Stevenson Al - 75 Tricks With A Stripper Deck
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75 TRICKS with a STRIPPER DECK Compiled and Edited by AL STEVENSON 2nd Edition * Completely Revised WIZARD BOOKS 22 - 14 FORTIETH AVENUE LONG-ISLAND CITY 1 NEW YORK Copyright 1962 by WIZARD BOOKS
Transcript of Stevenson Al - 75 Tricks With A Stripper Deck
75 TRICKSwith a
STRIPPER DECKCompiled and Edited by
AL STEVENSON
2nd Edition * Completely RevisedWIZARD BOOKS
22 - 14 FORTIETH AVENUELONG- ISLAND CITY 1
NEW YORK
Copyright 1962 by WIZARD BOOKS
ÍNDICEÍNDICE ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION ....................................................................................................................... 9
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 1 0
THE TAPERED DECK .......................................................................................................................................... 1 2 THE COINCIDENCE ......................................................................................................................................... 14 THE PERFECT COUNT ................................................................................................................................... 14 THE SHUFFLED SETUP ................................................................................................................................... 14 MIXED UP MIRACLE ....................................................................................................................................... 14 ODDS AND EVENS .......................................................................................................................................... 15 A SIMPLE FORCE ............................................................................................................................................. 15 THE POKER HAND .......................................................................................................................................... 15 READING THE DECK ...................................................................................................................................... 15 COLOR SEPARATION ..................................................................................................................................... 15 THE INDIAN GIVER ........................................................................................................................................ 16 AN ODDITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 THE SMART SMELLER .................................................................................................................................... 16 POCKET LOCATION ....................................................................................................................................... 16 POCKET PUZZLER ........................................................................................................................................... 16 A WEIRD REVERSAL ....................................................................................................................................... 17 THE STABBED DECK ...................................................................................................................................... 17 THE GAMBLER'S ACES ................................................................................................................................... 18 THE THUMB COUNT ...................................................................................................................................... 18 OUT OF THE HAT ........................................................................................................................................... 18 ALL CALL IT ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 THE FOUR ROBBERS ...................................................................................................................................... 18 THE NEXT ONE IS IT ...................................................................................................................................... 19 WITHOUT THE REVERSE ............................................................................................................................... 19 AN EYE POPPER ............................................................................................................................................... 19 COIN - INCIDENCE ........................................................................................................................................... 19 THE PREDICTION ............................................................................................................................................ 20 THE GIMMICKED CASE .................................................................................................................................. 20 THE FLIP OVER REVELATION ...................................................................................................................... 20 ANY CARD OP ANY SUIT ............................................................................................................................. 21 USING A CONFEDERATE ............................................................................................................................... 21 ACE THE HARD WAY ..................................................................................................................................... 21 A GAG BIT ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 WHICH POCKET? ............................................................................................................................................ 22 IN TRIPLICATE ................................................................................................................................................. 22 LUCKY THIRTEEN ........................................................................................................................................... 22 TWO BLACK ACES .......................................................................................................................................... 22 LUCKY SEVEN .................................................................................................................................................. 23 KINGS AND QUEENS ...................................................................................................................................... 23 THE LOST ACE ................................................................................................................................................. 23 THE EYES HAVE IT ......................................................................................................................................... 24 FINGERPRINTS ................................................................................................................................................. 24 FACE UP OR FACE DOWN ............................................................................................................................ 24 MATHEMAGICAL ............................................................................................................................................ 25 COLOR TELEPATHY ....................................................................................................................................... 25 PURELY MENTAL ............................................................................................................................................. 25
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AN UNUSUAL VANISH ................................................................................................................................... 26 THE TRIPLE COINCIDENCE .......................................................................................................................... 26 THE MAD MAGICIAN ..................................................................................................................................... 27 THE ALLOWANCE ........................................................................................................................................... 27 THE STRANGER ............................................................................................................................................... 28 THE RELUCTANT CARDS ............................................................................................................................. 28 WORLD'S FASTEST COUNT .......................................................................................................................... 28 JUST FOR LAUGHS ......................................................................................................................................... 29 SUPER STRIPPER .............................................................................................................................................. 29
END STRIPPERS ........................................................................................................................................... 29 BLANK STRIPPER ........................................................................................................................................ 29 MAKING YOUR OWN ................................................................................................................................. 29 ALPHABET CARDS ...................................................................................................................................... 30 ESP CARDS .................................................................................................................................................... 30
FOR THE CARD MEN .......................................................................................................................................... 3 1 TAP IT OFF ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 THE AUTOMATIC RISE .................................................................................................................................. 31 THE PAPER CLIP .............................................................................................................................................. 31 THE FLYING CARD ......................................................................................................................................... 31 ONE HAND LOCATION ................................................................................................................................. 32 THE BAD PENNY ............................................................................................................................................. 32 THREE CARD MONTE .................................................................................................................................... 32 PASSE PASSE ..................................................................................................................................................... 33 INKREDIBLE ...................................................................................................................................................... 33 THE JACKS' PERSISTENCY ........................................................................................................................... 33 ELUSIVE CARD ................................................................................................................................................. 34 #66 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 #67 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 #68 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 #69 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 #70 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 #71 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 #72 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 THE GIANT FAN .............................................................................................................................................. 36 BOOKED DECK DISCOVERY ........................................................................................................................ 36 AGAIN THE BOOKED DECK ......................................................................................................................... 37
A SHORT STRIPPER ROUTINE ........................................................................................................................ 3 7
PATTER & ROUTINE ........................................................................................................................................... 3 8
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75 TRICKSwith a
STRIPPER DECKCompiled and Edited by
AL STEVENSON
2nd Edition * Completely RevisedWIZARD BOOKS
22 - 14 FORTIETH AVENUELONG- ISLAND CITY 1
NEW YORK
Copyright 1962 by WIZARD BOOKS
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TOmy friends of THE WIZARD'S SHOP
who have bough t the Wizard Deck and are anxiousto do o ther t han the elementary effects
given in t he ins t r uctions.
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PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION
The firs t edi tion of t his booklet was p ublished in 1957 sod has hero not of p rin t for so me time.
Several friends, including m agic dealers, have u rged m e to re - p rin t it. However, I felt t ha t t he original version ha d roo m for improvement and so I have revised the entire m a n u scrip t, discarding so me effects an d ad ding o ther s.
It is my hope tha t my effor ts will give m a ny hours of pleasure to t hose who like to do card t ricks bu t have nei ther t he time nor t he pa tience required to p ractice intricate sleighs of han d. But: Don’t sell t he s t ripper s hor t! Once you learn to ha n dle it well, you m ay find the necessary time and pa tience an d - combined with sleighs of ha n d - a s t ripper deck will m ake it possible for you to do apparent miracles.
ALWYN STENSONNew York, 1962
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INTRODUCTION
In t he opinion of t he au thor, one of t he m os t neglected pieces of m agical appara tus is t he ta pered, or "stripper," deck. Properly u sed, t his deck can give
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t he impression of miraculous sleight of han d and - even m ore impor tan t - p ro perly han dled, t he s t ripper cannot be s po t ted as being gim micked.
The p rinciple of t he s t ripper is no t as com mo nly known as m os t m agicians believe des pite t he fact t ha t t he tapered deck is m a ny years old. It has been said m a ny times t ha t to u se t he s t ripper is "cheating," bu t t he s t ripper can be placed in t he sa me category as t he shor t card, forcing deck, etc. Gimmicked cards an d even entire t rick decks have been use d by m a ny card me n. But it is t he end res ul t, t he m aking of a Mystery, t ha t coun t s. The mea ns u sed to a t tain t ha t end are u ni m por tan t.
This m a n uscrip t has been writ ten with t he express Purpose of m aking those who s hu n the s t ripper, or who are no t aware of it' s possibilities, come to t he realiza tion of t he fact t ha t as an adjunct to sleight of han d, or by itself, if need be, t he p ro per u se of t he s t ripper can get t he m the ap proba tion an d applause of t heir audiences whenever t hey perfor m.
The s t ripper deck has m a ny uses o ther t han the location of a card or group of cards an d the following pages will p rove to you tha t, with it, you can do un d rea me d of t hings in card m agic, crea te effects impossible with sleight of han d. Torn to any page in t his book, read any one of t he n u merous ef fects, and give yourself a pleasan t s ur p rise. The tapered deck is a m agical "tool' - and the p ro per u se of t his tool is t he Purpose of t his book.
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THE TAPERED DECK
The p rinciple of t he tapered deck is a sim ple one: One end of t he deck is na r rower t han the o ther. Consequen tly, with all t he cards one way an d one card reversed in t he deck, t he reversed card is easily located as t hen the wide end of t he card is a t t he nar row end of t he deck and it p ro t r u des.
A crudely cut deck is no t p ractical. The taper should be slight and so gradual t ha t even the perfor mer should have to look closely to no tice it. You m ay, however, u se a crudely cut deck to initia te you into the mys teries of t he s t ripper, t hen u se a finer cu t when you have become p roficient. Your s uccess with t he s t ripper de pen ds wholly u pon your ha n dling of t he pack, a na tu ralness in working with it. You m u s t be able to s t rip cards fro m the pack easily and swiftly, yet do it as if you were ha n dling no thing m ore t han an ordinary pack of cards.
Do no t run your fingers along the edge of t he deck to de tec t reverses cards; jus t lightly touch the sides of t he
deck a t both ends. Your han ds are u n der cons tan t scru tiny. Fumbling the edges of t he deck is a s ure giveaway; it is an u n nat ural m ove ment an d will arouse s us picion.
When a card has been selected the deck m u s t he reversed, bu t t he reversal s hould no t be obvious. Fanning the deck and closing it is t he m os t p rac tical way of reversing the deck. Hold t he deck face down in your left han d, t h u m b on top, fingers beneath. The right forefinger hi t s t he top left han d edge of t he pack, m oves from left to right, s p reading the cards into a fan. A card is selected, right forefinger closes t he fan fro m left to right reversing the deck.
The selected card is replaced in t he deck an d can be s t ripped when desired.Note: In t he pages t ha t follow, t he ter m "reversed" will be u sed to
designa te t he t u r ning of a card (or t he deck) end for end.
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To beco me p roficient with t he s t ripper it is m os t im por tan t t ha t you develop ease in t he ha n dling of t he deck. Practice, opening an d closing fans of cards, an d s t ripping one or m ore cards t ha t have been reversed in t he deck.
Handle t he deck lightly. You do not need su persensitive fingers to han dle t his deck. It is easier to locate a reversed card by using a light touch ra ther t han squeezing the sides of t he deck. If s t ripping a reversed card fro m the deck see ms obvious to you a t firs t, s t rip t he card or cards no t of t he deck with t he deck behind your back. This will, in fact, add to t he mys tery insofar as t he s pecta tor is concerned.
Eventually you will a t tain t he ability to s t rip no t one or m ore cards in full view of t he s pecta tor an d place t he m on top or bot to m of t he deck withou t it being no ticeable.
Make it a habit to look directly a t t he s pecta tor when s t ripping a card. In t he secon d he re tur ns your look you can have the card ou t an d on top of t he deck.
A lit tle s tory with each effect is also desirable for pa t ter is in itself misdirection. Pick ou t, a half do zen of t he effects in t his book, t ry t he m on so meone. You will no t only su r p rise t he m, you will s u r p rise yourself.
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#1THE COINCIDENCE
Have a card selected an d (withou t allowing its face to he seen) initialed on the back by a s pecta tor. Reverse t he deck an d have the card inser ted. Shuffle an d lay deck face down on the table. Cut to reversed card, have this packet t u r ne d face op and ask the s pecta tor to m ark the face - op card. He is, of course, u naware t ha t it is t he sa me one he p reviously initialed on the back. Shuffle again. Locate t he m arked card in any way you wish, t hen s how the a ma zing coincidence of t he s pecta tor m arking the sa me card twice.
#2THE PERFECT COUNT
Reverse t he twen ty sixth card in t he pack. Remark to t he s pecta tors t ha t you have, t hrough years of experience, developed the ability to judge the a moun t of cards in any packet by its t hickness. Cut t he deck at t he reversed card an d han d the packet you have re moved to a s pecta tor telling him tha t yon have judged exactly half t he pack.
#3THE SHUFFLED SETUP
Many effects are possible with a p re - ar ranged deck. Naturally, you canno t offer a se t - u p deck for sh uffling. However, if you have a s t ripper se t u p in a cer tain or der sim ply reverse half t he pack and place it in t he card case. When ready to perfor m, re move the pack fro m the case an d han d it to t he s pecta tor for one riffle sh uffle, t hen take t he deck an d s t rip no t t he reversed cards. You will now have the se t - u p in two packet s. Place t he two packets together in t heir p roper or der and the deck is again se t u p in t he original p re -arranged or der.
#4MIXED UP MIRACLE
Divide t he deck into two equal piles, reverse one pile and place t he two piles face to face. Now, t horoughly s huffle t he deck. Place t he deck behind your back, s t rip t he entire deck, tor n one half over and place it u pon the o ther half, t hen bring the deck forward. Ribbon - s pread the cards and s how they are all one way.
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ODDS AND EVENS
Beforehand have the deck separa ted into two piles, one pile all t he odd n u m bers, t he o ther pile, all even nu m bers. Reverse one pile and s huffle in t he nor mal m a n ner. After sh uffling, s t rip t he entire deck behind your back an d s how you have separa ted od d nu m bers from even n u m bers.
#6A SIMPLE FORCE
Have the card you wan t to force reversed on the bot to m of t he pack. Shuffle, place t he deck face down on the table and casually cu t to t he reversed card. Show it to t he s pecta tor. Do no t give t he impression yon are cut ting to a cer tain card, cut t he deck casually.
#7THE POKER HAND
Have a s t raight flush reversed in t he deck. Shuffle and s t rip t he flush to t he top. Deal ou t five poker ha n ds aroun d the table (five cards each). Pick u p each ha n d, show it briefly, do no t dis tu rb its order, an d place each han d back on top of t he deck. Deal ou t five han ds again of five cards each, t hen s how tha t you have dealt yourself a s t raight flush. Unknown to t he s pecta tor every fif th card on top of t he deck is pa r t of t he flush.
#8READING THE DECK
Memorize five cards and reverse t he m in t he deck. Tell t he s pecta tor t ha t you can read the backs of t he cards. Shuffle and s t rip t he five me morized cards to t he top of t he deck. Remove the top card face down, call no t t he na me of one of t he five you have me morized, and place it face down no the table. Repeat t his un til you have the five top cards face down on the table. Mix the m u p, t hen tu r n t he m over and s how you have called t he five cards correctly.
#9COLOR SEPARATION
This is a real eye po p per. Before s ta r ting your perfor ma nce, separa te t he reds an d blacks and reverse one color. To begin, sh uffle t he en tire deck an d display the faces of t he cards showing the m to be t horoughly mixed. Fan the deck with t he backs toward you and have a red card selected. Ask the s pecta tor to re me mber his card. Reverse t he deck an d have the card replaced. Fan again an d have a black card selected. Reverse and replace.
Now, shuffle t horoughly. Put t he deck behind your back an d com pletely s t rip ou t t he entire deck. Bring h forward holding the two packets an d show
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t ha t you have no t only com pletely separa ted reds fro m blacks bu t t he red selected card is a mong the black, and the black selected car t! a mong the red.
#10THE INDIAN GIVER
Break the deck into two piles. Give one to a s pecta tor, reversing his pile as you han d it to him. Ask him to look a t any card in his pile and inser t it face down into your pile. Shuffle your pile, s t rip ou t t he card he gave yon and place it face down in his pile. Ask him to na me his card. Show it is no t in your pile as he t hough t. Tell him he is an "Indian Giver" and influenced you into giving hi m back the sa me card he gave von.
#11AN ODDITY
Separa te t he reel fro m the black cards into two piles. Reverse one pile an d then m ake a single pile by alternating red and black. Hold t he deck with both han ds by the edges an d s t rip t he entire deck jus t t he slightes t fraction. If you now riffle t he cards in one direction, you will see only red cards; riffle in t he o ther direction an d you will see only black cards.
#12THE SMART SMELLER
Lay seven cards in a row on the table, t he mid dle card reversed. Have a s pecta tor write t he aro mas you call ou t, one each, on the backs of t he cards, left to right. Turn your back if you wish. Call ou t, Rose, Violet, Jas mine, Lillies, Pine, Hemlock, Cedar. The reversed card will be Lillies, t he four th card called. Have the cards mixed and han ded to you; s t rip Lillies to top. Smell each card, face towar d you, remarking tha t you will find your favorite aro ma: Lillies. You m ay do this with d rinks or s pices.
#13POCKET LOCATION
The selected card is reversed in t he deck and the deck is s huffled. Drop the deck into a s pecta tor ' s shir t pocket The end of t he deck from which the reversed card p ro t r u des s hould be u p, t ha t is: neares t to t he edge of t he pocket. Torn your head aside, reach into pocket with t h u mb an d mid dle finger and re move selected card.
#14POCKET PUZZLER
Have selected card reversed in t he deck. Shuffle. Drop deck, p ro t ru ding end of selected card u p per mos t, into s pecta tor ' s shir t pocket. Ask for a n u m ber
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between 1 and 20. Reach into s pecta tor ' s pocket and re move an d s how cards one a t a time. We will p resu me the nu m ber called was 14. Remove 13 cards fro m the top or t he bot to m of t he deck; s how the four teen th (the reversed) card to be t he one selected by s pecta tor. Use t hu m b and middle finger when reaching into t he s pecta tor' s pocket.
#15A WEIRD REVERSAL
Take all t he cards of one s ui t (spades, for exa m ple), reverse t he m, inser t t he m in t he deck, sh uffle t horoughly and place t he deck hack in its case. When you are going to perfor m, re move the pack fro m your pocket an d offer it to be s huffled. As the deck is being sh uffled pa t ter to t he effect t ha t t hir teen is your lucky n u m ber an d you are going to t ry an experiment with t ha t nu m ber. Take the deck fro m the s pecta tor an d place it behind your back. Strip no t the t hir teen s pa des, tu r n t he m over an d inser t t he m together back into t he pack. Bring the deck forwar d, face u p; s p read the deck an d show tha t t here are t hir teen cards face down, together, a re markable coincidence. Now, square t he pack, me n it face clown, s p read the cards and - ano ther coincidence has occurred: t he t hir teen cards are all s pa des!
#16THE STABBED DECK
This is a re markable effect an d never fails to mys tify. Have a card selected and inser ted again in t he reversed deck. Show an or dinary paper na pkin. Wrap the deck in t he na pkin bu t, te s ted as yon s ta r t to wrap, p ull ou t t he reversed card slightly - a quar ter of an inch will do.
Hold the deck firmly as you wrap so t ha t t he p ro t ru ding card does no t slide back into t he deck with t he han dling.
When the deck is wrap ped, t uck u n der t he ends of t he napkin, again being careful no t to m ove the p ro t r u ding card. Hold t he wrappe d deck face u p in your right han d an d, with t he left, p u s h the tip of a knife blade into t he na pkin at t he end of t he deck where t he card is pa r tly s t ripped ou t. Push knife blade into t he na pkin fro m a slightly angled posi tion, downward, so t ha t t he tip of t he knife hi t s p ro t ru ding card; then, level the knife and p us h it all t he way in. The knife blade is now res ting on the s t ripped card. Push the knife into the deck u p to t he han dle, t hereby p us hing the s t ripped card back into t he deck an d even with t he others. Ask tha t t he selected card be na med. Leave the knife in place an d rip off t he na pkin s howing the knife res ting on the selected card. This is no t an effect in be do ne h ur riedly. Make a big t hing of it and, when abou t to reveal t ha t t he knife is res ting on the selected ease!, do it slowly.
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#17THE GAMBLER'S ACES
Have the four aces reversed in t he deck. Tell t hose watching tha t you are going to p rove tha t it is no t s mar t to play cards with s t rangers. Shuffle the deck, place it face down on the table an d cut to an ace. Do no t show the ace bu t re move it from the packet an d place it face down to one side. Do this t h ree m ore times u n til you have cut and re moved all of t he aces. Turn over t he four cards an d show tha t you cut to an ace each time.
#18THE THUMB COUNT
Remark tha t you have s u per sensitive fingers and can coun t cards while riffling the m with your t hu m b. Beforehand, have the fif teen th card reversed in t he deck. Be sore t ha t you riffle t he corner of t he deck where t he reversed card p ro t ru des. Riffle t his corner once or twice, break the deck a t t he reversed card an d ha n d the packet to t he s pectator to be coun ted. You, of course, have s ta ted in advance how m a ny cards you are going to t h u mb coun t,
#19OUT OF THE HAT
Selected card is s t ripped to top of deck, Borrow a felt ha t, crease t he top an d hold ha t high. Drop the deck into t he ha t, deck on one side of the crease, s t ripped card on the o ther. Snap the ou tside bot to m of t he ha t, below s t ripped card. It will ju m p out of t he ha t.
#20ALL CALL IT
Have a card reversed in t he deck, King of Spades, for exam ple. Shuffle, cu t to t he king an d show it to one per son p resen t only. Reshuffle, do t he sa me to ano ther pe rson. Do this four times, each time s howing the sa me card bu t withou t let ting any of t he four s pecta tors know tha t t hey have all looked a t t he King of Spades. Tell t he four s pecta tor s to call ou t t heir card when you coun t to t h ree. They will look and feel ra ther foolish when they all call out "King of Spades."
#21THE FOUR ROBBERS
Remove the lone aces fro m the deck an d lay t he m lace down on the t able. Reverse t he deck an d lay it on t he table. Tell t he s tory of four robbers intent u pon robbing a house. Inser t one ace low in t he pack, face down; t his robber is in t he cellar. Another ace is inser ted a bit higher in t he pack, t he firs t floor; a
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t hird ace s till higher in t he pack, t he second floor, an d the last ace near t he top of t he pack. As you now s huffle t he pack re mark tha t one of t he robbers looked ou t of t he window and saw the police ap proaching. The only way of escape was t h rough the roof. Strip t he aces to t he top, place t he deck face down on the table an d slowly re move the four top cards, one a t a time. The four robbers are all on t he roof.
#22THE NEXT ONE IS IT
Have a card selected an d replaced in t he reversed deck. Hold t he deck in your left han d, lightly feeling the selected card. Deal ou t one card a t a time fro m the face - down pack, s howing the card each time, an d m aking a nea t pile face down on the table. Continue dealing pas t t he chosen card, t hen re mark tha t t he next card you s how will he t he selected card. Surprise t he m all by no t s howing the next card to be deal t bu t by cut ting to t he reversed card to be in t he pile on the table.
#23WITHOUT THE REVERSE
This will fool a m agician. Have the entire lower half of t he deck reversed. Ask so meone to select a card from the up per half of t he deck. Slowly riffle t he cards so t ha t t he chosen card is inser ted in the lower half of t he deck. Break the deck a t t he center and give t he top half to t he s pecta tor for sh uffling. Shuffle t he bot to m half yourself. You can now s t rip ou t t he selected card in your half.
#24AN EYE POPPER
Have the deck in t he case with all t he red cards reversed. Remove the deck fro m the case and s huffle t horoughly. Strip t he deck com pletely an d p u t t he two packet s together. You now have tics deck half red an d half black. Hold t he deck face down in your right han d, left t h u m b comes over to t he top of t he deck, left fingers u n der nea th t he deck. With your left han d, re move the top an d bot to m cards of t he deck together, placing the two cards face down on the table. Continue doing this un til t he entire pack is on the table, face down. Turn the cards over, s p read the m, and s how a perfect alternation of red and black th roughou t t he deck.
#25COIN - INCIDENCE
Reverse a deuce, t rey, four an d nine in your deck. Beforehan d gather and
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p u t in your t rouser pocket a quan ti ty of coins, all of differen t da tes, bu t all d a tes to taling eighteen (1935, 1926, 1908, 1944, 1953, etc.). Cut deck a t t he four reversed cards, m aking four piles, with one of the reversed cards a t t he bot to m of each pile, t he four piles face down on the table. Casually re move the coins fro m your pocket an d have one selected. Ask the s pecta tor to to tal t he four digits on his selected coin. When he announces t he to tal (which m os t be eighteen), t u r n over each pile on the table an d s how tha t t he four cards you cut to also to tal eighteen.
#26THE PREDICTION
Before perfor ming, reverse an d no te t h ree cards in your deck. Tell your au dience t ha t you are feeling par ticularly clairvoyan t and you would like t he m to help you in tes ting the validity of your feelings. Take a piece of pa per an d on it write t he na mes of t he t h ree cards you have p reviously reversed in your s t ripper deck. Remarking tha t yon have m a de a p rediction, fold the pa per and place it in a s pectator 's pocket. Shuffle your deck an d place it in your, or ano ther s pecta tor 's pocket. Tell your au dience t ha t yon are going to re move cards, one a t a time, from the pack an d tha t anyone should call ou t "Now!" while your han d is s till in t he pocket. Proceed to take cards ou t as described placing the m in a face - op pile to one side. Whenever so meone calls "Now!" s t rip one of t he reversed cards an d po t it face down on the o ther side of t he table. Continue u n til you have s t ripped out t he t h ree cards you have "predicted." Ask the Specta tor in whose pocket you have placed your p rediction to read it aloud. Turn over t he t h ree cards you have placed singly an d face down to one side of your table. Pick the m u p, one a t a time, and call t heir na mes d ra matically holding the m op for all to see t ha t your feelings did no t deceive you.
NOTE: When placing the deck in the packet be sure that the end w here the cards protrude is up.
#27THE GIMMICKED CASE
In an old effect u sed with t he s t ripper deck the card case is sand pa pered thin a t each side, near t he bot to m. When the deck, with t he p ro t r u ding card or cards down, is inser ted into t he case t he fingers can feel t hese cards t h rough the t hin, san d pa pered sides of t he case. Hold t he case open end down and allow all t he cards excep t t he reversed ones to fall ou t.
#28THE FLIP OVER REVELATION
Bring reversed card to top. Push top card so t ha t it p rojects an inch to one side of t he pack. Drop entire pack fro m abou t a foot over your table. The top card will flip over face u p, d ue to t he d raf t hi t ting t he p rojecting edge of
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t he card.
#29ANY CARD OP ANY SUIT
In advance of your perfor mance, take an entire s uit - say, t he hear t s - ou t of your deck. Put t he m in order fro m ace to king, reverse t he packet, p u t it back on the top of your deck an d p u t t he deck in its case. When you s tar t to perfor m, say tha t you have an affinity for hear t s and you would like to p rove it.
Take the deck ou t of its case and riffle s huffle once. Put t he deck behind your back an d ask so meone to call any card of t he hear t s ui t. As you pa t ter an d while you wait for t he selection, s t rip ou t t he entire soil (it will s till be in order) an d po t t he packet on top of t he deck. It is, of course, an easy m a t ter for you to coun t down to wha tever card is called for and thus p rove you are "in t une" with t he hear t s.
Depending on your me m ory - and ability - you m ay repeat wills one or two o ther cards. But don' t do m ore t han th ree. One could be an accident, two might be coincidence, t h ree is incont rovertible p roof, four is boredo m.
#30USING A CONFEDERATE
Many ap paren t card miracles can be acco m plished with t he use of an assis tan t for, if you have a confedera te to han dle t he deck while you are ou t of t he roo m, you can do the see mingly impossible. You can be absent, your confedera te can have a card selected an d reverse t he deck. You can then enter t he roo m and find the selected card. It is impor tan t t ha t no one knows you are working with an assis tan t. Brief so meone in t he audience as to wha t to do is han dling the deck. Do not overdo the u se of t he assis tan t.
#31ACE THE HARD WAY
Reverse an ace in t he deck. Have the deck shuffled an d then laid on the table, face down. Place a silk over t he deck and cut t hrough the silk to show the ace.
#32A GAG BIT
This is a comedy bit t ha t always get s a good laugh. Occasionally s t rip no t t he selected card while yon are s huffling an d say, "Please don' t forget your card while I a m sh uffling." Show the card, p u t it hack in the deck and go on with whatever effect you ha d planned.
#33
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WHICH POCKET?
Have a card selected an d reverse it in t he deck. Shuffle. Ask a s pecta tor to em p ty both left an d right jacket pocket s. Drop the deck in his left jacket pocket m aking s ure t ha t t he edge with t he p ro t r u ding card is u p. Bring ou t half t he deck an d place it in t he s pecta tor ' s right jacket pocket, m aking su re t he reversed card re mains in t he left pocket. Now ask the s pecta tor to na me a pocket, right or left... If he says "right," tell him to discard t he por tion of t he deck in his right pocket an d you reach into t he left and re move selected card.
#34IN TRIPLICATE
Have a card selected. Ask a s pecta tor to write his initials on the back of t he card. Reverse t he deck an d inser t t he card. Shuffle t he deck, bring the selected card to t he bot to m and quickly t u r n t he deck face down in your right han d. Hold t he deck with four fingers curled over one side an d the t hu m b over t he o ther. See illus t ra tion. The fingers p ull back the bot to m (initialed) card. Ask the s pecta tor what his na me is. As you s pell ou t his na me, keep holding back the bot to m card. You always p ull out one card above t his card. When you come to t he las t let ter of his na me; p ull out t he card you have been holding back, t ur n it over and s how it is t he one initialed by the s pectator.
#35LUCKY THIRTEEN
Beforehand have all t he s pades reversed in t he lower por tion of t he deck. Have a card selected fro m the top por tion of t he deck, reverse t he deck and have the selected card inser ted. Remark to t he s pectator s t ha t you have a lucky s ui t: s pa des an d you also have a lucky n u m bers: t hir teen. Shuffle the deck, place it behind your back and tell t he au dience you are going to u se your lucky s ui t an d also t he lucky n u m ber to find the selected card. Come forwar d with all of t he s t ripped cards face down. Coun t t he m on to t he table, face down. There will be four teen cards. Turn the m over an d s p read the m ou t. Spectator will see t he t hir teen s pa des and the card he selected.
#36TWO BLACK ACES
This t rick consis t of a sim ple setu p of t he top eighteen cards in t he deck. Deck face down, t he se tup is as follows: top card, any "six"; next, any five indifferen t cards; t hen, a black ace; next, any "ten"; t hen, nine indifferent cards, an d the o ther black ace. These top eighteen cards are reversed. Tell t he s pecta tors t ha t you will locate t he two black aces in an u n us ual m a n ner.
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Remove the pack fro m the case, riffle sh uffle once, face down, an d s t rip t he eighteen cards to t he top of t he deck. Show the top card, t he "six." Count down to t he sixth card an d tu r n it over. It will be t he firs t ace. Show the next card, t he "ten." Coun t down to t he ten th card, t u r n it over an d show it to be t he second black ace.
#37LUCKY SEVEN
Have the deck in your pocket with t he seven of s pades reversed. Talk abou t seven being a mys tic n u m ber in m agic. Remark again t ha t s pa des are your lucky soil and take cards out of your pocket one at a ti me , a card for each let ter. As you withdraw the cards, s pell no te "S - e - v - e - n o - f S - p - a - d - e - s" show tha t t he las t card re moved fro m the pocket is t he Seven of Spades. Place t his face down on the cards already on the table. Take the re mainder of t he pack ou t of your pocket an d place it to one side. Pick u p the "spelled ou t" cards and s huffle t he m, face down. The Seven of Spades is s till reversed. Place t his s mall packet in your pocket. Once again s pell ou t "Seven of Spades." Again, t he las t card re moved is t he Seven of Spades. Turn it face u p as you take it ou t of your pocket.
#38KINGS AND QUEENS
In advance, p u t t he four kings on top of t he deck. To begin your perfor mance, re move the four queens an d reverse t he deck. Pat ter abou t t he four ladies who wan ted escor t s for a dance and visited an escor t bureau (the deck). Inser t t he queens hap ha zar dly into t he deck an d riffle sh uffle t horoughly bu t m aking s u re t ha t t he four kings re main at t he top. Strip t he queens to t he top of t he deck. Remove the top eight cards (the kings and queens) an d square t he m u p. Hold t he packet face down in one ha n d, t hu m b ben t un der one long edge, t he four fingers curled u n der t he o ther edge. Now, with t he t hu m p of t he o ther han d on lop an d the fingers beneath, p ull ou t together one card from the top and one from the bot to m of t he packet and place both cards - s till together - face down on your table. Do this t h ree times leaving two or t h ree inches of s pace between pairs. When you have only two cards left in your han d, t u r n t he m over showing tha t a t leas t one lady foun d an escor t. Pat tering on, t u r n t he cards on the table over - one pair a t a time - and re mark tha t all the ladies ha d been lucky an d were now reco m men ding the escor t bureau to all t heir friends. If you have followed the directions cor rectly, yon should have the four queens paired u p with t he kings.
#39THE LOST ACE
State t ha t t he aces have an affinity for each o ther - which you will p rove. Run th rough the deck, re move the four aces an d place t he m face u p on your
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table. Ask a s pecta tor to choose any one of t he aces an d inser t it back into t he deck (which - as yon pa t ter - yon have reversed). Shuffle. Tell t he s pecta tor t ha t t he o ther t h ree aces are going to find the los t one. Pick u p the t h ree tabled aces, inser t t he m in t he deck and sh uffle. Now s t rip t he four aces to t he top, cu t t he deck and com plete t he cut. Spread the deck face op an d s how the four aces are together.
#40THE EYES HAVE IT
Have a card selected an d po t hack into t he reversed deck. Shuffle t he deck and, if possible, control t he reversed card to eighth or ten th fro m the top. However, it is no t absolu tely essen tial t ha t t he selected card be near t he top; bu t t he effect will be m ore of a "quickie" if t he selected card is in t he u p per mos t por tion of t he deck. Hold t he deck face down in your right han d, with t he p ro t r u ding edge of reversed card forward . The right t hu m b an d mid dle finger tips gen tly touching both forward sides of t he deck an d feeling the p ro t ru ding, selected card. Tell t he s pecta tors t ha t t heir eyes will give t he m away on this one. Remove the top card fro m the face - down pack an d hold it face towards t he s pecta tors. Tell t he m no t to give any sign when they see t heir card. Remove cards fro m the top of t he deck, one a t a time. Your right t hu m b an d middle finger tips will tell you when you are showing the selected card. Stop there, look inten tly at t he s pecta tors ' eyes (as you have been doing with all p reviously s hown cards), t hen declare t ha t t hey did give t he mselves away and the card you are now holding is t he selected card.
#41FINGERPRINTS
Fan the deck an d have a red card selected. Reverse the deck and have the red card replaced. Ask the s pecta tor to pick a black card an d reverse t he deck again before t he card is replaced. Now, sh uffle t he deck, give it to him, an d tell him to re move one of t he two selected cards, either t he black or t he red. He is to do this with his back towards you. Take the deck back, s t rip t he one reversed card to t he top. Fan the deck face towar ds you an d talk abou t looking for fingerprin t s. Naturally, you will see t he color of t he top card. You then na me the color he re moved, t he op posi te color to t he top card.
#42FACE UP OR FACE DOWN
Have a card selected. Reverse t he pack an d have the card re tur ne d to t he pack. Hold t he deck behind your back, rem ove the selected card and replace it in t he deck, bu t turned over . Ask the s pectator if he would like his card face u p or face down. If he says, "face u p," bring the deck forward an d s p read it on t he table with all t he cards face down . If he says he wants the selected card face
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down, s p read the deck face up . Either way his selection s hows u p im me diately as you have tu r ned the selected card with its face in t he op posite direc tion to t he res t of t he deck.
#43MATHEMAGICAL
Reverse any twenty cards in t he deck. Shuffle. Strip t he twen ty to t he top of t he deck. Hand the deck, face down, to a s pecta tor an d ask hi m to coun t off as m a ny cards as he wishes, u p to 20, an d p u t t he m in his pocket. Shuffle t he deck again, place it behind your back an d s t rip out t he re maining reversed cards. Coun t t hese cards behind your back, sub t rac t t he n u m ber t h us obtained fro m twen ty. Announce the resul t. It should be t he n u m ber of cards t he s pecta tor has in his pocket.
#44COLOR TELEPATHY
In advance, separa te t he red and black cards, reverse all t he cards of one color an d shuffle t he entire deck together. Place t he deck in its case. To perfor m, re move the deck fro m the case and have it t horoughly s huffled. Then, quickly, s t rip t he whole deck so t ha t you have the top half en tirely one color an d the bot to m half t he o ther. Hold t he deck face down and s p read out t he top half of t he deck for two cards to be selected. Riffle t he deck and ask tha t t he two cards be re tur ned, bu t m ake once the two cards are placed in t he botto m half of t he deck. Break the deck a t t he reversed cards, ha n d one half of t he deck to a s pecta tor to shuffle. You s huffle t he o ther half. If t he cards are red, t hey will be in t he black par t of t he deck. After both halves have been sh uffled, place t he m together, fan t he deck face towar d you, and look over t he cards. Ask the s pecta tor to concent ra te on the two cards he selected. You will be able to locate t he m because t hey are t he op posi te color of t he cards on each side of t he m. Do this effect slowly to give t he impression of great concen t ra tion on your pa r t.
#45PURELY MENTAL
This me n tal effect with t he s t ripper is a s tun ner. It is easy in execution and baffling to t he layman. Have the top three cards reversed on top of t he face -down deck. Let u s say tha t t hey are t he King of Hear ts, t he Ace of Clubs, an d the Three of Diamon ds. Display the top th ree cards fanned in your han d an d ask a s pecta tor to concen t ra te on one of t he m. Do not dis turb t heir or der which we will p res u me to be: king, ace, t h ree. When a card has been m en tally selected, place t he t h ree cards hack on top of t he face - down deck an d give t he deck one thorough riffle sh uffle. Place t he deck behind your back, s t rip ou t t he t h ree cards together and replace t he m on top of t he deck. You will s till have the king, ace an d th ree in t ha t or der. Put t he top card (the king) in your rear t rouser
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pocket, t he next card (the ace) on the bot to m of t he deck an d, t he re maining card (the t h ree), on top of t he deck. Bring the deck forward an d place it face down on your table. Ask the s pecta tor to na me his t hough t - of card. If he na mes the king, slowly tu r n aroun d and have him re move the card fro m your pocket. If he na mes the ace, sim ply tu r n over t he deck on the table or, bet ter s till: have hi m t u r n it over. The ace will be revealed on the bot to m of t he deck. If he m en tions t he t h ree as t he t hought - of card, tell hi m to t u r n over t he top card of t he pack on the table. Put a lit tle p resenta tion into t his and it can be built u p into a s t rong me ntal effect. The s pecta tor will never be aware of t he fact t ha t whichever of t he t h ree cards he na mes is of no impor tance: You have arranged a place for each card an d so t here are t hree places where t he t hought -of card could be!
#46AN UNUSUAL VANISH
Haven card selected an d reverse t he deck. Have the selected card re tu rned to t he deck. While s huffling, bring the selected card to t he top of t he deck. Place t he deck face down on the table. While talking or by u se of so me misdirection, m ois ten t he back of your right ha n d with your lips or tongue. Tell t he s pecta tor you are going to show how to m ake a card vanish. Place your right han d back down, on top of t he top card of t he pack. Do this to illus t ra te to t he s pecta tor what is you want hi m to do. When you take your ha n d away fro m the pack, t he top (selected) card should be s ticking to it d ue to t he m ois ture on its back. Get t ha t han d below table level quickly. The s pecta tor will d u plicate your actions. Then reques t t ha t he look th rough the deck for his card. It will he gone! By then you will have had a m ple time to get t he card into your pocket or wherever you want it to appear.
#47THE TRIPLE COINCIDENCE
In advance, reverse t he Ace of Spades on top of the facedown deck. Tell t he s pecta tors you are going to conduct in experiment in coincidence. A t riple coincidence. Inst r uct one of t he m to coun t off - withou t looking a t t he m - any n u m ber of cards between eight and twen ty after you leave the roo m . He is to deal off t he cards face down on the table. Tell him, also, t ha t t he Ace of Spades is going to play an impor tan t pa r t in t he t riple coincidence. He is to pick u p the packet of cards he deal t off an d replace it, face down, on the face - down deck, re me mbering the n u m ber of cards he coun ted. On your re tur n, take t he deck an d break off t he top por tion (at t he reversed ace, na tu rally!) behind your back. This will give you the a mou n t of cards dealt ou t. Now, take t he reversed ace an d inser t it back into t he sa me packet, bu t with face in t he direction op posi te to t he res t of t he cards. Bring this s mall packet forward an d ask how m a ny cards were coun ted. Show tha t t he packet you are holding ou t has t he sa me a moun t. Coincidence #2: The ace you me ntioned is in t his packet. Coincidence #3: The ace is face u p, t he res t of t he cards face down.
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#48THE MAD MAGICIAN
Pre - ar range your deck with all t he red cards reversed. Spread it, face u p, on the table bu t do no t com ment on color. Jus t me n tion tha t t he deck has been thoroughly s huffled.
Pick u p the cards and s t rip t he m so the top half of t he deck is black an d the lower half, red.
Relate t he following s tory:"Once u pon a time there was a m a d m a n who thought h r was a m agician -
or a m agician who thought he was a m a d m a n ... I do n' t re me m ber which. However, let's jus t say t ha t all m agicians are m a d... or all m a d men are m agicians. Anyhow, t he reason he was d riven m a d was t ha t every time he took a card from the deck it was a red card." Remove an d s how a card from the bot to m half of t he deck you are holding face down. Replace t he card.
"Even when h r cu t t he deck h r always got a red card." Cut t he deck into t he red half. "He even took a card fro m behind his back and, s ure enough, it was a red card!" Place t he deck behind your back and take a card from the lower (red) half.
"Our m agician t ried p u t ting the cards in his pocket an d - guess what?... Sure enough, he could only p ull ou t a red card! It even beca me contagious... When his friends touched one of his cards it t u r ned red!" Have so meone touch the back of a (red) card and then s how it.*
"Finally, in des pera tion, our m a d m agician decided there was only one thing to do..." Shuffle t he deck and s t rip it once m ore so you again have all black on top and all reds on the bot to m. "...He was no t so d u m b. He cleverly ded uced tha t if he separa ted half t he pack and touched it it would be all red ..." Divide t he deck into two piles and place t he m widely separa ted on the table. "...and su re enough, all red…” Spread the red half face u p on the table. "Our no -longer - m a d m agician finally foun d a way to get a black card - jus t t ur n over t he o ther half of t he deck." Turn over t he second half of your deck an d s how it consis ts of all black cards.
* A n excellent gag here is to have a red King of Spades ~ o btainable fro m your m a gic dealer - in your pocket, ready to be handed out to be touched.
#49THE ALLOWANCE
"Once u pon a time, a m agician had a s tu pid wife - in fact, any woman who would m ar ry a m agician is s t u pid. However, t ha t ' s beside t he poin t. He had her believing tha t playing cards were m o ney and he always gave her an allowance of 65 cents a week. Here is how he did it." The m agician th rows a bunch of cards on the table, t hey are t u r ned face u p an d the to tal of t he s pot s equals 65.
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Method: Reverse two tens, t h ree fives, one four, two sixes, one t rey, one deuce, one eight and one ace. Strip t he m ou t and th row the m on the table face down.
#50THE STRANGER
In this effect one of t he cards in your deck is of t he op posi te color; let u s say you have a blue - backed card in a red - backed deck. Reversed, of course.
Spread the deck face down and re mark tha t so meone m a de a mis take in packing the deck. p ro per ties. Now, u sing the s t ripper p rinciple you can cut to t his "stranger" card, or find it behind your back, do the s tabbed deck t rick with t he knife blade finding the od d card, e tc.
For a finish, d rop the deck into your coat pocket and bring ou t a deck of blue - backed cards into which you have inser ted t he reversed red - back d u plicate of t he one you've been u sing. Bring the deck ou t face u p and s p read it on t he table. Pat ter a bit about t he mys teries of color an d s p read the deck face down to s how the s t ranger card has t u r ned color and so has t he res t of t he pack.
#51THE RELUCTANT CARDS
EFFECT: Three cards are selected, replaced in t he deck and the deck s huffled t horoughly. Perfor mer takes t he deck and d rops it into the open end of a wooden case. The selected card refuse to d rop in with t he o thers.
You will need a case to hold your deck bu t tapered jus t as t he cards are. It can be easily cons t r ucted fro m heavy cardboar d or cigar - box wood. The broad end of t he case is left open. When d rop ping the s huffled deck back into t he case, be su re to do so with the tapered end down . The selected cards will be forced u p by the ta pering of t he case. Pat ter abou t how so me cards are reluctan t to mingle with t he o thers.
#52WORLD'S FASTEST COUNT
Set u p your s t ripper deck as follows:About ten cards fro m the top of t he deck, reverse t he next six. About ten
cards fro m the bo t to m of t he deck, reverse t he next ten. So you will have a deck with top cards nor mal, six reversed, m ore nor mal cards and then ten reversed.
Place a joker be tween the 27th and the 28 th cards and the o ther joker so mewhere near t he top or bot to m of t he deck.When abou t to pe rfor m take t he deck ou t of its case and, saying tha t you won' t u se t he jokers for t his effect, take t he m ou t and lay t hen on the t able. However, it is impor tan t t ha t you hold t he place where t he joker was m arking off t he 27 th and the 28th cards. Break the deck a t t ha t poin t, ha n d the top half
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(containing 27 cards, 6 of which are reversed) to one s pecta tor an d the bot to m half (with 25 cards, 10 reversed) to another. Ask each to sh uffle t heir half t horoughly.
Now, take t he half which was originally a t t he top an d p u t it behind your back. Immediately, bring your han ds forward each holding a pile an d say: "I have 21 cards in one han d an d six in t he o ther." Then, take t he second half of t he deck an d repea t t he sa me p rocedure bu t - with t his half - say: "I have 15 cards in one han d an d ten in t he o ther."
When the four piles are coun ted, it will ap pear as if you have do ne a lightning coun t behind your back.
#54JUST FOR LAUGHS
Have a Fortune Telling Deck s t ripped. Reverse t he cards you wish to jibe with a for tune you will p redict for so meone. Ask so meone to s huffle t he deck for you. Take it back an d bring the reversed cards to t he top. Turn the m over an d show tha t t he for tune you have p re dicted in advance, by reading (?) t he s pecta tor’s palm, is confir me d by the cards.
#53SUPER STRIPPER
Take two s t ripper decks, one blue - backed and one red - backed. From these two decks you can m ake two u nus ual decks - with infinite possibilities. Make two s t rippers tha t consis t of half red - backed an d half blue - backed cards. Not only can you u se t his as a regular s t ripper deck, you can now do effects involving color. For exam ple: Separa ting red - backed fro m blue - backed cards by reversing one color; cu t ting to a desired color back with t he deck face down on the table (selected color reversed), e tc.
END STRIPPERSYou can p u rchase cards s t ripped a t t he ends ins tead of t he sides of t he
deck. These, too, have m a ny u ses and will fool even the fellow who is familiar with t he Stripper p rinciple. However, m a ny m ore effects are possible with side s t rippers t han with end s t rippers, so t his book is devoted solely to t he side s t ripper.
BLANK STRIPPERHave your favorite m agic dealer s t rip a deck of blank cards for you. With
t his deck, you can do a ma zing "living an d dead" tes t s and m a ny o ther "mentor' rou tines.
MAKING YOUR OWNClam p an ordinary deck in a vise an d, with fine sand paper, you can wear
away one corner of t he entire deck. However, p rofessionally s t ripped decks are
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so easily and econo mically available fro m any m agic s ho p tha t it is impractical to go to t ha t m uch t rouble.
ALPHABET CARDSMany effects are possible with a s t ripped deck of Alpha bet Cards. You
m ay p urchase t hese cards fro m any m agic dealer and he will also s t rip t he m for you.
ESP CARDSA deck of Extra Sensory Perception cards has symbols, ins tead of s uits
an d n u m bers, on t he faces. These symbols are Triangles, Squares, Circles etc., s uch as are used in telepathy experiment s. A s t ripped deck of s uch symbols offers m a ny possibilities for p seu do mind reading effects.
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FOR THE CARD MEN
For t hose with a good working knowledge of sleight of han d the s t ripper can p rove invaluable in m a ny effects. Those listed below are a few you can u se in conjunction with s tand ard effects.
#55TAP IT OFF
This is a weird effect. Have two cards reversed in t he deck. Shuffle an d bring the m to t he top. Hold t he deck face down in your left han d. With your right t hu m b and middle finger, lightly pick u p the two top cards by the p ro t ru ding edges and show the two cards as one card. Replace t he two cards on top of t he deck. Ask a s pecta tor to tap t he back of t he top card on the pack. Show it. Because he p resu med tha t be tap pe d the card which was shown him, he will be a ma zed when you tu r n t he card over an d it p roves to have changed to a differen t one.
#56THE AUTOMATIC RISE
As in t he p revious effect reverse two cards, s t rip t he m and bring the m to t he top. With your right t hu mb and mid dle finger show the two top cards as one. Place t he double back on top of t he deck. Hold t he deck face down and bury the top card in t he deck. Tap the top of the deck and s how tha t t he card you "buried" has re tur ned to t he top.
#57THE PAPER CLIP
Have two cards reversed in t he deck. Shuffle. Strip t he two reversed cards to t he top an d show as one card. Replace t he two cards on top of t he deck an d fas ten a pa per clip to t he top card. The s pecta tor will p resu me that t he clip is on the card you showed him. Lay the t h ree top cards face down on the table an d tell t he s pecta tor to na me the card with t he clip on it. Of course, he won' t!
#58THE FLYING CARD
Reverse two aces in t he deck. Let u s u se t he Ace of Spades an d the Ace of
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Diamon ds for illus t ra tion. Shuffle t he deck and s t rip t he two aces to t he top. Grasp the p ro t ru ding edges of t he reversed cards and show the double card as one card. Let u s say the s pecta tors see t he Ace of Spades (the Ace of Diamon ds is hidden behind it). Place t he two cards back on top of t he deck, re move the face - down top card an d lay it on t he table. The s pecta tor will p resu me this card to be t he Ace of Spades. Remove the secon d ace fro m the top of t he deck an d hold it face down over t he card on the t able. The ace in your han d (Ace of Spades) is held abou t a foot over t he face - down card on the table. Tap the back of t he facedown card in your ha n d and show it to be t he Ace of Spades, t u r n over t he card on the table and show it to be t he Ace of Diamon ds.
#59ONE HAND LOCATION
Request t ha t a card be selected. Reverse t he deck, ask t ha t t he card be replaced and then tha t t he deck be s huffled. Rem arking tha t, "The han d is quicker t han the eye," s how tha t t he selected card is not on the bot to m nor on the top of t he deck. Hold t he deck in t he right han d in position for t he one han d cut. When your right t h u m b feels t he reversed card, allow the cards below it to fall into your right pal m; com plete t he cut, t hen s how tha t t he selected card is on the bot to m of t he deck.
#60THE BAD PENNY
Reverse t h ree aces in t he deck an d s huffle. Strip t he aces to t he top. Execute a t riple lift (showing the t h ree cards as one). Let u s say tha t when you s how the s pecta tor s t he (apparen tly one) card, t hey see t he Ace of Hear t s. Remark tha t t he Ace of Heart s is a bad pen ny an d always keeps t u r ning u p. Lay the t h ree cards face down on top of t he deck. Remove the top card an d place it in t he center of t he deck, face down. The s pecta tors will p resu me tha t you have buried t he Ace of Hearts. Now, do a do uble lift with t he two cards on top of t he deck and show that t he Ace of Hear ts has re tur ned to t he top. Place t he two cards face down on top of t he deck an d, again, bury t he top card. Once again s how the top card, The Ace of Heart s is back! Throw u p your han ds in disgus t an d re mark you give u p.
#61THREE CARD MONTE
A good sucker effect., Have two cards p reviously reversed in t he deck. Shuffle and bring the m to t he top. Lift t he two cards as in effect #55, an d show to t he s pecta tors. Place t he two cards back on top of t he deck, t hen bend back the corner of t he top card an d place it face down on the table. The s pecta tors will p resu me tha t t he card with t he ben t corner is t he sa me one you have s hown. Lay two m ore cards face down alongside t he ben t one. Do not show the
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faces. Move the t h ree cards aroun d. Ask the s pecta tor to pick ou t t he card firs t s hown hi m, he will of course t u r n over - t he card with ben t corner.
#62PASSE PASSE
Proceed exactly as in effect #58 (Flying Card) un til after you show the double card an d replace t he two on top of t he deck. Then openly take t he top card an d place it face u nseen, in a s pecta tor 's pocket. The ace left on top of the deck is s huffled into t he deck. Now, "com ma n d" the two aces to change places. The s pecta tor will find tha t t he ace in his pocket is t he one he p resu med to be in t he deck and the one in t he deck the ace he t hought you ha d given hi m.
#63INKREDIBLE
Prepare an ordinary, u nstripped , Ace of Heart s by p u t ting a d rop of blue ink near t he center of t he large pip and allow it to d ry. Inser t t his p repared ace in your s t ripper.Force t he u n prepared , stripped , Ace of Heart s from your s t ripper on a s pecta tor; or, cut to it an d show it to your audience bu t don ' t look a t it yourself. Shuffle t he deck and palm ou t t his tapered ace (leaving, of course, t he p re pared u n p repared ace in t he pack). Inser t the deck face down into its case.
Pat ter abou t m agicians' blood having m agical p ro per ties and - as every m agician has m agic in his veins - his blood can locate the desired card.
From your pocket, take ou t a foun tain pen which you have filled with vanishing ink * an d re mark tha t t his effect requires blood, blue m agicians' blond an d you have filled t he pen with your own. Let one d rop of ink fall on t he ou t side of t he card - case, near t he center. With your forefinger, gen tly rub the d ro p of ink. It will vanish com pletely in a second or two. Rem ove the deck from the case, s p read it face u p an d show the selected card has an ink s pot on it.
* This ink is sold at m ost novelty and m a gic shops.
#64THE JACKS' PERSISTENCY
(Originally p ublished in Hugard's MAGIC Monthly)
EFFECT: Magician ribbons preads a deck of cards, faces u p, an d slides t he four jacks clear of t he s p read. Leaving the jacks face u p on the table, he gathers u p the deck, squares it an d invites any s pectator to s huffle it. Taking the deck back he asks four different s pectators each to inser t one of t he jacks a t any poin t t hey please in t he deck. When this ha s been do ne, per for mer again reques t s so meone to sh uffle t he cards t horoughly. Perfor mer t hen takes t he deck an d m akes it in to four separa te piles on the table before him. When top card of each pile is t u r ned over, s pecta tors are su r p rised to find tha t all t he
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jacks have risen to t he top.METHOD: When deck is re tu rned, riffle s huffle once, s t rip t he jacks to t he
top an d riffle sh uffle once m ore re taining the jacks in posi tion.Now:1. Hold deck in your left ha n d, right edge parallel to floor and res ting on
the lower joints of mid dle, ring and lit tle fingers with t h u mb lying across left edge an d forefinger curled agains t face of bot to m card.
2. With tip of left t hu mb, riffle u p per left corner of deck u n til you have abou t ¼ of t he deck left to go.
3. Grasp the top 3 / 4 por tion of t he deck be tween your right t hu m b a t t he inner end and your fingers a t t he ou ter end and lift packet clear of bot to m por tion. At the sa me ti me , left middle, ring an d lit tle fingers curl u p and p res s agains t top card (jack) re taining it agains t top of bot to m packet re m aining in left han d.
4. Place t his packet on the table and repea t s tep s 2 and 3 un til you have four packet s on the table each with a jack on Sop.SUGGESTED PRESENTATION AND PATTER: Idly s huffling your deck, ask: "Have any of you ever no ticed how so me decks have cards which are really obnoxious?.., No m a t ter where you p u t t he m, t hey keep tu r ning u p!... I'll show you what I mean - .. In t his pa r ticular deck, t he jacks are t he social climbers. Let's take t he m ou t.,," (Ribbons pread the deck and slide jacks ou t; pick u p the s p read, square it u p, sh uffle.)
..Some of you m ay think tha t t he jacks t u rn u p only for me... t ha t t hey have an 'affinity' for me.., Well I'll ask four of you gen tle men to pick u p one jack each and inser t it wherever you like in t he deck… Now, sir, will you please s huffle t he deck? Thank you... While our coopera tive friend m akes su re t ha t t he jacks are really buried, let' s review what has ha p pened..." (Use index fingers of right han d to coun t off left fingers t hus casually s howing your han ds are clean.)
One, we separa ted the jacks fro m the res t of t he cards an d left t he m face u p on the t able in or der to m ake cer tain t ha t t hey were no t in so me sor t of pee -arranged sequence. Two, four different pe rsons replaced a jack a t a dif feren t s po t in t he deck. Three, another pe rson is now s huffling the deck - ,. Will you, sir," (to t he s huffler) "please m ake s u re t ha t t here are no jacks a t t he top or bot to m of the deck and then give it back to m e? Thank you - - - Let u s now square t he deck.,, divide it into four pa r ts … like so…. and now… we tu r n over t he top card of each pile ...and… we find… tha t you can' t keep the jacks down. No m at ter w here you p u t t he m, t hey per sis t in climbing to t he top!"
WARNING: Don't let m ore than one spectator at a time pick up a jack and keep your eyes on hi m! He m a y inadvertently turn his jack end for end.
#65ELUSIVE CARD
An elusive card rou tine is always enter taining and mystifying. However,
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by having a card p reviously reversed in t he deck you can ad d a grea t deal to t he effect, for d u ring the rou tine you can have a s pecta tor sh uffle t he cards an d im media tely go into t he elusive card again.
#66
If a card is p ro t ru ding a t end "a" of t he deck, t ha t sa me card will be indented a t end “b” of t he deck. This indenta tion m ay be u sed as a shor t card. There is a definite click when the deck is riffled at t his end.
#67
Use the reversed card as a "key" card. You can cut to t he reversed card easily af ter each s huffle an d have the selected card placed next to it.
#68
Card on ceiling, using the s t ripper to bring the selected card to position.
#69
If you do "Out Of This World" - and you p robably do - u sing the s t ripper m akes it all t he m ore of a miracle. Simply have the cards se t u p its t he case with one color reversed, han d the deck to t he s pecta tor to be s huffled, quickly separa te site colors an d you are set to perfor m.
#70
For a ga mbling rou tine you can have site desired cards reversed, t hen s huffle, an d bring the entire se tu p to site top of t he deck.
#71
Needless to say, bringing a card to t he top for palming is an easy m a t ter with t he s t ripper. After si te card is palmed and the deck sh uffled you can ad d the palmed card to t he deck, s till reversed, and be able to do m a ny u nus ual effects.
#72
You will find tha t, with a lit tle experimenta tion, t he s t ripper can be very u seful in your work. For exam ple: withou t any false shuffles or passes you can force t he sa me card several times, sim ply by bringing the s t ripped card you are forcing to t he top of t he deck.
#73
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THE GIANT FAN
If every o ther card in t he deck is reversed, it is an easy m a t te r to get into posi tion for t he giant fan withou t interweaving the two halves of t he deck. Simply s t rip out half t he cards almos t to t heir full length, giving the pack nearly double t he length an d then go right into t he fan, The s t ripping should be done quickly and s moothly.
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The two effects which follow were devised by my good friend, John V, Hope. A pas t p residen t of New York's F.A.M.E., Mr. Hope is a versa tile m agician with a par ticular ben t for coin m agic. However, t he following sa m ples will p rove tha t he is no "slouch" with cards!
#74BOOKED DECK DISCOVERY
EFFECT: A card is selected an d re tu r ned to t he deck. During the s huffle, so me cards beco me reversed in t he deck. On s p reading the cards it is seen tha t t he deck is p re t ty well mixed u p with cards face u p and face down. The deck is s huffled so me m ore and cut once. Spreading the cards again it is seen tha t t hey have all righted the mselves, except for t he selected card.
METHOD: Have a card selected and re tu rne d as you u sually do for con trolling the card. Star t shuffling an d, af ter one or two regular s huffles, reverse one half t he deck an d tu r n it face u p. Continue sh uffling. This will give you what ga mblers call a "booked" deck, t ha t is: a deck with t he cards mixes face u p and face down. This t u r ning of t he cards face u p is impor tan t. The sim ples t way is to open the deck like a book, u sing one of t he ends as an imaginary hinge. Continue opening this imaginary book u n til bo th packet s touch the table. You now have one packet face u p and one face down. Withou t changing the relationship of t he packets, s huffle t he m into each other. Show the cards to be all m essed u p.
After showing the cards to be ho pelessly mixed, s t rip ou t all p rojecting cards and place t he m on top of t he deck. When all t he p rojecting cards are on top of t he deck, t u r n t hese cards over so t ha t both packets are facing the sa me way. Spread the cards and all of t he m will be facing the sa me way except t he selected card.
NOTE: If the deck has been used a bit, spread it outface up. There is a tendency for the reversed card to stick to the others and not show itself. If this happens, don't say anything about the selected card. Square the deck and m a ke a m a gical gesture towards it. Now, spread the cards face down and the selected card will be the only one face up.
#75
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AGAIN THE BOOKED DECK
EFFECT: The deck is shuffled with abou t half t he cards face u p an d half face down. Spreading the cards in your han ds, explain to a s pecta tor: "Run th rough the cards as I'm doing and if you see a card you don ' t like, t u r n it face down, if you see a card t ha t is face down and you wan t to know what card it is, t u r n it face u p. Reme mber which cards you tu r n either face u p or face down." After t he s pecta tor has done this, take t he deck from him, sh uffle it an d cut it a few times. Spread the deck an d show tha t all t he cards have righted the mselves, except t he cards reversed by the s pecta tor.
METHOD: Shuffle abou t half the deck face u p into t he o ther face - down half as explained in t he p revious effect. Explain to t he s pectator, what you want him to do, illus t ra ting with t he cards in your han ds. When tu r ning cards face u p or face down, do so with a right to left or vice versa m o tion. Do not reverse the m by turning the cards over end for end . Return any cards t ha t you reverse to t heir original position, impress u pon your s pecta tor t ha t you wan t him to t u r n his cards over as you did, t hen han d him the deck. After he has reversed his selected cards, t ake t he deck from him an d shuffle a bi t. Strip all t he face u p or face down cards to t he top of t he pack. By reversing or t u rning this packet so t ha t t he cards in it a re facing in t he sa me direction as t he faces of t he o ther packet, you have arranged the deck so t ha t all t he cards have righted the m selves except the spectator's cards.
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A SHORT STRIPPER ROUTINE
A rou tine, or "act" with t he s t ripper should no t be of long d u ra tion, for even good card t ricks can become boring. If you u se t his rou tine, p ractice it over an d over again. Know the sequence of t he t ricks so well t ha t you almos t au to matically go from one effect to t he next. Most impor tan t of all: Be su re you
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know how to "handle" t he s t ripper p roperly so t ha t it is no t apparent t ha t you are u sing a t rick deck. When sea ted with a group of s pecta tor s s tar t ou t by having the deck shuffled by several pe rsons. Watch for t he one who sh uffles t he deck p roperly, i.e.: no reversals as he sh uffles. When you have no ticed those t ha t s huffle "your" way, pick on the m when the effect you wan t to p resen t requires t ha t the deck be sh uffled by a s pecta tor.
PATTER & ROUTINE
"Ladies an d Gentle men: The secret of card m a nipula tion is control. By control I mean the sh uffling of t he deck and apparen tly losing of t he selected card or cards d uring the shuffle when actually t he perfor mer has cont rol of t he selected cards whenever he wishes. I would like to give you so me exam ples of card cont rol. Firs t, t he sim ples t: con trol of a single card."
Have a card selected, reverse t he deck, have card inser ted in t he deck an d then located quickly by you.
"Now, for a m ul tiple cont rol. We shall have four per sons select a card and endeavor to locate all four of t he m."
Have four cards selected an d inser ted in t he reversed deck. Shuffle an d find the four cards, p referably by bringing the m to t he top.
"Now I wish to s how you two of the m os t difficult types of card location."Find two selected cards, one behind your back, t he o ther u n der a silk."Now, here is an exa m ple of a s pecta tor u nwit tingly con t rolling his own
card."Perfor m "The Coincidence" (#1)."And now for t he impossible! The m os t u nus ual card t rick you have ever
seen…and don ' t t ry to figure it ou t - it is impossible."Finish u p by perfor ming "The Indian Giver" (#10).It is wise to learn a few sim ple card t ricks t ha t you can do withou t u sing
the s t ripper p rinciple. Your m agic dealer has a vas t n u m ber of books on sim ple card t ricks and sleight of ha n d. It is also a good idea to have in your pocket, an ordinary deck of cards, with backs to m a tch the s t ripper you are u sing. When finished with t he s t ripper rou tine, d rop the t rick deck into your pocket t hen, as an af ter thought, bring ou t t he or dinary deck and show a few sim ple card t ricks. This is t he easies t of "switches."
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