Content:

You have received a new Phoenix Deck, in a “shuffled” order, that has several
different markings on the back. Going through the deck you will notice there are
2 x Nine of Diamonds. One of them is marked, the other unmarked. Depending
on how you want to use your deck, you will use either one or the other. The two
Jokers are unmarked. The last card you will see is a Poker Bingo Card, with
another game called Cutta Numba on the back. Both sides seem to be a game
but this card is actually a cheat sheet.

History:
What you hold in your hand is the 2nd Generation of the SUM Deck. When we
first released the Phoenix Deck in 2009, we also produced Roy Johnson’s SUM
Deck in cooperation with Magikraft’s Martin Lewis. The SUM Deck of the first
generation used the Roy Johnson stack order that allowed some spelling tricks.
Being a huge fan of the Juan Tamariz Mnemonica stack, I changed the order of
the cards and added two new markings. These modifications will give you even
further possibilities.

The Secret:
The deck you have purchased is both stacked and
marked. Let’s examine the marks first. The Mar-
kings are based on the Phoenix Deck markings
that you may be familiar with. If not, I recommend
visiting www.release-the-power.com, where all
the features of the Phoenix Deck are explained.

The marks are incorporated into the borders of

the back design in all four corners. The marking in
the upper left and lower
right corner (in this case
the Six of Clubs (6C))
indicates the value of the
actual card. This marking is identical to our Phoenix
Marked Deck.

The upper right and lower left corner (in this case the
Ten of Diamonds (Xd)) shows the identity of the pre-
vious card in the stack. These are the two markings
that were already used in the SUM Deck from 2009,
but I added two more interesting features:
At the upper end of the
feather quills you will notice
numbers, carefully embedded
into the design so that they
stay unnoticed. On the right
you see the letters 5 and 0,
what indicates card position
number 50.

This number can be used

in two different ways, as it
indicates the stack number of
the card you are looking at.
The top card of the deck for
instance - the Four of Clubs
- shows the stack number
one, being the first card in the
Tamariz Stack. If you place
one card on top of the deck, either the provided unmarked Nine of Diamonds
or a Joker, this number will tell you the number of cards the spectator is holding
in his hands after cutting off a pile. If you add the unmarked Nine of Diamonds,
remove the marked Nine of Diamonds from the bottom of the Deck.

The last marking you will notice is circled above and can have four different
status. The most common status is the “0” with all four short lines and “-1” with
one long line on the left. Check your deck now to see all the different markings.

This last marking is indicating the number of black cards inside a pile cut by
your spectator. It does not matter if you added the Nine of Diamonds or a
Joker to the top.

How to calculate the number or black (and red) cards in a cut-off pile:
Let’s say the spectator would cut at the 2 of Diamonds, leaving the Jack of
Hearts on top of your pack. As you added the 9 of Diamonds or Joker to the
top, you will know that the spectator has 20 cards in his hand (as you can read
the number 20 on the back of the Jack of Hearts).

To get to the number of black cards in the spectator’s hand, divide the number
20 by 2, the result is 10. Now read the upper marking, in this particular case
“-1”, telling you that you have to subtract 1 from the result: the spectator has 9
black cards in his hand. Certainly this means that he would also have 11 red
cards in his hands (or 10 plus the Joker).

If the spectator cuts off an odd number of cards - say 25 -, dividing that num-
ber would result in 12.5. Given our present formula, this would not give a valid
number. ALWAYS ROUND DOWN, or to make it easier, always take the next
lower even number to the odd number for the division. By the way, in this par-
ticular case, the “half” of 25 would be 12, the upper marking shows “0”, which
means that the spectator would have 12 black and 13 red cards in his hands.

We are certain you have realized the deck needs to stay in the Mnemonica
stack, even if it looks like a random order. It must be kept in this order for the
S.U.M. Deck to work properly.

Setup for the classic S.U.M Deck effects:

Remove both Jokers and the unmarked Nine of Diamonds. Also remove the
Poker Bingo Card. All cards are marked. The S.U.M. Deck is in cyclic order and
single complete cuts will not affect the deck order.

Setup for the new S.U.M Deck 2.0 effects:

Some of the effects in this manuscript will require that the top card be the
Nine of Diamonds (or alternatively the Joker). Remove the two Jokers and
the marked Nine of Diamonds. Also remove the Poker Bingo Card. Add the
unmarked Nine of Diamonds to the top of the deck. I would also recommend
making this Nine of Diamonds a short card. You could also “corner short” it so it
can be easily cut to the top, in case you want to let the spectator cut the deck a
few times.

If the cards should get mixed, it is easy enough to put them back in order. Fan
the deck face up and place any card face down on the table. Find the card
that matches the mark in the upper right corner of the tabled card and place it
face down on top of it. Repeat this until all the cards are dealt and the deck will
be stacked correctly. You can check your work against the table on the Poker
Bingo Card. For further details how to use the Poker Bingo Card please go to
www.release-the-power.com.

Try the following simple effect and you will see the power of the S.U.M. Deck
immediately. Place the deck on a table and ask a spectator to cut a packet from
the top of the deck and look at the face card of that packet. While he does this,
you simply look at the back of the portion remaining on the table; the right side
mark tells you which card the spectator is looking at. Have them replace the cut
off portion. You now know the name of a card looked at in the fairest possible
manner, and know it without any calculations or manipulations.

Notice that the marks are quite large so they can be read easily from some
distance. Since the font used is quite decorative and the back design specially
created for blending in the marks perfectly, it is rather difficult for a casual obser-
ver to spot the marks. Handing the deck for examination is not recommended.

Christian “Card-Shark” Schenk

S. U. M.
Roy Johnson

Roy Johnson’s clever routine has been adapted here to make use of Martin
Lewis’s black art card case window as described in the effect “The Whispe-
ring Joker”. This eliminates the need for the stack memorization system in the
original version. If you are familiar with the Tamariz Stack then you can reveal
all three cards at the end once you know the first card. You also can place the
Poker Bingo card casually onto the table and therefore find the other two cards
once you know the first one.

The title has nothing to do with mathematics.

S.U.M. are the initial letters for Set Up Marked.

This is my routine for using a set-up pack of cards but with the added subtlety
of using cards which have been marked on the backs. However, the real magic
of this combination is only realized if the marking system is instantly recog-
nized.

Perhaps it is not a new idea to combine the advantages of set-up and marked
but I have never come across anyone using my variation, which is to secretly
mark the back of the card with the identity of the card immediately above.

The system to be used for the set-up should preferably be of the apparently
random order type, such as Nikola or Merlini. I personally use the Osterlind
system but incorporating an adaptation, which I published in Epoptica, the
magazine published by Jeff Busby of the USA who also published the Oster-
lind system. (remark: this is the original text of Roy Johnson, we are using the
Tamariz Stack.)

This routine can be performed in close-up or cabaret but ideally a small table
should be available.

YOU WILL NEED: A rubber band to encircle the card case lengthwise. The
S.U.M. deck with the case prepared as described in the “Whispering Joker”
effect.

PREPARATION: Place the special pack of cards into the card box which you
then close and encircle with the rubber band.

ROUTINE: Stand behind the table and place a member of the audience at your
left side.

Remove the cards from the box, placing the box and rubber band onto the
table.

1: Spread the cards face up between your hands as you explain that a little la-
ter you will have a card reversed in the pack so will he (the spectator) note that
all the cards are face up and that none are face down.

This is important to prove that this is a fact but particularly it provides a reason
to show that the pack is mixed, without actually having to say so.

Fan the pack face down and casually cut it a few times as you address the
assistant.

Hold the pack in the left hand dealing position at waist height so that the left
thumb can riffle the left outer corner. Do so and the assistant calls ‘stop’.

With your right hand deliberately lift off the packet above the break, holding the
ends, and show the face card to the assistant, asking him to note and remem-
ber it. As he does so you avert your eyes in order not to see the card. Instead
you actually read the back of the left hand top card.

Immediately replace the right hand packet on top and square the cards.

Pretend to read the spectator’s mind and reveal the card.

2: Cut the pack a few times and repeat phase 1.

3: “Let’s try something different.”

Hold the pack in the left hand and extend this to the assistant with your right
hand alongside, palm upwards.

He cuts half of the pack, face down, onto your right hand.

Now you thumb off the card cut to and hand it to him, asking him to keep it face
down. Meanwhile you reassemble the pack by completing the cut. Throughout
this phase you are looking away from your hands.

Still averting your gaze you turn the pack face up and he slides his card, face
unseen, into the pack which you then square and turn face down.

For the first time you look at the cards as required, by asking him to touch the
pack with his extended finger very briefly and demonstrating how.

As he does so you read the marking.

Casually move the pack out of focus, study his fingertip and reveal the identity
of the card.

Run through the cards and reveal the reversed card to be correct.

Remove the card, place it face down on top of the pack and the pack has now
been reset.

4: Repeat phase 3.

5: Say that sometimes people accuse you of actually looking so this time you
will repeat it under test conditions.

Hold the pack behind your back, face down, and turn your back to the assis-
tant. He cuts the pack and continues as already outlined in phase 3 until the
card is reversed and the pack face down.

Hold the pack by one end with the right hand and with the left hand pick up the
card case. You will need to turn your body momentarily for this. Still with the
cards behind your back you slide the face down pack into the case, close it and
hold it in the left hand.

Face forward again and bring the case into view. The right hand picks up the
rubber band from the table. The left hand assists in stretching the band to enci-
rcle the case and as this is done you peek the mark showing through the box.

Immediately let the assistant touch the case with his fingertip.

Again pretend to read the spectator’s finger and reveal the identity of his card.
Remove the pack and show the reversed card, which you then place on top as
before.

6: This is the final phase. Cut the pack a few times and then the assistant also
cuts.

Pass the cards to him to hold face up behind his back.

He cuts the pack and completes the cut.

Now he takes the top card and places it, sight unseen, into his jacket pocket.
The new top card he turns face down and slides into the pack.

Finally he turns the pack face down, removes the top card and retains this
behind his back as he passes the pack to you.

You place the pack into the box and peek the mark through the window as
before. Sometimes the spectator will hand you the pack face up in which case
you don’t need to use the window ruse.

You now climax the routine by revealing (a) the card held behind his back (this
is cued from the window card) and (b) the card in his pocket (this is cued by the
card behind his back) and (c) the reversed card (cued by the previous revelati-
on).

Remove the pack from the box to prove the final revelation to be correct and
you have completed an amazing sequence of revelations.
THE WHISPERING JOKER
Martin Lewis

The plot for this effect is based on the Whispering Queen, which is credited to
Ladson Butler in Hugard‘s „Encyclopedia of Card Tricks.“ In his effect four piles
of cards are dealt on the table, a queen is slipped under each pile briefly and
reveals the name of that card by seemingly whispering it to the magician.

I liked the idea of a „gossipy“ queen that whispers the name of an unknown
card in your ear. But I didn‘t like the method or the repetition of the effect with
no climax. I wanted three different revelations done under impossible con-
ditions. Roy Johnson has a marvelous effect in his book „Pure Gold“ called
S.U.M., which is where I drew the inspiration for the „Whispering Joker.“

EFFECT: The Joker is removed from the deck and set aside. A blindfold, in the
form of a twenty-two inch square of opaque fabric, is used to cover the rest
of the pack. A spectator reaches underneath and is instructed to cut the deck
as often as he wishes. He is then asked to take the top card and put it into his
pocket without looking. Next he is to take the bottom card, turn it face up, and
put it in the middle. Finally he is to deal a card from the top onto the table and
put the deck into the case which is handed to him under the cloth.

The cloth is left in place covering the tabled card, and the deck is set aside.
The magician slips the Joker under the edge of
the fabric and then holds it to his ear and listens,
claiming that the Joker is telling him the name
of the card under the cloth. Upon looking he is
found to be right. The Joker also mentions the
name of the card in the spectator’s pocket and
that is also found to be correct. Finally the Joker
whispers the name of the card reversed in the
middle of the pack and the deck is ribbon spread
to show that it is indeed true too!

REQUIRED: The S.U.M. Deck.

You will also need a specially prepared card

case. It has sort of a „Black Art“ window in one
side that coincides with the marks on the back of
the pack allowing them to be read through the case easily. Properly prepared
this window is invisible to the casual eye. It is made by first carefully removing
the cellophane. Keep the lower half intact as you will be putting it back on later.
Next cut out a rectangular hole in the box along the border of the back design
on the right side (see figure). This is the location of the upper right marks.
Finally color the cut edges of the hole where necessary with a red pen and put
the cellophane cover back on. Notice that the addition of the half printed card,
the painted edges, and the cellophane, all work together in disguising the hole
admirably.

You will also need a twenty-two inch square of opaque black material for the
“blindfold.”

PRESENTATION: Remove the deck from the case and casually set the case
aside, hole up. Give the deck a false shuffle and a real cut and set it in front of
the spectator on your right. Explain that you don‘t want anyone to see the cards
and for that reason you will „blindfold“ the deck (cover it with the cloth.) There
are two reasons for the cloth, first it keeps the effect in view as opposed to
putting the cards behind your back or under the table, second it helps keep the
spectator from putting the cards in the case face up, thus preventing you from
seeing the mark.

Have the spectator follow the instruction detailed in the effect described. Slip
the case under the cloth when required making sure the hole is up. The rest is
presentation. The mark viewed through the window tells you the card under the
cloth. The back of the card under the cloth names the card in the pocket, and
the card in the pocket names the card reversed in the deck.

Note: Should you get a spectator who puts the deck in the case facing the
wrong way, which will be apparent as soon as you glance at the case, simply
listen to the joker for a moment and state that he has told you that the deck is
in the case upside down. Take it out and show it to be true, put it back the right
way and continue as normal.

THREE CARD MENTALISM

Cody Fisher

Effect: Three volunteers each cut off a small packet from a deck of cards.
They are instructed to remember the cards cut to and shuffle their packets. The
magician reads the minds of two volunteers and reveals their cards. The other
volunteer is instructed to concentrate on all the cards. The magician names
aloud first the selection, then every single card in his packet as a strong climax!
At no time does the magician touch any of the cards!

REQUIRED: The S.U.M. Deck.

This uses the S.U.M. deck but I would use a normal deck for a few other card
effects before you unobtrusively switch for the S.U.M. Deck.

Presentation: Place the deck face down on the table in front of you. Ask Volun-
teer #1 to cut off a small packet of cards, remember the card on the face of his
packet, and shuffle his packet. While he is doing so, read the upper right back
of the top card of the talon. This will be the card Volunteer #1 cut to, remember
this card as the first selection.

Ask a second volunteer to cut off a small packet of cards from the talon, re-
member the card he cut to, and shuffle his packet. Again a glance at the upper
right of the remaining cards and remember the second spectator’s card.

Ask the third volunteer to cut off a small packet of cards from the talon. Fol-
low the same procedure you used with Volunteers 1 and 2. Read the upper
right mark on the top card of the talon and you know the card #3 is thinking of!
...Now for the magic.

Ask #1 to concentrate on his card. Getting „impressions“, etc., reveal it any way
you like. Do the same for #3. Pretty good so far, huh? Now lets really knock´em
on their asses!

Name the card selected by #2 and say that you need a real challenge; so you
will magically divine all the remaining cards! Ask him to hand the cards to you
as you name them. Name the selected card. The upper left back of this card
will cue the next card and that one will tell you the next and so on until all the
cards he holds have been named. Take a deep bow and prepare yourself to be
carried around the room on their shoulders!

Note: During this routine, stress the „shuffling“ and „thought-of“ aspects. Em-
phasize the „hands off“ procedure to reinforce the fact that you never touch the
deck. This will enhance the overall effect.
Credits: The genesis of this effect is Steve Ehlers‘ „Three-Card Location“ in
Allan Ackerman’s fantastic book, Las Vegas Cardma, (A-1 Multimedia, 1994).
In the original, the magician must handle the cards to obtain the necessary
keys and claims to memorize all the cards in packet #2. I prefer a more „hands
off“ approach and do not like to give the impression that I am able to memorize
cards!

Unfortunately you end with a shuffled S.U.M. Deck, so you have to reset it, but
it is worth the effect!

GUESSTIMATION
Wayne Dobson

Effect: You hand someone a deck of cards to thoroughly shuffle. You then
have him table the deck. Explaining that you are a master of guesstimation
– the ability to instantly know how many cards have been removed from a 52
card deck. To prove this you have them cut some cards off and you instantly tell
him that he has cut off exactly 18 cards. He counts them and you are correct!
You repeat this and then offer to try it one more time, but this time you hand
someone else one of your business cards, explaining that there is prediction
on the other side. Your helper cuts some cards off again, and you say that you
are convinced that he has 25 cards. He counts them and finds that he has 27
cards. You then say, „So I was right, you DO have 25 cards................. plus 2!“
Everyone smiles nervously until you ask the person holding the business card
to turn it over - revealing the words „PLUS TWO“!!!

Required:
- The S.U.M. Deck with the unmarked Nine of Diamonds on top
- A regular Phoenix Deck of cards and a Deck Shell. Also required is one of
your business cards (with a blank back).

You can make a Deck Shell by cutting away one of the large sides of your card
case (the one with the back of a Phoenix card printed on it) and also the narrow
bottom side with the fineprint on it. The rest of the case will have to be ‚stiffe-
ned‘ with tape on the inside so that what remains of the case retains its original
shape. By the way, this DIY Deck Shell was first published in one of the 1942
issues of The Demon Telegraph magazine.
Set-up: Place the SUM Deck cards into the Deck Shell (without the case) and
set them in your right side jacket pocket. Place a loose regular deck of cards in
your left side jacket pocket, and your business card with ‚PLUS TWO‘ written
on it in another pocket. You are now all set to perform...

Performance: Reach into both pockets, at the same time, and make sure that
all the marked cards are within the Deck Shell, as you remove it seconds AF-
TER removing the regular deck from your left pocket. Casually table the Deck
Shell (with SUM Deck hidden beneath) as you invite a man up to help - han-
ding them the regular deck to shuffle. Take back the shuffled deck and table it a
few inches to one side of the Deck Shell (which simply appears to be the card‘s
case). Patter about the art of guesstimation asking if anyone has heard of it.
One of your hands should be resting on top of the Deck Shell as you patter.

Ask the person who shuffled to turn around for a moment, as you want to study
his shoulders. As he does this, simply lift the deck shell off the SUM Deck and
set it over the regular deck. I can assure you, that nobody will notice, as you
will direct the audience‘s gaze (assuming that you are not performing this in a
one-to-one situation) at the spectator‘s shoulders.

Point out that they are perfectly level - like a set of scales that have nothing
on them. Ask him to turn back again, cut off some cards and hold onto them
between his hands. Look away as he does this, then look back again and read
the number on the back of the top card of those remaining on the table. This
number is the same number of cards that the spectator cut off, which you can
now verbally reveal. But first you study his shoulders saying something like,
“Your left shoulder is now 2mm lower than the right shoulder, so you must have
cut off 23 cards.“

You now need to make him count the cards, but WITHOUT reversing their
order. Do this by asking him to deal the top cards of those he holds FACE UP
onto the table. He then deals all the rest of the cards FACE UP onto it, but
counting the cards out loud as he does so. This will result in him forming a
face up pile of cards, and he will have EXACTLY the number of cards that you
guesstimated! Have him pick up the face up pile, flip it face down and replace
it back onto the other face down tabled cards.

The deck is now back in the same order again. Repeat this phase one more
time and then head into the finale. With the tabled deck back in order again,
remove your business card (with ‚PLUS TWO‘ written on the underside) and
hand it someone to look after.

Have your helper cut off some cards, for the final time, and you read the back
of the top card of the remaining face down cards (let‘s say you see the num-
ber 25). Say, that you are certain that he has 23 cards (two less than you
know he has). Have them count how many cards they cut off this time and
tell you. When you hear that he has 25 say, „So I was right, you DO have 23
cards................. plus 2!“

Everyone smiles nervously until you ask the person holding the business card
to read out your prediction. He turns it over and says, „PLUS TWO“!!!

Notes: You may like to wrap an elastic band around the deck shell and SUM
Deck within, as this will keep them together as a unit. The downside of this is
that you‘ll have to remove the band at some stage and pocket it.

MY NO-CONTROL PEEK
Christian Schenk

This is my favourite method to work with the SUM Deck as it is fast, requires no
special setup and uses the position of the markings in the best possible way.

I am using the marking in the upper right corner to read the value of the card
above. Instead of cutting the deck, I hold the deck in my left hand with the
faces towards the spectator. A very common way to let the spectator choose a
card is by riffling the upper right corner of the deck towards you, while allowing
the spectator to peek into the open gap of the deck. Once he says stop, the
spectator should remember the card he is seeing in the open gap. This is a
great way to let a spectator choose a card when he is sitting opposite to you,
maybe even in the audience, while you need a quick selection without losing
too much time.

A very common way to find out about the spectator‘s choice is to insert the left
pinky into the opened gap and then control the spectator‘s choice to the top or
the bottom of the deck. How deceptive and elegant you can achieve that fully
depends on your actual skill level.
The whole control is not necessary when using the SUM Deck as it tells you
immediately the selected card of the spectator without any sleight of hand.

While riffling through the deck with your right index finger, you open up the
deck at the top right corner. Both - you and the spectator - can see the same
information when looking inside the gap! While he is reading the Index of the
chosen card, you are reading the marking for that card as well, telling you ex-
actly the same information.

No need for a pinky break, just close the deck, put it aside, play the revelation
big in your favourite way. This is a very innocent yet devilish way of getting
knowledge of a spectator‘s selection.
 You can read this Instruction also on your mobile device. Please do not share it.
Diese Anleitung ist auch online verfügbar. Möglicherweise auch in deutscher Sprache.
Vous pouvez aussi accéder à ces instructions sur votre téléphone portable, peut-être aussi dans votre langue.
Estas instrucciones también pueden ser leídas desde tu dispositivo móvil, tal vez en tu propio idioma.
Queste istruzioni possono anche essere lette sul tuo dispositivo portatile, con molta probabilità anche nella tua
lingua.
www.card-shark.de/qr/SUM20

© 2015 Card-Shark Christian Schenk,

Schliepersberg 43, 45257 Essen, Germany
www.card-shark.de