Some thoughts on card magic

"Many hours of incessant practice must be spent to acquire the requisite amount of skill; but it must be remembered if feats at card-handling could be attained for the asking there would be little in such performance to interest or profit anyone" - S. W. Erdnase

[swerdnase]

on steve forte’s gambling sleight of hand

First impressions on Steve Forte’s Gambling Sleight of Hand (2020).

Steve Forte’s gargantuan tome on gambling sleight of hand was released earlier this year. My copies arrived in late February and like most magicians, the first chapter I turned to after my initial tachycardia settled was the one on Erdnase. It’s a well-researched chapter consisting of 135 pages arguing the point that Erdnase was neither a card cheat nor an expert at the card table, and the artifice section is filled with sub-par gambling moves. I have no real opinion as both sides have been discussed extensively by far more knowledgeable people than I, but it is a fascinating read nevertheless.

“Ortiz is one of the very few to bravely point out “the fear of sacrilege” that would come with any 'objective evaluation’ of The Expert due to magic’s adoration for Vernon.” (p. 726). The original Ortiz commented appeared in The Annotated Erdnase on p. 17 (1991).  The irony behind Forte’s statement, of course, being that with the release of this book and magic’s adoration for Forte, his words will now replace Vernon’s as the definitive last word. 

Forte holds an interesting place among this generation of magicians. While little footage exist of Vernon in his prime, and even fewer of the giants before him, it is difficult to imagine someone in any generation whose technical skill can rival Forte’s. The fortunate consequence of this is the increasingly rare assurance that everything described in the book is doable and can be taken to levels previously unimagined. (If you’re like me, you’ve had the disappointing experience seeing an author demonstrate a move you’ve been struggling with and realizing it is indeed, not nearly as deceptive as claimed.) 

“Bill Malone passed along an interesting story about Marlo’s take on The Expert. After asking Marlo about characterizing The Expert as the ‘cardman’s bible’, Marlo responded, ‘It’s not the bible; it’s just a good book’.” (p. 725) 

Other observations:

- There is very little crediting in the entirety of the two volumes – a somewhat unsatisfying explanation is given on p. 47. Understandably, it is exceedingly difficult to trace the origins of most gambling material, but even the ideas/concepts that originated from the magic literature is often not credited.  

- This is not a book for beginners. Familiarity with the general technical landscape is assumed. For example, in the chapter on the Zarrow shuffle, very little is offered in basic explanations, rather new concepts, technical variations, and comments on established handlings are presented instead.

- Forte’s technical descriptions are often quite terse. While the explanations are completely adequate, I often found myself hoping for a little more guidance while working through some of the sleights. As an example, in the section on stunts, under Packet spins, snaps, and twirls, the following description is given - “To spin the packet, spin it 180 degrees” (p. 1000), or after extolling the virtues of MD’s Push-Through handling, the technical explanation simply includes: “use the right-third finger to bump the outer end of the right half, striking and sending it through the left half.” (p. 132).

- In my opinion, the most valuable material in the tomes are the ‘technical observations’ preceding each section, which include finesses, ideas, and ways to eliminate tells, often describing in a few pages what Ben Earl does in 6 volumes of The Shift. For example, in the observations on the push-through, several previously undescribed concepts like the ‘pre-riffle split’ (p. 119), ‘riffle separation’ (p. 121), and ‘square-up before the square up’ (p 123) are offered, the value of which is immediately evident.  Several novel variations of the push-through are then explained, interesting to note that while the majority of magicians will do a “speed through” (p. 127), many other possibilities exist.

- Weaknesses of many advanced ‘holy grail’ techniques in the magic literature are identified and reviewed, and in many cases, better solutions offered. For example, Forte questions the superiority of the Stevens control, (p. 109), Vernon’s touch on the Mysterious Kid’s push-through (p .138), the Stevens cull (p. 272), Walter Scott’s second deal (p. 356), the center deal (p. 471), and the entirety of Erdnase (p. 607).

- Volume 2 also contains a large number of what Forte calls ‘stunts’. Similar to a lot of Stewart James’ material, most of what is described are not tricks per se, but ideas, novel concepts, or clever handlings. David Ben’s term “Atonal Magic” seems apt here.

[swerdnase]

on jacob daley

“One thing that Oscar Weigle told me was that Daley handled cards very daintily, and they used to tease him about it because he was fat, with pudgy fingers.”

- Richard Kaufman on the Genii Forum

[swerdnase]

on the shoulders of giants

Johnny Thompson passed away on earlier this month on March 9th.

I first got started in magic around the time the first David Blaine special aired. The online magic community was still in its relative infancy then – information was not as readily available, and if you wanted to learn magic, really learn the ins and outs of the craft, you had to visit a brick and mortar magic shop.

I was fortunate enough to be in Toronto when I started with its immense talent and history. The local amateurs and professionals alike would gather regularly to discuss secrets and ideas learned only through careful study of some obscure Marlo manuscript or the likes. My first visit to a magic shop landed me The Royal Road to Card Magic, from there on I graduated to LePaul, Buckley, Erdnase, and finally - Vernon.  This was the days before online downloads and youtube tutorials. If you wanted to be good, you studied the old books, you met and learned from more seasoned veterans. Information was scarce – and you had to earn it. I still remember emailing Paul Chosse to clarify Racherbaumer’s confusing description of the Miller Cascade, or hunting down Laurie Ireland’s manuscript to find out what the “most diabolically clever” effect Darwin Ortiz wrote about in the Annotated Erdnase is.

It was in this backdrop where I first met Johnny Thompson. I was attending one of his lectures in Toronto as a bright-eyed teenager meeting one of the greats. After the lecture, a few of us bombarded him with questions about the material, Vernon, Erdnase, stories of the Harmonicats, and so on. We left late that evening with our bottom deals a little more refined, our palms a little more invisible, and our minds drunk with new knowledge of some ‘unpublished’ work. The next time he was in town, more of the same ensued. And every time after that. Johnny was always gracious with his knowledge – he didn’t mind that we were a bunch of youngsters who didn’t know any better, he was content to just sit back and teach, watch or simply hang out.

Johnny Thompson was, and still is probably my biggest influence in magic. I could talk about how refined his technique is, or how more than anything, he was one of the last greats who was still a true generalist, but that’s been commented on by far more knowledgeable people than me. In my mind, he will always be remembered for his generosity and kindness of spirit, and now that he has passed, I’m finding out more and more that these experiences weren’t unique to me – it was simply who he was, and everywhere he went, he opened the door for others to shine.

[swerdnase]

on variations of the diagonal palm shift

Here are some other variations of the diagonal palm shift. Right Hand Steal

The Jinx, Issue 40, 1938, p. 264 / Tom Bowyer Tom Bowyer was one of the first to put a variation of the DPS into print in The Jinx as ‘Indetectable’. Despite being listed as an improvement, the move itself remains rather crude, using an exaggerated diagonal jog via Erdnase to set the card into position for a right handed classic palm. The card is then stolen in a similar action to the side steal.  

Larry Jennings on Card & Coin Handling, 1977, p. 22 / Larry Jennings Larry Jennings published a variant steal in 1977 under LJ Angle Steal that involved using the DPS set up to steal the card into a right modified Tenkai palm or gambler’s palm. After the card is jogged and pulled back, the card is caught between the right thumb and right palm and maneuvered out of the pack. The card lies more forward than a tenkai palm with the outer right corner ending up around the palmer side of the fourth MCP joint. The position is similar to Marlo’s Angle Palm position (The Tabled Palm, 1957, p. 6) or Gene Maze’s Unit Grip (Packet Switches Part Four, 1977, p. 263) 

The Vernon Chronicles Vol 1, 1987, p. 65 / Arthur Finley A more refined right-handed steal from the DPS was described by Stephen Minch in the first Vernon Chronicles. After the card is diagonally jogged, the selection is moved leftward by the actions of the right thumb and left fourth finger under the cover of the right hand. The card is then stolen into right classic palm as the right hand continues its movement left to pull up the left sleeve. A clarification appeared in volume 3 of the Vernon Chronicles (1989, p. 15) and a right steal into gambler’s flat palm is also noted to be Vernon’s preference. Technical Variations 

The Card Magic of LePaul, 1949, p. 61 / Paul LePaul In The Card Magic of LePaul, a technique is described for a left handed steal. While not directly related, the technique has been championed by many as an alternative to the DPS. Briefly: the right fingers straddle the outer left corner of the protruding card, which is the significantly displaced clockwise into left hand palm as it is apparently pushed in the deck. There are however a few drawbacks to this technique: the unnatural placement and squaring actions of the right fingers, and the need for the right hand to change grips during the steal.  

Side Steal, 1957, p 45 / Ed Marlo Ed Marlo published a variation in lieu of the DPS in Side Steal coined ‘The Diagonal Steal’. Similar to LePaul technique, it uses the right second finger on the outer left corner of the card to achieve a similar clockwise rotation of the selection into left palm. The movement of the right fingers is less obvious and the right hand retains its grip using Marlo’s ‘Pinch’ technique.  

Complete Works of Derek Dingle, 1982, p. 105 & 172 / Derek Dingle In Complete Works, Richard Kaufman describes a technique of Derek Dingle’s to steal a peeked card into the left hand. While labelled as the “Peek Twist DPS”, it is more aptly described as a side steal. The move retains neither the diagonal jog nor the rotational action used for the steal. Instead, a peeked card is side-jogged via the classic side steal action and then the entire deck is rotated moving the protruding card into palm position. Also of note is a technique published in the same volume under “Technical Refinement of LJ’s Angle Palm Steal” that uses the left thumb to eliminate the action of the right forefinger. Note that this is similar to Vernon’s technique in Revelations (1984).

Zarrow: A Lifetime of Magic, 2008, p. 347 / Herb Zarrow Most of Zarrow’s work outside of his eponymous shuffle remains largely unknown. In David Ben’s gargantuan tome, his variation of the DPS is recorded. In summary, instead of raising the deck to the fingertips, the shift is performed with the deck held in mechanic’s grip. The fork of the left thumb or the interphalangeal joint is used to catch the right outer corner of the selection and bring it backwards to initiate the steal.   

MagicCon 2010, 2010, p. 8 / Derek Delgaudio Borrowing similar mechanics from Jacob Daley, Derek Delgaudio published an idea in his MagicCon lecture notes where the DPS can be performed from peek with a deck wrapped in an elastic band with no variation in technique.   Multiple Card Handling 

Jack McMillen, 2011, p. 252 / Paul Chosse Doing the DPS with multiple cards poses numerous issues, one of which being that the cards do not remain in alignment throughout the rotation into palm. Charlie Miller used to pose this as a challenge to young magicians. A solution of Paul Chosse’s was posted years ago on the Magic Café and subsequently published in Jack McMillen. Briefly: combining the actions of the Erdnase bottom palm, method one, with the DPS, after the cards and jogged and begin their rotation, when the cards are parallel with the deck, the right fourth finger slides along the right long edge of the deck and pushes the cards backwards, lessening the degree of rotation required for the palm.  

Card Men, 2014, p. 60 / Ricky Smith Taking a different approach, Ricky Smith publishes his variation in Dan and Dave’s Card Men. Without disclosing his technique, the cards are simply displaced during the selection process and stolen together as a block.   Covers 

The Lost Tapes Vol. 2, 1984 / Earl Nelson In Earl Nelson’s technical study of the DPS, he includes an all-around-square-up after the steal as a covering action for the DPS.

Jack McMillen, 2011, p. 252 / Paul Chosse One of Paul Chosse’s covers for the DPS was published in Jack McMillen in 2011. The technique is described in an earlier post, but briefly: after the steal, the deck is given an all-around-square-up. As the former inner end of the pack is rotated to the ceiling, the right thumb riffles the ends to bring attention to the deck and away from the dirty hand.   

Ricky Smith on the Diagonal Palm Shift, 2015 / Dorian Rhodell  In Ricky Smith’s video tutorial on the DPS, he includes an exceedingly clever cover of Dorian Rhodell’s that uses a pen to keep the dirty hand in motion.

[swerdnase]

highlight: the fuentes square-up pass

A highlight of some under-appreciated tricks and techniques in the literature

Baltazar Fuentes is a Mexican magician (now relocated in Texas) who is noted for a variation of the pass which first appeared in his lecture notes AREMPI in 1996. His work on the shift remained largely unknown in the magic community until Denis Behr first demonstrated on his website in the early 2000’s. It has since been re-released in his 2009 DVD, Baltazar Fuentes and his Magic, there termed as the Revolutionary Pass.  

As its name implies, the Fuentes Square-Up Pass uses the rotating actions of an all-around square up to disguise its mechanics. Instead of the packets being transposed along its long axis as per the classic or Hermann pass, the packets are instead rotated around each other in a squaring motion. Other similar passes in the literature include Bruce Cervon’s Free-Turn Pass (Ultra Cervon, 1990, p. 125), Guy Hollingworth’s first unnamed shift from Drawing Room Deceptions and Lennart Green’s Float Pass (Drawing Room Deceptions, 1999, p. 122).

Performed properly, the Fuentes pass occurs in one fluid motion and achieves a near perfect illusion. It relies largely on the left hand which holds and rotates the bottom packet as the formerly top packet is brought underneath and Unlike the Cervon Free-Turn Pass, the bottom packet does not need to be stolen prior to the actions of the pass.

[swerdnase]

on inserting pauses in the diagonal palm shift

Part 3/3 on making the diagonal palm shift more user-friendly

Let’s look at some ways to insert a ‘pause that convinces’ and change the moment of the diagonal palm shift. Conceptually, there are three points at which a pause can be inserted – by changing the method of insertion, delaying the steal after the card is diagonally jogged, or after the jogged card is pulled back just prior to the pivot.

Expert Card Technique 3rd Edition, 1950, p. 468 / Jacob Daley Expert Card Technique has a colorful history. The third edition includes an appendix of material from Dai Vernon and Jacob Daley. Although not credited as such, in the “Left Hand Side Steal”, Daley describes a technique of doing the DPS from a peek. Essentially, a card is peeked by the spectator in the standard fashion, at which point a break is held. The left fourth finger is then used to diagonally jog the selection and the steal proceeds as described in Erdnase.

Revelations, 1984, p. 138-140 / Dai Vernon After much anticipation, Vernon published his variation on the diagonal palm shift in Revelations in 1984. Commonly referred to as the “double-choke” technique for its dual squaring motion, the technique adds a brief pause after the insertion as you square the long edges of the pack. The goal is to minimize left finger flutter by shifting the left little finger’s pivot point forward on the long edge of the selection (more on this in another post).  

Genii Magazine Vol 47 No 5, 1987, p. 307 / Roger Klause In lieu of a traditional insertion, Roger Klause offers a variation using Paul LePaul’s Automatic Jog Control (Card Magic of Card LePaul, 1949, p. 101) to get into the DPS. Briefly, the selection is inserted into a left-handed thumb fan, resulting in an injog as the fan is closed. The jog is then enlarged and shifted diagonally as the right hand squares the deck and the steal is made as originally described.  

By Forces Unseen, 1993, p. 92 / Ernest Earick In the excellent By Forces Unseen, Stephen Minch describes a handling of Ernest Earick’s where the hands come apart after the selection is diagonally jogged. The right hand taps the outer right corner of the deck on the table to square the cards. The hands are subsequently brought back together and the steal made as described in Erdnase.

Precursor XLIV, 1994, p. 3 / David Ben Taking a similar approach to Roger Klause, David Ben tipped a handling in Precursor where the selection is inserted into a left-handed thumb fan. By angling the selection clockwise during the insertion, the card will be angled left and in palm palm position when the fan is closed. Note that although not described by Ben, if the selection is angled counterclockwise instead, it will be angled right, mimicking the DPS position prior to the pivot, and the standard steal can be carried out.

The New Tops, Vol 33 No 12, 1993, p. 16 / Paul Chosse Probably the best de-construction of the DPS in the published literature. Despite having remained relatively low key in the broader magic community, Paul Chosse is renowned for his DPS and tipped a variation in The New Tops. Chosse’s handling is notable for three details: a method to angle jog the selection from a spread, an added dribble with the card diagonally jogged, and a previously undescribed detail on the trajectory of the right thumb to avoid flashing during the steal.

Note that the description in The New Tops and L.I.N.T. (L.I.N.T. – Pocket stuff for close up magicians, 1997, p. 14) on the dribble is incomplete: the entire deck is not dribbled – rather only the lower half of the deck below the selection. As you are nearing the jogged card, the hands come together and the remainder of the deck simply joins the dribbled packet. This ensures that the selection is not lost during the dribble.  

The Book of Secrets, 2002, p. 66 & 206 / John Carney John Carney offers several ideas for alternate insertions in The Book of Secrets. A rear-jog can be arrived at through a peek, a rear insertion, a front insertion, or an all-around-square-up, and has the advantage of delaying the steal while retaining easy control of the card. Carney also notes that if you hand the deck to a layman and ask them to insert a card, they will do so at all sorts of odd angles and places in the deck. Working with this, if you insert the rear left corner of the card into the right long edge of the deck and square the side of the selection with the deck, this will result in a front jog and the standard DPS is carried out as originally described.

In ‘Leipzig-Skinner Surprise’, taking a cue from Erdnase to change the moment, Carney uses clever construction within a trick to delay the actions of the DPS. Briefly, a card is inserted face up by the spectator into the pack. While pattering, the deck is spread again absentmindedly to display the selection, upjogging the card in the process. The spread is then closed and the hands relax. The steal is made under the guise of squaring the deck.

Revolutionary Card Technique, 2003, Introduction; p. x-xi / David Ben In the introduction to Ed Marlo’s collected Revolutionary Card Technique, David Ben describes a delayed handling of the DPS using a Marlo subtlety. After the card is inserted and diagonally jogged, the deck is apparently squared-up at the fingertips using Marlo’s technique from The Technical Steal (Side Steal, 1957, p. 2). The steal is then carried out as originally described.  

On Palming, 2005 / John Carney In On Palming, John Carney tips a variation of the Arthur Finley Diagonal Palm Shift (The Vernon Chronicles Vol 1, 1987, p. 65). After the card is diagonally jogged and pulled back, it is grasped in gambler’s flat palm as the deck is rotated 90 degrees and grasped in the right hand by its long edges. The cards are cut to the table as the right hand comes away with the stolen card.

Cogitations, 2005 / Andrew Wimhurst In Steven Youell’s short-lived online magazine Cogitations, Andrew Wimhurst offers a simple variant to the DPS. After the card is diagonally jogged and pulled back, a thumb fan is made in the left hand, concealing the jogged selection. The right hand can come away and relax. To proceed – the fan can either be closed clockwise with the selection ending in palm position or the fan closed counter-clockwise and the steal made as originally described.

Nothing as it seems, 2015, p. 42 / Ricky Smith Ricky Smith published two technical variations of the single card steal in his 2015 notes. The Shuffle DPS allows for an in-the-hands riffle shuffle to be made following the diagonal insertion. The steal is then carried out as originally described in Erdnase.  

[swerdnase]

on a sequence for the diagonal palm shift

Part 2/3 on making the diagonal palm shift more user-friendly

Let’s look at the initial insertion phase of the technique. There are two points to be noted. Erdnase writes in the text to: “Allow spectator to insert selected card in outer end of deck” (p. 137). As Paul Chosse points out on the Magic Café, this is crucial because it economizes the actions and eliminates the paradoxical actions of the conjurer taking the card from the spectator only to insert it into the deck themselves. To ensure the spectator does not insert the card flush, two things happen simultaneously as the card is returned - 1/ a gentle pressure is applied at the rear of a deck, and 2/ as soon as the replacement is underway, start to withdraw your arms.

The other point to be aware of is the paradoxical action of having the spectator return the selection only to hand the deck back for them to shuffle. Paul Chosse alludes to this in his solution by having an internal script for the return - The conjurer ‘notices’ that the spectator has not pushed the card flush and returns the pack to the spectator to shuffle in order to remedy his mistake. All this is acted out without directly vocalizing the thoughts. A perhaps simpler solution is to hand the deck to another spectator to distribute the workload or simply setting the deck down.

To facilitate this, here’s a sequence for the DPS using blocking and misdirection to minimize bad the vulnerable angles while seeking to create a ‘pause that convinces’. It is inspired by Tommy Wonder’s Ambi-Tilt sequence from the Books of Wonder Vol 1 (1996, p. 129).

1. Have a spectator on your left remove a card from the deck. While this is happening, address the general audience briefly on whatever shenanigans you are about to pull and offer the deck for the spectator to return their selection.

2. The replacement is treated merely as a bothersome necessity and no attention is drawn to it. DO NOT LOOK AT THE DECK throughout this process. Instead look to your right and ask a spectator on your right to help with shuffling the cards. After the card is replaced, retract the deck and relax the arms. Pause.

3. As you continue to address the audience, look down absentmindedly and “notice” that the selection is protruding from the front of the deck. Tilt the deck upwards slightly as this observation is made, keep the deck tilted and immediately look back up to your right. No interest in drawn to this fact, but let it register in your internal script.

4. Turn to your right as you square the selection and execute the diagonal palm shift. As you do so, point the edge of the cards towards the spectators’ eyes. This is Pat Cook’s advice from The Annotated Erdnase to eliminate any flashing in the vertical axis (The Annotated Erdnase, 1991, p. 248). In the same motion, hand the deck to a spectator on the right to shuffle.

In practice this whole sequence should take only a few seconds to perform. The unsquared selection is treated as an inconvenience and occurs in the backdrop of explaining the premise.

[swerdnase]

on the disuse of the diagonal palm shift

Part 1/3 on making the Diagonal Palm Shift more user-friendly Despite the accolades of countless giants over the past century, the diagonal palm shift has remained little more than an academic curiosity in the literature. It’s commonly used as the litmus test for technical competence among magicians, but its use outside of that scope has been severely limited. I think there are probably several factors that contribute to this, amongst which are 1/ the immediacy of the steal, 2/ angle sensitivity and 3/ technical difficulty.  

Max Maven in his early lecture notes Card Tricks for People Who Don’t Like Card Tricks, and Some for Those Who Do (1974, p. 2) makes the argument that when a selection is returned, instead of launching directly into another action like a shuffle or cut, a brief moment of pause should be given to relinquish any sense of control. He termed this “the pause that convinces.” This punctuation is notably absent in the DPS. In Erdnase’s description, the ingenuity of the move lies in the fact that the selection is returned and stolen in a single action, which unfortunately, can often also be an undesirable trait. John Carney comments that: “In actual performance it would be better to misdirect immediately after the insertion. To be most deceptive, the insertion of the card should look perfunctory, as you are speaking about what comes next. You should be moving slowly and naturally, and speaking, rather than ‘feature’ the insertion of the card. This is a tough time to get them to look away. Naturally the spectator wants to see where his card is going, so he is looking right at your hands.” (Genii Magazine, Vol 71 No 8, 2008, p. 63).  

Another issue to overcome is eliminating the vulnerable angles in the technique. The DPS is not angle proof – while it is well covered from the left it needs to be protected from spectators on the right. The biggest culprit, however, is the vertical axis. As Pat Cook points out in The Annotated Erdnase: “I think that the most important thing to realize about this move is that the mirror lies. You can work it out so that your mirror tells you it’s invisible, then you’ll do it for someone who’ll tell you you’re flashing in four or five different places. You really have to work out the angles on a live spectator.” (1991, p. 248).   

Lastly, despite Vernon’s pronouncement that it’s a fairly easy move, the DPS is a technique in which lots of technical de-bugging has to occur before it appears smooth in anyone’s hands. Too often it’s done too slowly, too deliberately, with too much hesitation, or at uneven tempos. There is of course no remedy for this except deliberate practice. 

[swerdnase]

on history and the diagonal palm shift

Kicking off a series on the Diagonal Palm Shift

On page 137 of The Expert at the Card Table, Erdnase describes a novel technique to steal a card inserted into the deck into the left palm under the guise of handing the deck out for shuffling. He called this the Diagonal Palm Shift (DPS). Since its publication in 1902, it has been championed by many of the giants in card magic and universally acknowledged as one of the finest card techniques ever devised. In the subsequent century, numerous attempts to improve and break down the move have been published and it remains one of the most widely varied techniques in the literature.

The DPS is an amalgamation of two manoeuvres. The first is the use of the diagonal jog to mark the location of an inserted card, and the second is a steal from the center of the deck into palm. As pointed out by Darwin Ortiz in The Annotated Erdnase (1991, p. 162), Erdnase’s disdain for published techniques at the time, notably Edwin Sachs’ ‘The Diagonal Pass’ from Sleight of Hand (1885, p. 96-98) was a likely inspiration for the DPS. In the Expert, Erdnase writes, in reference to the Sachs technique, that “the process is not satisfactory” and his goal was “to improve, or rather to combine the first part of this maneurvre with a process for palming the inserted cards.” (p. 137).

While the concept of stealing a card from the deck into palm is often attributed to T. Nelson Downs and Nate Leipzig (Art of Magic, 1909, p. 144 & p. 221, respectively), its roots can be traced back to the 19th century. August Roterberg described the ‘Excelsior Change’ in New Era Card Tricks (p. 22) in 1897, whom he credits to Adrian Plate. In Roterberg’s description, the bottom card of a double is stolen into the right palm as the card(s) are transferred from the right to left hand. Erdnase was no doubt aware of this source as he describes an almost identical technique in the legerdemain section of the Expert (‘The Palm Change’, p. 149).

The first description of a steal of a single card from the center of the deck is found in Mahatma Magazine Vol 5 No 2 (1901, p. 495) attributed to Walter Peterkin under the stage name Hal Merton, where the left thumb is used to push the top card of the bottom packet rightward as the top packet is replaced. This allows for the card to be stolen into right palm via the classic side steal. A variant of this technique, using the left fingers to push out a replaced card is later described in Mahatma Magazine Vol 8 No 2 (1904, p. 17). 

There are a few factors that make the DPS one of the most technically elegant solutions to the center steal. One, done correctly, there should be no extraneous movements of the fingers – the technique can be done with an absolutely stillness of the left hand. The natural movement of handing the deck out facilitates the diagonal jog and subsequent palm. Notably, the right thumb maintains its grip on the deck as the card is pivoted around it. Compare this to subsequent techniques in the literature for a center steal into left palm such as Paul LePaul’s Diagonal left hand palm (Card Magic of LePaul, 1949, p. 61) and Ed Marlo’s Diagonal steal (Side Steal, 1957, p 45), and the superiority of the DPS becomes evident. Note that in the same book, Marlo simulates the grip by pinching the deck at the front end between the right first and second fingers as the selection is stolen beneath the thumb (Side Steal, 1957, p. 16).

Given the historical context and its contemporaneous peers, the DPS was a monumental technical leap forward. It was also the first technique described to steal a card from center into left palm. Erdnase himself touted its superiority as “silent, rapid, and undetectable if well performed, and takes place under the ordinary movement of passing the deck to be shuffled.” - its obvious superiority evident in that it negates the need to control a card to the top or bottom before stealing it from the deck.

[swerdnase]

on a technique for the hit double lift

The ‘Hit Double’ is a group of techniques that allows the performer to do a double turnover/lift with minimal get ready. In essence, the right index finger feels for two cards along the beveled long edge of the deck immediately prior to picking up the double. While its use have often been eschewed by more experienced conjurers in favour of the push off due to the unnatural manner in which the double is picked up, it remains a valuable technique for its reliability and immediacy.

Paul LePaul was the first to publish the idea in print as 'The Flip-Over Double Lift’ (The Card Magic of LePaul, 1949, p. 69). A year later, Dr. Jacob Daley would publish ‘The Instantaneous Double Lift’ in Stars of Magic (1950, Vol 7 No 2), a conceptually similar, but mechanistically different technique. Given that LePaul never claimed originality for many of the items in his book, it is possible that the concept circulated among those in the know for many years before ever seeing print. Indeed, the credit for inventing the move is most commonly attributed to Daley. Ed Marlo would later coin the term “Hit Method” in The Cardician (1953, p. 52), where he described an almost identical technique to Daley’s. 

Years ago Richard Kaufman tipped an (unpublished) technique of Larry Jenning’s on the Genii Forum. It allows for a much easier and fail-proof double as you are only feeling for one card with your right finger. It is described below. 

1. Hold the deck in mechanics grip. Bevel the cards to the right and forwards using the heel of your thumb. Your thumb rests gently on top of the deck. A light touch is essential here.

2. Extend your right thumb slightly, moving the top card of the deck counter-clockwise, using its inner left corner as a pivot point. A light touch here ensures only a single card moves. This should be no more than a few millimeters. (Exaggerated here for clarity). 

3. Approach the deck with your right hand. With the right index finger, contact the right long edge of the deck and gently lift up a single card. This will the exposed edge of the second card down.  

4. Use your left thumb to rotate the top card clockwise to align the top two cards against your right index finger. Simultaneously a slight leftward pressure with your right finger will help to facilitate this process. 

5. Flip over the top two cards as one and continue with whatever shenanigans you were about to do.

[swerdnase]

thank you

Today I was reminded that there are people who actually read this little monstrosity I call a notebook.

I initially started this tumblr as a way for me to keep track of my own notes and hopefully write some of them up in a coherent and organized manner. However, I was (and still am) astounded by the amount of interest people have shown in some of my ramblings. So thank you for taking the time out of your day to drop by here, and especially to those who have messaged me - tumblr doesn’t time stamp the messages, so I may have unintentionally ignored you for months/years, but thank you for doing so. The love is felt. 

A series on the diagonal palm shift is coming. 

[swerdnase]

on the zarrow shuffle and its variants

Herb Zarrow first came up with the shuffle that now bears his name in 1952. It subsequently made its way into print a few years later in 1957 in Jay Marshall’s The New Phoenix No 346, 1957. Since then it has been republished numerous times, including many incorrect and incomplete descriptions. An invisible Zarrow shuffle today is almost as mythical as an invisible pass. Neither exist in its truest form. The advantages of a Zarrow lies in its finality. The false actions are completed as soon as the deck is squared, as opposed to its cousins, the strip-out and push-through shuffles. 

A correct and complete description of the original Zarrow Shuffle technique was finally published in 2008 in Zarrow: A Lifetime of Magic by David Ben, including an extensive essay on false shuffles and the origin of the Zarrow shuffle. An additional resource is Herb Zarrow’s video on the shuffle. David Ben on the Genii forum advised students to “listen” to the video carefully as Zarrow states that he knows what needs to be done but he is well past his prime and can no longer do the shuffle as intended.

A few important points on the original technique: - both hands must move simultaneously.  - very little fanning is needed to provide cover for the unlacing action.  - the left hand releases its top cover packet as a unit.  - the left thumb is used to provide friction as the packets are pushed in. 

The original shuffle allows for many technical variations outlined in the book. A good practice is to alternate Zarrow shuffles with a strip-out or pull-through to try to align the actions toward uniformity.

Gary Plants’ On the Zarrow Shuffle published in 2004 was the first treatise to deconstruct the shuffle since its original publication. Gary’s technique retained the conceptual goal of the Zarrow but does so through a different method. It look exceptional in his hands but requires one to adopt a very specific way of shuffling cards that is likely foreign to most magicians. In particular, the cards are held with the fingers almost perpendicular to the floor. The de-interlace is covered with the forefingers and the “safety position” achieved soon after. While different, it is still a marvel of engineering and deserves its due study. 

Another approach recently released is Steve Reynold’s Zarrow technique covered in his video Z. I honestly think this is the best technique available - this is probably as close to simulating a real shuffle as can be achieved. It relies on the rapidly achieving the “safety position” midway through the square up where the two extreme ends are covered by the fingers. In contrast to Gary Plants’ handling, Steve’s requires the fingers to be as close to the table as possible. and the shuffle is done with minimal finger movement throughout. 

[swerdnase]

on proper attire

“If you are prone to wearing jeans with a jacket, you will have to pull yourself together and stop doing so, at least for the purposes of this effect.” - Guy Hollingworth, Renovations, 2015, p. 22

[swerdnase]

how to make new friends in magic ii

Apologize for pulling the previous stunt. Offer to make it up to them by showing them a hidden gem of Derek Dingle’s.  "This is a technique for the invisible pass which has never previously appeared in print. It uses an unorthodox cover to achieve true burnability.” Perform Derek Dingle’s ‘Cockroach Pass’ from Dingle’s Deceptions (1997). As you talk, appear distracted by a cockroach on the floor. In a truly unorthodox manner, appear flustered and assert your dominance by stomping on the cockroach with your right foot as you execute the pass.  Fin. 

[swerdnase]

how to make new friends in magic

Offer to demonstrate a new technique for the Zarrow Shuffle using a borrowed deck.  “Oh look, Ricky Jay is giving a young magician advice.” Reverse the bottom half of the deck as they are momentarily distracted and table the deck. As their attention returns, cut the top third of the deck to the right and interlace the cards evenly. Talk about the merits of your new technique as you square up the deck slowly and deliberately. Hand the deck back your new friend.   Credits to Ben Train who first pulled this on me over a decade ago. 

[swerdnase]

review: the penumbra issue one

The Penumbra Issue One

May/June 2002, Written by Gordon Bean and William Goodwin, Self-published, 18 pages.

Part 1/11 of a series of reviews on The Penumbra magazine.

The Penumbra is a series of magic magazines featuring mostly card magic from various magicians. Initially bi-monthly, release of new issues has since tapered with Issue Eleven being released in 2009. The inaugural issue in 2002 was notable for containing the Stewart James’ solution to 51 Faces North, a card problem that since its inception baffled cardmen due to its rigorous and seemingly impossible set of ‘conditions’. The effect is that of Paul Curry’s Open Prediction – simply, a prediction is made unequivocally to the audience beforehand. The audience then takes the deck and deals cards face up, stopping whenever they please to deal a single card face down. The remainder of the deck is dealt face-up as before. The single facedown card is shown to be the prediction. The secret remained hidden with James even with his passing in 1996. It wasn’t until 2001 that Allan Slaight discovered James’ own manuscript to his solution.

51 Faces North – Stewart James

Stewart James’ solution to 51 Faces North was met mostly with disappointment. Not because it didn’t fulfill its own conditions, but because it was a different effect – or three different effects to be precise. Each of the effects set up for the subsequent one - none of which were particularly strong in its own regard but all of which met James’ own criteria. Briefly:

Effect 1: A card is selected by the spectator, and returned to the deck. The cards are dealt and the magician pauses and reveals the next card to the selection.

Effect 2: Two equal piles of cards are made, the spectator shuffles and notes the bottom card of one of the piles. The cards are re-assembled after a bit of meddling and the selection is revealed again as the cards are dealt and the magician pauses and reveals the next card to be the selection.

Effect 3: An open prediction is made, the magician asks the spectator the number he used to make the two piles in the previous effect and the spectator deals cards face-up until he stops at the number and the prediction is revealed.

The knee-jerk reaction of course was “this can’t be the real thing.” To many, maybe James never had the solution, maybe Slaight made it all up, maybe this was a red herring and the real deal was still hidden away somewhere, or maybe the truth is simply that reality is never as satisfying as we had hoped. In any case, James’ idea has inspired volumes of work on the plot in the intervening decades. Two excellent recent solutions include David Ben’s (Tricks, 2003, p.49) and Shane Cobalt’s (51 Faces North, 2011, self-published).

Not all of Stewart James’ ridiculously prolific output has been magical. I think anyone who has seriously studied his work can all attest that he didn’t always create magic. He created puzzles. He creates ingenuinity itself. A large portion of his work can be dismissed as trivial, but contain an underlying principle or a manipulation of a principle that betrays the genius behind it. James’ own solution to 51 Faces North feels very much like that.

 Power Trip – Phil Goldstein

Max Maven contributed an interesting effect using two batteries. Essentially a copper/silver routine done with batteries, the magician shows two rechargeable batteries with built-in battery meters. One is fully charged and one is empty. The spectator holds on to the full battery and with a snap, the full battery is now at 10% and the empty one at 90% - a partial transposition of power! The methodology is pretty standard – much of what you’d expect but the novelty lies in the idea and the use of everyday props that audiences can relate better to than a bunch of coins no one uses anymore. Probably difficult to perform in 2015 as rechargeable batteries become more scarce but an interesting concept nevertheless.

Tie Food – Gordon Bean

A simple coins across effect where a coin vanishes, travels up the magician’s necktie and appears in the knot. Uses a novel transfer of Bean’s to effect the vanish, reminiscent of some of Ross Bertram’s coin work in Bertram on Sleight of Hand. Instantly resettable.

King Brand – Bill Goodwin

Bill Goodwin is omniscient and I’m pretty sure omnipotent too. I doubt there are many people more knowledgeable than he is on technique or magic history. Having said that, King Brand feels like an imperfect and unfinished packet trick. The effect is straight forward: Two face down kings are sandwiched between two face up fours. A wave and they transpose. Repeat. Finish with rendition of Daley’s Last Trick. This trick definitely has its moments and it contains some nice ideas of a technically challenging plot - the first and second transpositions are visual, instantaneous and are generally pretty clean, but the set-up involved between transpositions make this a little too overhandled for me.

[swerdnase]

interesting anecdote #4

Bruce Cervon on Francis Carlyle, from Genii Magazine, October 2004, p 69.

“A bunch of guys are playing cards in the library [of The Castle] - Vernon, Hy Berg, Kuda Bux, and Joe Cossari. I was doing a show and I came upstairs and I said to Francis: "My God. It was one of the worst close-up shows I ever did, and it wasn't my fault."

He said, "What happened?"

I handed Francis the deck of cards and said "You be me and I'll be the spectator. Just fan out the cards and ask me to take a card."

He fans out the cards and he says "Take a card." So I took out the card and put it up against my chest, and he said "All right, put it back."

And I say "No, I'm not going to. Tell me what it is."

Francis says, "Put the card back," and again I said, "No, tell me what it is."

"Put the card back, just put it back!" And I said "I'm not going to put it back, and it's a lousy trick if you can't tell me what it is."

He just exploded. He threw the cards up in the air and he jumped up and he ran around the room screaming at the top of his voice. He went over to where the guys were playing cards and he just tipped the whole table over. Ashes and cigarette butts went everywhere. He ran around the room screaming at the top of his lungs "AAAHHH, AAHHH, AAAHHHM" then he ran downstairs. The room has just turned into a demolished mess in a matter of 30 seconds.

They said "What happened?" And I said "I don't know, I was just telling Francis about my show." “