More Card Manipulations - Series No. 1

By Jean Hugard

This vintage book contains the second in the series of handbooks on card manipulation by master magician Jean Hugard. Card manipulation is an element of magical illusion concerning the creation of effects through sleight of hand techniques that involve playing cards. It is commonly employed in magical performances, particularly in street magic. Jean Hugard's fantastic series “More Card Manipulations” includes simple instructions for a variety of fantastic card tricks, making it ideal for novice illusionists or related collections of literature. Jean Hugard was an Australian professional magician. By the end of his life he had gone blind, having lost sight in both eyes as a result of cataract-removal operations. Despite his handicap he continued his work with magic at his home in Brooklyn, New York. Other notable works by this author include: “Show Stoppers with Cards” (1948), “Royal Road to Card Magic” (1948), and “Houdini's 'Unmasking': Fact Vs. Fiction” (1957). Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this classic volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on card manipulation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Obscure Press
• Release date: Jun 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781528768160

Book preview

PART I.

TRICKS

THE THREE MUSKETEERS AND D’ARTAGNAN

EFFECT—The four Jacks, referred to as the Three Musketeers and D’Artagnan, are widely separated in the deck, even by the spectators themselves yet they come together in one packet selected by the audience.

WORKING—1. From any pack, borrowed for preference, throw out the four Jacks face upwards on table. Introduce them as the Three Musketeers and D’Artagnan: The Jack of Spades being Athos, the dark, silent leader of the gang; Porthos, the burly ruffian, as ready with a bottle or a club as with a sword, is the Jack of Clubs; Aramias, the dapper ladies’ man is the Jack of Hearts; and lastly, the Jack of Diamonds represents D’Artagnan, the canny Breton, with a shrewd eye for the cash or diamonds.

Explain that these four are setting off on a vacation, each going his own way but with a pledge to meet at a rendezvous when ordered to do so by the leader, Athos.

2.   While making this introduction, separate three cards at the top of the pack secretly. Take them off with a casual riffle and put them face down on the table without any reference to the number.

Pick up Aramis, the Jack of Hearts, saying he is the first to leave, and put the card face down on the three cards.

3.   Secretly separate three more cards at the top of the deck as before, riffle them off and drop them on Aramis, saying nothing about the actual number. Take up Athos, the Jack of Spades, as the next of the Musketeers to leave, and put it face down on top of the pile.

4.   Now invite a spectator to cut off a number of, cards, say ten or twelve, from the remainder of the deck, and place them on the pile. Then have him pick up either of the remaining Jacks, Porthos or D’Artagnan, and put that card face down on the top of the packet.

5.   While this is being done, quietly get three more cards ready at the top of the deck in your left hand, riffle them off and drop them on the pile. Finally let a spectator place the last Jack on the pile also face down. Leave this packet for the moment.

6.   Hand the remaining cards to be shuffled, have them put on the table and invite a spectator to divide them into two packets. Then remark casually, You might as well cut the Jack pile too. Let him do this and COMPLETE this cut. The success of the trick depends upon this but the more offhand you are about it the better.

7.   Invite your volunteer assistant to place the Jack pile on top of either of the two packets into which the remaining cards were cut, and then to put the other packet on top of all, thus reassembling the deck. The cards may now be cut as often as the company desires, each cut being completed.

8.   Point out how widely separated the Musketeers are and how fairly they have been sent on their travels. Pick up the pack, turn it face up and run rapidly over the faces of the cards to show that this is the case. Spot the Jack of Spades, Athos, and draw it back so that it won’t be seen. Separate the hands at that point, showing the cards spread in each hand and, in bringing them together, put the right hand portion under the cards in the left hand. Done casually, this will not be noticed but it amounts to cutting the pack at the Jack of Spades, bringing that card to the top.

9.   Deal four hands of cards thus

2             3

1             4

The four Musketeers will be together at 1. Invite a spectator to call a number one, two, three or four. Whatever number is called, count accordingly to reach the packet of Jacks on that number. Put this packet aside as being the rendezvous at which the Musketeers are to meet. Give any signal you like, riffle the deck, whistle, snap your fingers, anything you please. Turn the other three hands over and spread the rest of the pack to show that the Musketeers have obeyed.

Finally turn the selected packet face upwards and show that they have arrived at the rendezvous.

THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

EFFECT—From any deck the red and the black cards are separated into two packets, the black cards being referred to as sheep and the red as goats. A spectator chooses one packet and from it selects one card which is replaced in that packet. These cards are incircled with rubber bands and then placed in an envelope which is sealed and held by a spectator. The other packet is also bound with rubber bands, placed in an envelope and held by a second spectator.

The chosen card vanishes from the first envelope and is found, reversed, in the other envelope, a goat amongst the sheep or vice versa.

WORKING—1. With any pack begin by separating the red cards from the black. The easiest and quickest way to do this is to hold the cards upright in the left hand, facing you. Push them off one by one with the left thumb, separating the red cards from the black by alternately raising and lowering the left hand, the right hand remaining stationary. (Fig. 1). When the last card is reached, seize the upper packet with the right hand, thumb on one side, fingers on the other, and strip the packets apart by a turn of the wrist to the left and downwards.

2.   Fan the packets, one in each hand, showing the faces of the cards to the audience and refer to the black cards as being sheep and the red cards goats. Invite a spectator