VOLUME

3 1979

".'"
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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
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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.
. ..

,
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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

-..

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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~.

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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
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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

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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 .
.
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.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.

]
]
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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.

]
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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.
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Fig. 3

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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.
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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_ ~
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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.
",

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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

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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
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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

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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

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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

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aud ienc e.
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ALMOST BLUFF ACEMBLY

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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 .
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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

~~

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..... _

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

11

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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;:

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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

..

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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.
"

!
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. 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
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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:

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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~~-.~--.".

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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" >

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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.
- .

'
. '.:

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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

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__ _ _ A .

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17

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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.
_ ~

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=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
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i
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I
I
II
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I
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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
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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 ;,----

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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.

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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,

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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.

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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.
' ,

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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.
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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.

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t r a v e l bac k t o t he l e ader packet . P
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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

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Fig. 5

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

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' 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

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21

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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~ ~ .

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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 .

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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.

,.

.....

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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.

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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

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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

__

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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.

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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

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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
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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

,__

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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.
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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.

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1

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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.
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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 .

... .. .

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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.

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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. .
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PHOTOG RAPH 4

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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.

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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.
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..

.....

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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.

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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.
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re gul a r

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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.
. ,

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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-.

...

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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

.. ".

_ ~_

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._

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.
. ~~,!-' -.

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P HO T OG RAP H 9

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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
__ .;_ _ + .....

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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.

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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 .

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PHOTOGRAPH 13

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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" . )

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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--

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36

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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

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PHOTOGRAPH 17
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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.

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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

'

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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

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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.
,.; .

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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
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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 .

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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

.'

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40

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

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Fig. 3

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6. When the d eck i s in le ft

, hand as in the F i g . 3 a b ove
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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.
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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

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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 .
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F ig. 6

Fig. 7

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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"

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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 " .

.',

\ .. .
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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

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43

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

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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

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LH.l.~

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LH ~ ~

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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.

' \

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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'

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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
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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 .
.
,
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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.

: .,
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.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

]
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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.

"

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both hand s, so that the backs of

the cards will be toward s the

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THE RAZOR'S EDGE

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- 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 ~
,
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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,
~

~.

.!

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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

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Fig. 8

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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
.,

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Fig. 9
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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
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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 .

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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 .

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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

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. 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 .
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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.
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CENTER SIDE TAKE

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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.

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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.

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BOTTOM DEAL COUNT

(FIRST FINGER TAKE)

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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

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

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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
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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.
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MARLO'S NATURAL SECOND DEAL

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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.
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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. " ~
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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

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65

side of the deck as in the Fig.

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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.

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Fig. 5

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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.
.

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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.

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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.

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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
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Fig. 9

Fig. 10

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

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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

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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.

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Fig. ' 11

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

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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.

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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;
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69
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THE TWO-CARD DEAL

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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.
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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.
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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

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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

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aligned as in the Fig. 2. The

right 1st finger along the top
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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.

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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
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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
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the deck onto the tabled cards. Continue the deal with single cards.

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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 .

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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 .

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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

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. . 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.
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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~

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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

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73

MARLO' S PINCH SPREAD

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.
. 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.,;;.,....

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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

...

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~

. : . 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.
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NEW GRIP FOR

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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.

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-- - -

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-- - - - -

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

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," 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-

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77

THE FLEXIBLE COUNT

_. .
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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.
.."

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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.
.

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,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 .

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Fig._ 6.

Fig . 5

,,-

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'

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

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

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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 .
.. : .

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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

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-,

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81

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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.

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Fig. 16

Fig. 17
"

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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.

]
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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,
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]
, 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..~~.

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n_Y.

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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.

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~LEXIBLE

...

VISUAL CHANGE
.

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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.

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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

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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-

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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.

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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 .

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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

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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,

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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

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Fig. 11

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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.

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

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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
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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 .
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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 .' .

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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

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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
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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.
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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
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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
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very easy f or the left 1st finger t ip to engage the back card o th e
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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 .
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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.
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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.

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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 .
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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.
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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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
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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.

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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

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

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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
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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 .
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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.

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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.

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

ba ck of t he 5S .
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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.
;
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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.

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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

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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.
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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.
;&,

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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 .

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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

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

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' 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

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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

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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

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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.

]
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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.
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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

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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 .

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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-.-- ---

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Fi'g. 6

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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

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The left 2nd , 3r d, and 4th fingers pre s s again st the righ t side of
i t s c ard s-.--

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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) '
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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.
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Fig. 9

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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

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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.
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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.

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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

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

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. 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
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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.
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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.
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' , 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

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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
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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.
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Fig. 16
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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.

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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

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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.
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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
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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

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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 .

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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
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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. ,,

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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.
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4.

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

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, 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

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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

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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 .
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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. ~.
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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.
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Fi g. 28

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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
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t e new ace c ar coverlng t e car you a e puttlng . own.

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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.

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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 __ ~ _

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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.
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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".

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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

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Fig. 1

Fig. 2

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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.

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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

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115-

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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.

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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

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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

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~ ~ : 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

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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

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.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
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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
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I . '. . card . At once the left hand, which has been in posi t ion up agains t
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the bottom of the table and on a line with the cards in the ;r i g h t hand,
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! " '. 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
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have stacked the 4 Aces for a 5 handed game.
The 1st Ace from the
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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
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. lower portion ~t the same tim~get~ing the break, wi tp.~the ri ght
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,
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
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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
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card as apparently s t i l l half of the deck, continues at once to
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place it onto the ori ginal top half and at once drags this port ion
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off the t able into the left hand and thus onto the cards it has held
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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~.

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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,

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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

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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.

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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

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ANOTHER MARLO DECK SWITCH

The Following Deck Switch, also recorded on the

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119

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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.
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Fig. 2

Fig. 1

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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

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Fig.

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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.
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Fig. 6
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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.

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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.

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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
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Fig. 7

Fig. 9

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.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

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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.
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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 -

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jogg ed co ndit io n is on ly about t hree qu art ers o f a n inc h.

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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 .
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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.
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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

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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
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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..
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---125

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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 .

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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.

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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

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1 27

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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.

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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.

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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,

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Hold th e e l ong a te d spr e ad with the left hand a s the right ha nd

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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

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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 ,

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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.
~
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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

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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

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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".
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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.

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under the lower left corner of the second Red card as seen in the
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,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_

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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.

"

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handling of the count is mentioned as it could fit into other routines requiring such a count.

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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

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'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

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Fig. 13

Fig . 12

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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

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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
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135

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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.
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Fig. 14
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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

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bottom as seen in the Fig. 16. The completion of this unique count
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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.
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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.

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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
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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
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moves upward to up-jog the Red
card, then moves downward to
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_ ~ 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.
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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.

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ed -by-the Uright fingers, th~~b - on the face at about the center

of the right side with the fin- '
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137

Fig. 19

Fig. 20

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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.
.
.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.
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- 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
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side, with thumb on top, 1st
fingertip again~t the edge-.,:. of the right s i~~, 2nd and
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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
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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

"

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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.

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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

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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

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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.
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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

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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 .

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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.
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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 -

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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

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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
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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

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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.

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145

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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.

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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.
_~~
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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
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properly al~ernated and the spectator can examine th~ to s e e that
the colors of the faces and backs do alternate.
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SECOND TECHNICOLOR OIL AND WATER

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(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.

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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

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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.
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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
..
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rhythm this moveless' move has
Fig. 30
the illusion of having pushed
over the last card.
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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

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5. The Blue back cards are replaced face down into the left hand
dealing position. The right hand turns the four tabled Red back

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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.
~
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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

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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

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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.
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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 .
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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.

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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

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.. . 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.
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. 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.

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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
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153

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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.
'
.
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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~

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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

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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.
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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

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face down card. Thus this approach is recommended over my original
method using the Hung Card.
2ND METHOD:

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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.

":
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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

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]
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.

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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
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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

- . - .-. . -;-- -- - - ' - - .-

- -. - - - . -

- - ---- .- -

.- - " - . .. ~ ..

- --- ~

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

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table towards the tabled SS.

__~ . - ......-7_-

. _ . ~ _~

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Fig. 4

Fig . 3

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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

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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
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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.

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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

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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

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4TH METHOD:

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Th e Spec t a t o r 's Open Pre di cti on

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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 .

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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 .

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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
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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.
.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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
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are go ing to vi sit or wo rk i n a non-smoke r s pl a ce , th en you can
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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

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167

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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
...:.
...
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-

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

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_..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

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175

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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-

.
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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;!
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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

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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

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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.

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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.
- .....
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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

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..
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.

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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

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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

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face do wn sign ed s elect ion, t hen the secr e t stapled 6C. Ta ke-of f
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the top two back to ba c k c a rd s , s upposedly th e six e s-Sinc e on e
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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.

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The right hand takes the supposed face down selection, by the

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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 .
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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"

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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.

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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 -

..

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186

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. 6C uppermost, the left thumb

positions itself ov e r the
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perforations or where the
staple wou l d have been. The ~
right hand comes over the
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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
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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
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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 .

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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
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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. ~

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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 .

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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-

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187
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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

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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 .

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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

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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.

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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.

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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'

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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

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_~~

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'~

....,--

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- -- - . -.

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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

_ _ "

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.....

.,

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.,

-,

.,

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.

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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

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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.

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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 .

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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

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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
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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.

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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.

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DOUBLE -BUBBLE METHOD:

Dav e Solomon

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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

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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 .

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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

.,

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-. 198 '

to 43" .
:

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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 .

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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
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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.

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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.

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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.
.

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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

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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.

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J
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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:

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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->

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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

-- -

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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

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209

side you will be looking at the selection as in the Fig. 9.

,

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.

Fig . 9 .

. Fig. 8

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Fig. 10

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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
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I

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Fig. 10

/
F.ig. 11

.-

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:Fig . 13

Fig. 12

If you do not

w~sh

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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
/

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--

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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

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up

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:>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 .
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Co nc lude the e ffec t in your best

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' l
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'
'.

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
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'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 .
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..!

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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

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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 ,

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Fig. IS

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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- ;

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f"l"Y"l

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'Y'"orr'\"Y\ c-+ ""t"n;,.... +

.._ ..

.... .

__._--_._-_.

..- .....

....-

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"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.

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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

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II

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... .. _ ....

'

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.

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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'
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---- .
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

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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 selecti