CARD MEN

Dan and Dave

Card Men was written for Dan and Dave by Ricky Smith and carefully
proof-read by Elliott Terral and Zachary Zeller before being printed in
the United States of America and offered for sale on dananddave.com.
Limited to 500 perfectly bound copies.

Cover photograph by Brad Fulton.

(c) Copyright 2014. Dan and Dave Industires, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.
A wise man once said...
Real men do card tricks.

---------------

Please find enclosed a small collection of original material devised over

the years and put forth in print for the sole purpose of documenting our
ongoing fascination with sleight of hand.

Past documentations include:

Artifice, Ruse and Subterfuge in the Hands

Nursery Rhymes
Pasteboard Animations
Five
The System
Sleightly Magical
The Trilogy
Andthensome
Organic: A Study on Engineering Miracles
If an Octopus Could Palm
Contents
Fan Palm
Hank’s Triumph
Buck Shot
Fancy Change
Direct Message
Murphy’s Control
CardEx
Revvle
Ad Copy
Secondly
Take Me Home
Naap Change
Toss Palm
Pivot Change
Swirly
Peekaboo

Magic or Real
Scoop
Impossible Sandwich
Sybil Triumph
Seduction
Body Double

Friendly Contributions
Triple Cask Triumph by Elliott Terral
The C.C. Center by R. Paul Wilson
Kepplinger Prediction by Ricky Smith
 Fan Palm
A seamless and smooth method for palming the top card during the
action of closing a fan. It is reminiscent of a palm by Chris Power, which
was published in Opus Magazine, that delivers the top card to left hand
Gambler’s Cop.

---------------

Start by fanning the cards in the left hand. The card(s) to be palmed are
on top of the deck and are thus nearest you when the fan is completed.

Position your right second finger at the gap between the card you want
to palm and the rest of the deck (If you want to palm multiple cards, you
can do so by using the right second finger to square them with the top
card while creating a slight separation between the cards to be palmed
and the balance of the deck). If the cards are fanned too closely, use the
left thumb to make small adjustments.

Your right second finger should enter the gap touching the short end(s)
of the card or cards you want to palm, and the long side, near the corner,
of the card directly below.

At this point you will start to close the fan by moving your right hand
counter-clockwise. During this process the right second finger needs to
end up in position for the cards to be palmed. To accomplish this, slide
your second finger along the short edge of the cards slightly to the left.
To find the perfect position, notice where your second finger lies when
palming a card.

As you continue to square the fan, you will find that the cards to be
palmed end up directly underneath the right hand in the perfect position
for the following action.

Just before you disengage the pack to square, allow the card(s) to be
palmed to escape the left thumb, and use the fact that they are slightly
offset to lever them into right hand classic palm.
CARD MEN • 8

The construction of this sleight makes the palm almost effortless, and you
should be able to master it quite quickly. Further, the closing of the fan
creates great cover for the palming action, and since the cards are slightly
jogged, it is not necessary to involve the left fingers which otherwise may
create an unwanted tell.
Hank’s Triumph
A two-shuffle handling of Triumph utilizing the Hank Miller Shuffle.

---------------

Have a card selected and control it second from the top. Holding the
deck in right hand Biddle grip, rotate the lower half face up into the left
hand and perform the Hank Miller Shuffle beneath the second card down
in the right hand’s face down portion. The card will flutter against the left
hand card’s as the top card provides cover. At the close of the shuffle
the situation from the top of the deck should be: a face down indifferent
card, the face down selection, half the deck face up, followed by half the
deck face down.

Break at the middle of the deck where the face up and face down halves
meet. Turn the face down half face up into the left hand, in preparation
for a second Hank Miller shuffle. This time shuffle the left half into the
right half beneath just the top, face down, indifferent card. Upon comple-
tion of the shuffle, you will have a face down indifferent card, half the
deck face up, the face down selection, and the rest of the deck - also face
up.

Perform an Erdnase Color Change to make it appear as though all the

face down cards turn face up. Spread through the deck, concealing the
reversed card second from the face, to show everything has righted itself,
except one face down card...the selection!
 Buck Shot
A card is shot from the right hand into the left hand.

---------------

The deck is held in the left hand as the palm down right hand comes over
from above; lift up the top card between the middle finger, at the outer
front edge, and the thumb at the inner edge.

Straddle the outer edges of the card with your right first finger at the
front left edge and your pinky at the front right edge. Squeeze to pop
the inner edge off the thumb.

From this position the card is swiveled and rotated face up - by simulta-
neously rotating the right hand palm up and curling the right third finger
and pinky. At the completion of the rotation, the corner of the card that
was held by the pinky will end up at the right thumb crotch, and the op-
posite edge will be held with the second finger. Point the index finger and
thumb as though you are making your hand into the shape of a gun.

You now shoot the card by increasing pressure (the card bows upward at
the inner edge between the second finger and thumb base) until the card
springs free from the second finger, shooting in a clockwise rotation from
the hand.

Let it fly, and catch it face up on the deck in the left hand.

This technique can also be used as a production by starting with the card
hidden in right hand classic palm before straddling the card and going
into the shot.
CARD MEN • 12
Fancy Change
A stylized center double lift that culminates with a stunning color change.
In essence, a double is spun from the center and revolved before being
smoothly flipped face up. A few more revolutions and the card is shown
to have changed!

---------------

The double lift starts out like most of the center double lifts (Larry Jen-
nings and Steve Freeman’s handlings come to mind), with the left thumb
riffling down the side of the pack. You stop near center and insert the
right hand second finger into the gap at the front left corner of the deck.

Use the left thumb to quickly and silently release two cards from the
lower half of the deck, stopping them with the right second finger before
they coalesce with the upper half. Using the left hand third finger as the
axis, spin the double clockwise, with the right second finger on the upper
left corner, until it emerges from the right side of the pack at a 90° angle.

Your left index finger now moves to create pressure on the face of the
double as in the Dai Vernon flourish where you spin a single card 180°
in the middle of the pack. Move the right index finger to the inner right
corner of the long side of the double, and using the pressure of the left
index finger as your axis point, spin the double counter clockwise 180°.
The outer right corner of the double at the start of the spin will end up in
the crotch of your left thumb and become the next axis point.

As soon as you achieve contact with the left thumb, the right index finger
relaxes its movement, and the right second finger takes over at the outer
right corner of the double - diagonally opposite the pivot point at your
left thumb. This position allows the card to revolve, using the left edge of
the deck to help the double spin up and over onto the top of the deck.
The double lands outjogged, sticking off the front edge of the deck. You
will have to move your left thumb slightly in order for the card to clear.

As the card finishes revolving face up, let your left thumb come down
near the center of the face of the card to hold the double in place and
CARD MEN • 15

act as an axis point for the next spin. The right index finger moves to the
upper left corner of the double and spins it clockwise 180° where it ends
slightly jogged to the right of the pack.

You then flip the double face down while executing the Juan Tamariz
double lift replacement. Due to Mr. Tamariz’ sleight, the face card of the
double will land square with the deck, and the top card of the double will
land outjogged, on top of your left index finger.

Use the left thumb to push forward on the back of the card and against
the left index finger to snap the inner end forward, showing the change,
much like a reverse of the D’Amico Double Lift from Buckley’s Card Con-
trol. Revolve your left hand slightly so the changed card comes out paral-
lel to the ground and can be taken and shown by the right hand.
Direct Message
A spectator touches a card, remembers it, and removes it from the deck.
A number of other cards are taken, and the selection is shuffled into them
by the spectator. The rest of the pack is set aside.

The selection vanishes from the shuffled packet and appears reversed in
the center of the deck, which has been set aside since the beginning!

---------------

Have a card touched near the top of the pack. Outjog the card from the
spread ,and lift the cards so that the spectator can remember their selec-
tion. On the way back down, switch the selection for the indifferent card
below it using the DMB Spread Control (Briefly: the selection is pulled
under the spread as an indifferent card is pushed out to take its place).
Leave it under the spread, ready for a move to follow.

Ask the spectator to take the “selection” and then, as an after thought,
have them take a number of other cards, which you have outjogged from
lower in the spread.

Have the spectator shuffle the small group, along with their “selection”.
As they are doing this, reverse the selection in the middle of the pack. A
good method to do this is to leave the selection jogged under the spread
following the DMB Spread Control,and put it into a wedge break with the
left little finger above it, in preparation for the Ravelli/Krenzel Mechanical
Reverse. As the card revolves, let it slide into the middle of the deck, and
set everything aside. For the alternative presentation, you can take this
opportunity to glimpse the selection.

When the spectator finishes shuffling, have them examine their packet to
reveal their card has vanished from their hands. Spread the deck, reveal-
ing their selection reversed in the middle.

An alternative effect is to glimpse the selection as you reverse it and set

the pack aside. You now tell the spectator that you are going to invisibly
CARD MEN • 19

remove their card from the packet. Mime removing it, and say, “If I took
the card out, I could look at the face and name your card.” Mime taking a
peek, and name the glimpsed card. State, “Also, you could look through
the cards in your hands, and your card wouldn’t be there.” They look
through; their card is gone! You state, “I could also put the card some-
where else ... like the middle of these cards on the table...oops, face up.”
Here you mime tossing the card into the pack, and then have the specta-
tor spread the deck to find that the selection has reappeared.
Murphy’s Control
A card is controlled from the middle of the deck to the top.

---------------

Dribble the cards from hand to hand, and have a spectator call stop. Stop
the dribble when told to do so ,and give them the top card of the left
hand’s half of the deck. After they remember the card, have the selection
returned on top of the left hand’s portion.

At this point, you are going to set the right hand’s half of the deck face up
on top of the left hand’s face down half. One way is to place your right
third finger under the right long side of the right hand half of the deck.
This will act as a pivot point as you drop the deck on top of the left half,
causing the right hand half to rotate around the third finger 180° before
landing on top of the left half. Another way is to allow the cards to spring
from the thumb and revolve longitudinally before landing face up on the
left hand’s half.

However you decide to proceed, at this point, you should have about
half of the deck face up, on top of the face down selection and the re-
maining face down half.

In order to right the face up portion and control the selection to the top,
you will perform T.G. Murphy’s Deck Flip. Holding the deck in the left
hand, jettison the deck off your left second finger by providing pres-
sure underneath with your left first finger, while using your left thumb to
influence rotation. Looking from the inner end, the top half will rotate
180° clockwise, landing face down underneath the bottom half which will
rotate 360° clockwise and land face down on top. The selection will now
be on top of the deck.
CARD MEN • 21
 CardEx
A selected card instantly travels from the deck and magically appears
in between two jacks that have been in full view on the table since the
beginning of the effect.

---------------

Remove the two red jacks and set them, slightly overlapping, face-up on
the table to your right.

A card is selected by having someone call out stop as you riffle down the
left edge of the deck with your left thumb. Stop riffling when you are told
to do so, and insert your right hand second finger into the gap to execute
a center double lift.

With the left thumb, still holding the location where the spectator
stopped you, riffle off two cards, and catch them with the right second
finger. Once you have control of the double, you will pivot the two cards
clockwise, while they remain in the middle of the deck, around your left
third finger until the double is perpendicular to the other cards. It should
end sticking out of the right front corner of the deck.

Now push the double to the left, through the deck, with the right hand.
The double should now be sticking out of the left front corner, still per-
pendicular to the other cards.

This position allows you to grasp the deck in overhand or Biddle grip.
Remove the deck from the left hand, simultaneously leaving the double in
left hand dealing position.

Adjust your left thumb so that it is at the outer left corner of the double
and adjust your left pinky so that it’s at the inner right corner of the
double. You will be using these two points as your axis to spin the double
as you raise your left arm upwards to show the selection.

With the double in position and gripped at the corners with the left
CARD MEN • 22

thumb and little finger, use your remaining left fingers to pull down on
the right side of the cards. The cards will begin to rotate face-up along the
axis between the thumb and little finger. Simultaneously raise your left
arm at the elbow while turning your left hand palm toward the audience.
The card should finish its 180° rotation as your arm becomes vertical. In
this position the face card of the double - the spectator’s apparent selec-
tion - should be facing the audience.

You will now turn the double back down as you lower your arm. This uses
the same movements as on the way up, the left first, second, and third
fingers pull inwards on the top of the double causing it to rotate on the
axis between your little finger and thumb. It should rotate 180° and finish
its rotation as the arm is lowered back down and the palm is turned up.

At this point you have a double facedown in dealing position while the
deck is in overhand or Biddle grip in the right hand. There are also two
red Jacks face-up on the table to your right.

Do a pinky pull down with your left hand on the face card of the left
hand’s double, separating it from the indifferent card above it. You are
going to insert the inner right corner of the indifferent card into the left
side of the deck near the center while the selection goes to the bottom.
Leave the indifferent card outjogged and angled to the left as the left
hand continues, keeping hold of the selection and bringing it square on
the bottom of the deck.

[A photo-sequence of the above switch can be seen later on in this

manuscript under the trick, “Seduction”].

At this point you have an indifferent card posing as the selection, sticking
out of the front in the middle of the deck, while the selection (facedown)
is secretly on the bottom. The deck is held by the right hand from above
in Biddle or overhand grip. There are also two red Jacks on the table.

Side steal the selection from the bottom of the deck into the right hand as
you transfer the deck with the angle jogged indifferent card, apparently
the selection, into left hand dealing position.

To create the appearance of the selection traveling across, you will use
the left forefinger to square the apparent selection with the rest of the
deck as you wave the cards side to side to disguise the action. As soon
as the card is square, load the selection in between the tabled cards with
the right hand using a move of Allan Ackerman’s. Use the right fingertips
to push the top card of the two tabled cards forward and around in a
clockwise fashion as you simultaneously drop the card from the right palm
onto the bottom Jack. Done properly, it will appear as though the face-
down selection has instantly traveled in between the two Jacks.
Revvle
A beautiful embellishment for the Overhand Shuffle.

---------------

Hold the deck in the right hand in the same position you would use for a
regular overhand shuffle (thumb at the inner end, forefinger on the upper
long side, and middle finger on the outer end) but with one exception:
the right hand third finger is moved to the lower long side near the far
corner. The ring finger’s position acts as a pivot and causes the cards to
rotate clockwise as they are shuffled from the deck into the left hand. The
cards make a complete 180° rotation before coming to rest. In this varia-
tion the cards should not be pulled off from the center of their length by
the left thumb, as in a normal overhand shuffle, but from near the inner
end, and the right hand makes a slight clockwise arcing motion rather than
a straight up and down motion.
Ad Copy
With each of our custom decks, we include an advertising card that lists
our website. Our goal for this next routine was to devise a trick that puts
this card into the hands of potential clients.

---------------

The Five of Diamonds is selected and placed into a spectator’s pocket.

The magician states that he can pick(pocket) the card without being
detected. After some comedic byplay, he realizes the impossibility of the
feat, so instead proceeds to remove the Ace and Four of Diamonds, the
joke (in case you missed it) is that together they make five.

By rubbing the Ace really fast back-and-forth over the face up Four of
Diamonds on the deck, you can create the illusion of seeing the Five. This
is something we saw Juan Tamariz do as a gag in performance.

To complete the effect, we use a technique devised by Steve Mayhew

that combines the simultaneous actions of Flippant by Looy Simonoff and
the turning over of one card underneath another, visually fusing both
cards into the original Five of Diamonds. Essentially, the top three cards
are secretly turned over in a clever way. A detailed explanation can be
found on The Trilogy in the trick “Twin Split.”

With the Five of Diamonds now in your possession, the spectator is no

doubt wondering what’s in his pocket. It’s at this point they reach into
their pocket and remove the advertising card, complete with our contact
information.

Alternatively, both the Ace and Four of Diamonds can be removed from
their pocket to complete the transposition. This is, of course, achieved by
either a double lift or secretly loading the spectators’ pocket with dupli-
cate cards, prior to the effect. Using duplicates is not our preference, so
perhaps a blank-faced card or a Joker is revealed in their pocket instead.
CARD MEN • 27
Secondly
A quick and fluid method for the KM move.

---------------

Push off a double with the left thumb at the outer left side of the deck.
The double moves clockwise and is taken by the right hand: second
finger at front right edge, thumb at outer right edge, and first finger on
top near the outer right corner. The double continues its turn as the right
hand turns palm up, with the right thumb moving onto the face of the
card (For a better and more detailed description, see Steve Draun’s “Stud
Two-Card Pushoff Lift” in Secrets Draun from Underground by Richard
Kaufman). Just before the face of the card is revealed, however, the left
third and fourth fingers nip the back of the double on the long edge op-
posite the right fingers and disengage the hidden card on the back of the
double, seamlessly replacing it onto the top of the pack. This is all done
in one fluid motion as the right hand stud turns the second card face up.
You are left with the second card face up in your right hand and the origi-
nal top card face down back on top of the deck. The move can be further
disguised by gently flicking the left outer corner of the face up card off
the left thumb, just as it is turned up.

A variation: If you want to delay the action, or your routine puts you in a
position where you already have the double in your right hand, you can
still do the move deceptively by quickly flashing the back, emulating the
turn over.
 Take Me Home
A three-phase Card to Box routine. One: Card under box. Two: Card
inside box. Three: Box becomes card.

---------------

The backs of many card boxes depict the design of the playing cards
inside, so it occurred to us that we could somehow print a playing card
on the inside and then tear the box apart to reveal the selection. Here are
three methods for getting the card printed on the inside; they all start by
first carefully unfolding the box so that it lies flat. Afterward, the box can
be glued back together.

Method one: Run the box through an inkjet printer. Taping the flattened
box to a sheet of paper will help in correctly lining up the box.

Method two: Have a rubber-stamp made to imprint a playing card.

Method three, the ideal method: Have the tuck case custom printed.

The routine can be accomplished by means of a card control, a secret

load, a top palm, and a little presentation. Good luck ;)
CARD MEN • 30
Naap Change
A card lying face up on the table visibly changes into another card.

---------------

Table a double face up so that it rests at a 45° angle in front of you. Your
left hand, holding the deck in dealing position, comes over the double,
palm down, while you place your left thumb on the inner left corner of
the double.

Your right hand comes over to the outer left corner of the double as you
snap your fingers. The right hand second finger’s motion during the snap
is the action that will change the card.

Just before the change, push the left thumb slightly to the right, barely
separating the double and displacing the top card. This provides a space
to hit the top card with the right second finger during the snap and allows
the left thumb to contact the bottom card of the double.

Snap the right second finger off the thumb so that you hit the outer left
corner of the top card. Since it is lightly held by the left thumb, it will
rotate 180° until it is in line with the deck. The bottom card of the double
will stay in position, having apparently changed from one card into an-
other. As you remove the left hand, casually and secretly pick up the card
underneath the deck to end clean.
Toss Palm
Method for tossing a card into the deck and secretly securing it into palm.

---------------

Begin with the deck held loosely in your left hand with one card held in
your right hand. Lever approximately half the cards up with your left
thumb, creating a large separation in the deck. With the right hand, toss
the card into the break as the left thumb moves out of the way. The card
should land diagonally with the deck, aligned with your palm. You are
now in a similar position to Tenkai’s method for palming a card from the
center, as described on page 202 of Greater Magic (1938) by John North-
ern Hilliard.

With your right hand, grip the outer end of the deck with the thumb
above and fingers below. Slide the deck forward, allowing the single card
to be stripped out and palmed as the deck is flipped end for end, face
up.

It’s helpful to begin with the cards a little untidy (not completely
squared), which covers the angled card after it’s tossed into the deck. This
may be accomplished naturally by dribbling the pack or closing a spread
of cards after a selection has been made.
Pivot Change
A card sticking out of the deck changes as the deck is spun 180°.

---------------

Turn a double face up using the Stuart Gordon Double Lift and stick it
into the near center of the deck from the inner end, protruding about
halfway from the rear. As you do this, push the lower card of the double,
so that it goes into the deck about half an inch further than the top card.

Grasp the deck with the right hand, with thumb on top, in the middle of
the back of the top card, while the second finger grasps from beneath,
the middle of the bottom card. The right thumb and second finger are
going to act as pivot points, as the deck spins 180°counter clockwise in
the next part of the change.

With the deck held in the right hand, as described above, the second
finger of your palm up left hand spins the deck counter clockwise, on the
upper right corner, until it has rotated 180°. With the deck, hands, and
cards properly positioned, the top card of the double, which is jogged
further than the lower card, will hit the palm of the right hand and won’t
be able to spin into view. The lowermost card of the double, however,
doesn’t hit the right palm and swings into view creating the impression of
a color change.

The uppermost card of the double will be close to square with the deck
at the completion of the spin and can be safely squared with the other
cards.
Swirly
A little flourish to add to an in the hands riffle shuffle.

---------------

Perform an in the hands riffle shuffle, and let the top card of the right
hand half fall last, on top of a small bed of cards released from the left
hand.

The right hand thumb firmly presses down on the upper left corner of the
top card. Simultaneously your left thumb reaches clear across both halves,
as close as you can get to the inner right corner of the top card of the
right hand half.

Your left and right thumbs will now revolve clockwise around each other,
spinning the top card on top of the shuffled halves. You should be able
to get about 360° of spin from the card. Use the spinning card and the
pressure of the thumbs to hold the shuffled halves in place as you bend
the cards in preparation for the bridge. Finish the shuffle by bridging the
cards.

It should looks as though the top card spins as you bridge the deck, al-
though the spin starts just before the bridge is executed.
Peekaboo
Spectator B, who has not seen the selection, names Spectator A’s chosen
card. Mostly, we’re intrigued by the confusion this effect must arouse, as
the method is blatantly revealed, yet mysteriously presented.

---------------

In a nutshell, the method is: after a selected card has been noted, a con-
federacy is formed with another spectator, by giving them knowledge of
the selection, which they then reveal.

The method for this is a peek, disguised as a fan of cards.

Begin by asking for a volunteer, and position her next to you, facing the
rest of your audience. Have a card selected by another spectator; make
sure your first volunteer is not be able to see this card. This is important.
We typically riffle the corner of the deck and ask a spectator to call stop.
This is a quick and fair method to have a card chosen. Additionally, it pre-
vents any suspicion that the first volunteer might have caught a glimpse
of the card. After the card has been noted, secretly obtain a small finger
break below it and instruct him to “concentrate on this card.”

You will now execute the fan peek as you instruct your first volunteer to,
“focus on all the cards, and choose one that stands out more than any
other.”

Essentially, all you’re going to do is step the cards at your break by relax-
ing the base of the thumb and curling the fingers slightly. This will cause
the upper half of the deck above the break to jog to the left. If you were
to now turn the cards face up, the selection would be revealed, with the
index visible. This is precisely the desired result; however, it’s disguised as
a fan of cards displayed only to your volunteer, rather than to everyone in
your audience.

Once the step is created, position your thumb under the cards and begin
to turn them face up. Rotate your wrist so the backs of the cards face your
audience, and your volunteer is staring at the faces of the cards. With the
CARD MEN • 39

step still maintained and the index of the selection visible from the face
of the deck, grip the cards in the right hand in position for a thumb fan.
Nicely fan the cards with a counterclockwise motion of the thumb to re-
veal a blank fan, with the exception of the bottom card and the selection,
visible from the step created earlier.
Once you feel your volunteer understands her involvement, close the fan
casually and proceed with the effect. The fact she sees a blank fan, with
only a single card visible in the center, proves to be a bizarre explanation,
were she to tell her friends later, so we don’t worry about it. Although we
don’t feel it’s necessary, the cards may be fanned again, with the faces vis-
ible to your audience, as the revelation is made. Either way, this two-sided
conundrum is unexplainable.

Although we have yet to consider the following in detail, the effect allows
for a third spectator’s involvement. If you use a classic force of the selec-
tion on a third spectator, you’re left with this card separated from the
deck and ready for a dramatic revelation: a single card being all three
selections.

Apart from the context of this trick, the fan peek stands on its own as a
casual glimpse of a selected card.

Credits: We’re unfamiliar with the origin of this peek but believe the con-
cept to be new when used in conjunction with this effect.
Magic or Real
Similar to a gambling demonstration, where you tell the audience you are
going to do some secret gambling maneuver and really use a few magical
ruses to create the appearance of great skill, this is a concept wherein you
take away the magic portion of an effect, and replace it with a flourish, in
order to make great skill seem even more impressive, practically beyond
comprehension.

Basically you would take an amazing magic effect, Triumph, a sandwich,

Out of This World, etc., and instead of snapping your fingers, waving
your hands, etc., you replace the magic moment with a flourish that could
plausibly be the reason for the effect to have taken place. Thus, it would
no longer be magic but a demonstration of some unfathomable skill.

Here are a few examples:

Scoop - In this display of skill, a selection is placed face down on the table
and a pair of face up cards are placed in the middle of the deck. A flour-
ish is performed wherein the cards are sprung on the table, and due to
the incredible skill of the performer, not only is the selected card picked
up during this quick flourish, it is found to be exactly between the two
face up cards. Of course, the part that makes this display of fantastic card
prowess easier, is by utilizing magic methods to secretly get the selected
card in between the face up cards prior to the effect!

---------------

Spread the cards between your hands and have someone touch the
back of one of the cards. Out jog the selection, and bring both hands up
to show its face to the spectator. As your hands lower, you will perform
the DMB Spread Control. This will switch the out jogged selection for an
indifferent card and position the selection, hidden, underneath the right
hand’s spread of cards.

Place the switched-in indifferent card face down on the table.

Now use the right-hand spread of cards, with the selection secretly
CARD MEN • 41

underneath, to openly flip over the top two cards of the left half. As you
show these two cards and square the deck, secretly load the selection
between them.

There is now an indifferent card on the table, and you are holding the
deck face down with the selection sandwiched between two face-up
cards in the center.

Perform the Hover Spread, a flourish invented by Ricky Smith, spring-

ing the cards from the right hand into the left hand, while simultaneously
adjusting the flow of cards to the right and on top of the tabled card. The
cards will fly by, and the indifferent card is secretly added to the rest of
the deck during the flourish.

Spread through the deck to show that the selection has been miraculously
caught in between the two face-up cards.

On the rare occasion that you actually scoop the tabled card between the
two face-up cards, explain to your audience just how impossible that is.
 Impossible Sandwich - A variation of Scoop where the spectator places
their selection between two face up cards in the center of the deck, as
the cards are sprung from hand to hand.

---------------

Have a card touched. Outjog the card and raise the spread so the specta-
tors can note the selection. As you lower the spread, switch the selection
for an indifferent card using the DMB Spread Control. The selection will
end up hidden beneath the spread with an outjogged indifferent card
taking its place.

Have the spectator remove their “selection” (really the indifferent card)
and use the right half of the spread to flip the next two cards face up.
Secretly introduce the left edge of the selection in between the two face
up cards.

Tell the spectator to try and stick their selection between the two face
up cards as you spring the deck from hand to hand. More than likely, they
will miss, and the indifferent card will get lost among the rest of the cards.
They don’t have to know about that, though! Spread through to show
one card face down between the two face up cards. They have success-
fully placed their selection right between the face up cards!

Sybil Triumph - Here we take one of the classics, Triumph, and add a
flourish that makes it seem as though you are able to separate and correct
all of the face up/face down cards in mere moments. After the triumph
handling of your choosing, when everything is actually righted (except for
the selection, if you choose to add one), you perform a very dynamic and
impressive cut flourish, Chris Kenner’s Sybil would work fine, stating to
the audience that you will try to right all the cards as quickly as possible.
They will then be able to see you rapidly splitting and maneuvering the
cards around into position, and at the end, you can show them that you
have perfectly accomplished your task!

As you can see, the magic in both of these effects has been removed in
order to promote the skill of the performer, which may prove to be very
CARD MEN • 44

helpful, if your performing persona is that of a highly skilled flourisher.

We think you will find many ways that this rich concept can be applied!
Seduction - Two red queens find a chosen card.

---------------

Spread through the face up deck and up jog the two red queens as you
come to them. Strip them out with the right hand and flip the deck over
so it lands face down in the left hand.

Place one red queen face up on top of the face down deck and one face
up on the bottom.

Have someone call “Stop!” as you riffle down the left edge of the deck
with your left thumb. Stop riffling when you are told, and insert your
right hand second finger into the gap. You are going to perform a center
double lift.

With the left thumb - still holding the location where the spectator
stopped you, riffle off two cards and catch them with the right second fin-
ger. Once you have control of the double, pivot the two cards clockwis -
while they remain in the middle of the deck, around your left third finger,
until the double is perpendicular to the other cards. It should be sticking
out of the right front corner of the deck.

Now push the double to the left, through the deck, with the right hand.
The double should now be sticking out of the left front corner of the
deck, still perpendicular to the other cards.

This position allows you to grasp the deck in overhand or Biddle grip.
Remove the deck from the left hand, simultaneously leaving the double in
left hand dealing position.

Keeping the double in dealing position in your left hand, adjust your left
thumb so that it is at the outer left corner of the double, and adjust your
left pinky so that it is at the inner right corner of the double. You will be
using these two points as your axis to spin the double as you raise your
left arm upwards to show the selection.

With the double in position and gripped at the corners with the left
CARD MEN • 45

thumb and little finger, use your remaining left fingers to pull down on
the right side of the cards. The cards will begin to rotate along the axis
between the thumb and little finger. Simultaneously raise your left arm at
the elbow, and turn your palm towards the audience. The card should fin-
ish its 180° rotation as your arm becomes vertical, and the face card of the
double, the spectator’s apparent selection, should face the audience.
You will now turn the double back down as you lower your arm. This uses
the same movements as on the way up; the left first, second, and third
fingers pull inwards on the top of the double, causing it to rotate on the
axis between your little finger and thumb. It should rotate 180° and finish
its rotation as the arm is lowered back down and the palm is turned up.

At this point you have a double face down in dealing position while the
deck is in overhand or Biddle grip in the right hand. The deck is face
down with a red queen face up on top and one on the bottom.

Do a pinky pull down with your left hand on the face card of the left
hand’s double, separating it from the indifferent card above it. You are
going to insert the inner right corner of the indifferent card into the left
side of the deck near the center, while the selection goes to the bottom.
Leave the indifferent card outjogged and angled to the left as the left
hand continues, keeping hold of the selection and bringing it square on
the bottom of the deck.

Now you have a red queen face up on top of the deck, an indifferent
card, posing as the selection, sticking out of the front in the middle of the
deck, and the other red queen, (face up) and the selection (face down)
on the bottom.

Fairly square the indifferent card into the deck and say, “You’re card
goes into the middle, and we have one queen on the bottom and one
on top.” Point at the bottom of the deck with your left hand as you men-
tion the queen on the bottom (really second from the bottom). As you
mention the top queen, slightly lift up half of the deck with your right
hand in overhand or Biddle grip. Under cover of this gesture, bridge the
inner end of the remaining cards in the left hand by squeezing with the
left third and little fingers towards the left thumb base, so the ends bend
downward and the center bends upward. You can now place the right
hand’s cards squarely on top.

Holding the deck in the left hand, perform T.G. Murphy’s Deck Flip,
launching the cards off your left second finger by using your left first fin-
ger to provide pressure and your left thumb to create rotation. Looking
from the inner end, the top half will rotate 180°, clockwise, landing face
up underneath the bridged half, which will rotate 360°, clockwise, and
land face down on top. The queens have apparently vanished in search of
the selection!

At this point, use the right hand, above the deck in Biddle grip, to locate
the natural break between the halves. Once you get the break perform a
half pass or Christ Twist in order to secretly flip over the bottom half of
the deck.

Snap your fingers, and spread through the deck to reveal the red queens
face up in the center with the selection face down between them.
 Body Double - A card is selected and turned face up in the middle of
the deck. The top card is turned face up and placed on the table. As the
cards are sprung over the card on the table, the card visually changes into
the selection! The card in the middle of the deck is now shown to be the
card tabled at the beginning, thus completing the transposition.

---------------

Have a card touched as you spread through the deck, and turn it face up.
Cull the card to the bottom as you close the deck into your left hand.

Turn the top card face up. Remove the deck from the left hand with your
right hand, retaining the top and bottom cards in the left hand, creating a
double with the selection secretly hidden beneath the top card.

Move the left thumb to the upper left corner of the double and the left
CARD MEN • 50

pinky to the lower right corner. Use these two corners as pivot points,
keeping the double face up by pulling down on the outer right edge of
the double with the left forefinger as you turn the hand palm down. Place
the double face up on the table.
Do the Hover Spread over the double, secretly stealing the top card with
the backs of the left hand fingers. The spectators will see the tabled card
change into the selection!

Gather the sprung cards and the stolen face up card, and secretly shift the
face up card to the middle. Spread the cards to show the transposition is
complete!
Friendly Contributions
Triple Cask Triumph by Elliott Terral - An in the hands variation of
Triumph requiring no traditional sleight of hand.

---------------

The basis for this handling of Triumph is a very deceptive method of

shuffling that creates the illusion of cards being shuffled face up into face
down when in fact nothing of the sort has occurred.

The Shuffle: Spread through the deck, and show all the cards face down.
Turn the top half face up and let it coalesce on the bottom half, before
spreading again to show the face up/face down situation. Close the
spread, and bring the deck into overhand shuffle position, the top card
facing towards your right. The right hand takes hold of the deck in prepa-
ration for a riffle shuffle, with the thumb on the inner end of the deck,
near to the right edge.

Use the right hand to rotate the deck forward, so the inner end, held with
the right thumb, is uppermost, and regrasp the deck with the left hand,
mirroring the right hand. The left thumb will be on the upper short edge
of the deck, just in front of the right thumb. Your left and right second
and third fingers are interwoven on the now bottom short edge of the
deck, with the left second finger outermost.

Separate the deck on the thumb side at the back to back break, the left
half being held by the left hand and the right half held by the right. Ro-
tate the left hand half forward slightly, using the right hand second finger
as a pivot point, as you turn your body slightly leftward. Even though the
packs are still close together, this V-shape display gives the spectators the
opportunity to see the face up and face down sections and convinces
them of the situation of the deck and that you are also about to shuffle
them face up into face down.

You now move into shuffling position; the thumbs allowing the halves to
riffle off into each other. In order to maintain the illusion of face up cards
being shuffled into face down cards, several things are critical: You should
CARD MEN • 53

maintain your slightly leftward stance, bend the left half so that the audi-
ence sees the backs of the cards, act casually and naturally, and make sure
the right hand half falls last, so that,after the bridge, the face up cards on
top have come from the face up half. As the last cards fall, the right hand
rotates the deck face down, end for end into dealer’s grip in the left hand.
Notes on the shuffle: Don’t underestimate the fooling power of this
sequence. While it is highly discrepant, the naturalness of the handling
is very unsettling and removes all pretenses of sleight of hand from the
spectators’ minds. It appears totally consistent with a normal shuffle.
Whereas one packet must be rotated to perform a true shuffle, the sepa-
ration of the two packets and the original back-to-back condition of the
cards allow the audience to complete and replace the inconsistent actions
in their own heads with their own experiences of shuffling cards.

One of the reasons that this shuffle is so disarming is that the spectators
witness face up and face down cards during the shuffle and bridge mo-
ments. This is due to the fact that you angle your body slightly to the left
before shuffling. The face up card on the right is in view, as are the backs
of the cards in the left hand. This visually cements the idea proposed in
the beginning displays, that the two halves are face up and face down
and are to be mixed together in this condition. To understand the posi-
tioning and choreography of the actions above, perform this sequence in
front of a mirror, and you’ll see how fooling it can be.

You may wish to use a cover card for the purpose of masquerading one
of the face up packets. It is unnecessary and affects the purity of the han-
dling, but of course, this is a personal choice and is up to you.

Triple Cask Triumph: Introduce the idea that performance of magic

is essentially problem solving. To illustrate, you’ll allow the spectator to
solve the problems in the next effect. Spread the deck face down, and
invite a spectator to take any card. Do not put too much emotional em-
phasis on the selection and replacement, implying through your actions
that this is just a formality. After the selection is made, square the deck
in the left hand, and once the selection is noted and remembered, offer
to retrieve the selection. As you take the card, quickly, though naturally,
place it face up into the deck, about ⅓ from the bottom. This is a rather
bold replacement, but through misdirection and conversation, it won’t be
noticed or remembered. The reason for the placement near the bottom is
so that after the shuffle, the selection will be near the center of the deck.

You are now prepared to begin the shuffle sequence, and due to the face
up nature of the selection, it will be the only reversed card at the conclu-
sion of the effect. Return to the notion of problem solving by explaining
that if the cards are mixed face up into face down, finding the selection
will be much more difficult. As you explain this, progress through the
display sequence to the point where the deck is separated at the break
in a V-shape. Once you’re at this point ask the spectator to hold out their
left hand. Perform the shuffle, and upon completion, place the face down
deck into the spectator’s awaiting left hand. Invite the spectator to place
their right hand onto the deck and squeeze.

At this point, all technical maneuvering is completed, and your acting

skills take over. State that humans are natural problem solvers and that
even with the deck in such a condition, the human mind can prevail. Invite
the spectator to close their eyes and imagine running through the entire
deck, fixing all of the cards that are facing the wrong direction. Upon
responding that they have finished, ask them to lift their right hand and
spread through the cards.

At this point, one of two things will happen. Either the spectator will
spread through and find the face up selection, or they will spread
through and miss the selection. The latter outcome is more likely due to
the heat and pressure applied to the cards from the spectator’s grip while
holding the deck. If the spectator spreads through and spots the selec-
tion, announce their success to everyone, explaining what occurred, and
enjoy your applause for this outstanding trick.

However, if the spectator does not find the selection during the initial
spread, you have an opportunity to complete a truly astounding per-
formance. Instruct the spectator to close the spread and replace their
right hand upon the deck. Ask if they remember the card they selected
(way back) at the beginning of the trick. Again, have them imagine go-
ing through the cards, this time finding their selection and reversing it
in the deck. When they have finished, ask them to spread through the
deck once again, more slowly this time. Now that they know to look for
the selection, they will spread more evenly. Complete the effect after
the revelation by applauding the spectator for their immense effort and
problem solving abilities.

Notes on Triple Cask Triumph: The name of the effect came about
through Elliott’s enjoyment of The Macallan Fine Oak range of Scotch
whiskies, which are aged in three different American Oak casks through-
out their maturation. He discovered his love of whisky around the same
time as the development of this effect and spent much time enjoying a
dram while contemplating this method.
This effect is not your standard Triumph. Elliott wanted to distance the
effect from the method, so rather than go through the often-times dull
shuffle and cut sequences, he embraced a spectator-as-magician ap-
proach with as few traditional sleights as possible, opting for subtleties
and boldness instead. By leveraging the audience’s preconceptions, a
seemingly natural shuffle is anything but, and two revelations are pro-
duced without the magician touching the deck.
The C.C. Center by R. Paul Wilson - Almost twenty years ago I re-
leased a move called “The Consistent Control”, where cards were side
jogged and maintained in this jogged position during an in-the-hands
riffle shuffle and waterfall flourish. The move is relatively simple and is the
basis of several placements and multiple shifts. The following application
has never appeared in print or on video until now.

---------------

Typically, a card is inserted into the front of the deck, about fifteen cards
from the top, and then in the action of being pushed square, it is secretly
pushed in at an angle and then to the side, under the right hand. 

NOTE: The same position can be reached from a simple peek and pinky
break. The card is pushed to the right by the left finger tips as the deck is
held/squared by the right hand - this is the first action of a traditional side
steal or side slip.

If the right hand were removed, the audience would see a card clearly
protruding from the right long side of the deck by one third of its width.

Of course, the right hand does not move away to expose this situation.
Instead, the right hand flattens against the top of the deck as the right
thumb riffles off half of the cards and begins an in-the-hands riffle shuffle.
The flattening action ensures that the right packet remains against the
base of the right thumb so that the jogged card is well covered by the
right hand.

During the shuffle, the deck must be tilted to conceal the jogged card
from the front view, and the backs of the left and right thumbs touch dur-
ing the waterfall to further cover the jogged card.

After the waterfall, you have maintained the jogged card, which is now
around the middle. BOTH hands are still holding the deck after the
shuffle, and the following action is a continuation of the waterfall (do not
pause with both hands holding the deck this way).

Rotate the deck anti-clockwise by moving the right hand forward, releas-
CARD MEN • 57

ing the left hand to square the left long side of the deck and take the
cards in dealing position.

The jogged card is still protruding from the right side, and the right hand
re-grips, moving the right thumb to the inner short end of the deck
to square the ends AND to spread the upper cards to the right JUST
ENOUGH to cover the jogged card while still being able to hold the
slightly spread deck in left hand dealing grip.

The left hand holds the deck deep in the hand ,so the left first finger
covers any sign of the jogged card from the front, while the other three
finger press the jogged card against the underside of the spread.

NOTE - the deck does not end perfectly squared - it should look loose
and a LITTLE messy. You can square, but I think the messy condition helps
sell the following move and certainly makes it look better.

You are now ready to do a single center deal!

If the jogged card was a selection, then you could deal cards until asked
to stop and then deal the next card from the middle. Thanks to the pre-
jogged condition, this is relatively easy - the right fingertips contact the
face of the jogged card as the left thumb pushes the top card a little to
the right. The right thumb does not take the top card; instead, the jogged
card is taken to the right by contact with the right second finger as the left
thumb pulls back the top card.

Alternatively, a better option, which creates a nice illusion, is to make

contact with the jogged card with the right finger (or fingers) and then re-
move the deck to the left, turning the left hand palm down and dropping
the deck face up onto the table. This leaves the previously jogged card in
the right hand which can look very good, indeed.

The same handlings can both be performed by taking cards from the top
of the deck in right hand Biddle grip - each card held from above and
dropped onto the table.

For the fake take, the right thumb and fingers simply grip the jogged
outer and inner edges of the card and move to the right - or the left hand
moves the deck away as just described.

Personally, I do not use this for a stop trick. Instead, I use it to set cards
during other procedures. This is a more subtle use of the move and is
invaluable when placing key cards or managing multiple selections. For
example, I might spot the bottom card and cut the deck, so it ends about
fifteen from the top. I would then jog the card under the right hand with
the left fingers (as in a side slip) and proceed with the “Consistent Con-
trol” shuffle. That card is then dealt as a key card beside a spectator’s
selection.
It is also the basis of a force, where the card is either dealt to a chosen
number or stopped upon.

Another way to use this move is to slide the jogged card under the top
card of the deck as you turn both face up on top of the left hand cards.
This variation on the double-deal turnover requires some practice, but it
is worth considering. If the jogged card were secretly reversed from the
beginning, then you could stop at any card in the upper half of the deck,
turn it face up fairly, then turn it face down with the move just described,
switching the card for the jogged one. Of course, the jogged card could
be a previous selection to create a transposition effect.

You can also spread to the jogged card, cut to the jogged card, insert
cards beside the jogged card, or palm out the jogged card. 

There are many uses for the “CC-Center” and, if you practice making the
handling loose and casual, you will have a powerful utility move. Added
to that, you will have the satisfaction of actually using a practical middle
deal!

Kepplinger Prediction by Ricky Smith - This is an effect that I came up

with, mainly, in order to utilize a handling of the Diagonal Palm Shift that is
quite fascinating to me.

The effect is that the magician claims that they have been working very
hard on making people pick exactly the card that he wants them to, and
he would like to try it out, as he thinks it will be very effective in doing
many of the effects that he has seen other magicians doing. He then has
three cards selected and put back in the deck, because, since he made
everyone pick them in the first place, they clearly aren’t needed anymore.

He tells the audience that he “can prove that the three chosen cards were
forced, because many hundreds of years ago he put three cards in his
Kepplinger.” He then proceeds to squat down, spreading his knees (as
though activating the Kepplinger) with his right arm extended.

Lo, the cards are not in the hand. He excuses himself, and states that he
“forgot to attach the thing.” Once the device is attached, he performs the
squat maneuver, and this time the three cards successfully come from the
CARD MEN • 59

sleeve and are produced from the right hand.

---------------

This foolishness does not in fact require a Kepplinger!

Have three cards selected while talking about forcing. These are free
selections, so feel free to use whatever method you want.

Multiple Card DPS Handling

I heard that Charlie Miller was quite fond of the Diagonal Palm Shift, and
he would ask people to do it for him. He then would ask if they could
do it with multiple cards. He had a very clever method of accomplishing
it (for those that don’t know, when doing a multiple card Diagonal Palm
Shift, you have to work quite hard to get them to come around into the
palm nice and square), although I am afraid it is not published, as far as I
am aware.

One day he challenged Paul Chosse to perform the shift with multiple
cards and was surprised when he was able to do it...perfectly. It turns out
that Mr. Chosse had devised an excellent method.

Due to my great fascination with and hero worship of these two titans of
sleight of hand, I tried to come up with my own method. Here it is:

Basically, as you have each card replaced, you cull it under the spread
(diabolical, I know, ok, maybe it is cheating, but the ending is good). Once
you get all three, still underneath and with the cards spread, you stick the
upper left corner of the group back into the deck at an angle, so the free
inner end is pointed diagonally outward and to your right.

Leave the top of the spread messy, and you will find that the top part of
the spread will follow the block of cards and keep them well covered as
you push the right hand, still palm up, towards the left, slightly squaring
the long sides of the cards.

Press down with your right thumb, so you can hold everything firmly. You
can now flash the underside of the pack, as the selections are hidden by
the bottom cards and your right hand fingers. This is extra great if you
have cards reversed or something else that might be exposed.

Turn the right hand back over so it is palm up again. Next put the cards
into left hand dealing position and move the right hand into overhand
grip, pushing the top portion of the pack square, but not the jogged
packet. You will find that they are all neatly together and in perfect posi-
tion for the Diagonal Palm Shift.

Perform the Diagonal Palm Shift, swiveling the cards into left hand full
palm. Explain that you knew they would pick those cards because many
hundreds of years ago, you put three cards in your Kepplinger.

Perform the fake actions that are supposed to maneuver the cards from
the Kepplinger into the palm, look disappointed, and show the hand
empty. Excuse yourself and affix the knee attachment, meanwhile per-
forming Ernest Earick’s Palm-to-palm transfer, classic to flat.

Repeat the Kepplinger actions, and then show the three cards.

Credits:

Hofzinser, Johann Nepomuk. “Hofzinser Cull.”

Erdnase, S. W., “The Diagonal Palm Shift.” Artifice Ruse and Subterfuge at
the Card Table: A Treatise on the Science and Art of Manipulating Cards.
Chicago, Il: The Author, 1902. 137-141.

Miller, Charlie. Unpublished.

Landes, Michael. “Paul Chosse on the Diagonal Palm Shift: The Multiple
Shift.” Jack McMillen, 2011. 253.

Minch, Stephen. “Palm-to-palm transfer, classic to flat.” By Forces Unseen:

The Innovative Card Magic of Ernest Earick. Seattle, WA: Hermetic, 1993.
96-99.