The Three Card Monte effect has stood the brunt of many variations. Without boasting I consider this one of the cleaner, quicker, and more convincing ways which a performer may use impromptu at any time with any cards. From a deck being used the performer asks that three cards be removed, preferably two spot cards and one picture card. They are handed him, and he uses nothing more. If the magician is adept at this game he may "throw" the cards several times in the regular method and then resort to the following idea as a climax, saying that perhaps…
Dear Ted : In a recent Jinx (#102) was a Poker move by Art Lyle using a double draw. This reminded me of a similar but slightly different move which I think is a little better covered. It was shown to me some years ago by an inveterate poker player. In the first place it can only be used while you yourself are dealing, but it's no detraction for any such dodge is employed but once or twice during an evening of play. Suppose you hold a pair of nines, a four, Queen, and Ace in your hand. Comes time…
Dear Ted: To me, life begins around a poker table. Personally I wouldn't bet a dime on a horse and I'm scared to death of a pair of dice, but on the turn of a card you can take my shirt. Speaking of shirts, I'd take yours, too, in a poker game, although I might give it back to you. You're not the worst fellow in the world. This mania that possesses me has taken me into many strange places and I have rubbed elbows around gaming tables with about every nationality on the face of the earth; red, white,…
December 30, 1938 Dear Ted; I want to tell you about a strange experience I had the other day and also show you how easy it is to get into a jam doing card tricks around some of these spots where they offer you a drink for about ten dollars worth of entertainment. In Boston the other day I happened to run into a college chum I hadn't seen for years. After the usual "you old so-and-so" type of greeting he invited me up to his club. Now, I've been in some mighty nice private clubs but this was about…
Many are the poker tricks, set-ups, and continuous routines that have been developed during the past few years. Some are good, and some, instead, are just plain boring from the entertainment point of view. Generally a spectator will make the remark "Can you deal four aces ?" or "Can you deal a good poker hand to yourself ?" And it is all that worries them, too. If you can immediately deal the cards and give yourself a definitely good hand, you've accomplished the purpose, and satisfied them directly. They'll remember and talk about how you dealt the cards and gave…