Close-Up

Seductions
By Paul Harris

1. BUSHWACKER ................ 1
2. SEDUCTIVE SWITCH ........... 10
3. SENSUOUS SHUFFLE .......... 20
4. CAB FARE .................... 37
5. LIMOUSINE SERVICE .......... .43
6. FAN DANCE .................. 50
7. AIR OF MYSTERY ............. .59
8. DEJA VU By Mike Giles, Pat Snowden,
Dana Betz, and P.H. ............... 69
9. MICHAEL'S PROPOSITION
By Michael Ammar and P.H. .......... 75
10. "10" By Jay Sankey and P.H. ........ 79
11. LOOKER By Terry Lagerould ........ 85
12. BLUE TATOO. ................ .87
13. UNHINGED .................. 101
14. SLEIGHT-OF-EAR ............. 111
15. BLEACHED BLONDE .......... 117
16. TOO SLICK .................. 133
17. SWEET STUFF ............... 140
18. WONDERWOMAN ............. 147
 The Seduction:

An invisible organic "gimmick" is erected in full view of your audience who are
bushwhacked into believing you're making a clever card puzzle. This natural
"ungimmicked gimmick" (known in inner circles as a "smit-chik") now enables you
to do a completely automatic penetration of one card through another over and over
again directly under your spectator's watchful nose — even while the spectator is
fondling one of the cards herself.
The nature of the smitchik creates a self-contained climax that is as spectacular as
it is easy. You'll find yourself bushwhacking in front of a mirror for the sheer
pleasure of watching the magic happen. Don't be selfish — share the experience
with an audience. It's more meaningful when someone else is watching.

STEP I — Up jog the ace of hearts, two of hearts, and three of hearts then turn the
deck face down into left hand dealing position so that the three up-jogged cards are
face down sticking out of the front end of the deck.

STEP II — Obtain a left little finger break beneath the top card of the deck as your
right fingers strip out the out-jogged cards. Place the stripped out cards face up onto
the deck.

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STEP III — Remove the four cards which are above the break from above by
their ends with your right fingers — while your left hand tables the rest of the
deck face down to your left.

STEP IV — Place the four card packet (three face-up on top of one face-down)
into left hand dealing position. Push off the top card and grasp it between your
right thumb from below, fingers on top. Turn the card face down and place it
under the packet. Repeat with the other two hearts — leaving all four cards face
down in your left hand with the indifferent card on top.

STEP V — Turn the packet face up onto your left hand then grasp the packet
from above by its ends with your right fingers. Construct a perfect square out of
the "three" cards as follows:
Slide the top face up card to the left with your left thumb so that the card pivots
off your right first finger tip onto your palm-up left fingers — leaving the card in
a horizontal position with a long side toward you. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

Position the upper left side of the right hand packet square with the left end of
the left hand card — forming a right angle ... or if you prefer, the letter "P." Fig.
2.

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 Fig. 2.

Press your left thumb onto the packet to keep the top card in place as your
right fingers slide the two cards beneath it to the right as one card. Place this right
hand double face up beneath the "P" so that its upper right side is square with the
right end of the card directly above it. Release your left hand grip and display the
successfully assembled square puzzle. Fig. 3 & 4.

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STEP VI — Tilt the face of the square toward the audience by turning your right
palm toward yourself. Curl in your left second, third and little finger and grasp the
left side of the square between your left first finger in front and your left thumb
from behind. Your left thumb goes directly onto the sandwiched card's exposed
upper white margin. The position of your left thumb conceals this portion of white
margin — and also holds the double in position. From your view point, you
should see what appears to be two face down over-lapped cards. The audience
still sees three cards at the face of the square. Fig. 5.

Fig. 5.

STEP VII — Release your right hand grip and pinch the upper right corner of the
square (the double) between your right thumb from the back and your first finger
on the face.

STEP VIII — Turn the square face down by turning both hands palm up. Just
before the back of the square comes into audience view, use your right fingers to
slide the upper right corner of its double under your left thumb tip — leaving the
upper end of the double in-jogged, its outer end angled down to the right.
In a continuing action, as the square is turned down, slide the top card of the
double to the right — away from the left hand cards. Fig. 6.
The audience will see two cards in your left hand and one card in your right
hand. The square puzzle was an excuse to openly cross one of the cards. By
hiding the exposed white border with your left thumb, and sliding the top card
away as you turned the square face down, you altered your audience's perspective
of the cards . . putting you in exactly the right position to bushwhack your
audience in the worst possible way.

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 Fig. 6.

NOTE — The upper left corner of the top left hand card is visible. Your left
thumb holds this card in position a little below this exposed corner.

The left end of the disguised sandwiched card is kept square with the left side
of the bottom card by resting against the back of your curled left second finger.
Take care that the tilted angle of the top card does not expose the right end of
the crossed card.
This "Bushwhacker" grip is your secret weapon. Practice getting into it from
the square formation so that the cards are "just right" upon being turned face
down.
STEP IX — Openly slide the upper left corner of the face-down right hand card
(an indifferent card) between the "two" left hand cards from their front end. The
right hand card will actually be going under the invisible crossed card — but keep
this to yourself. Fig. 7.

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STEP X — Direct your audience's attention to the sandwiched right hand card.
Ram home the fact that the card in your right hand is between the other two cards.
Slowly slide the right hand card through the sandwich toward yourself. Just at the
front end of the right hand card disappears from view under the top card, the right
hand card's inner end appears under the bottom card revealing a slow-motion
penetration. Slowly remove the right hand card from the inner end of the
sandwich, re-insert it at the front end, and repeat the penetration. Continue doing
this until it no longer amuses you. Fig. 8.

NOTE — I sometimes let a spectator hold the right side of the sandwiched card
so that she can "feel" it penetrate. The spectator should keep her hand still as you
move the other cards to cause the penetration. You may want to hold the
spectator's wrist to make sure her card stays face down.

STEP XI — Place the right hand card face down onto the deck. Direct a spectator
to press one finger onto the top of the deck.

STEP XII — Position your left hand so that its cards "cross" the deck — then
stroke the cards across the spectator's finger a few times. As you slide away from
her finger on the last stroke, use your left thumb to pull the top left hand card
against your curled left fingers. A third card will instantly pop into view, sticking
out of the right side of the other two cards. Direct the spectator to look under her
finger. Her heart is gone. Hand her your three heart sandwich to let her know that
everything is okay. Fig. 9.
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NOTE — The effectiveness of the Bushwhacker fake depends on an over-all
back design. Since some designs are more over all than others, you run the risk
with certain brands of being nailed on a discrepancy with the design — like
having a little angel upside down. It's up to you whether you avoid these brands,
use them and hope no one notices, or use them and present the discrepancy as a
bonus effect.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

For Bob Ostin, Bruce Cervon, and Larry Jennings — My initial contact with an
effect of this nature was through Bob Ostin's Submarine card — which used a
card with a slit. The world famous Bushwhacking team of Bruce Cervon and
Larry Jennings later published other handlings of the penetration principle with a
slit card.

Presentation:

STEP I — "Hey — do you like puzzles? Oh. I'll show you one anyways."

Remove the three hearts and add the extra

card.

STEP II — "The puzzle is to form a perfect square using just three cards — the
ace, two, and three of hearts. Yes . . . they're my favorite cards, too."
Turn the three hearts face down. 7
NOTE — You can hand the spectator three single cards, let them try to make the
puzzle, then add the extra card afterwards.

STEP III — "I couldn't figure it out myself until I read the solution on the back
of a cereal box. The secret's alphabetical. You have to make an "L" (from the
audiences perspective), then a "U." And you get a perfect square, similar to the
person holding it. The initials "LU" stand for Largely Useless."

Make the square puzzle so that the sides are

squared.

STEP IV — "Look it even comes with a bonus pocket size square in the corner.'"

Tilt the f ace of the puzzle toward the audience

and display the little square-within-a-square at
the upper right corner. Get "set" f or the turn-
down action.

STEP V — "But what they don't tell you is that you can make a third puzzle by
re-arranging the three cards."

Turn the square f ace down as you slide off

the top card. Make minor adjustments if
necessary.

STEP VI — "The puzzle is to get one card down from the middle to the bottom
like this."

Perf orm the penetration phase.

STEP VII — "When I first tried this I figured that there had to be a hole in the
bottom card. The only way to test out this theory is to place the card on the deck .
. . and your finger on the card . . . and my cards on your fingers."
"Do you know what this does?" It makes my two cards very happy ... it also
pushes the card from under your finger right up through the hole."

Do final penetration.

STEP VIII - "The only part of the puzzle that still puzzles me is -exactly where is
it that the hole hides?"

8
 Turn the three cards face up and hand them
out f or examination.

STEP IX — "I guess I'll have to eat a whole lot more cereal to find out.

9
The Seduction:

The audience's perception of a card held by a spectator is so completely altered

that you can transform it into another card — by simply being yourself.

STEP I — Set up three cards on the deck from the top down, six, ace, jack.

STEP II — Double lift to show the ace — then turn the double down onto the deck.

STEP III — Slide the top single card (the six) off the deck by pinching it at its
inner left corner between your right first finger on top, and right thumb from
below. Your right hand tables the deck face down in front of you.

STEP IV — Hold the card so that its face is toward the table. The corner pinched
between your right thumb and first finger is now at the inner right. Fig. 1.

10
 Fig. 1.

STEP V — Grasp the card from below by its sides between your left thumb and
fingers. Fold the face down card in half by squeezing your left thumb and fingers
together. The pinched inner right corner remains stuck out towards you, separate
from the folded card. This stuck out corner is naturally hidden from the audience
by your right fingers and the folded card. Fig. 2 & 3.

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STEP VI — Keep your right thumb pressed against the face of the stuck out
corner while your right fingers move over onto the audience side of the card. Fig.
4. Squeeze your right thumb and fingers together to openly flatten the center
crease while your right thumb secretly bends the stuck out corner up against the
folded card. Use your left fingers to openly flatten the rest of the center crease
while your right thumb secretly flattens the crease of the face up index corner.
Fig. 5.

4.

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STEP VII — Openly fold the folded card in half once more by folding the left
end out front onto the right end. The hidden bent index corner stays in position at
the back of the folded card. Fig. 6.

STEP VIII — Grasp the folded card between your left fingers and thumb so that
your thumb is at the lower left "point" of the concealed index corner. Fig. 7.

FIG. 7.

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STEP IX — Your right finger tips slide the tabled deck's top two cards over the
left side of the deck. When the two cards are extending to the left, remove the two
cards as one unit from the deck by pinching them at their inner ends between your
right thumb from below, fingers on top. Fig. 8 & 9.

Fig. 9.

STEP X — The two face-down cards pinched together at their inner ends between your
right thumb and first finger should now be in a spread
condition, with the top card extending to the left about half an inch, Tilt
the faces of the pair (ace/jack) toward yourself so that your right thumb and the first
finger are at the top end of the cards.

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STEP XI — Keep the right hand steady as your left fingers openly place the
folded card against the back of the pair. Undercover of this action allow the upper
index corner of the ace to slip into the "pocket" directly in front of the secret bent
corner. The upper index corner of the jack goes onto the right side of the bent
index corner. A few minor adjustments by your right thumb and fingers will make
things appear exactly as though the pair held next to the folded card consists of a
jack and a six. Look at this for a few moments and think nice thoughts about me.
Fig. 10, 11, & 12.

Fig. 11.

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STEP XII — Turn your left hand palm up to share this situation with your
audience so that they can think nice things about you.

STEP XIII — Ever so slowly turn the cards face down and direct a spectator to
hold the jack/six pair at her finger tips. Retain your grip on the folded card —
where the secret bent corner is now hidden at the bottom. Fig. 13.

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STEP XIV — Transfer the folded card to your right fingers by placing your right
fingers on top of the folded card, while your left thumb slides between the folded
card and the bent corner. As your right fingers take the folded card, move your
right thumb and fingers down slightly to secretly unbend the bent corner. Fig. 14
& 15.

Fig. 15.

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STEP XV — Grasp the folded card from below between your left thumb at the
inner left corner and your left second finger tip at the diagonally opposite upper
right corner. Fig. 16. Openly press the tip of your right first finger down onto the
center of the folded card, so that your left thumb and second finger can easily bend
the card up in half. This bending action is openly performed as a magical gesture.
Its purpose is to camouflage the secret bend's crease. Fig. 17.

Fig. 16. Fig. 17.

STEP XVI — Casually toss the folded card onto the table and direct your
spectator's attention to the pair in her hand that she religiously believes to be a bad
hand of sixteen. After a moment's hesitation the lucky lady will discover a perfect
hand of twenty one. A moment later she'll discover the folded six for the kinky
finale of the Seductive Switch.

NOTE — If you're severely lazy you can delete the double: Openly display three
face-up cards. Turn them face down and mix them up. Miscall the six as the ace
and get into the folded set-up. You can now display the "bad hand."

Official Note of Appreciation:

For Looy!
My original Black Jack fake required a torn card. I told Looy I was unhappy
with this and would be able to live a more carefree life if there were a way to
create the fake by bending it or something. Looy said "oh," took my card, and bent
it.

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Presentation:

STEP I — "Boy, are you in for a treat. Today's the day you're going to learn how to make big
bucks at Blackjack. The secret is to get hold of one of these when no one's looking."

Double lift ace and take single into left hand.

STEP II — "You have to make it real small so no one will see it." Fold the card and get it "set."

STEP III — "Now I'll take a sample Blackjack hand . . . Sixteen . . . Bummer. That's a bad hand.
Boy, it's a good thing I had the foresight to obtain a spare ace."

Position the top two cards f rom the deck into the f old and
display the bad hand of sixteen.

STEP IV — "I need my fingers free to make the secret move. Would you be kind enough to hold
my hand . . . no, I mean the bad hand of sixteen — but thank you anyway. Hold the hand between
your fingers just like this so that I know you're not doing anything to the cards that you wouldn't
do to me."

Turn the j ack-six pair f ace down extra slow as the spectator
moves her hand to take the cards.

STEP V — "Now that I have you to help me it's a simple matter to quickly unfold the ace
(squeeze the packet) iron out the wrinkles — using a miniature iron I keep up my sleeve, sneak the
ace into your hand, sneak out the six, and fold up the six so that it's easy to hide. And in my spare
time I run out and grab a pizza. You seem skeptical. We really did it. Take a look."
"And as final proof — inside of my pocket is a signed receipt for the pizza. I'll show it to you
later if you're nice to me."

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The Seduction:

An impromptu Triumph effect that surpasses what can be done with a trick deck.
There are no false shuffles. There are no proving moves to show cards face up and
face down — because the cards really are mixed face up and face down. The
magical action is continuous. There is no other shuffle routine that lets you do what
follows:
A genuinely shuffled face-up/face-down deck instantly turns face up. There are no
moves between the time the cards are shuffled and the deck is spread. The magic is
instantaneous. The entire face-down deck then instantly, (and yes) visibly turns face
up.
The face-up deck then unshuffles itself: twenty six cards rise out of the pack in one
group. Once again — the magic action is continuous and uncompromising.
To bring the sequence full circle the unshuffled deck is given a slight shake —
where its extended interweaved half, in full view, instantly turns face down. The pack
is spread. Everything is as it was when the face-down cards and the face-up cards were
first shuffled together.
This is how I used to fantasize that the ideal Triumph effect would read. I used to
dream that I knew the secret stuff that would let me do it for real. Then one morning
I woke up ... and I knew.

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Special note of encouragement: The Sensuous Shuffle is seriously wonderful
stuff in the highest tradition of neato-keeno Close-up. By its very neato-keeno
nature much of the handling and theory will be new, and feel somewhat alien to
you on your first run through. This is my money back guarantee that all the
requirements for non-stop finger tip orgies and psychologically satisfying "Hoo-
Hahs" are contained within and between the lines of the Sensuous Shuffle.

STEP I — Hold the face-up deck in left hand dealing position. Cut off the top
half of the deck with your right hand and table it face up with a long side toward
you. The card on the face of the left hand half is the official "selected card." Just
for fun, let's call this card the ace of hearts.

STEP II — Grasp the left hand ace-half from above by its ends with your right
fingers and obtain a right thumb break below the ace of hearts. Secretly reverse
the ace into the center of the cards using the Braue Reversal as follows: Cut off
the bottom half of the cards with your left hand and place them face down onto
the top ace. Cut off the remaining bottom face up half at the break with your left
hand, and turn them face down back at the bottom. Square the cards. The half
deck will now be face down with the ace of hearts face up in the center. Table this
face down half next to the left end of the face-up half in position for a riffle
shuffle.

STEP III — Shuffle so that the face-up card on the right falls first, followed by a
face-down card, followed by another face-up card. At the end of the shuffle a
single face-down card is to be on top of a single face up card. In other words the
face-up card is sandwiched between two face-down cards. Try to make the rest of
the shuffle as even as possible, although it's not necessary to make a career out of
it.

STEP IV — Push the two halves half way together. Keep the sides and ends of
the cards as square as possible. The idea is to make the half shuffled deck into a
smooth seamless unit.

STEP V — Position your left hand over the face-down side of the deck so that
your thumb is on the inner side, and your other fingers rest against the audience
side of the face-down cards. Your left hand now forms a bridge through which
the deck will be pushed. Fig. 1.

STEP VI — Place your right first finger tip onto the table so that the
finger is up against the right end of the deck. Use this finger to push the deck
through the left hand tunnel. Light pressure on the sides of the deck with your left
fingers cause the top face-down card to slide over onto the face-up side of the
deck as the deck is pushed through the tunnel. .
 Fig. 1.

The top face-down card will stop against your right first finger, squaring the
face-down card with the face-up half. Continue to push the deck through the
tunnel with your right first finger until the deck is on the left side of the left hand.
The illusion seen by you and your audience should be that the face-up half of the
deck instantly turned face down as it was pushed through the left hand tunnel. Fig.
2.

Fig. 2.

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 STEP VII — Press your right fingers flat onto the half-shuffled deck and ribbon
spread the cards end-to-end to the right. The face-up cards will have magically
turned face down, with the exception of the face-up ace in the center. Fig. 3.

Fig. 3.

NOTE — Research on your part will reveal that the face-up cards did not magically
turn face down, but are merely hiding behind the face down cards. If other face-up
cards are visible, then you either spread to far, pressed too hard during the spread, or
used cards that have lost their slick finish. Contrary to popular belief, this spread
does not require pampering or a delicate touch. It was designed to take abuse — like
a whiffle ball or a stuffed cat.

A few tips: A face-up card is concealed beneath the face down card on the
spread's far left. Too much pressure here during the spread will expose it.

A face-up card is concealed directly beneath the face-down card on the spread's
far right. These two cards form a face-to-face double and
are never separated during the spread. These two cards are on top of
the right half of the shuffled deck before the spread. Pretend that the 23
double is glued to the face-down card on top of the left side of the deck. When the
deck is spread, pressure is on this left hand card. The double on the right simply
slides along with it.
If the face-up ace does not show in the spread, tap around the spread's center
until the card is exposed. If the cards are not already spread "to the max" you'll
have plenty of leeway to find the ace without worrying about other face-up
exposures.
If you do expose another face-up card during a performance (which won't
happen with a little practice) simply say "Not only did I find the selected card,
but I found its traveling companion as well." Remove the odd card from the
spread and replace it face down somewhere in the center — or simply toss it
aside and comment that the card no longer amuses you.

Back to the routine.

STEP VIII — You've got a face-up ace in the center of the face-down spread.
Remove the ace from the spread by grasping it by its sides with your left fingers,
and sliding it out to the left. Transfer the ace to your right fingers and place the
ace face up square with the face-down card on the spread's far right.

STEP IX — Position your right hand at the right end of the spread and your left
hand at the spread's left end. Note how your fingers "cage" both ends of the
spread — with your little fingers against the ends of the spread. Begin to square
the spread by slowly sliding your hands towards each other. Your little fingers
pushing the ends of the spread together. As the spread closes, it starts to take on
the shape of its original half shuffled deck. Stop when you feel some resistance
against your little fingers. The cards will stop feeling like a spread as it forms the
two halves of the shuffled deck. Do not push these two halves together.

STEP X — Maintain the position of your hands on the semi-shuffled deck. Move
your right little finger away from the right end as your right fingers form the
"bridge" through which the deck will be pushed. Apply some pressure to the sides
of the deck with your right fingers as your left first finger presses against the left
end of the deck and pushes it through your right hand bridge.
As the deck slides through the bridge the pressure from the right fingers will
cause the face ace and two cards below it to slide over the face down side of the
deck on the left — while exposing a face up card on the right. The ace will square
up against the left first finger. Push the deck through the bridge until about half of
the cards are exposed on the right side of your right hand. The illusion to you and
your audience should be that the face-down deck, with one face-up card on top,
instantly turns face up while it slides through your right hand bridge. 24
STEP XI — Your right hand bridge remains over the center of the half-shuffled
face-up deck. This position is held because you don't want to expose the squared
spread as a half-shuffled deck. Place your left fingers under the bridge and flat onto
the deck. As soon as your left hand is in position, move your right hand away.
Ribbon spread the deck by sliding your left hand to the left. All the cards will be face
up. Fig. 4 & 5.

Fig. 4.

NOTES — The "squaring" of the face-down spread, sliding the cards through the
bridge, and the spreading of the face-up cards is a more or less continuous action.
Don't risk exposing a reversed card by making the spread too long. A shorter
spread is just as convincing and a lot safer.

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 STEP XII — As soon as the face-up spread has registered with your audience, scoop
it up in the same fashion as before: caging your fingers around the ends of the
spread, your little fingers on the ends of the cards — pushing the spread together.
Fig. 6. Stop when you feel the half shuffled deck lock into position. Fig. 7.

STEP XIII — Continue the "pushing the spread together" action of Step XI by
apparently squaring the cards using Vernon's triumph move
as follows: Your hands are still in position at the ends of the spread. Place your left first
finger on top of the face-up ace. Keep your right thumb in position against the inner
right corner of the right half while 26
your other right fingers move around to the right end of the deck. Your right fingers
push the entire deck to the right under the ace on top which stops against the right
forefinger. The left end of the deck secretly slides under the left hand where it
remains concealed. Fig. 8, 9, & 10.

Fig. 10.

27
NOTE — When I first learned this triumph move from the original Stars of
Magic I had real problems — my left hand felt to small to conceal the "pushed
through" cards. The proper left hand position is an acquired knack — but the
following tip may cut down on your pre-knack blues:
Place your left hand in bridge position over the left end of the deck — only
your finger tips and thumb tip touch the table. Tilt your arched left hand to the
left so that the left side of your hand touches the table. The tilted "bridge" of your
left hand should now have enough space to conceal the pushed-through half.
If you have to scrunch your left hand around to conceal the deck, you were not
in proper position. Practice by positioning your left hand so it comfortably
conceals the pushed through left end — then work on getting into the same
position before the cards are pushed through.
All right — let's move on before we lose touch with the reality of the illusion.

STEP XIV — Grasp the visible portion of the deck from above by its right sides
with your right fingers and lift the deck up so that the concealed portion is
pressed against the base of your left fingers. Curl your left fingers around the
deck and release your right hand grip. The deck should be held by the left hand as
far to the left of the deck as possible, without exposing the concealed half of the
deck. Fig. 11.

Fig. 11.

28
STEP XV — Hold the deck up with your left hand so that the ace of hearts is
facing the audience. You should be able to see a face-down card over a partially
exposed face-up card at the back of the deck. The audience believes you are
holding a squared, face-up deck.

STEP XVI — Grasp the visible portion of deck with your right fingers by its
sides from the back. Your right third finger and thumb rest against the top side of
your left hand (along your left forefinger). Place your right little finger up against
the concealed bottom end of the deck. Fig. 12.

Fig. 12.

STEP XVII — You are now going to make the cards visibly unshuffle
themselves by causing half of the cards to rise out of the deck by mass
exploitation of the plunger principle. This is the magical highlight of the routine
and is twenty six times more spectacular than a single rising card. This is also one
of those alien theories I mentioned at the beginning — so for the moment, you'll
have to accept what follows on faith.

NOTE — The only fingers touching the face or back of the pack is your left
thumb at the back and your left first finger at the face. The rest of the
extended deck slides up between these two cards at the front and back.

The deck is securely held in your hands. Slowly push up on the bottom
end of the deck with your right little finger Half of the cards will appear
to rise out of the center of the deck, while actually the entire half shuffled deck is
moving up. The front and back cards will stay in position. Fig. 13, 14, & 15.
29
30
STEP XVIII — When the cards will rise no further, display the front and back of
the deck (The action of the rise will have covered the face-up card at the back.).
Use your right fingers to slide up any partially risen cards from the front and back
of the deck. It's important that the upjogged cards be in an even block formation for
what follows. Fig. 16.

STEP XIX — Turn your left hand palm-down so that the deck is face up with its
upjogged cards pointing to the right. Place the face-up deck onto the palm-up right
fingers so that the side jogged cards nestle in the right thumb crotch. The left fingers
still hold the deck from above by its sides. As the deck touches the right fingers,
your right finger tips secretly slide the back card to the right. The right end of this
card will stop against your right thumb crotch, which leaves the card square with the
other side-jogged cards. Fig. 17 & 18.

31
STEP XX — Grasp the deck from below by its center sides with your left fingers.
Fig. 19. Remove your right hand from the deck. The tips of your left finger tips
should "bite" into the front edge of the ace. This will prevent the card beneath it
from sliding during the action that follows. Fig. 20.

STEP XXI — You'll now cause half of the deck to visibly turn face down with
just a flick of your wrist: Your left thumb should be resting across the face of the
ace. Turn your left hand palm-down. Fig. 21. As the deck starts to turn over,
secretly slide the ace from under your left
thumb to the left — so that the ace extends just a bit beyond the left end
of the deck. Without a pause, turn your left hand palm-up to reveal the instant
reversal. Fig. 22.
32
 Fig. 21.

NOTE — When the left hand turns palm-down, a face-up card is visible from the
right side of the deck. This creates a very strong although illogical retention
effect. The audience sees all face-up cards at the start. The deck's turned over.
The audience still sees only face-up cards. The deck is turned again — and in a
flash half the deck is reversed. Mirror practice will teach you just the right timing
to achieve this "shock" reversal.

STEP XXII — Grasp the deck from above by its right side with your
right fingers. Grasp the left side of the deck with your left fingers in the same
way. Tilt the bottom of the deck up to the audience so they can
33
see that both sides of the deck are reversed. Pivot the two ends of the pack down
toward each other to make an upside down "V." Fig. 23. Tilt the "V" deck down
and place it on the table. Use both hands to spread the deck toward yourself to
display the face down cards interlaced amongst the face up cards. Fig. 24. Scoop
up the spread, then unriffle the cards by curving the ends down so the two halves
spring apart to complete the Sensuous Shuffle. Fig. 25.
NOTE — You'll be left with at least one reversed card (second from the top), and
more likely two or three — depending upon the condition of the deck and the
accuracy of the spreads and shuffles. Do not spend any extra time or worry on this
situation. Manhandle the spreads and shuffles to your hearts content. As long as the
basics are taken care of,
the Sensuous Shuffle will do the work for you.
If you feel the need to conceal the reversed cards during the final spread, keep
the spread tight, and keep the top and bottom of the spread bunched together. After
the whole thing's over, run through the deck and straighten out the cards. Your key
line here is "oops, I missed
a few ."
Simplified Sensuous: If you've got tiny hands you may want to delete the
rising/reversal sequence: After the face-up spread, square the cards into a
SQUARED deck. Hold the "face-up deck" in left hand dealing position and cut off
the top half with your right fingers so that a face-up card is on top of the lower half
(peek before cutting — then riffle off a card with your right thumb if necessary.).
Turn the left hand half face down and place it square under the right hand face-up
half. Spread the deck to reveal the twenty-six card interlaced penetration . . . then
manually separate the face-downs from the face-ups as you grumble about broken
shuffling machines.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

For Looy!
When developing the Sensuous Shuffle I wanted to clean-up by having the cards
unshuffle themselves — but could think only of sleazy low-impact approaches.
Looy came up with the incredible plunger idea for the visible unshuffle. It only
took five bottles of rootbeer and nineteen live performances for him to convince
me that the unreasonable gasps of amazement from the audience weren't just a
matter of luck.

Presentation: "Have you ever heard of a shuffle machine? The

Japanese have come out with a new miniaturized version built right
into the deck. I will demonstrate — but only if you insist... oh
alright..."
"The shuffle machine has many uses — please don't ask me to name them all,
impressionable children might be near. However, for the purpose of light
entertainment, I'll use it to locate a card cut to by chance . . . and since chance isn't
here, Mona will have to cut the cards instead (Only use "Mona" if that is the
spectator's name.)."

Mona cuts the f ace-up deck.

35
STEP II — "Mona's card is the queen of hearts. The card is face-up because we
are dealing with a mere machine — not a handsome, skillful, magical person . . .
who, of course, would have nothing in common with me."

Position both halves to be shuf f led. Spread

them a bit if you wish.

STEP III — "Watch as the miraculous shuffle machine shuffles the cards together
. . . with the aid of its ten assistants."

Shuf f le the cards.

STEP IV — "Don't go away ~ now the good part starts. All I have to do is put the
machine in reverse and it reverses the other cards."

Push the deck through the "bridge" and

spread the face-down deck. Put the single
face-up selection on top.

STEP V — "If I put the machine in forward I can show you the smiling faces of
the rest of the deck."

"Square" the spread and push it through

the bridge. Spread the f ace-up deck,
"square" it. The hold it in position f or the
rise.
STEP VI - "After the shuffle machine is finished it unshuffles itself." Perf orm the

rise.

STEP VII — "And if I forget to turn the shuffle machine off ... it resets . . . and
starts all over."

Perf orm the instant reverse and spread

the deck.

STEP VIII — "Now if only they could invent a machine that would make people
applaud and throw kisses . . . that's all right sir, you can just applaud . . . (then to a
woman) and you can just throw kisses — wow — that was a good one, thanks."

36
The Seduction:
A sparkling clean handling that lets you sneak four cards into a card
case undercover of a can't-miss proposition bet—guaranteed to win you
cab fare home, or the chance to palm someone's fist with your face.

Before starting: Position the empty card case to your right so that its half-moon
end is down and toward the audience. The open flap is tucked under (not inside)
the box.

STEP I — Spread the face-up deck between your hands and down jog the third
card from the face. Continue to spread through the deck and up jog the four jacks.

STEP II — Close the spread and strip out the four jacks as one group with your
right fingers. Place the unsquared jack packet face up onto the face-up deck, and
grasp the packet from above by its ends with your right fingers. Press the in-jogged
card in with your right thumb as the packet is removed — adding three cards to the
back of the jacks. Table the deck face down to your left, and place the right hand
packet face down into left hand dealing position.

37
NOTE — If the jacks are already out from a previous routine — hold the deck in
face-up dealing position and obtain a left little finger break below the third card
from the face. Scoop up the face-up jacks with your right hand and add the three
cards above the break to the back of the packet as your left fingers square the
sides of the packet.

STEP III — Grasp the face-down seven card packet from above by its ends with
your right fingers and use your left thumb to slide the top three cards, one at a
time, onto your left palm. Place the remaining right hand group of four (held as
one) onto the left hand cards — and retain a left little finger break between the
two groups.
To the audience, you've reverse counted the four jacks from the right hand to
the left.

STEP IV — Grasp the top single card from above by its ends with your right
fingers and place it square onto the back of the case. As the card is placed on the
case your right fingers grasp the case from above by its ends and move it off the
table toward the left hand.

STEP V — Hold the case above the left hand packet so that the tucked under flap
is in front of the outer end of the left hand cards. Tilt your left hand up toward
yourself so that the outer end of its packet touches the underside of the case. Slide
the packet forward until it stops against the inside of the flap. Fig. 1 & 2.

38
 Fig. 2.

As the packet slides forward place your left thumb onto the card on top of the
case. Your right thumb should now be at the inner end of the case — pressing the
inner ends of the cards above the break to press the cards against the flap . . .
which presses against your right fingers.
Retain the cards above the break against the underside of the case with your
right fingers as your left thumb slides the card from the top of the case onto the
right side of the remaining three left hand cards. In a continuing action, openly
place the slid-off card onto the underside of the case under the flap — so that the
left side of the card extends past the left side of the case. Fig. 3 & 4.

Fig. 3.

39
NOTE — The slid-off card is moved from the top of the case directly to the
bottom of the case in a continuous action. The left hand packet just "happens to
be there" and is not used as a rest stop for the card.

As soon as the card is positioned under the flap (and beneath the concealed
cards) casually fan the three cards in your left hand and drop them face down to
the table.
The audience has seen you pick up the case and card together, where your left
thumb then slid the card onto the bottom of the case. Your left hand put its cards
aside to help put the card in the case as follows:

STEP VI — Grasp the case from below by its sides at the halfway point with
your left fingers — automatically squaring the side-jogged card with the case as
the case is grasped. Your left thumb rests along the left side of the packet beneath
the case.
Maintain right finger pressure against the outer end of the packet (the flap still
separates the right fingers from the cards) as your right hand hinges the inner end
of the case up. Fig. 5.

40
 As the inner end of the case moves up toward the audience, the outer end of the
left hand packet, now seen by the audience as a single card, starts to slide into the
mouth of the case. As the case moves in line with the "card" (closed end of the
case toward the audience) release your right hand grip so that the case and the
partially inserted card are held in the left hand. Note how this position completely
conceals the extra thickness of the quadruple card. Fig. 6.

Fig. 6.

41
 Use your right fingers to slide the fat card the rest of the way into the case.
Tuck in the flap and table the case.
The audience believes one jack to be in the case, the other three jacks face
down on the table.

STEP VII — Bury the three face down "jacks" into the deck and ask for a
spectator to think of one of the jacks. "I'll bet you that the jack you're thinking of
will be inside the box. If I lose, you win the entire left side of my body. If I win
— I get both your socks — and if you're not wearing socks we'll have to work
something out."
Direct the spectator to open the case to verify you have won the bet. Don't
forget to be a good guy and say "that's all right, you can mail me your socks
when you get home."

NOTE — If you work this routine a lot you'll find an occassional sock in your
mail box from women who can't think of any other way to meet you.

42
 Limousine
Service

The Seduction:
When a cab just isn't good enough and you want to travel in style— complete
with tinted windows, spiffy chauffeur, and gasps of tortured envy from those less
fortunate than yourself. Four jacks are "squig-gled" at your fingertips and change
into four other cards. This "squiggle misdirection" enables you to secretly escort the
four jacks into the box—or so the pedestrian audience is driven to believe.

Before starting: Position the open card case in front of you so that the open flap is
at the front end of the case and the half-moon side is up.

STEP I — As you spread the face-up deck between your hands, openly out-jog the
four jacks and secretly in-jog the third card from the pack's face.

STEP II — Adjust the order of the out-jogged jacks so that they're in red, red,
black, black order (it doesn't matter whether the reds or blacks come first).

STEP III — Square the in-jogged card with your right thumb so that your left little
finger can obtain a break beneath the three cards at the face. Make this squaring
action with your thumb undercover of putting 43
your right fingers on the left side of the jacks — to strip the jacks out of the deck.

STEP IV — Place the stripped-out jack packet face up onto the face-up deck then
square the jacks by grasping them from above by their ends with your right
fingers.
Hang onto the jacks, along with the three cards above the break, as your left
hand turns the deck face down and tables it to your left.

STEP V — The face-up seven card jack packet is held from above by its ends
with your right fingers. Use your left thumb to slide the top three jacks one at a
time onto your left palm. Place the three jacks to the back of the right hand "jack"
and retain a right thumb break above the bottom three jacks.

STEP VI — Pick up the case with your right fingers by placing the face-up jack
packet square onto the top surface of the case. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

Grasp the case, along with the entire jack packet, from below by its sides with
your left fingers. Slide your right fingers along the face of the jacks toward your
right thumb so that the inner end of the packet that's above the break is pinched
between your right thumb and second finger. Fig. 2 & 3.
44
 Start to turn the case over from left to right by turning your left hand palm-
down. As the case moves, turn your right hand palm up so that its four cards fan
out face down.
Three jacks are now concealed beneath the case in your left hand — the cards
held in place with your left fingers. Four face-down cards are fanned out in your
left hand — consisting of three indifferent cards on top of one jack. The ends of
the fan should be toward you, your right first finger should point at the flap end
of the case. Fig. 4. 45
 Fig. 4.

Tuck the flap into the case with your right first finger then table the case with
your left hand so that the flap end is to the right — and the three jacks are
concealed on the bottom.
The audience has seen you display four jacks, then seen you transfer the tabled
case with your right hand to your left hand so that your right first finger could
tuck in the flap. The four right hand cards naturally fanned face down as part of
the action of extending your right first finger.
The transfer of the case, the turning of the case, the fanning of the cards, the
tucking in of the flap with your right first finger, and the tabling of the case,
should all be done in one relaxed continuous action.

STEP VII — Comment that you're going to misdirect the audience's attention so
that you can sneak the four jacks into the box.
Square the fan and hold it by its sides between your hands — thumbs on top.
Tilt the face of the packet up to the audience to flash the jack, then tilt the
packet back down. Secretly position the face jack second from the top undercover
of the "Squiggle Flourish" as follows: Spread the four cards to the right — just
enough so that the four left margins are exposed. Press your right finger tips up
against the card second from the face of the packet and press your left thumb onto
the back of the second card from the top.
46
 Your right thumb should be on the top card, your left fingers on the face of the
bottom card. In this position your right fingers and thumb have control of the top
card and the card second from the face. Your left fingers and thumb have control
over the bottom card and the card second from the top. Fig. 5.

Fig. 5.

Slide the thumb cards forward and the finger cards back as the hands move
apart with their individual pairs — producing a "Squiggle." Fig. 6. Place the right
hand cards below the left hand cards so that a squared packet is once again held by
its sides between your hands — thumbs on top.

47
STEP VIII — Change your left hand grip so that your left thumb is beneath the
packet. Release your right hand grip and turn your left hand palm-up so that the
packet is face-up.
Elmsley count the face-up packet to show the four jacks have been replaced by
four indifferent cards. The last card of the count goes on the face of the packet.
"That was the misdirection. While you were wondering where these cards came
from I snuck the jacks into the box."
Casually drop the indifferent packet face down onto the deck with your left
hand then use your left hand to grasp the case, along with the cards concealed
beneath it, from above by its sides with your left fingers.

STEP IX — Open the flap with your right fingers and pretend to remove the
packet from inside the case by putting your right thumb into the case onto the half
moon and your fingers up against the face of the concealed packet. Slide the face-
down packet to the right "out of the case" with your right fingers while your left
finger drops the case to the table. Fig. 7.

Fig. 7.

STEP X — Grasp the inner long side of the face-down packet between your left
thumb from below, fingers on top. Turn left hand palm up to turn the packet face
up and Elmsley count the three jacks as four as follows:
48
 You should have one odd jack on the face of the packet followed by two jacks
of the same color. Press your right palm against the back of the packet and clip its
upper right corner under your right thumb.
Your right hand slides top card off by turning palm-down, snapping the top
card off the outer right corner of the packet.
As your right hand turns palm-up to snap off the next card (moving back to the
exact palm-up position it was at from the start) the right hand card is naturally
positioned at the back of the left hand packet — where the card slides into place
above the left finger tips. As soon as this card is at the back of the packet, snap
off the next card with your right hand.
Using the same action and without breaking rhythm, snap off the remaining
two cards for a total display of four jacks, then casually toss the packet face down
onto the deck. You are now squeaky clean — with all four jacks on top of the
deck.

NOTE — I do the first Elmsley count in exactly the same fashion as the three as
four count: Keep your left hand still as the right hand does the action. The first
card is snapped off, followed by the two card pushoff as the first card is loaded
onto the back of the packet. The rest of the count is the same.

Cab Fare Note: It's close to impossible to resist doing these two routines
together. Here's the transition from cab to limo:

You're holding the face-up deck in your hand after having buried the other
three "jacks." Obtain a three card break on the face of the deck with your left little
finger.
After the spectator removes the four jacks from the case, pick up one of the
jacks with your right hand and use it to scoop up the other three jacks (making
sure the two reds and two blacks are paired).
Drop the face-up jack packet onto the face of the deck to free your right hand to
adjust the case into "Limo" position so that its flap end is at the front.
Grasp the seven cards from above the break with your right fingers and
smoothly slid into the driver's seat for Limousine Service.

49
 Fan Dance
The Seduction:
A small piece of white paper contains a spectator's initials as a "receipt" for her
selected card. The white paper sticks to the edge of the fanned deck like a fat
woman to vinyl on a hot summer day. The initialed piece of paper, under its own
power, slowly slithers along the edge of the fan. When the spectator grabs for the
lively piece it magically melts away — leaving behind the spectator's initials on her
personally selected card.
The handling is "locked" so that the actions of plot and the mechanics of
handling weave into a single entity. Your job is to lock your presentation into the
effect so that your personality and the magic become one — making you a
complete persogician . . . well . . . sort of.

Preparation: Tear out a half inch square of white space from a card. Put the white
space into the card case.
The rest of the torn card is not required for the effect. However, since a new square
of white space is used for each performance you'll be able to save untold dollars by
keeping the torn card to make spares.
If you want to use the same white space for each performance, use a pencil
instead of a pen for the initialing phase of the routine described below. The pencil
marks are easily rubbed off the white space with your fingers.
50
STEP I — While playfully toying with the deck, reverse the second card from
the face of the pack as follows: The face-down deck is held from above by its
ends with your right fingers. Your left thumb and fingers slide the top and bottom
card of the deck at the same time onto the left hand.
Use the left side of the deck to lever these two cards over face-up, and as a
continuation of the action place the face down deck onto the two face up cards —
retaining a right thumb break above the two cards.
Slide away the bottom card with your left fingers and use the pack to lever it
over face down onto the bottom of the pack.
This leaves the face-down pack held from above by its ends with your right
fingers. Your right thumb holds a break above the reversed card second from the
bottom. Obtain a second break with your right thumb tip between the bottom two
cards — for a double thumb break.

STEP II — Use your right first finger to swivel the top half of the deck into your
left hand.

STEP III — Slide cards off of the right hand half onto the left hand half one at a
time with your left thumb until someone says "stop."

STEP IV — Use the right hand half to lever the stopped at card face up onto the
left hand half. Let's say it's the three of hearts.

STEP V — Move the right hand half directly over the three and unload the single
card from below the lower break onto the three as the right side of both halves are
turned down toward the table. This leaves the reversed indifferent card on the left
hand half facing toward you. Fig. 1 &2.
 In a continuing action move the right hand half to the right so that the
remaining broken card extends half way over the right end of its left hand half.
Turn your left hand palm down so that the face of the extended card is toward
the table. Fig. 3. Relax your left fingers to drop the face down card to the table.
Turn your left hand palm up so that its cards are face down. Place the right
hand half face-down squarely under the left hand half.
You've switched the selected three for an indifferent card. The three is face up
under the top card of the deck.

52
NOTE — The unloading of the two cards is done undercover of the natural
action of bringing the hands together so that your right hand can slide the
selection to the right — to make it "easier" for the left hand to drop the selection
onto the table (The face up selection is naturally turned down away from the
audience so that it can contact the right thumb — where the unloading takes place
under cover of sliding the card.). Credit to Looy for the double break refinement
on the switch.

STEP VI — Strongly bevel the ends of the deck forward with your right fingers,
then pick up the case with your right hand and dump the piece of white space
onto the table. Openly place the white space so that the cards are in a row with
their ends toward you. A coin is placed behind the inner end of each card.
Ask your spectator for her initials. As you move the pen down to write on the
white space, naturally tilt the back of the deck up to meet the pen point. As the
back of the deck leaves the audience's view, secretly slide the top card (along
with the white space) down half an inch — to expose the top end of the second
card (exposed to you, not the audience). The beveled deck will hide the inner end
of the pulled back card from the audience.
Write the spectator's initials on the upper right corner of the white space — and
on the upper right corner of the exposed three of hearts. Exude an aura of honesty
to mislead your audience into believing that you only wrote the initials once. This
is not hard to do.
Take care to write the two sets of initials so that their styles are a close match.
Fig. 4.

Fig. 4.
 Use your left thumb to slide the top card square with the deck as your right
hand tables the pen — then tilt the deck down so that the initialed white space is
visible to the audience.

NOTE — My initial instinct (ha) was to write the first set of initials — shake the
pen as though the ink wasn't flowing — then write the second set of initials. This
struck me as quite clever, and is also, as I later discovered — completely
unnecessary. Do with it as you will.

STEP VII — Place the initialed white space down onto the table and obtain a
left little finger break beneath the top two cards by pressing down on the deck's
upper left corner with your left thumb.

STEP VIII — Pick up the face-down card from the table with your right hand
and place it face down onto the deck. Bury this "selected" card into the deck by
double undercutting to the break (You should actually do a multiple under cut by
cutting three or four packets from the bottom to the top before cutting to the
break. This makes the card look more lost.). The real selection will now be face-
up at the bottom of the face-down deck.

STEP IX — Use your right hand to fan the deck in your left hand so that the
reversed card on the bottom slides beneath the fan in position for the standard
"dancing card" move — (the flourish where you say pick a card, and one card
moves back and forth across the front of the fan), ie: Grasp the deck from above
by its ends with your right fingers. Your left fingers slide the bottom card to the
right while your right hand "cocks" the deck to the left into the crotch of your left
thumb in position to fan. Fan the cards by spreading them to the right with the
right fingers. The bottom card should now be "loose" under the center of the fan
— held in place with your left fingers. Fig. 5.

Fig. 5.
 Adjust this card with your left fingers so that you can see its upper right corner
barely peek out of the right side of the fan. Fig. 6.

STEP X — Pick up the initialed white space (initialed side up) with your right fingers
so that it's in finger-palm position.

STEP XI — Pretend to stick the white space to the bottom of the fan so that the
initials stick out from the front edge. Actually, press the white space up against the
front end of the loose bottom card so that the white space lines up with the barely
exposed outer right corner of the card. From this position press your right thumb down
onto the exposed corner and slide it out just enough to expose the concealed card's
initials. Fig. 7.

Fig. 7.

55
STEP XII — The white space stays concealed in your right fingers under the
initialed corner of the card. Move your right hand away from the fan (along with
its concealed finger palmed white space) and pick up the pen. Since the spectator's
initials are on both the white space and the corner of the card, the illusion of
sticking the white space onto the fan is perfect. Lower the front edge of the fan so
that the initialed corner touches the table. This presses the rest of the card up
against the face of the fan — keeping the card hidden from view.

STEP XIII — Press your left first finger up against the face of the fan on its left
side to help anchor the fan in position. Wave the pen toward the initialed corner,
and secretly press forward on the card with your third finger while the second
finger pulls back on the card. These small controlled movements of your fingers
under the fan make the initialed "white space" slowly glide along the edge of the
fan from right to left. As soon as the dancing has started, put the pen and the
finger palmed white space into your pocket.
This method to make the corner dance are the same used to make a whole card
dance along a fan — but are kept tighter so that only the initialed corner of the
card is exposed — preserving the illusion that only the small piece of white space
is dancing along the fan's edge.

NOTE — The animated white space does not have to zip around at incredible
speeds nor do a choreographed tap dance to be impressive. A few slow ghostly
movements is all that's required to leave a lasting impression. Wait for the white
space to run out of gas then direct the spectator to remove it from the deck. The
white space, along with the spectator's initials, have melted into the selected card
— like a lady ghost into the arms of her guy, or a slice of soft cheese on a hot
cherry pie . . . Isn't life wonderful?

Presentation:

STEP I — "Yesterday I had someone pick a card from the deck — and in the
excitement of the moment she forgot to put it back — so I had to go out and buy
another complete brand new card to replace it."

Do reverse move — using the actions to

highlight your words.

STEP II — "You seem much too mellow for that to ever happen. But just in case
— I've brought along a receipt. We'll fill it out in a moment."

Bring out the white space.

56
STEP III — "Right now I want you . . . (stretch out the pause for the joke only if
you can handle it) to say "stop!" — at any card that would make you feel good about
yourself (If she hesitates say "If you can't decide on a card you'll have to take me." If
she likes her second option better, act appropriately embarrassed — then get her
phone number later.). I'll put the card over here so I can keep an eye on it.
Perform the switch and table the face-
down card.
STEP IV — "And now I need two pieces of information from you for the receipt."

Position white space on deck and hold pen

ready for action.

STEP V — "It's personal — so you'll have to trust me. I need your first and last
initial,"

Write the double set of initials.

STEP VI — "I would have asked for something even more personal — but I'd have
trouble stapling it to this little piece of paper . . . your
respect and admiration."
Square the deck, table the initialed white
space and pen, arid pick up the card while
your left little finger obtains the break.

STEP VII — "Since you were careful not to lose the card I'll have to lose it for
you — just so you can see what happens when a card is
missing."
Place the card on top and double undercut
to the break. Fan the cards and get into fan
dance position.

STEP VIII — "The lost & found system works automatically. First, a powerful
electro-magnet sucks the initialed receipt up against the edge of the fan — Metal
filings in the ink enable the paper to react to the
magnet."

57
 Pretend to stick the receipt to the fan. Pick
up the pen and use it to gesture toward the
initials as you mention the metal filings.

STEP IX — "Then a small but effective solar motor moves the card along the
edge of the fan until the sun goes away."

Cause the corner to move, and then stop.

Put the pen and palmed white space away.

STEP X — "A cleverly concealed wire coil then heats the receipt and melts it
onto one card . . . wait for it to cool . . . now take it out."

Direct your spectator to remove the receipt.

STEP XI — "Now the card is impossible to lose because the receipt's

permanently attached."

NOTE — Sometimes to cap off "Fan Dance" I'll "lose" the card into the deck —
then palm it out and produce it from my pocket ... to show how impossible it is to
lose the card.

58
The Seduction:

You comment that, Just like the heads of Las Vegas women, a pack of cards
consists of ninety percent air. The entire deck is still seen in your hands as you
squash your hands around it. The deck, still visible as the hands squash together,
instantly disappear . . . leaving behind only an air of mystery.
The one time preparation consists of putting a crease into the side of one card
(which can be borrowed). There is no palming, lapping, or pitting. The raw nerve
impact of the vanish transcends sleight-of-hand and borders on the seriously
weird.

Note to Las Vegas women — Cynthia, Janet, Marisa, Rhonda, and Sandie: Of
course, you're the exceptions.

Preparation: Remove the two jokers from the pack. If you don't have the jokers
use a pair of two's or three's.
Hold the joker face-down and fold half an inch of its left side face up onto the
back. The half inch flap should consist of the word "joker" (or a joker symbol)
and uninterrupted white space. If the joker's design intrudes onto the rest of the
white space then you have to use another brand of joker or use one of the two's or
three's.
Crease the flap so that it's at right angles to the card. Preparation is over. Fig. 1.
59
 Fig. 1.

Set-up: Place the deck into its case (make sure the tabs fold in).
Close the cardcase flap.
Tuck the creased joker face up into the case through the space between the flap
and the half-moon wall so that the bent part of the joker slides down the left
corner of the case — along the left side of the cased deck.
It should be a perfect fit.
Place the unbent joker face down into the cardcase so that it covers the bent
joker.
Your set up then, from the half moon side of the card case down is: a face
down joker, face-up bent joker with its bent flap square with the left side of the
case, the tucked in cardcase flap, the cased deck.

Note for Non-Believers:

You are about to convince your audience that the folded flap on the joker is
actually an entire deck of cards.
Right now I can hear muffled whispers . . . but a bent joker doesn't look
anything like a deck, and there's no little lines where the cards would be, and
besides — the sides of a real deck aren't that white."
To concerned whisperers everywhere — be concerned no more. After years of
abusing cards, I truly know what it takes to make a bent joker look like a deck.
Regarding the inherent discrepancies of line and color . . . this would be a
problem if you held the fake next to a real deck and asked people to compare the
difference. But because the audience have no chance for a comparison, and no
reason to suspect that the extremely deck-like object coming out of the card case
is anything other than a deck — they will be solidly convinced of the deck's
internal integrity.
The illusion is perfect. The theory is sound. The seduction is unavoidable.

60
STEP I — Hold the case, half-moon side up and toward you, on your palm up left
hand. The case is positioned high in your left hand so that the left second finger is
at the inner right corner.

STEP II — Your right thumb and first finger grasp the two jokers from between
the flap and the case and pull them out towards you as one unit until extended to
the left little finger. Fig. 2.

STEP III — Straighten out your left third and little finger so that your right
thumb and first finger can grasp the end of the case — concealing the exposed
end of the fake. This leaves your left hand free to change its grip — grasping the
case from above by its sides at the half moon end (the end near your right
fingers).

STEP IV — Slide your right thumb and first finger back so that they can grasp
the "deck," thumb on top, first and second finger pressing up against the back of
the bent joker from below. The bent edge of the joker rests against the first joint
of the right first finger. From the audience's
view, this is the natural grip to remove a deck from the case. From your
perspective, you'll feel like you're walking down the street without your pants.
Hopefully, you've got nice knees. Fig. 3 & 4.
61
 Fig. 3

Fig. 4.

STEP V — Turn the right side of the "deck" toward the audience and slide out
the deck until about half an inch is left inside the case. Note that your right
fingers conceal the joker's index corner.

STEP VI — Simultaneously table the case, and finish sliding out the deck. As the
deck leaves the case, slide your left fingers to the right so
they can grasp the left end of the deck from above before it's exposed. Fig. 5 & 6.
The left fingers appear to be supporting the left end of the deck, while in fact the
right fingers are holding everything together.
62
STEP VII — To place the deck onto the palm of your left hand: Extend your right
second, third and little finger. Turn your left hand palm up by sliding it around the
left end of the deck — always keeping the end of the deck covered, and slide your
left hand to the right, up against your curled right first finger. Your left finger tips
should now be able to press against the right end of the deck, pressing the left end
of the deck against
the base of your left thumb. Slide out your trapped right forefinger by pressing it
down against the left fingers as it moves out. Fig. 7 & 8.

63
 Fig. 8.

STEP VIII — Your right hand covers the deck from above. The left side of the
deck can still be seen through the spread right first and second fingers. You are
now in position to "squash the air out of the deck." Fig. 9.
STEP IX — Close the window between your right first and second fingers and
squash the deck flat between your hands by pressing your palms together,
twisting the right hand to the right, and arching out the fingers of both hands. It's
the same action you would use to turn a mosquito into paste. Fig. 10.

64
 Fig. 10.

STEP X — The squash action should leave the bent joker unfolded face up
beneath the face down joker. The face down card conceals the face up jokers
crease.

STEP XI — Slide the top card forward with your right thumb just enough so that
your left thumb and second finger can grasp the inner end of the face up card by
its sides. Press your left forefinger down onto the two cards, causing them to bow.
This bow will help conceal the crease when it's exposed. Grasp the other end of
the bowed cards with your right fingers in the same fashion as your left fingers.

65
STEP XII — Turn both hands palm up. The right hand taking the top card, the
left hand taking the bottom creased card. Briefly display the two separated jokers
(creased card face down) then place the two jokers face to face so that the creased
joker is beneath the normal one.

STEP XIII — Put the jokers away in a pocket and reveal that the air space left
extra room to cram a spare deck inside the case.

NOTE — If you want to be re-set for your next performance, hang onto the jokers
with one hand while the real deck is removed from the case. Openly place the two
jokers back into the case so that the creased joker is underneath — with its creased
side against the left side of the half moon side up case.

Press the creased joker against the left side of the case, causing the joker to fold
into position. When the pack is put back into the case, make sure it goes beneath
the joker set-up. Tuck in the case flap between the deck and the jokers and you're
all set to go.

EASY AIR: This simplified version minimizes the handling of the fake.

Set-up. The deck is inside the open case. The bent joker is face-up on top of the
outside of the case (the half moon side of the case is up). The bent side of the
joker fits over the left side of the case. The normal joker is placed face-down onto
the face-up bent joker. The case flap is covered over the two jokers. Place the set-
up deck into a left hand pocket, or a close-up case, or simply get set when no one
is looking and hold the pack in your hand.

STEP I — Hold the pack in your palm down left hand from above by its sides.
The two jokers are concealed from view on the bottom of the case. The flap end of
the case points to your right. The folded part of the bent joker should be visible to
you on your side of the case. Your left thumb is on the bottom of the case holding
the jokers in position.

STEP II — Turn your left hand up so that your left palm faces toward the right —
and the case flap is on top.

STEP III — Slide your right fingers under the case flap so that the open case is
held from above by its ends (your fingers are on the front end of the real deck —
your thumb is at the back end of the case). Place your left thumb along the inner
left side of the case — over the folded part of the joker (keep your left thumb off
of the printed part of the folded flap).
STEP IV — Tilt the right side of your right hand down so that it covers the right
side of the case.

STEP V — Curl your right fingers to the left so that they cover the index corner
on the folded part of the joker. Fig. 11.

STEP VI — Lift up with your right thumb at the back end of the case to separate
the two jokers from the top of the case.

STEP VII — Slide your right hand with the two joker fake forward along the top
of the box about half an inch (as though sliding the deck out from the box) and
then tilt your right hand so that its palm is toward you. The audience will see a
deck, you'll see two jokers. You'll worry that people will think you just pulled a
deck through the back of a box. Don't worry. Modern Close-up audiences do not
concern themselves with discrepant deck removal techniques. Fig. 12.

Fig.12.

67
STEP VIII — Push the case's flap down with your right finger tips and hold the
flap in place with your left thumb. Table the case, flap side down.

STEP IX — Set the fake deck onto your palm up left hand, keeping your right
hand on top. Your right thumb and fingers keep the weight off the folded part of
the joker.

STEP X — Turn the left side of the deck toward your audience and squeeze out
the air (from the deck). Display the jokers as described in Air of Mystery.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

To Patrick Snowden! . . .
. . . who helped fine-tune some of the handling to insure that air-of-mystery
remained a mystery to the right people.

68
Deja Vu

The Seduction:

An instant vanish of a fist full of four half dollars.

Your left fingers will clink with happiness every time they close over the coins
— secure in the knowledge that they can walk away empty handed at a moment's
notice.
by Mike Giles, Patrick Snowden, Dana Betz, and P.H.

STEP I — Lay out four half dollars and four face-up cards on the table Note that
the coins are on your side of the cards.

STEP II — Grasp the card on the far left by its right side between your right
thumb on top and fingers from behind. Use the card's left side to scoop up its coin
— so that the coin ends up under your right thumb.

STEP III — Use your right thumb to slide its coin to the left so that it extends half
way over the left side of the card. In a continuing action turn the card face down
(by turning your right palm down) and deposit the coin in left finger palm position
— just above the base of your palm-up fingers. Fig. 1. Replace the card face down
to its original far left position.

69
STEP IV — Pick up the card second from the left with your right fingers by its
right side and use it to scoop up its coin in the same manner as the first coin.
Your right thumb pushes its coin half way over the left side of the card, and the
card is turned face-down (right thumb holding the coin against the card). Place
the exposed half of the coin (still holding it against the card with your right
thumb) onto the center of your palm-up left hand.
Close your left fingers so that the loose coin in finger-palm position rolls over
and clinks against the exposed half of the card's coin. Fig. 2. The instant the two
coins clink, use your right thumb to pull its coin completely out of view under the
card as you move the card toward yourself away from your closed left fingers.
Place the card, along with its concealed coin, face down on the table to its
original position second from the left.

70
Fig. 2.
NOTE — When done properly the "Snowden Clink" from the card creates a
perfect retention illusion. Practice it in front of a mirror a few times until you can
actually see the right hand coin going into your left hand. The clink of the coins
and the coin's secret pullback must happen at the same moment to maximize the
illusion. Once you've coordinated these two actions, work on moving the card
away from the hand at the same moment that your thumb is pulling back the coin.
With just a little more practice you should be able to make your actions appear
exactly as though you were scooping a coin off the table and casually tossing it
into your left hand. Practice this action for real, then work to make your clink pass
look exactly the same.

STEP V — As you reach forward with your right fingers to grasp the right side of
the third card from the left, casually turn your left fist palm down to allow its coin
to fall back into finger palm position. Turn your left fist palm up as you scoop up
the tabled coin with the card.

STEP VI — Open your left hand just enough to perform another clink pass with
the card's coin: pushing the coin half way over the left side of the card, placing the
exposed portion of coin on the center of your left palm, letting the finger-palmed
coin drop onto the card's coin, then pulling the coin and the card away as the left
fingers close. Place the card, along with its concealed coin, face down on the table
third from the left.

NOTE — The only difference in this clink pass is that the left hand is cupped
instead of open. The hand should be open enough to execute the pass, yet closed
enough to conceal its bankrupt condition.

STEP VII — Repeat the exact same clink pass procedure with the coin and card
on the far right — then replace the card, along with its concealed coin, face down
on the table to the far right.

NOTE — It's a bit scary going through this the first few times — with one little
clink pass shouldering the responsibility of stealing three coins. But the sight of
the perfect retention combined with the sound of the familiar "clink" are strong
sellers. When you add a casual handling with a relaxed rhythm your audiences will
be convinced that your left fist contains four coins.

STEP VIII — You should now have one coin in your closed left fist and one coin
concealed under each of the tabled cards — except for the card on me far left.
Your audience will now see you perform a stunning flash vanish of the fist full of
half dollars — using Marlo's "spider" pass idea as follows:

71
 Comment that you're going to squeeze the four coins together to make them
vanish. Suit actions to words by sliding your palm-up right fingers into your
palm-down left fist to "squeeze the coins." What you're really doing here is using
your right fingers to press the single coin up into a fool-proof classic palm in
your left hand. The "squeeze" line covers this indiscretion (I know that you can
classic palm without the aid of your other hand, but I need all the help I can get).
As soon as the left hand coin is in classic palm position, pretend to "secretly"
steal the four coins with your right hand by closing your right hand into a fist.
Both hands are now closed. Make a tossing gesture toward the cards with your
palm-down left hand as you open your left fingers to show the four coins have
vanished — of course the single coin remains concealed in the classic palm.
Everyone will now assume that your left hand is completely empty because they
know that the four coins are concealed in your right fist.
Pause a beat, then show your right hand empty as you casually gesture. Pause
another beat, then pick-up the right hand card from above by its ends with your
right fingers to produce the first half dollar.

NOTE — If you do a better classic palm than I, which is highly probable, then
you may want to bypass the Spider misdirection and perform the vanish directly
from your left hand — Simply make a tossing /vanish gesture as you open your
palm-down left hand — then pick up the right hand card with your right fingers.

STEP IX — Transfer the face-down card to your left hand so that it's held by its
left side between your left thumb and first finger. Allow the concealed coin to
drop to finger palm position undercover of the card.
Pick up the next card to the right from above by its ends with your right fingers
to reveal a second coin on the table. Place the card from your right hand under
your left thumb — on top of the first card.
Pick-up the next card on the right from above by its ends with your right
fingers to reveal the third half, and slide the card face down under your left thumb
— on top of the other two cards.
The concealed coin should now be held against the face of the three card
packet with your left finger tips. Slide the right side of the packet under the
remaining tabled card. Use your left thumb to pull the tabled card onto the other
cards, while your left hand moves back with all four cards to reveal the final coin
on the table. Fig 3.
The audience has seen you make a hand full of halves instantly vanish — then
instantly reappear under four cards. You can't ask for much more out of two
dollars worth of change than that.

72
 Fig. 3.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

For Mike Giles, Patrick Snowden, and Dana Betz!
Mike Giles original concept was to actually pick up all four coins, pretend to
place them in a pocket, then load them back under the cards undercover of
turning the cards over. Patrick Snowden and I then changed the handling to
eliminate some of the difficult palms. It was during this session that Patrick came
up with the "Snowden Clink" which was then used for only one coin. Dana Betz
later pointed out angle and handling problems which would make the routine
impractical for certain working conditions. I restructured the handling to
eliminate the angle problems, the loading moves, and the pocket action. I
performed it for my sister Janet — completely fried her, then knew it was ready
for the real world.
Yep ... It sure is nice not to need any help on this stuff.

Presentation:

I usually produce the four aces using "Fantasy aces" from the book "Close-up
Fantasies I." After field testing dozens of ace productions I've discovered that
"Fantasy" creates the most immediate audience respect. If you want to produce
the coins and cards at the same time then it's hard to beat "Silver Slide" from "Las
Vegas Close-up." And of course, Deja Vu is an ideal follow up to Al Schnider's
"Matrix."

STEP I — "After handling coins for a while you can get a feel for how old they
are without even looking at their dates."
73
 Openly place first coin in hand.

STEP II — "When they're clinked, the older coins have a lower pitch than the newer ones.
If we can have a moment of silence — I shall attempt a demonstration . . . and please, try
to hold down unrestrained gasps of amazement."

Perform the "Snowden Clink" with each of the

remaining three coins.

STEP III — Strike a pose of intense concentration — and as each coin clinks, call off a
date. No one will buy the clink demonstration (I hope) — but the transparent bluff is a fun
"bit-o-business" — and sets a trap for the audience from which there is no escape.

STEP IV — "But if I carefully squeeze the four coins together to keep them from clinking
— they completely disappear . . . and the only way to tell how old they are is to look at the
dates."

74
 Michael's
Proposition
The Seduction:

A perfect, super easy, surprise finish to any routine using coins and cards. This is
a continuation of the "Free-Flight" ending — where four coins end up under a
spectator's hand. In this finale to the finale the card that was used to cover the coins
joins the party by falling off the deck and materializing under the spectator's hand.
The card and coins are creatively arranged under the spectator's hand so that she
doesn't feel a thing — until you tell her it's okay.

by Michael Ammar and P.H.

. . . First, the Free-Flight ending which you can tack onto the end of your favorite
cards and coin effect. I always use it after Deja Vu.

STEP I — Your four coins have just assembled under one card. Pick up one of the
coins with your right hand and pretend to place it into your left — retaining the
coin in a right finger palm (or dropping it to a finger palm from a classic palm).

STEP II — Pick up the card by sliding it with your right thumb onto the finger
palmed coin.

75
STEP III — Slide the left side of the card (and the concealed coin) under the
remaining three coins, using the card to slide the coins over to a spectator. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

STEP IV — Direct the spectator to place her hand flat onto

the coins — so that all the coins are covered.

STEP V — As she presses her hand down onto the coins slide the card out,
leaving the fourth coin under her hand.

STEP VI — She will not feel this fourth coin under her hand because of the other
coins on top of it.

STEP VII — Balance the card on top of your closed left fist. Slowly open your
left fingers so that the card lands flat onto your palm — covering what should be
the coin.

STEP VIII — Curl your left fingers in to clip the outer side of the card between
your first and second finger. Lift the card up with these two fingers to reveal the
vanish.
STEP IX — Drop the card face up onto the deck — to lead into Michael's
Proposition.

STEP X — Pick up the deck in your left hand and obtain a left little finger break
below the second card from the top. 76
STEP XI — Riffle the deck toward the spectator's hand. As she lifts up her hand
to discover the four coins, turn the face-up card face down onto the deck and grasp
the double from above the break by its ends with your right fingers.

STEP XII — Put the deck aside with your left hand while the right hand places
the face-down double onto the table in front of you.

STEP XIII — Place each one of the coins on a corner of the double as you say,
"leaving us with all four coins neatly arranged in a perfect square — symbolic of
the square deal you always get with . . . (fill in the blank with the name of your
spectator, host, or organization).
Any other line which gives you an excuse to place the four coins onto the
corners of the double will work just as well. Note that the coins are "square" with
the corners. Fig. 2.

Fig. 2.

STEP XIV — Direct the spectator to cross one hand over the other (do it yourself
as an example). Comment that this time the coins will be covered with both of the
spectator's hands, making it impossible to get to the coins without the aid of a
crow bar or a blow torch.

STEP XV — After the spectator places her crossed hands onto the four coins
(make sure her hands completely cover the double) say, "oops — I forgot the
card." Direct your spectator to lift up one side of her hand just enough for you to
get the card. Do so by pinching one edge of the double between your right thumb
and first finger — and slide out the bottom card of the double. The weight of the
spectator's
77
hand will keep the coins and card in place. The four coins at the card's corners
will prevent the spectator from feeling the card. Try it yourself just so you know
I'm not kidding. Fig. 3.

STEP XVI — Place the card into the deck and riffle the deck toward the
spectator's hand. Ask her if she can still feel the coins. She will say "yes." Ask her
if she can still feel the card. She will say "huh." Tell her to take a look. She will
be amazed and delighted — and grateful for the chance to have met you.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

For Michael Ammar!
One day Michael said "Hey Paul — why don't you just use a double during
Free-Flight and load one of the cards under a spectator's hand as she covers the
coins. I said, "Gee whiz Michael — why didn't I think of that?" Michael said,
"Because your initials aren't M.A.
Upon getting over this injustice of life I worked out the four corner handling
and lifted a Dingle coins across theory for the open removal of the card. I now
refuse to do any coins and card routine unless I can close with the Proposition.
Yes Michael — it's that powerful. But now the big question for Michael is — can
he top it?

78
The Seduction:
Finally, a big time dancing girls and roller skating elephants finale for your
Close-up card magic that you can carry in the back of your pants. Close-up
philosopher Jay Sankey has gone against his better judgement and created an
audience preferred effect — that lets artless thrill-mongers enjoy the existential
experience of watching you squeeze an ace, two, three, and four together into a
perfect jumbo "10."

by Jay Sankey and P.H.

Preparation: Fold a jumbo ten of hearts (the same color back as the normal size
deck you're using) face down in half, then in half again the other way so that the
card is folded in quarters.
Place the jumbo into your back left pants pocket (or into your left jacket
pocket) so that the edges of the long side are up, and the end with the rounded
edges point to the left.

STEP I — Get the normal size ten of hearts to the top of the deck and force it on
a spectator (for an easy force see "Sleight of Ear")
STEP II — Direct the spectator to shuffle her selected card back into the deck.

79
STEP III -Take back the deck and spread it between your hands so that the backs of the
cards are toward the audience. Up jog the ace, two, three, and four of hearts as you attempt
to locate the selection through the process of elimination — which is something as old as
man himself. Place a card onto the face of the deck that's a close match for the one already
there (king of hearts/jack of hearts).

STEP IV — During the up-jogging process, break the spread at the ten of hearts whenever
it appears so that the ten is at the back of the right hand half. Use your left fingers, which
still hold its half. to pull out as one unit what ever number of hearts you've managed to up-
jog before you found the ten. Place this group of up-jogged cards, still up jogged, onto the
face of the left hand half—then place the right hand half square onto the left hand half
(onto the up-jogged cards).
This should leave you with the ten of hearts positioned directly to the right of the first
up-jogged card.
Continue to up jog the rest of the required hearts (if you haven't already up jogged
them).

STEP V — Place the deck, along with its four up-jogged hearts, face down onto your left
palm. Spread the deck into your right hand until all the up-jogged cards are in the right
hand group. Do not spread beyond the last up-jogged card. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

80
STEP VI — While a spectator pulls out the four out-jogged cards, obtain a left
little finger break below the face down ten that's on top of the left hand half.

STEP VII — Place the right hand cards face up onto the left hand cards. Grasp
the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers and transfer the break to
your right thumb.

STEP VIII — Cut off the cards from below the break with your left hand and
place them face up onto the right hand cards. Obtain a right thumb break above
the reversed ten at the bottom of the deck.

STEP IX — Turn your head away to the left while the spectator looks through
the four cards to secretly remove her selection. As you turn your head, slip your
left hand into your pocket and grab the jumbo (you don't have to palm it). Bring
the deck to meet your left hand as it comes out of your pocket and place the deck
face down onto your left hand — on top of the jumbo. The long "unfolded" edge
of the concealed jumbo should be to the left. The rounded corner end at the front.
Fig. 2. By now the spectator will have said something very close to "hey — my
card isn't here."

Fig. 2.
81
STEP X — Casually slide the face card of the deck to the bottom (below the jumbo)
with your left thumb, then leave the deck in your left hand — transferring the break
to your left little finger. Retrieve the four cards from the spectator with your right
hand. As your right hand leaves the deck, tilt the right side of the deck down to
conceal the right side of the jumbo card.

STEP XI — Place the four heart cards face up onto the face-up deck with your
right hand, then grasp the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers and
transfer the break to your right thumb. Comment that her selection is among the
four cards — if you look at things mathematically.

STEP XII — Use your left thumb to slide the top heart off the deck onto your left
palm. Slide the remaining three hearts onto your left palm one at a time. As each
heart is pulled off, add up the four values for the audience to arrive at the grand
total of ten hearts — a decidedly cheesy way to reveal the spectator's selection.

STEP XIII — As soon as the last heart is slid onto your left palm, use the left side
of the deck to lever the four cards over face down onto your left hand. Follow the
four card packet as it turns down with the jumbo at the bottom of the deck — the
jumbo staying in constant contact with the back of the turning packet. Fig. 3.
 As the packet turns completely over. grasp all the cards from below the break
with your left fingers (from the top down this includes the face-down then, the
jumbo, a face-up card, and the four face-down hearts).
In a continuing action, your right hand places the deck beneath the face-down
packet and onto the left palm so that the face-down packet and all the stuff on top
of it are square on the face of the deck.
As soon as this packet touches the face of the deck. grasp the jumbo (and the
card on top of it) from above by its ends with your right fingers and remove it off
the deck to the right.
You have switched the four card heart packet (now hidden face-down under
the face card of the deck) for the jumbo (in your right hand under the face down
ten).
To the audience, you've simply turned the four hearts face down and
transferred them to your right hand. Table the face-up deck. Comment that the
cards will look a lot more like her selection if the sides are stuck together.

STEP XIV — Squeeze the "four cards" between your palms to weld them
together. Then use your right fingers to unfold the first fold of the jumbo, along
with the face-down ten. toward yourself so that the loose normal size ten is
concealed face up on your left palm beneath the unfolded flap of the jumbo.

STEP XV — Unfold the rest of the jumbo to reveal the jumbo face-up ten —
keeping the normal ten hidden behind it.

STEP XVI — Grasp the right side of the jumbo and the card beneath it with your
right fingers. Remark that the jumbo ten comes supplied with its own portable
wallet size version. Slide the small ten into view out to the right and strike a
perfect "10" pose.
Straighten out the four reversed cards at your leisure or, if you want to make Jay
Sankey toss his philosophical cookies, simply give the deck a complete cut then
ribbon spread the cards face down to reveal the four face-up hearts.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

For Jay Sankey! . . .
. . . who gave me one of his innovative creations and allowed me to twist it around just so I
could share credit with him.

Here's a quick outline of Jay's original handling:

Jay starts with the folded jumbo already concealed on the bottom of the deck, and has the
10, A, 2. 3. and 4 of hearts set up on top. He

83
forces the ten without disturbing the set-up then has the ten returned to the center
of the deck. As he attempts to find the selection, Jay flourishes a series of slip
cuts to produce the four heart cards.
The four heart cards go on the face of the deck which is held in the left hand.
His left hand slides the top heart onto the jumbo which now rests on the left
hand. The remaining hearts are counted onto the left hand card — adding up to
ten. Jay pretends the trick is over. waits for the spectator to look up, then casually
brings his hands together to steal the face-up hearts onto the back of the deck.
The left fingers are cradled around the jumbo, which is passed off as the four
cards, while the right hand tables the deck. Both hands now squeeze the "four
cards" together. blending them into the jumbo ten — which is then unfolded.

Jay Sankey gives his own Official Notice of Appreciation:

For Rudy Hunter! — his fellow Torontonian and clever Canadian who helped
Jay clean up his original handling.

84
 Looker
The Seduction:

At Caesars Palace in Lake Tahoe, Close-up pro Terry LaGerould seduces himself
and his audiences nightly with a one hundred percent self-working effect that gets
grins from ladies and groans from almost everyone else. "Looker" can even be
performed over the phone by making an anonymous call — for those of you who
feel guilty about presenting an effect that doesn't really require your presence.

STEP I — Read the Presentation. STEP

II - Do the trick.

Presentation:

Place the king of spades face down onto the table.

Display the Queens. then place them face down on
the table away from the king.

85
 "Certain cards have an almost human relationship to each other — like the
kings and queens. I know ... I found it hard to understand myself, but when you
stop learning you stop growing."
"Consider this a learning experience. You're going to learn how to give one of
these queens a chance at romance. I can hardly wait . . . how about you?"
"Slide out one of the lucky ladies, but don't look at it — I want you to be
surprised. Turn the end of your card around so that it's at the front (turned end-
for-end), then slide it back into the other queens. By turning the card around
you've made it different from the other queens. I'll tell you how in a moment . . .
but first I want you to mix up the four ladies to make this romance more
realistic."
"When you turned around your queen, her head naturally turned with her.
Look at the four queens to see which one is looking the wrong way . . . you found
her? Great . . . but the big question is, what's that tiny head looking at?"
"You took a chance on romance and turned the tiny head of the queen of
spades. The queen of spades is looking at her perfect mate — the king of
spades!"
"Congratulations. You've just given the king a little head ... or a small face . . .
depending upon how you look at it."

Turn king face up.

86
 Blue
Tattoo
The Seduction:

Blue Tattoo injects a lethal color changing deck effect into your act at any time,
with any unprepared borrowed deck. There is no deck switch. There are no fudge-
o moves. You start and finish clean. Blue Tattoo comes complete with a carefully
measured dose of F.G.F. — otherwise known as the Feel Good Factor — a secret
formula that combines form and function so that the deck and your fingers
become fast friends.

Before starting: Position a single blue back card someplace within walking
distance of your performing area. I'll assume that your blue back card is a queen
of hearts although any one of a large variety of cards could be used with virtually
no change in handling.
Since your stranger card is blue, you should use a red back deck for your
performance. If you have a preference for blue back decks then you have to throw
away your blue back stranger, get hold of a single red back card, and change the
word "red" for "blue" in your presentation. I know . . . you thought this routine
was going to be easy.

STEP I — Set up the face-down deck from the top down. any face-down card,
any face-up card, a face-down queen of hearts (or whatever card matches your
stranger). Hold the face-down deck in left hand

87
dealing position and obtain a left little finger break under the third card from the
top. You can get this set-up while no one's looking — or you can get the set-up
while everyone's looking by following the handling
under "Notes."
NOTE — Spread the face-up deck between your hands and down-jog the queen
of hearts. Separate the spread at the queen so that the queen is at the back of the
right hand portion. Use the right hand cards to lever the left hand cards face down
onto the left hand.
Obtain a left little finger break under the top card of the left hand group. As you
place the face-up right hand cards directly onto the face-down cards, allow the
card above the break to slide above the right finger tips — onto the back of the
right hand group. In a continuing action, use your left thumb to slide off the top
face up card of the right hand group down onto the back of the right hand group.
Turn the right hand cards face down onto the left hand cards. Obtain a left little
finger break below the in-jogged card as your right thumb
squares with the rest of the deck.
To the audience you've spread the cards face up "to make sure everything's
okay," then turned the deck face down.

STEP II — Bring out the blue queen with your right hand, display both sides,
then place it face down onto the red deck. Grasp the four card block above the
break from its right side by its right corners between your right first finger and
thumb. Turn the four cards face up onto the deck as one (don't panic, this will be
fun) by sliding the fat card across the top of the deck to the right then tilting up the
right side of the fat card so that its left side contacts your left finger tips. From this
position turn the four card porker face up (right to left) onto the deck — still
holding on with your right first finger and thumb. As the big boy is turned down
retain a left little finger break under it. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

88
 Without changing the position of your right fingers, slide the top single face up
queen back and forth over the top of the deck "to rub some of the blue off onto
the deck." Fig. 2. Remove the single face-up queen and drop it face up in front of
you onto the table.

NOTE — The "reason" for putting the queen onto the deck is to rub off some of
the blue. There is absolutely no heat on the quadruple turn over because you're
changing a queen for a queen.

STEP III — You should still have a three card left little finger break. Use your
right fingers to slide out the bottom card of the deck from the front end of the
deck and place it face up square on top of the deck. Fig. 3 & 4.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

89
 Fig. 4.

STEP IV — Grasp the four card block from above the break with your right fingers from
above by its ends. Put the tip of your first finger onto the face of the card. Fig. 5. Lift the
quadruple off the deck as a single card by turning your right hand palm-up . . . showing the
freshly printed blue back of the card. As the face-up quadruple turns face down away from
the deck. bow its back toward the audience to conceal the extra thickness. Fig. 6. Replace
the quadruple face up onto the deck — retaining a left little finger break beneath it, and use
your left thumb to push the top single face-up card off onto the table . . . behind the tabled
queen.

90
 Fig. 6.

NOTE — I know . . . you're not thrilled about another quadruple lift. But it's
really worth it. You've got an impossible instant change of the red card to blue
under test conditions. The bowed quadruple is displayed just long enough for the
color change to register — and then placed back onto the deck. The bow of the
cards, the shock of the change, and the cards' constant movement, makes the
quadruple an invisible "no worry" sleight. Do the change in front of a mirror a
few times to feel a raw surge of magical power.

STEP V —Repeat the above change two more times. Each time removing a
single card from the bottom & placing it face up on the deck — and each time
dealing off the single face-up card onto the previously "changed" tabled card.
The audience has seen you change three red backed cards into three blue
backed cards. You still have a three card left little finger break. The top three
cards consist of a face down red card. followed by a face up card, followed by the
face up blue-backed queen.

STEP VI — Turn your left hand palm down so that the deck is face
up, with one end to the right. Use your right fingers to openly turn the
back card face down so that its right end extends half an inch past the right end of
the deck. Fig 7.
91
 Fig. 7.

STEP VII — Turn the back of your left hand to the audience so that you are
looking at the face of the reversed card — which is now in upjog position. The
back of the card is toward the audience. Fig. 8.

92
STEP VIII — Extend your left thumb so that it rests against the upper left side of
the up-jogged card. Grasp the deck and the up-jogged card from behind with your
right hand so that your right thumb tip rests up against the lower edge of the two
cards above the break (there are three cards above the break — but your right
thumb tip only comes in contact with the two cards that are together).
Rest your right fingers on the top edge of the up-jogged card, and position
your right first finger on its face at its upper left corner.
You are now in position for a visible flash change of the up-jogged red back
card into a blue back card. Get in front of a mirror so that you can see what your
audience sees. Fig. 9.
Your right thumb presses straight up on its two cards, using the extended left
thumb as a guide, until they square with the up-jogged card against your right
fingers. As the three cards square, sharply move the rest of the deck about six
inches forward — so that the entire blue back of the triple is visible to the
audience.

Fig. 9.

NOTE — The change should actually happen a moment after the right fingers touch the
up-jogged card. As the right thumb starts pushing its two cards up, the left hand should
already be moving the deck forward.

A few more notes: The tip of your right first finger is on the face of the card nearest you
(the outer card of the pair that slides up) to help keep the changed triple "tight."
93
 To create the illusion that the red back card "explodes" into a blue back card. you must
coordinate your actions so that the left hand moves the deck forward at the same speed that
your right thumb squares its cards — which is pretty fast. This means that your left hand
shoots out about six inches — and then stops cold as though hitting a wall. This sudden
forward start and stop of the deck visually locks in the change.

STEP IX — Turn your right hand palm down, leaving the triple held face up from above
by its ends. Use the left side of the triple to lever the deck face up onto your left palm. Fig.
10. As the deck turns face up, follow it down with the triple so that it moves square onto
the face-up deck. allowing your right thumb to obtain a break below the triple. Move your
right fingers down over the outer end of the pack so that the pack is held from above by its
ends with your right fingers. Your left thumb should have naturally ended up resting across
the face of the pack.

Fig. 10.

STEP X — Use your left thumb to slide the top single card off the face of the deck and
onto your left fingers. Drop this card face-up onto the other three "blue" cards on the table.
Fig. 11.

Fig. 11.

94
STEP XI — Place your palm-up left hand back under the deck to cut a third off
the back of the pack. Place these cut off cards square onto the face of the deck —
then immediately cut off the cards above the break with your right fingers.
Casually tilt your right hand palm up to flash the blue back, then replace the right
hand cards face up onto the face-up left hand cards — retaining a left little finger
break.

STEP XII — Cut off another third of the pack from the back with your left
fingers, place it on the face of the deck, and again cut to the break with your right
fingers to flash "another" blue back.

STEP XIII — After flashing the back of the right hand packet for the second
time, turn it face up and place it beneath the left hand cards — squaring the deck.
This leaves the blue back card at the back of the face-up deck. Adjust the face-up
deck so that it's held by its sides at the tips of your left fingers.

STEP XIV — Grasp the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers and
cut off a small face-up packet of five to ten cards. Turn your left hand palm down
to flash the blue back of the deck as the right hand cuts off its packet. Drop the
right hand packet face up onto the other stack of four face-up cards on the table.
Turn your left hand palm up as the right hand moves back to the deck to cut off
another small face-up packet. Follow the same action of turning the left hand
palm down to flash the blue back as the right hand cuts off its packet and drops it
onto the tabled stack. Fig. 12 & 13.

Fig. 12.

95
 Table the entire deck this way; your right hand cutting off small packets off the
deck's face as the left hand turns down to flash the blue back. Your right hand
should be moving its packets straight down to the table while your left hand stays
next to your right hand. The compact movements consist of the down twist of the
left wrist as it flashes the blue back while the right hand tables its packet —
followed by the up twist of the left wrist as the right fingers cut off another
packet.
This procedure for tabling the deck in small packets creates an excellent
illusion of having an entire deck of blue back cards. This is the same theory used
for showing a deck with the hindu shuffle — but done in a more natural, smooth
flowing action.

NOTE — For this "Tabled Hindu" to be effective you must keep the two hands
as close to each other as possible. The right hand should be able to turn up after
tabling a packet and have the face of the pack delivered directly into its fingers
without having to move away from its position over the tabled cards. With a little
practice you'll acquire a machine like rhythm where the left wrist turns up and
down as if it were on a spring — in perfect sync with the tabling of the right hand
cards.

Another Note: Make sure to use the reverse misdirection

of saying, "I
snap my fingers and all the blue disappears," as you do the Tabled Hindu. The blue will
have "accidentally" multiplied — making the Tabled Hindu psychologically safe.
96
Back to the routine:

STEP XV — Your right hand has tabled the deck by cutting off small packets until one
small packet remains in the left hand. Take this last face-up packet from above by its ends
with your right fingers and use it to scoop up the tabled stack. Your left fingers help with
this action so that the entire face-up deck is held from above by its ends with your right
fingers.
Turn your right hand palm-up as your right first finger points to the tabled face up queen
— flashing the blue back deck one more time. Fig. 14.

Fig. 14.

STEP XVI — Turn your right hand palm down (turning the deck face-up) and pick up the
face up queen onto the back of the face up deck by placing the back of the deck onto the
right side of the queen — then lifting up the deck with the queen side-jogged to the left.
Place the face up deck with its face up queen onto your palm-up left fingers so that your
left finger tips touch the back of the deck on the right side of the queen. Fig. 15.
Your right fingers slide the deck to the left so that the visible side-jogged queen squares
with the deck against the crotch of your left
thumb, while the blue back queen against the left finger
tips slides into
view — side-jogged to the right of the deck. You've exchanged one face
up queen for another queen undercover of sliding a queen from the left side of the deck to
the right. Fig. 16.
97
 Fig. 16.

STEP XVII — Remove the side-jogged queen with your right fingers, snap it
against the side of the deck. then drop the blue back queen face down to the
table.
Ribbon spread the deck face down with your left hand to reveal that
everything is as it was before — with fifty two red back cards and one blue back
queen.
98
Presentation:

STEP I — "Did you know that if you rub a bill some of its ink will come off? Oh
. . . who told you? I thought it was a secret."

Set up the deck as you talk.

STEP II — "Well, did you know that you can rub the ink off a playing card the
same way? . . . No . . . then it must be a pretty good secret. I'll show you, but you
have to promise not to show anyone else."

Bring out the blue card and turn it f ace up onto

the deck. Rub the top single card against the
card beneath it to "rub off the ink." Then deal
the card onto the table.

STEP III — "I think I left a little blue smudge on top of the deck . . . (squint your
eyes to look for the smudge) It's real hard to see — but if you smear the smudge
onto another card there's better contrast — and sometimes you can see a faint
trace of blue if the light hits it just right."

Do the f irst change.

STEP IV — "Don't be frightened. It's only a small amount of ink spread over a
large area — something called an "inkling." Maybe we can stamp out a few more
while it's still wet."

Do the second and third change. And then

the "exploding" change.

STEP V — "Sometimes there's a problem with permanent stains."

Do the double undercut to show two more

blues.

STEP VI — "But if you tilt the blue cards away from the light the blue smudges
are almost invisible."

Do the tabled cut sequence to

"accidentally" reveal a deck f ull of blue.
Pick up deck.

STEP VI — "I have an inkling that "almost invisible" isn't good enough. I'll have
to smear the smudge back onto the original blue."

99
 Do the open glide switch, table the blue
card f ace down, then spread the f ace-down
deck. Wait f or someone to pick up the blue
card.

STEP VII — "And don't worry about a thing — the blue stuff will wash off your
hands in a couple of weeks . . . (wait for her to check her hands) . . . you can't see
it unless you hold it up to the light."

100
 Unhinged
The Seduction:

A self-contained novelty for those who would like to screw or unscrew their
deck but do not have the pocket space or the guts for a deck switch. A hinge has
been substituted for the screw. The switch has been switched for a rebuilt card
case. And the required guts have been replaced with a few hours practice.

Materials required: one and a half decks

three matching card cases
scissors
glue
tape

One Time Preparation:

STEP I — Cut twenty six cards in half (from side to side) to make a fifty two
card "half deck." Fig. 1.

STEP II — Wrap some tape around the sides of the half deck to hold the cards
together. If you want to make this a lasting work of art you can glue or nail the
half deck together.

101
 Fig. 1.

STEP III — Put the half deck aside for the moment and get out one of
the cases. Cut out the case so it looks like fig. 2 & 3.

Fig. 3.

102
STEP IV — Cut out one of the side sections from this mangled case and put the
half deck inside. Fig. 4. Trim the exposed side of the half case (including the
"tongue") so that it's flush with the side of the half deck — making a slightly
narrower case.

Fig. 4.

STEP V — Remove the half deck and smear some glue all over the inside of the
half case. Replace the deck inside so that its rough cut end is out of sight against
the inner end of the case. You have officially glued the half deck into the half
case. Get used to the fact that you will never be able to use the half deck for
anything else. Fig. 5.

Fig. 5.

103
STEP VI — Glue the cut-out side piece directly onto the exposed side of the
deck so that it looks like the side piece is a permanent part of the case.

STEP VII — Take one of the other cases and cut out its bottom end — making a
bottomless case.

STEP VIII — Take the remaining card case and cut out half its back wall as in
fig. 6 and glue the cut-out half back onto the half moon side of the bottomless
case so that the design is exposed and the cut end is square with the case's inner
end.

Fig. 6.

STEP IX — Insert the half case into the bottomless case tongue end first as in
fig. 7. The half case should easily slide in and out of the bottomless case — but
should be tight enough so that the case doesn't wobble. When the half case is
flush with the bottomless case, the tongue should be contained within the
bottomless case. If anything sticks out too far, is uneven, or doesn't look right —
cut it off with the scissors. Fig. 8. Slide out the half case and crease its tongue as
in fig. 9.

104
 Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

Set-up: Insert the half case into the bottomless case from its bottomless end.
Insert a real deck into the bottomless case from its other end. The deck will slide
over the tongue and push the half case out of the bottomless case. The weight of
the deck pressing on the tongue will keep the half case in position. Tuck in the
flap (the real one on the bottomless case) and fold the half case at the creased
tongue onto the back of the bottomless case. Fig. 10.
Place the deck and a half into a right hand pocket or close-up case so that the
bottomless case is on top of the half case and the exposed ends of the decks point
forward.

105
 Fig. 10.

STEP I — Grasp the case and a half from above by its sides with your right
fingers so that your right hand conceals the right end of the bottomless case. Fig.
11.

Fig. 11.

STEP II — Comment that a friend gave you a "joke deck" for your birthday,
then bring out the "hinged deck" so that the exposed ends of the decks point
toward the audience.

STEP III — Move your left hand toward the deck as your right hand tilts the left
side of the deck up — so that the under side of the folded
deck presses up against your left hand This leaves the two "halves" held between
your two hands in a semi-prayer position. The right fingers are still firmly curled
around the bottomless case. Fig. 12.

106
 Fig. 12.

STEP IV — Grasp the non-deck end of the half case with your left fingers in the
same fashion that the right fingers hold it end.

STEP V — Tilt the back of your hands to the audience and open and close the
hinged deck a few times as you comment that it's a portable pack for travelers —
or for poker players that can never fold a hand. Fig. 13. Finish your hinge
demonstration with the deck in open (unfolded) condition.

Fig, 13,

STEP VI — The right end of the half case should be in position on the inner
edge of the bottomless case ready to be pushed inside. Slide your left hand to the
right so that it holds both halves (don't slide too far or you'll expose the left end
of the case). Fig. 14.

107
 Fig. 14.

STEP VII — Tilt the back of your hands to the audience and rest the left side of
your left hand on the table. As your left hand moves to the table your right hand
slides around the top end of the bottomless case so that your thumb is at the back
half moon side of the case. The end of the half case rests on the table concealed by
your left hand. Fig. 15.

Fig. 15.

STEP VIII — Unfold the flap with your right fingers as your left hand presses the
bottomless case down onto the table — causing the half case to slide into the
bottomless case and push the deck out the top. You can
display the rising deck effect here or you can grasp the end of the deck
with your right fingers and make the audience think that you pulled it out of the case.
The case is now "clean." Fig. 16.

108
 Fig. 16,

STEP IX — Put the case away in your pocket with your left hand (keeping the
gaffed surface down) while your right hand spreads out the deck to show that the
"hinge" has vanished.

STEP X — Perform a breathtaking sequence of Close-up Seductions. Make me

proud.

STEP XI — When you're ready to put the deck away bring out the case with
your left hand holding it from above by its sides so that the flap end is on top
pointing toward the audience. Fig. 17.

Fig. 17.

109
STEP XII — Insert the deck into the case with your right hand. Your left hand
conceals the half deck as it's pushed out at the inner end. Close the flap with your
right fingers then grasp the flap end of the case from above by its sides with your
right fingers in the "ready to hinge" grip.

STEP XIII — Slide your left hand back so that it grips the half pack from above
by its ends. This action is covered by turning the backs of your hands toward the
audience.

STEP XIV — Move your palms toward each other to fold the deck in half — so
that the exposed ends of the cards are toward the audience. Fig. 18.

Fig. 18.

STEP XV — Release your left hand grip as your right hand moves straight back
with the two halves — continuing to keep the exposed ends toward the audience.
Place the deck in your right hand pocket or case — leaving you in perfect
position to unhinge your next audience.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

To Patrick Snowden! . . .
... for simplifying the construction of the fake — without which you'd still be
gluing real hinges onto your deck.

110
 Sleight
of Ear

The Seduction:

The spectator's floppy ears are the targets for your seduction. By adding the
element of sound to a two card transposition you buy a "delay" which moves the
effect an extra step away from the method. It also provides a mnemonic hook
which makes the cards easy to remember. But what's really important is that the
element of sound, because of its "warmed-up" humanized premise, creates an
emotional hook . . . which has the power to seduce unwary spectators into
grinning from one floppy ear to the other.

Preparation: Staple an extra seven of spades face up through its center onto the
back (non half-moon side) of the card case.

STEP I — Take care to conceal the staple from the audience during any
preceding card presentations.

STEP II — Secretly position the seven of spades on top as you openly remove the
four kings from the deck.

STEP III — Force the seven upon a spectator by sheer power of your personality,
or riffle down the deck with your left thumb until someone

111
says stop. Flip the packet above your left thumb face up to the right so that it
revolves over your left finger tips and lands face down onto your right palm. Hold
your right hand under your left hand as your right thumb deals the top card of the
right hand packet to a spectator as "the selected card." The revolving action of the
packet leaves people with the general impression that the top card of the right
hand packet came from the center of the deck. Table the deck face down to your
left.

STEP IV — Comment that because of the amount of ink and thickness of paper,
the kings crackle and the sevens are silent. Hold the face-up four king packet by
its sides between both hands with your thumbs on top. Make the kings crackle by
flexing the packet's sides up and down.
STEP V — Table the face-up crackling king packet and pick up the "silent
seven." Hold the face-up seven by its sides between both hands the same way you
held the king packet. When you flex the silent seven relax the pressure of your
fingers from beneath the card. These fingers stay in position, but the card is
actually held only between the thumbs and first fingers. When held in this fashion
the silent seven should remain silent as it's flexed. Drop the silent seven face up
onto the face-up crackling kings.

STEP VI — Pick up the tabled packet and hold it face down from above by its
ends with your left fingers. Shuffle the packet by sliding the cards from top to
bottom one at a time with your left thumb six times. This will leave the silent
seven at the fourth position from the top. Transfer the face-down packet to left
hand dealing position.

STEP VII — Test your audience's ears to find if they're sensitive enough to detect
where the silent seven is: Push off the top face-down card to the right so that it's
held by its sides between both hands. Crackle the card. The shrewd audience will
guess that this card is not the silent seven. Place the face-down card to the bottom
of the packet.

STEP VIII — Repeat this crackling king maneuver with the next card on top of
the packet. Replace it face down at the bottom.

STEP IX — As the next card on top of the packet is pushed off, spread the card
below it to the right also. When the top card is grasped by its sides between your
hands, obtain a left little finger break under the card below it as your left fingers
square it with the packet.

STEP X — Flex the top card between your hands so that it sounds like the silent
seven. As you wait for your spectator's guess, place the top card square onto the
packet. The spectator will guess that the top card is
112
the silent seven. Turn the two cards from above the break face up as one to reveal that your
spectator's guess was correct.

STEP XI — Turn the double seven down onto the packet and deal the top single card face
down onto the table in front of your spectator. Ask her to place her soft hand onto the silent
seven in order to keep it sound proof.

STEP XII — Grasp the inner end of the packet with your right fingers so that your thumb
is below. Change your left hand grip so that it holds its end of the packet in the same
fashion as your right fingers. The back of the packet should now be toward the audience.

STEP XIII — Use your right fingers to spread the right end of the packet up into a reverse
fan so that only the white border of the seven at the back is exposed. Tilt your hands down
so that the audience can see what appears to be four spread kings. Fig. 1.

STEP XIV — Keep the fan face up while your left fingers turn the seven at the back down
toward you. Fig. 2.

113
STEP XV — Drop the face-up three king fan to the table so that your right fingers can
grasp the right side of the face-down seven (which the audience has every reason to believe
is one of the kings).

STEP XVI — Change your left hand grip so that it's holding the left side of the card in the
same manner as the right hand grip — putting you in flex position.

STEP XVII — Hold the face-down card near the spectator's hand. She believes her soft
hand is still keeping the silent seven safe and sound. Crackle the card in your hand once.
Pause a beat. Crackle the card again. Pause a beat. Then flex the card so that it's silent . . .

STEP XVIII — The crackle has vanished, along with the king. Show that the card in your
hand has turned into the silent seven. Flex the face-up silent seven once more to prove your
point.

STEP XIX — Direct the spectator to lift her hand. Turn her card face up and crackle the
king. The silent seven and the crackling king, along with their individual noises, have
changed places.

STEP XX — Drop the spectator's king face up onto the other three face-up kings, and pick
up the packet from above by its sides with your left fingers.

STEP XXI — Pick up the face-up seven onto the back of the left hand packet so that the
seven is out-jogged over the packet's front end.

STEP XXII — Turn your left hand palm down so that the packet's face down. then grasp
the card case from above by its ends with your right fingers. The stapled card should be
concealed on the bottom of the case.

STEP XXIII — Remark that this time you're going to sound proof the silent seven with the
card case to create a cardboard "dome of silence." Hold the case so that it covers the front
end of the up-jogged seven — but doesn't quite touch the card. Note that the case over-laps
the front end of the seven.

STEP XXIV — Under cover of the case. place the tip of your left first finger against the
front edge of the seven.

STEP XXV — As you move the case back toward yourself so that it
goes square onto the out-jogged seven, secretly square the seven with the rest of the packet
by pressing in with your left first finger. The case goes down onto the packet, out-jogged
over the packet's front end in

114
the position previously held by the out-jogged seven. Fig. 3 & 4.
The placement of the case and the squaring of the seven should happen
simultaniously.
STEP XXVI — Turn your left hand palm-down to display the seven on the
bottom of the box. The center staple should be concealed by the front end of the
packet.

STEP XXVII — Grasp the case, and its stapled seven, by its right end with your
right fingers from below and your right thumb on top. Your right thumb is
positioned to conceal the staple when the packet is removed. Fig. 5.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

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STEP XXVIII — Remove the packet with your left hand and place the case, card
side down, onto a spectator's palm.

STEP XXIX — Comment that the sound of the crackling kings is sometimes
confused with the sound of a stapler. This makes for an interesting experiment in
"Sleight of Ear."

STEP XXX — Spread the four face up kings in your left hand so that the seven
at the back remains concealed behind the last king.

STEP XXXI — Remove an imaginary staple from your pocket with your right
thumb and first finger.

STEP XXXII — Place the "staple" among the four kings and square the packet.
Hold the packet by its sides between both hands. Crackle the kings while
projecting the image of a stapler into the minds of your audience.

STEP XXXIII — Drop the king packet face down onto the deck and direct the
spectator to lift up the box where she'll discover the stapled seven. You can take
this opportunity to sneak the unstapled seven off the deck and into a pocket, or if
you're a pro, you can slip the card to the center of the deck and continue with your
performance.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

To Daryl! . . .
. . . whose Auditory Illusion using a rattle and a squeaker inspired me
to make my own noise.
116
Bleached
Blonde

The Seduction:

Yes . . . Bleached Blonde is a genuine fluff ball from heaven. It uses a spanking
new principle which encourages you to create a blank-face card using an ordinary
deck. When mastered, the handling provides push-button "instant magic." To
achieve this shake-and-bake simplicity you'll have to whip lots of tiny pieces into
shape, understand their incestuous relationship to one another — then practice until
the sparks from your mind and the heat from your hands melt the elements together
into a single, compact, lovely-to-hold, delightful-to-scold, "Bleached Blonde."

STEP I — Set up the deck by placing any two aces. except the ace of spades, on
the deck's face. Place a jack. king, and queen (any suits— any order) onto the aces
on the face of the deck. For explanation's sake let's assume a jack on the face of the
pack followed by a king, and then a queen.

STEP II — Hold the deck in face-up dealing position in your left hand.
Tilt the back of the deck toward the audience and use your left thumb to
push the jack and the king to the right — so that your right fingers can
grasp the two cards together at their right sides. Slide these two cards up 117
about half an inch (just above the queen's upper index corner pip) then use your
left thumb to push the queen into your right fingers, down jogged behind the
other two cards.
Slide this three card group down so that the top end of the jack is even with the
top end of the ace on the deck's face. Use your left thumb to slide this ace behind
the three cards. Your right fingers now hold four cards, the queen is down-
jogged.
Place the right hand's packet onto the face of the deck (which shows an ace) so
that the down-jogged queen is square with the deck — leaving the jack, king, and
ace up-jogged on the face of the deck. Note that the up-jogged ace at the back of
the three up-jogged cards is separated from the jack and the king by the queen.
The entire action of the above set-up is simply an up-jog, a down-jog. and an
up-jog. The "Note" that follows contains a direct handling to achieve this position
from a shuffled deck. But if you're in a mellow mood you may want to skip this
for the moment and move right on to step III.

NOTE — To get into Bleached Blonde condition from a shuffled deck:

Cut any ace except the ace of spades to the face of the pack. spread the deck
between your hands and up-jog any two of the jack. king, queen trio as soon as
they appear, then up jog the third royalty as soon as it shows so that it's half an
inch lower than the other two up-jogged cards. Continue spreading until you
locate the third card of the trio (remember — the three cards can be off-suit and
in any order). Up-jog this third card so that it's half an inch lower than the other
two up-jogged cards. Continue spreading until you locate a second ace (not the
spade) and up jog it so that the ace is even with the first two "high" royalties. Fig.
1.

Fig. 1.

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Square the spread deck into your left hand and grasp the four upjogged cards by
their top end between your right fingers. Remove the four cards as one unit by
pulling the packet straight up out of the pack (take care not to "lose" the lower
card) Fig. 2. and place it on the decks face so that the down-jogged card is square
with the deck — leaving the other three cards up-jogged. On the face of the pack
you should now have two up-jogged royalties, a royalty square with the deck, an
upjogged ace, and an ace square with the deck. You're all set to go Fig. 3.

119
 If by chance you pass by all the aces before locating three royalties (a rare
occurrence) you'll have to down jog the last ace before continuing your search. Up
jog the three royalties as previously described then grasp the down-jogged ace by
its right side with your fingers. Remove the ace from the deck and hold it behind
the three up-jogged cards (hold it in position by pressing it against the back of the
deck with your right fingers) so that its top end is at the same level as the top ends
of the front two up-jogged cards. Slide all four cards up out of the deck with your
right fingers and place the packet onto the deck's face as previously described.

Back to the trick:

STEP III —Turn your left hand palm up so that the deck is face-up. Your left
thumb rests on the face of the up-jogged cards. Grasp the upper left corner of the
three up-jogged cards between your right thumb and second finger. Rest the tip of
your right first finger on the "point" of the corner.
Swivel the three card packet to the right so that it forms a right angle with the
rest of the deck in a gun formation. The top long side of the packet should be
square with the top end of the deck. The left end of the packet should be square
with the upper left side of the deck. Fig. 4.

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 Use your right thumb to slide up the face card of the angled packet so that your
left thumb rests on the face of the angled card exposed below it. The angled ace
remains hidden by the two card spread. Fig. 5.

Push out to the right with your left thumb on its card just a hair so that your
right fingers can feel the top two angled cards move away from the hidden angled
ace. Your left thumb remains in position extended across the inner long side of its
angle card. Fig. 6.
Press down firmly with your left thumb (onto the center of the pair's inner long
sides) as your right fingers swivel the two visible angled cards as one spread unit
down to the right — so that they are "unangled" and line up with the rest of the
deck. The angled ace will remain concealed by the two card spread. Fig. 7 & 8.

121
 Fig. 7.

NOTE — If the two cards end up below the angled ace, it means that your left
thumb didn't press on its two cards far enough to the right. This left thumb
pressure is the pivot point for the swiveled cards. Your left thumb position is the
key factor in causing the revolving cards to line up with the deck — and to keep
the angled ace concealed. After a little practice you'll be able to swivel the up-
jogged cards down to the right
side of the deck in a single smooth flowing action. Learn each movement
separately, give your fingers time to memorize their jobs, then put it all together.
STEP IV — Grasp the two spread cards from above by their ends with your right
fingers. The tip of your right first finger rests on the face of the king (second from
the top), your left finger tips gently press up on the hidden angled ace from below
— keeping it squared with the deck's upper end and upper left side. Rest your
extended left thumb against the left side of the deck.
Slide the single jack to the right until its left edge is on the center of the king's
head. Slide the two spread cards as one unit across the face of the pack to the left
until the left side of the spread king is square with the left side of the deck. Fig. 9.

STEP V — You are going to steal the queen off the deck onto the back of the
king — creating a double king. Firmly press the tip of your right first finger onto
the king down and to the left to perfectly square the left sides of the king and
queen together against the side of your left thumb.

STEP VI — Move your left thumb onto the center of the pack's face.
Your thumb should be angled so that it's directly over the position
where the inner left pip of the angled ace is hiding (Take a peek under the spread cards to
make sure your left thumb's in proper position.).

123
STEP VII — Your left thumb tip should naturally be positioned on the inner end
of the deck near the inner right corner. This left thumb position is your pivot point
for the action that follows: Slowly pivot the two card spread (really three) to the
right. Light upward pressure on the back of the hidden angled ace with your left
fingers will keep the double separate from the other cards. Gently squeeze the
ends of the double with your right fingers to keep the double together as it slides
across the deck.
The upper left index corner of the card on the deck beneath the spread should be
blank. Continue pivoting the two card spread across the deck to the right revealing
more blank card. Your left thumb conceals the ace's index at the card's "center."
Fig. 10.

Fig. 10.

The inner left corner of the double king conceals the ace's main center pip. You
should be able to pivot the spread to the right, revealing a blank card beneath it,
until the upper left corner of the double king extends diagonally across the upper
right blank "corner" of the angled ace. This corner is actually the top long edge of
the ace. You'll have to take care not to go beyond where this corner should be —
otherwise you'll have a stretching card effect.
You should be able to make this pivot to the right of the two card spread in one
smooth action. If part of the ace shows that shouldn't, it means that the top two
cards were not spread far enough apart from each other, or that the pivot point of
your right thumb tip was off. Experiment a little to find the exact right pivot point
for your right thumb, so that you can safely reveal the maximum amount of white
space. You've just changed a normal queen into a bleached blonde. This is a time
to be happy.

124
STEP VIII — As the pivot action of the two cards stop, remove the top single
jack with your right fingers. This card is already held from above by its ends in
your right fingers — simply move your right hand aside with its single card —
leaving the double king angled on the face. Fig. 11.
Curl in your right fingers to clip the right end of the card between your right
first and second finger so that you can release your right thumb grip. From this
position press the left end of the face-up jack up against the overlapped outer end
of the king on the right. The jack will actually be up against the right end of the
angled ace which is hidden beneath the king. Fig. 12.

125
 Without changing your right hand grip, slide the card into the deck so that the
visible blank card is sandwiched between the king on top and the jack below. The
jack should be at the same angle as the king — but not square with it. Note that
the "three" card sandwich is now clipped between your right first and second
finger. Fig. 13.

STEP IX — Without releasing your right hand grip, tilt your hands up so that the
back of the deck (and the sandwich) is toward the audience. Freeze your right
hand as the left hand tables the deck face down to the left. The three card
sandwich (it's back to the audience) will remain clipped between your right
fingers, the face card of the sandwich will be the double king, the sandwiched
card will be one of the aces, the other ace will be concealed at the face of the
face-down deck. Hang in there, we're almost done. Fig. 14 & 15.

126
 Fig. 14.

Fig. 15.

STEP X — Tilt the sandwich up just enough so that you can see its face. Pinch
the lower left corner of the sandwich between your left thumb and fingers so that
your left thumb covers the ace's exposed index corner. Turn the sandwich face up
by turning both hands palm up. The audience will still see a blank card between
the king and the jack. Fig. 16.

127
STEP XI — Leave the tip of your right first finger in position on the face of the
double king as your right hand turns palm down so that its other fingers can grasp
the packet from above by its sides. Your right thumb should be positioned against
the inner long side of the cards so that it's just to the left of the ace's concealed
inner right corner. Freeze your left hand while your right fingers square the sides
of the other cards with the blank. The position of your right thumb should make
this squaring action easy. The left blank end remains in view, extending from the
left end of the squared cards. Fig. 17, 18, & 19.

128
STEP XII — Without changing the position of any of your fingers, slide the
entire packet to the left toward the crotch of your left thumb. Keep the ace's inner
left index corner pressed up against your left thumb to keep the index concealed.
Continue sliding the packet to the left so that the left end of the ace hits the crotch
of your left thumb and squares with the left end of the packet. This leaves the left
end of the squared packet held between your extended left thumb on top, and
fingers below. Fig. 20.
129
 As soon as the cards are square your right fingers slide the packet to the right
— to the tips of the left fingers. Immediately perfoirn the Ascanio Spread by
fanning the top and bottom cards with your left fingers (your left thumb slides the
king on top forward — your left fingers slide the jack on the bottom toward
yourself), your right fingers move to the right with the face-up double queen held
by its sides. Fig. 21.
The bleached blonde has instantly undyed herself back into the colorful queen.
This is a good thing.

130
STEP XIII — Place the double queen face up onto the face of the two left hand
cards and turn your left hand palm down to turn over the packet. Grasp the packet
from above by its sides with your right fingers as your left fingers slide the
bottom card away from the packet to the left. Your right hand drops its face-down
packet onto the deck as your right hand tosses the unbleached queen out to the
hair dressers in the audience. And yes . . . you are clean.

Official Note of Appreciation:

For Richie Kaufman! — editor and subscriber to Richard's Almanac. During a
brain storm session with Richie in New York, Richie was fooling with some aces
and I noticed that he'd covered an index corner with another ace. I said, "Hey
Richie, your cat's getting fur balls all over my sweater, — and by the way — it
sort of looks like you've made one of the pips disappear on the ace." Richie said,
"Hey Paul, you're getting sweater balls all over my cat — and what you're
suggesting with the aces does not amuse me." I said, "Hey Richie, exactly what is
it that amuses you?"
I spent the rest of the evening picking sweater balls out of the cat.

Presentation:
Get the cards set up on the f ace of the
pack.

STEP I — "One thing people hardly ever notice about the jack, queen, and king
is their hair styles."

Swivel the cards to "set" the ace.

STEP II — "Two out of three of these cards have your basic two dollar clip and
rip hair cut. But one of them is a bleached blonde. The only way to get to the root
of the matter (ha) is to use a version of the old suicide blonde technique . . . dyed
by her own hand."

Get ready for the change.

STEP III — "Watch what happens when I use my hand and her hair to reveal the
total bleached blonde look."

Do the change.

STEP IV — "It's hard to see her face with all that hair, so to uncover the bleached
blonde's personality I'll put her in the special bleacher seat."
131
 Sandwich the blonde — then remove the hair sandwich
f rom the deck.

STEP V — "... and push back her hair."

Square the blonde with the sandwich and Ascanio back

her f ace.
STEP VI — ". . .to hide the secret that only her hair dresser knows for sure."

132
 (Wherein a single card becomes frictionless.)

The Seduction:

How many of you out there have spent a large part of your formative years
learning a second deal, and then didn't know what to do with it once you learned it?
Let's have a show of hands . . . aha — I thought so. I can see the callouses on the
lower left quadrants of your right thumbs from here. Now let me see your clothes . .
. yes, that's what I was afraid of. An entire segment of the magic population — all
dressed up with no place to go. What's that? You say you used it for a stop trick
once, and you know someone in Barstow who does it in place of a double lift.
Or maybe you're working on a high-tech gambling demo about marked cards
and loaded dice. Well, maybe . . . but I'll bet you end up using a double lift and
sponge bunnies.
So what is the point of this tirade? I want to reassure you that not all is lost. That
somewhere out there is a commercial, entertaining routine that lets you show off
your seconds without showing off, a routine that lets you successfully get away
with less than wonderful seconds because they're presented as a flourish instead of a
secret move. And finally, a routine that lets you perform for a mixed audience
consisting of those that don't like card tricks and those that don't like gambling
demonstrations — and still convince them that you're a good guy to have around.
Wow. Maybe all that work I put into my own second deal was worth it after all.
Hey. Who the heck knows.
133
STEP I — Before starting, position the ace of spades sixth from the top of the
face-down deck — although you can use any card that happens to be there.

STEP II — Hold the face-down deck in left hand dealing position and spread six
cards off into the right hand. Obtain a left little finger break beneath the seventh
card — the new top card of the deck.

STEP III — Turn your right hand cards face up onto the deck to reveal the face-
up ace of spades. Comment how gamblers used to rub butter on the aces to make
them easier to cut to. These people were known as "kitchen magicians." Pretend to
remove a spot of Parkay Margarine which is "concealed" behind one of your
buttons. Pretend to smear the slick substance onto the face of the ace with your
right finger tips.

STEP IV — Grasp all of the cards from above the break from above by their ends
with your right fingers (six face-up cards — one face-down card). Hold onto this
packet while your left thumb gets under the deck and turns it face up onto your left
fingers.

STEP V — Drop the face-up ace packet square onto the face-up deck, then grasp
the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers.

STEP VI — Pull down on the back card of the deck with your left little finger to
obtain a break above the back card with your right thumb.

STEP VII — Swivel the top half of the deck with your right first finger to the left,
onto your palm-up left hand.

STEP VIII — Place the left hand ace packet onto the back of the right hand
packet and double undercut to the break. This will leave the ace second from the
top.

STEP IX — Grasp the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers so
your left thumb can drag the face card to the deck's center — slip cutting the ace to
the top. Easy because of the "buttered cards." "What's really interesting about this
is that the buttered card was invented just a few seconds before gamblers learned
to deal the second card from the top of the deck."
STEP X — Hold the face-up deck in left hand dealing position and un successfully
attempt to deal the slick ace onto the table by dealing out five face-up seconds.
Act as though you're really trying to deal the ace — but the "butter" has made it
too slick.

134
STEP XI — Pry up the top three cards from the deck's inner end with your right
thumb to obtain a three card break with your left little finger. This action is done
as you explain how difficult it is to grab the ace.

STEP XII — Turn the triple ace face down onto the pack with your right fingers.
Retain a left little finger break beneath the triple as it turned down onto the deck.
Comment that the other side of the ace should be easier to grab.

STEP XIII — Push the face-down card into your right fingers then drop it face up
onto the tabled cards. The buttered-up ace has slipped away again.

STEP XIV — Grasp the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers and
cut to the break. Turn the deck over to reveal the face-up ace.

STEP XV — Deal four or five more seconds in rapid succession as you attempt to
grab the ace.

NOTE — The seconds will come off the deck face down, and should be dropped
face up onto the other face-up cards on the table. After the card is slid off the
deck, cause it to drop face up by letting its right side roll off of your right
fingertips.

STEP XVI — Turn the deck over onto your left hand (so that the ace is face
down at the back of the deck against your fingers) as you comment that it might
be easier to leave the ace where it is and deal the rest of the deck away from it.

STEP XVII — Grasp the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers
while your left fingers openly side jog the ace to the left about half an inch. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

135
STEP XVIII — Press your left fingertips flat against the exposed surface of the
card above the ace on the right side of the deck.
STEP XIX — Handle the ace and the card above it as one unit by sliding the ace
to the right, squaring it with the deck, while the card above the ace slides to the
right. This side-jogged card on the right will be concealed by your right fingers.
Fig. 2 & 3.

136
STEP XX — Obtain a left little finger break above the side-jogged card by
pressing down on it with your left little finger as you square the side-jogged card
to the left.

STEP XXI — Start dealing out the deck by spreading the top four face-up cards
into your right fingers. Drop the four card spread face up onto the other tabled
cards.

STEP XXII — Grasp the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers as
your left fingers slide the top card and the double from the bottom off the deck to
the left at the same time. In a continuous action, your left fingers slide two more
single cards off the face of the pack onto the "two" left hand cards. Slide this four
card spread face up under the tabled cards — to move the pile closer to you.

STEP XXIII — Deal some more single cards off the top of the deck with your
right hand, onto the tabled pile.

STEP XXIV — Take half the deck in each hand and deal cards face up onto the
tabled pile with both hands.

STEP XXV — When you're down to the last few cards in both hands. turn your
hands palm down as your fingers fan out the face-down cards —the reversed card
is gone. The slick ace has slipped out again. Fig. 4.

Fig. 4.

137
STEP XXVI — Square the cards. Hold the face-up deck in left hand dealing
position and grasp the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers.

STEP XXVII — Pull down on the bottom card with your left little finger and
retain the break with your right thumb.

STEP XXVIII — Swivel the top half of the deck with your right first finger into
your left hand.

STEP XXIX — Comment about the Parkay law of Opposites. "You say face up. I
say face down." As you say "down" hold the right hand half directly over the left
hand half and unload the card above the break onto the back of the right hand half
undercover of a "paint brush" action. The face-up card on the left hand half
appears to have suddenly turned face down.

STEP XXX — Out-jog the face-down card as the right hand half is placed onto
the left hand half — leaving the face-down card out-jogged in the center of the
pack. Fig. 5.

138
STEP XXXI — Continue your lines "You say butter — I say 'Parkay.'" On
"Parkay" spread the deck face down to reveal the face-up Parkay ace. Remove the
ace and use it to flip the spread face-up as you say, "that's right — the high price
spread . . ." proving that there's more than one way to butter up an audience. Fig.
6.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

For Dana Betz! . . .
... for eliminating a move that would have caused critics to say unkind things
about me.

139
The Seduction:

You're sick and tired of people saying, "Is that a deck in your pocket or are you
just happy to see me?" So this time you left your fifty two little entertainers at
home. But now you're romantic future depends upon you wowing the waitress
with your wonderfulness. What do you do? You have two choices. Accidentally
drop a wad of hundred dollar bills on her shoe to convince her of your self-worth
— Or cause a borrowed coin and the sweet stuff in a sugar packet to spectacularly
change places.
Of course, the wad of bills maneuver would be your first choice.

Preparation: Sneak a sugar packet off the table and use a fork to tear a slit along
one of the packet's long sides near the top. Fig. 1. Fold the portion of packet that's
above the slit over onto the slit. Put the prepared packet into a left hand pocket.

STEP I — Finger palm the prepared packet in your left hand so that the folded
slit side is against the fingers — the slit pointing toward the "little finger side" of
your hand. The fold keeps the sugar from spilling out — give or take a few
granules.

140
 Fig. 1.

STEP II — Borrow a bill from the audience and place it directly onto the finger-
palmed sugar packet so that the left end of the bill goes into the crotch of your left
thumb.

STEP III — Grip the packet and the bill with your right thumb from below
against the packet, and your right first finger on top of the bill. Lift the bill along
with the packet concealed beneath it so that the bill faces the audience. The packet
should now be near the upper left corner of the bill with the folded part of the
packet on top facing toward you.

STEP IV — Grasp the left end of the bill, along with the sugar packet, with your
left fingers. Fold the bill in half by placing the back of your right thumb against
the outer right side of the bill, then using your thumb to push that end of the bill
over onto the left side of the bill so that the folded right side of the bill ends up
held between your right thumb and finger. Fig. 2 & 3.

141
 The sugar packet and your left thumb are now sandwiched inside the folded bill.
Hold the sugar packet in position with pressure from your right thumb and fingers
while your left thumb moves out of the bill by sliding up. On the way up your
thumb slides up under the sugar packet's fold — automatically unfolding it.
Transfer the bill covered sugar to your left hand by grasping the bill's left ends
together between your left thumb and fingers. Left finger pressure holds the sugar
packet in place.

STEP V — Use your right fingers to fold the bottom half inch of the bill up on the
audience side of the bill — to seal off the bill's bottom edge. Fig. 4.

STEP VI — Borrow a nickel or a quarter from a spectator and have her remember
the coin's date before handing it to you. While this action is taking place, tilt the bill
to the left, to cause some of the sugar to slide to the left of the packet — leaving a
space at the right of the packet for the coin.

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STEP VII — Take the coin with your right fingers and place it into the bill,
directly into the sugar packet through its slit — in the space left by the shifted
sugar.
STEP VIII — Transfer the bill to your right hand by clipping the right side of the
bill's bottom flap between your first and second finger. The right thumb goes to
the back of the bill so that the packet is held secure through the bill between the
right thumb and first finger.

STEP IX — Your left hand takes seven or eight sugar packets out from their
container and drops them on the table to your left. Direct a spectator to pick up
one of the packets and place it on the palm of your left hand.

STEP X — Adjust the left hand sugar packet with your left fingers so that one of
the packet's ends can be thumb clipped.

STEP XI — Make the following speech if you're so inclined: "To make sleight-
of-hand improbable I've insulated the coin in a dollar bill. The sugar is already
protected by the package around it. At this point it would be difficult to get to the
coin and impossible to get to the sugar. But if it were possible to secretly palm
thousands of individual grains of sugar ..." Then close your left hand over its
packet.

STEP XII — Tilt the bill and pour out the sugar — while pressure from your
right thumb and first finger keeps the coin inside. A slight rubbing motion of the
right thumb and first finger will help the sugar pour.
Do not attempt to get all of the sugar to pour out of the packet. The audience
only has to see one good shot of the sugar pouring out of the bill to get the effect.
Fig. 5.

Fig. 5.

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STEP XIII — Open your left hand to show a flash of its packet, then perform a
Han Ping Chen maneuver by thumb clipping the left end of the packet as you turn
your left hand down to apparently place its packet onto the table. As your left
hand turns palm down, relax the pressure from your right thumb and first finger
so that the bill is held only by the fold clipped between your right first and second
finger. Fig. 6. As the left palm comes down, tilt the left open end of the bill down
and move the bill to the right, so that the bill's sugar packet slides out of the left
side of the bill and ends up under your left palm — in classic Han Ping Chen
style. Fig. 7, 8, & 9.

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NOTE — Make sure that all pressure on the bill's packet has been released just
before the Han Ping Chen move.

STEP XIV — As you lean forward to return the bill to your spectator, your left
hand is in perfect position to unload its clipped packet onto the visible bunch of
sugar packets on the left. Fig. 10.

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STEP XV — Let your hands be seen to be empty, pick up the transposed sugar packet
(its slit will be against the table), so that the secret slit is toward your self. Rip off the top
of the packet along the secret tear ala Le Paul. Hand the ripped-open sugar packet to your
spectator where she'll discover her coin among the rest of the sweet stuff. Fig. 11.

Official Notice of Appreciation:

For Patrick Snowden! . . .
... for helping work out the fine points of handling and for not getting too upset when I
spilled sugar all over his carpet.

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The Seduction:
He stumbles into the last club on the strip — and drops his last business card onto
the bar. It lands on a wet spot.
The barmaid's glistening chapsticked lips slowly move as she reads the card to
herself, "Close-up Matt — I fool people while they eat." She looks up at Matt's lint-
free face "Sorry honey — we only serve drinks here."
Matt's undernourished yet still active mind riffles into action. With the daring of
one who has nothing to lose, Mart leans past his soggy business card, reaches over
the bar, and boldly snatches a firmly wedged pen from out of the barmaid's
partially unbuttoned, ink-stained blouse. Matt uses the still-warm pen to cross out
"eat" on his business card and replaces it with "drink."
The unpenned wench behind the bar looks at Matt — her ruby red eyes filled
with equal amounts of admiration and Murine. "The kid has spunk" — she thinks
to herself. "He also has my only pen."
As Matt uses a cocktail napkin to blot the dampness up from his limp business
card; the determined beer mistress clasps her hands behind her back, athletically
bends forward at the waist, then skillfully maneuvers the front of her blouse across
the top of the bar. . . re-wedging her pen.
Matt stops his blotting and looks up at her with new respect. "Wow — what a
woman." He whispers under his breath. "Now if only I had a card trick that could
show her how I really feel ..."
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(Wherein anatomically accurate character portraits of you and a spectator are
fashioned from a common deck of cards.)

Set-up: From the top down (any combination of suites): jack, five, pair of fours,
pair of threes, pair of aces, pair of kings, six, queen, pair of eights, pair of twos.

NOTE — Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to have the super powers of
Wonder Woman to quickly arrange this set-up. If you break the stack down to
four bite size chunks as follows — Wonder Woman will be ready for your
audience in a flash — leaving you plenty of time to decide the really important
issue: Is your audience ready for Wonder Woman?

Arrange the stack with two run-throughs of the deck. The first time up jog the
queen, the six, and the pair of kings. On the same run-through down jog the pair
of eights and the pair of twos. This is easy to remember by the old mnemonic
jingle "a sexy queen needs her kings to woo if she wants to live to be eighty two."
Arrange the up-jogged cards so that the kings are at the back on top of the six,
which is on top of the queen. Arrange the down-jogged cards so that the eights are
at the back of the twos.
Strip out the down-jogged cards and place them square on top of the deck —
then strip out the up-jogged cards and place them on top.
On the second run-through up jog the jack, the five, and the pair of fours. Down
jog the pair of threes and the pair of aces. You can easily remember this by that
other old mnemonic jingle "If the JacksonFiue were f our or three they'd still be
better than aces with me.
Place the threes and aces on top of the deck so that the threes go on top. Follow
this with the up-jogged cards so that the jack/five is on top of the fours.
Note that the down-jogged cards are stripped out first in both run-throughs.
If anyone is watching you during this procedure say that you lost a card and are
trying to figure out which one is missing. Also — I think it would be best to keep
the special mnemonic system a secret from your friends and family. There's no
reason they should be anymore worried about you than they already are.

STEP I — Hold the face-down deck in left hand dealing position and over-hand
shuffle to keep the stack intact: Grasp the deck from above by its ends with your
right fingers and use your right first finger to swivel the top half into your left
hand. Freely shuffle the remaining right hand cards onto the face of the left hand
cards — then do the whole thing one more time.
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STEP II — Comment that a deck will reveal the character of whoever is handling
it. Deal the top two cards face up onto the table in a "T" formation to display the
"JacksonFive" symbol of your musical nature. Note that the jack is on your side
of the "T" to represent the "head" of what will become a stick figure of a man.
The card man is built from the audience's perspective. From your view he'll be
upside down. Fig. 1.

STEP III — Deal the two fours off the top of the deck and position them at the
sides of the five — to represent your massive fore arms. Fig. 2.

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NOTE — "Read" the symbolic meaning of each card as though you had no
advance idea of what their message would be. You are deciphering what the
"random" cards mean to you and delivering the various lines as unrehearsed ad-
libs.

STEP IV — Slide the two threes off the top of the deck into your right hand. and
spread four more cards at the same time so that you can obtain a four card break
with your left little finger as the cards are squared. Position the two threes at the
outer end of the five to create the card man's legs which are as strong as "trees."
Fig. 3.

STEP V — Grasp the deck from above by its ends with your right fingers and
slide the packet from above the break to the right so that your left finger tips slide
the face card of the packet (a king) to the left. Your right hand should now appear
to be holding two face-down cards.
STEP VI — Tilt your right hand up to display the two kings and comment that
since you have some Scottish blood in you the "K's" on the kings stand for Kilt.
Turn the kings face down square onto the deck and deal the top two single cards
(aces) face down into your right fingers. As the second ace is pushed off —
spread three more cards so that your left little finger can obtain a break below the
third card from the top.
Position the two face-down cards between the cardman's legs in classic "Kilt"
position. Mention that if the kilt cards look somewhat odd it's only because they
were left a wee bit too long in the dryer. Fig. 3.
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STEP VII — Dissect the cardman and place his individual body parts face down
on top of the deck. Double under cut to the break so that the six is on the bottom
of the deck.

STEP VIII — Table the face-down deck and direct a spectator to cut the cards
into two sections. Pick up the original lower half and place it cross-wise on top of
the other cut-off half to "mark the cut" — for the old yet still wonderful Cross-
Cut f orce.
Talk for a moment about how the spectator's personality has permeated the
pack — then lift up the upper half and table it face up in "torso" position above
the Kilt. The spectator has cut to a six — signifying a person with "six" appeal.
You have thus started to construct "Wonder Woman" for the revealing character
portrait of your spectator.

STEP IX — Deal the top card off the deck to reveal a queen and place it in "face"
position — adding the face of a princess to the sixy body.

STEP X — Deal off the two eights and place them at the sides of the six in
"arms" position — A sixy princess has arms so luscious that you could eat them.
In fact they're already "ate" (People will look upon this remark as a form of
entertainment.).
STEP XI — Deal off the two twos — and place them in "legs" position to create
the legs of a ballarina (as in "tu tu").

STEP XII — Ask your spectator if she sees anything wrong with her character
portrait. Before she can answer say "I know" then turn the face-up six around end
for end. "Her belly button was upside down . . . There's also something else that
doesn't quite fit this model of cardboard femininity . . . the out-of-kilter Kilt.
Gingerly pick up the two face-down Kilt cards, ask a spectator to blow on them
(any ad-libs here will be at your own risk), then display their transformation into
two aces. Here's your big finish, "and you can't ask for a nicer pair than that." On
the word "that," drop the two aces face down onto both sides of the six to properly
display the nice pair. Fig. 4.
 Take apart the Wonder Woman and re-assemble the deck. It's okay to shuffle
the cards . . . but don't get fresh.

Presentation:

The action and the presentation of Wonder Woman are a direct function of
each other ... so you'll already know the basic presentation from having learned
the routine.
To get into "Wonder Woman," I wait for someone to ask if I can tell fortunes.
If I'm in hurry I'll bring up the subject myself. The opening remarks go something
like this:
"No, I don't tell fortunes, but there is a way of using the cards to accurately
reveal a person's character. I'll shuffle the cards so that they can do a personality
profile on me first — just so you know it's not dangerous, then I'll let you shuffle
the deck so that I can learn all about you ..."

And so begins the final Close-up Seduction.

I can't think of a better use of cards than to let someone know that you think
they're nice.
... for me, that's what close-up is all about.

Official Notice Of Appreciation For

Close-Uppers Everywhere!

For stretching your imaginations and opening your minds to explore the inner
and outer limits of Close-up.

remember to be real

P.H.

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