Folding the Bills Instruct the spectator to do as you do. Fold your bill in half with the face on the inside. Wait for the spectator to do the same. Now fold your bill in quarters vertically, making sure the index corner on the lower right corner of the tails side of the bill is showing. This ensures that when the spectator does the same, the visible side of their bill will match your gimmick. Ideally, you'll finish folding your bill first. While the spectator finishes folding, with your bill flap side down, move the flap from one side to the other. From beneath, your bill should appear to be a $20. Figure 9 is exposed for clarity. Take their bill and place it on top of yours. Ask the spectator to hold their right hand out palm up. Place both bills on their palm, gently close their fingers and rotate their hand palm down. Figure 10. 140 --------
"1here are two ways that a pickpocket can take your money. 1he first way is exploiting human error. Maybe they find a person not aware of their surroundings, or maybe too trustworthy. 1hese are approaches based on traits of the mark themselves. "The second way uses sleight of hand and misdirection. 1hat's more part of the physical act of taking itself, and the skill involved in that action. "I'm going to show you both of them, but of course I will need one of those bills." Obtaining the Gimmick With your right hand, reach into the spectator's hand and remove the top gimmicked bill. Because you turned their hand 141
142 over the gimmicked bill will appear to be a $20. Figure 11. Place the gimmick in your left hand with the flap pointing toward the thumb side of the hand. Figure 12. This will make moving the flap easier in a moment. "Oh, this is perfect. I'll take the twenty. Without looking, what does that leave you?" They will be convinced they are holding the one dollar bill. They have no reason to think otherwise. ''Exactly. This highlights what I'm talking about. That was the first way. You became comfortable in your surroundings. I looked like a nice guy, so you were too trusting. You just let me take it. "I know it feels cheap and unfair, but so does getting robbed. So squeeze that one dollar bill much tighter or I'm just going to do it . " again. Gesture to the spectator to squeeze their hands as hard as they can. Remind the audience that you are holding the higher denomination, and the spectator is holding the single dollar bill. 'YI.re you good at holding on to money? Because we are about to put that to the test. " As you rotate your hand palm down, use your left thumb to switch the flap in the gimmicked bill. Figure 13 is exposed for clarity.
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144 ''Now I want to show you the sleight-of-hand way. You see, it's already done. While you were worried about me, you didn't realize I was able to get one more thing out of your hand." The Switch and Ditch Reach into the thumb hole side of your fist and pull the gimmick out about an inch. Figure 14. Pause and allow this initial change to register. ''But I didn't stop there. I want you to know that I don't just look like a nice guy, I am a nice guy. I didn't leave you empty-handed. If I have the one dollar bill, and only the one dollar bill, that should leave you with the twenty. " Finish pulling what appears to be the one dollar bill out of your left hand and unfold it completely, being careful not to expose the gimmicked flap. Figure 15. The gimmick can withstand a certain amount of scrutiny, but there's no reason to belabor the point. Fold the bill in half and place it in the left-hand jacket pocket, closest to the body. Remember that the ungimmicked bill is farthest away from the body, in the unlikely event that the spectator later wants to examine the $1 bill. I find that, since the gimmicked bill is taken out of play before the spectator's bill is revealed, they rarely ask about the $1 bill. "Open up your hand and show us what you've got." When the spectator opens their hand, take the bill and display it to the rest of the audience. Figure 16.
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146 The Tipping Ploy I often find myself performing this routine toward the end of a longer set because I want to increase the chances that some of the audience's money will find its way into my own wallet. But you know ... with their consent. After I'm done displaying the bill to the audience, I set it on the table with the tails side facing up. Though I have no proof of this affecting anything, I once heard that the tails side of a bill looks less valuable than the heads side, meaning displaying it this way raises your chances of receiving the bill as a tip. I don't have any science to prove this claim, but it makes sense in my head. I typically continue and end the set with a routine that involves a prediction of some kind. ''I'm so confident in my prediction that instead of putting my own money on the outcome of our experiment, I'm going to bet his money on it." With this line I begin detaching the spectator from his money. The theory is, the longer he is separated from his money, the more likely it is I'll receive it as a tip. When I finish the final routine, I leave the bill at the table and take a step backward. The spectator now has two options: leave the money as a tip or put the money back in his wallet. The idea is that peer pressure will lead him to leave the money, which will potentially lead to more, because one tip often leads to
several. I should also say I tend to use this in a somewhat more formal situation, like that found at the Chicago Magic Lounge, but it can be effective in walk-around if there's a table available. Always use these ploys for good and never for evil. 147
love this routine. For me, its beauty lies both in the performance, the cleanliness of the movements and the elegance of the props. How the audience remembers this effect is important. In their memory, they do all the handling of the cards and the magic happens while the deck is wrapped in a handkerchief They think you never touch the deck. This is, of course, not the case. What's more, the handkerchief does double duty: it not only makes the effect seem impossible, it also gives the techniques both motivation and cover. We'll begin with one of my favorite sneaky moves. 149
150 TPS (Tapered Palm Shift) This is the Diagonal Palm Shift, but on steroids. Imagine this. A card is returned to the deck, without the need to jog or control it. The deck can be completely squared, then dribbled from hand to hand. With the deck in this state, without pause or get-ready, the selected card can immediately be stolen into lefthand palm. This is all possible with the help of ... you guessed it ... a tapered deck. Life is full of tradeoffs. If you already perform the Diagonal Palm Shift, then this will be a very easy move for you to pick up. If you do not, then I suggest you get a copy of Ihe Expert at the Card Table and start there. 26 The Diagonal Palm Shift is a very precise, intricately constructed sleight, so without a fundamental understanding of the original move to build upon, this explanation will be more confusing than anything else. But once you are familiar with the beauty that is the Diagonal Palm Shift and you're ready to explore this variation, return and I will welcome you with open arms. Until then, bugger off. This shift allows you to palm a card in your left hand from a completely squared pack. It works best with a tapered deck that has a slightly deeper cut. Though this will still work with very finely cut cards, the extra depth allows you more confidence when executing the move. Begin with the deck face down in left-hand dealer's grip, wide end nearest you. Contrive to have a card selected and replaced 26. The Diagonal Palm-Shift, The Expert at the Card Table (1902), p.137.
with its orientation reversed. (I will discuss a fantastic way to do this in the context of the routine to follow.) The deck is held in your hand primarily by pressure between your left thumb at the outer left corner and the left second finger roughly an inch down from the outer right corner on the other side. Figure 1. Your right hand grips the deck from above, using the right thumb at the inner left corner and the right second finger at the outer left corner. Figure 2. Your right third and fourth fingers rest across the front edge of the deck and your right index finger is curled on top. Because the wide end of the selection is at the outer end of the deck, applying pressure between the thumb and second finger will pinch it between them. Simultaneously move your left thumb inward roughly an inch and your left second finger outward the same distance. This action downjogs the selection 151
152 diagonally from the inner right corner of the deck. Figure 3 is exposed for clarity. Your right hand covers this movement from above. The best part of this handling is that, up until the very moment the sleight begins, the left hand can be relaxed with the deck held casually and loosely. At no time do you have to hold a break or know the exact location of the card. Once the card is in jogged, your left fourth finger reaches around the right edge of the card, and then pulls inward and to the left, rotating it around your right thumb. Figure 4 is exposed for clarity. Once rotated, the left fingers extend and take the card into left-hand classic palm. Figure 5 is exposed for clarity. From there you can either replace the card onto the bottom of the pack as the right hand makes a squaring action, or you can keep it in palm as the right hand moves away with the deck.
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154 The secret to this move is softness. It takes a very light and considered touch to execute the move both gracefully and nefariously. When using this sleight, I very much like to spread the cards slowly in front of the eyes of the spectators so that they see their card is genuinely lost in the middle of the pack, and then dribble the cards from hand to hand to prove it's not under my control. In fact, depending on the depth of the taper, you can strip the card into palm from quite a chaotic dribble, without needing first to square the deck. To do this, after dribbling the deck into the left hand, grip it with your right thumb and second finger at the outer and inner left corners of the pack, and then continue as described. This may prove to be slightly more knacky than doing it from a squared deck, but the conviction this finesse creates makes the effort worth it.
THE [ARD THROUGH HANDKERCHIEf 11 Now that you've learned the Tapered Palm Shift, let me give you my favorite application. Effect Claiming you will perform magic without touching the cards, you hand a deck to a spectator to be shuffled. He then spreads the cards in classic fashion and has a second spectator select one. To be even more fair, a third spectator then takes the deck, to which the selection is returned. The third spectator shuffles the cards again, until satisfied the card is lost. You pull out a pocket handkerchief and give it a few tugs, and then hand it out for examination, before spreading it out on your left palm. The deck is placed on top of the handkerchief, and then wrapped within it. Taking the corners with one hand, you shake the bundle until a card begins to penetrate through the handkerchief, eventually falling to the table. It is the spectator's chosen card. 27. "Pro£ Hofainser's Letzer Gedanke (Pro£ Hofainser's Last rlhought)", Der Moderne Kardenkunstler (1896), p. 76. See also "Penetration ofThought",New Era Card Tricks (1897), p.57. 155
156 Method Overview Using a tapered deck allows you to control a selection without touching the deck, and then that same taper allows you to steal the selection from the deck in an instant. Combining this with the misdirection provided by the handkerchief, which covers the steal and hides the stolen card from view, creates the illusion that you never come in contact with the cards directly, yet one still impossibly penetrates the handkerchief. Moves • Tapered Palm Shift • Left-hand Classic Palm Setup This effect works best for a group of people, as it begins with the deck being passed from person to person. The first sequence also requires strong audience management, so, if the audience seems defiant at every turn, this isn't the right effect to perform. However, if your audience is enthusiastic and follows directions, this is the miracle for them. Begin with a tapered deck in use and have a pocket handkerchief in your breast pocket.
Choreography Start with the deck in left-hand dealer's grip with the narrow end of the cards nearest you. ''I often get accused of tricky sleight of hand. I'd like to show you a mystery where there can be no chicanery because I will never actually touch the deck of cards. Well, at least not directly. "Here. I'd like far you to shuffle the cards far me. " Hands-off Reversal - A New Kink Hand the cards to a spectator directly across from you, maintaining the orientation of the deck. This will be Spectator #1. When Spectator #1 receives the cards, the narrow end should be away from them. ''I want you to spread the deck and have somebody select a card " Spectator #1 turns to someone, whom we'll call Spectator #2, and asks her to select a card. To ensure the orientation of the selection doesn't change while in her hands, as soon as she takes a card, immediately say the following: ''Hold the card close to your chest so that I can't see it. If there are a few people near you, I'd also like far them to see the card so that they don't think we're in cahoots, but also so that it's not your sole responsibility to remember the card 1he weight of that knowledge now also sits on everyone around you. " 157
158 Asking her to immediately hold the card against her chest effectively "locks" the orientation of the card, as it prevents her from fiddling with and unintentionally rotating it, which would cause the upcoming control sequence to fail. This will happen from time to time, but this scripting minimizes the chances of it occurring. Ask Spectator #1 to hand the cards to a third person, whom we'll call Spectator #3. Ask Spectator #3 to spread the cards and have Spectator #2 return her selection to the pack. The action of Spectator #1 handing the deck to Spectator #3 effectively reverses the orientation of the deck, but the orientation of Spectator #2's card hasn't changed, so when she returns it to the deck it will be reversed. I promise, it makes sense in practice.28 After the card has been returned, ask Spectator #3 to mix the cards while miming an overhand shuffle. If all has gone according to plan, when you are handed the deck (with its wide end nearest you), there will be a selection reversed somewhere in the middle (narrow end nearest you). If all has not gone according to plan, now is a good time for another trick. 29 28. This sequence is ''A New Kink for the Reversing of One Card" by Theodore Anneman SH-H-1-1--! It's A Secret (1934). 29. "Smiling Mule" tends to be my go-to routine if I have lost control of the situation, and need a quick out. Roy Walton's routine can be found in That Certain Something ... (1979).
Introducing the Handkerchief Up until this point, the deck has been entirely out of your hands, which paints a clear picture you will refer back to at the end of the routine. However, you still need to gain control over the selection. The only way to do this is by physically holding the deck. You will use three tactics to convince the audience that you never touch the cards, even though you do: • You minimize the amount of time you actually hold the cards. • You perform the control as the attention shifts from one person to the next, while also introducing an intriguing prop. • When recapping just before the climax, you will describe a slightly different and more impossible picture of what happened leading up to the finale. When combined, these tactics will leave your audience with the memory that you never touched the cards. To control the card the deck needs to be held in the left hand, wide end toward you, with the selection reversed. If the spectators follow your instructions as given, and you are able to track this as they do so, taking the deck back from Spectator 3 in dealing grip in your left hand will put you in the correct position. If this is the case, the moment you hold the cards, drop your left hand to your side to release any tension you might be holding in your arm. 159
160 If you are unsure of the state of the cards, take the deck from Spectator #3 in left-hand dealing grip and drop your hand to your side as described. Then, without looking at the deck, feel the sides with your left thumb and fingers. The deck will be in one of three states: 1. You will feel the wide end of the selection protruding from the sides at the outer end of the deck. This is the correct position and you can continue with no adjustment. 2. You will feel the wide end of the selection protruding from the sides at the inner end of the pack. In this case, the orientation of the deck must be reversed before you can continue. Do this as casually as possible with an all-around square-up, and then drop your left hand to the side again. 3. You will feel nothing protruding from either the outer or inner ends of the deck. This means something went wrong during the selection process and the card is truly lost in the deck. If this is the case, now is the time to switch to another trick. Once the deck is correctly positioned and your left hand is at your side, immediately reach up with your right hand, remove the handkerchief from your pocket and give it a few shakes to unfold it. This will draw the audience's attention toward the handkerchief, eliminating any focus that might be lingering on the deck. Hand the handkerchief to someone standing on your extreme left, allowing your right hand to cross your body. Figure 6.
The Tapered Palm Shift Since the handkerchief went to someone on your left, it's natural to hand the cards to someone on your right. Conveniently, this also creates the best angles for the steal. ''I'd like for you to inspect the handkerchief and make sure there are no holes in the fabric and that it doesn't break apart when given a few tugs. I'd also like far someone else to continue shujfling the cards so that not I, nor anyone else, can have any clue where in the deck your card might be. " As the right hand takes the cards from the left and hands them to a spectator to your right, execute the Tapered Palm Shift. Figure 7, next page. It's important that you never look at the deck as you execute the move, as this will bring attention to the 161
162 fact you are holding the cards, a fact you are working to have the audier:ice forget. The selection ends up in left-hand classic palm with the face of the card toward the palm of the hand. As you are handing off the cards, allow your left hand to relax, back outward, against your torso. This prevents spectators to the front and left side from seeing the palmed card, and, as handing out the deck requires a slight body turn to the right, the angles to the right are protected as well. Turn your attention back to the handkerchief on the left.
Laying out the Handkerchief "The handkerchief plays an important role in this mystery. I want to eliminate any suspicion of sleight of hand. The fabric will create a barrier between me and my hands and the pack of cards where your card is lost somewhere within. " Grasp a corner of the handkerchief with your right hand and drape it over your palm-up left hand, laying the corner you hold on the middle of your left wrist. The middle of the handkerchief should not be on the palm of the hand, but on the middle joints of the fingers. Figure 8. 163
164 Subtlety: A Flash of the Palm I don't perform this subtlety all the time, but when the right situation arises, it's a great opportunity to add conviction that the card remains in the deck. It's a previously unpublished idea from Elliott Terral that allows you to show your left hand empty just before the spectator places the cards on the handkerchie£ Beneath the handkerchief, back palm the thought-of card. Then, grasping the corner on your wrist, pull it toward the fingers until your left palm can be seen empty, still leaving a portion of the forward half of the handkerchief resting on the tips of the fingers. Figure 9 is exposed for clarity. - , .. . ~ r .. . t-,;".. . . ~ ·.J . .. . . .. . '1 want you to place the cards right onto the palm of my left hand." This line is said as you display your palm, and justifies your folding the handkerchief forward, while displaying your left
palm clearly empty. As you replace the corner on your wrist, return the back-palmed card to left-hand classic palm. 30 Wrapping the Deck Ask the spectator to replace the cards onto the palm of your left hand, making sure they line up with the card in classic palm. Figure 10. Grasp the front corner of the handkerchief with your right hand and fold it back over the front edge of the deck. It should end up roughly aligned with the corner on your left wrist. Figure 11, next page. 30. Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol.1, No. 7 (1943), p.29. 165
166 Openly pinch the front of the deck between your right second finger and thumb through the handkerchief, and then extend your hand toward the audience, displaying the cards wrapped within.Using your left hand, fold the two remaining side corners down and beneath the deck, pinching them with your right fingers. Figure 12. This locks the card in place and prevents it from falling to the .floor. Figure 13 is exposed for clarity. Repainting the Picture Before the Reveal With your right hand, hold the handkerchief by the extreme corners and ask them to name their card out loud. "Earlier on, someone else had you select a card and lose it into the deck. After that happened, the cards were thoroughly shuffled into chaos. 1he handkerchief then created a barrier between me and
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168 the cards for the sole purpose of making sleight of hand virtually impossible. 'Yet, here we are. ''For the first time, name your card. " Gently shake the right hand, which causes the selected card to begin to dislodge from the handkerchief. Continue shaking until it falls to the table. Pick up and display the selection to finish. Figures 14 & 15.
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. • • • . ••••• pectators think that magicians use their sleeves. Spoiler: They do. "Muck Off" demonstrates just that, and then ups the ante by using the spectator's sleeve as well. Specifically, you make it appear as if the spectator is hiding cards up his sleeve, which sets him up to be the star, giving him extraordinary abilities he never knew he had. I have taken my favorite parts of several routines and combined them into a quick sequence consisting of two transpositions and a multiple card production. "Muck Off" is a blended approach to the work of Ben Earl,31 Derek DelGaudio,32 and Larry Jennings.33 31. "The Resourceful Professional" in Benjamin Earl's Less is More (2017). 32. "Muck You", Magic Nlagazine, May 2006; Talk About Tricks DVD, Vol. 3. 33. Originally published as "All Up the Sleeves", Magic Magazine (1993), p.54, later reprinted as "Card Up Spectator's Sleeve" in 1houghts on Cards, Vol 1 (1995). 171
172 Effect You introduce the Ace of Hearts and explain you will show one way to cheat in a game of poker. You start by placing the Ace on the table and flicking it up your sleeve. You go on to say that you can switch out any card for the Ace up your sleeve, and then introduce the Four of Spades. You set the Four onto the table and with just a small movement of the arm, the Ace is now on the table and the Four appears in your sleeve. You then enlist the aid of the spectator. You openly insert the Four into the spectator's sleeve and set the Ace face down on the table. You instruct the spectator to wave his hand over the tabled card, and the cards swap positions. You then appear to catch the spectator cheating further, and with an empty hand pull the King, 01ieen, Jack, and Ten of Hearts from their sleeve, completing the Royal Flush in Hearts. Method Overview With the help of a double-faced card and some fancy palming action, you execute two very clean transpositions: one of them using your sleeve and the other using your spectator's sleeve, followed by the production of a Royal Flush in Hearts.
Moves • Rub-a-Dub Vanish • Double Lift • Loewy Palm • Gambler's Cop Setup This effect requires that you and your spectator are both wearing some type of garment with sleeves, preferably loose sleeves like those found on a suit jacket, a robe, or certain types of prison uniforms. Sweaters are usually too tight, as are a few brands of straitjackets. So try to avoid those. Additionally, the spectator should be on your left if you hold a deck with your left hand. If you hold the deck with your right hand, adjust accordingly. You also need the following: • A full deck of cards. • A double-faced card with the Ace of Hearts on one side and an indifferent card on the other (we'll use the Four of Spades in the description). This is a common gaff often used for "McDonald's Aces" and is readily available at any magic shop. • An indifferent card with a reverse breather crimp. We'll use the Nine of Diamonds here. Make sure that the crimp is applied to the card face down so that when cut to, it ends up on the bottom of the deck. 34 34. See "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" for further information on Breather Crimps. 173
174 Arrange the cards from the top of the deck to the face: • Ace of Hearts • Four of Spades • Double-faced Ace of Hearts and Four of Spades with the Ace facing up • Remainder of the deck • Reverse breather-crimped card - Nine of Diamonds • King of Hearts • Qyeen of Hearts • Jack of Hearts • Ten ofHearts ( this is placed last as it's the most inconspicuous card) That's it, let's get to it! Choreography - The Initial Switch Begin by openly displaying the Ace of Hearts in the right hand. ''Magicians love to cheat, and I'm no exception. I'd like to show you how it's possible to cheat effectively when playing a game of cards. If fate gives you cards that are less than desirable, then it's up to you to switch them out and create your own fate. I'll show you how I do this with the Ace of Hearts. " This upcoming sequence should appear as if you place the Ace on the table and "flick" it up your sleeve. This is accomplished with the Rub-a-Dub Vanish:
Briefly, with the deck in left-hand dealing grip, place the facedown Ace of Hearts sidejogged about halfway off the deck and hold it in place with the left thumb. This card is slightly angled counter-clockwise from your perspective. Lower the deck, bringing the angled card close to the tabletop, and reach out to grasp the card into the right hand. Figure 1. As the hands move down to the table, the left thumb pulls the sidejogged card flush with the deck by rotating the angled card around the first finger with the left thumb. This is further hidden by turning the left hand palm down during the same action. A nice subtlety is to allow the card to peek out from between the third and fourth fingers of the right hand, closing the gap between the fingers just before the card is pulled flush. This is the move in a nutshell, but for a more nuanced handling, study Glenn Morphew's work on the move. 35 35. Rub-A -Dub Deluxe Suite, Glenn Morphew. 175
176 Once you've done the Rub-a-Dub Vanish, the spectator should believe that the Ace is resting beneath your right hand. Then, in the act of straightening out your right sleeve, straighten your arm and shake it until the sleeve inches toward your hand. Bring your arm closer to the table so that your elbow and hand are almost parallel to the floor. Flick your fingers back toward your palm, miming the action of :flicking the Ace into your sleeve. 36 Lift your hand from the table, revealing nothing beneath it. The illusion you are striving for is not a vanish, but that the Ace of Hearts now hides within your right sleeve. Perform a triple lift to display the Four of Spades, which is actually the Four of Spades side of the double-faced card. I recommend using Bob White's Flash Double, as it is the most casual display I know. 37 Figure 2. Briefly, obtain a break beneath three cards using a pinky count. The tip of the right middle finger lifts up on the extreme edge of the triple, and then the first and third finger join, pinching the very edge of the triple between the thumb and fingers. The pinky applies pressure to the near edge of the cards, helping keep them square. Rotating the right wrist toward yourself, turn the face of the triple toward the audience, keeping the cards near the deck so that the left thumb, first and second :fingers, can casually straddle the nonindex corner of the triple, keeping it square at the front. After flashing the face of the triple, reverse the action, returning the triple face down. 36. This Rub-A-Dub sequence is based on "1he Resourceful Professional" in Benjamin Earl's book Less is More (2017). 37. It's a JV/atter ef Style (2005), p.17.
The Flash Double also allows you to return the two lower cards easily to the deck while making it appear as if the displayed card never comes square with the top. To do this, when turning the triple face down, in an Elmsley count type action, push the bottom two cards of the triple to the left with the tips of your fingers while pulling the top card to the right with your thumb, allowing the bottom cards to fall on to the top of the deck. Figure 3 is exposed for clarity. The larger action of your right hand turning face down covers the smaller motion of the two cards falling onto the deck. Place the card in your right hand onto the table. The spectator should be convinced this card is the Four of Spades. It's not; it's the Ace of Hearts. 177
178 "7his Four is statistically weaker in a game of cards than the Ace of Hearts that is hiding in my sleeve. It's a simple matter to switch them out." Lower your right hand to your side in a swift motion as if you are trying to shake the card out of your sleeve. Bring your arm back up, and then down to the card on the table. Act as if you are switching out the cards. (The exact way to do this is up to you, I can't hold your hand through this whole thing.) Lift your hand, turn the Ace face up, and then pretend to flick the Four of Spades up your right sleeve. In the offbeat that occurs while the effect sinks in, push the deck forward in your left hand in preparation for the Loewy
Palm. 38 Figure 4. The inner left corner of the top card should be roughly where it would be when in left-hand classic palm. Neck-tying the deck, extend your left thumb along the left side of the top card, and then, using your thumb alone, rotate the card to the right and back, pivoting it on the thumb base at the inner left corner until it's above where it would be in left-hand classic palm, with the deck still between the card and the palm. Figure 5 is exposed for clarity. Approach the left hand with your right hand palm up and pinch the deck at the outer end, thumb on top and fingers beneath. Slide the deck forward, then up and back, rotating it end-for-end until it's on top of the card palmed in the left hand. Figure 6 is exposed for clarity. Follow this by lifting the deck with your right hand in end grip, leaving the card palmed in your left hand. 38. Card Control (1946), p.93. 179
180 The procedure of the Loewy Palm efficiently accomplishes several things. It not only places the necessary card in left-hand classic palm, but it also transfers the deck face up to right-hand end grip, all while hiding the double-faced card necessary for phase two. To produce the Four of Spades from your right sleeve, you will act as if you are pulling the card out of your sleeve using a technique akin to that of pretending to pull a card from a card box (e.g., "House Guest" by Ernest Earick).39 Your left hand moves to the opening of your right sleeve, keeping the back of your hand facing the spectator (Figure 7, spectator's view). As your left hand nears the opening, slowly twist it palm up, inserting the left thumb into the sleeve, the palmed card going beneath and outside the sleeve. The Four is still held firmly in left-hand classic palm (Figure 8, performer's view). 39. By Forces Unseen (1993), p.52.
Pretend to pull the Four out of your sleeve by moving your right arm away from your left hand. Figure 9. The card should pop out of palm at the same time it comes into view from underneath the sleeve. When done well, the illusion of the card coming from the sleeve is perfect. 181
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This is a very simple action on paper, but is easy to do poorly. Actually pulling a card from your sleeve takes a moment or two, so don't rush through it. As a reference, practice genuinely pulling a card from your sleeve, and then strive to make the false action match the real one. The Second Switch You should have a face-up Four of Spades in your left hand, a face-up deck held in right-hand end grip, and the Ace of H earts face up on the table. You will now add the double-faced card to the Four of Spades resting in left-hand dealing grip. Curl your right middle finger, ring finger, and little finger around the front of the deck, pressing the fingertips against the bottom card. Applying pressure upward and slightly to the right, separate the doublefacer from the rest of the deck at the rear, holding it in place at the front of the deck with the tips of the fingers. Figure 10 (next page) is exposed for clarity. This movement is similar to the Kelly Bottom Placement'° and the Clip Shift. 41 This next portion happens rather swiftly. It should appear as if you are simply turning the deck face down and setting it on the table, but in reality you are setting yourself up for the second phase. Move the deck to the left hand, pausing when it's roughly an 40. Tarbell Course in Magic, Vol J (1943), p.184. 41. Su1faced by Chad Nelson (2008). 183
184 inch above the Four of Spades. Immediately release the doublefacer, catching it on top of the Four, squaring the two cards with your left fingers. Momentarily take hold of the deck with the tips of the left fingers and thumb, just long enough for the right hand to regrip the deck, taking it by the front, thumb on top and fingers beneath. Lift the deck from the left hand, rotate it face down and set it on the table. Because the Four side of the double-faced card is face up in the left hand, nothing will appear to have changed. Pick up the Ace with your right hand and briefly fl.ash the front and back of the cards in both hands, making sure not to let the double in your left hand split. Gesture toward your spectator's right jacket sleeve with the Ace as you use a pinky pull down to obtain a break above the bottom card of the left-hand double.
"This may look extremely difficult, but you might also be able to do it with a little help. Would you mind if I borrowed your sleeve far a moment?" As you bring your right hand back, turn the Ace face down and insert it between the two cards in your left hand. This should seem like you are simply putting the Ace beneath the Four. Pause for a moment, and then casually use your right hand to turn the packet face down in your left hand. There is a discrepancy, as the back of a card will sho\v instead of a face-up Ace, but in all of my performances no one has ever noticed this. Position check (top to bottom): Four of Spades (face down), Ace of Hearts (face up), and on the bottom is the double-faced card with the Ace of Hearts facing up. Reach over with your right hand and clip the right long edge of the packet with your thumb above and fingers below, as if preparing to perform an Elmsley Count. Figure 11, next page. Pull the top card of the packet to the right with your right thumb and use your right fingers to push over the bottom two cards as a double. Figure 12 (next page) is exposed for clarity. As you do this, rotate your left hand palm down over the packet to prevent the Ace side of the double-facer from being seen. Figure 13, next page. Loosely cradling the sidejogged double with your palm-down left hand, the right hand rises, the tips of the right fingers continuing to contact the right edge of the double as the left hand turns palm up, holding the double in a loose dealer's grip the entire time. It should appear as if you are using the right fingers to flip a card face down in your left hand, 185
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but in reality the left hand cradles the double throughout, with your right fingers going along for the ride as the left hand turns palm up, all to prevent the face of the regular Ace from flashing and the double from splitting. Figure 14. Your right fingers hold a single face-down card, the regular Four of Spades, and in your left hand you hold the doublefacer, Four side up, on top of the face-down regular Ace. Br;r,g your hands together and with your left thumb clamp the single card, sidejogged to the right by half its width, on top of the double in your left hand. Figure 15, next page. Regrip all three cards in end grip with your right fingers, making sure the double remains square. Set the three cards on the top of the deck, the double square with the cards, the Four sidejogged by half its width. Pluck off the Four, which the audience believes to be the Ace, with your right fingers and set it face down onto the table in front of the spectator. 187
188 '1'/l place the Ace of Hearts face down onto the table, and the Four of Spades in your sleeve. " Ask your spectator to extend his right arm toward you, palm up. With your right hand, fingers above and thumb below, pick up the double-facer, Four side showing, sitting on top of the deck. Gently grasp your spectator's forearm near the elbow with your left hand, and insert the double-facer on top of his arm and into his sleeve, making sure not to expose the Ace side of the card. Figure 16. Once the card is in his sleeve, with the left hand turn his forearm pahn down, the right hand guiding the double-facer as it rotates with his arm to the bottom of his sleeve. This flips the card over under the cover of the larger action of turning his hand palm down. The double-faced card inside of his sleeve
is now Ace side up. Once his hand is palm down, push the card in a bit farther to prevent it from falling out of his sleeve prematurely. "I'd like far you to take a deep breath and give your hand a little wave over the card on the table." As he begins to wave his hand, pick up the deck from the table with your right hand as if moving it out of the way. Set the deck into your left hand, maintaining end grip with your right fingers. Move the deck back in preparation to Gambler's Cop the bottom four cards in your left hand. (For those with memory problems, those bottom four cards are the King, Qµeen, Jack, and Ten of Hearts.) The right hand gently lifts the deck, allowing the four cards below the Breather to fall away and settle into Gambler's Cop, and then slides the deck forward into left-hand dealer's grip. Place the deck aside. 189