magic Archives - Page 2 of 11

September 14, 2023September 14, 2023

In the hands four Ace control

Years ago I came up with a method for cutting the aces into a deck and controlling them to the top. (see https://robertjwallace.com/ace-control/ and https://robertjwallace.com/ace-control-notes/.) That control used cuts to the table to “lose” the aces. I recently decided to modify the principle so it could be done without a table.

Effect: Hand the spectator four aces. Take the aces one at a time, insert each into the center of the deck, followed by several in-the-hands swing cuts. After the second ace you can show the top and bottom cards. After inserting and cutting the fourth ace, you split the deck in half and give it one riffle shuffle. The aces are then shown on top. (That is a bare bones presentation, once you have the aces on top you could do anything you want. For example you could do an in-the-hands Triumph.)

September 6, 2023September 6, 2023

Bottom Run Up – Riffle Stack

I am still exploring the topic of riffle stacks. I came across this one in Ed Marlo’s “The Cardist,” Vol. 4. It builds the stack at the bottom of the deck during the shuffles as opposed to building the stack at the top of the deck. The problem with many of the riffle stack techniques that build at the top is that unless you are super-humanly good you will end up slowing down the shuffle as you near the top of the riffle so you can insure that you have the correct number of cards controlled by your thumbs. This change of speed occurs at the point in the shuffle where other players attention is the sharpest.

Not to mention how difficult it is to accomplish. As Marlo says:

JEAN HUGARD in one of his card books has described run-ups
from the top of the deck, in which it is necessary to hold
back a certain number of cards with each thumb in making the
riffle shuffle, at the finish of the riffle…I found this
very difficult of accomplishment at that time with any speed
or regularity in the riffle…FRANKLY, I STILL DO years later,
The Cardist, Vol 4

September 3, 2023September 3, 2023

One Shuffle Eddie – a four ace production

I found this in Marlo’s Magazine Vol. 5. Basically it is a Triumph style production of four face up aces in different locations in the deck. I like that the aces are widely separated in the production.

September 2, 2023September 3, 2023

Double Duke for five hands

I was playing around, looking for an easy way of demonstrating a double duke card stack and this is what I came up with. It requires two faro shuffles (but only the top sixteen cards need to be perfect), and some short overhand shuffle sequences.

September 1, 2023September 6, 2023

Just Lucky Riffle Stack

I stumbled upon this stack when reading a trick in James Swain’s book 21st Century Card Magic. The trick was “Just Lucky Eight Card Stack.” Swain mentioned the stack came from Alex Elmsley. Elmsley decsribes the stack in the book Collected Works of Alex Elmsley, Vol 1, in a trick titled “Just Lucky.”

August 30, 2023September 1, 2023

EXPERT CARD TECHNIQUE: A SYSTEM OF STOCK SHUFFLING

Going back to one of the first books on card magic that I owned, “EXPERT CARD TECHNIQUE: Close-Up Table Magic by JEAN HUGARD and FREDERICK BRAUE”, I took a look at their system of stacking a poker hand. They described stacking four cards for a four handed game. Below I have shown instructions, using their system, for stacking four cards to fall to the dealer on a five handed game. I recommend looking at the book for more information.

As noted in some of my other posts on stacking with overhand shuffles, this stack has some drawbacks. In particular, in step 4 you have a run of 20 single cards. Also, twice you have to manage an injog and outjog together, and throw a block of cards. After the description I will offer some modifications that I think make this better.

August 29, 2023September 1, 2023

A variation on a “Variation on the Milk Build stack”

So what makes a good overhand stack technique. In my opinion the key factors are a good rhythm, without too much repetition, without too many long sequences of single card runs, and the whole stack being done in a couple of shuffles. The problem with the basic milk build stack in that you repeat the milking action four times. The rhythm is not random.

August 23, 2023August 24, 2023

Direct Ace Control

This is a variation on my Ace control that I described in this post from 2018. The main difference is that this one is more direct, but doesn’t show the top and bottom cards between each ace being lost.

August 12, 2023September 1, 2023

451 stack

I don’t remember where I saw this stack described, but it is a modification of Ed Marlo’s Lessinout Stack which is described in his booklet “Deck Deception.” Marlo’s stack involves more runs of single cards, while this version cuts the number in halve.

August 11, 2023September 1, 2023

Another poker stack

Just to beat a dead horse, here is another overhand shuffle stack. This one uses a milking action, but in this shuffle you milk a block of cards which makes it easier.