The Book of Card Tricks - For Drawing-Room and Stage Entertainments

By R. Kunard

This book comprises a practical treatise on the art of conjuring with cards, including detailed instructions and handy tips on mastering a variety of baffling card tricks. Complete easy-to-follow instructions and simple illustrations, this text is ideal for the novice magician and is not to be me missed by the discerning collector. The chapters of this text include: 'Principles of Sleight of Hand', 'Sleight of Hand Tricks', 'Tricks with Ordinary Cards not Requiring Sleight of Hand', 'Tricks Requiring the Use of Prepared Cards or Sleight of Hand', 'Tricks Requiring Mechanical Cards or the Employment of Special Apparatus', and 'Card Sharper's Tricks'. We are proudly republishing this antique book now complete with a new introduction on card tricks.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Jul 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781473395176

Book preview

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

AMONGST all the pastimes which have been invented for the amusement of mankind, none has gained and retained such a universal popularity as cards. It is not our intention to give a history, nor yet to treat on the scientific games, but simply to explain some of the apparent mysteries of sleight of hand in connection therewith.

Sleight of hand, there can be little doubt, was first introduced by card-sharpers, and has been adopted by more innocent individuals, not for the object of gain, but as a means of honest recreation and mystification to private audiences; and it is with the latter we wish to associate ourselves, with the object of teaching others how they can amuse their friends merely by the use of ordinary playing-cards and such objects as are easily obtainable in every household. Our experience has been that a clever prestidigitateur is always welcome to any social gathering, for, although no one is willing to be cheated by sharp practice of one kind, he is always willing to be deceived and mystified by skilful manipulation.

In order to be successful in the manipulation of cards, it is necessary that the aspirant should practise diligently, and become perfectly familiar with the simplest trick before exhibiting to a company. Some tricks—which should rightly be called puzzles—require no dexterity of the hands; but for sleight of hand proper it is absolutely necessary that the operator should be able to execute the passes, &c., neatly and expeditiously. The failure to produce a desired result is very mortifying; whereas patient practice will have rendered the operator able, when an unexpected contretemps presents itself, figuratively to make a change of front and turn embarrassment—to one less practised—into a satisfactory termination.

There is a great difference between telling how a trick is done and teaching how to do it; but if the reader will follow the instructions given, and practise until perfect, he will be able agreeably to entertain his friends. Our endeavour will be to make this work as complete as possible, so that, should the reader unfortunately not have patience to practise the passes, &c., he will at least be able to do some tricks unassisted by sleight of hand. To all we recommend the following rules:—

First: Never inform your audience beforehand what you are going to do, for you would thus increase the chance of detection, and enable them to think out your method of doing it.

Second: Endeavour, where it is possible, to have more than one method of performing the same trick; in case one of the audience should know how to do it, you can arrive at the same conclusion in a different way.

Third: Do not, in any circumstances, perform the same trick twice to the same audience, for the reason given in Rule 1: it may enable some ingenious one to discover the way of doing it.

Fourth: Vary your tricks. If you are continually doing tricks which depend on the agility of the fingers, the audience will soon accustom themselves to your gestures, and divine your operations.

Fifth: Divert the attention of the audience as much as possible from your operations, and endeavour to give the impression that you perform the tricks by a different method from that really adopted. To do this you must accustom yourself to use the eyes and tongue apart from the action of the hands.

Bearing these rules in mind, the student may proceed to learn sleight of hand. In the first instance he may find difficulties, and imagine that such things cannot be done, owing to the unaccustomed position of the fingers; but for encouragement he can know that the same means are adopted every day for the same purpose; and, like everything else worthy of accomplishment, a great amount of trouble is required. Do not be disheartened; remember that Rome was not built in a day, and that which one man has done can be done by another.

CHAPTER II.

PRINCIPLES OF SLEIGHT OF HAND.

SLEIGHT of hand consists of the following principles. which we give in the order of importance—

The Pass,

The Force,

The False Shuffle,

The Palm,

The Slide, or to Draw Back a Card,

The Change, or Smuggle,

and one or two minor ones, which will be noticed as they occur from time to time.

Before we explain these principles, we must say a few words on the cards themselves. It is not generally known that sleight of hand adepts do not use a full pack of fifty-two cards, but the smaller packs, such as used for euchre and piquet—i.e., thirty-two cards, the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes being omitted; this is because a full pack is inconveniently large. The cards are also of small size. However, learn with the ordinary size, there being but slight difference—then you are prepared for any place; and if you are proficient with the larger size, there is no difficulty with the smaller ones, but there would be to become accustomed to the small size, and be suddenly expected to perform with full size. Of course, the number makes no difference, for one is always at liberty to take only a portion of a pack. The cards best suited can be obtained from any dealer in conjuring apparatus.

The Long Card is one which is either slightly longer or wider than the rest of the pack, and is, therefore, easily distinguishable by the mere feeling of the sides or ends; and with a knowledge of the principle of forcing, many clever tricks can be performed. It would be a dangerous practice to use the same Long Card often, as its repeated appearance would naturally cause suspicion. A good way is to buy two packs, and have one of them shaved on the sides by any bookbinder; by this means you can vary your Long Card for subsequent tricks at will.

Another stratagem of the same class is to have an entire pack made narrower at one end than the other; consequently, when a person has drawn a card, by simply reversing the pack the broad end of the card withdrawn will be found, when replaced, to be at the narrow end of the others, and the card is quite discovered by being the Long Card. This is called the Biseauté Pack.

Another plan is simply to have one of the corners of the pack taken off, and the pack used in the same way as in the former case. The great danger of these expedients is that the action of reversing the pack may be detected, or that during the operation of shuffling several cards may become reversed, in which case the operator could not know the card drawn, neither could he use this pack for similar tricks without re-arranging the cards, which would, of course, be inconvenient. It is in such cases as these that professional operators have the advantage, for they rely upon the dexterity of their own fingers, and dispense with aids of this description.

The Biseauté pack can be utilised for a simple trick, which will be mentioned in its place. Even with these assistants, it must be understood that they are of little use without a thorough knowledge of the principles of forcing and passing.

To Make the Pass.—To know and be able to execute this movement is the most important feature in card practice, and unless the student determines to overcome the difficulty, he may at once abandon all idea of becoming an adept in manipulation. The object is to bring a certain card selected to a particular position in the pack without detection—that is, supposing the pack to have been cut, to bring the bottom half to the top, and vice versâ. In most cases, a card having been drawn, it is replaced in the middle of the pack, and the object of the operator is to know where this particular card is, and be able to produce it in due course. When the card is replaced, it, of course, becomes the top card of one half, or the bottom of the other, and, although it is in the middle, we wish it to become the top or bottom card of the entire pack, as circumstances require; consequently, if the card is the top one of the lower half, by the pass it becomes the top one of the entire pack; or if it is the bottom one of the upper half, it becomes the bottom one of the entire pack. There are several methods of effecting this change—by both hands and by one. We give them in detail.

FIG. 1.

THE PASS WITH BOTH HANDS.—First Method: This is undoubtedly the best and most approved method, and although difficult at first attempt, soon becomes quite simple and easy by practice. The great object is to make the transfer as quietly as possible, and we recommend you to proceed slowly, and with only a few cards at the outset; it will be time enough to gain speed when you have secured neat execution. Now let the student take the pack of cards in his left hand, at a declension of about 45degs. from the horizontal towards the right hand, the palm under, the thumb along the left side; the fingers naturally close over the right side, and the little finger you insert between the cards that are to be brought to the top and the rest of the pack (Fig. 1). Now advance your right hand, take hold of the lower portion of the pack with the thumb at the end towards your body, and the other end with the second and third fingers. The cards are now held the lower portion by the right hand, and the upper by the left—on top by the three fingers, and underneath by the little finger (Fig. 2).

FIG. 2.

To alter the position of the packs, the left hand must, by extending the fingers, draw off the upper portion under cover of the right hand, which presses the lower portion to the left thumb, slightly elevating the right side; this will raise the left side of the upper portion, and as soon as the edges are clear, close the left hand, and the pack will be one again, with the original lower half now on top. The more completely to cover the movement of the fingers an apparent careless one by the hands must be made. With a clever performer the most observant spectator would not detect the transposition of the cards. This requires practice. It is an acknowledged fact that movements of the hands can be made so dexterously that the eye cannot detect them.

Second Method: A rather more simple method than the first, but not nearly so neat. As in the former case, you take the pack in the left hand, but this time you introduce the second and third fingers between the portions you desire to transpose, and place the first and little fingers underneath the pack. Now bring forward the right hand as before, and cover the pack, taking hold of the upper portion with the thumb and first finger. With the left-hand fingers you withdraw the under portion, and in so doing raise the side nearest the thumb; at the same time press the portion held in the right hand against the thumb of the left hand, and elevate the cards—the two portions naturally separate—and as soon as the edges are clear, lower the portion held in the right hand into the palm of the left; contract the fingers of the left hand, which will cause these cards to close upon the top of the pack, and the transfer is complete. This method will be clearly understood by referring to Fig. 3.

FIG. 3.

THE PASS WITH ONE HAND.—We now come to the single-handed passes, which, when well executed, present some advantage over the double ones; for although the great majority of an audience are ignorant of the passes, they are remarkably suspicious that something is done by the operator when the two hands come together, and what that something is they will endeavour to ascertain by observation, but with little chance of being rewarded. The single-handed pass, which is more liable to detection when closely watched, is at the same time free from suspicion, for very few people are aware of the possibility of such manipulation with one hand, and the transfer can be made with little risk of being found out. Until perfect we recommend the student to adopt in public the double-handed pass, and afterwards, when confidence has been gained, he can utilise the others to advantage.

FIG. 4.

FIG. 5.

FIG. 6.

FIG. 7.

First Method: This pass is the best, in our opinion, for most purposes—the cards are so firmly held that the movement can be executed with neatness and expedition—but is the most difficult to learn. Take the pack in the left hand, and hold by the end of the fingers and thumb, the second and third fingers really holding the top half, and the first and fourth supporting the lower (Fig. 4). Elevate the fingers and lower the thumb slightly; now allow the lower portion to fall into the palm of the hand and press towards the thumb with the first and fourth fingers (Fig. 5), raising the side they support; this will form an angle with the upper portion; continue to raise the under portion, to clear the edge of the upper, then allow the upper portion to come down upon the top of the first and fourth fingers close to the thumb, which will bring what was the lower half to the top of the pack (Fig. 6).

FIG. 8.

Second Method: This is one which can be performed with either hand, but or convenience we will describe the operation by the left; it can be done quickly with moderate practice, and will be useful to some who may wish to know several modes. Take the pack upon the palm of the left hand, introduce the third finger between the portions to be transposed (Fig. 7), the thumb being at the left-hand top corner, and the first, second, and fourth fingers closing over the opposite side; extend the fingers, which will draw away the top portion, and by gently pressing the lower part with the thumb, the cards will be elevated so as to allow the original top portion, by closing the fingers again, to come upon the palm; now remove the pressure of the thumb and the lower half will become uppermost (Fig. 8).

FIG. 9.

Third Method: Perhaps the most difficult of any, but when the difficulty is overcome one well worth the trouble, especially when the operator wishes to bring the top card to the bottom, or vice versâ. As in other cases, take the cards in the left hand, place the first and fourth fingers below the pack, and introduce the second and third between the parts to be changed, then the thumb on top (Fig. 9). The lower portion is now held by the four fingers, two below and two above, and the top by the thumb, supported by the pack below. Now extend the fingers, thus drawing off the lower portion, and when clear, the top portion must fall into the palm; close the fingers and the lower portion takes its promoted position on top, and the change is complete (Fig. 10).

There are several other single-handed passes, but they are more or less clumsy, or makeshifts, and would not be of any use when the foregoing can be used to a better purpose, and without risk of detection.

FIG. 10.

To Force a Card.—This is certainly the second in importance of the principles in connection with sleight of hand; and although at first it may seem almost impossible, and may make a beginner doubt his ability, yet he will soon gain confidence. It consists in making a person select from a pack any particular card you desire him to take, while he imagines he is taking one quite at haphazard. There are what are called forcing-packs, which are simply packs of all one kind—say, the three of hearts; these, of course, are merely for the use of novices, so that whichever card is selected it must be the one mentioned. Such a pack must be retained in the possession of the would-be conjuror, for he dare not allow the audience to examine them, and an awkward move, which is quite possible by an amateur, would expose the imposition, and raise a laugh at his expense; we, therefore, don’t advise the use of the forcing-pack. To force, you must never be in a hurry, not yet appear anxious that a particular card should be taken, and you will soon observe with what ease you can induce people to take your card, even should they be acquainted with forcing. We recollect one time, in America, a person doubting he could be made to take a certain card, and although he knew what we wished to do, four cards from the same pack were forced upon him, passed, and the same four forced upon a person next to him. This was done merely to convince him that cards could be forced upon an audience for the purpose of stage tricks, most of whom are not acquainted with the art.

In some tricks it is absolutely necessary that a certain card must be chosen, especially for stage exhibitions; but in the event of an amateur failing to force a particular card there are means he can easily adopt to ascertain the card actually taken if it is necessary that he should know the card. Presuming that the card to be forced is decided upon, your first move must be to get it to the bottom of the pack. Now make the pass, and bring the lower half of the pack to the top; consequently the card will be somewhere near the middle. Before closing the two half packs place your little finger under the card thus selected at the end nearer your person; the other end, towards the audience, will be apparently closed.

Now offer the cards to a person who is to draw, with both hands, the thumbs above and fingers below; spread out the cards, moving them rapidly