.
Position the Aces into a Gambler's Cop or sort of Rear Palm. The right
hundmeantime has extended to take the shuffled deck from above by the
ends. The left hand moves up, travelling close to the body, while the
right hand moves to meet it. The right hand simply . deposits the deck
directly onto the Aces, then the left hand at once shifts the deck into a dealing position.
2. The right hand moves towards the inside left coat pocket to remove a pen which you have previously placed there. From this point
on proceed with the rest of the requirements as already detailed in
the "Poker Prediction" when the Aces have been added to the bottom .
..

-f,

3. If you are standing close to the table, then when the cards land
into your left hand bend down slightly as the right hand reaches for
the deck. This will bring the left hand below table level and close
to the table's edge. The right hand, having picked up the deck,
simply drops it into the waiting left hand which remains below table
level; however, once the deck has covered the Aces the left hand at
once moves up into view with the deck. Properly timed the addition
of the Aces is indetectable. Ob~iously you can also add the Aces to
the bottom in this way if you are seated and the 4 Aces are in your
lap.

' S PE CTATO~ S ACES

This is the now classic approach as originally con. d i t i ona l l y outlined by Bob Veeser. My approach heTe is a bold an~
drastic ch:lnge from existing methods and makes use of my method of
"Adding The Aces". In effect the spectator shuffles the deck and
cuts it. The cardician removes the top card of each and shows them
to be the 4 Aces.
1. To begin with the 4 Aces are out of the deck in your lap and
[aces down in a squarea packet. The spectator shuffles the deck and
then cuts the deck into 4 packets. You manage to get the packets
lined up ncar yourself, Irom left to right. The left hand drops
casually into your lap while your right hand rests the wrist on the
table's edge with the right hand hanging down past the table's edge
with fingers an<1 thumb normally extended. During this position you
ask the spectator if he wishes to transfer any cards from anyone
packet to another to sort of equalize them.
It doesn't make any
difference Hhether he does or not.

--:..._--.-

to t he r i gh t hand whi c h tak e s th em int o the p o s i t i on a s a lre a dy

shown in the t::j g. 1 of "Addin g the Aces". Your lef t: hand mu st move
only u t t hc vwri s t Jurin g t he p lac ing o f th e Aces i nt o th e r i ght h a nd .
T h~ right hand wi th i ts 4 Aces now moves t owa r d s the packet on your
le ft un til the r i gh t hand' arrives in the po sition s hown i n the Fi g . 3
o f "Adding Th e A~e s " ex cep t you do not a dd th e Aces but seeming ly
l i ft off what ap pe a rs t o be th e to p c ard of th is pac ket. The 4 Ace s,
a s apparently the card just lifted off, i s .c a r r i e d t o t h e l e ft- ha n d
a nd placed deep into a de a l i ng posit ion.
v

3.
The r i ght hand nO \\T mo ves to a ctua l l y p i ck of f th e top c a rd ' of th e
2nd pac ket, agai n fr om ab ove by the e nds, t he n c a r r i es i t to t he left
ha nd to place it onto the card(s) already there; however , a l eft 4th
f i nger tip br ea k is he ld below this X c ar d at the lower right c or n e r.
Continue by p i ck i ng up the t op ca r d-of th e 3rd pa cket in th e .same
manner to place it onto t he cards in the len-hand .

'.J:.

.
,]
~

4. As your right hand picks of f the top card of the 4th packet your
body wi l l be turn ed s light ly to t h e r i gh t and y our hanas will also be
t owa r d s t he rig h t.
Th e r igh t hand p laces it s card on t o t hose in the
\'
l e f t hand and each time , during the pickup, your r i g h t 1s t finger is
always curled on top . Now both hands move to the l e f t and the right
1s t f inge r straightens ou t. At onc e the right hand takes t h e 3 X
' c a r d s a bove t he br ea k and 'mov e s di r e c tl y ont o t he 1 s t packe t on t he
left secre tly adding t he 3 X cards back onto the topof this packet
'\1J
in a mann er similar t o t ha t T s hown i n the Fig. 3 of "Adding The Aces".
I n a follow t hr oug h the r ight hand moves this packet forward , then
move s t o th e 2nd pa cke t to mo v e it f orward f o l l owed by do ing th e same ,..,
to t he 3rd and 4th packets .
~
5.
The four cards i n your left hand are now spread out and the right ~_
ha nd dea ls ea c h Ace fa ce up on to ea c h of the i p ac ke t s t o c o ncl u de
1
th e effe ct.
J

2ND METHOD : This does not permit the spectator to shuffle the deck
SInc e I t us e s the a ppro ac h of "As An Opene r " t hat app e a r ed in the
TOPS.

]
-,

1. The 4 Aces are se cretly ~ridged, at the inner end only , and rest
on to p aT the deck . They are retained t h e r e du ring some shuffles
' a nd cut s whi ch c an be qu ite fa i r loo k i ng cons i derin g th e 4 br i dged
Aces onto whi ch you c a n sh~ff le , ei the r Riffle or Ov erhana, t he n
l a t e r a cut br ings them back to the top .

J
J

llav e t he s pec ta tor cut t he c ard s in t o fo ur p a c ke t s maki ng s ur e

th e p a ck e t wi t h th e f our Aces is t he l a st pac ke t on your ri ght.
Ca s ua l l y square the packets if they are askew and especially t he 4th
pa c ke t .

-2 .

3. The ri ght hand no w seems t o p i c k off th e t op car d of th e 4th

pack et but actua l ly takes al l 4 Aces , as one, t o p lace it deep i nto
the left hand de alin g position-:- The right 1st finger is always
c urled on to p duri ng t he pickup which is from a bove by the ends .
4 . Pi c k 0[[ the top c ard of the 3rd pa cket to p lace i t on t o t he
car d f s) in the lef t hand but get aleft 4th fingertip break below it.

na nu uea LS ea c n Ace ra ce up
the effe ct.

on ~o

ea cn o r

~n e

p acK e ~ s

~o

c o nCl ud e

2ND METHOD : This does not permit the spectator to shuffle the deck
SInc e I t us e s t he a ppro ac h of "As An Opener " t ha t app e a r ed in the

~~i

......--....~I ;

325

Repeat this pickoff with the 2nd packet. As you 'go to pick off the
top card of the 1st packet, on your left, your hands will automatically
also be.to t.he left. The right hand goes to place this last card onto
those in the left hand; however, at once the right hand takes all three
cards above the break, then travels back directly onto the 1st packet,
again this ac ti o.n is similar to that shown in the Figs. l-2~of
"A<.lding The Aces tr Without any hesitation this 1st packet is picked
up anJ placed onto the 2nd packet, then both are placed onto the 3rd
packet and all three placed onto the 4th packet. The whole action-Is
that of simply assembling the four paCK"ets to form the deck and place
it aside.

S. All that remains is to deal out the four cards~ you have in your
left hand; face up to the table to disclose the! Aces.
.
:6 . The above 2ND METHOD was inspired by one that Daniel (Rhod)
Brousard of France uses; however, he starts with picking up of the
single cards and the block of Aces last as in the original method in
' TOPS magazine. Neal Elias, in his notes, has an entirely different
'a ppr oa c h to using the block of Aces.
3RD METHOD: 1. Here the spectator can shuffle the cards since the
4 Aces arc held out in the lap. Also this method may appeal to those
who feel the 1ST METHOD is just too bold .

.2.

While the

sp~ctator

cuts the deck into 4 packets

yo~r

left hand

.g oe s to the lap and gets the 4 Aces irito a Deep Gambler I s .Cop . , The

Aces' are face down in the lefT hand.

.

- ,.

3. The right hand now picks off the top card from .t h e first packet
on yout right, taking it from above by the 'e nd s with the 1st finger
curled on top. Place this .card in to the left hand, which come's up
to table level, so that its outer end projects over the left 1st
finger. In this way a single edge of the card is presented a~he
same time adequately ' ~ o n c e a l i n g the deep palmed Aces.
4. In a like manner pick up thetopcard~ of the 2nd and 3rd packets
from right to left. As the 3rd X card is placed onto the cards in
the left hand push all 3 X cards-further inward and in line with the
iAces but keep a left 4th fingertip break below these 3 cards.

S.

The hands will now be towards the left as the right hand picks
Carry this card to
the left hanJ to place it onto the cards it holds. Once the right
lland fingers and thumb have contacted the ends of ' those cards above
the break the right hand at once carri es them back secretly toward
the packet it just left, the 1st packet on your left, adding the 4 X
cards to the top in a manner already shown in the Figs. 1-2-3 of
"Adding The Aces". .
- - -

up the top card of the last packet to your left.

The right hand can at once either assemble the packets, one onto
the other, or simply push each packet forward as you say, "You 'f r e e l y
cut each of these packets."
Regardless of your choice eventually
J~al your cards face up to disclose that the spectator cut to the
Aces.
6.

7.

I '
1

One more thing.

On the initial pretended pickup, let the 4

curled on top. Place this .card in to the left hand, which come's up
to table level, so that its outer end projects over the left 1st
finger. In this way a single edge of the card is presented a~he

It

If ' ,

..

_...-

.. ~.'

~~ .

., '

........

r'A

J
Aces coalesce with the front end of the packet but keep the Aces
separated at the back end from the packet. The right thumb at once
deliberately, lifts up this back end.
Just as if lifting off a single
card, then carries the card(s) off the packet and into the left hand.
This action is identical now for the remaining l packets.

1
]

NOTE:
In the next volume of the magazine will be some other "Spectator Cuts To Aces" methods among them a different approach to "Propelled Lapping".

."I

SPECTATOR CUTS U COUNT

'jl:

\"

The effect is basically the same countdown to the

.Ac e s ?fter the deck is cut into four packets by the spectator.
The
difference here is that there isn't any setup and the deck can be
shuffled by the spectator before he cuts it into four packets.

1. The 4 Aces are out of the deck and face down in your lap. The
deck should have the 2 Jokers in it in case you may feel some ope
will notice the deck Is thin.

2. While the deck is being cut into four packets, by the spectator,
the left hand obtains the 4 Aces face down into a dealing position.
The four packets have been-lined up, from left to right, near yourself and the tab1e 's edge. You will now create a logical reason for
handling each packet as well as use a ' new approach for adding the
Aces to the bottom of each packet.

"1
l
.]:,
'0 -

.]
.~
;.

'! ;:i ~

,.
,'
"'"

'--j.

3. The left hand thumbs over the top card, then pulls it back but
holds a break below it with the tip of the left 4th finger.
The
right hand starts to slide the 1st packet, on your left, off the
table and onto the cards in theleft hand which has moved up to
meet the packet, as in the Fig. 1, then directly onto the cards in
.t h e left hand as in the Fig. 2. -

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

W.i th the c a r d s in the left hand and the break s till held, with
0 r the 1 o ft ~ t h finger,
the Le ft thumb deal s over the top ca r d
:llld t he rig h t ));l~Clips it over, s i d ew i.s e to the left I face up and
1\

ti P

"j
,. j

]
J,.

noias a breaK be16w lt wlth the tlP ot the lett 4th tlnger.
The
right hand starts to slide the 1st packet, on your left, off the
table and onto the cards in theleft hand which has moved up to

"1
01

327

"

and .flush onto the packet. The right hand takes all those cards above
the br:eak,by the ends from above, to carry the packet back to its
posi tion on the table while th e left hand drop s to below the table .
level wi th .i ts r omu ining :i Aces. Also the left thumb (l t the s amc tI mc
pushes over the new top c:lrJ, then d r a ws it back to once more get ;)
" Lc It 4 th flngc r t i.p 'b r e uk be low t h i s c a r d . The Fig. 3 shows the s imultUlleous action of placing the packet to the table ana getting ready
to holJ a break below the top Ace.
"

"-

.'

Fig. 4
S. Repeat this ItMultiple Unit Card Add" on th e remaining 3 packet s.
Turning the top card, of each packet, face up g i v e s you a logical
excuse f o r picking up a nd re-placin g each packet . Your p at t er is
' br i e f , "You cut to an Eight here, you cut to, etc ~,1t as each p a ck et~
one after the other, is handled. There is no .he Si t a t i on in go i n g
from packet to p acke t until each has a f ace up card on top a nd an
' Ace secretl y a dde d to the bottom of e a c h .
' .
6. You will no w use the value of each face up card to count down
- that numbe r into the respective packets. 'During this you will do
a Bottom Deal Count as follows: Let's s ay the fir st packe t on yo ur
left has an 8 value card. The packet is held face down in the left
hand in a Master Grip po sition.
(See ItSeconds-C enters- Bottom slt)
The le ft thumb pushes ov er e ach c ard as th e right hand t akes them;
one under the other, by their upper right corners with the thumb on
top, 1 st finger along its top edge a t this corner and the 2nd finger
below at this corner. The right 3rd and 4th fin gert ips re'Stag ain st
the face of the cards acting as a support-rQr the counted cards.
During the count the cards taken b~ th e right hand always cover the
left thumb which is dealing over the cards. Also both hands remain
close during the count as shown in the Fi g . 4. The right 2nd finger
docs all the taking' and pu Ll i.rig in of each card to under t~cards
already taken.
7. The count is fair up to "seven", in this example, but on the count
or "eight" the right 2nd fingertip moves furth er to the left to con tac t the face of the l)()ttom card or Ace wh i I.e a t the same time the
left 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fin gers, which are converged near the upper
right corner of the packet, moving as a unit buckle the bottom card
InwarJ, very Slightly, then ease out the bottom card, again very

one after the o th er, is handled. There is no .he s i t a t i on in going

from packet to packe t until each has a f ace up cardon top and an
' Ac e secretly a dde d to the bottom of each.

. .

.. -

.~

.
.... >. ~ . ~ 4l '.","""",

slightly, to ihc right. This is a sort of loosening action which

easily enables the right 2nd fingertip to whip out the bottom
to und e.r the, cards in the---rTght hand but about a half inch or so
short of being flush with the cards in the right hand as in the exposed bottom view of the Fig. 5. At once the right hand moves upward to out-jog the Ace as in ~he Fig. 6 where note how it is side- .
jogged, to the left, from the rest of tlie cards in the right hand.
TIle left thumb keeps the out-jogged Ace in place as the right hand
moves down to square the sides of the packet as in the Fig. 7. ' The
packet is now tabled leaving the Ace out-jogged.

]
,)

)
'".'

' ,'

]
,.

'I"

.~

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

8. Repeat the Bottom Deal Count

for the remaining 3 packets resulting in each ha~ing an outjogged card. The out-jogging
action gives additional cover f or
an already excellent move. While
the description is for the left
3 fingeTs moving as a utiit to
Duckle the bottom card the major
pressure will be with the pad,
third joint; of the left 2nd
finger with the 3rd and -4~fingers
..successively and automatically
applying less. Some may prefer the
Fig. 7
other two techniques, for the
"Bottom Deal Count" in doing this
out-jogging of a card. For example, "The Inner Corner Take" with
the out-jogging, or even up-jogging, action will be found very deceptive. These are described elsewhere in this volume.
9. Back to the effect. With the cards out-jogged pick up the 1st
packet on your left into the left hand as for dealing. Now slowly
re-count the cards to show that you did out-jog a card at the number
designated by the face up card. The out-jogged card is then placed
[ace down to the table with the packet replaced just in back of the
tabled card. Repeat this process with the remaining 3 packets.
While the re-count may appear superfluous it really ii a psychological prover of the fairness of the count. The spectator may later

SU.Ll:'.Lug

J.U

__

..J

ea c n

n a v

Ln g

all

UUL-

jogged card. The out-jogging

action gives additional cover f or
~

........... 1 1 .....

4-

..... _ _ .....

1111-...:

1 ......

!]t
_

J:

J.
i:'

I
j

'.",.lli,';

.""", _...

",,~

:>

""""-_ .....

,. ,..L '

__ ..

' ...

....' .. ~...:.. .. : J ~ . ..:.._ .,

...:....0...

..;

'

~~" . ~ _ ._

.'. .... I. ... _.' : . _

. ...

329

f orget you c oun t ed t h e ca r d s t wice r emembering on ly th e last f ai r

coun t .... Reg9rdle s s you no w t urn the f our c ar d s f ace up to s how that
he ha d cu t 't o l oca t e t he fo ur Aces. In ano t her pa r t of t his vol ume
you wi l l fl nJ ot her methods anJ appro a c he s to th e, "S pe ctat o r Cuts
'l'h e Ace s" o Lf cc t .
SPECTATOR CUTS A D COUNTS TO THE ---En :DCT: Same as tha t submi t t e d t o t he " TOPS" in whi ch the sp e cta t or
cut s t he de ck into f ou r pack ets and t he va l ues of t he i r top c ards a r e
used to count do wn into each p ack et to arr ive at t he fo ur Ac e s . In
th is pre s ent version they can be any other four c a r d s of li ke value
or o ~ d i ffering values depend i ng on how y ou intend using ~ hi s approach.
Befor e proc eed ing the closes t method t o t he f our value
cut and count appeared in a La rs en and Wr i gh t ma nu s c r i p t . This wa s a
contri bution by Jack McMi l l en i n which, while he did not us e it to
ha ve the sp ect ator arrive a t the four Aces, it was us ed to force on e
o[ four Kings. The setup of the deck was basically the same except it
ran, from the top down, the Queen to Ace and th en the King. Now wher ever the spectator cut he used the valu e of the card, he cut, to count
do~n th at number into the lower po rtion.
This count forced the spectator to a r rive a t a Kin g. Wh ile yo u did not know which Kin g it wa s
no gre at problem to quick l y, by a f ew' qu e stions, a r ri v e at the actual
King. McMillen's bas ic idea l ater und erwen t a change in tha t on ly
on e run of c a r d s , Ten to Ac e, was u s ed a nd ad ap ted to an Annemann
effe ct "Count Your Card" . St ill l a ter the on e r un of c a r d s, no w of
one s uit , was t hen u sed in an e f f ect more closel y resem bling McM i l l e n 's
ap p ro ac h i n t ha t t he s pectat or c uts the deck ; ho wev e r, t h i s cutti ng
was do n e with th e dec k face up unt i l t he sp ec t a t or cu t t o a c a rd of
the requ ired sui t after wh i c h the deck was t ur n e d face down and the
va l u e of the now bo t t om card was used to coun t fr om the top o f the
d ec k t o arrive a t a p revious selection or at a predicted card . Now
a s far as I know the u se of a r un of c a r d s t o arrive at a spec if i c
c a r d was fir s t r eco r ded by Jack McMi l len but i f anyone finds a so ur c e
pr ev io us to t he Larsen and Wr i ght manus cript I woul d l i ke t o know.
.The e f fec t tha t follows i s ba s i c a l l y the same as t ha t
a lready desc r ibed i n the TOPS but because it isn 't the Aces tha t are
arrived at it ha s puz zled magicians who were familiar with the orig i na l method . To c ar r y t his off successfully you must do some fal se
shu f f l e s bu t t hey must not be of t he cla ss i c Strip- Out or Pus h Thru
,t yp e o r ev en t he Zar ro w or Shank Shuf fle . Any th i ng al ong t he line o f
a Far o Shu ff le or "The Roman Shuffle " ( See Rif f le Shu f fl e Sy st ems)
Jane sub l imi na ll y a "co upl e of t i me s is best. Also s p r ead i n g the deck
(ace up to show t he mixtur e of c a r ds is e s s ent ia l . Sinc e the cards do
not r un i n suit order and t he colors are mixed and th e i ndex e s are
upside do wn from the sp ect a tor' s side the sequ ent i al run wi l l not be
spotted. In the event that you do not know o f th e s ugges te d shuffle~
then do any Triumph Method a s s ugges te d in "P at en t ed Shu f f l e". In
this case you can spre ad the fac e up a nd face down halfs, re-square,
turn the packets over, respr e ad to a gain show face up and f ace down

ap p r u a C H

1.11 l:HaL

cue

::>peCl:a1:ur C U1. ::>

Llle

U eCK j

lluwt:vt: r ,

LJll.~

C U L Ll. u g

was do n e with th e dec k face up unti l the s p ec t a t or c ut t o a c a r d of

t he requ ired sui t after wh i c h the deck was t ur n e d face down and the
va 1 u e o f rh e now bo rt.orn c a rd wa s u s ed r o c oun t from th e ton o f th e

..

.J

;0

J
cards.
In this way you have indirectly conveyed the mixture of the
deck. After the "Triumph" effect your deck will still be in the
requir6U order which will now be given.

1. The deck is in order of King to Ace, from the top down, except for
the Sevens.
The Sevens become the bottom cards of each run of cards.
The values run in sequence but not the suits or colors which can be
anywhere.
Such a deck can be arranged secretly very quickly in your
lap.
Briefly locate any King, drop it face up on your lap.
Keep
running the cards and locate any Queen and drop it face up onto the
King.
Continue in this manner up to any 1lS e v e n" and place it aside.
Now follow with any Eight spot, etc., up to the Ace, then place the
nS e v e n1l onto the Ace.
Repeat this for the next three sets of run s.
You will be surprised at how quickly you will get the required set-up. ,
2. At this point proceed with the subliminal approach with the
suggested shuffles~ Spread the deck face up to show the apparently
shuffled deck.
Flip the spread over and scoop up the deck.
If you
h~ve pre-set the deck so that you only need one Out-Faro Shuffle now
is the time to do it and cut the deck. Again re-spread the cards
face up, flip them over and face down, then ' re-square the deck and
table it.

,J
'''~-.

"
,

..

,"

i"~

JJ

3. Have the spec ta tor cut the deck and complete the cut.
Pick up
the deck and do an 1lAll Around Squar e Up" to glimpse the bottom card.
What you should have, as the bottom card, is any value from 6 to 10 '
to avoid any minor problems.
If the desired value is not on-the , bottom have the deck cut until such a value is arriv ed at.
The additional cuts, especially to laymen, add to the procedure.
4. Having arrived at the required value card, at the bottom of the
;~
deck, table the deck.
Have the spectator cut the deck in half placing ,_,
the top portion to your right. Have him cut this half into halves
and again place the top portion to your right.
The lower half of the
deck is now cut in to halve s by the spec ta t.or with the top portion
/]
going to your right and alongside the ' f i r s t two portions.
'.
5.
Pick up the 1st packet on your left and hold it in YQur left hand
as for dealing. -rKumb over the top card taking it'by its upper right
corner, with the right hand, thumb on top and 1st and 2nd fingers
below.
Turn the right hand inward bringing the-Iace o~he card into
view.
Callout its value as you say, "You cut to a (nam e v alue of
card) so we will count that number into this packet." If the value
of the card is above a 7, then start the count with this card a s
"one" and up to the required value taking the cards one under the
other, not to reverse their order, then out-jog the card, at th e
number, for two-thirds its length. Table the packet leaving the card
out-jogged. Anytime the value of the shown card is under a 7, then
you start the count of "One" with the next top card as it is-taken to
under the card in the hand. Again out-jog the card at the arrived
number, then table the deck.
Repeat this procedure for the next two
packets.

6.
Push the out-jogged cards face down and forward to the table.
Assemble the packets, from your right to the left, one onto the other.

]
"1

.:
j' ,

- ._

. "

.. . .: :

"

. - y - -'

. ,"- . . . . . .

4. Having arrived at the required value card, at the bottom of the

,~
deck, table the deck.
Have the spectator cut the deck in half placing ,_,
th0.

ton nor1-ion

TO vrvn r-

riallT

H~\TP

him rllT

r.h i h a I f

inTO

h~lvpc:.

11- ,

d--~..A -

._- --_ -

~----_

__.--

.._.

-'- ~

. ,~ .

Ii
331

I'

I~
I;
" '
I-J
i~

Sp re ad the dec k f ac e up as you say, " You coulu ha ve cut to any o f

these carus ." Flip th e dec k over a nd face down leavI"i1i it 'tabl e d.
Turnover t he four tabled c ard s face up as you say, "But you cut to
the f our Sev ens," to conclud e the ef f ect. Replace the four Sev ens
on top o[ the deck fa c e s down. Sinc e the deck is still in ord er all
you hav e t o do. is r epl ace e ac h " Seven" to i n f r on t ,of e a c h Ac e a t a
la te r t i me or open l y f an the dec k, wi th fac e s t oward s yours elf, t o
i nsert t he "Seven s" into diffe r en t part s of t he'dec k. You a re a ll
set t o re pea t t he e f f ec t at any time . Mag i cians wi l l n ot be ab l e
to r econ struc t t he e f f ect u sing t he "Sev ens" e sp eci a l ly s i nce t hey
will mi ss the s light di s c r epancy in the count whe n a v a lue l owe r
than a "Seven" is used . The bold ,s pr ea d i ng of the deck faces up also
add s to their dilemma.
.

'~

'.

SOLOMON' S FOU R CARD PREDICTION (Dav i d Solomo n)

.1
i

~o

,
,
The following i s the way Dav e Sol omon us e s t he pre vious c ut t i ng effect . It has a good impa ct for both laymen and
magicians . In effect , the per forme r rem oves four c a r d s from a
s hu f f l ed de ck and pla ce s these fa ce down , i n a r ow, in f r ont of
,h i ms e l f . Anot her de ck , di f f e r ent c ol or and de s i gn i f n e ed be but
not requi~ed, is th en cut i n t o f our pac ket s. The top c ard value of
e ach i s us ed to count down i nto eac h pa ck e t . These f our card s th~ n
match th e perfo r me r 1 s f our 'c a r d s . The y a r e all "S ev en s".
1. One de ck i s s e tup as r equired . The o ther deck is not and can be
a bo r r owed deck . While the spectator is shuffling the one deck you
hav e ample misdirection to seemingly shuffle yours .
2 . Take h i s de c k and rem ove the f our S e v~ n s plac ing these , without
showing th em, face down to the t ab l e, in a r ow, in fr ont of yourse lf.
, Pl a c e the r e st of t he deck aside . Fr om he re continue wi t h t he setup
deck as alr eady outl ined ex ce p t deal ea c h card a r r i ve d at to th e tabl e
in fr on t of e a c h pac k e t.
3. Poin t out that you removed f our c a rd s be f or e the spectator cut
to t he f our tabl ed cards. Turn one of your cards face up as you say ,
"I ha ve a Sev en . " Turn t he spe ctator's c ar d face up and on t o its
r e spe ct ive pac ket saying, "And you cut t o a Seven ." Con t i nue with
, t h e rema i n i n g t a bl ed c a r ds in the s ame amnner d isclo s i ng t hem one a t
' a tim e acc ompani e d by bas ic al ly t he same lin e s y ou or i g inall y d eliver ed. The reaction is v ery favor abl e.
Whil e I hav e describ ed the e ff e c t s usin g " Sev en s"
any o ther f our value c a r ds can be u sed . In fa ct y ou c an f orce f our
di f f e r en t value s thus enlarging t he scope o f the s etup de ck . As an
example is the f o ll owing e f f e c t.
DATE PREDICTI ON
EFfECT:

A deck of card s is cut into fo ur pa cke ts and four c ard s

at match th e date on a borrowed coin.

~rrived

1.

L. .

(Marlo)

Since mos t , c o i n s start with the numb ers

~a. .I\. C;

J LL ~ '

uC; \,... .I\.

i:1U U

l :Clll VVC

l.. U C

.L VU1:

'::>cv cu~

these f irs t two v alu e s

P.Li:1 \,... .l.ug

l..HC;:'C ,

W.Ll..JlUUL

showi ng th em, f a c e down to the t ab l e, in a r ow, in fr ont of yourse lf .

, Pl a c e the r e st of t he deck asi de . Fr om here con tinu e wi t h t he setup
de
ck as alr
eady outl ined ex ce p t de al ea c h c ard a r r i ve d a t to th e tabl e
. .: _ .c__ .....
. . . . ..........
~

_'1-.

..... _ , __ "'-

,.
,,
\
t

I'

j.'

(II

..

-.,.

----"..

- _. _ ~~

can alre ady b e p re- s e t.

Th e probl em no w' i s to s et t wo r emai n in g
v al u e s t o mat ch t h e date o n the bo r r owe d co i n.
The f ol l owing i s the
5 a 1 u t j on a t .r t 11 .i s d a t e .
2 . Prom the top down the 1st run of 13 cards has the Ace as the .1 3t h
The second run of carcfs alreadyhas its 9 value c a r d displaced,
c a r d.
to i n f r on t of th e Ac-e , making the 9 t h e 26 th car d fro m th e t op .
,
T}h e r e ma i n i.n g two r uns are i n Kin g t o Ac eoroe r . f r om to p d own.
Crimp ,.,
t ic 6 t h card fr om t h e t o p, an 8 v~ lue card, at lts l ower l e ft c o r n e r.
You will need an excuse to run-thru t h e dec k so p lace on Joker on
top of t he deck and the other Jo k er in front o f the se c o n d Ace -f r om
t h e bottom . With the d e ck thus set place it i n t o th e card case until
ready to perform. Whe n the cards are removed f r om the c a r d case
table it and then ask the spectator if he has any loose change.
Rei
qu e st -h i m to reach into h is p ocket and ~emove any coin . While you
.1
arc t hus a d d r e s s i n g him and he is busy g etti ng t he coi n is when you
c a s u al l y do one or two false shuf fles and a cut or two ret aining th e
- order o f the deck . Again the shuffles ar e subl iminal and no speci a l
attention is dir ected to the m.
3 . When the spectator removes th e coin h o l d out -your hand and as h e
ha n d s it to you lo ok a t it, quickly note its date , then say , " Tha n k s. "
Af t er a ny ti t ter ha s subsided h old t he coi n on the palm of yo u r h a n d
asking h i m t o drop . it into a glass to prove the coin is n o t i llu sion.
Now s tate that f o r this you wi l l also us e a deck of cards . Turn the
d e c k wi t h f a c e s towards yo u r s elf i n re ad iness to s pr e ad it b etwee n
Let's a ssume t h a~ t h e date y ou noted on the coin wa s
bo t h hand s.
19 47. All you ne e d to rememb e r i s 4 7 si nc e t h e 1 9 numb er ha s alr e a d y
been tak en care of in the setup o f ilie deck.

1J

4. As yo u sp read t h e de ck b e twe e n bo t h hands yo u run th e 4- sp ot,

wh ich i s the first n umb e r o f the d ate 47, t o und er th e spre ad.
Con tinue the spread till you r e ach th e first Joker. At this point th e
right ha nd pl aces its cards face down to t he ta b l e . Th i s b rings t he
i v alue c ard on top o f the tabled pa cke t . The J ok e r is at the fa c e
o f the card s in the le ft h and . Th e ri ~ht hand takes off th e Jok er
t o t oss it face up to the t able . Now continue spreading the card s
til l y o u reach the seco n d req ui r ed va lue, i n t h i s c a s e a 7; fo r th e
,.
'
d ate 4 7. The rig h t hand places its cards face down onto the tabl ed
c a r d s le a v i n g th e 7 spot at the face of the cards in the left hand .
Now cut t hese cards completi n g the cut and hold ing no break s . Lo wer
' bo t hlWnd s s o spe c tat or can n ow s e e the fa ce s . This time qui c k ly
spread the card s unti l you r each the fin al Jo k er . Out-jo g the Jo k e r
and the ri ght hand at once takes i t s cards , plus the out-jo gg ed Jok er ,
The left hand n ow
a s we l l a s th e 7 value card to b e l ow t h e Joker.
pl a c e s its ca rds face d own onto the ta b led card s, t hen comes back to
remo v e t he J oker to t o s s it fa ce up to the table.
Th e right ha nd no w
p l a c e s its remaining cards f a c e down onto the t abled cards. The dec k
is now basically still set -up exc ept for the d i splacement o f the 4
and 7 value cards. The hand l i ng o f the c ards during t his has als~
ind.i"rectl y co nve ye d the ide a that the deck is in no s p eci al order s o
cv
l cn i f you did not do a n y f a lse shuffles the placing of small packet s , .J
ti e cut, t he n t he alterna t ed lef t and ri ght pl ac eme nt of th e remaining
card s g ive t he i mpr essi o n o f care less mix in g of ca r ds .

]
'.

]
4.
AS yo u spreaa t h e a ec K be tw e e n bo th hands you r u n th e 4 sp ot,
which i s the first n umb e r o f the dat e 47, to und er the spre ad . Con tinue the spread till you re ach th e first Joker. At this point t h e
right ha nd pl ac es its cards face do wn to t he table.
Th i s b rings t h e
11

...... ,.. ,

.. . .....

-. ....._

...1

,... __

4- ... _

..L.

......... L ,

..l

....... _ 1

~ ~ 4-

tT'

1_

~ ~

__

..:: _

~.L..

.L.

1_ _

.]

--_. ~-

... _

- _ . ~_. ~

--- - - -- . - - -

--

- _._ ...

_---~

- -- ----~

__

..

.- ~~. ~~'........,

_~

_.. . -~

--

.......

- ~ ---

....... . ~_
.

_.
333

5. Wit h t h e de ck t ab l e d have the spe c tat or cut the de ck . Thi s p l ac e s

the crimped card som e wher e in th e center ' o f the deck.
Now sa y to th e
spectator, " I wan t y o u to cut the ca rds lik e t h is," a s you casuall y
cut t hctd e c k" at the c r i mp but le ave the cut un comp leted . Lo ok a t the
spectato r and s a y , "B ut I want y ou to cu t them more even ly tha n that ,
abou t half a n d ha lf. " Ca sual l y p l ac e the lo wer portion onto t he to p
portio n bringirrg the crimped card to the bottom of the deck.

II

'i
'I
i

'I:1

i J~

I~

.~

16

~.
.f

6 . Po sition the deck with the s h o r t ends facing y ou and t h e s p ec t a t o r.

lIave him cut t h e c a rd s in ha lf p la c i ng t h e up per por tion to y ou r l ef t.
llave him cut thi s portion i n h al f ag ai n p l a cin g th e top quarter o f
th i s h al f t o y our l e ft.
The remain in g ha l f o f de ck , whi ch is the
'l o we r ha l f, is n ow cu t i n half a g a i n p la cing t h e t op quarter t o y our
lef t .
7.
I . the cuts are fairly equa l t he
4 p a cke t s, fro m y o ur l e ft t o
right, have the Ac e , Nine , F o u r ~ and Se~en ~et for the counting pro ced u r e~
Al l you have to remember is to u s e the Discrepancy Co u n t on
the 2nd , 3rd , and 4th pa ckets if they s houl d b e req ui r ed . Sinc e y o u
know~e val u e s s e~n each p a c k et t h i s p re s e nt s n o d i f f iculty; h owever, an example will be given using the date wh ich in this c a s e is
1 9 4 7.
The 1st p a c k et , on your left , has a " On e " value , the Ace , set
a t 1 3th s o any top ca rd's va lue c a n be u s ed and i n cluded i n t h e co u nt.
' Po r -rEe 2n d pa ck e t any car d tu r n ed u p wit h a valuel e ss , than 9 y o u do
no t include the t op c a r d but start the c o u n t on the ne xt ca rd . For
t h e 3r d packet a n y val ue less than a 4 you wo u l d us e t h e Discrepancy
Coun~ For the 4 t h packet anything fess than a 7 value you would use
the Dis c r ep a nc y Coun t. A fe w pra c tic e run s t h r oug h th e e ffe ct wi l l
quic k l y give you th e idea of the timing and rhythm, with appropiate
p att e r, o f both the fair count and the Dis crepancy Count so that they
b ec ome pr a ctically indistinguishable f r om each o t h e r .
'
8 . ' As b e for e ea c h arr i v e d a t card i s o u t - jo g g ed a nd the p a c k e t
t abl e d.
By this t i me every on e h a s practically fo rgo tten about t h e
co i n a n d o f wh i c h you ,r e mi n d them at this point. Hav e the spectator
' u u mp t he c oin out o f t h e glass i n t o his han~ .
Now te l l h i m t o g ive
you th e d ate on th e co in on e numb e r at a t i me . As e ach numbe r i s
called you t urn each out -jo gg ed c a r dr ace u p, from your left to ri ght,
but st op wh e n he call s the last number.
Look up and ask , " Ar e y ou
sur e ? Look a g a i n . " When he veri fies the last number as be ing corr e ct
you a d d , " I f y ou sa y s o , " as you turn th e la s t ca rd f a ce up t o disclos e the comple te d ate.
9 . Gild ing the Date Predicti on is possi ble in that f or an add ed
cl im a x you t el l t he s pe c tat or t hat y ou knew a l l a l o ng t h at he wou l d
choos e a (valu e o f coin nam ed ).
With th is y ou p rove it by cutting
some cards o f f the t op of e a c h packet t o discl o s e four c oins o f
lik e value resting on each pack et . S i n c e in the majority o f cases
the av er ag e spectator wil l have either a penny , dime , n ic k e l, o r a
quart er a mong h i s chan g e y ou c an eas i ly ma k e up . a hold er to hold
[our s e ts o f th e va r iou s coin denomina t i ons . Th e ho ld e r i s simply
some fairly stif f paper ab out f i v e and hal f in c hes long , o n e and
th r e e q uarter inches wide f o r an inch and seven eights length , then
the rest of the l e n g t h is one a n d ' a quart e r inch e s wid e.
Fold the
paper in hal f.
Next insert 4 qua r t e r s into t he wi des t pa r t of the

8 . ' As b e for e ea c h ar rived at car d i s o u t - jo g g ed a nd the packet

t abl e d.
By this t i me ever yon e h a s pract ically forgo tten a bo ut t h e
co i n a n d o f which you ,r e mi n d t h em at this point . Have the spectator
uump the c oin out o f the glass i n to his han~ .
Now te l l h im to g ive
' Tn "

+ 1,,\ ,...

~ '\ +-rJ.

ro. T"'!o

+ "\-,. _

_ '-""; T"'!o

,....,....,...

~., ..

,,'Y'r"I 1-.._"""""

.... -f ~

,.,

"; m _

/\,...

.........

,,"1...

_ .. .._1- ..... ......

.: ..-

,-

,:..J

strip an d s t a p l e i t o ff on ea c h s id e of th e q u a r t ers to hold th em in

pl ac e . Rep e a t this wi t h th e 4 ni c kel s, placing t h em n e xt t o th e
quarter 's ' a n d 's t a pl in g o ff a t the o ne op en e n d n e ar t he n i ck e l s . Next
t h e 4 dim e s a n d 4 penn i e s a r e tr e at ed l i k e wi s e.
Th e se t s of co i n s
will-hold and yet be eas i ly pinch ed ou t by th e ri ght fin ger s a n d
thumb . Thi s hold er, wi t h its coins, is place d int o the out sid e coat
pocke t on the right .
10 . Th e ri gh t hand gets th e requir ed four c o i n s , fr om t h e hold er ,
during th e tim e the s p e ct a tor i s bu sy cu t t i ng th e d e ck into f o u r
packet s.
TIl e coins ar e s i mply fin g e r palmed in the c lass i c p o s i t i o n
a t the ba s e o f the 2n d a nd 3r d fi n g e rs .
11 . Th e l e f t h a nd p i c k s u p th e 1 st packet on y our l e ft adv a nc in g th e
,'I;
t op ca rd . Me antim e yo u r r i g h t ha nd, wi t h t he a i d o f t he r i ght t h umb,
1
h a s pu s h e d the t o p co in , of the four f ing e r pa lm ed , towa rd s th e t i p s
o f t h e ' r i gh t 1 s t a nd 2nd f i nge r s . Th e ri ght ha n d i s he ld p al m t owa r d s
the b od y a t t liTS time-.- Now t he ri g h t h and a p p r o a c h e s t h e t o p ca rd
]
f 6 th e pa c k e t a n d t h e r i gh t 1 s t a nd 2n d finger s ex te nd to und e r the
car d as th e card is t a k en by it s r i g ~ s id e at abo u t ce n te r . The
ri ght 3rd a n d 4 t h f in g e r s are curl e d inward and th e ri ght th umb wil l
'J'
extend a cro s s t h e palm a nd al so ai d in co n c e a l i n g th e pa l me d c o i n s .
'.
You a lso have the a n g l e o f vision i n your favo r . Th e right h an d turns
p alm inwar d s to show t h e fa c e of th e c a r d . Dur in g this ri ght Ls t and
1
2nd f ing e r s e as i l y conc e al a coi n up t o t he siz e of a q u a r t e r ."?"
.jl
12. Turn th e ca rd f a c e d own a n d do t h e c o un t t a ki n g eac h c ar d und e r
t h e o t her b u t a l s o makin g s u re t h a t ea c h car d a l so goes ab o v e t h e
coin. As th e ar riv e d at c ard is o ut- jogge d th e r i g h t 1 s t a n d 2nd
fin g er s p u s h t h e coi n t o t h e l e ft a nd f u r t he r u n d e r thecar d s.----rhe
le ft tllumb c l a mps d own fi r ml y t o ins ure k e e pin g t he c o in i n p la ce
as th e l e f t hand rep l a c e s the pac k e t t o the t abl e . Repea t th i s l o a d i ng pro c e du r e fo r t h e r e ma i ni n g thr e e pac ke ts . Wi th a co in l o a d e d
into e a ch pa c k e t y ou fi r st dis cl o s e t he dat e as a l rea dy e x p l ain ed.
Pa r a kick e r, cut off c ar d s f r om ea c h p ac kq t to di s cl o se th e fo ur
al ike va lu e c oins to mat ch t h e s p ec t a t o r ' s c ho ic e o f c o i n . Th e
que stion n o w is , " Wi l l t he pro d uc tio n o f the f ou r c o i n s ove r -ri d e
the myst e ry of the da t e p r e d i c t i on? " I f i t do e s, d i s c a r d it a n d u se
it as a sep a r a te it e m i n a n o t h e r context.
Thu s y ou wi l l hav e t wo
effects in s t e ad o f on e .
I f it do e sn' t ove r - r id e th e predic t i o n b u t
becomes a p a rt o f it a n d b ecomes a wh o le , then yo u c a n keep it i n
or stil l d i s c a rd it.
I t ' s u p to y o u .

)
]
]

]
]
]

SP LITT ING TH E ARROW

Fro m . a st andp o in t of c ommerc i a l i s m an d app e a l t o th e
average ma g i c i a n, Fra n k Ga r ci a a n d Fr. Cypria n h i t t h e " Bull s e ye" in
th e " Star s o f Mag i c " r el e a s e u n d e r th e same t itl e bu t to s t a te tha t
t Ile ba si c idea , whi c h th e t he c h ron i c e d i t o r of Pa l l b e a re rs co me u p on
accidentall y, is bri llian t
ma k e s one wond er.
For e x a mp l e , I h a d
only reaJ th e a d s [ or t h e e f f e c t wh i c h bas i ca ll y s t a te d that f o ur
Aces gatll er e d o n e at a tim e under a r ound hol e.
Wh en I saw o n e of
t he loc al boy s pu llout a c i r c u l a r d i sc of sp on g e ru bbe r I s aid ,
"What is t h at su p p osed to d o ? Dr a g o ne o f th e Ac e s un der i t as y ou
pa ssed it ov e r them?" He wa s surp r i s ed a n d a sk e d how I knew to wh i ch

'

J
]

" ~

~ f~"-"'-~";""~,","!_~'-,",,"""""-", ~""_n""~"""'~;"--'~h~,"" '---~"'~"~"__ "=_.~_........"':l'-'-,, ~..:LJ '..~". -,:,-_"-'_,,,._~'. _. , _... __.:.:... ~"..~._.""~,~-'__...-:_...~>"",~,_'"
~

N''''

335

1 r cp Li c d , "Seems rather obvious when I 's aw that piece of rubber."

Later pn so~e oItho othor local boys came in and the young man with
the sp~nge tried out the effect for them. When he deliberately
dropped that rubber disc onto the squared packet of Aces and then
pressed down on the sponge to move it off to one side one of the .boy s ,
who had not heard of the effect, asked, "What does that do? Drag one
of the Aces with it?" 'If you didn't know, after this first opening
procedure how the other Aces were going to go unuer this sponge you
would have to be blind. The handling of the Aces was not too well
thougllt out, the squared packet of Aces, which spread when the sponge
was moved off of them or past them, was a great deterent and the best
bit was when the last (?) Ace was face up on the table. Yes, they
hit the Bullseye with their arrow but perhaps they should have tiied
for splitting the arrow. Anyway what follows is my attempt to do
just 't ha t .
1. Obviously the rubber disc must go. I replaced it with a magazine
the size of a Reader's Dig~st or TV Guide. Besides ever since Da~id
Roth came up with the Portable Hole everybody has been going into the
hole business. The cards should be borrowed and the four Aces must
always remain spread out to clearly show how many there are at each
phase of the routine.---Finally everything should be examinable so .
that even a 'magician will not be able to duplicate any moves he may
have suspected.
2. The big secret is the magazine which has been secretly prepar ed
before hand. This consists in simply appl~ing rubber cement, 'in the
center of the magazine, no lar ger than the size of a half dollar or
even a quarter depending on your marksmanship as will be explained."
This small circle of rubber ~ement is applied to both sides of the
magazine and let thoroughly dry. After this you will find the rubber
cement will drag a card as you pass the magazine over the tabled car ds.
Naturally you must make sure the rubber cement spot will come in contact with the card that is to be secretly carried away. You can work
on your close up pad or a cloth covered table and even a bare table.
Any scraping noise will be attributed to the magazine.
3. From the borrowed deck remove four Aces plus an X card. " This X
card is secretly in the center of the four Aces. Use any suit arran ge ment you wish. Now in showing the Aces you must first believe you
only have the four A~~s. If you do not believe you have only four
Aces, then you will overhandle the packet with Ascanio Spread s both
face up and face down, plus any other so called subtle subterfuges
that come to your guilty mind. What you really want is to show the
four Aces back and face and at th e same time get the required layout
to start the effect.
4. The magazine is placed to your left near the edge of the table.
The still face down Ace packet is now picked up for the first time
and placed faces down into the left hand dealing position. Thumb
over the first Ace and take it from above, by the ends, with th~
right hand. Turn the right hand palm up to show the face of the Ace
calling its name. Place it forward and face down to the table or
close-up pad. Take the next Ace displaying it as before. This time
the Ace is placed onto and alongside, to the right, with the first

II..,
J:
.,;!,(- --- - - -.--l1TTs - 'Snn:rTT -c:Trc-l~e--(Jr -r uLn:fe-r" -cemen1:" -l.S app i i e c
~

I~

1:0 D01:n s i.c e s 01: t rie

ma g a Z i n e . and let thoroughly dry. After this you will find the rubber
~~~~~~,~~l~_~r~~_~ c~~~ as you pass the magazine over the tabled cards.

36

tabled Ace leaving about five -eights of an inch showing of the left
sidc of the 1st tabled Ace shown - . Sing le Buckle the lowermo st card 1
with the rig~hand taking the top two cards, as one, to show the 3rd ~J
Ace. Placc' this card(s) face down onto and alongside, to the right,of
- t he other two tabl ed Aces. Show the la st Ace, always snap the last
~
.
Acc, then place it onto and alongside the 3rd Ace, to the right, thus J
forming a spread of four visible card s. T~top card is a single Ace .
while the next card is a double card with the ~ card uppermost.

.,

5. The right hand picks up the magazine, by its inner side, with
right thumb going below finger s on top. Turn the hand palm up , then .
palm down, to show.both sid~s o f m a g a ~ i n e . Now as ~ight hand turn s
palm up, also turnIng magazIne over, It moves m~gazIne across the Aces ~
then continues to the right to deposit the maga zine to your r ig h t
about six or seven inches away from the Ace s. Now what really has
,
llappened is that the rubber c ement on the maga zine conta ct s th e t op
J
Ace o f the four c ard s p rea d a nd c a r ri e s it of f, und er the ma g a zi n e ,
to the right. At th e sam e time the Double ca r d will automaticallY
".
split thus s t i l l s howi ng a four card s p rea d . As far a s your a ud ie n ce ji
is concerned nothing has happ ened. You will even fool y our sel f let
alone some magici an that may be watching as I hav e proven.

"1

6. Pick up t he four suppo sed Aces, really 3 Aces and an X card n ow,
displayin g them f ace down with t wo cards in~each hand. Place the
two c ard s [r o ~ t h e r i ght hand b et we en th e two cards fr om th e le f t
hand. This brings the X card to 2nd from th e to p of th e pack et.
Pretend to invisibly r emove an Ace:rrom the pack et, call ing its n am e
~in ce you will have worked out the order in which the Ace s - wjll a r r i ve ~,
then toss it t owards th e ma gaz ine. With th e packet in th e l eft ha nd
,
push o ver the top c ard, t aking i t by the e nds, with the ri gh t hand
~,
from a bov e , flash its fa ce , calling its nam e, then pl ac e it f a c e do wn
to the table. Do a Single Buckle or a Pulldown of th e bot t om card as "
the ri ght hand now t ake s tw o c ar ds , as on e, t o s how th e face of the
J
Ace. Place this card( s) fac ~ do wn onto the fir st tabled Ace but s i de jogged to the l eft this tim e for a bou t five-eights of a n inch. Sho w ]
the rema ining Ace placin g it onto thetabl,ed Ace s also side -jo gg ed
.:
to the l eft to display a spr ead o f thre e cards.
\,
7. WitJ the ri ght hand grasp th e right side of th e magazin e, with
the fin gers bene ~th a nd the thumb on top, then turn the maga zine ov er
towards the left and bru shing it a c r o s s the thre e t abl ed card s as th e
right hand c arries the mag a zin e to th e left, then inwards tow ard s
yourself to dep osit th e magazin e to y ou r left. The right hand th en
turns tIle Ace , which arrived under the maga zine , f ace up l eaving it
in it s or i g i .n a I position. Needl e ss to say that as th e maga z in e pa s sed
over the spre ad o f the thr e e tabled cards the top card, an Ace , was
automatic ally carried a way wh i le at the same time t he Double card
again split thus sti~l displayin g a spread of thr ee fac e down cards.

~j
'.'_

.")
I
J

~J

8. Now it seems utterly ridiculous to pre ss down on a piec e o f

c.ircular rubber and be abl e to s l i de it in po sition over th e first Ace .
lt seems quite obviou s th at so met h i ng un d er it i s e na bl i ng you t o thu s 'l
move i t and what el s e would it be ex ce p t an ot her card. The onl y
J
!oglcal way to do it would be to gra sp the it em in qu e stion a nd dra g
r t over onto the f i r s t arr iv ed Ace; th er e fo re, that i s the wa y you
h.md Lc the maga zine.
It i s impo rtant that on l y the fin gert i ps and

~ . ~ .. ,.. _. r.- ,~ . ' -"" ~~- ' ~ " 'i'''''' - ' '
#

'

...

..__.,n

'

to the table. Do a Single Buckle or a Pulldown of the bottom card as "

the ri ght hand now t akes two cards, as on e, to s how th e f a ce of the
J
Ace. Place this card(s) fac~ down onto the first tabled Ace but s i de -

.......

337

thumb grasp the magazine as you do not want any semblance of having
picked'up anything else with it.
In this case the right fingertips
enter under the right isde of the magazine with the thumb on top.
Drag the magazine to the right and over the face up tabled Ace to
cover it.
You now have two Aces under the magazine, one face up ' and
one face down.
.
9.
Pick up the 3 supposed Aces to hold them squared and face down in
the left hand. Xgain pretend to remove an Ace invisibly, with the
right hand, then toss towards the magazine.
I have tried several
ways to show the 3 cards as now being only two Aces and the following
is easy, subtle, and fairly convincing. With the right 1st finger
lift off only the top card, keeping the remaining two well squared
in the left hand, then let this .s i n g l e card snap off of the left
thumb as you say, "That leaves us one --", replace the card without
showing its face, then turn the packet face up and back into the
left hand.
Lift off only the face card, with . the right hand as before, then snap it to emphasize its singleness as you continue by
concluding your patter line with the added words of, "two Aces."
They now see two Aces so the patter line fits and appears that you
have shown each Ace singly.
Turn the packet face down into . the left
'h a n d . Do a Single Buckle or Pu1ldown as the right hand takes two
cards as one, from above by the ends, to again show the Ace, then
place this card(s) face down to the table.
During this the left
fingers also snap its single Ace which the right hand takes, from
above by the ends, shows its face, then places it face down onto
the tabled card(s) again side-jogged to the left as before to form
a t~o card spread.
10.
The right hand grasps the right si~e of the magazine, ~iththe
fingers beneath and thumb on top, then turns it over to the left
carrying it as b e f or e across the spread of cards on the left to .
brush off and carry away the top card while the Double card splits
to form a two card spread.
The magazine is again near you to your
.l e f t . The right hand turns over the face" down card, that is with
the face up Ace, to disclose the arrival of the 2nd Ace.
The right
hand fingertips and thumb grasp the right side orthe magazine to
drag it over towards the 2 face up Ace to cover them thus loading .
the 3rd Ace.
11.
The two remaining cards are picked up and h61ding a "card in
each hand snap them past each other to clearly show only two cards.
At this point you must believe you have two Aces so don't go through
.a n y unconvincing subtleties like mis-calling one and showing the
other. Simply place the X card under the Ace and hold them squared
and rather deep in ~he leTt hand. Hold your left hand near the edge
of the table.

>,
<

"

12.
Pretend to remove an Ace invisibly, namIng it, then toss it
towards the magazine.
During this your left hand tilts inward as
the left thumb pushes the top card slightly forward so its top end
is across the left 1st finger.
The right hand grasps the single Ace,
from above by the enos, then snaps it face up by releasing the inner
end from the right thumb which results in the single Ace held face
up by its right end with the thumb on the face and fingers below.
The right hand turns palm down, turning the Ace face down, to at

!J.
Ii >
!~

III.'

I
j'
~
j

,.

,.,-

~"

'i; ' '';''':;;

. - r'- ' "

~ . '''''' '~

'

, .C> ' .~ , ~'

, ~'

~ .~ ..- ; ,: - ' , - '

' ''' ''' , -:- '

1- - '"

-"-' " , ,

~, ~. ,....,. . .

"

~;:' ~ . ~

~ ..

-' )"

~ : . J:

;-.,' ..- : .-_

~. ~)

~~

.,.,...'''''-:--

~'$'":~

~ -~

. .

10.
The right hand graspi the right side of the magazine, ~iththe
fingers beneath and thumb on top, then turns it over to the left
carryinQ it as b e f or e across the spread of cards on the left to
.

~ - - . - ~-nr ~?L

" ..-

~.

_.

- -'

!
UIJl.':C dupo s i t It s qua r c Ly onto the semi -palmed card i n the l e f t hand.
Both carps a ~ e at onc e squared up a s the left fingers and t humb bend
down' t he s I dc s of t h e c a r d s. The r Igh t hand, s till holding the card (s )
f rom a bove by t he ends, depos i ts t he car d( s) fa c e down t o th e ta h l e
us app a ront ly on e c a rel.

13 . Without any stalling the r ight hand grasps the right side o f the
magazine, ringers beneath a nd the thumb on top, to turn it over to
the left and carry it across and past t h e single(?) fac e down c a r d ( s )
on th e t ab le. Nee d less to s ay t ha t the top card of th e two , an Ace,
is bru s hed off to un de r t h e magaz i ne which agai n en ds up nea r you to
your le ft . The right hand t ur n s ov e r the face down ca r d t hat i s .wi t h
th e two face up Ac es t o show the arrival of the 3rd Ace.
14. Thi s time the right hand spreads ou t the l Aces, face up , from
l e f t t o ri ght i n fa i r l y wide s pr ea d and pu shes them f orward . The
right hand then gr asps t h e r i ght s i de of the ma ga zin e, only t he tip s
of t he f ingers entering be l ow t he magazine with the thumb on top,
then drags the magazine to the pos ition t hat wa s previously the 3
Aces position . Also the right hand posi tions the maga zi n e so tha t
n ow the long side i s towards t he pe rform er . . The r i ll~t. han d n i ck s l ID
~
. t h e spread 3 Aces , with the iigh t thumbb eneath and fl nger s 2n the fac~' .J
a t th e ir i nne r end s. The l e f t hand meantime slightl y l i ft s up t he
i nner s i de on l y of the magazine and the right hand slides i t s sp read
'1
of 3 Aces under the magaz i ne and over th e face do wn Ace t ha t i s
..
sec retly under the magazine. The 3 s pr ead out Aces c ov e r co mp let ely
the face down c a r d whic h now lies lengthwise under the 3 spr e ad face
up Aces.
15 . Pi ck up the shppo ~ed single face down Ac e on yo ur i e ft and
using b oth hands snap lts sides to denote it is a sing le card but
do not show its f ace . Replace the card fa c e down to the t able s a yi n g
you will ha ve to make t h i s last Ace vanish by melting it away. The
right hand pi cks up the magazine , whi ch brings into view the 3 s pr e ad
Aces, t hen pl a c e s th e ma ga zin e on to th e ta~ led fa ce do wn c a r d. St a t e
you wi ll generate the required heat to melt t h e Ace . Wit h this the
le ft hand keeps the maga z i n e in pl ac e wh i l e th e ti ps of the right
hand's four fingers are rubbe d bris kl y across the c ent er of t he
magazine. Dur ing th is you also are rubb i ng of f th e rubb er c ement .
Having don e t h i s l i f t up the magazine with th e right hand at the same
time turn i n g ov e r t he ma ga zine as you t a k e it wi th th e lef t han d .
The s upp osed Ace is sti ll there. Repl a c e t he magazine c ov e r i n g the
supp osed Ace again. Repeat the rubbing ac tions thus also rubbing
o f f the rubber cement fro m t hi s side of the ma ga zine . Lift the
magazine, with the right hand, by its inner side wi t h the thumb be n e a t h and fingers on top. The left hand picks up the card , then
to sse s i t back down a s you s a y , "S t ill not ho t enoug h . t l This tim e
keep t he l e ft ha n d near the card wi th th e fi ng erti ps of t he left
hand near the top end of the card . This time the right 'ha nd covers
t he c a r d by l e t t i ng t he outer side of the maga zine touch the table
fi rst . This momentarily covers the card and t he le ft hand. Just
be fo r e t h e r ight hand lo wers the ma ga zine th e lef t 2nd f i nge r t i p
kicks t he t op en d o f t he car d inward c a using it to gO-Off th e t abl e
a n d . into your lap . Rub the magaz in e, th en l i f t i t up aga i n t o s how
that the car d is gone. Look towa rds the Aces - t he r e are still on l y

nanas snap l~S slaes TO aeno~e ~~ ' lS a slng ~e

do not show its f ace . Replace the card fa c e down to th e
you will have to make t h i s last Ace vanish by melting i t
right hand pi cks up the magazine , whi ch brings into vi ew
Ace s . the n n L a c e s t he ma ca z i n e on to th e ta bled f a c e do wn
us~ng

Do~ n

car a DUT
t abl e s a y i n g
away. The
the 3 s pr e ad
c a r dT St.at.

1
,..,.

; ,t

]
,)
1

.d1

J
~

j.

J
-.J
~,
:~

_ _.. ~ _ _ .._.';.1-._ . _...

~
!r
; .u
j
~~

If
l

>-;1

fi

~~

, j'.,

-r

;~

:1.
.f:!

~:

\~

'.
i

J
j.

.}

-,,.

..
'

:~
f:~

:~

i:

j}

I~

if

Ii
t"

:t

t,it

?f"

I~

j'

I!
!~
j -

,.

~~

1;-,

it.

I;Ii

,.
~

e.

. _ .__ ... _ ,~. _ .

3 of them v i s i bl e . Wi t h the right hand "fingers pull back the 3

Aces t:~ d i sc Lo s e t he face down card. Turn this f a c e up to show it
is the fin al Ac e .
top of deck.
16. In pl ace of la~ping th~ last ~ard can 'b e Ptlac:~t~~ the
inv isible
The magazine can be p~aced over the Aces or no .
Reveal
its
bit the top card of dec k is shown as no longer an Ace.
arr ival among the other Aces.
17. Some may not care f or t h e hol d in g out of t h e X c a rd at the point
where you app a r en t ly va nis h on e of t he t wo r emain ing Ac es . For thi s
I ha v e a do p t ed a pr ocedure that avoids it a nd a ls o enables you t o
sho w t he fa ce of t he s uppo s e d last Ac e . Th is t h en in t urn lea ds t o
a sub t le or a t - least a di f f e r en t method of loadi ng t he las t Ac e .

-,

18. 'Le t l s pick up at the sta ge wher e you no w have t wo s ingl e cards,
one oJ t h em be i ng an Ace and t he other a n X c ard. I n pl acing ' t he t wo
cards t og ether the Ace wi ll b ecome th e bottom ca rd. Bo t h ar e held
now a s on e i n the left hand. Pre tend to rem ove on e inv i sibly to
' t o s s it towards the ma g a zine. The ri ght hand no w s imply gr a sp s th e
right s id e of the cards, with thumb on top a nd 1st and 2n d fi n g e r s
below, to turn them ov er just as if you wer e doIng a Double Tur nov e r
'wi t hou t th e deck. Turn the ca rds over to the l eft and rath er forward
so that as soon as they land, a s one, face up the left 1st finger at
once pre sses inward on th e up p e r ends causing th e c ard s to s l i de inward their sides being pr e s sed between the bas e o f th e l e ft thumb
and f i ngers. This a c t i on k e ep s them in line a s well i mmed i at ely
ali gn s th em should th er e b e a ny sli g h ~ sepa ration of th e c ards.
Rep cllt th e Double Tur n ov e r turning it f ac e down i n to t he l e ft ha nd
which a t onc e doe s the a ligning a c t i on a nd al so pr es s e s the s i des
o f the c a rd do wnwa r d. The r i ght hand t ake s t he c a r d ( s) f r om above
by th e end s , aga i n flashing the Ace , t hen p laces the ca rd( s), as
one, f a ce down to t he table . Remembe r th e X ca rd is no w ab ove t he Ace. The ha nd l i ng of the magazine is a s be fo r e. That is the 3
Ace s are d isclosed a s . the magaz i n e carr ie s t h e t op X ca rd t o under
i t le a v i ng t he actual Ace .
1 9. This time t h e r i ght hand drag s t he maga zine an d ,covers t he 3'
fac e up Ace s. The face do wn X card wi l l be , more ,or l e s s, on t op
o f t he 3 Aces . The r i ght hand p icks up t he face do wn Ace to s how
it. Mean time y ou say, IIWou ld you l i ke to se e this last Ace go
visibl y or inv isibl y?1I Without wai t ing for a r e p l y con t i nu e wi th ,
IILet me exp la i n . lI The le f t hand lift s up t h e inner side of t he
maga zin e, with thumb be l ow and fingers on top, whil e th e right hand
s e em ingl y p lac e s the Ace t o under th e magaz in e . Ac tua lly what tran sp ires i s th e rig ht hand , which is hol d i ng the fac e down Ace by -its
right end, wi t h thumb on to p a nd fi nge r s bene ath, p laces t h e Ac e l s
inn er si de under t he tip of the left thumb which ke ep s th e Ace against
the mag a zine. The left hand no w moves the maga zine off of the Aces.
The r ight hand points to the face down X card the r e as you say, "That
is visibly.1I The right hand picks up tile X c ard while th e left hand
places the magazine back onto th e 3 Aces, thu s a ddi n g the l ast Ace.
'From this point on the X card is placed on top of th e d eck and the
invisible procedure, as-pr ev iou sly explained, is pr e sented to conclude the effect. I have as s ume d that you would have f irst gon e
thru the rubbing process to supposedly . generate heat while rubbing

.,

J
j.

.}

..-,
e-

v.. .

l".Ul.i \:.-T(;l.- L U UUWlt Wd L-U': ' - - lHt:: - L .Lg H L. Hci'i iu " l.. a. l'~;; -?i:. u-:c ' I:.: a.i. U \,;:> J --'I T V'i il 'a b'tJ v (j
by th e ends, a gain flashi ng the Ace , t hen p laces t he car d (s ) , a s
one, f a ce down to t he t a bl e. Remembe r t he X ca rd is no w ab ov e t he Ace . The ha ndl i n g of the map-az i n e is a s be fo r e. That is th e 3

"04

_~_

"

]
off th e rubb er c emen t, then d ec id e on th e vi sible a n d inv isibl e
appro ach.
':

.'

20. Whil e the a r ri v al of t h e l a st Ace ma y b e p uz zli n g t h er e i sn't

any surpri se s inc e it i s e x p ec ted ; t h er e fo r e, I ha v e wo rk e d o u t a
coupl e o f method s wh erein th e la s t Ac e d oes n ot a r r i v e wi th th e other
3 but in ste a d i s f o und wi th i n t he p a g e s of the ma g a z i n e.
Sinc e
enoug h s p ace h a s be en t a k e n up wit h the pr es ent i d e a s t h e r e s t wi l l
hav e to wa it t il l another tim e.

J
1

VANISHI NG SANDW ICH

. ;1

EFFEC T:
A se lect ed c a r d i s lo st i nt o one h a lf o f t h e d eck . An Ac e
1 S pl a ce d fa c e up on to p o f th i s h alf a n d a n ot h e r Ac e i s pl a ce d fa c e
up in t o the de ck . A one h a n d throw i s made a nd the per form e r s how s
h e ha s c aug ht t wo f a c e u p Ac e s with a face down c ard b e twee n t h e m
whi ch tu r n s o u t to b e th e se l ec t io n . The se lec t ed c a r d i s r epl a c e d
into the de ck. Wit h th e tw o Ac es i n hi s ha nd th e p e r for mer mak es a
stab to wa r d s the d eck . On s p rea d i ng the Ac es th e s e l ec t e d ca r d is
ba c k b etwe e n th e Aces . Nex t t h e se lec ted c ar d i s va n i shed l eavin g
o nl y th e t wo Ac e s . Th e t wo Aces a re nex t s how n t o b e t wo J a c k s thu s
th e Ac es a n d sel e ct e d c ar d h a v e v an is h ed . On s preading th e d eck th e
t wo Ac e s a r e f ou n d f a c e up wit h a fa ce do wn ca r d b e t we e n th e m whic h
t urns ou t t o b e t h e se lected c a r d . Ev er y t h i n g c an be e x a min e d a n d
th e effe c t c a n b e d o n e wi t h a b o r r owe d' d e c k .

J
)
I

., I

JI

1. All y ou n e e d f or th e a bove i s a r e gul a r deck a n d one Doubl e Fa c e

c ard th a t ha s a n Ac e on o n e s i de and any o t her car d on i ts o pp o sit e
s id e. As s ume yo u ar e 'u s i n g a n AC-I OH Doub le Fa ce c a r d . '

J
JI

2. The se t u p in t h e d e ck i s t wo Bl a ck Ja c ks f ac e up a t s eco n d a n d
th ird p os i t i o ns f rom th e bo tt om of th e d e c k.
On t op o f th e de c k,
f r om t op d own , i s th e r e g ul a r 1 0H, a ny X c ard , t h en t h e r egula r AC
fa c e up at t h i rd from th e to p . --rhe DOUb l e Fac e AC - IO H car d is
towar d s c e nt e r o f t h e d e c k wi t h AC s ide f a ci n g sam e-a5 t he r e st o f
the c ard s foll o we d, a f te r a fe w card s , b y t h e AS .

3 . Th e a bove s e t up can be mad e wi t h a bor r owe d d e c k i n a ma t te r o f

second s. Al l y ou n e e d t o d o is t a k e th e bor ro wed d e c k a n d h o lding
it in y ou r la p, b elow t abl e le v el, y ou s e em t o s impl y r emov e th e
r equi r ed Bl ack Ace s . Ac t ua l ly the Doub l e Fac e AC, p l u s the regu la r
AS , ar e to s s e d face u p on to th e t a bl e ; however ,-not b e fore yo u
qu i ckl y r ever se tw o J a cks or a n y o t h er qu i c k l y a VilTl ab l e p a i r a t
s econd a nd th ird f ro m th e bott om o f t h e d e c k p l u s th e re gul a r 10 H
on to p o f d e ck a nd r e gul ar AC f a c e u p a t t hir d fro m th e t o p o f -rne
d eck.
4.
Use th e AS t o s c o op up t he Dou ble Fac e AC, sq uaring up th e t wo
c ard s, t o tu r n t h e m f a ce d o wn t o the t ab l e IOr t h e time b ei n g. You
will n ow fo r ce th e r e g ul ar l OH a nd fo r t his yo u ca n u s e th e Ma r l o
Sl ip Cu t Fo rc e or t he Hen r yChr i st Cut De e p e r Fo rce as fo l lows :
The s pe ct a to r i s hand e d t h e de c k t o c ut a por ti on o f ca rd s o f f t he
to p a nd tu r n th e s e fa c e up o n t o th e d e ck.
Ne xt, he c ut s d e e pe r or
into th o s e fa ce d o wn c a r d s b el o w th e face up pac ket , th en tu r n s a l l
th es e ca r d s ove r a nd f a c e u p.
Take t he d eck from h im a t t h i s s tage

J
J
J
]

J
.,

II _M_ ~_
' ..._
...~-:- --_._-,.,._.----__"

'i:

-_ .-_.~

'

- - - - -

---~~~_,

'

SI

. .- : - . _ . . _

..

J~

_ _

,;,_

. __

.:~~~_~~, .

~.

" .

II

341

5. Hold the deck f~om above by the ends with the right hand and
. start to dribble of f the cards from the bottom of the deck as you
request the spectator to call 'Stop'. Time this so that you will have
about half the deck on the table and half in your hand . Double Cut
~ , the t6p two cards, of the retained top half, to the bottom as you
say, "You could have stopped me at any po in t among these cards."
Table this half to your right and keep in mind that it now has the
0 face up AC on the bo ttom of this portion.
~ '.
Wh~n you initially dribblethe 'deck on the table the cards are
held close to the table top so that the first few cards are let go
, a s a block to insure not flashing the two face up Jacks near the
bottom of the detk. This tabled portion is now picked up and you
give it a straight cut, then hold a break. Next thumb count or use
the 4th fingertip Kick-Out and Pull Down to get the X card and one
face up Jack to b elow the bre ak. Thus the left 4th fingertip holds
a break between the .t wo face up Jacks. You patterfor this cut is,
"You could have stopped at any point in these cards."
.'

7. Have the spectaior now note and remember the tabled card or in
this example the lOH. Take the lOH and insert it face down to between the face up Jacks. You can turn the packet in order to show
that the selection is really going into the packet. Since the card
is only inserted half way at this stage you need hold no breaks and
those suspecting Tilt will smile. Push the selection flu sh but th e
right thumb pulls upward on the card in order for ~he left 4th fingertip t o get a break below it. Next the right thumb, which is-at the
back end when -the right hand is above the packet as if squaring the
ends, lifts up two cards from below the break, then either Double Cut
or Single Cut to the break. This results in bringing the formed
Jack Sa ndwi c h directly to the bottom of thii portion of the deck
with a covering ~ card.

! I

II! i
,!

r1

and thumb through the face up cards until you reach the first face
.down c~rd which will be, due to the cutting procedure, the lOH.
. Thumba'If this card face down to the table saying, " He r e is"'"tJle card
you marked ofr . For the time being let's l~ave th is card here."
The right hand. turns its face up c a r d s face down and inserts them
into the c en t er of the deck. To fa ci litate this the left 4th fingertip pulls down the inner right corner of about half the deCIC; then
into this opening the packet of cards ' from the right ha nd is inserted
and the deck squared up. At this stage you have the regular AC face
up at 'second from the top with the two Jacks face up at seto na-and
third positi ons from the bottom of the deck.

~~j.

. .

'i

i"rJ
Itt
1

il

}t
t

I~
~

f:

11

.I
\1

I~

~
~
~

It
tK

!t

ta

I;
{~

13
~ ,. "

f,

&, '

I~:

8. The left 4th fingertip does a Pull Down of the lowermost two
cards while t~rig'ht hand turns the two Black Aces face up on the
table. Pick up the AS and casually flash its back as you rest it
face down off to the-right side of the packet. Turn the AS face up
and apparently insert it into the center of the deck but In reality
it goes just above the 2 bottom cards, ala Bottom Tilt. Push the
card flush a nd then sho~ that the AS is no where near the t op or
bottom of the packet. Holding the-packet faces down in your left
hand do n quick Pull Down of the X bottom card, then with the right
hand do a Reverse Double Cut tobTing the bottom ~ card to the top.

i-

!
"IOU

.'

7.
~1.:n

COUIU

nave 's t.opp e c a t any po i.n t

n t.n e s e c a r o s c':

Have the spectator now note and remember

the tabled
card or in
-=
..L....: .....
r
n

",_

.L.1 __

. , A Y,

".,_, _ _

.... 1 .

.,ATT

..1

..1

...L._

, _

_ _n.

Next the right thumb releases the bo t t om f our c ard s and the left 4 th
fi nger tip ob t p. i ns a break a bove these. The right hand p l a c e s t heM:,
the Doubl e Pa c e c ard , fa ce up ont op of the p a c ke t . The l e ft . t humb] s
a cross the top o f the packet with th e lef t 4th finge rtip holding a
br ea k a bovc the bot tom 4 cards. Do the Ma r IOThr ow Cut holding on.to
t he bottom f ou r "curds and the f ace up AC as the rest of the p acket
s hoo t s out to the t able.
9. The pa ck et in your lef t ha nd consis ts of fiv e cards. Their order,
fro m t h e fa c e to the top is, Double Fa c e AC wi th AC side showing , t he
[ a c e down sel ected lOH card, fa c e up AS , a nd a fa ce up J ac k . Spr ead
t hese cards to show only t wo face up Black Aces with a face down card
b e t we en t hem. The pro c e du r e is as f ollows: The lef t finger s do a
Doub l e Buck le whi le the right hand , which is above the packe t as if
squar irig the ends, g e t s a break, at the back end with th e ri ght
t humb . " The r i ght ha nd wi l l hol d onto t he to p thre e c ards as on e
while the le f t hand wi l l hold its t wo c ards as one. The left hand
moves to the left to first disp lay t wo face up Ac e s a s you remar k
abou t the Ac e s having been c a u ght to ge t her. Nex t , the ti ps of t he
l eft f i ng e r s move out the bot tom fac e down l OH card of t hose h eld
i n the r ight harid . The spread of three car~is no w h eld, from
a bo ve by th ~ '~nds, by the right hand alone . The r ight h~nd now til ts
inwa r d s in~~rder t hat you may see th e fa ce of the s e l e c t e d c a r d as
i n Fig . 1 . At this st age say , "A c ard has been caught between the
Aces. Wnat is your card?" When t he sp ectator names it t u r n the
rig ht ha nd ou t ward , wi t h pa lm towards t h e spect ators, in ord er t o
sho ~ the l OH between the Ac es .
These ~ c t i o n s have ind i r ect l y s ho ~n
both t he ba ck and face o f the regular lO H and is a s ub l i mi nal bu il d .: up for the n ext phas e.

]
]

]
/
Fig. 1

Fig. 2

"-

10 . The ri ght hand pl aces the spre ad i n to th e l e ft ha nd whi c h hold s

it firml y i n plac e . Th e right ha n d firm ly gr a s p s the AC , r ea l ly t wo
cards as on e, by t he l owe r ri gh t c orner . The lef t ha na ra i s es up waI'd to once mor e s how t he face of t h e 1 OH . When t he 1ef t ha nd is
l owe r e d th e l ef t thumb pulls t h e lOH f l USll onto t he A ~. The l eft
finge r s buc kl e the lowerm ost c ard , a J ack , at the inn er ri ght co rner
onl y and ve ry sl ightly; however, the righ t ha nd inser ts its ca rdes) ,
the AC, quite open ly into the spa c e cr eated . To a l l ap pe arance yo u
hav eI nse r te d the upp e r end of the AC to und er the face down s c I ec U OJl

)
j

J
]

l-'I

..

,I
.---'-''----~--.: .. __ --....:. _ --*-~ -~ ~ - ; ~

_ . ~ _--60.._
~

__

!:
r :

343

"\j .
o

.!i

but in r e a l i ty the AC card(s) a re go i ng below t wo ca rds, i.e., the

face down se l ec t e d lOH and the fa c e up AS . Once t he AC c a rd is inserted f or about harr-it s length t he r i gnt hand come s-abo v e t he cards,
as sho wn i n t he Fig . 2. The r i ght thumb pr e s s e s down on t he i n- jogge d
AC card(s) wi th the end r esult t hat as the c ards a re pus he d flus h t he
Z-top face to face lOH and AS wi l l automatically be taken, as seemingly
one face down lOH, from above by the ends, with the right hand.
The right hand no w c arries i t s t wo face to face cards, as
.
suppose cl l y the single face do wn l OH, to p la ce t he car d ( s ) onto th e t op
o f th e pac ke t on y our le f t or t hethrown p a cke t~ Now pl ace the pa cket
[rom your r ig h t, t he one with t he reg ul a r AC f a c e up on t he bot t om,
onto the packet on your le ft. You have simpl y p lac e d a l OH into t h e
center of the deck; ho wever, the deck now has two Black Aces face up
With the lOll face down between them . The cards remaining in the left
hancl a pp ea r logical since the AC is the face card after the AC was
place d s uppo s edl y j u st un der t Ee s elected lOH .
-i i .

1 2. Th e remaining ca rds ' in the lef t hand " from fa ce to t op, a re the
Doubl e Face AC wi th lOH on its o t he r side , t he t wo Blac k Ja ck s fa ce
up and cove rea by t he AC. So f a r it s eems you ha ve t wo Bla c k Aces.
To aicl in this the pacKet of c ard s is gra sp ed by i ts left side with
t he right hand thumb be l ow an d fi nger s on th e f ac e. As th e ri gh t
ha nd t urns the packet fa ce do wn you a I s o do a D I Ami c o Spr e ad t hus
s howing two back s as y ou say , "Tha t l eav es t he t wo Black Aces . 11
The l ef t fingers hold onto the spread, especially the tw o cards as
one, while right finger s take the single card t o transfer it to under
t he c ard ( s ) in the l e ft fingers . The Double Fa ce AC i s no w sandwiched
.be t we en the Ja c ks wit h th e l OH upp ermo s t as you hallUl e the c ard' s
~.accs clo wn f or the ne xt s equenc e.
13. The right hand "t a k e s the packe t by t he lo wer righ t corner with
thumb on t op and the fingers beneath . The left fingers can r i f f l e
the r i ght s i de of the ' d~ ck a s the right h~nd s ort of j a ms the l e f t
s ide of i t s packet in t o t he ri f f l ed opening and ou t aga in at t he
same t ime th e r igh t f i ngers and thumb spread out t he t hree cards
to reve al the lOH back amo ng the sandwich card s. If you pr efer you
c an simply sl ap-the top of the deck as the t h ree ca rd s .a r e f ann ed
out or simp ly wav e th e pa c ket a bove t he dec k at same t i me fa nn i ng
the t hr e e c a r ds. I n any case the i dea is to convey t hat t he selected
c a rd, the l OH in t hi s c a s e, ha s somehow re turned . The s p e c t a to r s
assume i t is s ti ll be twe en the Aces . Transfer t h e 10H to on to the
t wo f ac e down c ard s. You a r e no w going i nto the vanISh .

,
i

I,

I~~

I'
II

14. Holding the thr ee cards, from above by the ends, with th e rig h t
hand the lef t thumb peel s off th e f a c e l OH into th e l eft hand d e alin g
position. You now seem t o pl a ce th i s c a rd to und er those he l d i n
the r i ght hand. Actual ly y ou do the "P r opelled Lapping " with the
left ha nd pac ti ca1 1y toss i ng t hef aceup l OH into the lap . Witho ut any
hesitat io n the next "f a c e down ca r d i s pee led off i n to t he lef t hand
which at on c e pla ces i t to und er t he card i n t he r i ght han d. Yo u r
patter f or the abov e peeling a ctions is simply, "Here i s th e Ten of
lIearts or your card wh i c h we will plac e be tw e en the two Bl ack Aces."
Flex the pa c ket be t we en fingers and thumbs of both hand s. Next ,
clearly s how on ly t wo f a ce down car ds , s hi f ting them f r om hand to

II

,.If.-
t

h
if'

~accs

W
i

13. The right hand "t a k e s the packe t by t he lo wer righ t corner wi t h
t humb on t op and the fingers beneath . The left fingers can r i f f l e

ifl

+h n

uown ror

~ ~ " ~ +

r ~~ _

~ne

&

ne x~

s equenc e.

+~_ -~ ~_1,

~~

+~_

~~~~~

~ ~ ~~

~_~ +

_&

~~_ ~

+~~

1_~

--,-

44

hand, a s you s ay, " Ony t he t wo Aces . Your c a rd is gone." Let thi s
part r -egi5 t er f i r s t a nd t he n add , " Not only i s yo u r c a rd go ne bu t 50
are the Aces l " Her e turn th e t wo c ards f a ce up to show t wo Ja ck s
but do not say anything about them as you want a vanish of c ards to
registerra ther . than a change of cards.
15. ' To s s t he t wo J ac ks face s up to t he tab le . Ri bbo n sp rea d t he
dec k to s how t he t wo f ace up Black Ac e s with a fa ce do wn ca r d be. t we e n them. Rem ove th e s a ndwi c h f rom t he spr e ad a nd hav e th e s pec tator himself remove the selection. You are cl ean a nd a l l th e c a rds
can be examined. The on e Double Face card in your lap c an e asily
be palmed and pock e ted in to on e of t h e i nsid e c oat po ck e t s whi l e in
the act o f remov ing some othe r item fro m sai d poc ke t.
.

16. In order t o g i v e t h e forc e o f the c ard a s if it r eal l y was a

free selection you can hav e the spectator sign the card across the
length of the c ard. The handl ing of this c ard, the regular c ard
ca n be quit e f r ee when it makes it s f irst a pp e aranc e among t h e Bl ack
Ac e s ; howeve r, a s li ght chang e is made when showing the Double Fa ce
s i de o f t he dup l ic a t e. In t h i s case s p r e a d t h e sandwic h so that
lo gic al ly t he s ignature wou l d be co ver e d by the face do wn ca r d ab ove
it. Here close up t he spr ead to leave th e s election(?) fac e up b etween the f ace down c a rd s. Hold t h e c ards fac e down in the l e ft
hand . Snap your ri gh t finge rs ov e r th e packet , t h en d o a t wo c a r d
p ushoff taking the t op t wo car d s, a s one, in t o t he right hand wi t h
thumb on top a nd f ingers b e l ow a t the c a rd 's right si de . Sepa r a t e
both hands s l igh t ly, with a card face do wn in e ac h hand, as you
say, "Your c ard is g one: " Pl ac e th e card(s) from the ri ght hand to
under th e c ard in the l eft ha nd. The ri ght hand gr asps the inner
r i g h t corn er o f th e pa ck et , t hen t u r ns t h e squa red pa cket face up
a s yo u add , "That leaves only the Black Aces . " The s p e c t a t or sees
t h e AC s i de of the Double Fa ce card at t h is s tag e . Return t h e
pac ke t fa ce do w'll in t o th e le ft hand a t once doing a Sing l e Ca r d
Pull Down, on th e Doub le Pa c e c ard, f ol low.ed by th e Scr e en ing
Action lapping move of th e Doub l e Fac e card. Ev en t u a l ly sho w tha t
the t wo Aces ha v e va nishe d l e a v i ng tw o J ac k s. Ribbon spread the
deck t o r ev eal the Ace Sa ndwi c h. Let t he s p ectato r v erify his
signa tur e on t h e c ar d of his choi ce . You wi l l f ind that la ter ,
be ca u s e of t h e s igned c a r d, even a magician wi ll be har d pu t to
4rriv e at a satisfactory s ol u t i on to what he witne s sed.
NOTE:

The ori g inal Thr ow Capture p lu s a se lec te d card r e app e a ring

t w~c e bet we e n two c a r d s, then l a t er t he t wo c a r d s c han g i n g also ,
I fi rs t co n tr i bu t e d to M.U .M. i n 19 60. La te r th i s ef f ec t was r eprint ed i n Ka bbalaVol . 3. Ray Walker u s i ng t h i s a s h is inspira ti on
came up wit h a c le ver vers ion a s re gards the chan ge of th e two
sandwich cards; howev er, the sel ection se emingly fa i l e d e a c h t i me
to appe ar betwe en th e sandwich c ard s s i nce t he c ard i n th e sandwic h
was not th e sel ecti on. The e f f ect ended wi t h the two sanuwich card s
chang i n g to t wo ot he r cards . The or i gin al c a r d s of the sandwich
th en appeared in t h e deck wi th a c a r d between them whi ch now was
the selecte d card. The Walk er method ins pir ed my p resen t v ers ion
of th e effect.
2ND METHOD : Th i s basica l ly is t he s ame as t hat just expla i n ed e xcept

J
]

]
]

J
'J

J
)

J
J.

-'- l:,Hl..

\.-Vl. U<;; l.

V .1.

l-H c;

!JCl L-l\.C l- ,

l- H c; ll

l- U ~

H .:>

l- U c;

':> '-[ U. Cl .l

cu

a s yo u add, "That l e av e s on ly t he Black Aces . " Th e

t h e AC s i de of the Double Fa c e card at t h is s tag e .
pa cket f a ce do w'll i n t o t h e le ft hand a t once doing a
Pull Down. on th e Doub le Pa c e ca r d . f ol l ow.ed by th e

!J a. ~ l\.c;

l-

J.ClL-c;

U !J

s p e c t a t or sees
Return the
Sing l e Card
Sc r e en i .ns

..
---"'----~~_,~ _ j_~ ~._ ._ _~._ __....... _~..t_~. _
.

:._.

. ........__.. :. . . _._ .

_ _..

~ .~

... .

- .- .._-0[,.

_ ~_ ~ _

that t~e ~ tarting se t up ha s be en chang e~ in ord er to min imi ze th e

ris k Qf: fl~;;hi.ng t he reversed Bla ck Jacks as wel l as c u tting down on
t he hand ling of the on e packet i n t o which the s el ec t io n and the Black
Aces are p laced .
1. The setup ; f r om t op o f dec k do wn, i s a f ace do wn X c a rd, t wo '
face up Black J ack s, fac e down X c ard, the fa c e do wn r or ce card i n
this ex amp le the lO H, th en the r e gular AC fa ce up. The Doubl e Fa ce
AC-IOlI carJ is in~e dec k wi t h AC si de-Showi ng, t hen a ft e r a few
c a rCISt he regular AS .
2. Wi th t he deck setup as ab ove you can now turn the deck fa ce up
and s t a r t a normal spread of t h e ca r ds, between both hands , without
llavin g to worry a bout cove rin g t h e r ever sed J ac ks as in the fir s t
version. Tos s out th e AC a nd AS a s you come to th em. Use AS to
s ~oop_ up the AC, squ are~h e se up a nd turn f ac e do wn to th e t abl e.
3. Turn the deck face down and po sition it for an Overhand Shu f f l e .
Ch op off half the deck and shu f fle off the undercut half. Square up
the deck and position it for an In The Hands Faro Shuffle. Split
th e deck j u s t ab ove the reg u lar IOH and t hen do an Off Ce n t e r Far o
.t o r e sult in t he X card a n d Ja cks-go i ng to th e bottom of the de c k
. while th e r egular-lO H, X c ard, a nd regul ar AC become the top c ar ds
of th e dec k.
- - 4 . Fo r c e t he regular lOH using ei ther the Henry Christ Cut Deeper
Porce o r t h e Marlo Slip Cut Force . At thi s stage you have the
regu lar rOH f ace down on the table plus the tw o Aces on t h e tab le
[ace do w~ The d ec k has the r egul ar AC fa ce up s eco nd from t he top
a nd . t he t wo fac e up Bl ac k J ack s a t s econd and third fr om th e bottom .
S. Res t t he de c k aga inst the t a b l e t op . Wi th the right thumb riff~e
the baCK end of t he de ck up wards . The side of the de ck is towards
t he spectator as y ou r equest him to ca l r-'St op' . Time this so you
l ea v e abou t half t he deck on t he table and half i n your hand. This
p roc edur e i ns ures no i nadvertent exposure of the rever sed Jacks as
comp a r ed to dribbl i ng the dec k to t he t able.
6. In t he hal f de c k i n your hand you c ut t h e to p two card s to th e
bo ttom u s i ng the pa t t e r as i n th e f irst method to cov er t h i s action .
Table th is half t o your right . Pi ck up the tab led lower half giving
i t a straight cu t and holding a break between the portions . Release
two c a rd s f r om a bove the break to belo w the break . Pi ck up the
sp ectator's c a rd, whic h he has now noted , and i ns ert it into t h e
bre ak. Show i t as go i ng a c t ua l ly i n t o t he c ent er as per th e f ir st
method ex pl a i n e d . Push th e card in and a t same t i me pull upward on
the card with the r i ght t humb a nd maintai n th e bre a k below it.

I;

I, '

I" I

7. Tu rn the Ace s face up. Ta k e the AS and casua ll y flash i ts back .

I n s e rt the AS fa ce up , from t h e rea r end of de ck ala Tilt , i n t o the
br eak. Here-you c a n ag ain show that the AS is a ctually going into
the cente r of t he de ck by leav ing i t in- jogge d for hal f i ts le n gth
and holding no breaks at t hi s point. Push the AS f l u s h a s you get
and maint ain a bre a k below it. Now wit h th e r ight t humb a t bac k en d

; I

"

. _n_ -.--

-~- -

-s;-

-- - - -

--- - - -

S. Res t t he de c k against the t a b l e t op . With t h e right thumb riff~e

the baCK end of t he de ck up wards . The side of the deck is towards
t he spectator a s YOU r equest h im to ca l r-'St op' . Time thi s so vou

,
- - ~.

- .-- - -....

"

'- - -

.'. . -

. ;:,~

.,'

lift up one card from below the break, a' face up Black Jack, to above
the break. Maintajn this break.
,I

J.

"

8. Now comes a subtlety. The Double Face AC is placed face up on

top of the packet. Now do an open cut to tEe break with the right
hand, which is above the deck gr a sp ing it by the ond s , c a r r y i ng the
top portion to the right while the LoI t thumb: ho Lds. Did 0 t bt' 1':11.'1.' lil'
AC to carry it onto the lower hn l I . The right hand sort o I r c s t s i t.:
canis onto the left hand portion as if to place the AC .i n t o the cent" r
of the packet. Your patter is, "The Ace of Clubs goes into the
c cn tel'. " Now you say, "Tell you what, 1 e t 's leave the Ace of Clubs
on top." Here place the cards from right hand to under the cards
in the left hand. This subtlety brings the required four cards, the
Black Jacks, selection, and AS to the bottom of this packet.

'-1
,.

.!

"

] '.:.
:

.
!;
]:
~,

9. Say, "We have an Ace on top and the other Ace somewhere in the
deck." As you say the above line your right thumb riffles the back
end of the deck upwards. During this you riffle off the bottom four
'.}')
cards or to where the second face up Black Jack from the bottom can
be spotted. The -left 4th fingertip at once moves in to obtain a
break above the bottom---rDur cards while the right thumb continues the ]
upward riffle to the top of the packet. From this point on you continue with the rest of the routine as already detailed in the first
method by doing the Marlo Throw Cut to retain the bottom four cards
and the top face up AC, then finish as explained in the Steps 9 to
15 of the first methOd. You will find the changes of the Second
Method will make the routine much smoother and not over-handled in
its opening phases.

NOTE: The presentational angle referred to in Step 16 is as

follows: For those who may not care for the lapping of the card,
then after the supposed couple of failures, place the magazine back .
over the Aces or off to one side. State you will have to use the
invisible process. Place the card on top of the deck saying, "This
is visibly." Pretend to remove the card Lrivi.s i b Ly and hold it in
your right hand. For the unbelievers the left hand turns the top
X card face up to show it is no longer the Ace. Toss the invisible
Ace towards the 3 Aces. For the climax pull back the ' 3 Aces to
reveal its arrival.

J
)

-..

., ._... _._." -

::;

_.n ._._, __

"

'

-.

follows: For those who may not care for the lapping of the card,
then after the supposed couple of failures, place the magazine back .
over the Aces or off to one side. State YOU will have to use the

347

.:

DIRECT TRANSPOSITION
,/

lWFEC'l': Two cards transpose from packet to. packet.

duplicates or Double Lifts used.

There are no

1. The shuffled deck is placed face down to the left of the perform6r.
Cut off half the deck placing it about two inches or more f orward and
al6ngside the l ower half. Both hands now pick off the top cards , of
.. each half, with the tips of the 1st fingers and thumb, at their ou t er
left corners as in the Fig. 1. BOth cards are then levered face up
and rested against the table-top, as in the Fig. 2, with both hands
retaining their thumb and 1st finger grips on thelr corners. Call
attention to the names of tEe two cards in this c a s e the 2C held by
the right hand and the 4D held by the left hand.

Fig . . 1
4

Fig. 2

~O

0 '0y

Fig. 3

' ". '

Fig. 4

2. The right hand now turns the 2C face down and swivels it onto
the top o f the deck as shown in tne Fig. l with left hand omi t t e d .
Continuing the action the 2C is apparent ly placed onto the top of
its packet but a' Simu1a tedPlacement is executed wi th the right 2nd
fingertip entering between the cards and the 2C as in the Fig. 4.
The spectator's view is as in the Fig. ~.

Fig . . 1

Fig. 2

.... ,

-"- -

Fi g. 6

Fig. 5

{P

]
]
.'1
.,
;J

Fig . 8

Fig . 7

3. The 2C from the position of Fig . 3 is at once taken into a

Tenkai Palm aided by the r i gh t 2nd fingertip pushing up ward s on
t he face of the 2C at it s upper-reft corner . As the right hand
s e eming l y places-rhe 2C fa ce down ont o the packet a sec ond or t wo
later th e le ft hand p la ces the 4D fa c e down onto th e t op o f i ts
packet. The ri gh t ha nd with itS-p almed ca r d at the same t ime mov e s
t~ the bac k e nd o f t he c ard s with the 4D on t op a s in t he Fig . 6.

J
',]
,

4 . As the a ction of Fig . 6 i s c omp l e t ed the left hand moves away

f rom t he cards but the rignt hand moves only slightly to the rear
o f t hi s packet . With the 1st f inge r point t owa r d s the packet with
th e 4D on top as you a s k, nwKa t c a rd is that?" When the reply is ,
"TheFour of Di amond s," y ou count er wi t h , " No, that i s th e Two of
Clubs. " The a ct i on he re n ow i s th e ri gh t han d mov es to . a pparently
p ick of f the top c ar d bu t actua l ly the Simulated Pickoff is made by
the r ight 1st and 2nd fingers moving in towards the palm and secr~tly
pinching tne-outer-reft c or n e r of the palmed card as in the f ig . 7 .
( Th e spectator 's view of the right hand is similar to that shown in
t he Fig . 4 except it is on the 4D pac ket in this c a s e. ) At once the
r ight f inge rs and t hum b p ivot t ne now 2C car d outwa r d a s in th e
Fi g. 3, th en fa ce up to t he t able a s i n t he Fig . 8. Howe v er, unkno wn-to t h e spe c ta tor t he right hand at this time en~ages th e to p

Fig . 8

Fig . 7
3.

The 2C from the position of Fig . 3 is at once taken into a

T'r- n k a i

p;-'lm

::l;n".rl hv t-h".

-r;rrht-

7nn

f";ncr Pl-t-;n nllc;hincr llnw::/-rrlc;

nn

34 9

card o f this packet, with the ball of the right thumb, into a Marlo
Palm Positibn as shown in the Fig. 9.

c-o

Fig. '

Fig. 10

5, The right hand , now wi th the palmed 4D, moves over to the other
packet and does a Simulated Pickoff, as already depicted by the
Figs. 7, 3 , and 2 except here it is the 4D that is now turned face
up as you-concluae with, "And here is the-Four o f Diamond s" ending
with the picture as in the Fig. 10 . .

;1m1

6. Some may prefe r to cut o f f only a small packet off the top of
the deck, ab out a dozen card s or m o r e ~ which le aves the bulk of th e
cards in the lower half, This isextra height that some may require to
more easily cop the 't op card when at the stage shown in the Fig. 9.

~
1~
if

!~~
:~~

; ~~~;
t-.

t.. ';!

f~~

E:

It

!Ii:r
It'
{I
'
i/;'
i' l
ii

;tl
it' {._j
i--

!~ I
, ~.J

i r,

!i l

,r-

:'! I
i~ I

HI

i'

11

I:

.",~-",." .,~~ .-~,,~_. - - ~-- : . - ~~-.~:-

1
.1 ,--- - --

it
l~
if

!~~

: ~~

-- --

..-.. 7' - -..

- " - - . ---..:;: -::: ;: ...._ :.:. :,:-- .;:.-

.. .... . ..- ..

. .

"- ~- -, ~

..

,,, .

_.....
, ~,"

"' '' '''. ' ~ ~ "':'''' '''' '.

.....,1. ...

""" .LV

- -"' ""! " 'Ni;';> ~,'-~-" - ~

.J.

J..5'

J.

,A_
.

I
t

!,
l!i

5 0
\

ONE HAND ACE CUTTING

fJ'

'"

j]'FECT: TIre Cardicians takes the deck in one hand and gives the deck
some rapid cuts to the table on turning over four packets an Ace is
seen at the face of each packet.

The above effect was suggested several years ago by

~
Ace Passmore at our meeting at Schuliens'. Methods using short cards,
long cards, thick cards and even strippers were some of th~ suggestion i I made. At that time I came up with the method about to be described ~~
and it has stood t he test of not only time but left magicians and
J
laymen wi th no solution since a borrowed deck, the correct approach
J
and some practice is all that is required.
' I f the four Aces are already ' out of 't he deck, after some Ace
effect you may have performed, then your approach is one of casu ally
inserting each Ace into the deck as if to get them out of the way and
then you wait. If the Aces are already secretly culled to the top
your approach is as if toying with the deck so that when you insert
the four Aces into different parts of the deck this also must appear
as if it is continued toying with the deck and then you wait. During
this toying you should ei ther be 1 istening to the conversa t iori or
loquaciously contributing to the flow of words. With the above two
approaches fUlly understood you can now proceed into the acquiring
of the necessary technicalities to accomplish the end result.

,. 1 ;

:3
,

2. 'Ke e p in mind that the description that follows is part of the

toying approach. Assume the four Aces are out on the table after
some effect. The deck is held in the left hand , dealing position.
The right hand picks up the four Aces and places them faces down
, on t o the top of the deck. The right hand takes the top Ace and holds
it at the outer end, at about center, with the .t humb on top, the
1st fingertip is against the edge of the card. Shove the Ace in
until the tip of the right thumb .a. n d 2nd fingertip touch the end of
the deck. This leaves about three eights.of the Ace out-jogged in
the lower quarter of the deck. The next 3 Aces, one at a time, are
inserted so that they will be evenly spaced throughout the deck.
After the 1st Ace is inserted the remaining three are inserted up
to and in line with the 1st Ace. The Fig. 1 shows the last Ace
being inserted. Note thatthe 'r i ght 1st fingertip touches the
outer ends of each preceding Ace to insure an equal alignment at
the 4 Ace's outer ends.

' ,'

1..J
~'];
~

..

~l
]~

'1
.J

3. The left hand at this stage is holding the sides of the deck
with the thumb on the left side and the 2nd finger on the right side
near the upper ends. The left 1st finger-Is curled underneath near
the outer end. The .r i gh t hand now comes over and above the deck.
The right 1st finger is curled on top with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
fingers extended along the front end. The rightthuill1.Jis extended
along the inner end with the ball of the thumb pressing in against
the inner end near the lower left corner. The 4 Aces are now apparently pushed flush into the deck; however, it is only the right
2nd finger that pushes in on the outer left corners of the 4 Aces
causing them to angle. The Fig. 2 shows an exposed left siue view

r'

1":]'

'o-

J
]

J
_ ..

, on t o the top of' the de~k. The right hand takes the top Ace and holds
it at the outer end, at about center, with the .t humb on top, the
1st fingertip is against the edge of the card. Shove the Ace in

._ ~

-'

;.']"

,<

~ ..'

11

~l
i

_
f' . '

~ .-

1
I

-.

3 51

j:

~
fj

of the Aces angling out, at the right side, ncar the lower right
corner:, Tl\e Fig. 3 shows the f u l l angled condition of the 4 Aces
which includes an angling at the outer right corner.

;i

~.

. Fig . 1

Fig. 2

,.

,
,.

~,

. ~.

, .Fig. 3 .

Fig. 4

4. The l eft ha n d no w gl i de s its

four fin gers a r ound to t he outer
end of the d ec k as s hown in t he
Fig. 4; however, duri ng t his t he
left thumb also moves to the bac k
end of the dec k near the ri ght
corner. The Fig . 4 is what the
spectator's woul d se e , a pp a r en t ly
a squaring action on th e en d s o f
the deck, whi le the Fig . 5 sho ws
an exp osed view of how the left
2nd and 3r d fingers contact the
ou t e r a ng l e d corners of t he 4
Ace s. The left 2nd and 3rd Fig . 5
f ingers now press-the 4 Aces inwar d a nd do wnwa r d ca uslng t hem to
sid e -jo g as s hown i n the Fig . 6, a n expos ed v iew . To the spec ta tor
th e s ituat ion r emain s as already shown in th e Fig . 4 and t he ac tions
to s i d e- j og the 4 Aces t a kes on l y seconds without any undue spe ed on

.:
.f

r'

c:

,!

1.

t~

1I ,... -

your part .
.' ,

S. The dec k, whi ch has be en he l d with its left si de upperm ost , as

in Fig . 4, i s now br ough t bac k to l evel so tha t the to p of the deck
is upp e r mo s t. The le ft hand move s down to t he lo wer end wher e t he
le ft thumb pre s sis aga ins t the l e ft s ide of t he de ck , nea r t he l owe r
le ft co r ner whil e t he l e f t 2nd finger pre ss e s i n ag ainst the side jo gged 4 Ace s ne ar the 10 weT""r i ght co rner. The Fi g. 7 i s wha t t he
audi e nc~ is s eei ng whi le the Fig . 8 s ho ws how the 4 A~ es hav e be en
re-angl ed s o that no w t hey a re a ngI e jogg ed at the 7 i n n e r end , nea r
the lo wer r i ght corner, and a t the u ppe r end but a ngl e d ou t t o the
rig ht near the outer rig ht co r n er. Not e es pecia ll y t he s pace, at
the outer r i ght corner, betwee n t he 4 Ac e s and t he deck whi ch resembles a sort of V opening.
.... .
"

J
)
'1

------

:)
.

.,

Fig . 6

J
J
]
Fi g. 8

Fig. 9

6. The right hand alone retains the deck now holding it from abov e
so that the angled po s i t i on of t he 4 Aces, as in Fig. 8, is retained.
The right hand would be holdin g th e-deck in a manner sTm ila r to that
shown in Fi g. l but with the left hand omitted.

J
'1

7. The r ight hand now places th e deck into the left hand which t a k c:
it into a n Erdnas e Grip . The tip of the left 2nd fin ger i. spo si.tioll ed into the V space, between th e deck and the angled Ace s, a t t hc

]
,.. .

J
r- .i g ,

353

outer right corner. The left 1st fingers is positioned so that irs
extended alo~g the upper end or-the deck.
Just before the right
' h a n J moves away the left thumb angles over some top cards, towards
the right upper corner, in order to cover the 4 angle jogged Aces,
at this corner, from the top.
The deck is now-held by the left hand
alone as shown in the Fig. 9.
8.
In accordance with the presentational approach outlined at the
beginning you wait until you feel the time is just right.
Gesturing
with your right hand you say, "Here is something that may be of interest to you." With the right hand take the deck, from above by
the ends, so that the right thumb will contact the angled Aces at
the back end near the lower right corner. The right 1st fin ger is
curled on top with the right 2nd and 3rd fingers at tne-outer end
near the upper right corner. -rhe rig~4th finger does not touch
the deck but lies alongside the 3rd finger.
What happens is that
the right thumb having pressed t~angled Aces flush into the inner
end of the deck has caused them to move out, in an angled condition,
at the outer end of the deck near the outer left corner.
The Fig. 10
shows the 4 Aces angled out at the outer end with the right hand
holding the deck in the correct position to obtain this result . .The
angled cards have been exaggerated for clarity as they should be as
fine as you can get them since a sense of touch rather than sight
is used. "

Fig. 10

J, ,

I'

II

i
11
~i

Fig. 12

Fig. 11

9. With the Aces angled out at the

front end the right 1st fingertip
engages the uppermostangle jogged
Ace and lifts it, plus the cards
above it, as in the Fig. 11, to
start a Swing Cut. The rIght 1st
finger swings its cards to the-left, then, with a downward wrist
action of the right hand, tosses
the packet face down to the table.
The completed action is shown in
the Fig. 12. This Swing Cut action
is similar-to a Monte Toss action
and is not difficult.

10. Without any sta l l i n g repeat the li f t, wi th the right 1st finger ti p, with each of the remain ing angled Ace s t o result in four fa ce
.J
d own p &tket~ on the table, to ss ed off from left to right , with a 5th
left o v e r packet held by t he right hand . The picture at this stage- 1
is a s shown in the Fig. 13 .
Conc lude the effec t by turning over .t wo
J
packets ea ch time t o quiCKl y display four Aces, on e at the fa ce o f
,
e ac h packet, a s in the c l i ma c t i c Fig. 14 .
j

1J
.,

]
]
Fig .. ' 13

Fi g. 14

11.
I t is mos t imp o r tant t hat onc e the ri g ht hand remove s t h e d ec k,
f ro m t he l eTIna n d , t h e right hand mus t k e e p mov ing and go at o n c e
in to t h e Swing Cut s whi c h k e e p the rlght hand mov ing.
Th e s e mcvemcn t s v ,
ar e not fast o r rapid but srrnpl y moving just e nough so that even th e
s h a r p e s t e y ed i n d i v i d u al can n ot focu s h is eyes and spot any projec .-'
t i ons at the front e nd of the deck even if they happ en to be exagger ated.
I n o t h e r words, d on't fr eeze the r i g h t hand once it takes
t h e deck f r om the left hand . Keep mo v i n g un til you have done al l
f our Swing Cuts .

-.

2ND ME THOD:

FOUR PACKETS ONLY

1 . This will r esult in four packets only on t h e table with the bot tom 'Jc a r d of each b e i n g an Ace .
It will be found a lot simpler for s ome.
-

2.

For this on e Ac e is on . the bottom and three Aces on top.

Insert
t h e three top Ace s , one at a time , into t h e deck sp acing t h em prop er l y and set ting t hem up in to t h e required j og p o st i o n fo r the Swing
Cu t.
3. Th i s time you wi l l need to do only three Swing Cuts which results
in f our ta bled p a ckets with the b ot t om c a rd o f e ac h b e i n g an Ace .
3RD METHOD :

A DOUBLE SURPRIS E

1. He r e yo u cut fo u r p a c k ets t o the tab l e a n d t he t op c a r d s o f each

is a King.
On turning th e pac k et s fac e up e a c h h a s a n Ac e a t its
fac e .

)
]

J
J
]

]
~-

-.

ger ated.
In o t h e r words, d on't freeze the right hand once it takes
the deck f r om the left hand . Keep mo v i n g unti l y ou have done al l
f our Swing Cuts .

_ "'.

.~I ----~ --"-------'-___,:",

~,

.~,_ ~ "~......l __

i!

355

I'

I
I,

rII

2. On the bottom of the deck is a n Ac e : On top of the deck, fro m

the t~P. dow~, ' the set-up is A- K, A-K, A-K, and a Ki ng .
3. Here you lift off two cards as one, straddling the outer ends of
these card s between the right 1st and 4th fingers or use the Scoop Up
Palm positlon 'at the outer end-.----

. ..
7. It is assumed that the whole procedure is as if just toying with
the deck and the effect proper is done at a much later time as explained in the first me t hod . The double denoum ent can be used wi t h
four selec ted cards wi th an Ace climax.

"'.
"

r~
:M

!~

I~It

!;

IH:

I;t
r
,I' ,

I;I '

c,

Itl

I
t

1'1
: 1
I :'

I~

l ~'
t~

i~

i't:;

'f
I

l~

.'.

. ..~

J
,. .:~

TIlE ACE OF SPADES TRI CK

.r

The premi se of th is eff ec t wa s descri be d in Vo l . 2

of th e Magazi ne wi t h t wo methods f or per f orm i ng th i s . He r e a re t wo
furt her me thod s , one of whi ch is t he one promised in Vo l um e 2.
Brie fl y, you a s k the spec ta tor i f he ever saw t he Ace of Spades
tric k. The c ar ds ar e d ea l t one at a time un til t he s p ect at or call s
"Stop", The card stopped a t is shown to be the Ace of Spades.
1. Por t his me t hod you ca n ta ke a shuffled dec k an ~ qu i ckly make
the follo wing arrangement. Wi th the faces of the ca rds towar ds you
spread t hr u t he dec k till yo u s pot an y! spot valu e card. , Cu t the
dec k at a point 4 cards be fo re the 4 spot
5th from face of the
' d e c k . " Thumb over 5 more cards past-the 4 spota'"nd no t;e th is card
as a key card. Locate t he AS ~ nd trans fer i t to the fa c e of th e
deck. " You r setup, fro m face-to top, is the AS-4X cards - 4 value
card - 4X cards, then your not ed ke y c ard. ThiS-eleven card arrangement can-be done in a matter of seconds.

or

2.
Tabl e the deck and ri ffl e shuffle above the 11 bottom cards a s
you ask the sp ectator , llDid you ever see the Aceof Spades trick?ll ,
On receiving a negative answer hav~ him cut the deckthen hold it
in your l eft hand dealing position. Without saying an y t h i ng deal
the cards faceup, one a t a t ime, onto the tabl e. Continu e until
you ha ve dealt your noted ke y c ard. At this poin t ~top. L60k ,at
the spec t ator and r eque st him to call "Stop" as you de al. Here
deal t he n ext f i v e ca r ds a l itt l e mor e rapidly. The c hances ar e
excell en t that he will stop you on t he 4 val ue c ar d or at lea s t it
will be t he top card of tho s e i n you r hand. In eithe r ca s e you can
sho w t ha t he s t op ped yo u a t a f our . Point out that ha d he sto pped
you so on er o r l at er the valu e card s wou ld be dif f er en t, e ithe r
hi ghe r or lowe r. The f our spot in any case shoul d end up face up
on t he dealt p ac ket. Now c oun t four more cards fa ce up t o t he
t abl e. Take t he nex t car d and t os s out t he AS fa ce u p as you say ,
"That's ,t he Ace of Spa des tr i c k."
. -

Suppos e he do es n' t stop you and you a l rea dy have dealt the f our
spo t fa ce up onto t he tabled cards . Her e you sto p a nd l ook ing at
the spectator ra the r i mpa t i e n t l y say , " Jus t s a y 'S t op'." Th is
time deal t he n ex t f our c a r d s again rathe r ra pid l y. He should sto p
you this t i me a lmo s t 1 0 0 per 'c e n t of t he time as experience ove r the
ye a rs has s ho wn. With t his de a l the to p car d, of t ho s e i n your
ha nd, fa ce up to the t a b l e a s you s a y, "That' s t he Ace of Spades
tr ic k. "

]
]
],
'"

. !

tl

ta~

3.

4. There is al wa ys th e " What if?" In the event that a ft e r dea li ng

out four cards, as in Step 3 a bove , he does not stop y ou , then you
stop a nd loo king at him as k~ llDo you und erstand wha t I mean? Stop
me anytim e - today." Durin g th is the left hand has n eck ti ed the
deck slightly and at the s ame t ime the left thumb down -jo g s the
top card, the AS, for about an i nc h . Now pick up th e dea l i ng a c tion, a gain raPidly, this tim e th e ri ght thumb a nd finger s peeling
out the cards from the front e nd of the deck and tossin g th em face
up to the table. The chanc es a re goo d that you will not hav e to

3.
"'1t

J
]

sno w rtrra t n er s r o ppeu you at "a r our , -- i- o r.n t OUl: t na t nao ne s t.opp ec
you so on er o r l at er the value card s wou ld be dif f e r en t, e ithe r
hi ghe r or lowe r. The fo u r spot in any case should end u p face up
on t hp. op.::ll t

n::lrkp t-

Now r Oll n t- -follr morp.

r ::lr o~

-f::lrp.

nn

t o

t h p.

f/I

_._ .... _

._ _

_-= -...._

_.

. -0.:-.- i _

35 7

I
Ii

de a l more than two or three second deals -b e f or e he s t op s you.

No w without ~ny he s i t a t io n the right thumb c onta ct s the down-j ogged
Ace pUl ling it forward , like the prev ious c a r d s , then it i s at on ce
t ossed face up on the ta ble as you delive r your punch line.
S. While I have described the very simple second deal of Howard
Albr ights' na tur a l ly you ca n u s e more soph is t ic ate d ones bu t t he y
must conform to the dea l ing s peed es t a blis hed f or t hi s to be e f fective. Anywa y, this met hod i s t he one I d id f o r Bi l l Si mo n a nd Da i
Vernon excep t I used it wi t h a selected card. If you want to do it
with the selected card, then your presentationa l pr ocedure is as
f ollows: .
.

.1

",

~I

6 . A~t er the spectator has shuffled the deck take it fr om him and
say that you only ne ed a momen t to study the cards . Here spr e ad the
dec k, wi th fac e s towa r ds you , qu i ckly l oc a ting a four spo t so i t
becom es 5th fr om t he fa c e as you casu a l l y se p a rat e and cut t he c ards
at th is poi n t. Now t humb ov e r 5 mor e c ards and n o t e t he 5th c a rd as
your key c ard , then re - squa re t he d ec k. Ta b le t he dec k ana-r i f fle
shu ffle it to retain t he bo t tom ten card s a s y ou say, "l don't wa n t
you to think I setup the deck so I will shuffle the c ards again."
7 . Have a card sel ected either by the Spectator P~ek or the remo~a l
of one . In ei t h e r c a se you must obtain a left 4th fingertip bre ak
above the s el ected c a rd. He re you again have t~cho i c e of do i n g
eit he r the Bl ock Sl i p Cut or a Drop Cut Coritro l to p l a c e the re quir ed ten ca r d s ov e r t he s e l e ction plus s ome ex t r a c ar ds t ha t wi l l
pre c ede your note d key card.
8 . For the s ake of compl etion let's a s s ume you will u s e the Drop
Cu t Control. The l e ft hand holds the deck withfue le ft 4th fin gertip holding a break above th e selection somewhere in the-center of
t he deck. With t he right cut off small packets of cards dr opp i n g
t hem to the table. Continu e up to th e break. The right hand cuts
of f half of the remai ning car ds to toss them onto the t abled cards .
The remainde r , wh ich wi l l con s i st of mor e t ha n ten car ds, is ta ken
by the righ t ha nd a nd d r opped on to t he tabl ed c ards. The r i gh t
hand t ak ing a c t i on c an be f r om abo ve by the ends or t he Erdnas e
met hod whe re the dec k is tabl ed a s the right-naTId str i p s off the
c a r d s lengthwise.
9. Pick up the tabl ed cards and square them up into the left hand
as f or dealing . Fr om here the rest of t he a c t i on is as already
de s c r i bed for the AS trick.
The next method of accomplishing t he AS t rick is
rath er obvious if you consi d er u s ing the Ben za i's Cop; howeve r ,
there are c ertain touc hes t hat ha v e t a ken i n those fami li ar wi th
the Be nza i 's Cop . . I f you do n't cons id e r these fine details, the n
you may just as well do the Ben zai's Cop.
1. Loca te the AS as bes t you c a n to get i t to the t op alth ough
how you l ocate I t will a dd to the dec eption. With the AS on top
gi v e the deck s ome riffle shu ffles as you add one card each tim e

&

~ .. ~

- - ,, ~

~ "' J'~ ~

~~ ~

..

...

- ~~_

"-~

- ~~

.. ~

~ A

~t'

Cu t Control. The l e f t hand ho lds the deck wit h fue l e ft 4th fin gertip holding a break above th e selection somewher e in the-center of
t he deck. With t he right cut off small packets of cards dr opp i n g
t-hpm

i -n

t- h p

t-<:l'h lp

r,,-nt-i-nll P

"n

t-"

t- h ", .'hr p<:l V

'T'hp

r ;rTht-

h"'nrl

(' ,, + '"

oi !

{!
,

"

..:. :i

..

]
on the first two shuffles and two cards on the third shuffle to
bring the AS/5th from the top. During these shuffles you can ask
the spcctatorlr he ever saw the AS trick.
2. With the deck face down in the left hand dealing position the
left thumb deals over the top card as the right hand takes it by
its outer right corner, thumb on top with 1st and ~ fingertips
below. Deal the card face down to the table. . Contlnue by dealing
the next card as you say, "I will deal the cards one at a time and
anytime you want, just call 'Stop'." This line should be timed so
that four cards will by this time be dealt face down .t o the table
and your right hand is now holding the face down AS and using it
to gesture towards the spectator. During this gesture the right
thumb and fingers gradually pull the card in towards the . palm until the right thumb and fingers are at the upper left corner. The
right hand now apparently places its card onto the already dealt
cards; however, you do the Simulated Placing and retain this card
in a Tenkai Palm Position. For details of the Simulated Placement
s()e the "No Lift Transposition" elsewhere in this volume.

]
'"!

~]

p. ~
j

,:

\..,'

]"
,

:1

J
H,

,, '

3. Having apparently placed its ~ard onto the tabled caids the
right hand continues the deal by the right thumb and fingers again
taking each card by the upper right corner to deal it onto the
tabled cards. You can see that the right hand taking each card by
its extreme upper right corner will disarm .those familiar with the
Benzai's Cop take. Also the deck should be held in a Mechanic's
Grip with the left 1st finger curled around the upper end of the
deck.
---

4. Continue the deal until the spectator ' c a l l s "Stop". You now
seem to pick off the top card of the tabled packet, the last card
dealt, doing the Simulated Pickoff as at once the right hand thumb
and fingers swivel the card outward and . face up to the table to show
the AS as you conclude with, HThat is the Ace of Spades trick."
Again the reader should refer to the "No Lift Transposition" elsewhere in this volume.
5. With the two methods just described plus the two ih Volume 2
you have enough to repeat the effect so that the spectator will
never forget having seen the . Ace of Spades trick.
Note:

In doing the Benzaiz Cop by taking the card at upper right

corner, you can swing it into a longitudinal palm. Details
to follow in Marlo's Magazine, Vol. 4.

i.;

]' :
.

J
,

.! ,

!..,;

]
]
]
,W

j4

]'

4. Continue the deal until the spectator ' c a l l s "Stop". You now
seem to pick off the top card of the tabled packet, the last card
de a 1 t. do i n Q" the S i mII 1 a t P. d P i r k o f f ::I, S ::I t, o n r .P. t: h P. rip' h t h a n nth 1J mh

.II _~-~-~-~--~

II,

!
1

'

FARO FANTASTIQUES
...:

,I

The f oll owi ng e ffects were inspired by an item

Howard Schwart zman publis hed in the Pallbearers Mag a z i n e . Basically it was b~sed on the pr i n c i pl e s inherent in a ~ card deck.
The Schwartzman item was a little too round -about for me. This
plus the fact that the deck had to be preset, a planned misdeal
had to be done and the use of a 52 card deck made it necessary to
have a central key .card in order to make the proper cut. The
basic effect wa s to deal a good Poker hand. The effect, plus the
met hod s t hat f ol l ow wh i l e in ess ence a deali ng effect has s pecta tor involvement. Bri e f Ly , the effect is t h i s r

EFFECT:

A deck is shuffled by the spectator. Several spectators

are handed batches of cards which they shuffle, then each notes a
card . . The packets of cards ,a r e replaced on the deck and the dec k
is ag ain shuf fl ed. The performe r deals out some hands. Non e of
the spectators hav e t hei r selections because t he per for mer has all
of them in h i s own ha nd .
Befor e going into th e modu s op e r a ndi, l e t me explai n
that the effect make s use of a 49 c ard deck; howev e r, I wanted to
avoid starting with this number-and yet keep the whole as subtle
as possib le by not having t o pa lm ou t the exce s s 3 c ards. St ar ting ou t wi th a 49 c a rd dec k i s the mos t obv i ou s solu tion p r ov iding
t he s pec t at or, Who initial ly s hu f f le s ,t he dec k, do es n't n oti ce it ' s
t hin . It was dec i de d to start out with a , 54 c ard de ck , thu s includ ing t he two Jo kers that usa l ly c ome wi th the d eck , t hen s ta r t out
from th ere an d later using a subt lety that ma y hav e other po s si bi l i t ~es.

1. As suming you have a deck of 54 c ards be g i n by handin g i t ou t for

shuff l i ng by a s pectator . Sho u l ah e not i ce how t h i c k the de ck i s ,
f i n e . If no t, the n when you r e c e i ve the de c k you co mme n t ab ou t i t s
thickness a nd say, 11 I mus t s till have t he Joker s i n the d ec k , 11
2. Turn th e deck fa c e up and sp re ad it betwe en both hands wi t h t he
faces of the cards towards your se l f . Quickl y locate one of the
Jokers and casually cut the dec k to bring the Jo ker to the 'face of
the deck. At once r e-spre ad the ca r ds. During th is do wn - jog t h e
4th ca rd fro m th e fa c e , t h i s inc ludes t he f ac e J oke r , the n co n t inue
spre ad i ng t he card s. When you c ome to t he o t her Joke r you up -j og
and to ss it fa c e up to t he t ab l e. The right hand c omes over t he
deck, f rom abov e by , the ends, wi t h th e right thumb pull i ng upwa rd,
slightly, on the in -jo gged card in order th at the left 4th finger tip may get a break at the lower right corner. The rig~hand i s
still above the deck but now the thumb moves to the f r on t e nd o f
the deck towar ds t he upp er lef t c orne r . At this stage the ri ght
1st and 4th fing e rs ' ha v e s t ra dd l ed t he outer e nd of the 4 c ards no w
DeIng l ifted off t h e fa ce of t he de ck . As t he 4 c ards are ta ke n,
as appa rent l y one J o ker, th e ou t er e nd of t h e squar ed four card s
will automatically slip in t o a gr i p , at the f r on t end, s i mil ar t o
tha t of the Scoop Up Palm.
(See "The Open Prediction" sec t i.on f or
this grip.) Technic allY th e out er ri ght corn er of the four cards
will be pressing against the ba se of the right palm ne ar t he 4t h

1. As suming you have a deck of 54 c ards be g i n by hand i ng i t ou t for

shuff l i ng by a s pectator . Sho u l d he not i ce how t h i c k the de ck i s ,
f i n e . If not , the n when you r e c e i ve the de c k you co mme n t ab ou t i t s

..

.--1

........~ .. ~-

W '

. -

J
and 3rd fingers . The s i de o f the right 1s t f i nge r t i p is pressing
i tscIr~gains,t the side of the ou t e r leftcorner and the right thumb
is on top of this corner, its tip touching the 1 s t finger . The 4
fingers are thus across the whole front end concealing its thickness .
( For another method see Chapter on " Multiple Shift und er " Bluff
Sh i fts".) The ' s uppo s e d s i ngLe. Joker is n ow u s e d to scoop up the
tabled Joker. If you are standing , then the Jokers are placed in t o your right side coa t pocket. If you a re seated, then simply put
them in your lap. You now have a 49 card deck. If yo u wish you
can hand the deck out for more shuffling, s i nc e you d id look over
'. t he cards, or you c a n simply very fairly shuffle them yourself .
ll

3 . With the de ck face down you proceed t o give packets to at lea st

5 spectators . Wha t you really do, without s a y i ng it , is hand each
s p e c t a t or exactly s ev e n cards . The balance o f the de ck you hand to
a sixth spectato r. When he has shuffled this l a r ge s t portion tel l
h i m to table it. . The o t he r spectator s a r e requested t o shuffle
. their packets' a nd cu t t hem after whi ch ea c h note s the bottom c ard
of h i s packe t . Have t he spectators r eturn . t he i r packets on to the
ba l a nc e of the d ec k s tar ting with the fir s t s pec tat or on your l e ft
a ~d co n t i nu ing on to you r r ight t o t he las t or 5th selec tee. ,

4: . Pi c k

up t he dec k mak ing some c ommen t ab out s huff li ng t he d eck

some mo r e a nd t he n s howing them an i nc r e dible fea t wit h cards that
the y wil l nev er for get. The s hu f f le s you do wi l l be ju s t 3 I n St r ad dl e Far os . Eac h time you must cut of f, fr om the top ,-Z4 c a rds
a nd. Faro them i nt o t he l a r g er half or 25 c ar d s. After 3 s ucn In St r add l e Faros ea ch s p e c t a t or' s card will be back in its original
position .
S. You are now ready for the deal; however , before you start you
say, "Sometimes one may accuse the dealer of dealing from the
bottom . Just to show you this will not be the case, I will place
the .Joke r s on the bot t om of the deck ." Here the right hand takes
the deck to hold it from above by the end s. " The left hand goes
into the lap to g et the four face down card s . Holding th em squar ed, place the packet tothe bottom of the deck . Pause and th en say ,
"Just to make the c a r d s do not come off the bottom, . l e t ' s turn the
J okers face up ." Here the left fingers go under the deck, peel
ou t the two Joker s , turn them face up , then r e p l a c e them to the
bottom of the deck . The right hand repla ce s the deck into the
left hand for the deal .
6 . St a t e you will deal ou t the card s i n to s ome hands of five cards
ea c h. Here , you deal out seven hand s of 5 c a r d s each . After thi s
de a l, bec a u s e the cards have been dealt on e at a time onto each
ot her, your hand wil l have the five se le c t i on s i n or de r, fr om t he
top do wn, as they were or i g i na l l y returne d .
7. Tur n th e ot her hands face up, on e a t a time, as you ask t he
sp ec t a t or s if a ny see t heir cards am ong th em. Aft er the six hands
hav e be en turn ed fac e up ask the fi rs t s pe c t a tor t o name h i s c ard.
lIWithou t e ve n lo oking", you say as you turn t he to p card of you r
pac ket face up a nd toss i t to wa r d s t he s pec tator . Co n t i nu e on t o
th e ~ec o nd sp ectator and s o on do wn th e line unti l a l l fi ve se le c -

S. You are now ready for the deal; however , before you start yo u
say, "Sometimes one may accuse the dealer of deal ing from the
bottom. Just to show YOU this will not be the case. I will Dlace

1
.j

1
]
]
]

]
1

.J

]
]

]
,.'

,.
.1

t ion s have be en
is fair, :, N O~,E :
give more l ogi c
Bes ide s you can

reveale d. The d ec k is agaIn a 54 c ard dec k a nd a l l

you c a n hav e six spectat or s partIcip a t e a nd thus
to the ex tra hand but it r eal ly i s n ' t ne cessa r y .
inve nt logic as i n the follo wing presentation.

2ND PRESENTATI ON:

1. The pr oce dur e of t he rout i n e i s ex a c t l y as alre ady de scr ib ed
i n the fi rst ve r s i on in St ep s 1 t o 5 i nc l u sive . Now you change the
prese nt a t i on by saying, "I will d eal out all the ca rds int o s eve n
cards each a s f or Stud Poke r . Thi s wi l l insur e tha t y our c a r ds
wil l pr act ical ly be assure d of be ing de alt amo ng thos e ha nd s . 1I
2.
In t he de al the f irst f iv e ro unds of the seven hands s hou l d
be de a 1 t f ace do wn wi thou t any comment . On t he next t wo r ound s
you s a y, " And now t wo fa c e up card s to each hand." Pa u se , t hen
say, " Di dn't I t ell you t h i s was dea le r ' s choice a nd thi s partic ul ar gam e i s called Revers e Sev en Card Stud."
You now have remaining in your hand 3 ~ace do wn c a id s and two
up Jok ers. Toss the Jok e rs aside. -Look at the 3 fac e down
card s a nd say, "The chanc es of th es e three cards be ing any of yours
are very s l i m but let's make s ure . " Turn the cards f ac e up and
afte r it i s agreed none of th em is a s e l e c t i on , toss them asid e.
3.

f~ce

4. Tu rn to the dealt out hand s a nd ask if . anyone sees t heir c a rd

among the face up Stud c a rd s. On the n ega tiv e respo n s e a s k , "Does
anyo n e see the i r card among t he face do wn c ards." Rat e s a t l e a st
a smil e t his D. Solomon . b i t fr om the 21 card tric k.
5. This time look up a nd s a y, IIYou kn ow, I t h i n k I do ." Here hav e
t he s p e ctato rs name t heir card s i n t urn as you , without even l ook ing, tu r n over each card, as na med , fr om your hand .
3RD PRESENTATI ON:
I n this nex t method I set myse l f a problem in tha t
whi l e the pa cke t s e le ct i on s were fine f or t he f i v e spectators, the
de a l j ng out of 7 hand s had to be pres ent a tionally ex cused . Thr ou gh
th e u s e of a Cull-Stoc k Shuf f l e the fo ll owing is the r es u l t.
1. Be g i n a s alrea dy exp l a i ne d i n the 1 st Method to end up with t he
re qui r ed 49 card dec k; however , thi s tIme , afte r . t he init ial s hu f fling of tKe deck by t he sp ec t a t or, hand out batc he s of 7 ca rds to
each of f ive sp ectators. The ba l a nc e of t he dec k c an be shu f fl ed
by anothe r spectator who th en ta ble s if f a c e down to t he ta ble .
2 . Aft er their shuffling of the small p acket each spectator not es
the bottom card of his pac ke t and re plac es it on top of th e tabl ed
d ec k in order of one to f i ve f rom left to right. Pick up the
assembl ed deck and give it 3 perfect Straddl e In- Faro s. That is
the top 24 cards are Faro ed-into th e lower 25 cards. This keeps
the .s e l ec t ed cards at every 7th position inthe same ord er of from
~ to 1:. from the top of th e decl< do wn.
3.

SInce you want to deal out only 5 hands and get the

se~ected

5. This time look up a nd say , IIYou know, I t hink I do . " Here ha ve

t he s p e ct a t ors name the ir c a rds i n tur n a s you , without even l ook i n g, turn over eac h card. as na med. fr om your hand .

~.

......--,

'" . - ~

J
cards into the 5th hand you make use of an Ov e r ha nd Cull - Stock
S hu[fle -:~hat ,on-rIrst reading may app ear a s complicated and t oo
ha r d to r erncmbe r ; however, if you try it a f ew times with thc actual c ards i n the ha nd s you will qu ickl y r ea l iz e that i t is ea s y a nd
requir es no gr eat memor y.
4 . The Cull-St ock Shuffle begins by firs t c r i mp i n g t he bottom card.
Next , y ou run 4 cards and throw the deck onto these . Run 3 and
thro w. Run 5 and throw . Run 7 and throw . Thi s time pull-t op and
bot tom c a rds-t wic e but c ount tni s milk ing ac t i on as " On e- Two " , then
run s i ngle c a rd s up to the co unt of 7 in-jo gging this 7t h car d a nd
throw ba l a nc e of de c k. Obta i n a br eak below t he in - j ogge d c ard and
maintain the break with the right thumb as you now run 11 (eleven)
c a r d s, then throw all those cards above the break onto these 11
(el ev e n) cards. The right hand will have retained the small batch
of c a rds originally be low t he break and these are shuff led off
haph a zar dl y onto the top of t h e d ec k. Cut ca rd s a t th e cr i mp to
bring i t t o the bottom. Every se l ec ti on is no t only at every 5t h
c a r d fr om the top but also in their original order of 5 to 1 from
the top down.
.
S.
I f you understand t he Erdnase te rmino logy the whole breaks down
as follo ws: Crimp bo t tom c a r d. Run 4 a nd thr ow. Run 3 a nd thr ow.
Run 2 and thr ow. Run 5 and throw. Run 7 and throw . Milk t op and
bottom twice counting "One-Two". Run up-to count 7 in-jogging 7th
c a r d . Obtain break below in-jog. Run 11, ' then throw up to break
anti shuffle off. Cut crimp to the bottom. Note that the first
t hr e e runs of cards diminish by one each time or 4-3 -2 . The next
r u n i s number of hand s you will deal or 5 fo l l owed by t he original
number 7 . The only part you wil l probably have to make an eff ort
t o remember is the last run of 7 cards which entails milking two
c a r d s twice and in - jogging the 7th card. After this maintaining
the brea k , then running the 11 (eleven) cards, throwing to the
br ea k a nd shuffling off may require a lit tle pr actice to do smoothly. As you run thr ou gh t he Cul l-Sto ck Shu f f l e you will f ind that
ea c h p receding s huffle will automatically j og your memory as to
what the next shuffle entails.
6. Return the Jokers, from your l ap or your pocket, to under the
de c k, t he n turn the Jokers face up on 't he bottom in accordance with
the pr es en t a t ion ou t lined in 't he 1ST METHOD. Now dea l out 5 hand s
o f 5 cards each . Becau se t he cards order was r ev e r s ed during t he
de aT your 5th hand ha s the 5 selected cards in order of 1 to 5 from
t he top down . As before, you can disclose e a c h selection witnout
even looking at the faces of these cards . Thi s method will be
f ound t o puzzle Faro addicts . By Substituting a Riffle Shuffle
Cull -Sto c k f or t he Ov e r ha nd Shuf f le you will hav e a s op hist i c a t ed
proc edur e th at wi l l ra i se the eye- br ows of any c a r d man. In th i s
cas e, t o stay as logical as possible , make sure tha t the St r add l e
In- Fa ros are also the tabled Riffle Shuffle Fa r o s .
The f oll owing ha s not h i ng t o do wi t h th e de al i ng ou t
of hand s bu t is a suggested approac h to c ontr ol of seve r a l se le cte d
c a r d s t ha t may later be revealed , magically or othe rwise , one at a

]
.,

,J

] 1

]
]

J
]
]
"1

1
-"

1 .
t o rememDer lS the last run o t j cards WhlCh entalls mllklng two
c a r d s twice and in - jogging the 7th card. After this maintaining
the break , then running the 11 (eleven) cards , throwing to the
br ea k and shuffl ing off may require a lit tle practi ce to do smoothLv .

As

VOl]

run

t.h 'r ou o h

t- h p

r,1I1 1-Sto rk S hll f. f l p v o u

wi l l

f i nrl

t- h ~ t-

,J;
"1
11

.:

..

f!

_. _

'- ,._....L _

363

time.

For a t i t l e c all it
.<

,f

. THE 49 CONTROL
1. The t i t l e r e f e r s to t h e~ fac t that unknown to your sp e ct a t or s
you are working with a 49 card de ck . As s ume that afte r s hu f fl i ng
a nd c utt i ng the de ck yoU-have 5 c a r d s freely selected by a s many
s p ec t a t ors. If you are working for one person have him write down
the name s of the s e c a r d s fo r later refere nce . This is a k ind co nside r a tio n for your br o the r magi cian a s t h i s lea v es h im free to
watch the mov e s .
2. When re ady for th e return of the cards be gin by chopping only
a f ew cards off the t op of t he deck i n readiness for an Overhand
Shu f fl e. Have t he first c a r d re t urne d, on to t he smal l c hopp ed of f
por tio n, t he n run 6 card s on to it . Ask f or the next c a r d t o be
re t ur n ed onto those you just run off. Again run 6 c a r d s onto i t .
Con t i nu e in thi s manner and afte r running 6 c a r ds-on t o the final
or 5th s e l e c t i on i n - j og th e next card and Shuf fle of f . Get a break
un de r the in -jog , shuffle of f t o the break and throw the ba lance
on top. Every sel e c t i on is n ow ev e ry 7th c a rd fro m t he top. ' . Fol low by doing 3 Straddl e I n -Far os whic h-ret ain s th e se l ections at
the ir 7th po sItions and in th e original order.
3. At this poin t you can Cu l l aI l S select i ons to the top u s i ng
t he ' Le s s i nout- Cu ll Shuffle ; however~ in this case you l ea v e t hem
where they are and get each selection 'under control when you n e ed
it. In other words, by simp l y running off t he top six cards you
would have the 5th r eturned card on top of t he deck ready t o be
. dis c l o s ed as you may wi s h . Once this card has been revealed , in
some magi cal manner , you r un off a nother 6 c a r d s t o get the next
sel ect ion on t op o f t he dec k. You c an a l s o show that t he sel ec t ed
card s a re no t a t the top or b ottom of the dec k just be for e runnin g
off the to p six c ar d s a nd thro wing t he de c k on t o them .
4 . Afte r .you hav e 3 selections s ti ll at the ir 7th positions y our
con t ro l of the next-card or cards can become a little more sophisti cated by using Ri ffle Shuffle s with a Block Transfer t o lo s e the
top 6 c ar d s. Tho se f am i l i a r with the "Riffle Shuff le Systems" wi l l
know-ho w t o ac c omplish this . The Ri ffle Shuffles c an be ei ther a
Str i p-Out, a Pu s h -Thr u , a Sha nk Shuffle , or the Sp a de Shuff le eac h
of wh ich i s app l i cable to an undercut or a top cut follo wed by a
Bloc k Transf er. Dep end ing on whe t he r you und e rcut or top cut to
the ri ght , t he Block Tr ans fe r wi l l be ei t he r to the ri gh t hand
po r t ion or t he left hand half .
::

'. '

,I

I
I
I

s. The t ype of d isc l o s ure, f or ea ch card , is lef t up t o the indiv i dua l t o choo se and from the ma ny avai lable , one s hou l d have no
trou b l e f inding f i v e such s u i t a bl e disc ov e r ies; however , t he final
one c oul d be al ong the l i n es of t he "Dunbury Delu s ion" s ince con side r ing th e s ophistica ted cont rol it i s p lausib le th a t you could
hav e missed t his la s t card. For such a Dunbu r y type effe c t th e
reader will f i nd a couple f urt he r on in this volum e.

U-..L J ' - ..L tU J,"",U-

c;&.v

IVI"A.

JU Cl.J

v .. ~"'"'"v

l'V .J... ..::>.. .l .

'...J.~

....L..;:J

'-'CL.J.. 'U.

.J J.a.,:)

u\.,..\J-J..J.

..L l;;; V \.,.. Q

..L \.,..'-&,.,

..L.l1.

some magical manner , you r un off a nother 6 c a r d s t o get the next

sel ect i on on t op o f the dec k. You c an a l s o show that t he sel ec t ed
card s ar e no t a t the to p or bottom of the dec k just be for e runnin g
1"'\+ +

+'h L::lo.

+r'\'Y'\

C"" ;"'V

,-,,~~C""

"., ~ ~

k'V",",'f.T';T'\ r'r

+'h,....

~_ ,- lr

r"\-n +_

+'h r'\1"r\

OJ

The follo wing ef fect wh i l e depend ent on Faro Shu ffle s

has nothing t o do wi t h the dealing of hand s but is a l ocation that
wi l l puzzl e a ny on e that is into the Fa ro.
EFFECT : Tw o spe c tators each shuffle half t he deck, then c u t o f f a.
pac ket f rom their r e s p e c t i v e ha lves. Ea ch co un t s the numbe r o f
cards h e c u t s of f, then n ote th e c a r d s a t th e s e p os i ti on s i n t heir
halves. The balance o f eac h hal f are pu t to g e th er a nd wha tever
th e ir to t a l tha t numbe r is c ount ed down t o i n th e ba l anc e of t h e
d e ck and the fir st se lectio n i s discovered at that p ositi on. The
se cond selection c a n now be reveal ed in any numb er of ways some o f
which will be given at the end of the des cription.

J~
,

.
The above conditions we r e put do wn by Dave Solomon
' a n d what follo ws is my solution to t he problem.
1. Using a borrowed dec k of 52 cards get to know the 26t h card f rom
the top. This can be do ne usIng t h e Faro Check or you can note the
bottom ca rd, then in an Overhand Shu f fle run of f c ards in three sets
of 7 c a r d s , then fiv e . Tu r n the d eck f a c e up ~ n d in a quick casual
spread t humb off the cards ti l l y ou rea ch y our noted key card .
Sep a r a t e the d ec k a t t h e key c a r d, leaving it on the fa ce of t he l e f t
ha nd po r t i on, hand i n g th i s ha l f to one s p ect at or and the bal a n c e to
anothe r spe ctator as y ou say, ltHe r e, you s huff le some ca rds a nd yo u
s hu f fl e some. "
2. After each spect a to r has shuffled ' his cards have them pl ace t h e
packets fa c e do wn.
Instruct each to cu t off a few cards. Just
make sure t hat each cu ts off less than ha l f o f t he ir respec tive por tions. Eac h secretly co u nts t h e numbe r of cards t hey cut o f f. Ne x t ,
the y are to t a ke their r emai ning p ac kets, c ou n t down to t h e ir numbers
and note the cards a t t hat number. Al l can be do n e whi l e yo u ha v e
y our back t urne d or be l ow t able level if the co mp a ny is seat ed. The
initially cut off pac kets can be placed out of sight in the ir pocket s.
3 . Pic k up the p ort ion tha t has the 1st spe ctator's card . I n an "
Ov e rha nd Shuffle run of f 1 3 c ar d s , in- jo g t he nex t card and shuffle
o f f.
Get a b r e a k u nd e r tEe in-j og and s huff le off to th e break.
Repl ac e this packet to t he t a bl e. Pi ck up the 2nd spectator ' s
p or t i on and repea t the same Overhand Shuff le sequence . I n a square
u p ac ti on note the bottom card , the n dr op this onto the 1 st specta to r' s c a r d.
- 4 . Pick up the assembl ed packets a nd hold t h em i n p o s i t i on for the
Faro Shu f f l e. Wi t h the right t hu mb r i f f le the upp er sides o f the
packet to loc ate your noted key card a nd cut the top portio n off ,
including t he key card, wi th your ri ght hand. Do a Faro Shuf fle,
s t a r ti n g at the bottom, so that the bottom card o f the left hand
po rti on will remain at the bottom or in essenc e . an Out -Shu f fl e for
wha t ever cards will be p er fec tly Faroed. Now don 't f or g e t to cut
th e t op c a r d to t he bottom using a Double Undercut .
5. If you have do n e th ings co r r ectl y s o f a r th e t wo se lected c a rd s
will be a t the 26th and 27t h p ositions fr om th e bo t t om of th e s e
In anot~Overhan<lShuf fle run ca r ds singly ti l l yo u run
c a rds.
o f f a bout half of t h e cards , th en shuffle off hap ha za r d l y the

the y are to t a ke t heir r emal nlng p ac kets, count down to t heir numbe rs
and note t he cards at t hat number. Al l can be do n e whi l e yo u ha v e
y our back tu rn ed or be l ow t able le v el i f the co mp a ny is seate d. The
;n;r;~ll"

(", l, t-

,,4=4= ,",<:I"" 1....",+c

,.....,n

",",,,,

nl<:1(", "' ~

" ,,+

,, 4=

C ; fTh+

;n

+h ", ;-r

", ,,,...1....",,,+ <,

]
]

]
]

J
]
]

II

-I

.:

-_';

..._. - - _-!.~

-~. ---,,-- , - _-.....~- . . ...;. -

,_--.~'

36 5

balance o f the cards. Position t he c a r ds f or another Fa r o Shu f f l e .

With th e right hand c ut t a bou t c e n t e r a nd do a nbther Ou t - Fa ro i n
wh i ch t be b ~ t t o m c a r d o f t he left hand por ti on r ema in s on t he bo t to m.
I f t here are any ex cess cards on t op don ' t worry a bout these ; ho w-eve r , if f or some reas on some ex cess cards gb below the bo tt om cu\"d
o f th~ left hand porti on , then just cut these excess cards to the
top . All t hat is really r equ i r e d that whatever c a r d s are Faroed
have weaved i n per fectly c a r d for card.

.,

;1
J",;,

6. Tell
each has
a nd give
any i dea

the spe ctators tha t y ou don't want to know how many cards
cut off s o they are to place their cut off packets together
you th e t otal. Point out that this tota l doe s n ' t g i v e you
of the o ri g i na l nu mbe r o f ca r d s ea ch on e had .

I~

7. Suppose t he to t a l i s 1 7 . I n your cards coun t of f 16 c a r d s face

up to the tab le and p l a c e the 17th ca rd aside face do w~ Have the
1st sp ectator name hi s c a r d , t~have him tu rnover the tabled card
~r eveal his select i on.
The 2nd sele ction is t he seco nd card f r om
the top in the cards you sti ll-nave in your lef t hand. You ha v e
several wa y s of reve al ing this second selection .
8. Y ou c a n spread out t h e f a c e up ~ c a r ds ' a s you ask if the 2nd
spectator's card is among these. Now turnover the top card ana-ask
i f this i s his card . Ta ke the fa ce up card , plus t he se lection be l ow it, as one card t o place it onto the face of the 16 card p acket .
Rep e at this turning ov er, one at a time, of the nex t t wo or t hr e e
c a r d s placing them fa c e up onto t h e fa c e up ta bled c ar d s. Turn the
balance of your c ards fa c e up onto t he f a c e up tab led c ards . Pi ck
up t he c ar ds, turn t he deck ov e r, ha nd it to the 2nd s pe ctator. He
counts do wn II c ards whe r e h e f ind s hi s card is f a c e up.

9 . If you do n't care to c ount t o the 2nd selection you can simply
r ev e al i t as face up in th e cente r of tne deck . 10 . You can, for another alt ernate dis cl osure, replace the 16 ca rds
on top of your cards whi c h brings the 2nd card to 18th from tne top.
Reass emble the rest of the c ards to the-Dottom g i v i ng you 52 c ards.
Tell the 2nd s p ecta to r you wi l l shuf fl e the cards and he can s top
you at any po int dur i n g the shuffl e s . You do p er fect Out - Faro s
ke eping numer ical t r ac k of t he s hu f f l es. If he sto ps y ou a fte r any
odd nu mbered shuf fle, such a s , t he lst-3rd-5th, etc., the 2nd sel ection will b e at 18th from the bottom wliIle an even numberea-Faro,
suc h a s 2nd- 4th-6fli:'; etc . , th e se l ected c a r d will be at 18th from
t he to p. - once-hen a s s t opped, you t e ll h i m t o name any nu mbe r fr om
15 to 20: Depending , on the number he names you can add or lose the
n e c e s s a r y number of cards in a cut to get the chosen card to that '
po s i t i on.
You can a lso set the 2nd s elect ion for your favorite ps ycholo gi c a l 'Stop' effect o r you can resort to a Second Deal, a Bottom
Deal and even the Benzai's Cop to get the s ame result. As you can
s e e since th e 2nd selection i s under your control you have many
op t io n s as fa r -a5 reveal ing this card is co nc e r ned.
11 .

,.
I
,

II
II
,I
Ii':
I

"
f.~ I

'I :

J'f.j

9.
If you don't c a r e t o co un t t o the 2nd selection y ou c an simply
r ev e al i t as face up in th e cen te r of tne deck . -

DOUBLE I NFO CONTROL

EFFECT: ,; 'This" depends on wha t kind of effe ct you wi s h to present onc e
yo u have the desired informati on whi c h wi l l co n s i s t in having a noted
c a rd on top of the dec k and a break bel ow a number of c a r ds that equal
th e amo unt of ca r ds ori g inall y cu t of f a nd re t a i ned by t he s pec t a to r.
1. Assum i ng you hav e a 52 ca rd dec k hav e it s huffled by the sp ect at or .
He is th en instruc te d t o-remove an unkn own number o f c a rds fr om t he .
dec k. In orde r t o -give this more of a prese ntational appr oach tel l
him he has a choi ce o f cutting some c a rds o f f the top or the bottom
o f t he deck , or from the center of the deck, or by a combination of
either t wo or all three . This wi l l not i n t e rf e r e wi t h the end r esult
as it has nothi ng to do wi th it. You can turn your back during t he
spe ctator's removal of the cards or if seated, he c an pl a c e the .d eck
below table l evel to cut of f some c ards. The cards he remove s, he
places in his poc k e t , t hen t a bles t he rest of the deck . Wi t h your
back st ill turned tell him to count the nu mber o f cards in his pa cket,
t hen return them to h i s pocket. Next, tell him to count down, f rom
the top, into the deck and to remember the card a t t ha t numbe r . He
do e s a s r eque s t e d, then square s. and tables the deck.
2 . You now tur n ar ound f or t he fi r s t time an d l ook a t th e tabled
dec k wh i c h will co n s i s t o f abo u t t wo th ir ds or more o f t he deck if
y our i n s t r uc t i on s c onv ey e d the idea of a small packet or nu mbe r being
u s ed . It is impor tant that now you cut of f , fr om the stil l tabled
d ec k , more than 26 cards; however, make sure you leave s ome cards
behind on the t aDIe. The r eason, whi c h y ou c an point ou t to the
audi ence, is that you wan t to shu ffle the cards bu t at the same time
do not want t he m to t hi n k t hat i f you s huf f le d all o f them you co uld
perhaps c oun t t hem . You cut off the c ards wi t h your ri ght hand , f r om
abo ve eit her by the ends or the sid es, t he n dur i n g your .pa t t er you
gesture wi th your right hand and glimpse the bottom card .
3. ' In an Overhand Shu f f l e you will run 26 cards but broken up using
a s huf f le idea fr om "Far o Controlled Mira cles " , 1964. Briefly , it
i s t his. Run o f f t he t op 13 c a r ds, th en thr ow the rest o f the cards
onto them but with the l eft 4 t h f ingertip kee p i ng the sepa rati on.
Now you wi ll run a nother 13 c ard s of f the top of the deck but the
l e f t fi n ger s pul l the bottom 13 c ar ds along with the f irst t op card.
You immediat ely continue the snuffl e, running another 13 ca r d s onto
the block of 13 cards pUlled off the bottom of the decK: Thro w th e
rest of the c ards onto the 26 cards you just c omp l e t e d runn ing o f f .
Pick up the few tabled cardS-you le ft behind and place the se on top
o f the deck.
4. Ho ld t he deck as for a Fa r o Shuf fl e and wi t h t he ri ght t humb
riffle the to p side in order to reloc ate your gl i mp sed key card.
Si nc e you kno w that t he key card is a bov e the 19 wer 26 cards you can
est ima te quickly it s approximate pos ition . Split the-deck at the
key ca r d so that it is the fa ce card of the upper and smal ler portion
o f ca r ds i n the right hand. Next , do an In-Faro of the smaller por t ion into the 26 cards . In o t her words , th e t op card of t he smaller
por ti on wi l l go2nd fr om t op and t he rest of th i s smal l po r t i on wi ll be

perhaps co unt t he m. You cut off the c ards wi t h yo ur r ight hand , fr om

abo ve eit her by the e nds or the sid es, t he n dur i n g you r .pa tt e r you
gesture wi t h your right hand and glimpse the bottom card .

]
]

.J
]

J
J

~-- -.-.

. t.-;",. .:---. _ _

~ ...-tl . ~ ..

- -" "'- - .-- --~._- - _ ._ -~ "_ .. ..:.."-

--

-"- .......

367
')

1
j

Faroed card for card. Telescope the packets into eac h other for about
half their length, then still holding the sides of t he elongated deck,
wi t h the' .left hand, the rig ht hand mov e s to abov e the cards to push
the cards flush. During this ac t ion the rig ht thumb, at the back end,
l ift s up on the in-j ogged sma l l p ortion which ena bles the left 4th
fingertip to obtain a brea k below the in-jogged cards and maintaIn
it as the cards are squared. The left hand cuts off those cards belo w the br ea k and transfers them to t he top of the deck wher e the
right t humb momen t a r il y keeps this packet separated, at the back end,
from the rest of the cards until the left hand moves back to under
t he deck in or de r t o take ov er the s eparation with the left 4th fingertip at the lower right corner. Instead of the right thumb hOIaing
the separation the left hand, in undercutting .t he small packet , places
t he pa cket fl ush on to the dec k but side -j ogged .t o the left for about
a quarter of an inch or less. The left hand can then regain the
s epa r a t i on by the left 4th fingertip doing a Pull Do wn, on the right
s i de , near the lo we r riglit corner. Rega r dl es s you will now have the
spectator's noted c ard on to p of the deck. Also the cards above the
break equal the numb er of c ar ds the sp ectato r removed and st ill has
in hi s pocket. You a r e now in a position to c on clude the effect in
many wa ys . The most obvious being to show his card on top f ol l owe d
by cutting those cards ab ove the br eak;plus one,: to the table in ord er
t o s ho w that your numbe r of cards match h is removed t otal.
5. At Step 4 abo ve you may struggle to get that I n - Fa r o ; however,
the f olloWing idea will make thi s part ea s i er . The Out -Faro is
basically the ori ginal top card goi ng ' ba ck on top. What you do, to
.ma ke th is easier i n t his c a se, i s to Of f -Cen ter t he Ou t -Fa r o . In
o t he r words, make sure lt will be an Out -Faro but not with a single
card falling back on "t op . You may have t wo, tnree;<:}r f ou r cards,
from t he s mall porti on , fa l l on t op during t he Out -F ar o . Al l you
have t o do is not e how many cards Faro onto the top. As an ex ample,
let's s ay 3 cards fall onto the top during the Out -Faro. This mean s
you hav e thr ee c a rd s mo r e t ha n r equ ired. Now j u st squa r e up the de c k
and get your usual bre ak below the smaller in-jo gged po rtion. Now
say, "Some place in the deck is your c a r d j" as you spr ead the fac e
down deck between both hand s. Spread to t he bre ak and then thumb
ov e r three more cards that are below the break. In re-squaring ge t
a break below the three cards you thumbed ov er . From here proce ed
as alre ad y ex p l ai ned when you wi l l have the not ed c ard on t op a nd
the cards above the break will equal the number that the spectator
removed.
6. It is interesting to note that in doing the Off -Ce nter Out Faro
that you would know the pos ition of the noted card from "t he top o f
the dec k by cutting to the break wi t hou t any adjustm ent a s sugg e st e d
in "Step ~ above .

,
, I

I
Ii,I

Ii~
~

,I

/[

"7 . If the number of cards cut off by the spect ator is le ss th an a

dozen you can try t he f ollowing suggest ed effect whi c h is a bit
different. Call it
.
THE TRAVELLING HOURS
EFFECT:

The specta tor r eturn s an unknown numbe r of c a r ds to the deck.

hav e t o do IS not e how many cards Faro on t o the top. As an ex ample,

let's s ay 3 cards fall on t o the top during the Out -Faro. This mean s
you hav e thr ee c a rd s mo re t ha n r equ ired. Now j u st squa r e up t he de c k
and get your usual bre ak be l ow t he smaller in-jo gged portion. Now
say, "Some pl a c e in the deck is your c a r d j" as you spread the face
down deck betwee n both hand s. Spread to t he bre a k and then thumb

~hese cards, which represent a number of hours, then travel from the

deck

to ~the

chrdician's pocket.

8. The presentation gives you the excuse to limit the spectator's

number of cards removed to no more than twelve. After the spectator
has shuffled the deck tell him that out of the twelve hours on a
clock everyone has a f a vor i t e hour. He is to remove a number of
cards from top or bottom or center, equivalent to the hour he is
thinking. You turn around w h i ~ e he does this, then places this
'hours' packet into his pocket. He can shuffle the rest of the
cards again if he wishes. On turning around you cut off SlightlY
more than 26 cards leaving some behind and telling the spectator why
you left them behind. During the cut-off of the estimated 26 cards
note the' bottom card as your key. Run your two sets of 13 cards eac 1
as already explained. Place the small tabled portion on-top o f yo u r
cards. Cut to your noted key card and do an Off-Center In-Faro
Shuffle. Cut the cards that were below the weaved cards to top and
hold a break 'be l ow these top cards which were undercut from the
bottom of the deck. Wi t h the right thum b, at t he back end, lift up
one card from below the break to join those above the bre ak. The
right hand, wh i ch has been abo ve the deck squar ing the ends, lifts
off the top card to drop it face down to the table. The .left hand,
with the deck, moves back closer to the body near the left s ide.
9. Ask the spectator to name the card he noted. Point to the tabled
card and have him turn it over. During t he atten tion on the spectator and the tabled c ard your body turns to the left and your left
hand, on t he off side, drops the cards above the break into the left
side coat pocket.
1.0. Having revealed the noted card you table the deck. Tell the
spectator that he has some cards in his pocket the number of which
. you do not know. He is to remove these cards and holding them
squared to place them into the center of the deck. Tell him you will
cause those cards to l eave t he deck and gO'into your pocket. Having
made this statement do not wait too long but make some passes over
the deck, then to wards your left side coat pocket.
11. With your left hand remove the cards from your left side coat
pocket and hold the m squared saying, "Here they are. How many did
you have?" When he tells you ,the number, count your cards by tossing
them out and f a c e do wn onto the table. After the last card has be en
counted simply add, "There they are."
12. Not bad of an effect but there are many other ways of getting
the cards into the poc ket and the method you use for getting them
there will enhance the end result; however, one rule must be followed.
The hand that eventually remov es the cards from the pocket must be
shown empt y.
NOTE: At Step 8 instead of picking up a card from below the break
to above the break you can do the following. With the cards below
the break still at the bottom of the deck the right thumb g e t s a
break below the top c ard. The right t hum b ma i n t a i n s this br eak as
the left hand undercuts those cards below the break to the top. The
.

lJ..a.V-L,U5

LV"Vva..l. ICiU

L.IJ.C;;

lLUL.V:U.

\.,..Q..J.U

JVu.

l,a.U..LCJ

l,..l ! v

uC;\-l\..

..LC:::.J....L

L.Jlt:::

spectator that he has some cards in his pocket the number of which
. you do not know. He is to remove these cards and holding them
squared to place them into the center of the deck. Tell him you will
cause those cards to l eave t he deck and gO'into your pocket. Having
made this statement do not wait too long but make some passes over
the deck, then to wards your left side coat pocket.

]
'j

']

ii
II;
I"

!i.

36 9

,I
-1 j

right thumb aut omat i c a lly ha s he l d it s break . The lef t ha nd moves

back to under the deck and in a squaring action the .le ft 4th f ingert i p takes ove r thi s br e ak . At th e t op of the deck you now-Eave the
se l ect ion. When yo u deal the not ed card to the table the remai ning
cards above the break equal the number of cards the spectator ha s in
his pocket'. You can also simply si de-jog ' the ' top card J to the right
f or a bout a n eight h of a n inc h, t hus the und er cut pa cke t can be
placed f lush onto t he de ck . La t e r t he left 4th f i ng e r t ip can push
up on the side-jo gged card wi t h the left 4th-rIng e r t i p getting its
br eak bel ow thi s s i de- j ogged c a r d. Try botn ways and u s e whi ch you
f eel i s be st for you . Al s o , i f you f org e t you r key card du ring t he
run of 26 c ards do not attempt an awkward last minute glimpse.
Si mply tnro w t he balance on to p e ither in an in - j ogg e d posi tio n or
direc t ly on to p but ke eping a l e f t 4th f inger t i p break bel ow t his
section. Pick upthe tabled cards, tEat you left behind initially,
to place them on ' top. ' Posit ion the detk for a Faro Shuffle cutting
o f f t he t op cards, wi th your right hand J thos e c a r ds a bove t he br ea k
'- or i n - j og . Squa re of f bot h sections, then go into your Off Center
I n -F a r o Shu ffle and conclude a s describ ed.
Th e f ol lowing u s e s t he s ame i de a a s ex pl ained excep t
that it has flexibility . of ap plication sinc e in essence i t is a force.
The d i ffere nce l i e s i n t he way i t i s ha ndled . . Call it t he

FLEXIBLE FORCE
1 . The de ck i s shuff led by the s pec t ato r af te r whi ch he cu ts off a
small pa c ke t to p l ace it in hi s pocket. The bal ance of th e dec k is
again s huf f led by t he spectato r . De sp ite al l t his you will be abl e
t o s et a pre -d e termined c a r d t o a posi ti on eq ua l to t he numb er o f
c ards th e s pectator cut off.
-r

2 . Si nc e you will kn ow ahead of time wha t c ar d t his wi l l be you ca n

use it as a prediction or a men t a l effect or a l oca t i on . Thus a fter
t he spect ator counts do wn i nto t he dec k to a number, represented by
the numbe r o f cards he ha s po cketed , he wi l l be noting t he fQr ced
card. Once t h is i s done he c an pu t al l the c ard s to gether, includ i ng those he cut off, then shu f fle the deck. You now c an r ead his
mind or s i mply run ov er t he f ac e s of t he c ar d~ to r emove t he c ar d
you know is hi s . If you i n t end to us e this as a predi c ti on , then
th e spectator i s as ked to pl a ce the card at h i s number off to one
s id e. The p r edi c t ion , whi ch has been i n view befor e anythi ng was
s t a rt e d, is now op en ed and read , t hen the tabl ed car d i s turned
f a c e up to show your succ ess . Do no t u se th i s appr oa ch t o an !tOpen
Prediction" as it is not the same ef fect under the conditio ns and
pr oc edur e s ori gi nal l y out l in ed f or the "Op en Pr edi c ti on " .

3. Hope fUlly having intrigued you with the

and 2 a bov e her e is the s i mple s e cre t . The
one ~ro m whi ch yo u secr e tly remo v e one card
you r l ap. Thi s is th e card you wi l l either
mindr ead for the sp ectator.
4.

descriptions in Step 1
dec k c a n be a bo rro wed
wh i ch you hold ou t in
predict J l oca t e , or

The spectato r shu f fles the dec k, t hen. cut s of f a pa cke t to p i ac e

to s et a pre -d e t ermined c a r d t o a posi ti on eq ua l to t he numb er o f

cards th e s pectator cut off.
of

2 . Since you will kn ow ahead of time wha t c a r d t his wi l l be you ca n

use it as a prediction or a men t a l e ffect or a l oca t i on . Thus a fter
+ 1",...

(".,...." __ +,,..,,+ _ .......

...-- ...... .. , _ .f.. ....

..:1 _ ... ..--..

.......

.f-_

..... 1-.._

....1 ...... _1 ,.

..... ,...

,..

_ .., ........ t...__

...... .... -. _of- ......

...:J

1.- .. .

,, -

it in his pocket. He shuffles again. Meantime you get your card into
, a left hand deep Gambler's Cop. The right hand tuts off more than 26
cards 'from the now tabled balance of cards. The left hand moves up-but remains below the table level. The cards from the right hand are
dropped into the left hand and onto the card. The left hand then
moves to view at once. Since you do not have to glimpse any cards
you look at all times at the spectator during the cutting off of the
required cards.
5. Now all you have to do is pull the top ~nd bottom cards together
as you start your Overhand Shuffle. Mentally count "Two", on this
milking action, then ~ontinue running single cards ort the counts of
Three, Four, etc. till you reach 13 and toss deck onto the 13 cards
but keep -a left 4th fingertip separation between the portions. Pull
the top 'card pluSt'he bottom 13 cards as you mentally count "One l l
and on to 13 again; however, j u s t before you throw the balance on
top you glImpse the bot.tom card of this portion. . Remember it as your
key card.
6. All that remains is to cut to y~ur noted key card, ' do an OffCenter In-Faro Shuffle, cut those cards that are below the Faroed
portion, to the top. Your originally held out card now' occupies the
same posi tion as the number of cards that the spectator cut off. ,
From here you can conclude this condition in any way you may prefer.

- :

ADDITIONAL TIPS:
In doing the "Visual Retention Switch", as per Figs. 1 to 5, have
the card that is secretly behind the left hand near the edge of the table.
You will get a better visual illusion, from the spectator's view, if you
actually place t he card, that is held in the right hand, onto the tabled
card, rather t han as in Fig. 3, in such a manner that more than half of
its inner wi dth g o e s past the-table's edge. When the right hand lets go
of its card i t wi ll automatically falloff the table's edge and into the
lap.
Immediately th e right fingertips contact the tabled card, to move
it slightly forward, as at the same time the left hand moves off to the
left as shown in t he Fig. of this card switch. The above suggestion
applies equall y we ll to a packet of cards to be switched.
Ori the use of th i s "Visual Retention Switch", for a deck switch,
the de~k to be r u n g i n should be pre-cut with a crimp, at center, marking off its ori gi n a l o r d e r . This deck is secretly placed behind the
left hand near t he tab l e ' s edge as in the Fig. 1 of the "Visual Retention
Switch" excep t i n s tead of a single card the dec~ will be resting there.
The deck to be s wi tche d out is taken with the right hand, by the deck's
sides, at the inne r e n d . The deck is carried to behind the left hand
and at once is re s t e d, f o r more than half its inner width, onto the inner
side of the tab l e d d e c k . The right hand at once releases its deck which
topples off of t he tabled deck and into the lap.
Immediately the right
hand grasps the ri gh t end of the deck by its sides. At the same time
the left hand move s to grasp the left end of the deck by its sides. The
deck is given one c ut, to the crimp, thus bringing the switched in deck
to its original o rder in the event that you may have this deck in a
set-up order.
If th e d e c k switched in is of any other sort, then, after
the switch, just f ollow with one or more fair cuts. The whole action
appears as if t he ri ght hand took the visible deck, tabled it, then cut
it to complete a ve ry easy and indetectable deck switch.

On the "Marlo Opec Count" instead of a Single Buckle to start the

count some may f i nd a Block Pushoff to their liking . I suggest doing a
very slight Block P ushoff, just enough for the right fingers and thumb
to grasp the ri ght side, at center, of this block. The left hand now
moves away with its bottom card and the left hand also relaxes into an
open palm position on which the card rests for a second or two, then the
rest of the count is continued to conclusion. The open palm idea gives
the impression of uncontrolled fairness and the re -loading of this card,
to under the right hand cards, is unsuspected.

_..:.

...._ ,

1;'' '.'"

of