Expert Card Technique. Jean Hugard

cards should be squared with the same amount of effort required in the honest procedure.

      CHAPTER 7. FALSE CUTS

      THE FALSE RUNNING CUT

      This sleight will be found very useful in secretly bringing together several cards which have been openly placed in different parts of the pack. It can be used with three, four or even five cards, but for the sake of illustration we will suppose that the four aces are used. The moves follow:

      a. 1. Hold the pack face downwards in the left hand between the top joints of the thumb on one side and the second, third and fourth fingers on the other; insert the aces, one by one, in different places in the outer end, allowing them to project an inch.

      2. With the left forefinger secretly push the bottom card outwards until it is even with the projecting cards.

      3. Place the right hand over the deck, the thumb at the inner end, the fingers over the ends of the five projecting cards and apparently push them flush with the pack, really press them to the left, as shown in 2 of Fig. 1 and press them through the pack diagonally, Fig. 2. Press on the projecting corners with the left little finger, straightening the five cards and jogging them for about half an inch at the inner end of the pack, as shown in 3 of Fig. 1. The whole action, which takes but a second, should be covered by the right hand.

      4. Turn the left hand over, bringing its back upwards with the pack face upwards, and grip the five jogged cards between the second joint of the left little finger and the flesh at the base of the thumb. Seize the pack by the sides near the right end with the thumb and second finger, Fig. 2, and strip the five cards from the pack with the left hand, dropping them face upwards on the table with the indifferent card at the face of the packet concealing the aces.

      5. In like fashion strip small packets of cards from the face of the deck with the left hand in a running cut until the entire pack has been dropped onto the table.

      When the pack is picked up and turned face downwards the four aces will be together on the top and available for disposal as may be necessary.

      b. In this case you hold the pack face upwards and insert the aces, following the action in a but without pushing an indifferent card forward. After pushing the four cards through diagonally and jogging them at the inner end, proceed as follows:

      1. Immediately turn the left hand over, holding the pack between the left fingers and the crotch of the thumb. Press the jogged cards firmly between the second joint of the left little finger and the base of the thumb, this condition of the pack being concealed by the back of the hand.

      2. Make a running cut by stripping small packets of cards from the bottom of the pack with the right thumb and second fingers, grasping them by the sides near the outer ends and dropping them on the table.

      3. Continue the action until the four jogged cards only remain in the left hand. Seize them in exactly the same manner and drop them on the top of the tabled pack.

      The action in both cases is easy and completely deceptive.

      GAMBLERS’ FALSE CUT

      This extremely deceptive false cut, whereby the entire deck is retained in its original order, is another gamblers’ device. It is called, appropriately enough, “Up the Ladder.”

      1. Grasp the pack with both hands between the thumbs and third fingers at the sides near the ends. Divide the pack at approximately the middle.

      2. Draw the lower half, which we will call packet II, to the right holding it between the right thumb and third finger, and drop it upon packet I, jogging it half an inch to the right. See the first drawing, Fig. 3. The left thumb and third finger retain their grasp of packet I.

      3. Draw out a small packet of cards, C in the figures, with the right thumb and third finger and drop it upon A and B, flush with packet I, as in the second drawing, Fig. 3. Hold the break thus automatically formed between the small packet C and the large bottom packet I with the left thumb; this will be utilized later.

      4. Draw out another small packet B from packet II and drop it on top of C, as in the third drawing in Fig. 3.

      5. Repeat this action with A, as in the fourth drawing in Fig. 3.

      6. Repeat this same running cut with packet I, the break held by the left thumb under packet II ensuring a correct final cut, which will complete the return of the pack to its original condition.

      Figures 1 and 2 show how the fingers of both hands grasp the packets during these running cuts. In Fig. 1 the right thumb and third finger are stripping out C as left thumb and second finger retain A and B. In Fig. 2 C has been placed at the top, directly above the bottom packet I, and B is being stripped out in turn by the right hand. Note that the left thumb and second finger now control both packets A and C. B is dropped directly upon C and A is then stripped out by the right hand in the same manner. The left thumb holds a break between packets II and I in readiness for a repetition of this running cut with I, after which the pack will be in its original order.

      This particularly illusive false cut can be used with excellent effect after the Strip-Out False Shuffle given on page 84. Take the upper half of the pack in the right hand, riffle it into the left hand packet and immediately strip it out with the right hand as described. Drop it on top of the left hand packet and make the Gamblers’ False Cut with these cards. Thus the cards are apparently fairly shuffled and cut.

      The reader will find that, of all false cuts, this is perhaps the best; and, for all practical purposes, the only one he need know.

      GAMBLERS’ FALSE CUT

      Retaining Bottom Stock

      This is another ruse lifted from the gaming table which can be put to good use in many card tricks, since with it the bottom stock is retained after a genuine cut by a spectator. We will suppose that the four aces are at the bottom of the pack and that you desire to keep them in that position. Here is the working:

      1. Execute a riffle shuffle, interlacing the corners giving the sides of each packet an upward bend by pressing down with the forefingers, and letting the four aces drop first. Square the cards which will then have a lengthwise crimp making their backs slightly concave, and hand the pack to be cut, Fig. 1.

      2. After the cut, A, has been tabled, pick up the lower packet, B, with the right thumb at its left side, the fingers at the right side; let half a dozen cards at the bottom slip off the right thumb, gripping them with the right fingers on the right side only, Fig. 2; the left sides of these cards rest on the table.

      3. As you sweep B towards A, press the left thumb on the left side of A, thus lifting its right side about an eighth of an inch off the table.

      4. In sliding the two packets together let the six separated cards at the bottom of B pass under A while the remainder go on top, Fig. 3.

      5. Pick up the pack, square it and, in doing so, take out the crimp with the left hand. The four aces are still on the bottom ready to be dealt with as you may desire.

      CHAPTER 8. CHANGES

      THE FADEAWAY CARD CHANGE

      There is no more beautiful and effective sleight in the entire range of card magic than the illusive move to be described in the following paragraphs; it is worthy