In endeavoring to present a four-ace trick not requiring the skill of a Vernon, Cardini, or Daley, this which follows should help many. No blanket claims for originality is claimed. Aside from certain rather minor improvements which I made in collaboration with Mr. Ralph Schugar, his combination of moves are different from anything previously published. The fact that a borrowed deck may be used should appeal to the most fastidious. Three double faced cards are added to any deck, an accomplishment not impossible even to the newest member of the I.B.M. These cards are the aces of hearts, diamonds, and…
The performer writes a prediction upon a slip of paper which is folded and placed aside. He shuffles a deck and gives it to a person for cutting. The spectator looks at the top card of the deck and puts it face down on the table. Onto it he deals seven cards, and then deals eight cards in a pile for the performer. The performer picks up his eight cards, remarking that the spectator knows the name of the card at the bottom of his (spectator's) pile, so therefore he will look at the bottom card of his pile ---…
For a startling and different club and drawing room effect the magician begins by having a card selected from the deck. From here on there are two methods of presentation evolved by myself. (a) The performer has the card marked and returned to the deck. Opening a common grocery type of brown paper sack he drops the deck within. Through the sack he threads a sharp bodkin or needle attached to which is about three yards of tape. The ends of the tape are held by spectators or tied to chair backs, the sack hanging at center. Lighting a match…
Here is one of those cute "quickies" of an impromptu card nature which is a "natural" for table workers. A much used or borrowed deck is looked through by the performer who picks out one card and places it face down on the table. He says, indicating one spectator that he or she will exert the magic power for this experiment. The magus now shuffles the deck and cuts it. He puts it on the table before the person who further cuts the deck and places the halves together crosswise. When the top half of the deck is turned over…
Always there seems to be a good reception for "sucker" tricks, and in the following, one can always be sure of getting a "rise" from his onlookers. The performer has a deck of cards shuffled and one selected by the spectator who marks it. The card is replaced among the others and the performer openly wraps the deck in a handkerchief. During this action, it is evident to the watchers that underhanded business is afoot, for they see the performer's cramped right hand and even catch a glimpse, perhaps between the fingers, of a palmed card. The performer suddenly realizes…
Effect: Any pack of 52 cards is used. While a spectator shuffles the performer says that a complete deck may prolong the method of choice too much and he asks the spectator to name the number of cards that shall be used. The performer counts this given number of cards onto the spectator's hand. Then the person is asked to hold the packet face down, give the performer the top card, put the next on the bottom of the bunch, give the performer the next, put the next card onto the bottom, hand over the next, etc., and this action…
Three cards are selected from a thoroughly shuffled and cut deck. The first spectator puts his card into his coat pocket, while the other two cards are returned to the deck which is again shuffled and cut. The magician patters about the common superstition that a black cat crossing one's path presages bad luck. They seem to think such an occurrence a jinx. However, such is positively not the case where magicians are concerned. He takes from his pocket a card with its back to match the deck in use, and shows its face to contain the picture of a…
If it is that the effect counts in magic, this seemingly supernatural happening can be said, and proven by actual performance, to be far above the method by which it is accomplished. While much magic is accomplished by sleights and trickery of a sort that depends upon misdirection and subtleties, the following makes use of subterfuge and downright "brassy" nerve. Some playing cards are shown to have their faces blank. The spectator takes his pick of one. Next he has free choice of an empty envelope from among several offered him. The blank card is put into the envelope together…
People show an unreserved interest in this effect - it looks unique. Then, too, it is in that class of "visible" card magic which enjoys a popularity with the layman. The magus shuffles a deck of cards, divides it into halves, and turns one half face up. The two halves are inter-shuffled and the deck then given to someone who further mixes the face-ups with the face-downs to his heart's content. The trickster takes back the deck and spreads it for a selection of a face-down card, for, as he says, "I otherwise would see what card you might take…
There seems to be a trend towards gambling exposes, with performers digging back into their copies of Erdnase, Maskelyne, and Quinn, for material. Heretofore the performer has been content to do his stuff at a card table and let the watchers be properly amazed. But now it "is the thing" to talk about the cheaters and show "how" it all is accomplished. So, the demonstrator picks up his pack of cards, talks quite knowingly about sharpers, detailing an anecdote or two of meetings (?) between the wary and unwary, and then proceeds to deal hands of cards, under strict conditions,…