THE

VERNON CHRONICLES
THE VERNON CHRONICLES
VOLUME I
D ai Vernon ("The P rofessor")
 Dai Vernon
The Lost Inner Secrets
A Tribute By
Bruce Cervon and Larry Jennings

W ritten By
Stephen Minch
Produced By
Bruce Cervon
and
Louis Falanga
Illustrations and Cover D esign
Tom Gagnon
D esign and Layout
Louis Falanga
Pre-Illustrative Photography
James Patton
and
Linda Cervon

Published By
L and L Publishing
Larry Jennings and Louis Falanga
 OTHER H NE MAGICAL BOOKS
by
L & L PU BLISH IN G
P.O. Box 100
Tahoma, California 95733

The Commercial Magic of J.C. Wagner

Written by Mike Maxwell
Louis Falanga's Lake Tahoe Card Magic
Written by Mike Maxwell
The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings
Written by Mike Maxwell
Larry Jennings' Neoclassics
Written by Stephen Minch
Soon to be released...
The Vernon Chronicles
Volume 11: A Tribute to Dai Vernon
by
Bruce Cervon & Larry Jennings
Written by Stephen Minch
Illustrated by Tom Gagnon

M.I.N.T. by Edward Mario

Special thanks'to: Stephen Falanga for all his help and support, William
Bowers for supplying the cover photos and Betty Jane (B.J.) Jennings.

Library of Congress Catalog N um ber 87-82230

pC opyright 1987
L & I. Publishing and Bruce Cervon, Lake Tahoe, CA
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system
now known o r to be invented without the perm ission of the publishers.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Typesetting — Tahoe Crafts Printing, Kings Beach, CA
 Table of Contents
Volume I
Foreword — Dai Vernon............................................................................................... 1
Introduction — Bruce C ervon................................................................................Ill
Introduction — Larry Jenning s..............................................................................VI
Author's Introduction — Stephen M in ch ....................................................... VIII
A Visit with Dai Vernon — Elizabeth W ilson...................................................XI
Chapter O ne: Sleights, Tips a n d Technique
On the Turn of a C ard ..............................................................................................1
On the C o rn er-Short............................................................................................... 2
On the Scallop-Sh ort............................................................................................... 8
Enlarging a B reak....................................................................................................10
Breaking at the In jo g ............................................................................................. 12
Rotating the B reak.................................................................................................... 15
The Vernon All-Around Square-U p.................................................................. 17
A Curious Turnover-Pass.......................................................................................22
The Vernon One-H anded S h ift......................................................................... 25
Glimpse from the Twirl C u t................................................................................30
Subway Transfer for Tw o...................................................................................... 33
Hindu Transportation............................................................................................. 35
The H indu D ouble-U ndercut..............................................................................36
The Vernon M ultiple False-C ut......................................................................... 38
The Vernon Sim ple False-C ut............................................................................. 41
On the Push-Through S h u ffle ........................................................................... 44
Three Loose L ifts...................................................................................................... 48
O n Tabling a Double C ard .................................................................................. 55
O n the Top P alm ...................................................................................................... 57
Capping a Packet...................................................................................................... 58
Replacing the Top P alm .........................................................................................61
After the Bottom Palm ........................................................................................... 63
The Arthur Finley Diagonal Palm S h ift......................................................... 65
The Packet-Display P alm .......................................................................................68
Lightening the L oad ................................................................................................72
O n the f^iLm C h ange............................................................................................. 74
O n the Side S te a l....................................................................................................76
The Strip-O ut A ddition.........................................................................................79
A New Peek C ontrol............................................................................................... 86
The Shuttle-Cut C ontrol.......................................................................................89
The Perfect-Pitch False C o u n t..............................................................................90
The Transfer Force....................................................................................................93
The Breather C rim p............................................................................................... 96
O n the Second D eal............................................................................................... 98
The "N ew Theory" Double D eal.....................................................................100
C hapter Two: A m ong the A m aranths
No Sleight Trium ph............................................................................................. 105
The Second C am paign.........................................................................................113
In U niform ............................................................................................................... 117
The Ace A ssem bly................................................................................................121
The SIow-M otion A ces — A R eassessm ent
A ces in Excelsis
The Fingerprint Card Trick................................................................................136
A Match Made in Cincinnati............................................................................139
The Aeroplane Card Trick.................................................................................. 144
The Two-Thirteen Trick.......................................................................................149
The Unadulterated Cutting the A ces..............................................................155
Spellout with a H itch ........................................................................................... 160
The Rising S u n ...................................................................................................... 164
Oil S lick ...................................................................................................................... 169
Notes on the Three-Card M onte.....................................................................180
C hapter Three: D ream s o f M amm on
The Persistence-of-Vision Coin Vanish............................................................185
Five Coins and a G lass.......................................................................................191
Silk and S ilv er........................................................................................................ 208
Slipping the J i t ........................................................................................................ 226
Crossed D estinies..................................................................................................229
 FOREWORD

Many times I have been requested to write a foreword for books pertaining
to magic. However, this is the first time for one on ideas of my own.

The compilers of this work, namely Bruce Cervon, Larry Jennings, Louis
Falanga, Stephen Minch and Tom Gagnon, have truly surprised me. I cannot
imagine how Bruce managed to collect so many ideas which I had
completely foigotten. They have all done a really superlative job in refreshing
my memory.

When I first left New York City 1 came west to visit Hollywood, the Magic
Castle and Jay O se. After 1 arrived I met Larry Jennings w ho had recently
relocated from Detroit. We at once becam e close friends and I was struck
by his extreme cleverness.

He would often tell me about a young boy in Akron, Ohio, w ho was a

devoted fan of m ine. Larry stated that he had collected almost every item
that I had ever com e up with. Then, a very little time later, this very original
and clever young chap moved here to Hollywood and I met him. This was
Bruce Cervon.

We also became good friends and ever since he has been talking about
another book devoted to my work. Finally, he and Larry Jennings got
together and they selected a great team to put the material in print: Louis
Falanga, Stephen M inch and Tom Gagnon.

Stephen Minch is without question one of the ablest and most qualified
of magical writers. I have found all his explanations to be crystal clear.

Many thanks to all of you who have donated your time, item s or
photographs. These photographs, because of space restrictions, picture only
a few of my very dear friends. They plan on using as many as possible
throughout the following volumes.

With the help of Bruce and Larry, the entire book is very easy to
understand and I trust that all who read it will use som e of the ideas in
their own performance.
Yours truly.

DAI VERNON
 INTRODUCTION

by Bruce Cervon
In order to meet and possibly to study under Dai Vernon, I moved to
Hollywood in 1964. Larry Jennings had done the same, but we were only
the first in a very long line. There were hundreds w ho cam e here to enter
a new era of magic, a renaissance which is only now starting to peak. The
home of the movie legends became the apex of the magic com munity w hen
the world famous Magic Castle opened its doors.

The art of magic progressed trem endously in only a few short years
because of a small core of people at "T he Castle". W hat a fantastic place!
Creative people, w ho were intensely interested in magic, were all around
you. Here were the finest perform ing rooms containing the finest people,
A lot of stars were born.

Dai Vernon was the greatest influence of the period. His position and
life style, that of Magic Castle resident legend, made him the most visible
man In magic. His personal magnetism and wonderful ideas affected and
infected all those around him.

This became an extrem ely large number over the years. Hundreds of
thousands have visited the most famous address in magic and many of
those were influenced by Dai Vernon. Som e are now full-time professional
performers, the finest magic has.

Many people outside of magic have also been influenced by Dai in many
ways. Celebrities have always flocked around him, secretly wishing that
they too might be considered true friends. He is unique in many other ways
as well, but of great interest is the fact that he has participated in both the
birth and the renaissance of close-up magic.

Close-up magic began in New York, around 1920. Dai Vernon was one
of the prime movers. Absolutely fascinated with sleight-of-hand, h e had
mastered all the texts, made friends of the biggest pros and very carefully
studied his heros, Nate Leipzig and Max Malini. He was always improving
a move or trick and gave his improvements freely to everyone. This all
consum ing interest, coupled with his genius for inventing brilliant new
effects, sparked others and close-up magic was born. It started with a small
circle and grew for nearly twenty-five years.

Dai was extremely active through these years, discussing, lecturing,

teaching and doing magic. O ccasionally he let som eone pubUsh an effect
or so; but, personally, writing did not appeal to him. Magicians are fortunate
he had such high visibility. O thers using his methods placed them among
our basic tools. Dai has never been concerned that many of his ideas remain
uncredited. H e seeks to improve his art, not to reap credit.

Ill
 The war years were hard on magicians and in the late Forties interest in
magic hit a low ebb. Fourteen years passed and in the early 1960s magic
once more returned to the public eye. Tliere he was again, brilliant and
still absolutely fascinated with sleight-of-hand.

Being a long-time student and good friend, ! have been able to see his
effects progress over the course of years. The Professor is always solving
a magical problem, so many of his "solutions" might have been performed
only a few times. I recorded these effects and methods, som e old, some
new, after receiving actual dem onstrations and verbal instruction. Dai was
usually careful to explain each move and his thinking behind the method.
They were also written near the time of the original performance, so that
I was able to set down every important detail.

After doing this a while 1 accumulated a large notebook full of material.

W hen 1 filled a few more notebooks, Mike Perovich started calling them
the "C astle Notes". In 1971 my note keeping stopped, but 1 had ^ then
thirteen, hand-printed, eight-by-eleven inch notebooks with over one-
hundred pages each. Unfortunately, for Vernon fans, after the fifth volume
most of the material is my own.

I have long planned a lavish "Tribute to Dai Vernon" using the

unpublished material in the first five volumes. This would be com bined
with many photos, and rewritten items which are difficult to locate. It was
a great pleasure to find that this dream would not only be realized, but
expanded to its maximum. As nearly as possible, everything Dai has done
which is unavailable to the general magical audience will be released in
a set of matching volumes published by Larry Jennings and Louis Falanga.

It was decided, of course, that 1 must go through the notes personally.

Larry Jennings' help in reconstructing items was invaluable. We were
comrades who sat together and learned at Vernon's feet during this early
period. Dai, Larry and I video taped all of the magical entries and then
the tapes were sent to one of magic's finest writers, Stephen M inch. He
handled the actual writing and then all of us, including Louis Falanga,
carefully edited the copy. The drawings are done by Tom Gagnon from
photos of my hands which were taken by Jim Patton and my wife, Linda
Cervon.

Dai mentioned that photos of a few fine magical thinkers who were also
close personal friends would be nice. He nam ed a num ber of m en, among
whom were Cliff G reen, Larry Grey, Faucett Ross, Emil Jarrow, j. Warren
Keene, Doctor Daley, Willy Schneider, Jimmy Drilling, Jay Ose, Larry
Jennings and myself.

My sincere thanks to all of you who have contributed to this great project:
Mike Perovich, Jim Patton, Luke M cKissick, H erb Zarrow, Mike Skinner,
johnny Thom pson, Milt Kort, Harry Riser and all the others whose nam es
appear throughout this work.

IV
 To say that Dai is one of the most important contributors to the lore of
magic is to downplay his role. H is work will forever remain a cornerstone
of our profession. This is a "Tribute to the Master". I hope he likes it.

Bruce Cervon
Treasurer /Board Member
Magic Castle
Decem ber 2, 1986

Larry Jennings, Bruce Cervon,

Dai Vernon an d Louis Falanga

V
 INTRODUCTION

by Larry Jennings
This volume and the ones to follow it are designed as a tribute to the
man most responsible for influencing m e and most other magicians alive
today. These books exist due to circumstances that occurred in late 1964.
Just prior to this, in 1963, I cam e to California to visit the Magic Castle and
to meet the master, Dai Vernon. The visit turned into a perm anent move,
and the Professor and 1 became close friends. H e began to teach and
demonstrate magic at a furious pace. At every m eeting he would show me
three or four tricks and routines that would com pletely befuddle me; then
he would teach each one in great detail.

I took notes as this material was show n to me, but the jottings I made
during the period were sketchy. Then, in late 1964 a better solution presented
itself: I had met a young magician at a convention just before my move
to California. His nam e was Bruce Cervon and 1 admired his card handling.
Bruce dropped me a note to say he was interested in moving west. When
he arrived, I asked him to assum e the responsibility of writing up the vast
amounts of material that Vernon dispensed at each meeting, so it would
not be lost to posterity. W hen Bruce expressed his willingness to do this,
1 introduced him to Dai and we broached the subject to him . The Professor
agreed and the "C astle N otes" were born.

W hen Vernon moved to New York in 1915, he states he had learned

everything he knew about playing cards from one book: Erdnase's The
Expert at th e C ard Table. But I suggest to you that Dai gets more from
between the lines of Erdnase than was ever intended by its author. Dai will
probably disagree, but it is his interpretation of this material that has made
card magic what it is today.

How can I explain to those who haven't had the advantage o f watching
the Professor day by day, haven't heard him trace the evolution of card magic
as he remembered and performed tricks from the 1890s and early 1900s
(the beginnings of close-up as we know it); how can I explain to what depths
he influenced Daley, Horowitz, Leipzig, Larry G r ^ and Finley — the very
foundations of parlor and close-up magic? W ithout having seen and heard
the historical panorama of our art detailed in story and performance by
this man, week after week, year by year, there is no way one can fully
understand.

We will never know to what extent his thinking affected Danny Dew,
Faucett Ross, Ed Mario, Francis Carlyle, I^ul Fox, Jay Ose and so many more.
What I am sure of is that every magician w ho ever cam e into contact with
him by way of friendship, or material passed by word of m outh, or
transmitted by the printed page, owes som ething to the Professor. His
thinking permeates magic, and magic is the better for it.

VI
chronicle every nuance of the Vernon thinking: the hundreds of times he
would say, "W hy don't you do it this way?" or would show you the correct
way to perform a move. In this manner, how often has a touch of the master's
hand becom e incorporated into our handling and its source forgotten.

Much of this material does not carry dates of origin, except in a most
general way; nor is it laid out in a chronological order. It com es to you,
as it did to us, as the Professor related it, when som ething would jog a
memory and he would be reminded of events from many years past.

No attempt has been made to search the literature of magic and pinpoint
his vast contributions there, to claim move by move our indebtedness to
him, Such a search would be impossible. Vernon, in the words of his idol,
Erdnase, has never wanted to appear "big on the bills". H e has earnestly
requested that sleeping dogs be left to lie. But 1 assure you, if the whole
story could be told, a great portion of magic's literature would have to be
rewritten.

Those of you who, like myself, derive great pleasure from a beautifully
thought-out solution to a knotty problem, will thank Dai for the hours of
entertainm ent that lie ahead. It will be found here. Those who want only
a finished product to incorporate into your act will find it here too. And
those w ho are interested in the history of contemporary magic will find
it, on the page and between the lines.

A nd finally, to Dai, my eternal thanks. There is no way I can express my

feelings about you. For me you are the father 1 never had, a friend never
to be equaled, a teacher never to be surpassed, an example I can never reach.
For me you have always been and will ever be my Professor.

Larry Jennings

VII
 AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION

Recognizing that it is the opinion of many readers that a single introduction

is one too many, and as Bruce Cervon and Larry Jennings have deftly
doubled that quota, I will make my preliminary com ments brief.

I, like many readers of this book, discovered the magic of Dai Vernon
as a boy. I read his work, studied it, admired it, tried to absorb as much
as I was capable of absorbing from it. But som ething more radiated from
those pages than the exquisite magic; there was a presence, a personality,
a picture of a gentleman-artist with the qualities and character of a
remarkable individual. There was a man whose long life had been devoted
to one subject at the cost of ail else.

However, single-m inded devotion is not necessarily admirable. Its very

construction speaks o f imbalance and the abandonm ent of many things
that make a man whole. Such devotion can only be fully condoned when
it is exercised with artistry and brilliance. I would submit that these two
qualities define the difference between the genius and the fanatic; and it
has been the consensus of the magicians of this century that Dai Vernon
has consistently exhibited genius in his chosen obsession.

Dai Vernon has proven himself extraordinary in so many ways. He stands

apart not only for the quality and quantity of his contributions to magic,
but for the humility with which he views his role in its progress. In a field
where there is a pervasive pressure to publish quickly—to establish credit
for an idea, principle or concept—M r Vernon has gracefully avoided the
scramble. His raison d'etre has ^ways sprung from the challenge of creation
and the betterm ent of the art. This is surely one of the traits that so endears
him to the profession and to people in general.

In one sense, then, this book and those volumes to follow it may be in
contradiction to the principles by which Mr. Vernon has lived. Far along
with the purpose of uncovering a large body of superlative magic to a wider
audience, there is the desire to delineate the massive contributions to the
craft that Mr. Vernon has made.

Another facet of his selfless nature is Mr. \^mon's quickness to give credit
to others. His life is a long record of tributes to past and present contributors
to magic. It is reasonable to say that, had it not been for Mr. Vernon's efforts,
such men as Max M alini, Nate Leipzig, Doctors Elliott and Daley, Henry
Christ and a host of others would be dimmer figures in the minds of present-
day magicians. Mr. Vernon has been instrumental in keeping their
reputations and their magic alive. Volume II o f this work will contain a
chapter of unpublished material from just such persons; material that would
have been lost had Mr. Vernon not preserved it.

VIII
 A word might be in order concerning the organization of the present
volume. The first chapter is made up wholly of sleights and tips on expert
card-handling. This seem ed the logical place to begin: with the fram e on
which the canvas of magic is stretched.

T h e second chapter gathers together a num ber of classic and well-

established plots, many of them founded or popularized by Mr. Vernon.
Som e of the tricks in this chapter are variations or revisions of well-known
Vernon classics. Because of their well-established nature, and because it
is not the aim of this work to redescribe familiar material, it has been
assum ed that any reader drawn to these pages will have a knowledge of
or access to such long-standard and readily available texts. Forem ost is Mr.
Vernon's bible. Expert at the C ard Table by S. W. Erdnase. This is
accom panied by Stars o f M agic and by the Vernon classics; S elect Secrets,
The Dai Vbrnon B ook o f Magic, the Inner Secrets o f Card Magic trilogy and
Dai Vernon's Ultimate Secrets o f Card Magic. Aside from the occasional
reference to information in these eight books, an effort has been made to
make T he Vernon C hronicles com plete on all essential points, If the reader
is not conversant with these classic works, it might be gently suggested
that h e becom e so before traveling the pages ahead.

The initial chapters, then, provide an orientation and a foundation from

which the succeeding chapters expand in many and diverse directions.

Those readers who like their tricks presented to a cut-and-dried formula

of effect-method, left uncluttered by historical asides, will find the
presentation of this work unsatisfactory in the extreme. Upon examination
it m ust be understood that Mr. Vernon's work and his life are intrinsically
woven into the very tapestry of twentieth-century magic. For over eighty
years he has been not only at the quick of the magic world, but one of its
prime movers. To write of Mr. Vernon's work, therefore, is to write of the
history of magic. T h e two things are inseparable. This approach is further
justified in that it reflects Mr. Vernon's concern for the rem em brance of
magic's many creative sustainers. Consequently, the.se volumes are designed
to be read on two levels; as a collection of tricks and sleights, and as a
picaresque, albeit patchwork, biography of close-up magic and of one of
its mo-st faithful adherents.

To put this body of work into an historical perspective, it should be

understood that it was developed over a time ranging from twenty-one to
eighty years ago. Yet it seem s as vibrant as any contem porary work.
Excellence is timeless.

As this project has progressed, Mr. Cervon and I have relied on a select
and knowledgeable group of friends and acquaintances to verify details and
provide further information. Chief among these persons is Larry Jennings.
O thers are Michael Ammar, Ron Bauer, John Booth, Steve Freeman, Karl
Fulves, Tom Gagnon, Micky Hades, Richard Kaufman, Roger Klause, Gerald
Kosky, Harry Lorayne, Jeff Sem el, Deane Stern, Byron Walker and Peter
Warlock. Also, it is impossible not to acknowledge a large debt to the late
Lewis Ganson. Had he not recorded so faithfully and so well Mr. Vernon's

IX
magic, my job would have been immensely more difficult. To all these men
1 would like to express my gratitude and that of Mr. Vernon.

Given the scope of the material, the complexity of its record, both written
and oral, and the gulf of time over which it spans, no preteirsion to historical
exhaustiveness can be entertained for this text. However, the final
manuscript was ecamined by an editorial board made up of Conrad C. Bush,
Milt Itort, Max Maven, Harry Riser, Faucett Ross, Michael Skinner and Herb
Zarrow. These m en are recognized for their erudition in the field, and their
suggestions have been carefully adopted. Any faults that remain are solely
my own and are sincerely regretted,

With little exception, the materia] that m akes up the first two volumes
is drawn from the notebooks kept by Bruce Cervon. Those notebooks
chronicle a period from late 1964 through 1966. Magic must be immeasurably
grateful for the foresight shown by Mr. Cervon, and for the labor spent
by him to am ass this information. Although Mr. Vernon has a prodigious
memory, it must be admitted that he has forgotten more good magic than
most of us will ever know. (It is hoped that the resurrection of this decrepit
cliche will be forgiven in this instance, in view of its literal tru th.) Had Mr.
Cervon not voluntarily and conscientiously assumed the role of amanuensis
to Mr. Vernon, much of this information would have been lost or distorted
by time's sure erosion.

I fear I have broken my vow of brevity with this introduction. But, as

certain of my friends have observed, brevity is not a quality w ith which
1 am closely allied. So let me close with a confession; W hile these volumes
contain som e of the finest magic to w hich I have ever been exposed, the
best trick to me is the one fate arranged by allowing m e the opportunity
to record the work of a gentlem an I have admired more than any other
since my first years in magic, and for whom my admiration grows
continuously. If this work brings the reader one half the pleasure it has
afforded me in the writing of it, it wiU have attained its purpose.

Stephen Minch
March 27, 1987
 A VISIT WITH DAI VERNON

by Elizabeth Wilson
How do you make an elephant disappear, pluck silver dollars from the
air or change the queen o f clubs into the ace of spades? Secrets like these
are shared by such diverse people as the King of Sw eden, Johnny Carson,
Prince Philip, Muhammud Ali and a few thousand aficionados world-wide.
Dai Vernon, the only magician who fooled H oudini, is the undisputed
master of magic's most closely-guarded secrets.

W hen Muhammud Ali, the greatest fighter in boxing history, shook hands
with magic's illustrious Dai Vernon, Ali smiled and said, 'Tinally, the two
fastest hands in the West meet."

N i

M u ham m u d Ali a n d Dai Vernon

XI
 Vernon, whose real name is David Frederick Wingfield Verner, is
considered the foremost authority on sleight-of-hand and the grand-daddy
of modern legerdemain. For the past fifty years, his nam e has appeared
in most magic publications, in many different languages. His own books
are considered classics. So m uch has been written about the wizardry of
Dai Vernon, and so vast is his erudition, he was nick-named "The Professor"
decades ago.

The colorful and dynamic "Professor" is a striking gentlem an of regal

bearing, A shock of silver-white hair fram es his face. His gray eyes twinkle
as he sips his favorite brandy, "Courvoisier", and brandishes a cigar. Dressed
in a snappy sport-jacket with silk handkerchief, and matching tie set off
by a cultured pearl, he looks like a c t o s s between a seventy year-old aristocrat
and the Wizard of Oz.

"Look, d o it this way."

Inside the sanctum sanctorum of the elegant and exclusive Magic Castle,
Dai Vernon is magic's reigning king. He can usually be found there; that
is, w hen he is not winging the skies to lecture to magicians in Japan,
Stockholm , Hawaii or Edinburgh; or en route to visit friends in M unich
or Kansas City; or "holding forth" to professionals, amateurs and hobbyists
at a magic convention aboard a luxury cruise-ship.

Magic, illusion and mystery fuse in the exquisite Magic Castle. Here, amid
the stunning Victorian decor with its plush red velvet, bronzed candlesticks,
stained-glass windows and priceless posters of magic's greats, Dai Vernon
is in his elem ent. It is here that magicians from around the globe meet and
perform, professionals chat about the state of the art, and serious students
discuss the latest moves and methods with the master.

XII
 Bill Larsen, President and paterfam ilias of the glamorous Magic Castle,
is close to Dai, The congenial form er C BS producer, a magic authority in
his own right, never ceases to wonder at Vernon.

"H e is the m ost knowledgeable person about magic the world has ever
known," exclaims Larsen. "He's really phenom enal. And what a memory.
He can rem em ber what he was doing forty year? ago."

Laughing, Bill Larsen, who oversees all aspects of Magic Castle affairs
and publishes G enii, a monthly magazine devoted exclusively to magic
world-wide, adds, "H alf the time, I can't remember what 1 did at a
conference a week ago."

Top Row: R’/er Pit, Cary Grant, Mark Wilson

Bottom Row: Dick Zimmerman, Dai Vernon, BUI Larsen, Ron Wilson

The easy-going and amusing Dai Vernon is invariably surrounded by

magicians, movie stars, athletes, the fashionable, the powerful and the wide-
eyed from all walks of life. He genuinely likes people and converses freely
with everyone.

Yet, in the hallowed halls of the magic m anse, he disclaim s his own
reputation as "The Professor". "A great misnomer," he calls it. "1 was doing
magic before most of these fellows were born. O f course my nam e is better
known. I’ve been around longer," he says, with a wink.

Magic's "w ise old m an" chuckles.

"G ot the reputation w hen I came to New York City from Canada in 1915.
I was able to fool most of the big-time magicians, many of w hom I idolized;
magicians like KiUar, Thurston, Blackstone and the great Fu M anchu.

How did he do it?

Says the debonair Dai Vernon, "1 had magic books of course. But Td say
I learned everything about playing cards from one book; Erdnase's classic.
Expert at th e C ard Table!'

XllI
 H e elaborates on how he fooled the pros of the day. 'T ou see, they were
principally stage magicians, big illusionists. They didn't know much about
sleight-of-hand. Dai explains his lifelong enchantment with magic, and cards
in particular.

"I've always been interested in anything mysterious. As a boy, 1 had a

vivid imagination. 1 used to love to walk and balance on the train tracks
leading into Ottawa. I'd find cards strewn by the rails, sometimes a complete
deck, and I'd be very curious as to how they got there. I finally discovered
that these cards had been tossed from moving trains by gamblers. That
certainly fired my imagination and got me going. I loved any kind of trick
thing: tumbling, turning somersaults, wire-walking, perform ing stunts on
the handlebars of my bicycle, cutting silhouettes."

Vernon smiles wryly. He explains that his conservative parents were not
amused by his principal interests in life. H is father sent him to Ottawa's
posh Ashbury College. Its British masters were not impressed either, by
the young Dai's pre-occupation with circus feats and card tricks.

Early Vernon (1920's)

XIV
 "H ere I am trying to give you a good education," said Dai's father, "and
all you want to be is a clown in the circus." Apparently magic took
precedence over such trivia as mathematics and physics.

In spite of what Dai Vernon calls "deliberate neglect" of his studies, he

graduated with high honors and went on to study at the Royal Military
College. Even there his continuing fascination with card maneuvers over­
rode his interest in military ones. On one memorable occasion, a stern
Colonel challenged Vbmon, who was in the showers with the boys following
a rugby match: "Let's see you do som ething now, Verner."

The erstwhile enthusiast, w ho had been practicing the art of palming,

immediately produced a soggy joker.

Says Vernon, "I always seem ed happiest w hen 1 was striving for
som ething. I learned early that achieving anything was a great pleasure.
I'm a real stickler. You can strive for perfection in magic, but you can never
reach it. I guess that is why it has always fascinated me." He leans back,
puffs on his cigar and takes his time before continuing. Traces of a Canadian
accent are still recognizable.

"Another thing," he com ments, launching briefly into psychology. "I've

always been interested in people's reactions to different things. In magic
you get insight into how people think by the way they react. Character comes
out when people watch magic."

The young Dai Vernon ventured to New York City to study art at the
prestigious Students Art League. An accomplished artist, he often thought
of becom ing a painter, like his paternal uncle, a Royal Academician in
London. IronicaUy, dreams of becom ing an artist faded as the possibilities
of becoming a professional magidan became evident. He rapidly established
a brilliant reputation, particularly with a deck of cards. H e was on his way
lo becom ing the prominent society magician. For a man w hose destiny lay
in his supple fingers, fate, in a cruel way, would step in with a brutal
challenge. A terrible catastrophe occurred, which would have killed or
maimed most people.

"It was my first and last regular job," laughs Vernon. '1 don't think it agreed
with me."

H e explains: "T he gasworks were being torn down to m ake way for the
East River Parkway. I'd studied dvil engineering at the Royal Military College
in Canada; I could read architect's blueprints, plans and scale drawings."

H e eases into the narrative, taking a m om ent to exchange greetings with

passing magicians. '1 was working high up on this scaffolding on a freezing
winter morning. This young fellow was struggling to carry a heavy pail.
Well, I took the pail from him and started to cross this wooden plank. I
got halfway across w hen, crack, the damn thing broke and 1 fell. Fell six
flights, bounced off every girder on the way down and finally landed in
the icy East River. M y arms were sm ashed—bones, arteries, m uscle and

XV
tendons stuck out. I remember hearing beautiful voices and music, angels
and everything. I guess I was as near death as 111 ever be, But in a brief
m om ent, the ecstasy turned into hell. I realized I was in the water; then
I lost consciousness."

Dai Vernon continues to describe his ordeal, taking neither it nor himself
too seriously.

"The next thing I knew, I was all bandaged up in the hospital. A guy
in uniform stuck a pen in my m outh, a pad of paper in front of my face
and told m e to mark it.

" 'What for?' I asked.

" Perm ission to amputate both your arms. O therw ise gangrene will set
in. You'll die,' he told me.

" 'Tm not signing anything,' I said, and 1 didn't."

The Professor shifts in his chair, stretches, and drinks his brandy.
Obviously this is not one of his happier memories. Yet he remair\s cool,
calm and waxes philosophical.

There can be no doubt that an accident such as this would have daunted
the spirits of most people. 'T didn't worry," he says. "Didn't mull it over.
I've always believed that in life, when anything happens, the great thing
is to adjust and to avoid worry, no matter what."

The tenacious young man regained the use of his arms and hands
completely. 'T've performed magic ever since, played the piano, shot billiards,
played tennis. I swam for years—still do." Amazingly, he resum ed a very
active life with no ill effects.

Dai Vernon (N ew York H ospital Jan. 3 - T.942)

XVI
 Dai had been acquainted with Harry Houdini and often speaks about
his experiences with Houdini and his wife, Bessie.

"Bessie H oudini was a lovely woman," he says. "S h e was my son Ted's
godmother. At his christening in Atlantic City, the minister was awestruck
when she told him her name. At that time the whole H oudini legend was
colossal."

He speaks of Houdini's fame, stating succinctly that there will never be

another like him.

"A large part of the success formula, and Houdini understood this more
than any magician has before or since, was to keep his nam e before the
public at all times. He always kept his nam e in print and m ade sure it was
spelled correctly."

Dai Vernon smiles, remembering som e of the publicity stunts of the most
famous magician of all time.

"If there was a big fire, for example, Houdini would rush over to the
location, talk to the fire-chief and then head for the press. For Houdini,
this was a sure way to get publicity. The newspapers would print: 'Houdini
attends fire. Houdini, Houdini, Houdini.' Today that name is synonymous
with magic."

W hen pressed as to how he fooled Houdini, Dai looks bem used and
continues:

"1 did a card trick for him . Now Houdini was a very clever man in many
ways. But this trick mystified him . I got a very nice letter from Bessie a few
days later. Sh e wrote me, 'H arry sat up half the night trying to figure out
how that trick was done. A lthough he would never adm it it, you fooled
him badly.' "

\
Harry H oudini

XVII
 Vemon had now established him self as "T he New York Card Expert" He
performed for the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, the city's elite, and visiting
royalty. To diversify his talents he commercialized his long-tim e h o b b y -
cutting silhouettes. He worked Coney Island during its heyday. Then, to
escape the sum m er heat, he headed west for Colorado to more lucrative
and picturesque terrain.

"1 cut silhouettes at the foot of Pike's Peak," the Professor recalls. "It was
a beautiful resort, a veritable heaven, with a bubbling brook of health waters.
I did so well there, I returned for the next three years. This was during
the Depression, I had a sign over my easel, 'No Depression Here.' And
I had crowds of people all the time."

Early one summer. President Roosevelt spent a few days at the Antlers
Hotel in Colorado Springs. O ne of his retinue sought out Dai with a request
to cut the President's silhouette. The charismatic magician is enthusiastic,
candid and disarm ing. Clearly, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt story is one
for the books.

"I went o\'er to the hotel, the President posed and I cut silhouettes.
Som eone behind me kept saying, 'Be careful. He has a beautiful aquiline
nose.' I was getting annoyed. I was just about to turn around and say,
'M adam, you cut the nose and I'll cut the rest of him,' w hen I felt a kick
on my leg. A fellow whispered in my ear. I glanced around and there stood
Eleanor Roosevelt.

"Well," laughs Vemon, good-naturedly, "the President was very gracious.

He autographed the silhouettes, 1 still have one in my collection. Another
hangs in the Oval Room in the W hite House."

After spending his early years criss-crossing the country; mixing with
Thom as Edison, Heifetz, Segovia and Caruso; kicking around with circus
perform ers and helping a struggling teenager c a n y a heavy pail across a
New York scaffolding; Vernon decided to saO for five years with the Moore-
McCormick Line. Vernon has many happy mem ories of life as a cruise-ship
m agidan, and of h is many round-trip voyages from New York to Buenos
Aires, Argentina.

In Trinidad, a regular port of call, Vernon expanded his ever-growing

following. "A couple of young boys were on the quay to watch the ship
com e in. W hen I got off, I picked up a pebble, changed it into a coin and
gave it to one of the boys. The other one jum ped up and down for m e to
do it again, so I repeated the trick for his benefit."

From that time on, Vernon becam e a self-styled Pied Piper of sorts.
Thereafter, every time the S .S . Brazil docked in Trinidad, a ragtag group
of youngsters faithfully awaited the arrival of the kindly magician.

By this time, Dai Vernon's fame had spread through North America, South
America and Europe. W hen the Magic Castle threw open its ornate doors
in 1963, Vernon cam e for a couple of weeks. The magician who cam e to

XVIIl
visit stayed to becom e one of its guiding spirits and a mentor to a multitude
of aspiring magicians.

"The Magic Castle is unique," says Vernon. "It has atmosphere. The whole
place lends itself to magic."

B uenos Aires, Argentina — Frisby Saunders, unknow n ship's singer

As he sits ensconced on a carved rosewood love-seat behind a marble-

topped coffee table, magicians, old-timers and visiting guests mill by the
magnetic prestidigitator. He looks up, nods acknowledgment and toys with
his cigar. Young practitioners of the art talk in hushed tones under the glow
of the imported crystal chandeliers.

The Professor talks of a recent journey to Stockholm as a guest of Swedish

magicians. The current reigning m onarch, King Carl XVI Gustaf, him self
a magic enthusiast, requested Dai Vernon's com pany at a Palace reception.
A private audience followed. W hat may have surprised the King as much
as the superlative skill that he w itnessed, was Vernon's hum orous remark,
delivered at precisely the right m om ent: "Did you know," said the aging
magus, as the two relaxed in private, "that I shot craps on your
grandmother's lap?"

King Carl XVI Gustav, w hom Dai esteem s highly, looked momentarily
startled. Then he smiled with obvious delight. Q ueen Louise, venerable
grandmother of Sweden's young monarch, had also met the famed magician
twenty-five years earlier in the ancestral hom e of Lord M ountbatten in

XIX
 England. Vem on had performed a little dice-trick for her. This sparked the
Queen's interest in the very popular American game of craps. Her mercurial
tutor explained that craps had to be played on a smooth surface and required
a backboard. T h e carpet was ruled out due to its rough pile. "Will my lap
do?" Q ueen Louise asked.

H er Highness sat in an erect posture and stretched her gown tautly from
royal hips to royal knees. The lap sufficed and Sweden's Q ueen learned
the basics of the dice game.

V em on pauses, looking mom entarily thoughtful. "Let me tell you," he

says. "M agic has enabled m e to m eet all kinds of people. I've met criminals,
racketeers, clowns and kings—and I've found there's som ething nice about
everybody. We should always look for the good in everyone."

Entertaining th e K ing o f S w ed en

Ron Wilson, Vice-President o f the M agic Castle and triple award-winner,

has long been a friend and confidant o f the Professor. H e says o f him , "The
man has a trem endous Jo ie d e vivre which energizes everyone in his
company. H e has a natural mystique, and no one in the world o f magic
is held in higher esteem."

Throughout his fascinating and unusual life, Vernon's vast nu m bers of

students have included bankers, doctors, lawyers, celebrities, aspiring
teenage magic-enthusiasts and royalty. H is Castle mailbox is loaded daily
with fanmail, invitations to lecture to m agicians’ clubs and personal mail
from his many friends and admirers.

"1 answer the youngsters and teenagers," says Vernon. "I tell them at all
costs to learn how to handle a knife and fork properly and to get a good
education. I stress originality and I tell them to be natural, whatever they do."

XX
 For a man of his tender years, ninety-two of them , Dai Vernon enjoys
remarkably good health, clarity of intellect and trem endous vitality. He
exercises daily by walking uphill to the Castle, and eats sparingly. He sums
up his attitude to life in general: "Attitude is everything. The main thing,
in my opinion, is to avoid stress. 1 think of the wonder of life, look at the
trees, the sky, the ocean, marvel at technology and think how fortunate
I am to have so many wonderful friends."

This extraordinary gentleman, Dai Vernon, w ho will celebrate his ninety-

third birthday this year, fully intends to live to be well over one-hundred
years of age. There is every reason to believe he will achieve his goal.

[Elizabeth Wilson is a free-lance journalist an d critical essayist. S h e is also

th e w ife o f Ron Wilson.}

Dai Vernon

XXI
 Chapter One:
Sleights, Tips and Techniques
 ON THE TURN OF A CARD

Mr. Vemon has been known to expound at length on the proper method
for turning up a card w hen a selection or som e important card is finally
revealed at the climax of an effect. These explorations into how a card should
be turned have elicited laughter and incomprehension from some magicians.
Such a response betrays a faulty understanding of magic as theater.

The m anner in w hich a card is turned over can m ean the difference
between a polite hand and enthusiastic applause from an audience. The
mere turning of a card, done in the correct way, can create suspense, doubt,
drama, then surprise or relief. Mr. Vernon recounts the methods used by
two masters of card magic to illustrate his point.

Nate Leipzig would reveal a chosen card in this manner: He would pick
up the face-down card by one long edge as he looked at the spectator and
asked him to nam e his card. U pon hearing the spectator's response Mr.
Leipzig would begin to turn the card over, end for end. First the inner end
of the card was raised so that the face was brought toward him . W hen the
card reached a vertical position, he would pause, look at it, then continue
to turn it until its face could be seen by the audience. By delaying the
exposure of the card's face, Mr. Leipzig brought the drama of the trick to
a peak, then revealed his success. How much better this than if the card
had b een turned in the opposite direction, exposing its face immediately
to the audience.

Paul Rosini created the sam e sort of suspense and drama in a different
fashion. The card was laid face-down on the table and the spectator asked
to nam e his selection. W hen he had done so, Mr. Rosini would contact the
back of the card with the fingertips of one hand and draw it slowly back
to the edge of the table. H e would then lift the inner end of the card, letting
the opposite end rest on the table, so that only he could see the face. There
was a mom entary pause. Then he would exclaim, "Look!" and let the card
fall forward and face-up. The card was immediately slid across the table
toward the audience and left there.

These are examples of how two fine magician.s heightened the

effectiveness of their work. O ther methods of turning up the card can be
found. The specific actions of turning the card are unim portant, as long
as suspense is created. A method should be chosen that fits the style of
the performer.

A n important factor of such revelations is timing. This is a thing that cannot

be defined for the reader. If the pause is too short, the drama is lost; too
long and the action becom es pretentious through being m ade overly
important. To find the right timing, one must be sensitive to the audience
and to one's own style of performing. Better effect will be had from every
trick once this lesson is learned.
 ON THE CORNER-SHORT

Tile short card is another of those principles that seem s to have come
to magicians from the card cheat's repertoire. Robert-H oudin, writing in
1861, mentions that cards cut or trimmed in various ways were in use at
the gam ing tables during his time and one-hundred years before. It would
seem that the corner-shorted card was a later refinem ent of the principle.
It was used by a close group of magicians in the early years of this century,
but the corner-short did not becom e widely known until John Northern
Hilliard wrote of it in G reater M agic (1938) and demonstrated its impressive
utility with Ralph W. Hull's "Tuned Deck".

W hen Mr. Hilliard wrote his introduction for the "Tuned Deck", he
obviously felt it among the very best things in his book. Despite an echoing
of this assessm ent over the years by many fine card-magicians, the corner-
short is seldom used by the average performer, This seem s particularly odd
considering that it is one of the most practical and least detectable locators
ever devised. It is also quickly made and, as Mr. Hull explained, can be
improvised in seconds with a nail clipper and a borrowed deck.

Mr. Vernon learned the technique about to be explained from a gambler

in S an Francisco. This gentlem an contrived a sophisticated handling for
the comer-short locator which he delighted in using to fool magicians. While
this technique has been around for many years, it is still relatively little
known. It was mentioned briefly in Dai Vernon's Ultimate Secrets o f Card
M agic (see p. 150), but no details were provided. In 1984 Jerry M entzer
described the technique in his booklet. On th e C orn er S hort, but again
many details of handling were neglected. This technique will now be
explained with several fine points and uses that, it is hoped, will bring its
great value to the attention of more magicians.

M ost magicians are familiar with only one method of locating the corner-
short in the deck: that of the corner riffle. This open action and its resultant
p lap as the key card passes the thumb is a tip-off to the knowledgeable,
It never occurred when our San Franciscan gambler performed. This is what
led the magicians w ho saw him work to believe he was using som e new
principle. What he had discovered was that if one taps a deck on its corner,
a com er-shorted card will automatically jog itself slightly from the lower
end and side of the deck, no matter where it is located. To illustrate this
technique clip a fine crescent off the non-index com ers of a card, using
a fingernail clipper. The amount removed from the com ers can be very smaU
and still the technique will work.

Cut the card into the middle of the pack. With the right hand position
the face-down pack at the left fingertips and hold it there, left thum b on
the left side, forefinger on the outer end and the rest of the fingers lined
along the right side, as near the outer com er as possible. The right fingers
also "cage" the deck, right thumb behind the left, right forefinger beside
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

the left forefinger on the outer end, second finger on the outer right corner,
and the third and fourth fingers held away from the deck. The pack is turned
to a vertical position as this two-handed grip is taken o n it. Figure 1 shows
the grip.

FIG U R E 1

Square the deck by rapping its inner non-index corner on the table. It
is the left hand that holds the cards as they are squared; the right hand
merely rides along. T he deck is not brought straight down; rather the left
hand rotates with a short sharp tw ist of the wrist to bring the corner down
smartly on the table (Figure 2, right hand removed for clarity). W hen the

FIG U R E 2

corner is rapped, the shock jars the com er-shorted card and causes it to
drop very slightly, jogging it from the inner end of the pack at the upper
com er and from the lower edge of the pack at the inner corner (Figure 3).
The fingers should maintain a gentle, almost loose, grip on the cards as
they are tapped, so the corner-short is not hindered as it drops.
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 3

This casual squaring of the deck seems, if anything, scrupulously honest.

Yet it is the very thing that does the trick, W hen the corner-short has been
knocked into a jogged state, the left forefinger moves to the face of the pack
and presses upward, tightening the cards so that the locator does not shift.
The deck is then placed back into dealing position. If the left fourth-finger
contacts the jogged card at the right side of the pack, it can pull down on
it and obtain a break above it. O r the right hand can com e palm-down over
the deck to square its ends further; the right thumb then catches the jogged
card at its inner end and puUs up, creaHng a break beneath it. With these
procedures the locator can be cut to either the face of the pack or the top.

A procedure favored by Mr. Vernon is that of tabling the deck immediately

after the tapping, then perform ing a riffle shuffle to bring the locator to
the bottom. To do this the right hand grips the lower or inner end of the
pack, thum b on top and fingers at the face. Then, applying pressure to
the cards to insure that the locator remains jogged, it sets the pack into
riffle-shuffie position on the table with the jogged edge outerm ost. The left
hand regrips the pack at its left end, thum b on the inner com er and second
finger on the outer. The left forefinger presses firmly down on the deck
to hold the locator steady while the palm-down right hand settles at the
right end of the deck. The tip of the right third-finger contacts the jogged
outer corner of the locator and lifts it (Figure 4), th ereto cutting off the top
half of the deck with the locator at its face. This half is tabled to the right
of the bottom portion and a riffle shuffle is executed, starting with the right-
hand cards.

If the index, rather than the non-index, com ers of the locator are clipped,
and the deck is held with its back, rather than its face, nearest the left palm
during the corner rap, the locator will be jogged into a position to be cut
by the right thumb during a riffle shuffle. Merely grasp the pack by its lower
end with the right fingers on the face and the thum b on the back. Then
table the deck face-down for the shuffle. The locator will be jogged from
the inner right com er.
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The uses for this subtle key-card should be obvious. If the corner-short
card is forced on a spectator, it can be returned by him and the deck shuffled
in any manner he wishes. Yet, with a tap, you have his card under complete
control.

The com er-short is most often used to mark the location o f a selection
placed below or above it. However, its ability to control a stock of cards
is less often exercised,

Within the context of a card game, such a locator could be used to mark
the position for the cut, either by the dealer or his confederate,

Bruce Cervon is a strong advocate of the corner-shorted card. Since he

was taught this technique with the card he has worked out several cunning
procedures using it. Tine first may be obvious after the above discussion,
but is worth noting. After the deck is tapped square, its face turned toward
the left palm, the hands lift it a few inches above the table and give it a
cut. The right third-fingertip pulls up on the jogged locator at the outer
edge of the pack as the cut is made, delivering the com er-short to the face
of the upper packet. The right hand tables this packet, then takes the
remaining cards from the left hand and com pletes the cut. This action
appears casual and innocent.

Mr. Cervon has discovered that the locator can he made to jog only from
the lower end of the pack with a slight change in the direction of the tap.
The deck is held with its inner, or lower, end nearly parallel with the surface
of the table. The left hand then brings the pack straight downward, rather
than swinging the corner down with a snap of the wrist. O nly the outer
corner of the pack should hit the table. Figure 5 shows the action. The inner
com er is kept slightly elevated. This tap will jar the locator from the lower
end of the deck, but not from the front edge.

Here are two card-controls, developed by Mr. Cervon, that use this
technique; one with an overhand shuffle, the second with a riffle shuffle;
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 5

Have the corner-short on the face of the pack as a card is selected and
noted. Manage to position the corner-short directly over the selection as
it is returned to the pack. A subtle method for achieving this is the "Key
Card Placem ent" which can be found on page 159 of Dai Vernon's UUimate
Secrets o f C ard M agic. The deck is now given an overhand shuffle related
to the Laurie Ireland red-black shuffle. Cards are shuffled off until you reach
the center portion of the deck where the paired selection and locator lie,
At this point the left thumb bites off a bltxrk of cards that is certain to contain
this pair. The balance is then shuffled off on top. This shuffle leaves the
locator and selection undisturbed near the center of the pack. Yet the action
of the shuffle is extrem ely natural. The shuffle can be repeated if desired.
Then the pack is tapped square o n the table, jogging the locator so that
it can be cut to the face. In this manner, the selection is delivered to the
top of the pack through a mixing procedure that looks entirely fair.

To control the crucial pair during a riffle shuffle, the locator must again
be managed to the face of the pack. A card is selected and noted while
you table the rest of the deck in riffle shuffle position. Have the spectator
lay his card on top of the pack. Undercut about a quarter of the cards with
the right hand and slap this packet onto the selection. Undercut another
quarter of the pack and slap it on top. Repeat this a third time. This runrung
cut places the selection about three-quarters down in the pack with the
locator above it. Cut the top half of the pack to the right and riffle shuffle,
holding back a little more than half the left hand's cards while releasing
all but one or two from the right. Drop the left-hand block and release the
right hand's final card o r cards onto it. Square the pack and shuffle again,
cutting the top half to the right. However, this time it is the right thumb
that holds back the block while the left thum b releases all but a few cards.
These are dropped onto the block and the pack is squared. Undercut about
a quarter of the pack and slap it on top. This series of shuffles and cuts
retains the paired locator and selection and places them near center. Rap
the deck square to jog the locator and cut it to the face. O nce more the
selection has been brought to the top. This shuffle control for locator and
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

selection is a refinement of a clever procedure devised by John Q uine {a

good friend of Mr. Cervon's). Mr. Q uine’s original control sequence can be
found in Mentzer's Card Cavalcade (pp. 102-1()4) and in On the Corner Short
(pp. 10-11).

Harry Riser has passed on a clever application for this corner-short

technique. He position.s the corner-short twenty-sixth from the top of the
pack. He then anglejogs the card finely with a corner tap and tables the
deck with the jog toward him self. The jog then provides a useful reference
for estimation work. For example, if a spectator cuts the pack and notes
the card cut to, the performer can estimate the position of the noted card
quite accurately by observing its location relative to the jogged card, which
is known to be twenty-sixth from the lop. Astonishing effects can be
accom plished with this subtle idea.

Tom Gagnon provides an idea with the corner-short that will intrigue
those who use the faro shuffle. If a com er-shorted card is positioned above
a selected card, and the pack is then faro shuffled, the corner-short and
the selection will remain together throughout any num ber of shuffles. This
assum es that the initial weave of the cards is perform ed at the corner of
the pack where the shortened com er lies, and that the weave is begun at
the ijottom of the packets. If one is in the habit of starting the weave from
the lop, the corner-short and the card above it will remain unseparated.
This interesting principle can lead to som e worthwhile applications.

It is hoped that these techniques and procedures with a corner-shorted

card will stimulate new interest in this exceptional tool. More information
on handling the corner-short can he found in The Fine Art o f M agic, where
George Kaplan devotes his entire first chapter to this locator. (M uch of the
material in this book, though uncredited, was drawn from unpublished
work by S. Leo Horowitz and Mr. Vernon. Mr. Kaplan was made privy to
this information as a student of Mr. Horowitz, and later incorporated it into
his text.) Further important information on the corner-short appears in the
'T u n ed Deck" chapter of G reater M agic (pp. 517-530) and in Dai \^rnon's
Ultimate Secrets o f Card Magic (pp. 150-152).
 ON THE SCALLOP-SHORT

The scaUop-short is another style of short card; one so subtle, it has fooled
even persons familiar with the concept. When, as a boy, Mr. Vfernon learned
about gamblers' beily-strippers, he took the principle and adapted it to the
work o f a locator card. This new form of locator was one of the ideas he
brought with him w hen, in 1913, he arrived in New York; and it played
a part in founding his reputation among the top cardm en of the day.

The secret of the scallop-short was not widely known to the magic world
until the publication of G reater M agic in 1938 (see p. 463). Mr. Vernon's
role in the creation of this sophisticated locator was apparently not known
to J. N. Hilliard as it is not mentioned. The scallop-short was later described
on page 149 of Dai Vernon's Ultimate Secrets o f C ard Magic, and som e of
its handling techniques were explained there.

For those unfamiliar with this prepared card, it is made by carefully

shaving a very small arc or crescent from one or both ends of the card (Figure
6). If the removed portions are neatly cut and not too large, such a card
wQl pass for normal even in fast company.

FIG U R E 6

Mr. Vernon consistently fooled many knowledgeable magicians with this

locator, including Arthur Buckley. Mr. Buckley tried for weeks to fathom
the secret to the feats he saw Mr. Vernon do with a scallop-short in the
deck. After much thought Mr. Buckley becam e convinced that Mr. Vernon
was using som e sort of soft card that could be located w hen its secret was
known. Mr. Buckley experimented extensively, attempting to soften cards
without the preparation becoming apparent. Finally Mr. Vernon shared the
secret with him, after Mrs. Buckley told him that she was becoming
concerned for her husband's health, so compulsive was his desire to discover
the method.
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

O ne reason magicians were completely baffled t y Mr. Vfemon's work with

the scallop-short was that the trimming of the card was very fine. T h e deck
could stand a close inspection without the presence o f the scallop-short
being detected. Many w ho learned the secret o f the locator still could not
understand how Mr. Vernon depended upon such a finely shaven card.
The secret is this:

The left hand must hold the deck tightly, once it is neatly squared, while
the right thum b riffles up the inner end or the left forefinger riffles down
the outer end. This firm grip assures that the cards stay perfectly aligned
during the riffle, so that the finely trimmed locator can be felt.

Mr. Vernon would employ another clever subtlety if he noticed that his
spectator was in the habit of riffle shuffling by releasing the ends of the
cards off the thumbs. He would position the scilo p -sh o rt over the selection
and then hand the deck to the victim for mixing. If the cards are riffle
.shuffled in the m anner m entioned the selection and the locator can be
counted upon to remain together, through any num ber of shuffles. That
the cards can be inspected and shuffled at length, and yet the chosen card
can be instantly located, is an astonishing set of circumstances that will still
dumfound laymen and magicians alike.

M r Vernon tilways makes the seven of diamonds his scallop-shorted card,

This fact is more than just a bit of trivia. It contains a helpful tip. By assigning
a particular card the duty of being a certain gimmick or locator, and by then
adhering to that designation with every deck you prepare, confusion is
avoided from deck to deck and from year to year. With the knowledge that
the seven of diam onds is a scallop-short in any deck that he has prepared,
Mr. Vernon need never check the identity of the locator card; it is always
the same. This can be of genuine help from time to time.

In "Enlarging a Break", which immediately follows, another tip on the

scallop-short is given.
 ENLARGING A BREAK

There are times w hen it is necessary to take a very fine flesh break in
the pack, A good instance of this is when one is holding a break at a peeked
card. If the break is too wide it will cause a step or jutting at the front end
of the pack. This of course betrays the strategy. However, once having
procured a fine flesh-break, it is som etim es difficult to locale or cut to it
w ith unfailing precision. This is Mr. Vernon's solution to the problem.

The deck is in left-hand dealing grip. A fine fourth-finger break is being

held. The palm-down right hand com es over the pack to square it at the
ends. The tip of the right second-finger rests at the outer right corner of
the pack while the right thum b lies at the inner right corner and the
forefinger is curled on top. The tips of both thumb and finger should contact
the entire thickness o f the pack, from top to bottom . This fingertip and
thumb are ru n from right to left along the ends of the cards. As this is done
a firm pressure is exerted by the thum b on the inner end of the pack. This
pressure causes the break to enlarge and to open straight across the back
of the deck, from the fourth fingertip to the heel of the left thumb. If the
right thum b and second finger are drawn back over the ends of the deck
to the right with a similar pressure, the break will open still farther.

O ne nice feature of this technique is that you need not know the location
of the break lo find and open it. The right thum b discovers it automatically.
This same principle can be used to particular benefit when an end-scalloped
locator card (Figure 6) is in the pack. This style of short card provides an
excellent advantage, as the deck need not be tapped square to insure the
location of the card. However, riffling up the end o f the pack can expose
the method, if working for a knowledgeable group. Mr. Vem oris method

FIG U R E 7

10
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

for enlarging a break is indetectable; and with an end-scalloped short card,

no initial break is required. Simply run the right thumb and second fingertip
along the ends of the pack, but with these small differences; Begin with
the thumb and second finger at the left corners of the pack, rather than
at the right. Then, as you run them over the ends of the cards, exert a firm
downward as well as an outward pressure with the right thumb. The thumb
should actually travel diagonally down the inner end of the pack, from the
upper left to the lower right, as indicated in Figure 7. It will be found that
a break opens immediately below the scalloped card. If necessary, this break
can be enlarged as explained above.

Dai Vernon perform in g "The C ups a n d Balls'

11
 BREAKING AT THE INJOG

Dr, Jam es W. Elliott, the superb Boston card expert, revealed several fine
points on transforming an injog into a break to Mr. Vemon. They are
recorded here as a further reminder of the artistry of this past master.

Dr. Elliott observed that it was best, whenever possible, to secure the break
over an injogged card, rather than under it. The injog should be set with
this idea in mind. His reasoning was this;

To obtain a break below the injog, the right thum b must lift up on the
jogged card as it pushes it into the pack. No matter how carefully executed,
this lifting by the thumb can be perceived from the front; and such a motion
is discrepant to the natural action of simply grasping the deck from above.
If the reader will stand before a mirror with deck in hand and watch as
he forms a break under an injogged card, he will confirm for him self that
the right hand cannot help but betray the lifting action of the thumb. (This
criticism, it will be understood, does not apply if the deck is being cut at
an injog; in such a case, lifting is in perfect accord with the outward action.)

The problem of lifting is eliminated completely if the thum b instead

presses down and in on the jogged card, form ing a break above it. The
action is invisible to even the shrewdest observer.

W hen Dr. Elliott performed this action he would grasp the deck by its
ends with the palm-down right hand and immediately lift it o ff the palm
and to the left fingertips. With the left fingers on the right side of the pack
and the left thum b on the left, the cards were squared in a most natural
manner. This brought the break, held at the rear of the pack by the right
thumb, into direct contact with the tip of the left fourth-finger without that
finger having to bend. Thus the fingertip found itself automatically
positioned to take over the break from the right thumb (Figure 8). The deck
was then lowered back onto the left palm, the left fingers following it at
the right side.

FIG U R E 8

12
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

This procedure looks entirely ordinary, yet the break is formed and
transferred to the left fourth-finger through those very actions.

With Dr. Elliott's cautions in mind, Mr. Vernon has devised a method
for obtaining a break below the injog that avoids any lifting by the right
thumb. It is done with the left hand only, while the audience's attention
is directed momentarily away from the hand as the break is formed.

The deck should be held loosely in the palm-up left hand. T he left fourth-
finger is stationed behind the inner right corner of the pack so that its tip
can contact the face of the injogged card at the com er. (If the overhand-
shuffle grip recommended by Erdnase is used, the fourth finger will be
in this position automatically,) The fourth finger pushes up on the injogged
card, lifting it and all the cards above it very slightly at the inner end (Figure
9). The fourth finger now swings to the right and forward, tracing a tight
path around the inner corner of the pack.

FIG U R E 9

The injogged card travels with the fourth finger, until it has shifted to
an anglejogged position at the right side of the deck (Figure 10). The block

H G U R E 10

13
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

of cards above it is kept in alignment with the pack by the tips of the thumb
and second finger at opposite front corners, and the forefinger at the front
end.

As the card is swung into an angled position, its outer left corner will
break from the left edge of the pack and hit against the tip of the thumb
(Figure 10 again). The fourth finger now pushes in on its corner of the card,
forcing it to move flush with the deck. The thum b acts as a guide for the
path of the card, straightening just enough to force the outer left corner
of the card to move forward (Figure 11) and then square. At the sam e time
the fourth finger pushes up lightly on the card, procuring a flesh break
beneath it.

FIG U R E n

This maneuver can be done in a m om ent and, if the left hand is cocked
a bit to the right to shield the right side of the pack from view, the action
is invisible to the audience. Nevertheless, som e brief misdirection away from
the deck is advisable while the action is performed, as is the case with almost
any sleight.
 ROTATING THE BREAK

It is sometimes necessary or desirable, while a fourth-finger break is being

held, to turn the deck over. Such a maneuver would seem to preclude the
maintenance of a break, and is therefore quite disarming. Here is Mr.
W rnon's method for accom plishing this task.

Assume the deck face-down in left-hand dealing position. The left fourth-
finger holds a break. The objective is to turn the deck face-up without
relinquishing the break. To achieve this the deck should be slid back in
the left hand, so that the fourth finger is positioned much farther forward
than usual. The left fingers should be held together along the right edge
of the deck, the forefinger at the very front of the right edge. This should
bring the fourth-finger up the length of the pack som e distance from the
rear corner—as far as it can be brought cornfortably.

The palm-down right hand begins to turn the deck by first firmly grasping
its front end, fingers below and thumb on top. Figure 12 exposes the position
of both hands and the break from the right side.

The front end of the deck is lifted and carried backward, rotating the pack
end for end and face-up over the left hand.

As the deck is turned, the tip of the left fourth-finger exerts a steady
pressure on the revolving right edge, the fingertip becoming the axis around
w hich the deck pivots (Figure 13). With practice, it will be found that the
break can be kept open as the deck is rotated. It is important that the right
hand’s grasp on the pack be firm, for if the cards shift under the left fourth-
finger's pressure, the break will be lost,

The pack is settled smoothly back onto the left hand and is immediately
slid forward, until the left fourth-finger reaches the right rear corner. The
break follows the fourth-finger to the inner corner, and any gap that may

15
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 13

have been created at the forward end of the deck during the turn is closed
before it can be noticed.

The procedure is sim ple and direct, yet totally deceptive. It is a useful
technique to have at one's disposal.

Dai Vbrnon a n d Fred K aps

16
 THE VERNON
ALL-AROUND SQUARE-UP

Several fine methods have been published for the retention of a jogged
card while seem ing to square all sides of the pack m eticulously; most
noteworthy are those by Ed Mario and Larry Jennings. Mr. Vernon developed
an all-around square-up technique years ago that operates on a completely
different premise. W hereas the other techniques shift the jog around the
edges of the pack as it is revolved, Mr. Vernon's jogged card remains
stationary from first to last.

The all-around square-up maneuver com m ences with the desired card
anglejogged from the left rear side of the pack. Mr. Vernon has a typically
artistic method for achieving this starting position.

Assum e that the card to be controlled is on the table or in a spectator's

possession. To prepare for the return of the card the pack is very neatly
squared and held at the left fingertips, above the palm. T he left thumb
resides at the left side of the pack, centered o r a bit forward of center. The
second, third and fourth fingers are in file along the right edge. T h e bottom
edge.s of the deck should rest very near o r on the creases betw een the outer
and middle phalanges, so that the thumb and fingertips ride high over the
top of the pack. TTie left forefinger is curled beneath the pack, its nail
contacting the face of the bottom card. It is m ost important that this point
of contact be at the left side of the deck, very near the thumb. Figure 14
depicts the grip.

FIG U R E 14

The right hand claims the chosen card at its outer end—thum b above,
fingers beneath—and neatly inserts the near end of the card into the center
of the deck. The card is pushed straight into the pack in this m anner until
less than half of it protrudes. The right hand then moves to a position, palm-
down, above the pack, fingers slarfished widely so that as little of the pack
as possible is obscured from view. The right thumb should rest at the inner

17
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

end of the deck, just at center, and the tip of the right second-finger contacts
the outer end of the projecting card, also purposely at center. (See Figure
14 again.) Fellow magicians, watching for the usual finger positions used
to anglejog a card—off-center or four-fingered—will be nonplused by this
scrupulous finger-placement.

The right second-finger contracts, pushing the card straight into the pack.
However, just as the last quarter-inch of the card moves flush with the outer
end of the deck, the left forefinger presses firmly up on the bottom of the
pack, causing a tight pressure on the left side. Consequently a friction is
created by the left forefinger and thum b that forces the left rear corner of
the inserted card to swing slightly to the left as the right second-finger
finishes pushing the card into the pack. Figure 15 exposes the anglejogged
position of the card at the left inner side.

FIG U R E 15

While this is the situation desired for the pursuant square-up procedure,
it should be noted in passing that if the left forefinger is stationed under
the right side of the pack, and pressure created between it and the left
second-finger, the card can be caused to anglejog from the right rear corner.

The jog need not be a broad one. In fact, the forthcoming handling of
the all-around square-up will reduce the jog to a fine state, if it is not already
in one. A jog of a sixteenth of an inch or less is sufficient.

Following the entrance of the card into the pack, the left hand revolves
rightward at the wrist, bringing the pack to a position perpendicular to the
floor, back of the deck and left palm turned to the right, left thum b and
left side of pack now uppermost. The front end of the pack should be tipped
slightly up, so that the projecting left inner corner of the selection is hidden
from the spectators' view by the angle of the deck and the left thumb. The
right hand shifts positions, the right thum b coming to rest on the top edge
of the pack immediately forward of the left thumb, and the right first and
second fingers on the lower front corner. Figure 16 portrays this. The right

18
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

thum b and fingers then travel along their respective side and end of the
deck until they meet at the top front com er, squaring the pack with a firm
squeezing pressure. U is likely that the top front corner of the selection may
protrude slightly from the pack before this squaring action. Care should
be taken to square this corner neatly with the right fingers.

FIG U R E 16

Repeat the squeeze-squaring action of the right fingers several times to

em phasize the perfectly smooth edges of the pack. Then grasp the deck
in the right hand—second finger at the upper front corner, thum b at the
upper rear—and shift it to left-hand dealing grip, pushing the left side of
the deck deep into the left thumb-crolch. The hand naturally turns palm-
up again as the deck is repositioned.

The right hand remains over the deck and moves from side to side over
the ends of the cards, squaring them with an obviously firm pressure. This
does not affect the position of the anglejogged card, for the right thumb
applies pressure only to those cards above the jog.

You are now going to turn the deck so that the rem aining side and end
can be squared. The right hand pinches the deck at its outer end, thum b
on top, fingers at the face (Figure 17). This hand turns the pack end for

FIG U R E 17

19
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

end while sim ultaneously tw isting it in a counterclockwise direction. This

points the face of the pack lo the left and brings the jo g to the lower front
side. The left hand does not move from its palm-up posture, but regrasps
the pack in its new vertical position, thumb on the face, forefinger curled
around the lower fix>nt corner, and the other fingers on the back (Figure
18). A little experim entation will teach how the deck is turned without
exposing the jogged card. The left fingers can also help screen the jog from
view during the maneuvering of the pack.

In this fresh position the left hand should tilt the front end of the deck
down slightly, further protecting the jog whUe bringing the upper edge of
the deck fully into view. The right thum b is brought to rest on the upper
near corner of the cards, and the right first and second fingertips on the
lower outer corner. These fingers then move towards each other, meeting
at the front upper corner o f the pack in a squaring action identical to that
performed a few m om ents before. This action is repeated once or twice.
If the upper corner of the jogged card projects slightly from the front end
of the pack, these actions will push it flush while maintaining the jo g at
the lower edge of the pack.

All four sides of the pack have now been thoroughly squared, o r so it
seem s. Yet the jog is still in place. From here several routes may be taken.
1) T he deck may be turned face-up in the left hand as follows; The right
hand grasps the pack at the forward end, fingers on the face, thum b on
the back. It then turns the cards end for end and face-up into the waiting
left palm. The jog is brought to the inner right side of the deck by this action.
Tlie left fourth-fingertip immediately contacts the jog, pulls lightly down
on it and secures a break above the selection as it is pushed flush. The
card can be controlled to the bottom o f the pack with a turnover pass, or
the break can be maintained as the deck is turned face-down (see Mr.
Vernon's method of doing this, just preceding).

O r 2) the deck may be turned face-down with the jog intact: The right
hand grasps the pack at the outer end in the same m anner just described.

20
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

but turns palm-up as it revolves the deck end for end, thus bringing it face­
down onto the left palm. The jog will be situated at the inner left side near
the heel of the left thumb. This is an excellent position from which to perform
Mr. Vernon's Spread Location (ref. Dai Vernon's Ultimate Secrets o f Card
Magic, pp. 129-131). The right hand takes the pack from above by its ends
and ribbon spreads it from left to right on the table. The anglejog creates
a subtle but identifiable irregularity in the spread, noticeable to the
performer. O ne can proceed with any sort of location desired. Bruce Cervon
suggests that Matt Schulien's Face-down Spread Force, presented as a
location rather than a force, could be managed to good effect from this
position (see The M agic o f Matt Schulien, pp. 51-57). The cards are pushed
around on the table in a seeming hodgepodge; then one card is pulled from
the confusion—the selection. Other avenues will suggest themselves to each
reader.

Dai Vernon an d h is son Ted (1944)

21
A CURIOUS TURNOVER-PASS

The discovery of this odd sleight was both fortuitous and amusing. In
the early and mid-1960s George Bardosis was the m anager of the Magic
Castle. He was not a magician—but, working at the Magic Castle, he felt
that he should be able to do som e magic. George Bardosis was a character
and well-Uked around the club. S o one day Mr. Vem on taught George
Bardosis a card trick. Mr. Bardosis worked hard and mastered the trick
perfectly. It was the only trick he did, but he fooled everyone with it—
even Larry Jennings and Bruce Cervon. O ne evening Mr. Cervon asked
George Bardosis about the trick. Only then did he discover its origin. It
was recorded in the Castle N otebooks that night.

The trick Mr. Bardosis did was a simple Ambitious-Card effect. It was
an uncom plicated presentation built around a single sleight. That sleight
was an unusual type o f turnover-pass—a pass related in its m echanics to
the Walter Baker fan pass (described on page 118 of Dai Vbmon's Ultimate
S ecrets o f C ard Magic). This variant pass will be taught w ithin the context
of Mr. Bardosis' trick.

You must be standing for this (the sleight is awkward and far less deceptive
done seated). The trick begins with the free selection of a card. Have the
card noted and take it from the person with your right hand, while holding
the deck face-down in the left hand. Insert the card into the front end of
the pack near center and push it flush. However, as this is done the card
is angled slightly from the right side of the deck (a method for accomplishing
this is explained in "T he \fernon All-Around Square-Up". just preceding)
and the tip of the left fourth-finger pulls down on the corner, getting a break
above it as the card is squared.

"Your card goes into the middle of the deck. O f course it is not on top."
You prove this by turning the lop card up on the pack. This is done with
a stud-dealing action: The right hand turns palm-down as it approaches
the pack. The left thum b pushes the top card to the right and the right
hand takes it, fingers on the back and thum b on the face. The hand then
rotates palm-up, turning the card end for end and replacing it on the deck.
The sam e action is used to turn the card face-down again.

"And your card is not on the bottom." It is as you turn over the pack to
display the bottom card that the pass is made. The right hand com es palm-
down to the deck again. The right fingers contact the top of the pack toward
the inner end, and the thumb apparently goes under it. Actually the thumb
digs into the break held by the left fourth-finger. The right hand then rotates,
just as it did w hen it turned a single card; however, this time the top half
of the deck is turned, The turn is started by sliding the top packet forward
approximately one inch, then raising the iim er end until the packet is nearly
vertical. In this position the top half becom es a screen which conceals the
bottom half as it begins to turn.

22
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Behind the moving top half, the left fingers flip the bottom half of the
pack sidewise and face-up. This turning action of the left fingers is far easier
done than described, The tips of the second, third and fourth fingers curl
around the right edge of the packet, while the first finger lies extended under
the right front corner. The left thum b should lie stretched along the left
side of the pack (Figure 19), shielding that edge from view. The fingers arch

FIG U R E 21
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

A s the lower packet com pletes its revolution, the right hand continues
to rotate its h alf to a face-up horizontal position. This half is then slid
smoothly over the lower portion and square (Figure 22). It will be imderstood
that the rotation of the top half is continuous and unhesitating from first
to last. Also, the two halves are kept as near each other as possible during
the pass to provide cover.

The hands should hold the cards about waist level or a bit lower. This
presents the audience with a view of the upper surface of the pack, while
masking the motion of the bottom half.

Pause for the bottom card to be noted. Then turn the deck face-down
in the sam e end-over-end fashion with the right hand; however, this time
the action is honest. Snap your fingers and turn up the top card to show
that their selection has risen there magically.

24
 THE VERNON
ONE-HANDED SHIFT

O ne way to nullify a cut Is to shift it—that is, to return the halves of the
pack secretly to their original positions after the cut is made. Gamblers
discovered this stratagem centuries ago. O f course, within the realm of card
magic, shifts, or passes, serve for other uses as well.

The one-handed shift about to be taught has quite different dynam ics
from the Robert-Houdin, Charlier and Erdnase one-handed shifts. Its very
design promotes lightning speed, once the sleight is mastered. Another
point that sets this shift apart from the others is that it is executed directly
from dealing position; no adjustm ent of grip is required,

The shift is different from the start: The break between halves is held
by the thenar, or heel, of the left thumb, rather than by the fourth finger.
Mr, Vernon's favorite method for forming such a break is to perform a tabled
cut. The pack, lying with one end nearest the performer, is cut into two
halves on the table. The right hand picks up the bottom half of the deck
by the ends and slaps it onto the top portion. However, in doing so, a
leftward step is made; Tlie new top half overhangs the left side of the lower
portion by roughly three-eighths of an inch. T he right hand hides this step
from the front and right angles (Figure 23).

H G U R E 23

In a continuing action the right hand lifts the entire deck from the table
and places it into left-hand dealing grip. As the cards are positioned the
right hand pushes the left edge of the pack against the heel of the left thumb.
Simultaneously the heel pushes up gently on the step, catching a flesh break
as the two halves of the pack slide square. Figure 24 exposes this heel break
from the performer's vantage.

25
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

The m anner in which the pack is held by the left hand is most important.
It is similar to the standard mechanic's grip, forefinger at the front end,
the others at the right side, thum b on top. However, the tips of the fingers
rest just a bit higher over the top of the pack than usual; the thum b is
stretched along the left front comer, parallel with the left edge. See Figure 25.

FIG U R E 25

T h e left fourth-finger perform s the first action of the shift, by curling

com pletely under the pack. It should bend leftward as far as is possible,
its back contacting the face of the pack from nail to the middle knuckle
(Figure 26). This placem ent of the little finger is done only w hen the shift
is to be perform ed, and not a mom ent before.

The fourth finger now pushes up on the face of the pack as the thumb
pushes down and pulls to the left. With a bit of practice these simultaneous
actions will cause the two halves of the pack to separate cleanly at the break
and to slide in opposite directions. The lower portion moves to the right
and begins to lilt up at its left edge; and the upper portion moves to the
left and is lifted slightly at its right edge by the lower block (Figure 27).

26
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 27

These actions are continued until the left edge of the lower half clears
the right edge of the upper half. As the halves pass each other there will
be a physical (but eventually noiseless) snap, due to the opposing pressures
being applied to the packets. (See Figure 28).

HGURE 28

27
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

The instant the packets clear, the rightm ost half is settled square onto
that under control of the thumb. This action, too, happens swiftly, due to
the natural finger pressures. The fourth finger immediately retakes its
position beside the third at the right side of the pack—and the deck is once
more in dealing grip.

A point to be striven for is a parallel movement of the two halves as they

pass. The opposing edges should be kept in alignment with each other.
At first it will seem natural to swing the back of the under packet out to
the right. If this tendency is not resisted the action of the shift will be broader
than necessary, m aking it more visible, and the packets will make noise
as they transpose. It is also desirable to keep the two packets as flat as
possible during their transposition. Vertical tipping of the packets should
be minimized. See Figure 29. In this respect, the Vernon one-handed shift
is much like Erdnase's. If these points are attended to, and sufficient practice
is devoted to the sleight, it can be executed rapidly and silently.

FIG U R E 29

W hen first learning the shift, it will be found helpful to use an old sticky
pack. New cards tend to slip out of control during early practice. Once the
actions begin to feel comfortable, start practicing with a pack that is in good
condition.

Obviously this sleight is no more invisible than any other one-handed

shift. It must have cover w hen it is executed. Such cover often depends
on the circumstances surrounding the use of the shift. For instance, the
right hand can reach forward to the left to claim or move som ething on
the table. As the right arm blocks the left hand from sight, the shift is made.
If you are a smoker, this action can be the reaching for an ashtray (see F i^ r e
30). O ther motivated movements can be found to suit each m ise en scen e.

28
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 30

With Lou Derman (T.V. writer for "Ail in th e Family" an d "Mister Ed").

29
 GLIMPSE FROM
THE TWIRL CUT

This method for secretly gaining knowledge of the bottom card of the
pack is so simple, it will be overlooked by many. However, it is this very
simplicity that makes it a valuable tool. Mr. Vernon has used it often over
the years.

Assume that the pack has been shuffled either by yourself or, more
advantageously, by a spectator. As the spectator is addressed the deck is
given a cut. It is during the cut that the bottom card is subtly glimpsed.

The Leipzig twirl cut is the maneuver used for the purpose. This elegant
flourish-cut, also called the "sw ivel" or "spin" cut, is widely known to
magicians. A full explanation of it can be found on pages 170-171 of Dai
Vbrnon's Tribute to Nate Leipzig. It will be described here in the context
of the glimpse.

The deck is held face-down in a loose left-hand dealing grip, The right
hand com es palm-down over the pack and grasps it by the ends, the
forefinger curled lightly onto the back of the cards. The right thum b lifts
the top half of the pack slightly and swings the left inner corner of this
packet about half an inch to the left, so that it hangs just beyond the left
inner corner of the lower half (Figure 31). (This setting of the cut is not
strictly necessary, but it insures that the upper half breafe cleanly from the
lower w hen the cut is executed,)

FIG U R E 31

The mom ent the top half has been adjusted, the right thum b shifts to
the inner right corners of b«)th halves. The palm-down right hand then takes
the pack, freeing the left hand.

30
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The palm-up left hand moves to the rear of the pack, and the back of
the left forefingertip is placed against the projecting left corner of the upper
half (Figure 32). As this position is taken, the right hand tilts the inner end
of the pack upward slightly.

H G U R E 32

The left forefinger now presses against the corner of the upper half, lifts
it a bit and swings the inner end of the packet leftward and away from the
body. This swivels the packet end for end, the right second finger acting
as a pivot post.

Because of the tilt, the card at the face of the upper packet is fully exposed
to you for an instant as the packet spins outward (Figure 33).

FIG U R E 33

3]
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

As the left hand continues to swivel the top half of the pack it will find
itself automatically below it (Figure 34). O nce there, the top half is allowed
to drop neatly onto the left palm and the right hand follows through by
carrying the bottom half forward and onto the top. The card sighted during
the cut is now at the bottom of the pack and can serve as a key card or
for som e other function.

FIG U R E 34

Harry Riser has been fooling people with this glimpse since the late 1950s.
Mr. Riser perform s two consecutive twirl cuts, glim psing a card during the
first cut and placing it near center with the second. A break is caught below
the glimpsed card as the second cut is com pleted. The deck is then broken
at this point for the return of a chosen card. This places the glimpsed card
over the selection. The deck can now be tabled or ribbon spread to show
that the card has been lost in the pack, Yet it is in the safe com pany of the
glimpsed key-card and can be found quickly.

Many performers execute the twirl cut in a slightly different manner: They
turn the left hand palm-down before it swivels the top half off the pack.
Positioning the hand in this way gives a more flourishy appearance to the
cut. While this might be in character with certain perform ing styles, it is
not a desirable touch when obtaining a glimpse. O ne does not wish to draw
undue attention to the action. The cut, as Leipzig performed it, was less
a flourish than it was an example of neat card handling.

The moment of the glimpse is fleeting and subtle; it has gone undetected
by many an observant magician and layperson alike.

32
SUBWAY TRANSFER FOR TWO

Transporting cards secretly from the bottom of the pack to the top during
a double undercut has always perturbed magicians, particularly w hen more
than one card m ust be shifted. The method most com monly employed is
to riffle off the number of cards to be shuttled from the bottom of the deck,
step them and then perform the double cut, shifting the stepped cards to
the top.

W hile this method is practical, the hesitation necessitated by the riffling

and stepping never seem s quite norm al. Mr. Vernon devised the following
method to eliminate all hesitation and fidgeting. O ne can execute the sleight
the instant the deck is grasped. That frozen m om ent with hands on deck
does not occur. This transfer of two cards from the face to the top of the
pack provides the grace and econom y of motion that was always sensed
wanting in the com m only used method.

The deck should lie face-down before you on the table, a long edge nearest
you, in the standard position used for tabled riffle-shuffles and cuts. The
hands grasp the pack at its ends, thumbs meeting about center on the near
edge, third fingers on their respective outer front corners of the pack, second
and fourth fingers reposing naturally beside the third, and forefingers curled
on top.

To begin the cut, the deck must b e raised slightly off the table and the
right third-fingertip curled onto the face of the pack at the outer right corner.
There, it pushes firmly back on the face card, forcing it to buckle lengthwise
against the right thumbtip, as exposed from beneath in Figure 35. The action
is som ewhat like that of the old bottom-card glimpse, but done with the
pack held lengthwise.

W hen the third fingertip has buckled the bottom card back sufficiently
it will automatically com e into contact with the corner of the second card
from the face (Figure 35 again). The third finger immediately moves to the
right about a quarter of an inch, pulling both bottom cards with it.

FIGURE 35
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

Sim ultaneous with this small motion the right hand begins to undercut
the pack. The bottom half of the deck is drawn from beneath the upper
half (which the left hand holds steady) and is then slapped on top. As the
right-hand packet is placed it is stepped to the left the width o f the two-
card jog. This brings the jogged cards square with the left-hand packet
{Figure 36). Without hesitation the right hand grasps all the cards stepped
to the right, undercuts them and slaps them on top of the left-hand section.

FIG U R E 36

The maneuver is com pleted. The deck is exactly as it started with the
exception of the bottom two cards; these are now on top. O f course, if desired
the sim ple double undercut can be em bellished with an up-the-ladder
sequence or som e other false cut.

O ne interesting aspect of this procedure is that the index of the bottom

card can be secretly sighted at the right inner com er as the card is buckled.
Thus, w hen the cut is finished the perform er knows the identity of the
card second from the top. At the card table this can be most advantageous.
For example, during your opponent's deal in a head-on game of stud poker,
if the bottom card is glimpsed and cut second from the top after the shuffle,
the known card will fall to the dealer as his hole card. Magical uses can
also be found for this strategy.

34
 HINDU TRANSPORTATION

Here is a second m ethod for covertly moving the two bottom cards of
the pack to the top in a natural appearing manner. It is done during an
otherwise honest H indu shuffle.

No breaks or jogs are necessary. However, the right hand's grip on the
deck is slightly different from that m ost often used by Western magicians
w hen perform ing the H indu shuffle. The deck is held by its long sides,
but not at the very fingertips. Rather, the edges of the pack should nestle
securely into the middle phalanges of the second finger and thum b—the
form er is on the far edge and the latter on the near edge. The tips of thumb
and second finger should curl in onto the face of the pack, and its bottom
edges should bite into the flesh of the middle phalanges ju st above the
creases of the distal joints. The deck is held mainly by the second finger
and thumb, with the third finger lying next to the second on the outer right
com er of the pack. The fourth finger is unoccupied, but lies naturally
alongside the third; and the forefinger is curled onto the back of the deck,
Figure 37 illustrates this grip, w hich is a position much closer to that used
by most orientals when they shuffle cards than the grip commonly assumed
Western magicians.

FIG U R E 37

Com m ence th e shuffle by stripping off sm all packets of cards from the
top of the deck w ith the palm-up left hand, letting them drop, one atop
the last, onto the left palm. The curious principle to be discovered is that,
when one com es to strip away the last few cards, if the right thum b and
second finger exert a firm pressure on the sides of the packet, the bottom
two cards—no more, no less—will remain behind in the right hand. Because
of the grip of the right fingers, this is an almost automatic occurrence. The
bottom two cards are placed on top to finish the shuffle.

Mr. Vernon, Mr. Cervon and Mr. Jennings all perform this shuffle transfer
unerringly. If the grip is correct, the action is so nearly automatic, very little
practice is required to master it.

35
 THE HINDU
DOUBLE-UNDERCUT

While on the subject of bottom-to-top transfers here is an elegantly simple

method for transporting a single card. It uses a cutting sequence similar
in action to the Hindu shuffle. This stratagem com es from the gamblers'
craft and was adapted to magical purposes by Mr. Vernon.

The deck is held at the .sides by the palm-down right hand in the same
grip used for the Hindu shuffle: forefinger curled on top, thum b on the
near long edge and the other fingers in line along the opposite edge. The
right third-finger should be stationed near the outer right corner, and the
edge of the pack must press against the middle phalanges o f the second
and third fingers (Figure 38). In this position the tip of the third finger can
curl in onto the face of the deck.

*V ^
FIG U R E 38

The left hand executes the first cut by approaching the pack palm-up and
gripping the top half at its opposite sides. This packet is pulled forward,
over the outer end of the bottom half, and allowed to drop onto the left
palm. This is the same action used for the H indu shuffle. T he right hand
then slaps its bottom half on top of the left-hand packet. However, the tip
of the right third-finger is kept between the two halves at the outer right
corner. Figure 39 exposes the break from the perform er's angle.

The left fingers immediately grasp the upper portion of the pack by its
sides, while the free right fingers and thumb shift to the lower portion.
The left hand then strips off its half above the break. As this is done the
tip of the right third-finger maintains contact with the card at the face of
this packet—the original b(Jttom card of the deck—and holds it back by
friction (Figure 40). There must be no hesitation. The left hand carries its
packet forward and lets it drop onto the palm. The right hand slaps its packet
on top o f that in the left and the third fingertip withdraws from the break
under cover of this larger action.

36
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 39

FIG U R E 40

The two cuts follow one another sm oothly and w ithout pause. There is
an admirable economy of action to this transfer; no steps or jogs are
necessary. The actions conform perfectly to those of an honest running cut.

37
 THE VERNON
MULTIPLE FALSE CUT
John Rakinakis is one of the near mythic card mechanics that Mr. Vernon
took great pains to track down and then meet. Mr. Rakinakis eventually
warmed to the young card-enthusiast and divulged to him an uncom m on
amount of inside information about crooked gambling techniques. Their
roles were reversed, however, w hen Mr. Vernon dem onstrated an original
false cut. Mr. Rakinakis immediately adopted it into his working repertoire.
That should establish its credentials firmly enough. It is a totally convincing
maneuver, and is Mr. Vernon's favorite false cut.

It is begun with the pack tabled and face-down before you, long edges
to front and rear. The hands take positions at their respective end s of the
pack, second fingers at the front corners, third and fourth fingers resting
naturally beside the second fingers, thum bs at the rear corners, and
forefingers curled lightly on top of the deck.

O ne sim ple cut is executed in preparation for the key sequence of

"running" cuts. This preliminary undercut is delivered by the right hand.
Gripping the lower two-thirds of the deck betw een the second finger and
thumb, the right hand draws the packet from beneath the upper third and
slaps it on top. However, as it is placed a step roughly half an inch wide
is formed on the left side; i.e., the right-hand block projects beyond the
left end of the original top portion (Figure 41). T he positions of the fingers
on both ends of the pack mask this step (Figure 42).

There is a momentary pause that separates this cut from the next sequence.
During the running cut to follow, the right hand continues to take the active
role; the left hand remains relatively stationary. The sequence com m ences
with the stripping of the bottom third of the stepped upper portion from
the pack by the left hand (Figure 43). This is accomplished by drawing away

FIG U R E 41

38
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLLME 1

the balance of the pack from above and below the left-hand section with
the right fingers. The instant the left-hand packet clears the deck it is
dropped to the table.

The right hand smoothly returns the left end of the pack to the left fingers
so that they can repeat their action: They grasp a similar sized packet at
the bottom of the upper portion and the right hand pulls the rest of the
deck to the right. The new packet is dropped square upon the first.

The pack is again brought to the left fingers. This time the balance of
the stepped upper portion is removed—less the top card. This card is held
back by light pressure of the right forefinger, in the m anner of a tabled slip-
cut (Figure 44), Again the left hand's packet is deposited on the tabled cards.

The right hand returns to the left and the single card ju st stripped away
is dragged or peeled from the right-hand portion and onto the tabled stock.
The left forefinger performs this task, aided by the second finger and thumb
at the edges of the card (Figure 45).

39
 SLEIGHTS. TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 44

FIG U R E 45

The left hand claims the balance of the pack from the right hand and
slaps it onto the tabled cards. This is the final action of the sequence.

There should be a rhythm and fluidity to this series of strip-out cuts; there
is an easy grace without flourish. The stripping of the single card may seem
slightly eccentric. Yet, without it the sequence loses som e of its effectiveness,
Do not neglect this point.

Som e experimentation before a mirror will convince the reader of the

elegance and deceptiveness of this false cut, It is difficult to believe that
the full order of the deck is conserved throughout the process.

40
 THE VERNON
SIMPLE FALSE CUT

For all its simplicity, this remarkable false cut will be difficult to teach
from the page and difficult to master, The im pression given is one of an
unadorned undercut of the cards: The bottom half of the deck is pulled
from beneath and slapped on top. There are no hidden sleights or extra
cuts before or after. Ifet the entire order of the pack is retained.

It was Erdnase’s second blind cut that inspired Mr. Vfernon to create this
variant (see Expert at th e C ard Table, pp. 40-41). The w hole secret is that
the undercut is feigned; It is the top half of the pack that is removed and
then returned to the top. Nonetheless, done properly, the illusion is perfect.

The first step toward learning the cut is to understand fully the actions
necessary for a true undercut. The face-down deck is tabled, a long edge
nearest you. The hands com e over the pack from either end, preparatory
to the cut. Tine position of the hands is most important. T he fourth fingers
rest at their respective front com ers of the pack with the third and second
fingers lying snugly but naturally alongside. In assum ing this position it
will be found that the tips of the second fingers touch at the front edge
of the pack, near center. The forefingers rest beside the second fingers,
slanted slightly above the upper edge of the pack, the tip of the left forefinger
laid lightly onto the nail of the right forefinger. The thum bs reside near
center at the inner edge of the deck. This grip is exposed from the
perform er's vantage in Figure 46. Figure 47 shows how the fingers, though
relaxed, conceal the entire front edge and top of the pack from the audience's
view. The position of the hands on the deck must be perfectly learned so
that it can be assum ed the instant the pack is grasped. The posture is not
prolonged; it is taken and the cut made immediately.

FIG U R E 46

41
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 47

The left thum b prepares the cut by lifting the top half of the pack slightly
at the inner edge. This allows the right hand to get a clean grip on the lower
half. The right hand slides the bottom half from beneath the upper, first
twisting counterclockwise until the right thum b can clear the right rear
corner of the upper portion (Figure 48), and then traveling straight forward.

FIG U R E 48

As the lower packet is drawn from beneath, the right hand tips up, bending
at the wrist. This exposes the right palm and the face of the packet to the
spectators (Figure 49). This flashing of the packet's face is very brief; only

FIGURE 49
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

a glimpse of the surface is allowed, as the undercut packet is not brought

to a fully vertical position.

The instant the right-hand portion clears the left, the left fingers release
their half, allowing It to drop the short distance to the table. Without a pause
in its motion the right hand swings its cards back over the tabled half and
slaps them m atter of factly on top.

This is the true cut, and it must be mastered thoroughly before the false
cut is attempted. The slight upward cocking of the right wrist that flashes
the face of the right-hand half is an important detail; one that must be neither
neglected nor exaggerated.

The false cut exactly simulates the appearance of the true. To do so, the
left fingertips and thum b dig gently under the outer and inner edges of
the deck, raising it about half an inch above the table. This is done the instant
before the cut is executed and cannot be seen because the hands obscure
the deck from the audience's sight.

The right hand immediately carries the top half of the pack forward in
exactly the m anner used to undercut the deck: It twists slightly
counterclockwise until the right thumbtip clears the right rear com er of the
bottom packet, then moves rightward just enough for the top half to clear
the left fingers. From this point the right hand travels straight forward. In
that same action the right-hand half must drop so that the face of the packet
brushes the table lightly, ju st as the bottom h alf of the deck would. Then
the right hand cocks at the wrist to allow the face of its packet to be seen
for an instant.

just as the right hand moves forward with its half, the left hand, remaining
in place, releases its cards. This exactly imitates the appearance of the upper
half dropping to the table. The right hand com pletes the cut by slapping
its half onto the other. Nothing has moved, but the illusion of a sim ple cut
is indistinguishable from the genuine action.

The m otions of this false cut are not difficult. However, if the m otions
of a true cut are not flawlessly mimicked the illusion is lost. The brief
exposure of the cut packet's face is a key element to the success of this sleight.
O nly ruthlessly honest appraisal before a mirror will teach the proper
technique. Such time is well spent, as the reward is a false cut that is
absolutely convincing.

43
 ON THE
PUSH-THROUGH SHUFFLE

Certain fine points in the execution of this classic false shuffle were taught
Mr. Vernon in 1919 by "D ad" Stevens, other^vise know as "T he Mysterious
Kid" (Mr. Vernon has often eulogized "D ad" Stevens' remarkable skill with
cards.) O ther handling touches were discovered by Mr. Vernon as he
mastered the sleight.

While the push-through shuffle is weU-known to magicians, few perform

it, and fewer still do it well. Two of the better explanations of this full-deck
false shuffle are found in M ore In n er Secrets o f C ard M agic (pp. 43-47) and
R evelations (pp. 208-211). M any details of proper execution can be found
in these references. The purpose here is to provide several further
refinements, while re-emphasizing others from the previous descriptions.
It is hoped that this re-examination wUl enable those who desire it, to master
this most valuable sleight.

With the deck tabled, long edge nearest you, cut off the top half with
the right hand and place it to the immediate right of the bottom half. The
two hands grasp their respective halves, forefingers curled onto the backs
of the cards, the other fingers at the front edges, and the thum bs at the
rear edges. The shuffle is begun as both thum bs lift the inner edges of their
halves—this is done without bending the cards. However, as the right thumb
lifts its packet, it neglects to raise the bottom five or six cards. T hese will
later form a bed which will aid the separation of the interwoven halves.
N otice that this bed is merely left behind as the packets are raised for the
shuffle; it is not riffled off the right thumb. This eliminates any hesitation
at the com m encem ent of the shuffle that such riffling might cause.

The cards are sprung lightly off the thumbs and into each other in standard
riffle-shuffle fashion. The left thum b finishes the shuffle by dropping its
final card or cards atop the last of the right-hand cards.

The hands now shift to the outer ends o f the interlaced halves to push
them square: The second fingers should rest on the front com ers, while
the third fingers lie just behind them on the ends of the packets; and the
thumbs press on the opposing inner comers. This squaring posture is shown
in Figure 50. O nce this position is assumed, the right half is pushed straight
into the left, until the cards begin to bind. This will happen when
approximately an inch or less of the halves remain unsquared.

44
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS. VOLUME 1

FIG U R E SO

At this point the right third-finger performs most of the work. It continues
to push leftward on the right front corner of the right half, but also swivels
that corner outward slightly. This swiveling causes the right half to travel
diagonally into and through the stationary left-hand half (Figure 51), Only
the plaque ledge, or fleshy ball, of the third fingers contacts the corners
of the cards as the right half is passed through the left—not the entire side
of the fingers. This is an important detail. Using only this fle.shy pad of
the finger narrows the area of contact with the cards and, therefore, the
width necessary for the halves to clear each other safely. In other words,
the angle of the cards is diminished to som ething no greater than the width
of the back pattern's white border. Reducing the angle of the halves as the
right laces through the left greatly increases the deceptiveness of the
maneuver.

FIG U R E 51

Also note that it is the right hand and its half that move. The left hand
anchors its cards to the table during the lace-through. This too enhances
the appearance of the shuffle, as the visible top of the pack screens the
diagonal m otion of the false maneuver.

45
 SLEIGtlTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

The left thumb, at the inner left corner, and the right second-finger, at
the outer right comer, now apply pressure to square the packets lengthwise.
This leaves the original right-hand half protruding from the left end of the
pack. T he left fingers mask the situation (Figure 52).

FIG U R E 52

At this point the halves are stripped free of one another in the action
of a cut, There should be no pause betw een the squaring o f the halves and
this strip-out. Rather, the two actions blend together. T h e instant the top
h alf has attained its left-jogged position, the right thum b and third finger
press on the inner and outer right corners of the bottom half and pull it
free from the top portion. This is done in a diagonal direction from the
front right corner of the pack (Figure 53). Here the bed of cards planted
at the beginning o f the shuffle bears fruit, as it supports the bottom half,
assuring that its lowermost cards are not left behind accidentally during
the separation of the packets.

n C U R E 53

46
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

A nother nicety occurs as the strip-out is executed: T he left thum b and

third finger press firm ly against their corners of the top half as the bottom
half is drawn away. This pressure is maintained to prevent the top half from
dropping or collapsing the m om ent the right hand's cards are withdrawn.
Such a drop of the cards would betray the true nature of the action and
is undesirable. The top half is not allowed to collapse until the right hand
returns to claim it and slaps it onto the bottom portion. Again, notice that
it is the right hand that does all the work, while the left rem ains still.

The strip-out should be performed in a deliberate manner. That is, the

right hand tables the bottom half smartly, then slaps the top half onto it
in a similarly decisive way.

It will be found that the firm pressure recom m ended for the right thumb
and third finger on the corners of the right half aids in cleanly and surely
stripping apart the cards, especially w hen a fine jog, or breach, is used.

W hile each of the fine points m entioned is m inor of itself, all contribute
to a more deceptive false shuffle. The last bit of advice tendered is to review
Mr. Vernon's em bellishm ent of the push-through shuffle that appears on
page 47 of M ore/nner Secrets o f Card Magic and on page 210 o f Revelations.
It is the finishing touch to this method o f shuffling, and one that most
cardm en seem to have overlooked.

47
 THREE LOOSE LIFTS

Mr. Vernon has always been adamant about the manner in which a skilled
magician handles cards. "A playing card is a light and delicate thing. It
should not be held as if it were a cement block or a manhole cover." Nowhere
is this advice less heeded than in the performance of double or multiple
lifts. W hen two or more cards are handled as one, most magicians subject
these frail objects to various awkward and white-knuckled grips. This is
done presumably to prevent the accidental splitting or misalignment of the
cards. While this is an unarguably worthwhile aim, many such grips fall
far short of the natural and artistic handling of cards that has been the
essence of Mr. Vem oris work.

Even w hen the double card is held delicately by one edge at the fingertips,
its under side is most often displayed by turning the entire hand completely
over, hand and cards acting as if they were a fused unit. The three handling
methods for multiple lifts about to be described illustrate perfectly the natural
and delicate card-style subscribed to by Mr. Vernon. T he first two are
techniques that he has used for many years; however, they were used only
when performing for laymen, never for magicians. By doing this he reserved
their use for himself. Tliey are revealed here for the first time. Master them
and you will have learned a valuable lesson in expert card-handling.

T he L oose-lift Display

All three of these multiple-Iift displays begin with two or m ore cards
moved in aligrunent over the right side of the deck. (For the sake of simplicity
these descriptions will refer to double lifts. Triple and quadruple lifts can
be performed with the same techniques.) This can be accomplished with
the opening actions of the Vernon double lift, as taught in both Stars o f
M agic (pp. 78-79) and The Dai Vernon B o o k o f M agic (pp. 120-121).

However, Mr. Vernon m ost often uses his pu.sh-off technique, which is
briefly described on page 54 of Dai' V^rno/Ts Ultimate Secrets o f C ard Magic.
It will be rcdescribed here, with a few details added that may aid the student.

TTie deck is held face-down in left-hand dealing grip and a left fourth-
finger break is obtained under the top two cards. This may be done with
a fourth-finger riffle count or with any of the usual methods. W hen ready
to begin the push-off the left second-fingertip takes over the break, actually
working its way slightly into the gap and contacting the face of the double.
The left thum b bends onto the back of the deck, its tip resting about center
on the top card (see Figure 54). The double card is held square by the light
upward pressure of the second finger and downward pressure of the thumb.
It is these two digits that now move the double card about one inch straight
over the right edge of the pack. While it appears that the thumb is pushing

48
 THE LOST SECRETS, VOLUME 1

H G U R E 54

the top card over, it is the sim ultaneous straightening of both thum b and
second finger rightward that moves the two cards off in perfect alignment
(Figure 55). Tlie second finger actually initiates the action, while the thumb
maintains a light downward pressure but otherwise follows the cords
passively. There is a knack to moving the cards over in perfect alignment,
one that can be acc|uired with the practice of a few hours.

FIG U R E 55

O nce the two cards have been moved to the right the right hand lifts them
as one from the deck by their inner right corner. The very tip of the right
tltumb com es down on the back of the double, advanced about half an
inch from the near end, while the right forefinger contacts the face, under
but slightly forward of the thumb. T he thum b should be bent inward so
that the edge of its nail contacts the back of the double. T he right second-
finger is curled in slightly, so that the side o f its m iddle joint rests on the
inner edge of the corner. These finger positions are important to the success
of the maneuver to follow. They are seen in Figure 56.

49
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 56

The right hand carries the double card to the right and away from the
deck, keeping the face of the card parallel to the floor. To display the face,
rather than turning the hand palm-down, as is m ost often seen, the card
is tipped up and back in a delicate and casual manner. To do this the right
thumbtip moves inward toward the inner edge o f the cards' com er, until
it meets the edge of the second finger. It is the edge of the thum bnail that
skates over the back of the card, not the flesh of the thumb. The nail does
not create enough friction to pull the cards out of alignment, while the flesh
would. (Mr. Vfernon always points out that this principle of reducing friction
was laid down by Erdnase over eighty years ago [ref. Expert at th e Card
Table, p. 32].)

As the thum b travels back o n its nail, it exerts a downward pressure on

the double card that causes it to pivot on the forefinger, the outer end rising
until the card is brought to a vertical position, trapped betw een the inner
surface of the forefinger and the nail of the thumb. Its lower end rests on
the side of the second finger (Figure 57). In a continuous action, the double

FIGURE 57

50
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

card tips back the m om ent it passes the vertical and falls onto the nail and
knuckle of the thumb (Figure 58).

n C U R E 58

By reversing the action i.e., moving the thumbnail up and away from the
edge o f the card—the card can be tipped face-down again and replaced on
the pack. There is a knack to keeping the cards in exact alignm ent as they
are tipped up and back in the fingers; it com es with practice. It is the
minimization of friction, the positions of the fingers and a lightness of touch
that insure the alignm ent of the cards. Notice that the hand need not turn
at all to bring the face of the double card into full view. O nly the card itself
turns. There is a free, loose, fluttering quality to its motion, giving an illusion
of singularity. The handling has an elegant sim plicity that is not found in
the tight-fisted school of multiple lifts. Such is the nature of this lift, as
it is of the two to follow.

The L o o se Stud-style Display

This multiple lift handling uses the same dynam ic as the first, though
it is turned topsy-turvy. The top two cards are moved over the right side
of the pack as discussed earlier. However, the right hand approaches the
deck with the backs of the fingers toward the audience. It catches the
rightjogged double by its outer right corner: the inner edge of the first
fingertip lying along the outer border of the top card; the thum b under
the corner, slightly behind the forefinger; and the second fingertip resting
along the front edge at the com er (see Figure 59).

The double card is removed from the deck and pivoted face-up in the
right hand, As this is done, once again it is the edge of the thumbnail that
contacts the card, not the flesh. The thum b moves backward, pressing
against the tip of the forefinger, and the thumbnail skates over the index
of the card. This causes the double card to rise from its horizontal position
to a vertical one, pivoting around the first fingertip and steadied on the
second finger. O nce there the pressure applied by the thumbnail is relaxed

51
 SLOGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

H G U R E 59

FIG U R E 60

slightly, allowing the double to rest loosely between the forefinger and
thumb. With this lift technique it is necessary to rotate the hand outward
a quarter turn to bring the face of the double card into full view of the
audience (Figure 60).

O nce the face of the double card is seen by the spectators, it is not held
stationary, but is returned to the deck in this fashion: The left side of the
double is laid on the tips of the left second and third fingere as they stand
at the side of the pack. The cards are then flipped face-down sidewise onto
the deck by the right fingers. Thus, the double is handled casually, but is
kept in constant motion, so that any slight separation possible at the outer
ends cannot be observed. For the same reason, the outer end of the double
card should be tilted down a bit when the face o f the card is displayed.

T he C ervon Loose-Pivot Lift

Shortly after learning the above lifts from Mr. Vernon, Bruce Cervon
developed a loose-lift approach of his own. The deck must be held face­
down in left-hand m echanic's grip; i.e., left forefinger at the front end of

52
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Ihe pack. The double card is pushed to the right by the left thum b and
then taken from the deck as follows: The right hand approaches the pack
with the backs of the fingers nearest the audience (as in the loose stud-
style display just described). The double card is grasped at its right edge,
rather than at the comer. The right first and second fingers nip the double
between their distal phalanges; this should be ju st forward of center on
the right side of the pair. The right thum b slips under the double until the
nail is resting just below the tip of the forefinger. See Figure 61.

FIG URE 61

O nce clipped securely between the right first and second fingertips, the
double card is raised less than an inch above the deck, while the left
forefinger maintains light contact with the front end of the pair. The right
thum b now presses up on the face of the card, the th u m b n ^ gliding over
its surface as the double is forced to pivot around the tip of the r^ h t
forefinger. The right second-finger curls in to allow the passage of the double,
but the back of the finger maintains contact with the edge of the cards. These
actions cause the cards to turn end over end, the inner end rotating up
and then forward. Figure 62 shows the double card en route. T he iixis fi)r

FIGURE 62

53
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

the turn is the front end of the double, which is steadied upon the tip of
the left forefinger. It is this finger on the ends of the cards, and the back
of the right second-finger on the right sides, which keep the cards "fram ed"
in alignment.

The double is rotated to a fully face-up position and is held caught between
the right thumb, on top, and forefinger, below (Figure 63). The action can
be reversed or the cards can simply be flipped sidewise onto the deck to
turn them face-down.

FIG U R E 63

While this multiple lift of Mr. Cervon's does not have the same degree
of looseness or flutter exhibited by Mr. Vernon's lifts, it has a similar
casualness that is m ost disarming to anyone w ho might suspect more than
one card is being manipulated.

Those readers intrigued by this last style of multiple lift will find it
rewarding to study a related technique, developed independently by Ron
Bauer in the 1950s. Mr. Bauer's excellent method was published in the
November 1982 issue of G en ii (Vol. 46, No. 11, pp. 750-751). M artin Nash's
knock-out double lift (ref. Ever S o Sleightly, pp. 17-19) is a variant of the
Bauer lift. H ugh Scott is also said to have used a multiple-lift similar in
concept to these throughout most of his life. Still another related approach
can be found in Frederick Lowe's double-lift technique, published in
Hugard's M agic M onthly (Vol. VI, No. 6, Nov. 1948, p. 484). All these men's
ideas contribute strands to the web.

54
ON TABLING A DOUBLE CARD

These days it is reasonably well known am ong card magicians that, if

the nail of the forefinger is the last part of the hand to leave a double card
when it is tabled as a single, accidental splitting of the two cards is
eliminated. O n page IX of Revelations are recorded som e of Mr. Vernon's
thoughts on the tabling of two cards as one. The present discussion is an
elaboration on those ideas.

Mr. Vernon points out that most often, when magicians table a double
card, they first remove the thum b and fingers from the edges of the double,
while pinning the cards to the table with the nail of the forefinger. The pose
struck is one rather like a spider perform ing a hand stand (Figure 64). The
finger is then lifted straight up and away from the cards.

FIG U R E 64

Even when this finger stance is minimized, there is a slightly studied or

prissy appearance to the action that is difficult to overcome.

To eliminate the problem, Mr, Vernon points out that the nail of the
forefinger, or the thum b (depending on the m anner in which the card is
gripped w hen tabled), can be lightly skated across the surface o f the upp*er
card without disturbing the alignment of the two (Figure 65). As the edge
of the double card suddenly escapes from beneath the nail, the cards may
even jump a bit from the sudden release of pressure. This is particularly
true if the perform ing surface is soft. Yet, the cards do not separate as they
move. This tiny leap is not necessarily som ething to be striven for, but if
it occurs it certainly does no harm to the illusion,

In experim enting with this technique, 1 have found that it is only

dependable with cards in gtH>d condition. Worn or sticky cards have a
tendency to bind or drag on the nail and may separate, fte s h cards slip
smoothly under the nail. There may also be a slight suction momentarily

55
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 65

created between the two cards, as the nail presses on them, that aids in
keeping them together. This vacuum will not form between worn or dirty
cards.

A few trials will teach the proper pressure the nail must exert on the card
as it moves over it. This pressure is light but steady. The dragging o f the
nail must not be exaggerated, or the action will appear as artificial as the
one we are trying to escape. Tlie genuine action of placing a card on the
table should be studied carefully, and that action imitated as closely as
possible.

MAGIC C IR C L E

BLACKSTONE
JA Y OSE DAI VERNON

56
 ON THE TOP PALM

In 1941 Mr. Vernon published a detailed discussion of palming in his

booklet, Select Secrets (pp. 7-10). Not much can be added to that thorough
treatm ent; but the following bit of finesse has never seen print.

W hen palming the top card from the deck with the leverage method most
performers push the card widely (as m uch as half an inch) over the front
end of the pack before snapping it up and into the classic palm. This action
is a gross and unnecessary exaggeration of what is actually required.

Try this: Hold the deck, neatly squared, in your left hand, forefinger at
the front end in the m echanic's grip position. With your left thumb, lightly
press the top card forward against the flesh of the forefinger. You do not
wish to push the card forward more than a sixteenth of an inch—several
hairs' breadth. The forefinger governs the w idth of the jog. This outjog is
so fine that it is invisible even at close quarters.

Now bring the right hand palm-down over the deck. Press down lightly
but steadily with the right fingertips on the outer end of the top card, while
the right thumb contacts the inner end of the pack. You will find that, despite
the m inuteness of the outjog, the card will spring instantly and surely up
and into classic palm. In fact, the card moves more swiftly than it would
have had a larger jog been used. O nly the finest projection of the card is
necessary to assure the success of the sleight.

Armed with this bit of knowledge the perform er can prepare for the top
palm, without fear of detection, long before the right hand approaches the
pack. W hen the hand does com e over the deck, the palm is instantaneous
and no extra m otion is required.

Dai Vernon an d unknow n, early 1930s in N ew York

57
 CAPPING A PACKET

Those who use palming in their cardwork recognize that the act of adding
or unloading palmed cards is often more problematic than palming them
in the first place. The m ost com m on method used to add a palmed card
or cards to a tabled packet is to place the palming hand flat onto the packet
in the action of picking it up. Such an action can look awkward or suspicious
to the watchful eye. O ne way to improve the appearance o f the action is
to hold the card or cards in gambler's flat-palm (Figure 66) rather than in
classic palm . The gambler's flat-palm allows a hand posture that is more
natural and better suited to the maneuver.

FIG U R E 66

M any years ago Mr. Vernon adopted an elegant stratagem that avoids the
flattening of the hand onto the packet, It was devised and taught to him
by Elm er Ransom.

Assum e that you have one or several cards classic palmed in the hand.
It is necessary that these cards be loaded onto a packet that rests face-down
before you on the table. The first requirement is that the palmed cards be
held in position with a light pressure. As Mr. Vernon explained in Select
Secrets, a palmed card is not clasped by all four fingers against the base
of the palm, but rather it is held by a light diagonal pressure betw een the
tip of the fourth finger and the heel of the thumb. 'This is a valuable
technique, for it elim inates any visible tension in the back of the hand and
allows the hand to appear relaxed and natural. The corners of the cards
should not be pressed deeply into the flesh; instead, the cards should almost
cling to the palm by a slight contraction o f the fourth finger. The cards seem
held in place more by a mild friction than hy a physical grip, This insures
that they can be released from the palm without a detectable motion of
the hand. If adjustm ent of the cards is necessary after they have been
palmed, rest the hand casually on the edge of the table as the cards are
secretly shifted to the correct grip.

58
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

With the cards palmed in this manner, the hand is brought over the tabled
packet in a relaxed posture. The hand is not lowered onto the packet, but
hovers above it with only the tips of the fingers contacting the front end
of the tabled cards (Figure 67). Just as the fingers touch the packet the palmed
cards are released square onto it. The thum b com es instantly down, almost
simultaneously with the palmed cards, onto the back of the packet. In fact,
the thum b can actually contact the palmed cards as they drop and hasten
their journey.

FIG U R E 67

The mom ent the palmed cards and thumb land on the packet, the fingers
dig in under the front end of the cards. Pressure from the thum b on the
back of the packet keeps the cards in place w hile this is done (Figure 68).
W hen the fingertips contact the face of the packet, the thum b slides up
to the outer end of the cards and they are lifted from the table at that end
(Figure 69).

FIGURE 68

59
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 69

Do not make the mistake of tapping or squaring the cards at this point.
Immediately hand the packet to a spectator or place it elsewhere. To do
otherwise would draw undue attention to your handling of the cards.
Contact with the packet is casual, fleeting and natural in appearance. The
method of picking up the cards from the table is totally com monplace and
there is nothing to discriminate the genuine action from the false,

Tony Slydini, Lew is C an son a n d Dai Vernon

60
 REPLACING THE TOP PALM

Replacing palmed cards on a held pack undetected is as difficult a task

as that of adding them to a packet. Mr. Vernon addressed the problem of
replacement on page 38 of Further In n er Secrets o f Card M agic and offered
several solutions. Three further methods of replacing palmed cards are now
given.

a) O ne major problem to overcome w hen replacing palmed cards is the

tendency to flare the right thumb. W hen the cards are released onto the
pack, the right thum b seem s naturally to swing out at right angles to the
hand. If the right hand com es over the deck directly from the right side,
there is no natural reason for the thum b to extend to the left. However,
by sim ply changing the approach of the hand to the deck motivation is
provided for the thumb's action. The right hand must start its journey to
the deck from a point a few inches forward and to the right of the left hand.
The hand travels in a gentle counterclockwise arc to the deck (Figure 70)
and grasps it by the ends from above. As the hand moves over the pack,
the right thum b must swing outward and then back to clear the left thum b
and inner left corner of the deck. At this instant the right hand completely
eclipses the pack and the palmed cards are released square onto it.

FIG U R E 70

b) Another way to make the movement of the right thum b natural is to

approach the deck from behind with the right hand. Here the right hand
moves directly forward to the pack. The right thum b drops straight down,
opening so that the inner end of the deck can move sm oothly into the fork

61
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

of the thumb (Figure 71). The palmed cards are brought square over the
pack and deposited there. The replacement is the work of a fraction of a
second. Then the right hand, with a continuous motion, squares the deck
or sets it on the table.

c) The palm-down right hand grasps the deck from above, fingers on the
outer end, thumb on the inner. This hand, which contains the palmed cards,
should be arched over the pack, The left third and fourth fingers stretch
up, hidden by the back of the right hand, engage the inner right corner
of the palmed cards and draw them down onto the deck with actions that
are exactly the reverse of Erdnase's first lop-palm method (ref. Expert at
th e C ard Tables, pp. 83-85).

Careful study of these methods will lead to a natural and indetectable

replacem ent of palmed cards.

62
 AFTER THE BOTTOM PALM

The first difficulty of any bottom palm is learning the palm itself. This
is accomplished by careful study of the best texts, such as Expert at the
C ard Table, and by serious practice. However, once the proper technique
has been acquired, there are still pitfalls to be avoided.

There is often the temptation to rush the com pletion of the palm by
removing the deck from the left hand as soon as it has the palmed card
in position. Erdnase, on pages 93 and 94 of his book, recommends delaying
the consum m ation of the palm by retaining the deck in the left hand and
dealing after the palm is made. The left hand leaves the deck only when
attention has shifted from it. Mr. Vernon adds two bits of advice to that
of Erdnase.

O n page 93 o f R evelations he notes that the sim ple act of moving the left
forefinger from the right side of the pack, where Erdnase has it, to the outer
end gives the hand a much more open and relaxed appearance. The
performer may feel free in moving the forefinger away from the palmed
cards, as they are perfectly covered by the pack (see Figure 72). This posture
of the palming hand is sound whether cards are dealt from the pack or not.

FIG U R E 72

W hen the time is right to remove the pack from the left hand, it should
be done in this m anner: The palm-down right hand grasps the deck by
it ends from above and glides it forward over the left hand and palmed
cards. As this happens the left thumb should slide lightly over the back
of the deck until it reaches the inner end (Figure 73). (Erdnase may have
been suggesting just this in the second paragraph of page 88, but his purpose
i.s uncharacteristically vague in this passage.) Under no circumstance should
be left thum b be lifted away from the pack.

63
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

As these m otions are perform ed, the left hand will find itself turning
almost automatically palm inward beneatli the deck, so that, when the pack
finally leaves the left hand, the palm ed cards are shielded from the
audience's view. As the deck moves away, the left thum b falls naturally
alongside the hand and is in an ideal position to protect the palmed cards
from observation w ithout requiring the hand to turn drastically inward.
This procedure also trains one not to extend the thumb away from the hand,
or "fishhook" it, which is a com mon tendency w hen first learning to palm.

These two sim ple rules of left-hand deportm ent can improve the
deceptiveness of the bottom palm significantly.

64
 THE ARTHUR FINLEY
DIAGONAL PALM SHIFT

Arthur Finiey fashioned this distinctive diagonal palm shift after carefully
considering that of Erdnase. He wished a method for palming a card from
the pack with the right hand (rather than with the left as Erdnase had
arranged it) during the action of apparently squaring the card into the center
of the deck. H is solution is a fine one.

The deck rests face-down in left-hand dealing position. The card that is
to be stolen is held by one end at the right fingertips, thum b on the back,
fingers on the face. The left thum b openly riffles down the outer left corner
of the pack and opens a gap near center. The right hand swings the free
end of its card into the gap and slides the card to a position widely
protruding from the front end of the deck (Figure 74).

H G U R E 74

The right thum b now rises away from the card and takes up a position
at the left inner com er of the deck. The right fingers immediately push the
card flush—or so it seem s. Actually, the card is angled to the left as it is
pushed inward. At the point where the right fingers can go no farther
because of the deck, the left thumb takes over, catching the left front com er
of the card where it protrudes from the left side of the pack (Figure 75).
The thum b pulls the card smoothly back along the left edge o f the pack.
To mask this action the left hand slides back, apparently squaring the sides
of the deck. T he right hand supports the pack from above as this is done.

65
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 75

In this m anner the card is brought to a position jutting about an inch

from the right rear corner of the pack. The right hand has been moved aside
in Figure 76 to show this clearly. In practice the card is hidden completely
by the hand.

H G U R E 76

So far this is the Erdnase diagonal palm shift. But here the procedure
departs from the usual. The angled card is caught between the outer phalanx
of the left fourth-finger on its right edge and the right thum b on its left.
See Figure 77. The left fourth-finger bend s in to the left, forcing the card

H G U R E 77
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

to ride straight over the heel of the left thumb and to com e free of the pack
(Figure 78). The right thumb acts as guide and support for the card during
this maneuver, while the right hand shadows the card from above, hiding it.

FIG U R E 78

O nce the card is clear of the deck, the right hand, w ithout the slightest
hesitation, moves up the left forearm with it, using the arm to brace the
card while it is clasped in classic-palm position. By the time the hand reaches
the bend of the arm it should have the card securely palmed. There, it tugs
the sleeve back a bit from the wrist (Figure 79) and moves away with the card.

FIG U R E 79

It should be clear that the stealing and palming of the card is covered
by the apparently innocent action of the right hand as it moves to adjust
the left sleeve. There must be no break in the motion of the hand as it travels
from the deck up the arm. Anything other than a sm ooth passage will
jeopardize the success of the sleight.

Readers particularly interested in diagonal palm shifts that deliver the

card to the right hand should compare Mr. Finle/s sleight with Tom Bowyeris
"Indetectable" in the fortieth issue o f T he Jin x (Janucuy 1938, pp. 264 and
268). While attaining the same end, the two approaches are distinctly
different.

67
 THE PACKET-DISPLAY PALM

This is an effective concealm ent and steal of a card from a small packet.
It can be used with any packet that contains an odd number of cards. There
are several variant handlings possible, with the cards held either face-up
or face-down. The sleight will be taught with a face-up five-card packet;
then variations will be discussed. For ease of description, assum e that the
packet consists of an ace through five, running in sequence with the ace
at the face. Suits are immaterial.

Hold the packet face-up in left-hand dealing position. Though it is known

to contain five cards, you will clearly display it as four cards only. The card
second from the bottom, the four in this example, will be hidden and stolen.
This rem ains true no matter what the size of the packet.

Push the ace to the right with the left thum b and take it into the right
hand. The right hand's grip on the card is som ewhat unusual, though it
need not look unnatural if it is assumed with a relaxed manner. The front
right corner of the ace should nestle near the fork of the right third and
fourth fingers, while the left front corner is nipped between the right thumb,
on the index pip, and the tip of the right forefinger beneath. The card, held
in this position, rests fully behind the right fingers. If the card were held
horizontally the fingers would screen it from the audience's sight. However,
during the entire counting display the hands are tilted down to give a clear
view of the cards to the audience. S ee Figure 80.

FIG U R E 80

The mom ent the right hand takes the ace from the packet, the left thumb
pushes the next card, the two, widely to the right, and the hands flick or
snap the long edges of the two cards off one another several times,
em phasizing their singularity. The right hand then slips its card, the ace,
over the face of the two and lodges the left edge of the ace under the tip

68
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

of the extended left thum b (Figure 81). The left hand immediately moves
forward and deals the two cards as a pair to the table. T he empty right
hand rem ains motionless as this is done.

FIG U R E 81

Tile left hand returns to the right hand and the next two cards are
apparently shown in the sam e m anner as the first pair. Yet, the fourth card
is never seen: The card now on the face of the packet, the three, is taken
by the right hand. However, either a buckle or a two-card push-off is
perform ed, and the right hand lakes a double card. This double is held
perfectly squared in exactly the same way as the first card was (Figure 80
again). This leaves the left hand holding a single card, the five.

Flick the long edges of the cards against each other several times, exactly
as was done with the first two cards. Then slip the tliree over the five and
under the tip of the left thumb. It is as this is done that the four is stolen
and palmed. It will be found that the curled second, third and fourth fingers
of the right hand rest naturally on the back of the double card. As the top
card of the double, the three, is taken under the left thumbtip, the right
fingers (the second finger in particular) swivel the under card, the four,
to the right and against the right palm, as exposed in Figure 82.

FIGURE 82

69
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

Immediately following this the right hand begins to turn palm-down while
the left hand moves forward to deposit its two cards on the tabled pair.
The right thumb straightens along the forefinger, catching the front left
corner of the stolen card by the edge, and the fingers open out. This leaves
the card automatically in gambler's flat palm; i.e., caught by its opposing
front corners between the thum b and the edge of the fourth finger (see
Figure 83), The right side of the card should lightly contact the heel of the
palm to insure that the card cannot be seen from the front. This palm allows
the hand to assume a completely relaxed and natural pose. The hand drops
calmly to rest on the table as the palm is com pleted.

FIG U R E 83

The stealing of the card from the packet is a satisfying maneuver. The
card has to move a very little distance to reach gambler's palm position;
and, if the right hand times its palm-down turn properly, the steal is covered
from all angles, even the critical left.

O f course, this concealm ent and steal can be done just as well from a
face-down packet. Another approach is to begin with the packet face-down,
but to turn each card face-up as it is displayed. That is, the left thumb pushes
over the top card and the right fingers tip the card up and over sidewise,
face-up onto the packet. This face-up card is taken into the necessary right-
hand grip and is used to tip the next card of the packet over and face-up.
Tliese two cards are flipped against one another, then dealt together by
the left hand to the table, as in the above procedure.

The right hand now perform s a double turnover with the next two cards
of the packet and immediately takes the double into the right-hand grip.
The last card is flipped face-up in the left hand, the two cards are flicked
together several times and the steal performed as described. Here it is the
card originally third from the bottom that is hidden and palmed.

This same turnover display can hide the second card from the bottom
if a single turnover is performed with the third card. A double card is still

70
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

taken by the right hand, but this time the two cards will be back to back.
Thus w hen the lower card of the pair is stolen it arrives face-down in the
palm, rather than face-up. This may prove useful in certain tricks.

The utility of the sleight is evident. It can effect a clean vanish of a known
card from a packet, or it can secretly remove an extra card. O ne example
of a trick to which the packet-display palm could be readily applied is Mario
and D'Amico's "Devilish Miracle". Others will occur to the reader.

Dai Vernon and g o o d frien d , Jo e Cosari

71
 LIGHTENING THE LOAD

This method of unloading unwanted cards from a packet com es straight

from the gaming tables, it was taught to Mr. Vernon by the card sharp, John
Rakinakis. This method of "skinning the hand" is extremely deceptive. It
has been proven tim e after time under fire in gam es with heavy-slakes.
Its utility to magicians should be evident. There are many packet tricks that
require the secret use of extra cards. At the end of these tricks it is desirable
that those cards be sloughed off, leaving the packet in an examinable state.
The technique to be described is a perfect method of accom plishing this.

The stage is set for the sleight as follows: The deck rests face-down and
about a foot and a half in front of you on the table. It is important that
the top cards of the deck be slightly disarranged, a condition seen more
often than not w hen a pack is casually laid on the table. The packet you
wish to reduce is held face-down in left-hand dealing position. The
unwanted cards have been managed to the bottom of the packet.

The right hand approaches the left to take the packet. As it nears the
left hand the card or cards to be unloaded are separated from the packet
at the right rear corner. This can be done by buckling the cards, but a left
fourth-finger pull-down is the preferred technique. The gap between the
unwanted stock and the packet is opened only w hen the right hand arrives
at the side of the packet, so that the maneuver cannot be detected from
the extreme right.

In the action of grasping the cards at their right rear corners, the right
second-fingertip enters the gap while the right forefinger glides beneath
the entire packet. The right thumb comes down just forward of the rear
com er so that the first and second fingers can press up against it. In this
manner the second fingertip is caught between the packet and the unwanted
cards. The desired cards are pinched at the right rear com er between the
second finger and thumb, while the cards to be unloaded are held by the
tip of the forefinger. The forefinger should press firmly against the thumb,
pinching closed the gap caused by the second finger's break—no division
should be seen from the front. The right third and fourth fmgers lie
unoccupied alongside the second finger. Figure 84 depicts the grip.

With the packet grasped in this m anner the right hand removes it from
the left hand and holds it casually. Tlie actual unloading of the bottom cards
occurs as the packet is tapped briefly on the tabled deck. The unwanted
cards can be instantly released by simply dropping the forefinger. However,
the packet is not brought square over the deck; instead the outer end of
the packet is brought down lightly on the pack, about an inch behind its
front end (Figure 85). The unwanted cards are shot forward from the packet
and square with the deck. This is made possible by the forefinger moving
both o ut and down as the discards are released. T he slightly unsquared
condition of the pack disguises any small misalignment of the cards as they

72
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 84

land. Obviously som e practice is required to get the cards to fly forward
the short distance necessary and hit the deck neatly. O nce the knack is
acquired a perfect illusion is created, The addition of the sloughed cards
to the pack is invisible and any such maneuver seem s im possible since the
packet never com es square with the pack.

O f course, som e excuse m ust be manufactured for this tapping of the

deck with the packet. The wily Rakinakis would often use this sleight
immediately after dealing the cards. He would secretly deal himself an extra
card or two. Then, after he had examined his hand, he would announce,
"Ante up, boys!" and tap the deck in a gesture of casual emphasis, unloading
the cards he did not need. Motivations for performing this action, obviously,
must be derived from the context of each trick.

73
 ON THE PALM CHANGE

O ne of the many excellent and original sleights offered Erdnase in

Expert at the C ard Table was his palm change (ref. p. 149). However, in
a shared search for perfection, Mr. Vernon and Dr. Daley noted that the
palm change had one small flaw. That was the observable thrusting of the
left fingers as the face card of the pair was pushed into the right palm.

The two m en spent long hours discussing the problem and possible
solutions to it. O ne of these is given in Mr. Vernon's annotations to the
sleight in Revelations. However, he feels that the best answer to the problem
is given in the variant technique now to be described.

As the sleight begins, two cards are held as one in the right hand. All
four fingers are lined up on the outer end of the card and the thum b lies
at the inner left corner. The back of the double card is nearest the palm.
The hand is raised so that the face o f the card can be seen by the audience.
The hand is then lowered again, bringing it palm downward.

The left hand approaches the inner left corner of the aligned cards and
grasps them there between the thumb, on top, and first two fingers, beneath.
The left thum b pulls or swivels the corner of the top card diagonally to
the left for a distance the width of a white border. This is shown from below
in Figure 86. As can be seen, the lower card of the pair rem ains caught by
opposite diagonal com ers between the tip of the right fourth-finger and
the right thumb.

FIG U R E 86

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

While the left hand remains stationary and maintains its hold on the com er
of the upper card, the right hand moves out and rightward in some
motivated gesture. In that gesture the lower card is stripp>ed away from the
left hand (Figure 87) and immediately shifted into classic palm, The right

thumb accomplishes this task, the tip of the thumb bending inward to bring
the card to a position nestled in the palm (Figure 88). The thumb straightens

H G U R E 88

alongside the hand the instant the card is secure. The small action of the
thum b is hidden behind the broadness of the right hand's gesture.

75
 ON THE SIDE STEAL

O ne difficulty in the proper execution of the side steal is the problem

of left-hand finger flutter as the right hand moves away from the pack with
the palmed card. During the maneuvering of the card from the center of
the deck the left fingers must extend away from the side of the pack to allow
the card to clear. Then, as the right hand retires with the card palmed, the
left fingers try to regain their natural positions at the right side of the deck.
This finger motion can be seen and it raises an unwanted question in the
m inds of the spectators: W hat reason is there for these fingers to move?

Nate Leipzig, the inventor of the sleight, had a perfect answer to the
problem. His hands were so broad the left fingers could curl back around
the side of the deck before the right hand moved away with the card.
However, few of us have Mr. Leipzig's physical advantage.

O ne of the best pieces of advice offered for the problem is to delay the
return of the left fingers to the side of the pack. Instead of bringing them
immediately back to the deck, leave them extended as the right hand moves
away. This draws much less attention to the hand and is therefore less
suspicious.

In considering the problem Mr. Vernon came up with another, far less
com m on, solution. The side steal is performed to the point where the card
has been swiveled from the center of the pack into alignment with the right
palm. However, the right fingers still grasp the ends of the deck and the
left outer corner of the jogged card is still within the pack.

Here the procedure changes from the standard. The outer right corner
of the sidejogged card is clipped securely between the right third and fourth
fingers, near the middle joints. The right hand then rises slightly. This pulls
the right side of the card upward, bending it its entire length along the
right side of the pack. Figure 89 is an exposed underview of this action.

FIGURE 89

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

With the card bowed upward and nearly disengaged, the left fingers can
curl back onto the right edge of the deck—albeit presently contacting only
its lower portion—under full cover of the right hand. At the same time the
right hand moves back and rightward, passing over the right rear corner
of the deck and moving away w ith the palmed card.

Sim ultaneously the right thum b glides along the inner end of the deck
to the right corner (Figure 90) and moves up against the side of the hand,
parallel with the fingers. This action brings the thum b automatically into

contact with the left edge of the palmed card near the front corner. The
thum b lies along the length of the card and presses it into gambler's flat-
palm. Figure 91 is an underview of this position as the right hand moves
away from the deck.

FIGURE 91

77
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

It will be understood that this sequence of actions is executed as a flowing

whole; there must be no hesitation or fumbling. Also note that, because
of the high position of the right palm during the steal, the action can be
seen through the arch of the right thumb. To guard against exposure from
the extreme left angle, either make a leftward body turn or tilt the right
side of the pack downward thirty to forty degrees as the side steal is
executed.

If the requisite practice is given this sleight, it will be seen just how
effectively the problem of finger flutter has been conquered.

Francis Carlyle, Dai Vernon, Jo e Artanis

78
 THE STRIP-OUT ADDITION

Since its publication in Ten Card P roblem s (1932) the Vernon strip-out
addition has proven a useful sleight for many cardm en over the past half
century. The handling given within the context of 'T h e \brnon Card Puzzle",
and later in The P hoen ix (No. 248, pp. 990-993) and The Best o f M agic (pp.
128-132), is the one most often performed today. However, Mr. Vernon
developed two, more refined, handlings of the strip-out addition, far less
widely known and never published. In one the left hand perform s the
loading of the extra cards, while in the other it is the right hand that does
the work. These handlings are considered superior to that previously
published. Both will be described.

Mr. Vernon has used this loading technique in numerous contexts. A

sim ple but effective trick, which he has performed for many, many years,
will be used as a framework from which the sleight can be taught: Four
cards selected at random by a spectator are discovered to be the four aces.

Your only preparation is to manage the aces secretly to the face of the
pack. The face-down deck is held in left-hand dealing position and the cards
are spread off the top and into the waiting right hand. The cards are spread
slowly and som eone is asked merely to touch any four cards he likes as
they go by. As each card is indicated, it is outjogged for about half its length.
The first three cards are jogged at decreasing leftward angles from the deck,
so that the four selections create a small fan (see Figure 92). This fanning
does two things: First, it makes clear to the spectators, throughout the
selection procedure, how many cards have been chosen; and second, it
provides added cover for the loading maneuver to follow. However, it is
important that the fourth o r lowermost card outjogged be in line with the
deck.

FIG U R E 92

The fourth selection should also be managed somewhere near the bottom
of the pack, but should not be among the five lowermost cards. Proper speed

79
 SLEIGHTS. TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

in spreading the cards is the key to assuring this situation. You w ish the
last selection to be w ithin the bottom portion so that the final few cards
can be spread naturaUy and a break caught above the bottom four by the
left fourth-finger. This is done as the spread deck is closed back into the
left hand. It is important though that at least one or several cards be between
the four-card block and the fourth selection; this intervening card or cards
will support the last outjogged card as the strip-out is executed.

The left fourth-finger pulls down on its four cards, widening the break.
The right first and second fingertips instantly enter the gap and the inner
right corner of the pack is grasped between these fingers and the right
thumb. At the same time the left fourth-finger moves to the inner end of
its four-card block. The left first-finger, if not already there, moves to the
outer end o f the deck. These two fingers straddle the block and bend it
convexly by applying pressure to its ends while the second and third fingers
press lightly up on the face of the packet. All this takes but a second to
achieve and is completely hidden by the deck and outjogged cards. Figure
93 shows an audience view of the deck, while Figure 94 is an exposed
underview of the situation.

FIG U R E 93

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

There is no pause as this position is taken. The left hand immediately

glides forward with the bowed block and stops just as the forefinger comes
even with the front edges o f the outjogged cards (Figure 95). Notice the

FIG U R E 95

extremely open posture of the left hand as it moves outward, suggesting

em ptiness and honesty. T he left thum b com es down on the backs of the
outjogged fan and the cards are cleanly stripped from the front end o f the
pack with an outward and slight upward m otion. Examine this maneuver
in a mirror as you practice it. If the front end of the deck is tilted down
a bit as the sleight is done the addition of the under-block is invisible from
all angles—even the rear, for the deck itself blocks any possible glimpse
of the extra cards.

Because of the convex bowing, the block is effectively shortened and

therefore is completely hidden b^eneath the fan. This factor alleviates the
worry of misaligning the block with the fan and, even more important, keeps
the edges of the fan razor-sharp, so that no extra thickness can be perceived
(Figure 96). O nce again, there is no break in the action. The right hand

FIG U R E 96

81
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

neatly drops the deck onto the left-hand cards, everything is squared, the
deck is turned face-up and the four aces are dealt from its face into a row
on the table. As the aces are revealed, Mr. Vernon says, "All right then,
we will just use these four cards." He never states the obvious—that the
spectator appears somehow to have picked the aces from the pack. H e slyly
acts as if it were a foregone conclusion and passes the effect off as nothing.
There is no need to dramatize it. Its strength is implicit. Instead he proceeds
to some trick with the aces. H is negligent treatment of such an astonishing
happening is hum orous and actually helps define the effect.

The secret actions of this strip-out addition are com pletely m asked.
Therefore, it should be done in a relaxed manner, neither hurried nor
overstated. The illusion is totally deceptive.

This is the left-hand strip-out. We will now proceed to the right-hand

variation. The setup for the sleight is identical to the one just taught. The
pack is held face-down in the left hand and spread into the right as four
cards are outjogged in a small fan at a spectator's discretion. There is one
small change of procedure: As the first three cards are outjogged, they are
angled slightly to the right rather than to the left. You cease spreading the
cards only w hen the bottom four can be distinguished from those above.
The tip of the right fourth-finger is brought up against the face of the card
directly over the four-card stock and the left hand squares the deck into
the right hand. As the cards move square, the right fourth-finger slips
betw een the bottom block and the balance of the deck, creating a Vernon
wedge break (Figure 97).

The right first, second and third fingers, on the face of the deck, relax
just enough to open a gap above the block at the left side, and the tips
of the left fingers slip into it. The left hand thus retakes the pack, thumb
above and fingers beneath, at the left inner corner (Figure 98). This frees
the right hand so it may move forward, sliding its trapped block with it
under the pack. It stops w hen the right forefinger com es even with the
front ends of the outjogged cards. The forefinger acts as a guide, so that
the block is not exposed at the front.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

In a continuous action the right thum b com es down on the outjogged

fan and it is stripped from the end of the deck (Figure 99, an exposed view).
The left hand neatly deposits the deck onto the right-hand cards and the
sleight is done.

FIG U R E 99

By m aking one small change in the procedure of the right-hand strip-

out, the added cards cannot only be switched into play, but immediately
switched out again. Let's return to our example w herein the aces are
switched for four indifferent cards.

The deck rests face-down in the left hand and the outjogged cards have
been stripped from it by the right hand. The aces have been loaded below
them in the action of the strip-out. Rather than drop the deck onto the
packet, instead flip the eight cards as a unit, sidewise and face-up onto
the deck. The cards should land square as they hit the pack. A n ace is
immediately seen.

Fan the top three cards off the pack to display the three aces beneath
it. Spread no farther or the face-up indifferent cards will be exposed. Pause

83
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

briefly to let the effect register; then square the aces back onto the deck
and flip them sidewise and face-down with the right fingers—or so it
appears. Actually it is the entire eight-card block that is turned down. The
natural bridge in the cards makes the block turnover effortless, for it provides
an automatic break between the face-up block and the deck proper. If the
left thum b presses down on its side of the block, the w idth of the break
can be further enlarged at the opposite side for the right fingers.

The instant the block lands face-down, the top four cards are dealt from
the deck. The aces now lie secretly atop the pack while four indifferent
cards play their parts.

With a slight elaboration of the beginning setup, the illusion of this double­
switch procedure can be further enhanced. O ne card must be set secretly
face-up above the aces as they rest at the face of the pack.

As the cards are spread from the left hand to the right, and four are
outjogged, the right fourth-finger is inserted above the bottom six cards,
creating a wedge break. A s you wish the reversed card, fifth from the
bottom , to remain concealed, you cannot spread this last block and obtain
the break as the spectator makes his fourth choice. The bottom six or seven
cards m ust be kept squared until after the fourth card has been outjogged.
Yet these final cards must be spread if the necessary break is to be form ed.
Therefore, som e reasonable seem ing excuse should be made to explain the
continued spreading of the cards after the fourth card has been outjogged.
A casual com m ent like, "You could have had any of these cards, but you
have specified these four," will serve the purpose. If the outer end of the
deck is tilted slightly up as the bottom few cards are reached, and the cards
are spread narrowly, the reversed card can be hidden from the audience
as the break is taken.

The bottom six cards are now loaded below the outjogged four as the
strip-out addition is made. The right hand then flips its cards face-up and
square onto the deck. Thanks to the presence of the single reversed card,
now fifth from the top, the four aces can be fanned completely off the pack
and displayed in the fairest of manners. Five face-up indifferent cards lie
hidden in the pack below the face-down top card. If the face-up aces are
returned to the top of the deck, and the entire face-up block is turned face­
down, four indifferent cards are substituted for the aces and can be dealt
cleanly off the top. This leaves the aces at positions third, fourth, fifth and
sixth in the deck. Above them is an impromptu double-backed card; that
is, a face-down card with a face-up card below it. This situation can be most
advantageous within the context o f certain tricks.

As can b e seen, the strip-out addition is a versatile maneuver. Further,

it can be done with the cards face-up or face-down. It can be done with
more or fewer cards (within reason). The num ber of cards added may be
less or more than those cards stripped from the pack. And the sleight can

84
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

be used either to switch cards, as in the examples above, or to add extra

cards secretly to a group. Here, then, is a sleight that can prove itself of
great value in a variety of circumstances.

Irene Larsen an d Dai \^rnon (H appy 87th Birthday)

85
 A NEW PEEK CONTROL

In Early Vernon (p, 63) can be found an ingenious method for controiling
a card merely sighted by a spectator as the deck is riffled past his eyes.
Mr. Vernon designed it to disarm those who were familiar with the standard
method of peek control, for the grip used dispelled all thoughts of breaks.
Here another unorthodox and subtle method for controlling a selection from
a peek is revealed.

The deck is held vertically in the left hand, face toward the spectator.
All four fingers should lie together across the face of the deck, leaving the
upper end exposed, w hile the thum b rests on the back of the deck, angled
roughly toward the upper right corner, This is the usual peek grip, with
one change; The tips of the fingers are kept relatively straight and do not
curl around onto the right edge of the cards. The deck should be neatly
squared so that it will riffle evenly, but the bottom right edge must not be
beveled. T he reason for this will soon becom e evident.

Explain to the spectator that you will riffle through the pack until he
instructs you to stop, at which point he is to rem em ber the card he sees.
Contact the top right com er of the pack with the tip of the right forefinger
and pull back on the cards, allowing them to escape off the fingertip until
the spectator asks you to pause. (This technique of handling the peek
selection, now considered standard, was first developed by Edward Mario.)

W hen the riffling is stopped, pull back with the right forefinger, widening
the break so that the spectator may clearly note the card there. This action
will open a gap along the right side of the pack. The right third-finger takes
advantage of this by inserting the edge of its nail into the separation near
the lower right corner of the pack (Figure 100). This small intrusion would
be barely noticeable if done openly; however, in this situation the tips of
the left fingers mask the right fingers, making the ruse im possible to detect.

FIG U R E 100

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The instant the card has been noted, the forefinger releases the corner
of the pack, closing the break. Unknown to the audience, the nail of the
right third-finger is caught in the side of the deck, just below the selection.
To assure the success of this subterfuge, the nail should be a bit long; if
pared too close, it will slip from the break and the card will be lost. (It will
now be seen why the lower side of the pack is not beveled. A ny beveling
or swaying of the cards there would work against the insertion of the nail
into the deck.)

It is at this point that those who know the usual method o f peek control
will begin to wonder. The left fingertips are obviously away from the pack,
making a finger break impossible. Those innocent of such th in ^ will simply
observe that the cards are being handled in a very fair-seem ing fashion.

The right hand now moves from the side to the bottom end of the deck.
As this is done, the nail of the third finger is slipped down the side of the
pack, around the bottom right corner and lodges at the end (Figure 101).
Throughout its journey the nail never leaves the thin track of the break.

FIG U R E 101

The bottom right corner of the deck is firmly pinched betw een the right
first and second fingers, on the face, and the thumb, on the back. The deck
is then released by the left hand. The right hand revolves the pack ninety
degrees counterclockwise, bringing the right long edge uppermost. The now
lower edge of the pack is rapped on the table to square the cards (Figure
102). The left hand may catch the left end of the deck to aid in the squaring,
Any control of the sighted card must seem im possible at this point.

The left hand leaves the pack momentarily as the right hand lifts it from
the table and casually lays it face-down into left-hand dealing position. As
the left hand takes the pack the nail of the right third-finger lifts the cards
above it very slightly so that the left fourth-finger can obtain a flesh break
below the selection. The right hand then moves away from the pack.

87
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

With the fourth finger's break secured, you may proceed in any m anner
you like.

Mr. Vernon has a second method of handling the pack after the peek has
been made; one even more insidiously subtle than that just described.
Instead o f turning the deck and rapping it square, he sim ply tosses it to
the table in what seem s an utterly careless manner. Yet, he can locate the
chosen card the m om ent the deck is retrieved.

T he same nail break, taken at the lower right corner of the pack, makes
this possible. W hen the right forefinger allows the pack to close, after the
card has been sighted, the deck is immediately gripped at its right edge,
between the right thumb, on the back, and first two fingers, on the face.
The nail of the third finger remains trapped in the deck, below the selection.
As the right hand's grasp is procured, the left fingers move aside, releasing
the pack.

The deck is now casuaUy but gently tossed flat onto the table. It will be
found that, when this is done, the cards spread a bit—and a distinct step
forms at the nail break. Just a few trials will convince the reader of the
practicality of this maneuver. The pack may be picked up at any time and
the selection controlled as desired. The step m arl« its location until needed.
This procedure is completely disarming and will fixd the wisest.
THE SHUTTLE-CUT CONTROL

This is a sim ple, yet deceptive, method for delivering a chosen card from
the center of the deck to the bottom. Only three honest looking cuts are
given the cards, w hile the deck is in the hands. This m ethod of control
is quick and efficient. Because of its unadorned simplicity, m any will
disregard it; but Mr. Vernon has used it to good effect for many years.

The selection must rest near center in the deck. A left fourth-finger break
is held below it. Having the card chosen by peeking is one excellent way
to achieve this situation.

Cut off roughly half the cards above the break with the palm-down right
hand. O pen a gap at the left front corner of the deck with the left thumb,
somewhere below the fourth finger's break, and insert the right-hand packet.

Push the packet square and immediately cut off another batch of cards,
this time taking everything above the break. Again open a gap in the deck
and insert the packet. However, as this packet is pushed square catch a
left fourth-finger break below it.

The right hand finishes the series of cuts by grasping everything above
the break and slipping it under the bottom portion.

The selection is now on the bottom, thanks to this casual and ingenuous
appearing series of cuts.

Jo h n Ramsey, unknow n, Dai Vbrnon

 THE PERFECT-PITCH
FALSE COUNT

Among the many sleights that Dr. James Elliott did with extraordinary
skill was a false count that left him with fewer cards than he had counted.
The most remarkable thing about Dr, Elliott's false count was the sound:
Not the slightest difference could be heard between the true takes and the
false. Sound is often an exceptionally difficult obstacle in the execution of
a sleight that entails dealing. Long after the actions of second, center and
bottom dealing have been m astered, the elem ent of sound will plague the
assiduous student. The same is true of the false count.

Mr. Vernon was completely baffled by the perfect sound Dr. Elliott
obtained with his false count. He asked the doctor on several occasions
to teach him the technique, but the canny Bostonian kept his secret to the
end.

It was in an effort to achieve this same j>erfection of sound that Mr. \femon
devised the following false count. H e admits that he is to this day baffled
by Dr. Elliott’s method. However, the substitute he contrived to emulate
it will stand on its own merits.

This false count was described by Phi! Goldstein, within the context of
Mr. Vernon's "M ake Believe" trick (ref. G enii, Vol. 44, No. 7, July, 1980, pp.
449-450). Because of the utility of the count, it was thought important
enough to warrant a second description for its ow n sake.

The overt actions of the count are similar to another Vernon false count
that can be found inM ore Inner Secrets o f Card M agic (pp. 64-65). However,
the m echanics are quite different.

The deck is held face-down in left-hand dealing position. The left thumb
pushes the top card to the right so that the palm-up right hand can take
it. Tlie open right fingers move under the left fingers w hile the deck is
brought deep into the right thumbcrotch. The right thum b com es down
on the sidejogged card and draws it to the right and onto the palm of the
hand (Figure 103).

90
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 103

As the card is taken the right hand smartly turns back outward so that
the card is pulled from the deck with an audible snap (Figjure 104). The
right hand's action is rather like that of stropping a razor.

FIG U R E 104

The right hand returns to the pack to take a second card onto of the first.
As the right hand approaches the left, both hands rise gently, tipping the
outer ends of the pack and the first card up just enough to hide the back
of the deck from the audience's view. The right edge of the deck is guided
sm oothly between the right fingers and their card. T he right-hand card is
slid quietly over the top of the deck (Figure 105) and then snapped off it
again, with the same stropping action. The visual illusion of a second card
having been taken into the right hand is convincing; and the sound is
perfect.

On the count of "th ree" a second card is taken onto the first in the right
hand. To do this, the right-hand card travels under the deck with the right
fingers as the right thum b contacts the top card of the deck and pulls it
off to the right in the same style the first card was taken. A fourth card
is taken onto this and so on, until the num ber o f cards desired has been
counted.

91
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

FIG U R E 105

Mr. Vernon most often uses this sleight to count three cards as four, or
four cards as five; and it is his considered opinion that the count is best
applied for such single-card subtractions, However, the false action can be
performed more than once to lessen still further the actual num ber of cards
taken by the right hand. Som e care and judgem ent must be exercised in
these cases. The more cards present in the right hand, the larger the
discrepancy in sound between the true take and the false. If it is desired
that more than one card be held back, the false takes should be performed
as early in the count as possible; for the ears, as well as the eyes, should
be deceived when this count is performed.
 THE TRANSFER FORCE

The sleight upon which this force is based originally came from the gaming
table. Magicians have come to associate it w ith Mr. Vernon, as h e first
introduced it to the magic community. This occurred in 1932 w hen he and
Faucett Ross published Ten Card P roblem s. The sleight was used there in
the context of an ace assembly. However, it rem ained strangely unknown
to most cardm en until recent years. Suddenly its utility, upon w hich Mr.
Ross first com m ented, is becom ing more widely recognized. H ere is an
excellent example of that utility: an exceptionally clean force that is based
on the gam bler’s transfer move. For many years Mr. Vernon has used it to
baffle both magicians and laypersons alike.

The card to be forced should be positioned from ten to fifteen cards down
from the top of the deck. It rests there, anglejogged to the right, as shown
in Figure 106. In perform ance, the palm-down right hand hides the jogged

FIG U R E 106

card by holding the deck from above, fingers at the outer end, thum b at
the inner. A sim ple way to arrive at this position is to control the card you
wish to force to the bottom of the pack. The cards are taken into left-hand
dealing grip while the right hand grasps them from above by the ends.
The top forty cards or so are now swing cut into the left palm. That is, the
right forefinger lifts up approximately three-quarters of the pack and swings
it to the left, using the right thum b as a pivot post. This portion of the pack
is caught in the fork of the left thumb and drawn completely off the bottom
third. The right hand places its packet onto the left-hand portion; but, as
this is done, the tips of the left second and third fingers contact the face
of the right-hand packet and push the bottom card about one inch to the
right.

(A n alternative method of anglejogging the card is to curl the tip of the

right third-finger onto the face of the right-hand packet and swivel the
bottom card to the right as the cut is carried. This is the same maneuver
used for the Ovette master move.)

93
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

O nce in this position the right hand claims the complete deck. The jogged
card is held securely at its index corners between the tips of the right thumb
and third finger (see Figure 107 for an exposed view of this grip). The deck
is lifted from the left hand and held about three inches above the table.

FIG U R E 107

Look at a spectator and tell him to call Stop anytim e as you dribble the
cards onto the table. Start springing the cards in a gentle stream, letting
them fall into a tabled heap. Time the cascade so that the spectator stops
you before the angled card is reached.

Stop when he com m ands it. Now, as you put the unsprung cards in your
hand to one side the angled card is loaded onto the tabled pile. T he right
hand should still be hovering with its packet two or three inches above the
dribbled cards. The left hand pinches the right-hand packet at its left inner
corner—thum b on top, fingers beneath—and draws the packet to the left
and out of the right hand. The angled card is retained by pressure o f the
right thum b and third finger, but is hidden by the back of the hand. The
left hand swiftly carries its packet to the left and, w ithout hesitation, leaves
it on the table. At the same time the right hand drops softly down onto
the tabled pile, adding its card as the pile is squared and picked up; or,
alternatively, the pile is pushed forward toward the spectator. Have the top
card of this pile taken and proceed with the trick at hand.

This is one form of the transfer force. However, an added elem ent of
freedom may be offered the spectator if the transfer move is com bined with
tlie dribble force. Tine card to l>e forced is set into position exactly as described
and the cards are cascaded onto the table. However, it is timed so that,
w hen the spectator tells you to stop, all the cards below the angled card
are released. Timing is important here, as the cascading of the cards should
seem to stop w hen com m anded, and no large block of cards should
suddenly be flopped onto the table. There is a knack acquired with som e
experience. The clean release of the cards below the angled card is almost
automatic. As the right hand springs the cards, the natural pressure of the

94
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS. VOLUME 1

thumb and third finger on the corners of the angled card cause it to bow
downward, This bellying of the card acts like a break or crimp to insure
that all the lower cards fall. S ee Figure 108.

FIG U R E 108

W hen the dribbling has been halted, ask the spectator, "D o you want
this card here, or this one?" The left forefinger first touches the top card
of the tabled pile, then touches the face of the right-hand packet ju st above.
Anyone suspicious of a force will be suddenly disarm ed by this extrem ely
fair offer of either card. O f course, it m akes no difference. If the top card
of the tabled pile is requested, the transfer move is executed. And if the
bottom card of the right-hand packet is desired, the left hand draws the
angled card from the face of the packet and hands it to him.

On occasion Mr. Vernon finds it desirable to set the force card into position
with an overhand shuffle. To do this the card you wish to force begins on
top of the pack. Undercut about two-thirds of the pack and injog the first
card. Shuffle off the rest of the deck onto this. Catch a break under the
injogged card and shuffle off to this point. O utjog the next card (the force
card) and shuffle off the balance. Lower the deck into left-hand dealing
pt)sition and square the cards. As this is done the right fingers push the
outjogged card diagonally into the pack in such a m anner that it protrudes
from the inner right corner. If necessary the left fourth-fingertip can
accentuate the angle of the jog by pushing the corner of the card even farther
to the right. The palm-down right hand, as it finishes squaring the pack,
is automatically in the correct position to grasp the cards for dribbling.

This entirely convincing procedure can be used to force more than one
card by sim ply setting the num ber of cards it is desired to force into an
anglejogged position; the procedure is otherwise unchanged.

95
 THE BREATHER CRIMP

This is another of those esoteric methods for crimping a card that Mr.
Vernon procured from the gambling underworld. It is almost unknown to
magicians, and those few who have learned of it have kept it a close secret.
It is diabolic in its cleverness.

Take the card you wish to crimp and hold it face-up and lengthwise across
the fingers of both hands. Place the tips of the thumbs onto the center of
the card and run them straight to diagonally opposite corners, exerting a
firm pressure as you do so (Figure 109). Repeat this action several times
until a soft runnel-like concavity is created along the diagonal of the card.
Then turn the card so that the thumbs may perform their function along
the opposing diagonal.

FIG U R E 109

W hen finished, the card will have a curious X-shaped crimp that travels
from its center to the four corners. If the card is turned face-down, it will
have a slightly "pregnant" or bloated appearance to it (Figure 110). This
is the breather crimp.

%
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS. VOLUME 1

This crimp can be cut to with certainty and has the remarkable feature
of signaling its presence w hen cut.

Flex the card back and forth several times to diminish the amount of crimp.
Then cut it into the deck. If the deck is squared and tabled, it will be found
that the crimp can be cut to, using a light touch on either the sides or the
ends of the cards. The crimped card will lie on the lower portion of the
pack and, as the upper cards are cut away, its center will rise the slightest
bit. There is a minute delay in this rising of the center, as the vacuum created
between the crimped card and the card below it is broken. This allows the
rise to be observed by the performer, assuring him that he has cut to the
correct card. The rising action of the card gives it its name, for the card
looks as if it is breathing.

The movement of the card is slight and subtle. O nly a know ing eye will
discern it. While this may sound somewhat fanciful to the reader, if he will
prepare a card as described and try it, it will be found that the claims made
for it are wholly accurate.

The obvious advantage to this type of crim ped card is that it signals its
presence w hen cut. This feature can be most valuable w hen it is desired
that the position of the cut be forced on a spectator. Chances are good that
h e will cut at the crimp. The crim p armounces the success or failure o f the
m aneuver at the instant the cut is made. You may then proceed as required.

97
 ON THE SECOND DEAL

The second deal is an undeniably difficult sleight to master. M uch has

been written on its proper execution. Mr. \femon has collected som e excellent
tips on the perform ance of the sleight from som e of its finest exponents.
Here are three such pieces of advice that will aid the student in perfecting
his second dealing skills.

John Rakinakis, the Greek gambler, pointed out to Mr. Vernon that, if,
for whatever reason, the left thumb is late in pulling the top card back square
with the pack as the second card is removed, the card should be left
overhanging the right edge of the deck, To draw it back after the second
card is dealt looks far more suspicious than leaving the card in place. It
is not uncom m on for m ore than one card to move out of square with the
pack during dealing—but it is odd for a dealer to yank a card suddenly
back with the thumb. O f course, one's second deal should be practiced so
that the recoil of the top card is properly timed to create the desired illusion;
however, when an accident occurs, a hasty correction is the worst course
of action possible.

Dr. Elliott, a ma.ster of the second deal, noted that w hen perform ing the
strike-style second, the left thum b should move in an oval path with the
top card. The thum b first pushes the card forward slightly over the front
edge of the deck, then to the right, down and back to the left. This ellifrtical
m otion is suggested in Figure 111. If the thum b and card move in this

FIG U R E 111

fashion, they will describe a smooth continuous path that requires no pause
in the action. Any other method of pushing the card to the right and then
drawing it back must contain a "dead spot", a p>oint at w hich the action
is interrupted and reversed. Such dead spots can give an undesirable
appearance of jerkiness to the dealing action.

Finally, there is the much discussed topic of how large a breach should
be used w hen dealing seconds? O ne most often hears that nothing greater

98
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

than the width of a while border is perm issible, and the finer the breach,
the better the second. Mr. Vernon suggests that this is nonsense. If the action
of the deal is natural, the rhythm smooth, the hands relaxed in appearance,
the size of the breach is of little consequence to the illusion of the false
deal. He believes that the myth of the hairbreadth breach was begun by
gamblers who, in writing exposes, created the story to dissuade readers
horn attempting the sleight. In recent decades this myth has been accepted
by card magicians and used as a petard upon which to hoist their
braggadocio, w hen the truth of the matter is that using a fine breach makes
the sleight more difficult while it does not improve the deceptiveness
significantly.

Dai Vfernon at the Rom an C oliseum

 THE "N EW THEORY"
DOUBLE DEAL

This useful false deal differs from the traditional double deal in two
im portant respects: First, while tw o cards are dealt from the pack as one,
both com e from the top of the deck, rather than one from the top and one
from the bottom ; and second, this double deal o f Mr. Vernon's is far easier
to master. It is called the "new theory" double deal because the push-off
action of the left thum b is the same one developed by Mr. Vernon for his
"new theory" second deal (ref. Further Inner Secrets o f C ard Magic, pp.
48-50).

The deck is held face-down in left-hand m echanic's grip. The left thumb
bends in until it contacts the left edge of the top card, near its midp>oint.
T he thum b then extends fully, pushing the top card straight over the right
edge of the pack for a distance at least a third of its width. However, as
the thum b straightens with this action, the tip of the thum b automatically
rolls upward on the back of the top card until the flesh near the outer joint
o f the thum b can contact the exposed surface o f the second card from the
top. This card too is pushed to the right, though for a shorter distance than
the top card (Figure 112).

FIG U R E 112

At the same time, the palm-down right hand approaches the pack, fingers
relaxed and slightly curled, their backs toward the audience. The right third-
finger is curled in farther than the first and second fingers, and it is the
distal phalanx of that finger that makes first contact with the two cards.
The back or nail of the finger hits the top card and knocks it square with
the second. Do not m ake the mistake of retracting the left thum b as the
card recoils. Such an action would be seen. In addition, the light friction
of the thum b actually aids in guiding the top card into alignm ent w ith the
one below it.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

T he left fingertips also aid in squaring the two cards by contacting the
face of the second card and steadying it as the top card is moved into
alignment.

Almost simultaneous to the third finger's contact with the cards, the right
first and second fingers frame, or "box", the outer right corner of the pair
between them. The side of the second finger, about center of the middle
phalanx, hits the right edge of the double card; and the inner surface of
the first finger, near the distal joint, contacts the outer edge (Figure 113).

FIG U R E 113

T he right thum b com es down on the back of the top card, near the outer
right corner, and presses downward while also puUing the corner of the
card gently but firmly between the first and second fingers, as if between
two tines of a fork, These combined pressures of the right fingers and thumb
bring the two cards into perfect alignment.

All this i.s the work of less than a second. As the hands meet, the left
hand should tilt the front end of the pack up slightly and both hands move
in toward the body a very short distance, giving a sort of rocking action
to the deal. The right hand carries the double card away from the pack,
while turning up at the wrist. This action swings the inner end of the double
card outward, thereby bringing it face-up (Figure 114). The double is

101
 SLEIGHTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUE

immediately tabled, usually on the face of a pile of cards already present.

This sleight can be applied to various purposes. It can be used to add

cards to a packet as it is form ed, or to false count cards as fewer than they
are, or to hide one or more cards as a packet is dealt face-up. The action
can also be used as a double lift.

It is possible to use the sleight to take three cards, rather than two; merely
push over the third card of the pack in the same m anner used to move
the second.

In certain circumstances, the "new theory" double deal can be substituted

for the second deal. O ne interesting example where such a substitution
might be profitably made is in Bill Sim on's fine trick, "Call to the Colors"
{E lective Card Magic, pp. 79-81). The "new theory" double deal is not only
an easier sleight to perfect than the second deal, but it would eliminate
much of the mental calculation required by the Sim on trick.

Another use for tliis double deal will be explained in the effect "The Third
Color" in Volume II of this work.

"Practicing a Move''

102
 Chapter Two:
Among the Amaranths
 NO SLEIGHT TRIUMPH

EFFECT: "Trium ph" becam e a classic trick from the m om ent it was
published by Mr. Vernon in 1946. Since that early Stars o f Magic instalment,
two entire books and any num ber of articles in books and journals have
been devoted to the helter-skelter deck that rights itself.

Mr. Vernon devised a number of variations on the them e himself, several

of whicli will be described. This first method is virtually self-working. While
one sleight can be introduced into it at the discrimination of the performer,
it is structured to avoid manipulation while giving an impossible appearance
of fairness. In this sense, it is com parable to a gaffed-deck method that
Arthur Finley developed in the mid-1920s. Mr. Finle/s idea of using twenty-
six double-backed cards to achieve a self-righting-deck effect that involved
a selection was unwittingly reinvented by U. F. Grant two decades later
w hen he released "C heek to Cheek".

O ne facet of the "Triumph" plot is sacrificed in this sleight-free version:

No selection is invtflved. However, the absence of this small complication
does no injury to the impact of the effect.

The deck is cut into three sections and these sections are shuffled together,
face-up cards into face-down. The m anner of shuffling is unquestionably
honest, and the deck is show n to be a haphazard mixture of face-up and
face-down cards. Yet, with a snap of the fingers, the pack is spread and
the cards are seen to have magically righted them selves: All are face-up.

METHOD: A minor preparation of the pack is necessary. During the trick,

it will be required that you cut the deck at a natural bridge betw een back-
to-back sections. To insure against hesitation or fumbling as this is done,
make sure that the pack has a mild convex bow down its length; i.e., the
sides of the face-down deck are bent down, while the center is humped
upward.

About one third of the cards must rest face-up on top of the otherwise
face-down pack, with a single face-down card placed on top of all to disguise
the reversed section. Figure 115 shows the arrangement. The simplest
m ethod for achieving this condition is to set the deck before your
performance and introduce it already prepared. However, a num ber of
m ethods can be devised to attain the secret reversal o f the top third o f the
pack. Here are two:

The Braue reversal may be adapted to the purpose. Holding the deck face­
down in left-hand dealing position, bring the right hand palm-down over
the deck and grasp it by the ends, fingers at the front, thum b at the back.
Undercut about a third of the pack with the left hand and revolve it face­
up, around the left side of the deck, and onto the upper two-thirds. Square
it there, holding no break. Repeat this maneuver with another third of the

105
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

FIG U R E 115

pack, revolving it face-up from beneath the deck and lo the top. This leaves
the lowermost third of the pack face-down below the face-up balance.
Continue this seem ingly casual sequence of cuts with a double undercut,
transferring the lop card to the bottom ; i.e., procure a right-thum b break
beneath the uppermost card of the pack, then undercut half the deck to
the lop with the left hand, this followed by an undercut of all the cards
below the thumfrs break. Turn the deck face-down. All appears normal,
but the top third of the pack is reversed beneath the top card.

If the half pass is in one's repertoire, it too can be used to achieve the
desired position. With the deck face-down, reverse the lower third with
a half pass as follows;

While holding the pack in left-hand dealing grip, grasp it from above,
deep in the right fingers. By deep in the fingers, it is meant that the middle
phalanges of the right second, third and fourth fingers must rest against
the front end of the pack, entirely masking it; the outer, or distal, phalanges
actually overhang the bottom of the deck. The right forefinger lies naturally
beside the second finger, its tip on the left front corner of the pack; and
the right thum b rests at the inner end. See Figure 116.

106
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The left hand secretly lowers about a third of the pack away from the
upper two-thirds at the inner end. A gap o f approximately half an inch
is created there. The left fingers curl inward on the right edge of the lowered
packet, while they also pull that edge downward, arching the hand until
the packet can turn to a vertical position beneath the upper section. The
outer end of the bottom portion should be swiveled slightly to the right
at the instant it begins to turn. This assures that the packets do not catch
or bind on each other at their left edges. The left edge of the lower packet
actually glides across the face of the upper packet as it moves into the vertical
position, thus assuring that the least am ount of space is used in
accom plishing the maneuver.

In a continuing action, the left fingers carry the lower edge of their packet
to the right and up, folding the bottom third face to face against the upper
section. Figures 117 and 118 expose the sleight in progress.

FIG U R E 117

As the hidden rotation of the packet is com pleted the left hand will find
itself, fingers extended, at the left edge of the pack. The left hand's change
of {X)sition, from beneath the deck to its left edge, must be excused in som e

107
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

manner, or suspicion may be aroused. Cy Endfield has suggested a simple

squaring action to provide an outward motivation. W hen the left fingers
reach the left side of the pack, draw them backward along the edge in a
squaring motion. Notice that the overhanging right fingers at the front of
the pack help conceal the revolution of the bottom packet. Further cover
may be provided by tilting the front end of the deck downward slightly
while the sleight is perform ed.

Mr. Vernon will often use H enry Christ’s cover for the half pass, known
today as the Christ twist. The action of the half pass remains essentially
the same. However, as the left fingers bring the reversed packet flat against
the upper section of the deck, rather than sliding the fingers along the deck's
edge, the deck is rotated end for end in an all-around squaring action. The
right hand twists the deck clockwise, turning at the wrist. The left hand
remaias stationary at the left side of the deck as it is turned, thereby shielding
any flash of the reversed bottom o f the pack from persons on your extreme
left. At the end of the right hand's turn the deck will be nearly vertical,
right thum b uppermost. The pack is in a perfect position to be regripped
by the left hand (Figure 119). The left hand finishes the revolution of the

R G U R E 119

deck by turning palm-up with the cards; and the right hand, which has
relinquished the deck to the left hand, grasps it once more by its ends.
The cards are immediately run forward and back between the left thumb
and fingers, in a squaring action. Tlais end-for-end turn of the deck furnishes
perfect cover for the half pass, while giving an appearance of utmost fairness.

All that remains is for the right thumb to locate the natural bridge between
the faced sections of the pack and release one face-down card onto the lower
portion. The left hand undercuts this portion and places it neatly on top.
You are now in starting position for the routine. While we have strayed from
the non-sleight aspect of this trick, the half pass is an excellent m eans for
achieving the necessary position w hen the deck has been in use.

With the setup accom plished in one fashion or another, you are ready
to begin. Table the pack face-down with a long side nearest you and about

108
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

six inches forward of the table's edge. Mr. Vernon intmduces the effect with
these words: "1 want to show you som ething very interesting. 1 want you
to watch as closely as you can. This is a very strange thing."

Bring the right hand over the deck and cut off the upper third of the pack
at the natural bridge between the back-to-back portions. Mr. Vernon does
this with no hesitation or fidgeting. He merely pushes downward lightly
on the front side of the pack with the right forefinger. This opens the bridge
at the rear side of the pack so that the thum b can neatly grip the upper
third of the deck. The action is show n exposed in Figure 120. Lift this third

FIG U R E 120

away from the deck and begin to table it a few inches forward of the talon.
Just before releasing it, glance at its thickness and indicate through either
facial expression or a few words that the cut packet should be a bit more
substantial. Return it to the deck and pick up one more card. However,
make it appear as if you have picked up a small block. This pretense is
achieved more through attitude than by any real action. Immediately carry
the upper third forward again and deposit it neatly on the table. Unknown
to the audience, this packet consists of a block of face-up cards with a .single
face-down card on top and another at the bottom.

Please notice the exceptional management of this sim ple act. Riffling up
the back of the deck to one card below the reversed section, or lifting a
single face-down card while cutting at the bridge, would have caused
unavoidable hesitation and possible fumbling. Mr. Vernon has devised a
sim ple but ingenious method that eliminates these problems with casual
actions.

The moment the top third has been tabled, the right hand returns to the
talon and cuts off another third of the pack. This third is carried forward
of the first packet and tabled. The left hand now slides the bottom third
of the deck, that nearest you, to the left and tips it side for side, forward
and face-up, so that it lies to the immediate left o f the top third and in
position for a riffle shuffle.

109
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

Shuffle the two packets together, retaining the bottom and top cards of
the right-hand packet by dropping them first and last respectively. As you
do not wish to flash any face-up cards in the packet, shuffle in a "d o sed "
position: The left thumb rests at the right rear corner of the face-up packet,
the right thum b at the left rear corner of its face-down packet, and the
second, third and fourth fingers of each hand lie along the entire front edges
of their packets. See Figure 121.

FIG U R E 121

Push the two meshed packets neatly together for about half their lengths
and stop. Remove the hands from the packets and point to the proper cards
as you say, 'TTl mix face-up cards into face-down. Face-up...face-down."
Bring the right hand over the telescoped packets and press the tip of the
thum b firmly on their back border at center (Figure 122). This anchors the
cards so that the right fingertips can dig under the front edge of the packets
and then tip them up and over, This must be done neatly so that the reversed
nature of the left section is not exposed. Take the hand away horn the cards
and point as you say again, "Face-up...face-dow n." Then use both hands
to finish squaring the packets into each other.

HGURE 122

no
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

With the right hand pick up the remaining third of the pack and position
it to the right of the talon. Riffle the two sections together, retaining in place
the reversed top and bottom cards of the larger packet. This time the shuffle
need not be quite so guarded, as the left-hand section is expected to have
som e face-down cards in it. Again push the two sections together for about
half their lengths and point out the situation: "Face-up into face-dow n..."
Turn the meshed deck over as previously described, but with the left hand
(as the larger section is this time on the left): "...face-dow n and face-up."
Slowly push the telescoped pack square.

Pick up the pack at the very fingertips and turn it end over end in the
hands several times, displaying it on all sides. "The deck is completely mixed
and everything is fair." End with the pack apparently face-up. In reality,
the deck is face-down but sandwiched betw een two face-up cards.

Take the pack into left-hand dealing grip and lift off about half the cards
with the right hand. Turn the right-hand portion so that the face of its bottom
card is exposed. "Now I want you to see that there are cards back to back..."
Turn the right hand palm-down and palm-up several times to emphasize
the condition of the cards. At the sam e time the left thum b bends under
the left edge of its half and flips it over onto the left fingers. This is done
openly and casually. Only just as the left-hand packet comes to rest do you
turn your attention—and the audience's—to it, "...and cards face to face."
Turn the left hand palm-down and pa!m -up several times to exhibit backs
on both sides of its half deck. End with the left hand palm-up. The right
hand moves, palm-down, over the left-hand half and drops its packet on top.

This subtle maneuver has just righted the lowermost reversed card in an
admittedly peculiar fashion: by reversing the lower half of the deck. The
pack, from top down, now consists of one face-up card, followed by roughly
half the deck face-down and the rem aining half face-up. The hopelessly
mixed condition of the pack is now further emphasized:

"Cards are face-up..." Cut deep into the pack and show a face-up card
on the lower portion. ".. .Cards are face-down..." Replace the upper portion
with the right hand and cut shallow to show a face-down card, ".,.They
are facing all directions." Lower the right-hand cards back onto the deck
and cut at the bridge between the faced halves. Turn the right hand palm-
up to show faces on both sides of the packet; then turn the hand palm-
down again and slip the right-hand half beneath the left. This cleverly rights
the top card, leaving the deck with its top half face-up and its bottom half
face-down.

Now you must cut at the bridge betw een the back-to-back halves. This
is facilitated by pressing with the left thum b on the left front corner o f the
deck. Doing so rocks open the bridge at the right side. The right hand lifts
all the cards above the bridge and the left thum b openly flips the bottom
half face-up. To the spectators this is just one more display gesture, like

111
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

those which have preceded. Yet this simple action is the final step to righting
the entire pack.

All that remains is to indicate in som e m anner that you have caused
som ething magical to occur—then ribbon spread the pack widely to display
its straightened condition.

O f course, those who perform the half pass can use it to right the bottom
half of the deck secretly. However, Mr. Vernon does not spurn the open
reversal as described. It is entirely practical and deceptive.

It should be noted that when the top third of the pack is cut at the
beginning of the trick, picking up several face-down cards below the face­
up section will not abort the effect. As long as all reversed cards at the top
and bottom of the prepared section are kept on the top and bottom during
the riffle shuffles, the procedure will right them.

The illusion of face-up cards being shuffled into face-down is totally

convincing; and the cards are handled so casually from start to finish, there
is almost an appearance of carelessness. Each action blends comfortably
into the next, giving this trick a flow that is pleasing to observe and to
perform.

Dai Vernon

112
 THE SECOND CAMPAIGN

EFFECT: Here is another method for 'Triumph", worked out by Mr. \femon
many years ago. The effect is the usual one: Face-up cards are mixed into
face-down cards with one genuine riffle-shuffle. Yet, with a snap of the
fingers all the cards turn face-down with the exception of a single face-up
card near the center—a selection made earlier.

METHOD: A completely different shuffle system than that used in the

original "Trium ph" is used to achieve the desired end . This system makes
use of Mr. Vernon's handling of the Fred Black shuffle (ref. Hugard's M agic
M onthly, Vol. 8, No. 4, p. 6 ^ , and M ore Inner Secrets o f Card Magic, pp.
54-55),

Begin the trick with the selection of a card. Have the card noted and
returned to the pack. Proceed to control the card to the bottom in any
m anner you prefer. (Since a riffle shuffle will be used to mix the cards in
a m om ent, overhand-shuffle controls should be avoided, in consideration
of consistency.)

Table the deck face-down, a long edge nearest you. Lift off approximately
half the pack, turn it face-up and replace it on the lower half.

"O nce, w hen I was doing a few tricks for people, a fellow suddenly asked
me if he could mix the cards first. I said, 'Certainly you can,' and gave him
the deck. You can imagine my .surprise when he started by turning half
the cards face-up and then cutting them into the face-down cards." As this
is said the deck is cut several tim es. The first two cuts constitute a double
undercut that transfers the bottom card of the pack (the selection) to the
top: The right hand undercuts a bit less than half the pack. In this motion
the right third fingertip curls onto the face of the packet and pulls the bottom
card about a quarter of an inch to the right. T h e right hand slaps its half
onto the newly tabled top half, stepped to the left just enough to bring the
bottom card of the right-hand half flush with the lower portion. The right
hand immediately undercuts all the cards stepped to the right and slaps
them on top of the left-hand half. The chosen card is now face-down on
top, with about half the deck face-up below it and the bottom half face­
down below that.

This double undercut is the first phase of a continuous series of cuts.

The right hand again perform s an undercut, this time taking the bottom
three-quarters of the pack. This portion is slapped onto the remaining
quarter, but stepped about a quarter of an inch to the left. The right thumb
moves up its blo<± and pulls the top twenty-six cards (more or less) a quarter
of an inch to the right, even with the bottom quarter o f the pack. Figure
123 gives an exposed view of the steps at this point.

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 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

H G U R E 123 I - - .- -

Without a pause the right hand draws the top and bottom sections off
to the right, w hile the left hand retains the left-stepped packet. As the right
hand's cards clear the left packet, the top half is allowed to fall onto the
bottom quarter at the front edge—however, a break is held between tliese
sections by the right thum b in back (Figure 124).

FIG U R E 124

The right hand slaps its cards onto the left-hand packet and the left thumb
catches a break between its packet and the cards above (Figure 125). Two
breaks are now being held: one by the right thum b under the top half of
the pack, the second by the left thum b between the two lower quarters
of the pack-

"But he wasn't satisfied with doing just that. After cutting the cards he
shuffled them all together." The right hand draws all the cards above its
break to the right and positions them for a tabled riffle-shuffle. T he left
hand rem ains stationary with the bottom half o f the deck, the thum b
maintaining its break (Figure 126). A face-up card will show on top of the
right-hand half; a face-down card (the selection) is on the left.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 125

FIG U R E 126

Now begin to riffle the two packets together. The left thumb should release
its cards a bit faster than the right, until the break is reached. At the break,
the left thum b briefly pauses while the right thum b speeds up its release
of cards. The instant the junction betw een face-down and face-up cards
is passed by the right thumb, the left thum b resum es its riffling. The top
card of the left-hand half is released last.

"Now, as you can see, this kind of shuffle thoroughly mixes the cards."
Pause a m om ent for the audience to appreciate the sight of the two
interwoven halves. Then push them flush, slowly and fairly. The illusion
of face-up and face-down cards being thoroughly mixed is extremely
convincing.

The standard Triumph proving procedure is now perform ed to reverse

the top half of the pack: With the right hand, cut into the upper half of
the deck and expose a face-up card on the lower portion: "Som e cards were
face-up..." Replace the cut and cut deeper, into the lower half of the deck.
This exposes a face-down card on the tabled portion: "...so m e cards were
face-dow n.,." Replace the cut and cut near center at the bridge between

115
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

the back-to-back halves: "...cards were back to back, face to face; they were
totally mixed up." Let the bottom of the packet be glimpsed so that backs
are seen on both sides. Tran.sfer the right hand's packet to the left hand,
the hands held palm toward palm as the packet is passed—the bottom of
the packet should lie nearest the left palm and the selected card on the
opposite side (Figure 127).

FIG U R E 127

Pick up the tabled half with the right hand and briefly expose the card
on its face as you ask, "That doesn't happen to be your card, does it?" Getting
a negative response, table the right-hand half again, just as it was, and lay
the left-hand h alf squarely onto it. This half has been subtly reversed in
the process of displaying the mixed condition of the cards.

The deck is now righted: All cards are face-down except the selection,
which lies about center. Make some indication of magic happening and
ribbon spread the pack to reveal its straightened condition.

116
 IN UNIFORM

EFFECT: A packet o f eight unprepared cards is openly scrambled by

alternating face-up cards w ith face-down. All actions are sim ple and
straightforward, with no unwarranted maneuvers. Yet, w hen the packet
is spread immediately after the topsy-turvy mixing, all the cards are found
to have turned face-down.

METHOD: Charles T. Jordan, in 1919, published Thirty C ard M ysteries.

In that book appear the earliest methods for the Self-righting Deck plot
that use ungimm icked cards. (See "T he Half-Pack Reverse" and "The
Alternate Reverse" on pp. 30-32 [Lloyd E. Jones edition]; also "Reversed
Cards" and "A New Reverse Card Trick" in C harles T. Jord an : C ollected
Tricks, pp. 90 and 95-96 respectively.) Even in 1919 the plot was not new.
At the time, Mr. Jordan wrote of it as "a popular trick in w hich a prepared
pack is required." Through Will Goldston, Edward Victor marketed a trick
called "Reversed Cards" circa 1920 that was a packet version of the plot.
In principle, this method of Mr. Vernon's is rather Hke Mr. Jordan's 'Alternate
Reverse", but is hastened by using a small packet instead of a full deck,
and improved by the application of more modern techniques.

Mr. Vernon worked out this packet version of the Self-righting Deck as
a lesson in the utility of the buckle count. He presented it at many of his
lectures, along with several other packet effects designed for similar purposes
(see Dai \^mon's E x p an d ed Lecture N otes, pp. 8-9, and Dai Vernon: T he
First California Lecture, pp. 1-4). This particular trick was not included in
those notes.

O ne must admire the efficiency of method shown in this trick. There is

not one wasted or extraneous m otion, from start to climax.

Remove any eight cards from the deck and clearly display them to be
all face-up. Square them and take the face-up packet into left-hand dealing
grip. Then push the top card into the palm-up right hand, taking it low
or "deep" into the hand, the front end of the card lying just behind the

117
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

length of the forefinger (Figure 128). Both hands should hold the cards
tipped down slightly at the front, so that they can be seen by the audience.

Turn the left hand palm-down and thum b over the next card from the
face of the packet. Take this card, face-down, onto the first card in the right
hand. Turn the left hand palm -up and deal the third card, face-up, onto
the face-down second card.

The only false action in the trick occurs as the fourth card is dealt face­
down into the right hand. Turn the left hand palm-down again, but, as
you do, buckle the bottom card away from the packet with the left fingers
and contact the outer end of the packet with the tip of the left thum b as
shown in Figure 129. (Mr. Vernon believes that, in most cases, the buckling

H G U R E 129

action should be done with all four fingers in unison, rather than ju st one.
Using all four fingers provides a slightly more natural appearance to the
hand.) Immediately push the packet downward nearly half an inch with

118
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME ]

the thum b and leave the buckled card jogged above it (Figure 130). This
jogging of the packet occurs in an instant and is com pletely hidden as the
left hand turns palm-down.

Clip the now outer edge of the extended packet neatly betw een the right
thum b and forefinger. The inner ends of the three right-hand cards and
the upperm ost left-hand card will be in alignm ent at this time. Move the
left thum b under the ends of the right-hand cards and pinch them , with
the injogged upper card of the packet, against the left forefinger. Then draw
the left hand back and away from the right, sm oothly turning it palm-up
in the same action. The right hand retains the four-card block that constitutes
tlie uncounted rem ainder of the face-down packet, and the left hand steals
the three alternating cards from the right hand, under the jogged card. This
switch is indetectable when done smoothly, and it fits perfectly within the
context of the reversing actions of the hands.

At this point both hands rise slightly, so that the tops of the packets are
just beyond the view of the audience. In other words, the packets are mildly
"necktied" so that the face-up and face-down positions of the cards cannot
be discerned. This slight adjustm ent can be m ade unnoticeably and in all
seem ing innocence as the hands continue to alternate the cards face-up
and face-down.

There is no change or break in the action and rhythm of the hands. The
left hand turns palm-up and deals the top card onto those in the right hand.
It then turns palm-down and the next card is pushed onto the right-hand
packet. The turning and dealing actions of the left hand are continued untU
the last card has been transferred to the right hand.

Everything has at this point been accomplished. In dealing the initial three
cards a second time, the left hand has undone what it first did, and all
eight cards are face-down. All that remains is to capitalize on the situation.

119
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

Because of the buckle action, the added possibility of false counting the
cards during the trick can be of benefit. O ne or more cards can be hidden
in the packet without in any way hindering the actions of the self-righting
effect. The counting and switch procedure could also be extended to
accommodate larger packets as well, though the strength of the self-righting
effect would be in no way enhanced by increasing the num ber of cards
alternated.

Mr. Vernon has worked out a variation on this procedure that enables
one to leave a selected card reversed as the packet rights itself. It is debatable
whether this feature strengthens or simply defuses the mystery of the trick,
but it is described so that each reader can make his ow n decision.

Have a card freely chosen from the eight-card packet. When it is returned,
control it secretly to the top of the packet and, holding the packet face­
down in the left hand, get a fourth-finger break under the top tw o cards.
The alternating of face-up and face-down cards is begun by first turning
the left hand palm-down and pushing off the top two cards as one, face­
up into the right hand. Tlie left hand turns palm-up and the next card is
dealt face-down onto the right-hand pair. As the left hand turns palm-down
to deal the third card, the buckle and switch of packets is made as explained
above. The four cards now in the left hand are dealt fairly as the hand
continues to turn alternately palm-up and palm-down. W hen the eight cards
finally reach the right hand it will bo found that all are face-up but the fourth
card from the top. This reversed card is the selection.

120
 THE ACE ASSEMBLY

M ost authorities seem ag reed that is was the em in en t French conjurer,

Conus, w h o invented o n e o f the m ost p o p u lar th em es o f card magic, th e
Four Ace Trick. M. Conus' original effect was som ew hat different from those
m ost com m on ly p erfo rm ed today. It began with th e flight o f th e aces from
th e center o f the p a c k to any p osition s on the top a n d bottom sp ecified
by a spectator. T he aces w ere then h eld b y th e spectator a n d w ere cau sed
to transpose with fou r indifferent cards. A fter this M. Conus w ould p rod u ce
u p to fifty aces from th e d eck an d ultimately from the spectator's clothing.
A fu ll description o f this routine can b e fo u n d on p a g es 260-266 o f Robert-
H oudin's The Secrets of Conjuring and Magic.

The germ o f th e fam iliar A ce A ssem bly can b e seen in th e transposition

p h a s e o f th e C onus routine. M. C onus was p erform in g this rou tin e in the
early 1800s. The A ce A ssem bly, as w e k n o w it, seem s to h a v e b ee n d eriv ed
so m e tim e after that. T he earliest reference to it in English literature is in
Professor Hoffmann's M odem Magic. On p a g es 91-93 tw o m ethods are given
fo r th e m agical gathering o f the aces from fo u r piles, each consisting of one
ace an d three indifferent cards, into on e p ile chosen by a spectator. Professor
H offm ann's sou rce fo r th e trick was J.N . Ponsin's 1853 French treatise,
Nouvelle Magie Blanche Devoilee. Quite likely, the p lot o f the Ace A ssem bly
evolved from the hoary Four R obbers trick, in w hich the jacks are d isp ersed
throu ghou t the d eck , y et m ysteriously g ath er on top.

In th e first h a lf o f this century o th er em bellishm en ts an d variations on

th e th em e w ere a d d ed , m o st notably by Stanley Collins a n d Dai Vernon.
It was Mr. Vernon w ho first d ev ised m eth o d s fo r assem blin g the a ces o n e
by one, rather than all at once. H e an d Dr. Ja co b D aley w o rked together
on the p roblem in th e late 1930s a n d early 1940s. W hen "M obilizing the
Aces" (the first p u b lish ed solutions to th e p lot) was contributed by Mr.
Vernon to The Sphinx in March o f 1941 (Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 24-25), these
tw o m en cou ld boast o f ov er thirty m eth od s d ev ised betw een them .
However, th e p lo t d id n ot gain w ide-spread attention until "Slow-M otion
Four Aces" (w hich con tain ed tw o m ore m eth od s) a p p ea red in 1950 as a
Stars o f M agic instalm ent. The layout o f the aces com m on ly called th e "T-
form ation" was still an oth er Vernon refinem ent.

W hat follow s are so m e final em en dation s to the Slow-M otion Ace Trick
by Mr. Vernon, as w ell as a com p letely differen t approach to th e plot.

THE SLOW-MOTION A C E S -A REA SSESSM EN T

This handling of the "Slow -M otion Aces" was devised by Mr. Vernon
before those he published in Stars o f Magic. At the time he felt that the
sequences taught there were superior. However, over the intervening years
he has altered his opinion. H e and most everyone who has w itnessed the
earlier handling believe it the m ost convincing m anner of accomplishing

121
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

the desired ends. A reasonably com plete description of this handling was
recorded in 1947 by Fred Braue (see Dai Vbmon; The First California Lecture,
pp. 13-15). To clarify a number of small points in the handling, and to show
how the stage was set for an amazing repetition of the trick, it will be detailed
in as thorough a m anner as possible. To begin at the beginning...

With the deck held face-up in the left hand, openly gather the aces at
the face of the pack as you say, "I want to show you a very strange thing
with the four aces." In culling the aces, set them with a red ace at the face,
followed by the ace of spades, the ace of clubs and the second red ace. For
the purpose of description, it will be assum ed that the ace of diam onds
is on the face and the ace o f hearts at the back,

W hen the aces have been so arranged, spread them a bit to the right with
the left thumb. A lso slightly rightjog the card below them . Immediately
square these five cards with the p^m -dow n right hand and pick them off
the pack by their ends. The audience should think you have removed only
the aces. No great importance is placed on this action. It is done casually
as the aces are m entioned.

The m om ent the right hand lifts its packet from the deck, the left thumb
moves under the pack and flips it face-down. As the left hand adjusts the
pack into dealing position the thumb injogs the top card less than a quarter
of an inch. The right hand carries its packet over the deck with the intention
of drawing off the first ace with the left thumb. For an instant the packet
com es square with the deck and, in that instant, the top card is secretly
picked up beneath the packet. The slight injog makes this m aneuver swift
and effortless.

The left thum b com es down on the ace of diam onds and holds it in place
whUe the right hand moves to the right with the balance of the packet.
In a continuing action the ace of diam onds is tipped over the left side of
the packet and flipped face-down onto the deck. This is the standard action
used in the Braue addition. Flip over the ace of spades with the same action,
followed by the ace of clubs. Do not turn the ace of hearts, a triple card,
face-down, but rather drop it squarely onto the pack. Tlien sm oothly turn
the top two cards sidewise and face-down as one on top o f the deck. This
action is abetted by the separation made by the natural bridge in the cards.
The left thumb can press down on the left outer com er o f the pack to enlarge
the gap for the right fingers.

Immediately spread off the top four cards, saying, 'T h e four aces." Square
them back onto the pack, but catch a left fourth-finger break beneath them.
Without a pause the right hand deals the top card to the table, about one
foot in front of you. "O n e ace goes here."

Bring your right hand back to the deck and take the next card. Begin to
place it onto the table about two inches behind the first card; but suddenly

122
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

you seem to change your m ind. "Wait, 1 want you to rem em ber the ace
that I take. I will take the ace of .spades." As this is said the right-hand card
is brought back to the pack and left there, jogged one third of its width
over the right side of the deck.

The right hand moves immediately to a position palm-down over the pack.
There, it picks up all the cards above the break, grasping them as a stepped
unit. Then the next card, the ace of spades, is picked up, similarly stepped
beneath the double.

Turn the right hand palm-up, displaying the faces of three spread aces,
as shown in Figure 131. There is a discrepancy here, in that the ace of hearts
is in this group w hen, logically it is supposed to be on the table. However,
there is enough delay betw een the placing of the first card and the
subsequent display that no one ever notices this detaU. O f course, suits
are not mentioned before this moment,

FIGURE 131

As the ace of spades is m entioned, point to it on the face of the spread

with the left forefinger (Figure 131 again). Turn the right hand palm-down
and lower the spread to the table, just behind the first tabled card. Press
down with the tip of the left forefinger on the back of the ace o f spades,
leaving it behind as the right hand moves upward with the rem ainder of
the spread (Figure 132). Flash the face of the spread once more and turn
it face-down over the pack. T he left thum b com es down on the left edge
of the double card and clips it square onto the top of the deck. T he left
hand then travels to the left and thumbs the top card about two inches
to the left of the first tabled card, "T he ace of clubs goes here..." Flash the
face of the ace of hearts still in your right hand and lay it two inches to
the right of the first card: "...and the ace of hearts here." S ee Figure 133.

There is an astonishingly strong retention-of-vision aspect to this sequence.

The illusion of seeing the aces all placed on the table is so convincing, one
can fool oneself the first few times the sequence is perform ed. Yet, an
inspection of the tabled cards will show two indifferent cards, rather than

123
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

aces, at the left and center positions of the row. The aces of clubs and
diamonds are on top of the pack. Study of this layout procedure will reveal
an economy and consistency of action that is admirable. It is remarkably
well thought out.

"I also need twelve other cards; three for each ace." As this is said twelve
cards are honestly dealt into a face-down heap on the table. This is done
by spreading off three groups of four cards each and laying each spread
of four onto the previous one. The balance of the pack is then placed aside.
Picku p the pile of twelve cards and square it in left-hand dealing position.
T he aces of diam onds and the ace of clubs now rest third and fourth from
the face of the packet.

Push the top three cards cleanly and fairly to the right in a spread with
the left thumb. Grasp these three by their ends with the palm-down right
hand. Lift them slightly above the packet, knock them square against the
heel of the left thum b and place them onto the leftm ost card of the tabled
row.

124
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Pick off the next three cards in the same m anner and place them on the
center card of the row. However, when the third set of three is picked off
the packet, a small flesh break is obtained by the right thum b between the
second card and the third. As the three cards are squared, in the same
m anner that the previous triplets were, the bottom card is secretly released
back onto the packet. The remaining two cards are placed onto the right-
hand card of the row, the ace of hearts.

The final four cards are briefly spread as three, squared and placed onto
the leader ace. The faces of these three-card packets may b e flashed as they
are laid down, if desired. This method of distributing the indifferent cards
onto the aces treats the leader packet last. Mr. Vernon believes this
psychologically preferable to forming the leader packet immediately: It
distances the cards of this packet further from the top of the deck where
the aces were just residing.

Now the first two aces are caused to leave their packets and travel to the
leader pile. The procedure for this is unchanged from the original handling.
Som e magical gesture is made over the left-hand packet and then the leader
pile. (Mr. Vernon uses a line of Francis Carlyle's—'T simply cast a shadow
over the cards"—as he passes his open hand mysteriously above the packets.)
The left-hand packet is picked up and the top three cards dealt face-up
into the vacant space left by the packet. T he fourth card is snapped and
then dealt face-up onto the first three. The ace of clubs has vanished.

T h e right hand picks up the leader packet and positions it face-up into
left-hand dealing grip. The first two cards are dealt singly into the right
hand, the second below the first in a fan. Either a buckle count or a block
push-off is performed as the third card (a double) is taken, and the last
card, the ace of clubs, is placed onto the face of the packet. The fan is squared
and placed face-down back into leader position.

The procedure is repeated to cause the ace of diamonds to travel, though

with one difference: As the leader packet is spread into the right hand,
the double card taken on the count of three is outjogged about half an inch
behind the fan. The ace of diam onds is placed on the face of the spread.

"T he five of spades (you nam e w hatever indifferent card is showir\g in

th e sp read at this time] is still here. 1 want you to rem em ber that card."
The spread is closed and turned sidewise and face-down into the left hand.
The outjogged double card is not disturbed during this maneuver. The right
hand comes over the packet to square it and then table it. During this action
it palms the top two cards. This is made easy and instantaneous because
of their outjogged condition. The right fingers push down on the outer ends
of the outjogged pair while the right thum b pushes down on the inner left
corner of the packet proper, The top two cards will spring into the right
palm as the balance of the packet is grasped at its ends betw een the right
fingers and thum b (Figure 134).

125
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

The right hand lays its packet into the leader position and travels forward
to the right-hand pile. However, the palmed cards are not added to the
pile as it is taken. Rather, the packet is slid back to the edge of the table
and that edge is used as a pivot surface upon w hich the packet is picked
up neatly by its ends at the fingertips. Then it is transferred to left-hand
dealing position. As this is done you say, "So m e people think I make the
aces travel by trickery. That is not so. Here, HI show you. The ace is really
here." The Arthur Finley tent vanish is now perform ed to m ake the third
ace disappear in an artistic manner:

The left fingers slowly work the bottom card o f their packet out to the
right and then tip it up and into a canted position above the packet; the
left thum b supports it there (Figures 135 and 136). The right hand com es
over the "ten ted" ace of hearts and covers it briefly, laying its palmed cards
onto it. The left thum b allows the three momentarily hidden cards to fall
silently onto the packet below and the right hand com es away in an
unnaturally cramped posture, as though it had awkwardly palmed the ace.
It is important to the success of this sleight that the left thum b not move
perceptibly during the drop and false palm. This advice was given in the
original Stars o f M agic description, but is seldom followed.

FIG U R E 135
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The palm-down right hand swings to the right in a circular path over the
tabled layout. It completes its circuit, stopping over the leader packet, about
six to eight inches above it, The hand makes a short, sharp tossing motion
toward the packet; then the right fingers close in a crum pling action and
the hand opens palm-up to show that the ace has vanished.

Seem to discern som e doubt in the faces of your audience. "No, it’s not
here..,If really is gone." Thum b over the lop card of the left-hand packet
and turn it face-up with the right hand to show it is not the ace just vanished.
With the right hand, .slip this card face-down to the bottom of the left-hand
packet and, at the same time, flip the packet face-up. Count the five cards
as four into the right hand, taking each card under the previous one, and
dealing a double on the third, The last card is placed on the face of the
packet as you com ment, "Now the five of spades should be h e re .. .Yes, here
it is."

The left hand momentarily grasps the spread packet at its left edge to
allow the right hand to change grips. This it does, moving palm-down over
the packet and squaring it with the aid of the left hand. O nce the cards
are square, the right hand takes the packet from above by the ends, and
the left fingers secretly slide the bottom card, the face-down ace of hearts,
to the right and into an anglejogged position, the inner right corner
projecting about an inch beyond the right edge of the packet. It is held there
by the right third-fingertip at the outer right corner and the right thum b
at the inner left com er. S ee Figure 137 for an exposed view of this. The
right hand naturally hides the angled card from the audience.

You are now going to shuttle the ace from the right-hand packet onto
the tabled ace-packet. Rather than palming, the Vernon transfer move will
be used to accomplish this. The secret of this sleight is not so m uch skill
of hand as it is proper management. The first detail o f im portance is the
placement of the hands and cards. They must be positioned naturally over
the leader pile as the third ace is shown to have vanished from its packet.
Note that the hands must be there previous to the transfer move, not shifted
there as an afterthought. The right-hand packet should be held an inch

127
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

FIG URE 137

or so to the right of the leader packet and two to three inches above it.
The left hand now perform s a series of gestures that perfectly cover the
execution of the transfer. You say, "The ace of hearts must be here..." Tap
the leader pile with the palm-up left hand. In a continuous action the left
hand moves to pinch the right hand's packet at the left inner corner, thumb
on top and fingers below. The packet is then carried to the left and forward,
leaving behind the angled ace. The ace is not palmed in the norm al sense
of the word, It is merely held back by the right thum b and third finger,
caught there by its diagonal corners.

The left hand uses its newly claimed packet to tap the pile of cards at
the left end of the row. "...B ecau se it's not here...[tap th e seco n d
p ile]...h ere...[lay th e left-h an d cards to the right o f the seco n d p ile and
sp read them ]...or here."

As the left hand carries out these actions the right hand calmly drops
straight down onto the leader pile, adding the hidden ace, and picks up
the packet. This happens the instant the left hand moves away with its cards,
but it must not be done like a falling man clutching at a last hope. The drop
and pick-up actions of the right hand are soft and nonchalant. Executed
properly, this transfer is perfectly invisible from all angles.

Also observe that the right hand and packet do not remain frozen in place
as the left hand gestures at the forward piles and then tables its packet to
their right. This would occasion an awkward crossing of the hands. Rather
the whole body turns som ewhat to the right, and the right hand swings
naturally to the right in accord, as the left hand travels to its destination.

To finish the effect, turn the leader packet face-up and deal the aces into
a spread on the table, showing all four are now there.

It is worthwhile to return for a moment to the m anner in which the two

indifferent cards are palmed by the right hand just before the third ace is
vanished. Many cardm en would palm these cards during the squaring of
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

the packet, then hold the hand and packet still behind the row as the left
hand travels in front to pick up the right-hand pile. Mr. Vernon feels that
this course of action shows inferior m anagem ent—bad blocking. It is
awkward to reach across the body with the left hand w hen the right hand
can pick up the packet with m uch more ease and grace. A lso to be
considered is the fact that a hand that is palming is always less conspicuous
w hen perform ing a task. O ne is more likely to be caught w hen the hand
that palms is static than w hen it is active.

It was Hervry Christ w ho observed to Mr. Vernon that the use of the tent
vanish for the last ace is superior to any invisible or hands-off vanish,
because som ething is actually seen to happen. The disappearance of the
ace has a visual or immediate quality to it that is much more potent than
the tabling of the packet and then the revelation of the transposition.

Dr. Daley, w hen com m enting on the original Slow-M otion Ace handling
in 1950, pointed out that it "em bodies many valuable sleights which form
the foundation of advanced card m agic...it will contribute greatly to your
appreciation and enjoyment of artistic card magic." It is not oi^y the sleights,
but the structure that surrounds them , that make this trick such a lesson
in card artistry.

•M l ♦

Dai Vbmon, Faucett Ross, M ichael Skin n er

129
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

ACES IN EXCELSIS

EFFECT: This is Mr, Vernon’s ultimate method for the Ace Assembly. He
developed it in the early 1930s and used it to baffle the New York inner
circle completely. Many of today's best cardworkers consider this method
the finest in existence. It was discussed briefly at the end of the second
volume of the "Revelations" videotape series, but its details have remained
secret to all but a few until now.

Mr. Vernon would often perform this assem bly after he had done the
"Slow -M otion Aces". If he was working for a fast crowd, h e would
deliberately include several stratagems designed to m islead them , playing
on their knowledge of com m on techniques. Since these technician-traps
in no way complicate the effect for the unknowledgeable spectator, they
will be included within the explanation. These touches can be kept or
discarded as each performer judges fit.

Begin by arranging the aces in alternating color order with the ace of
spades at the face of the pack. Pick the aces off the deck and flip it face­
down in the left hand. The aces are now displayed and then arranged on
the table in the familiar T-formation. To confuse magicians from the start,
Mr. Vernon perfectly mimicks the actions of the Braue addition and the
layout of the aces used in the "Slow -M otion Aces". However, all actions
are legitimate. The first three aces are drawn singly from the packet by the
left thumb and flipped face-down onto the deck. The fourth ace is dropped
face-up onto the pack and then turned down.

This ace is picked off the deck by the ends and tabled as the first card
of the row. The second card is picked off in an identical manner and is carried
to the leader position behind the first ace. However, a pretense is made
of changing your mind and this ace is brought back to the deck so that
the third and fourth aces can be picked up below it in a three-card spread.
The faces of the aces are flashed and the ace of spades is cleanly laid in
the leader position. The remaining red ace is set onto the deck and
immediately dealt to the left of the first ace. T h e right hand follows by
flashing its ace of d ubs once more and tabling it on the right end of the
row. The patter that accom panies the arrangem ent of the aces is the same
as that given in the Slow-Motion assembly. (Of course, if you are not working
for m agidans, or have not prefaced this assem bly with the previous one,
the aces can be laid out in any m anner desired.)

Twelve face-down indifferent cards are now counted fairly off the pack—in
three groups of four—and the balance of the deck is set aside. Three of
these cards are apparently laid onto each of the aces. However, in reality
four cards are placed on the first ace and four more on the second, while
the third ace and the fourth receive two cards each. I will describe the
method Mr. Vernon most often uses to accomplish these false counts here,
and another good method at the end of the trick.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

With the packet held face-down in left-hand dealing position the left
thum b honestly pushes three cards, spread fashion, to the right and into
the waiting right hand. As the third card is spread over, it is quite normal
that the card beneath it wiU move very slightly to the right as well. This
misalignment of the fourth card should be less than the w idth of a white
border—it will be found that it can be quite small. The top three cards lie
widely spread and partially supported by the right fingers from beneath
(Figure 138). Hidden by the spread, the right second-finger stretches to the
left and contacts the overhanging edge of the fourth card. The right hand
now squares the cards and takes them from the packet, adding the fourth
card in the process. It does this by moving sharply to the left while lifting
up slightly on the right sides of the four cards. The cards jam into the fork
of the left thum b while the right fingers move between the cards and the
packet. The instant the spread has been closed it is removed from the packet
by the right hand and placed on the left-hand ace of the row. The face of
these squared cards may be flashed, if desired, before they are placed onto
the ace.

FIG U R E 138

This procedure is repeated to place four cards as three on the center ace
of the row. O ne card is stolen back onto the packet w hen the cards for the
right-hand ace are taken. T he left thum b spreads over three cards ju st as
before; however, the right second-fingertip, instead of slipping beneath the
fourth card, butts up against the edge of the third card. T hen, as the three
cards are squared in the left thumb-crotch, the third card is pushed flush
with the packet and the two cards above it are lifted neatly away. T h e two
cards are laid o n the third ace. The rem aining two cards are taken by the
right hand and cleanly placed on the ace of spades in the leader position.

This false-counting technique is extremely deceptive if done in a casual

and natural manner. No importance is placed on the procedure; it is simply
done. Its deceptiveness has much to do with the entirely com m on way the
cards are counted and taken; and the absence of any hesitation usually
experienced with other techniques in w hich breaks must be obtained. It
imitates, in short, the exact actions the average person would use to count

131
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

and remove three cards.

Here is \vhere Mr, Vernon first tweaks the magicians in the audience who
suspect the usual switch of aces has been done, ^ c h packet is plainly shown
to have an ace at its face. The right hand picks up the right-end packet from
above by its end s and turns palm-up to expose the ace there. T he left
forefinger touches the face of this ace and pulls it back about half an inch
toward you, so that the index of the indifferent card above can be seen
(Figure 139). "Now remember, we have an ace and three cards here..." Turn
the right hand palm-down again and run the thumb and fingers of the palm-
up left hand along the sides o f the packet, squaring the ace. Replace the
packet on the right end of the row.

R G U R E 139

Pick up the center pile with the right hand as you continue, "...an ace
and three cards h e re .,." Again pull the ace slightly aside on the face of the
packet; then turn the packet face-down, square it and replace it in the row.
Move to the left-end pile: "...an ace and three cards here." The same actions
are seemingly repeated to display the third ace and its accompanying cards.
However, w hen the right hand turns palm-down again, the left fingers only
pretend to square the sidejogged ace under the packet. The left thumb travels
along the left edge of the packet, but the left fingers move under the ace
without pushing it flush. This is a most effective artifice, particularly w hen
it follows the first two genuine actions.

You are now in position to shuttle the ace from the packet in the hands
to the leader pile, using the transfer move taught in the "Slow-M otion Aces".
The hands should be poised about two to three inches above the leader
pile as the third ace is displayed and apparently resquared w ith its packet.
(For the sake of consistency, the display of the first and second ace-packets
should be performed in this same location.) The left hand grasps the four
indifferent cards at their left edge and returns them to the left end o f the
row. The right hand secretly retair\s the sidejogged ace and deposits it on
the leader pile as it drops to pick up the cards.

132
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Flip these cards face-up into the left hand as you com m ent, "And in this
packet we have the ace of spades." Flip the packet face-down and return
it to its place behind the row.

Perform som e gesture to indicate that you are making the first ace travel
from the left-hand pile to the leader packet. Then pick up the pile on the
left and deal its four cards face-up into the vacant space. T he ace is gone.
Pick up the leader pile and flip it face-up into the left hand. Count the four
cards from the left hand into the right, forming them into a fan and retaining
their order. The ace of spades and two indifferent cards are first seen—
then the second ace. Place this ace on the face of the packet and square
the cards. As Mr. Vernon performs this spread display he will once more
tease his fellow magicians by doing an obvious buckle count, as if he were
hiding an extra card. He then tables the packet face-up and spreads it
carelessly with one finger to show four cards and four only are present.

The next ace is stolen from its packet with a clever ruse. Square the leader
packet and turn it face-down in place. Pick up the center pile of the row
with the right hand and place it face-down in the left. Spread off the top
three cards with the left thumb and flip them face-up onto the bottom pair,
w hile keeping that pair squared as one. Respread the top three cards and
take them into the palm-up right hand while the left hand turns palm-down
to flash the face of the double card it holds. The ace is seen. Turn the hand
palm-up again and, if it Is necessary, adjust the position of the double card
in the hand so that the left forefinger lies across its front end, the lip of
the finger contacting the index corner of the ace. T he ace is now apparently
slid between the center and lowermost indifferent cards still spread in the
right hand, Actually, just as the left hand begins to slip its double into place,
the left forefinger presses in slightly on the corner of the ace, buckling it
at the right rear corner—and the lower card o f the right-hand three is fed
into the gap. Figure 140 exposes this displacement from the performer's view.

FIG U R E 140

In this m anner the indifferent card above the ace is placed in its stead
into the fan, while the ace Is actucdly slipped beneath the spread and is

133
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

held in gambler's cop position. The right hand carries the fan forward and
tables it in the vacant center position of the row (Figure 141). The face-down

H G U R E 141

card, assum ed to be the ace, is left outjogged. M eanwhile the lett hand
casually descends to the edge of the table and perches there (Figure 142).

(W hen working under circumstances where the gambler's cop cannot be

used [e.g., with people at the extreme sides or in back], Mr. Vernon bottom
palms the second ace from its packet instead, adapting to the situation.)

The right hand picks up the leader pile from above by its ends and
transports it to the waiting left hand. In this action the palmed ace is added
to the face of the packet. The right hand slides the packet forward in the
left hand and then riffles the ends of the cards at the spread center packet.
The outjogged card is turned up, revealing that the ace has changed to an
indifferent card.

The leader packet is turned over and the top three cards fanned to show
three aces and one indifferent card beneath them . This indifferent card is
actually a double. Casually outjog it as the fan is closed in the left hand.
Call attention to it and ask that it be rem em bered. Flip the packet sidewise

134
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS. VOLUME 1

and face-down, maintaining the outjogged condition of the double card.

Then palm the double in the right hand as the packet is squared and perform
the tent vanish sequence exactly as described in the "Slow -M otion Aces".
In this fashion the third ace is made to transpose with a noted indifferent
card and the trick is concluded.

It was promised that a second method of false counting the indifferent

cards would be described. Return to the point where the aces have just
been laid out on the table. The deck is face-down in the left hand. In this
method the false count is not done from a packet of twelve, but directly
off the pack. Push over the top three cards in a fan and take them in the
palm -up right hand. The right hand turns palm-down to display the faces
of the three indifferent cards. It does this directly in front of the left hand
and deck, thus shielding it from view as the left thum b pushes over the
top card just enough to permit the left fourth-finger to catch a break beneath
it (Figure 143). The right hand turns palm-up once more and squares its
three cards against the web of the left thumb, neatly and secretly picking
up the separated fourth card in the process. The squared packet is then
carried from the deck and deposited on the left-hand ace. This sequence
is repeated for the covering of the center ace.

FIG U R E 143

To subtract one card from the three, as is necessary for the right-hand
ace and the leader, the lowermost card of the spread three must be supported
by the very tip of the right second-finger only. As the spread is squared
into the left thumbcrotch, this card is simply released flush onto the pack
and the top two cards are taken away.

This is an exquisitely constructed assem bly method; one that answers

all the questions and weaknesses iifrierent in the more standard approaches
to the problem. It will fool anyone not familiar with it, layman or magician.

135
 THE FINGERPRINT
CARD TRICK

EFFECT: Mr. Vfernon has performed the following effect for over fifty years.
T h e presentation is intrinsically interesting to people, and this fact is used
to advantage.

The trick is introduced with a brief story about the science of fingerprinting
in criminology. Every person's fingerprints are unique and can be identified.
A dem onstration o f this fact is given.

Som eone is asked to take a card and rem em ber it. T h e card is retxirned
and the pack shuffled, The perform er now runs through the face-down
deck, trying to detect the spectator's fingerprints on the backs of the cards.
Because the cards have been handled previously, this proves a bit difficult,
but several likely cards are shifted to the top from different spots in the
deck. These cards are then examined further, both faces and backs.

O ne by one, the cards are eliminated by the performer. Eventually he

identifies one as the spectator's selection. This causes som e mild dissension
in the audience, for they know that the card specified is not the one that
was chosen. Rather, the selection was seen to have been eliminated several
cards earlier in the search.

Despite this, the performer is adamant in his judgem ent. W hen the card
he holds is turned face-up once more, it is seen to have changed to the
selection. Examination of the discards shows, as might be expected, that
the chosen card is not among them.

METHOD: Tliis trick is extremely entertaining. It is of the same engaging

family of "sucker” effects as the "Partigas 'Sell' " (ref. Farelli's C ard Magic,
Part Two. pp. 42-43).

In 1945, Dr. Clyde F. Cairy contributed a trick to M y B est by j. G.

Thompson, Jr. that is almost identical to the Vernon "Fingerprint Card Trick"
(see pp. 11-12). It is certain that Mr. Vernon was perform ing the trick some
years before Dr. Cairy published his "D ick Tracy Card Trick". Dr. Cairy was
known to be scrupulously honest. Therefore it can only be concluded that
this similarity in tricks is a remarkable example of independent invention.
Because the trick has been so closely associated with Mr. Vernon, and
because the \^rnon handling has a num ber of details in technique and
presentation not featured in the Cairy version, it is felt that it warrants a
full description.

Mr. W rnon begins the presentation with the story of a tour through the
Fingerprinting Departm ent of the FBI. He explains that no two finger or
thumbprints are identical, and that a careful examination of such prints will
identify their owner.

136
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

A dem onstration o f the science is suggested. A card is freely ch o sen and

noted by a spectator and those around him . The card is then shuffled back
into the pack. Through whatever means preferred, the selection is brought
secretly to the top of the deck.

Mr. Vernon now begins to spread through the cards, closely examining
their backs as he attempts to locate the spectator's thum bprint. As he does
so, he is thinking out loud. "No, that's not it. This one could be it, but people
have been handling these cards." This sort of vocal rum ination continues
as h e ru ns through the deck and transfers any four cards to the top along
the way. The exact num ber of cards shifted is not em phasized. It is simply
done. These cards are understood to be cards he thinks likely to be the
selection.

The deck is squared. The selection is now fifth from the top. Mr. Vernon
explains that he has narrowed the field down to one of five. He turns his
attention again to the cards. The top card is flipped face-up onto the pack
and nam ed. "This one is the nine of clubs [or whatever]. It might be yours."
'The card is flipped face-down on the deck again. The pack is tipped and
tilted as Mr. Vernon apparently looks for thum bprints on the back of the
top card. "Let's see...It's a little hard to tell in here. The light is so dim.
No, there's no print here. No, that's not your card." The top card is dealt
face-down onto the table.

The next card is turned face-up and nam ed in the sam e way, It is turned
face-down again on the pack and its back scrutinized. "N o...w ell, there is
a little smudge here that misled me." The second card is dealt onto the first.

"Let m e see your thum b for a mom ent." W hen the spectator complies,
Mr. Vernon grasps h er hand and exam ines the tip of her thumb. This by­
play provides powerful misdirection away from the deck, so that the left
thum b can push over the top three cards and the fourth finger can catch
a break beneath them .

"That's m ost interesting. You have beautiful hands, by the way, young
lady." This bit of flirting flattery is charming and amusing w hen Mr. Vernon
delivers it. O f course, the compliment is varied to suit the person. If working
with a male spectator, som e com ment about "a strong hand" would be more
appropriate.

The next card is now turned up on the deck. Actually, a triple turnover
is executed, bringing the selection into view. The card is nam ed and the
triple card is turned face-down. The back of the top card is studied. "No,
that's not your thum bprint. It doesn't match at all." The top card is dealt
onto the table. This denial of the chosen card surprises the audience. It
appears as if Mr. Vernon has failed.

H e does not give any helpful soul the opportunity to correct him. He

137
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

immedialely turns over the next card on the pack and nam es it. This card
is turned down again, and its back is studied. "No, that is a man's thum b—
not a bit like yours." The top card is tabled with the rest.

W hen the left thum b pushes over this card so it can be dealt, the two
cards below it are pushed over as well. W hile the right hand tables the top
card, a break is secured under the card now second from the top of the
deck. U nsuspected by the audience, the selection is on top of the pack.

"Well, this is the last one, so it must be yours." The top two cards are
turned face-up as one and named. The double is turned face-down and
the top card taken into the right hand.

"Yes, yes. Do you see your print there?" The card is held out toward the
spectator and som e spot is indicated on its back. "See, it matches your thumb
exactly."

This is the cue the spectator needs to deny, often with a mixture of
commiseration and satisfaction, that Mr. Vernon has m ade an error. In the
face of this, he remains convinced of his success. "No, no. It's your card.
The print matches perfectly"

A fter a short amount of baiting, he turns the card over so that the face
of the selection is revealed. The dealt cards on the table are almost always
reached for at this point, so that the spectators can assure them selves that
they saw the selection discarded. O f course the card is not found.

Notice how cleverly Mr. Vernon has with presentation solved a old
problem of the multiple lift and turnover. There is always a mild air of illogic
in the action of turning a card over on the deck and then dealing it. TTie
normal procedure would be simply to deal the card as it lies, or turn it over
in the action of dealing. Mr. Vernon provides a reason for turning the card
down on the pack after show ing its face. H e must examine its back for
thumbprints. This same psychology, though not the exact motivation, can
be applied to other tricks to stren ^ h en the logic of the action.

A nother admirable piece of construction shown in this trick is the

application of the triple lift. Note how this stratagem exposes the selection
three cards before the trap is sprung. It is a curious fact that even persons
well aware of double lifts will be fooled by the triple lift. In the context of
this effect the use o f the triple lift is exceptionally cunning.

I can only repeat that this is a m ost entertaining effect with a plot that
immediately claim s the interest of any group. If the reader learns and uses
it, the trick will prove itself a solid favorite to his audiences.

138
 A MATCH MADE
IN CINCINNATI

EFFECT: This is a method for performing "Matching the Cards" (ref. Inner
Secrets o f C ard Magic, pp. 22-24) with a fresh pack. Mr. Vernon has often
perform ed the trick in just thus manner.

The seal is broken o n a new pack o f cards and the cards are thoroughly
shuffled. The perform er then dem onstrates in an impressive fashion his
ability to cut to any value desired. Following this a card is chosen in a
com pletely fair manner. It is tabled face-down to one side, sight unseen.

T he perform er assures the audience that he will discover the identity of

the chosen card by cutting three sim ilar cards from the pack. T he pack is
cut and a card turned up. This card—let's assum e it a red ten—reveals that
the selection is a red card. The ten is tabled and the pack is cut again.

The second card is turned up. It is, say, a black ten. This tells the performer
that the selection is a ten. This second cut card is placed with the first and
the pack is once more cut.

A third card is turned up, another ten. This is conclusive proof: The chosen
card is surely the fourth ten. Therefore, everyone is surprised w hen it is
turned face-up and found to be a jack. However, this perplexes the performer
for only a m om ent. He waves the jack over the three tens and they change
to the other three jacks, thus neatly resolving the problem.

METHOD: TTie plot is a venerable one. Its first written description would
seem to be "Correcting a M istake" in Hatton and Plate's 1910 book.
Magicians' Tricks: H ow They are D on e (pp. 93-95). In that early version
the method revolved around the pass, the palm and the bottom change,
as might be expected from the period.

Mr. Vernon adopted the plot, but m ade one change to it. In the original
version a spectator chose all four cards. In the Vernon presentation, the
focus is brought more fully upon the perform er's skill as he tries to cut to
three similar cards. In addition, the Vernon method for this effect is far more
elegant than its progenitor.

Nate Leipzig asked Mr. Vernon to teach him this trick, and he used it
regularly for many years, m aking only m inor changes (see In n er Secrets
o f C ard M agic, p. 24 and Dai Vbrnon's Tribute to N ate Leipzig, pp. 167-169).
Louis Ganson once asked Mr. Vernon what he felt was the m ost effective
card trick for a lay audience. "M atching the Cards" was Mr. Vem oris choice.
The method about to be described was designed for impromptu
performance with a new, possibly borrowed, pack. It is a further step toward
the perfection of a classic card-effect.

139
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

As stated, a new pack of cards is used. The seal is bn)ken and the deck
removed fn>m the case. Jokers and any advertising cards are immediately
discarded.

As is well known to magicians, most new packs com e from the factory
with the first two suits running consecutively from ace through king and
the second two suits running from king through ace. Begin mixing the face­
down cards with a casual overhand shuffle, actually running the first twenty-
six cards singly, thus reversing their order. Throw the balance as a block
on top.

Now deliver two faro shuffles to the pack. These can be any combination
of "in" or "out" faros; it does not matter, but the weaves must be perfect,
This quick sequence of shuffles brings all cards of the sam e value together,
starting with the four kings on top of the deck, followed by the four queens,
etc. Break the deck at twenty-eight—just two cards below center—and cut
at this point. Those who faro shuffle should have little problem with this;
just break the pack at center and pick up two more cards with the thumb.
There is a visual cue to check the cut: The sevens should be at the face
of the upper portion and the sixes atop the lower.

The cut brings the court cards to positions at center and just past it. Mr.
Vernon often sets up the premise of the trick—i.e., his ability to cut to any
value in a shuffled deck—by offering an introductory demonstration of that
skill. He first incorporated this segm ent into the trick w hile lecturing in
Paris in the early 1960s. The trick can proceed w ithout it, but it creates an
impression so strong that, once tried, few perform ers will om it it.

The deck is tabled face-down while it is explained that it is possible, even

with a new pack, to cut to any card desired; for example, a king. Your
audience is unaware that you know the exact positions of the card values
in the pack. They run from sixes on lop to aces, then kings at center to
sevens on the bottom. It is an easy matter to cut near center by estimation,
thereby hitting a king. Glim pse the card at the face of the upper portion
as it is lifted. If it is a king, display it. O therw ise turn up the top card of
the lower portion.

Replace the packet on top and mention a two. Cut again, this time
estimating about six cards above center, and show a two. Replace the cut
and ask som eone to call out a value. Proceed to cut to the area of the pack
necessary to produce the value requested.

W hile this sort of estimation may seem difficult at first, it is not really
so. A bit of practice will soon place this skill within grasp. Understand that
there is always a four-card leeway provided by the arrangement of the pack.

Following this quick demonstration, suggest that som eone choose a card
at random to provide a more difficult challenge. Because of the fuU-deck

140
 THE LOST INtvIER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

setup, a card need not be forced as was necessary with the earlier published
method. This is an advantage as it allows an obvious freedom in the selection
o f a card, Any method of selection can be employed. For instance, the pack
can be fanned or ribbon spread for a card to withdrawn, or the spectator
can merely cut the deck and remove a card. Mr. Vernon prefers to spring,
o r dribble, the cards softly onto the table until a spectator stops him. He
then offers either the top card of the tabled portion or the card on the face
of the talon in the hands. This choice subtly emphasize.s the freedom of
selection.

The card indicated by the spectator is placed forward and to the left on
the table without its face being shown. Explain that no one must know
the identity of the card. Following this, casually cut the pack at the spot
where the card was removed as you reassemble the two sections of the deck.
Then ask the spectator who chose the card if he knows what it is. U se this
m om ent of misdirection to glauce openly at the face of the deck and check
its arrangement. You need to determine quickly how the three value-mates
of the selection are broken on the top and bottom of the pack. This can
be done quickly by spreading no more than three cards at the face. If you
see four of a kind there, you know that the three mates to the selection
are all on top. Any other distribution of the mates will be obvious with a
quick examination of the cards on the face of the deck.

To continue with the routine you need to arrange two of the mates at
the top of the pack and one at the face. This can be done openly, while
casually toying with the cards; or the necessary cards can be transferred
secretly with a double undercut. No more than two cards need be moved
under the worst of circumstances.

"So m e magicians do those tricks where they deal cards all over the table."
As you say this you casuaJly deal a few cards to demonstrate your words.
This ingenuous seeming action actually completes the necessary setup, The
top three cards are dealt face-down into a row on the table. The fourth card
is dealt onto the first and the dealing is stopped. Take the two-card pile
and place it onto the third dealt card. TTien place these three onto the second
card and return all to the top of the pack.

For convenience of description let us assum e that the selection is a jack.

At this point the deck will be set with a ten on top, followed by a jack,
a second ten, a jack, two tens, and the balance of the pack. The fourth jack
is at the face.

Continuing your com ments without pause, you explain, "This isn't one
of those tricks at all, What I try to do is match the card that you picked."
Give the pack a sim ple cut, taJdng the arranged cards to the center, and
hold a left fourth-finger break between the two halves. This brief and bold
stacking sequence must be done with convincing nonchalance. Good acting
is important to its success.

141
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

You are now in position to complete the trick as taught in in n e r Secrets

o f C ard Magic. So that a couple of presentational ideas of Mr. Vernon's can
be added, the balance of the trick will be de.scribed.

Spread cards from the top of the deck casually into the right hand and
stop w hen the break is reached. It is important that the last card above the
break be cleanly stepped to the left o n the face of the spread as the right
fingers take it. "First I’ll find a card that matches the color of the one you
picked." Lift the spread top half of the pack away with the right hand and
use its left edge to flip over the card on top of the left-hand portion. "Now
this is a red card, so this must be a red card on the table." O f course, you
adjust your words to fit the card turned up; in this example a red ten.

Use the right-hand spread to flip the ten face-down again, at the same
tim e loading the bottom card o f the spread, a jack, secretly above it. This
secret addition was devised by H enry Christ. It is not difficult. Sim ply
release the lowermost card of the spread onto the left-hand packet as the
spread moves momentarily over the packet while turning down the ten.
The move is made more certain if the left thum b clips the edge of the right-
hand card as it is released (see Figure 144).

The top Ccird of the left-hand packet is immediately dealt by the left thumb,
face-down and somewhat to the right on the table. As this is done the thumb
also pushes over the next three cards slightly and a left fourth-finger break
is caught beneath them as they are again moved square with the pack. The
right-hand spread is then smoothly squared onto the left-hand cards.

"Next I will cut to a card with the same value as yours." Cut the deck
at the break and complete the cut. This brings a jack to the top, beneath
which are two tens. The other two tens go to the bottom with the remaining
jack between them .

Execute a double turnover and display a second ten. "This card is a ten,
so your card must be a ten too." With the appearance of the second ten

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

most of the audience will begin to anticipate the climax of the trick. Nothing
better could be wished.

Turn the double down and deal the top card neatly onto the previously
cut card.

Perform another double undercut or any false cut that retains the two
bnittom cards of the pack. R ip the deck face-up in the left hand and show
the third ten. "Well, that settles it. Obviously your card has to be the ten
of clubs." Here you name the only ten not yet seen. Switch the third ten
for the jack behind it, using either a glide or a second deal with a wrist
turn, and lay it with the other cut cards.

The work is finished. All that is left is to act the part required convincingly.
Reach out and turn up the selected card with perfect confidence. Express
surprise when it is discovered not to be the fourth ten. "O h , the jack of
hearts for w hatever]. That's always an unlucky card. You can't do anything
with the jack of hearts, so 1 will have to change the tens." Wave your hand
or wand over the three tabled cards and turn them up to reveal their
transformation.

Dai Vernon a n d Larry Jennings in Japan

143
THE AEROPLANE CARD TRICK

EFFECT: This Is an invisible and direct flight of a card from the top of
the deck to the perform er's pocket. Its creator was Laurie Ireland, who
published it in Ireland Writes a B o ok (pp. 28-29). Mr. \femon has p>erformed
it for many years and he also taught the trick at his lectures (see Dai Vernon;
The First California Lecture, pp. 15-16, and Dai Vtrnon's E xpan ded Lecture
N otes, pp. 13-14 and 39). His handling was eventually contributed to Peter
Warlock's Pentagram (Vol. 8, No. 1, Oct. 1953, p. 5). The trick is being
included here because the complete details of its proper perform ance were
never gathered in any one description; also, several fine points and variant
handlings, not previously published, were recorded in the Castle N otebooks.

METHOD: There is no preparation for this trick. It is done with any deck.
M uch of the time Mr. Vernon will use the top cards of the pack without
concern for their identities. However, w hen working for a particularly
discriminating audience, such as an audience of magicians, he will ask
som eone to call out a card. He then runs through the pack, finds the card
designated and apparently cuts it to the top. Actually it is cut third from
the top. This use of a nam ed card quiets suspicions of duplicates, w hen
working for a sophisticated group. Whether using a named card or a random
one, the action is identical from this point forth.

Hold the pack face-down in left-hand dealing position. Fairly remove the
top card of the pack, holding it by its extreme right inner corner between
the right thumb, above, and forefinger, beneath. Explain, "M ost magicians
won't tell you what they are going to do before they do it. But I will tell
you right now. I am going to make this card travel from the top of the deck
over here to my side pocket." As this is said the right hand dem onstrates
with its card. It carries the card at a leisurely pace from the deck over to
the right front pants-pockel or right coat-pocket, whichever is the most
convenient. The card is not placed in the pocket, but instead is held nearby
to indicate its destination. As the card is carried from the pack to the pocket,
across the body, the right hand shakes up and down slightly, causing the
card to wobble or flutter softly at the fingertips, som ething like the wing
of a butterfly. It is important that the face of the card is not exposed during
this action.

This is an uncommon and delicate way to handle a card and it is interesting

to watch. It is done for just that reason. W hile everyone is watching the
card flutter in your right hand, the left hand calmly pushes over the top
two cards o f the deck and procures a break beneath them with the fourth
finger.

"Now, it doesn't matter how hard you watch—you won't see it go." Bring
the card back to the deck, w ithout the fluttering action, and deposit it
squarely on top. Flip over the top three cards as one sidewise onto the pack.
Mr. Vernon uses his push-off technique (ref. Dai V&rnon's Ultimate Secrets
o f C ard Magic, p. 54) to do this.

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 THE LOST INNTER SECRETS. VOLUME 1

"W atch—the six of spades [here y ou nam e th e card that is visible on the
p ack] is going to travel from here..." Turn the triple card face-down on the
deck and immediately push the top card to the right with the left thumb.
Slap its overhanging edge with the fingers of your palm-down right hand;
then gesture with that hand toward the right pocket, making it plain the
hand is empty: "...to here."

Bring the right hand back to the deck, still palm-down, and cover the
sidejogged top card with it. Clip the card in the right hand, approximating
a clumsy classic palm, and slide it to the right until the left edge of the
card just clears the pack. Allow the card to drop onto the tips of the left
fingers and draw it under the deck with them . T he audience is perm itted
to detect this awkward stecil. Do not be too obvious in perform ing the feint.
The spectators must believe they have seen som ething they were not
intended to see.

Holding the right fingers stiffly curled and the thum b jutting from the
hand, in imitation of the most artless classic palm imaginable, slowly swing
the hand over to the right pocket. Stop about six inches away; then make
a crumpling action with the fingers and pretend to toss the card invisibly
into the pocket,

Casually expose your empty hand to the spectators. It is of course evident

that the card was drawn onto the bottom of the pack. You need not wait
for them to say something to that effect. Rather, say it for them, saving them
unnecessary embarrassment when, in a m om ent, you show them
apparently wrong.

"No, no, no. It doesn't go under the deck." Pick up the deck by its ends
in the palm-down right hand, fingers at the outer end and thum b at the
inner. Lift the deck to expose the card on its face. It is not the card expected.

"And it isn't on the top either." Lower the right hand and use the left
thum b to drag the lop card onto the left fingers. Raise the left hand and
display the face of the card. It is as all eyes are drawn to this card that the
right hand palms the top card of the deck. The misdirection is strong and
the one-handed top palm is executed in a second.

Lower the left hand and adjust the card it holds onto the fingers. Toss
the deck from the right hand ten or twelve inches onto the card in the left.
This slightly flamboyant gesture further distracts from the right hand for
an instant.

Go into the pocket with the right hand and neatly produce the card. "I
told you. it flies to the pocket."

That is the basic trick, Mr. Vernon developed a variant procedure that
allows a repetition of the effect. It is based on a strategy devised by Herb

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 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

Zarrow. This sam e strategy is also found used by Francis Carlyle in his
method for the "Hom ing Card" (see Stars o f Magic, pp. 61-64). As a passing
point of interest, Mr. Vernon believes credit shoiild be awarded Jimmy
G rippo for the creation of the H om ing Card plot.

Everything remains the sam e to the point where the lop card is shown
not to be the noted one. Rather than dragging off the top card with the
left thumb, the deck is replaced in the palm-up left hand. The right hand
removes the top card and displays its face. This is done directly in front
of the pack so that the card and hand block the audience's view of the deck
for a moment (Figure 145). Using this cover and misdirection the left thumb

FIG U R E 145

slides the top card forward slightly. The right hand now returns its card
face-down onto the pack, but square with the top card. In the action of
doing so the right fingertips push down on the outjogged pair, snapping
them up as a unit into the right palm . The top palm is extrem ely rapid and
is indiscernible. This clever steal from the deck is S. Leo Horowitz's. (Dr.
Daley makes reference to it in his notebooks. See item 617 of the Gutenberg
Press edition. There it is referred to as "Horow itz's Second Steal", but it
is not fully explained.)

T h e right hand goes to the pocket and withdraws the noted card, leaving
the second card behind. After the card is shown, it is casually slipped back
into the pocket as people are reacting to the effect. It is left there and the
other card brought forth, its back kept to the audience.

Ask if they would like to see the trick again? If you have done things
properly the answer assuredly will be positive. Lay the card in the right
hand on top of the deck and again perform a feint that leads the audience
to believe that the card is slipped surreptitiously to the bottom as you pretend
to palm it. However, the top card must not actually be shifted to the bottom
of the pack this time—doing so would cause the card on the face of the
deck, previously seen, to change, thereby giving a due to the actual method.
Rather, the card should be fed neatly into the pack at any convenient place.

146
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Toss the invisible card toward the pocket, show that it is not on the bottom
of the pack or on the top, and cleanly prill it from your pocket once more.

A nother approach worked out by Mr. Vernon for repeating the effect is
this: Perform the flight of the card to the pocket, just described, but with
one small addition—mem orize the top card of the pack as it is shown not
to be the noted card. Replace it face-down on the deck and palm both it
and the second card using the Horowitz steal. Produce the proper card
from the pocket, proving its flight there. The extra card (its identity now
known to you) is left behind. A iter showing that the first card has arrived
in your pocket as prom ised, do not return it to the pocket and switch it
for the other one there. Instead, neatly bury the card in the deck as you
say, 'I'll do it again with a different card, the five of hearts." Here you casually
pick the top card from the pack, glance at its face without showing it, and
miscall it for the card in your pocket. Replace it on the deck and mimic
the palming of it with the right hand. The further pretense of slipping it
to the bottom may be done as well, at the perform er's discretion (the top
card should not actually go to the bottom, for the reason already stated).
This leaves you in an excellent position, as the card nam ed is already in
the pocket and ready to be produced.

The miscalling o f the card is bold, but credence is lent the procedure by
the first flight of the card to the pocket. Also rem em ber that the miscalled
card was seen just m om ents before on top of the pack, w here it is
represented to be. If your acting is casual and convincing, the ploy will be
accepted without question,

To em bellish the miscall principle further, Mr. \fernon has som etim es set
the seven of clubs second from the top of the pack and the eight of clubs
fourth from the top. This is done before the trick is introduced. A triple
turnover is done to show the card resting between the seven and the eight.
This card is the first made to fly to the pocket. After showing that it has

FIG U R E 146

147
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

not been slipped to the bottom o f the deck, the top card is also show n—
the seven of clubs. As it is shown, it is casually named. Then both the seven
and the card below it are palmed from the deck with the Horowitz steal.
The correct card is produced from the pocket and the seven is left behind.
The first card is inserted into the pack and the top card is m iscalled as the
seven of clubs. By outjogging the top card, the eight of clubs, for half its
length on the pack and covering its outer index w ith the tip of the right
forefinger, its face can be flashed to the audience and will be m istaken for
the seven (Figure 146). It is squared again with the deck and slipped into
the pack as the right hand pretends to palm it. Then the seven is cleanly
produced from the pocket.

No matter which of these methods is used, the trick is well w orth the
effort necessary to master it.

S igfried a n d R oy with Dai Vernon

148
 THE TWO-THIRTEEN TRICK

EFFECT- In early July of 1947 Bruce Elliott published "The 1-2-3 Card Trick"
in his P hoenix (No. 129). This Vernon effect is interesting in retrospect, as
it was a packet trick come twenty years before packet tricks becam e
fashionable.

The effect is sim ple and baffling. A card is freely selected and then lost
in the deck. The perform er removes the ace, two and three o f any suit and
places the rest of the deck aside. He asks the person w ho chose a card to
nam e any one of the three he likes. That card promptly turns into his
previous selection.

The plot has a modern feel to it and, with the wealth of packet techniques
now available, it invites variation. The originally published m ethod in The
Phoenix has several strong points to commend it. However, the deck is never
completely out of play during the perform ance. Mr. Vernon favors an
approach wherein the pack is placed aside after the three cards are removed
and is not touched again until the trick has concluded. His preferred solution
to this approach is given here.

METHOD: The only preparation necessary is to manage a two of any

suit secretly to the top of the pack. For this description it wOl be assumed
that the two of hearts is in that position.

Have a card selected in an obviously free manner. As it is noted by the

spectators, ask, "You didn't pick the ace, two or three of hearts, did you?"
TTie suit you nam e is that worn by the two on top of the pack. You know
that the two of hearts has not been selected, but if chance should have placed
the ace or three of hearts into the spectator's hand, have him return it to
the deck and choose another card. The need for such a course of action
is obviously slight.

Shift the deck into overhand-shuffle position as the selection is noted.

Then undercut about half the pack and have the selection returned upon
the top half. Shuffle the bottom portion of the pack onto the chosen card,
losing it som ewhere near center. W hile the position of the card is not
physically held, the selection is protected from loss by the two of hearts,
which lies immediately below it.

A second and even third shuffle may be executed, as long as the center
section of the deck rem ains undisturbed. That is, the cards are shuffled
off normally until the center portion, containing the key card and selection,
is reached. At this point the center section is "chopped" off as a block and
the remaining cards are shuffled artlessly onto it. This method of control
is very fair in appearance. The card certainly seem s to be lost in the pack.

"TTiis trick is done with just three cards, the ace of hearts, two of hearts

149
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

and three of hearts." As this is said, you turn the face of the deck toward
you and spread through the cards. Quickly locate the three of hearts and
cut it to the top of the pack as you are talking. This action is an extremely
casual one. Run through the cards again, this time with a more deliberate
manner. Sight the two of hearts and rem em ber the card just above it; this
is the selection. Then continue spreading until you find the ace of hearts.
O penly remove the ace and place it on top of the pack.

Spread through the cards a third time, stopping at the two of hearts.
Withdraw it from the spread and place it on top. Then spread through one
last time until you reach the selection. Remove it and place it on top of
all. Square the deck and take it face-down into left-hand dealing position.

You have not shown the faces of any of the cards, but it is natural for
the audience to assume them the ace, two and three of hearts, as they have
just seen you shift three cards to the top of the deck as you mentioned
those cards. In reality, the cards read selection-lw o-ace-three from the top
down. The title of the trick reflects the order in which the ace, two and
three are stacked, and forms an easy m nem onic for the setup.

Fan off the top three cards of the pack, without reversing their order, into
the right hand. As the cards are spread, push the fourth card slightly to
the right as well. U nder cover o f the three-card fan, stretch out the right
second-finger and engage the overhanging edge of the fourth card. Then
close the fan briskly against the heel of the left thum b and carry it away
from the deck. The fourth card is automatically added to the face of the
packet as this action is executed, the right fingers following the lead of the
second as it slips under the added card.

Table the pack face-up with the left hand, putting it well to the side. Then
take the packet into left-hand dealing grip and casually spread the top two
cards to the right, while keeping the bottom two squared as one. "T he ace,
two and three o f hearts are easy to remember. That is why I use them ."
This statem ent, or a similar com ment, provides motivation for spreading
the cards. Square the packet again, catching a left fourth-finger break under
the top two cards.

Using either a block push-off or \femon double lift, shift the top two cards
to the right as one and take them at the right side with the palm-down
right hand, fingers above and thumb beneath. Turn the double card face­
up, showing the two of hearts. At the same time, dig the left thum b under
the left edge of the packet and tip it up and over, face-up onto the left fingers.
Immediately spread the three of hearts widely to the right so that it and
the ace can be seen. Then sm oothly insert the right-hand double between
the ace and three, making a neat fan with the three on the face, followed
by the two and the ace. This entire fan-and-display sequence is quick,
convincing and logical.

"M ost magicians do a trick where they make a card change in front of

150
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS. VOLUME 1

you. But they really don't make the card change. W hat is really done is
that they exchange the card for another one—they switch it. Now, I'm not
going to do that. Tm going to use just these one, two, three cards. I'll put
the deck way over here. I'm going to chan ge one of these three cards into
your card. The card will definitely change—there is no exchange involved.
Which one of these three cards would you like m e to change into yours?"
You hold the face-up cards fanned in the left hand until the spectator
designates the one he wishes you to change.

Your actions now vary, depending on the card called; however, the
procedures are similar. The most straightforward is that for the two.
Therefore, it is first to be taught.

T he Two: Square the fanned cards in the left hand with the aid of the
right. Immediately pull the ace forward from beneath the packet with the
right fingers, outjogging it nearly the length of its indec (about three-quarters
of an inch). Then contact the face of the three with the right fingertips and
drag it back about twice this distance (about an inch and a half). This
lengthwise spread is pictured in Figure 147.

FIG U R E 147

Grasp the spread at its right side with the palm-down right hand, fingers
above and thum b below. Turn the spread face-down, end over end, and
retake it in the left hand.

You now adjust the spread .slightly, executing the well-known alignment
maneuver. It is this maneuver that makes possible the switch of the center
card. The right hand com es palm-down over the spread: The tip of the
second finger descends onto the back of the exposed center card, the tip
of the forefinger contacts the back of the top card, and the thum b lies on
the inner end of the spread. The top and second cards are now slid forward
as a unit, over the bottom two cards, until the inner end of the hidden third
card hits the right thum b (Figure 148). The left fingertips and thumb keep
the bottom cards stationary as the top cards are shifted forward. It appears
as if you are merely evening the spread; but the third card, the two, has
been brought secretly into line with the top card, the ace.

151
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

FIG U R E 148

In a continuous action, the right hand draws the exposed center card,
supposedly the two, forward and out of the spread. This card, actually the
selection, is placed face-down on the table. As this is done, the left forefinger
pushes the bottom card square with the upper pair; then the left thumb
pushes the top card to the right. The right hand returns to the packet, palm-
down, takes the top card by Its right outer com er and turns palm -up with
it, showing the ace. Sim ultaneously the left second-finger curls beneath
the outer right corner of the remaining two cards (Figure 149) and then
straightens, accom panied by the first and second fingers (Figure 150). This
grip causes the squared pair to rise from the palm and turn face-up, revealing
the three of hearts. T he positions of the fingers, third at the side and first
on the end, assure that the cards remain squared as they are tipped up.

The right fingers claim the double three from the left hand by dipping
its inner index corner beneath the ace (Figure 151) and holding the three
cards as a two-card fan. Notice that everything appears exactly as expected;
The ace and three are where they are supposed to be; therefore the two
m ust be the face-down card on the table.

"All I have to do is wave these cards over the two and it will change to
your card," Wave the two-card fan over the tabled card. Then eith er have
the spectator turn the card up, or flip it over yourself with the fanned cards.
Pick up the selected card, slip it between the ace and three, square the fan
and place the packet on the deck. Finis.

The Thive: Return now to the point where the spectator is asked to choose
one o f the three fanned cards. You are holding four cards as three in your
left hand, the selection hidden behind the two. If the three is nam ed, it
must be shifted from the face o f the packet to a position second from the
top. To do this the right hand squares the fan in the left hand and performs
the alignment maneuver to extract the two without revealing the chosen
card prematurely; i.e., the right fingertips draw back the three so that about
an inch of the two is exposed. The right second-fingertip then outjogs the

152
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 149

H G U R E 150

_ FIG U R E 151

two as the three is sim ultaneously slid forward and square with the packet
by the right forefinger, on its face, and thumb, at the inner end. The two
is drawn from the front end of the packet and laid on top.

153
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

You can now spread the packet lengthw ise as three cards, displaying the
three in the center. From this point on the actions are the sam e as those
described for the two.

The Ace; O nce more we return to the point where the left hand holds
the four cards fanned as three. If the ace is specified, the right hand reverses
the order of the cards in the following manner; The right thum b first draws
the three from the face of the packet and onto the right palm . The double
two is then clipped by the right thumb, square atop the three, and drawn
away from the ace. Finally, the ace is laid square onto the two.

The left hand reclaims the cards and shifts the two to the face of the packet,
using the same procedure detailed for the three. The handling at this point
is once more identical to that explained for the two.

Mr. Vernon's presentation for this transposition is especially interesting.

Notice how he breaks the supposed trade dictum by explaining to the
audience exactly what effect is about to be perform ed. A lso notice his
em phasis of the effect: A card will change into their selection. It will not
be exchanged—it will chan ge. This unabashed lie serves both to define and
to strengthen the magical quality of the transform ation. The com bination
of shrewd patter and straightforward handling creates a very magical effect.

Afenabn of the afigrunent maneuver permits the relation of an interesting

anecdote. Within recent this maneuve-T h a s heen w'ltVv
Wenty c,Vvr»*,t and Ted A nnem ann. U is often referred to as the A nnem ann-
Christ alignm ent. In fact, it was Mr. Vernon w ho first devised this clever
maneuver in 1933. He recalls the circumstances vividly. H e was called upon
to entertain Thom as Edison at a New York society party. Am ong the effects
he performed was "Cards of Coincidence", which can be found in Further
In ner Secrets o f C ard M a ^ c (pp. 11-14), In this effect a freely chosen card
is placed in an envelope with a prediction card that comes firom a contrasting
pack. W hen both cards are removed and shown, they are seen to match.
After the performance Mr. Edison commented to Mr. Vernon, 'Tf you hadn't
needed to put those cards in the envelope, that would have been a miracle."
That night Mr. '\femon went hom e and devised the alignm ent maneuver,
so that the envelope could be elim inated. This solution is described as the
third and final sequence of "Cards of Coincidence".

Still another Vernon approach to the "Two-Thirteen Trick" can be found

in Pallbearers R eview , Vol. 4, No. 10, August 1969, pages 275-276.

154
 THE UNADULTERATED
CUTTING THE ACES

It can be stated with reasonable certainty that there is no serious student

of card magic today who is not familiar with Dai Vernon's classic "Cutting
the Aces". W hen George Karger and George Starke began the Stars o f Magic
series in 1946, they were anxious to publish a selection o f Mr. Vernon's
routines. They were delighted with "Cutting the Aces", but expressed som e
hesitance at publishing it exactly as Mr, Vernon performed it. They felt that
the opening sequence, wherein the aces were stacked as they were
apparently cut into different parts of the pack, was too dem anding for their
envisioned readership. Accommodating them , Mr. Vernon developed the
double-cutting procedure that was eventually published and adopted by
thousands of magicians.

However, he has always maintained that his original method for setting
the aces was superior. In that handling only single cuts are m ade as each
ace is lost. This not only minimizes the open manipulation o f the cards,
it imitates a much more natural and convincing procedure; i.e, a person
whose goal it is to separate the aces while cutting them into the padc would
employ single, not multiple, cuts at each step,

A lm ost nineteen years elapsed before the original opening sequence for
"C utting the A ces" reached print. It appeared in the January 1965 issue
of G enii magazine (Vol. 29, No. 5, p. 256). Lovers of magical trivia will enjoy
knowing that this description was ghost w ritten for Mr. Vernon by Nina
Jennings, Larry Jennings' first wife.

Because the handling has such merit, because it is felt that most magicians
will be unfamiliar with it, and because m ost will not have access to the
particular magazine issue cited, it is redescribed here, along with several
fine points of handling that have not previously appeared in print.

The trick begins by having the deck shuffled. W hen the spectator has
finished, take back the cards and turn them faces toward you. The card
second from the face of the pack is quickly noted. W hile any card with
a value from two through nine can be used at the second position, Mr.
Vernon prefers sixes or sevens. They are the most dram atic^ly satisfying
w hen their value is used to locate the fourth ace. If the second card from
the face is not a six or seven, simply spread a few cards into the right hand
and casually cut the first six or seven you find to the desired position.

Now run through the deck in search of the aces. This is done in a particular
manner. Cards are taken singly from the face of the pack into the right hand,
one on top of the last. As the cards are run through, you must secretly
count cards equal to the value of the six or seven you have placed, and
rem em ber the final card of the count. In other words, if the card second

155
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

from the face is a six, you would count it as one and continue counting
silently to six, then remember the card that falls at the sixth count. If an
ace should appear as you do this, it is excluded from the count. The ace
is simply placed face-up on the table and the count resum ed as if it had
not been present.

O nce you have noted your key card, continue to run rapidly through the
cards in single fashion, locating the aces and laying them face-up in a row
on the table. The ace of spades should be positioned at the left end as the
row is formed.

W hen the fourth ace has been found, sim ply drop the rem ainder of the
pack onto the face of the right-hand cards and table the face-up deck behind
the ace of spades.

Cut the upper three-quarters of the deck to the right, behind the ace
positioned second from the left in the row. Then cut the upper two-thirds
of this packet to the right, behind the third ace. Half the rem aining cards
are carried from the face of the talon and laid behind the right-hand ace.
In other words, the pack is cut into quarters frcim left to right.

Pick up the left-end packet and fan it in the left hand. Quickly spot the
card you mem orized—it should be near the center of the fan—and insert
the ace of spades directly above it. Mr. Vernon advises that the inner right
corner of the ace be laid on the face of the fan (Figure 152) and then be

F IG U R E 152

run leftward over the cards—like a pointer ticking over the pins on a wheel
of fortune—until the noted card is reached. This method for arriving at a
specific position in the fan is neat and eliminates any hesitation as the ace
is inserted. Hesitation must be avoided at all cost, as it exposes a deliberate
placem ent of the ace, when it should look as if the card is simply slipped
into the center of the fan at a random spot,

Push the ace flush and close the fan neatly into the left hand. Pick up
the second packet from the table, that now on the left end, and drop it

156
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

face-up onto the packet in the left hand. Tlien pick up the second ace with
the right hand and place it on the face of the left hand's cards. However,
as the right hand reaches for the ace, the left thumb pushes the face card
of its packet slightly to the right so that a left fourth-finger break can be
caught beneath it.

The right hand lays the second ace onto the packet and immediately grasps
the upper half of the packet by its ends from above. The right thumb
maintains the break as the left hand undercuts the bottom half o f the packet
and slips if square onto the right hand's cards. T he packet is settled back
into the left hand and the break reclaimed by the left fourth-finger.

Pick up the third packet from the table and drop it face-up onto the cards
in the left hand. Lay the third ace on the face of the left-hand packet and
undercut all the cards below the break with the left hand. These cards are
placed on top of the packet. No break is held as the third ace is cut into
the park.

H ere you pause in the gathering procedure and stress the situation: "You
can see lliat this widely separates the aces in the deck." Spread the cards
from left hand to right until the first ace is spotted. This is the ace just lost.
Secretly insert tine tip of the right fourth-finger above the card directly over
this ace, forming a wedge b r e ^ . Pause only a m om ent so that the ace can
be noted by the audience; then spread further until the second ace is seen,
Indeed these aces are well separated and your point is convincingly made.

Square the cards into the left hand and transfer the right fourth-finger's
break to the left fourth-finger. Drop the fourth packet onto the deck and
reach for the fourth ace with the right hand. As you do this, push over
the face card of the pack with the left thum b and catch a third-finger break
below it. Place the last ace onto the pack and undercut at the fourth finger's
break. Put the bottom portion onto the top and maintain the third finger's
break. The fourth finger can take it over if desired.

Having seem ingly lost the aces into the pack, the cards are given one
more cut as follows: Cut about half the cards above the break to the table
with the right hand. Then cut all the cards remaining above the break to
the right of the first tabled packet. Cut the top half of the left-hand packet
to the right of the second packet and place the remaining cards to the right
of those. For ease o f understanding, think of the left end packet as A, the
second packet as B, the third as C and the right end packet as D . Begin
to gather the packets with the left hand, placing A on C; then, with the
right hand, place D on B; and, with the left, place A/C on D/B.

Pick up the deck and place it face-down in the left hand. While it is difficult
to believe, even w hen you are perform ing the actions, the aces are now
set for the standard Vernon slip-cutting sequence: from the top down—X,
ace, X, ace, X, indicator card, X cards equal to value of indicator less one.

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 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

ace, balance of pack, ace, and X on face.

You can now show that there is no ace at the top or bottom of the pack
and proceed with the cutting of the aces. Since it is not the purpose of
this book to repeat well-established material, the reader unfamiliar with
the original trick in Stars o f M agic is recom m ended to turn to that source.

However, several observations will be m ade about the handling just

taught, and another about the proper management of the Vernon one-
handed slip cut w hen used in the context of this trick.

First, a note about the insertion of the first ace. The ace of spades is
specified as the first. This point Is not m entioned in the Stars o f M agic
description. Mr. Vernon feels that this ace should be the one inserted above
the key card. His reasoning is that the ace of spades is the m ost visually
dramatic of the four. Therefore, it should be saved till last as the aces are
located.

A nother point on the insertion of this ace: Mr. Vernon often does not
set a key card to mark the location for the insertion. Rather he simply
positions a six or seven second from the face of the pack. W hen the first
packet is fanned for the insertion of the ace, he quickly counts to the
necessary spot in the fan and inserts the ace there. T he procedure can be
recommended only if it can be performed without the slightest hesitation
or obvious study of the fan. O therw ise, the key-card procedure should be
followed. It is certainly no less effective.

Larry Jennings has developed an alternative method for obtaining a break

w hen the cards are spread to show the separation of the aces. This occurs
just after the third ace has been cut into the packet. Rather than introducing
the right fourth-finger into the spread, Mr. Jennings uses the right fingers
to pull the card directly above the uppermost ace to the right and under
the right end of the spread. This action is similar to the H ofzinser spread
pass; it differs only in that the card Is not pulled so far rightward that it
disengages from the spread. Rather, it is pulled no more than an inch to
the right of its natural position. Figure 153 exposes the situation from beneath
the spread. The left edge of the card just above the one to be pulled must
be contacted by the tip of the left thumb. This insures that only the desired
card moves under the spread.

Continue to spread the cards until the second ace is reached. Then square
the spread back into the left hand. As this is done the card that was pulled
to the right will automatically assum e a sidejogged position at the right
of the packet. If felt necessary, the tips of the left fingers can contact the
back of this card as the spread is squared, to assure its proper positioning.
The left fingers stretch to the right edge of the jogged card the instant the
spread is squared and push it flush, pulling down on it at the same time.
In this m anner the left fourth-finger can obtain a break at the required spot.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

n C U R E 153

The balance of the handling remains unchanged.

W hen this trick is performed it has becom e a com m on practice to table

the deck after each slip cut. Mr. Vernon believes this an error in logic. If
the deck is on the table before each cut is made, there is no good reason
to pick it up and cut it in the air. Normal procedure would be to cut the
p a ^ on the table where it lies. To avoid this inconsistency of handling, the
one-handed slip cut is performed as follows: T h e cut is done by the right
hand. The cards remaining in the right hand after the throw are laid in
the left hand while the right turns up the top card o f the tabled half. This
card, an ace, is tossed forward onto the table. The right hand then picks
up the balance of the packet and places it on top of the left-hand half. The
deck is retaken in the right hand and another one-handed slip cut is
perform ed. In this m anner logic is provided for an otherwise slightly
unorthodox method of cutting the cards.

W hen discussing this trick, there is one thing about which Mr. Vernon
is adamant. It must be presented in an entertaining manner. M ore often
than not, w hen one sees the trick presented, or any of a variety of other
m ethods for cutting the aces from the pack, the sole purpose o f the
demonstration seem s to be an exhibition of the performer's cleverness with
the cards. The sad fact is that such displays of skill are far more entertaining
to their practitioners than to their audiences. Mr. Vernon's perform ance of
his "Cutting the Aces" is always absorbing and dramatic. That is because
he has developed a fascinating story around the physical act of cutting the
aces from the deck, a story that com mands and holds interest, climaxing
with a highly dramatic revelation of the last ace. The most important lesson
of this trick is not the method by which the aces are controlled and cut,
as fine as that may be. The important lesson is the presentation Mr. Vernon
built for the trick, which elevates a meaningless display of skill to a dramatic
event that people respond to and enjoy. If you haven't learned that
presentation, it is given in full on page 28 of Stars o f Magic. It is worth
serious study, for it contains a principal lesson of fine magic: professional
presentation.

159
 SPELLOUT WITH A HITCH

EFFECT: In Dai \^mon's Ultimate S ea e ts o f Card Magic there can be found

a fine spelling-effect called "M atched Spellout" (pp. 17-20). This trick was
inspired by a trick of Henry Christ's, "Sp ell Detector", which will be taught
in Volume II of this work. At the end o f Lewis G anson's explanation of
"M atched Spellout" he mentions that Mr, Vernon occasionally m akes an
adjustm ent in the setting of the deck to cause an apparent miss. However,
the mistaken card leads to the chosen card and a successful conclusion.
The psychology here is m uch the same as that used in "C utting the Aces",

While this variation was mentioned by Mr. Ganson, no details were given.
It was thought that the exact procedure used by Mr. Vernon for performing
the effect would be of more than passing interest.

The effect is this; A card is peeked at in the pack and the cards are casually
mixed. The performer goes through the deck, attempting to locate the
selection, but seem s to fail.

The deck is handed to the person who peeked at a card and he is asked
to deal cards while spelling the nam e of his selection, form ing a pile for
each word. He does so. The first three piles are turned face-up. O n each
is found a value-mate to the selection. That is, if the selection was the six
of clubs, the other three sixes appear on the faces of the first three piles.
T he selection itself is anticipated on the face of the fourth pile, but when
that is turned up, an indifferent card is there instead.

Not to be beaten, the perform er uses the value o f the odd card to count
down in the deck—and found just at that position is the chosen card.

METHOD: A one-card setup is necessary. The pack nnay be shuffled before

the trick begins. Then spread the deck face-up tetw een the hands, quickly
spot a three of any suit and cut it to a position fourth from the face of the
pack. This can be done while toying with the cards, or as you show how
thoroughly the deck is mixed.

Have a card peeked at by som eone and catch a left fourth-finger break
below the card in the tim e-honored fashion. The card must be controlled
to the bottom of the deck while retaining the .simple setup there. This is
accomplished through an overhand-shuffle procedure;

Catch the deck at its right corners between the second finger and thum b
of the right hand and tip it up on its left edge (Figure 154), bringing it to
overhand-shuffle position. The right thum b momentarily takes over the
break from the left fourth-finger as this is done.

Lift the bottom, or rightmost, portion of the deck away from the left with
the right hand. Shuffle off about half the right-hand cards onto the left-

360
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 154

hand packet and throw the balance on top, outjogging it slightly. The left
forefinger, w hich should be curled around the front edge of the pack, aids
in maintaining the outjog and will prove of further assistance in a moment,
w hen the block below it is lifted away. Care should be taken not to expose
the bottom card of the left-hand stock during the shuffle: It is the selection.

In a continuing shuffle action, the right hand grasps the block of cards
below the outjog and lifts it from the left hand, while the left fingers slip
the card off the face of the right-hand portion and onto the left. TTie right
hand then shuffles off its cards onto the left-hand stock. The selection is
still at the face of the pack, with a three four cards above it. Done in a casual
manner, this shuffle is m ost deceptive.

Turn the face of the deck toward yourself and quietly note the identity
of the selection. First consider the suit of the card.

If the card is a club, two cards below it m ust be removed so that only
one card separates the selection and the three. This is easily done as follows:
Push over the selection and the card below it with the left thumb. Take
these two cards as one into the right hand. Then take the next two cards
from the face of the pack singly onto the face of the right-hand pair. Push
over the three, now on the face of the pack, and the card beneath it, but
do not take them with the right hand. Instead, rest the right-hand packet
on them for a m om ent, securing it with the tip of the left thum b (Figure
155), as the right hand makes som e natural gesture. Mr. Vernon often
scratches his nose as he makes som e com m ent to the spectator. The right
hand then retrieves its packet from the face of the deck, picking up the
extra two cards beneath it in the process.

If the card is a heart or spade, one card m ust be slipped from between
the three and the selection. To do this, push over the first three cards in
a bunch into the right hand. Take the next card onto the face of the right-
hand stock, push over the three and the card below it, and add them to
the back of the packet as it is rested momentarily on the face of the deck.

161
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

FIG U R E 155

A nd if the card is a diam ond, the five-card stock at the face of the pack
is pushed into the right hand without alteration.

A fter setting the positions of the selection and three, the right hand
continues to take cards, in single fashion, from the face of the deck onto
the face of its packet. This is continued until the first value-mate to the
selection is reached. Stop with the mate still on the face of the left-hand
portion. Push over the mate with the left thumb, also spreading enough
indifferent cards to spell the value of the selection (the mate is included
as the first letter o f the spell); e.g., if the selection is a six, push over the
mate and two more cards: s-i-x.

Rest the right-hand stock on the face of the left hand's cards as the right
hand again scratches your nose or gestures. At this point you should begin
to act puzzled, as if things are not going quite as planned.

Pick up the right-hand packet again, taking with it the mate and its
com plem ent. Resume running through the cards, taking them singly onto
the face of the right-hand stock until you reach the second mate. Push it
and the next two cards beneath it to the right and pick them up under the
right-hand stock as you again pause and ponder.

Lift the stock from the left-hand talon and run cards from the left packet
onto the right until the final mate is located. Stop with this card still on
the left-hand packet, catch a fourth-finger break beneath it and drop the
right-hand stock onto the left. This is done w ith an air of defeat. Admit
that you have been unable to discover the card the spectator has in mind.

Casually cut the deck at the break and com plete the cut. Then turn the
pack face-down. Your stock is on top and set for the speU.

Suggest that another procedure be tried, one that never fails. H and the
deck to the spectator and ask him to spell the nam e of his card in this

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

manner: First he is to spell "T-H-E" dealing three cards singly and face­
down into a pile. To the right of this he spells his card's value; say, "S-I-X".
This form s the second pile. Then two cards are dealt to the right o f the
second pile for "O -F". The fourth pile is formed by spelling the suit of the
selection.

Casually reclaim the undeall cards from the spectator. Then turn over
the first pile. There is a value-mate to his card, a six. Push the six forward,
and place the balance of the pUe face-down on top of the deck. Turn over
the second pile—a second mate. Push it forward and add the rest of the
pile to the deck as well. The third mate is found on the face of the third
pile. This card is pushed forward as the remaining card is placed on the pack.

This leads everyone to expect the obvious: T he thought-of card will be

at the face of the fourth pile. Therefore, w hen the three is discovered there,
everyone, yourself included, should be surprised. Push the three forward
and place the balance of the pile face-down on the deck.

Tlien explain that this card is not the error it seem s. It actually codes the
location of the thought-of card. Count three cards off the top of the pack
and turn up the third to reveal the tardy selection.

While uncom m on, occasions will arise w hen the mates may fall too close
together in the pack to allow the cards to be spaced properly. W hen this
occurs the adjustm ent in procedure is simple. Push the too cozy mate onto
the face of the right-hand stock while you continue to set the other card.
Then, w hen the right hand reclaims its packet from the face of the deck,
slip the discarded mate with the left thumb from the face of the right portion
onto the face o f the deck and stack it accordingly.

T h e culling procedure may seem involved on the page, but it is quickly

learned. O nce the principle behind the arrangement is understood, the
stacking of the cards makes perfect sense and is easy to remember. The
procedure is quick and appears innocent if the pauses that make the culling
possible are convincingly acted.

O ne important change to be noted in this handling is that the spectator

does the spelling and dealing. This is much stronger than dealing the cards
yourself, as was suggested in Dai Vernon's Ultimate Secrets o f C ard Magic.
It also avoids the necessity of asking the spectator to tell you his card, a
m om ent that is almost always an awkward one. Instead, he spells the card
with the deck in his control.

This effect has been recognized for years as an impressive and entertaining
piece of magic. The little delay in the discovery of the selection is a touch
that adds surprise and drama to the plot. A trial before an audience will
belter prove this than any urging I can provide. A nother presentational
variant by Mr. Vernon, which involves the spelling of a person's name, a
name unknown to the performer, appeared in Epilogue No. 1 as "The Name
is.,.?" (pp. 1-2).

163
 THE RISING SUN

EFFECT: This is an Ambitious Card effect that seem s utterly impossible.

A chosen card, which may be signed, is unmistakably pushed into the center
of the pack, and is then shown to have risen to the top in som e m anner
that defies understanding.

O f course, this brief description could be applied to any num ber of fine
methods for achieving the Ambitious Card effect; but few are as convincing
as the method about to be explained. Every action is performed slowly and
with minimum movement of the hands and cards. T he illusion of
painstaking fairness is exceptional. Because o f this, it is advised that this
sequence be reserved for the latter stages of an Ambitious Card routine.

METHOD: The secret of the card's ascension revolves, quite literally,

around the Tenkai palm. W hen Mr. Vernon first demonstrated this for
Tenkai, the Japanese master expressed his admiration for the trick with a
low gracious bow of appreciation. He was delighted with this application
of his palm.

The sequence is begun with the selection positioned second from the
top of the deck. The deck is face-down in left-hand dealing position. Perform
a double turnover, outjogging the two cards about half an inch as they are
turned up. Rotate the left hand clockwise at the wrist until the palm is
brought toward the audience and the thum b downward. This brings the
deck to a vertical position, a long edge parallel to the floor, and the top
of the pack toward the spectators. As the hand assum es this posture the
fourth finger shifts to the left end o f the pack. S ee Figure 156.

FIG U R E 156

The right hand grasps the upper right com er o f the overhanging double
card, the thumb on the back, first and second fingers on the face. The double
is drawn to the right and away from the deck (Figure 157). The right hand
then slowly turns inward at the wrist, bringing the double card to a
horizontal position, face toward floor.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 157

Only w hen the cards become fully horizontal are they split with a fanning
action. The tip of the second finger curls inward, carrying the lower of the
two cards (the selection) in with it, riding along the length of the thumb
(Figure 158). The instant the inner right corner of this card hits the thenar,
or heel of the thumb, the forefinger must move from the face of the cards
to a position over the outer right corner of the upper card. During this action,
both cards are held securely between the thum b and edge of the second
finger.

FIG U R E 158

The corner of the upper card is now clipped betw een the tips of the first
and second fingers. This causes the card to tilt up at its inner edge, away
from the lower card. The thum b moves in, betw een the two cards, until
its nail rides against the face of the upper card and its fleshy tip contacts
the back of the lower card (Figure 159).

In a continuing motion, the thum b pushes out and slightly up on the

upper card, pivoting it around the tip of the forefinger and into a vertical
position, back toward the audience. At the same time, the second finger
presses the lower card against the length of the thumb.

165
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

FIG U R E 159

The entire process of splitting the double card and arriving at the position
in Figure 160 is smooth and unhesitating. The left hand, which has remained
stationary with deck, now turns slightly counterclockwise, angling the right
end of the pack up from a three-o'clock position to som ething closer to two
o'clock.

FIG U R E 160

The right hand inserts the lower left corner of its displayed card into the
center of the deck and leaves the card there, angled from the lower right
corner of the pack and protruding for m ost of its length (Figure 161). The

FIGURE 161

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

angle of the card is important: The axis down the length of the card should
form an extension to the diagonal axis of the deck.

Since the lower end of the pack lies supported on the left fourth-finger,
the cards are loose and offer no resistance to the card as it is inserted.

The left hand slowly turns palm-up, bringing the deck to a horizontal
face-down position with the card assum ed to be the selection protruding
from the outer left corner. Care should be taken not to expose the face of
the card while this turn of the hand is made.

As this is done, the right fingers open into a relaxed and slightly spread
posture, leaving the hidden card held by the thum b in Tenkai palm . The
right hand, which should now be som ewhat forward and to the right of
the pack, moves back to it and deftly clips the outer right corner of the
protruding card betw een the first and second fingertips. The card is then
pulled to the right until it lies parallel with the pack. However, in the brief
instant w hen the card is first clipped, the right hand blocks the audience's
view of the deck. At that sam e instant the palmed card is automatically
brought square over the pack and is released onto it (Figure 162).

FIG U R E 162

The right hand, obviously empty, fingers spread, moves palm-down over
the deck and very slowly pushes the protruding card flush with the pack.
This is done with just the tip of the second finger (Figure 163).

The right hand now makes som e gesture to indicate that the card is rising
to the top—this should be a gentle action, in keeping with the slow soft
actions used throughout the sequence—and the top card is turned up at
the very tips of the right fingers, revealing the selection.

Two things should be kept constantly in mind w hile learning this: The
first is that every action is slow, delicate and deliberate. The second is that
the hands move as little as possible. A fram e of space no more than one
fool square should be envisioned and worked w ithin throughout the
sequence.

167
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

FIG U R E 163

It will be understood, as it is with all tricks that use the Tenkai palm,
that certain angles must be guarded. Here the vulnerable angle is the
extreme left. If perform ing with persons on that side, work to a spectator
on your left so that the bad angle is eliminated. A nother helpful tip for
discovering the proper angles is to keep the palmed card always parallel
with the floor. Experimentation will prove that the Tenkai palm is not as
angle prone as many magicians believe it.

The most impressive element of this sequence is its management of action.

Notice throughout how ingeniously the positions of the hands and cards
have been directed, to m ^ e every motion appear graceful and natural
without a single extraneous action. It is difficult to imagine an illusion more
perfect than that created by this sequence. (Two other fine uses of the Tenkai
palm can be found in "The Svengali Color-Change" and "The Jumping Jack";
ref. The Dai Vernon B o o k o f Magic, pp. 74-80.)

168
 OIL SLICK

EFFECT: The plot is Oil and Water. Four red cards are repeatedly alternated
with four black cards and, each tim e the colors are mixed, they magically
separate. In a final experim ent the black cards are turned face-up before
being alternated with face-down red cards. Despite this extra measure, the
blacks still separate from the reds the m om ent the cards are snapped.

Mr. Vfemon published two complete Oil and Water routines in M ore Irxner
Secrets o f C ard M agic (pp. 20-25). T he first routine m ade use of ten cards
represented as eight, while the second used only eight cards. In their
description if was suggested that the second routine follow the first, but
for lay audiences such sequencing would prove too repetitive. Either routine,
presented on its own, stands admirably.

Mr. Vernon, along with many other magicians, continued to experim ent
with different m ethods and routinings for Oil and Water. Five years after
the publication of M ore Inner Secrets o f C ard M agic he had restructured
his eight-card routine. It is that revision, recorded by Bruce Cervon in 1965,
that will be detailed.

METHOD: The routine consists of four separation sequences. The first

two sequences are identical, but for the first displacem ent, to those in the
original Vernon eight-card routine.

Four red cards and four black cards are openly removed from the pack.
If desired, a spectator may perform this task. The identities of the cards
are of no matter, but, for the sake of clarity, court cards should be avoided.
The balance of the pack is put aside.

First separation: Pick up the black cards in the left hand and display them
in a face-up fan. Close the fan with the aid of the right hand and secure
a left fourth-finger break beneath the top two cards.

Pick up the red cards with the right hand and lay them , in a spread
condition, face-up on the black packet. Display them briefly and then square
them over the black cards, catching a left third-finger break beneath the
top two red cards. The four center cards of the packet—tw o red above two
black—are now caught between the tips of the left third and fourth fingers.

A s the right hand com es over the packet again, in a squaring action, the
left third and fourth fingertips dig into their breaks, clipping the center cards
between them . Those cards are immediately pulled as a block to the right.

169
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

until they d ear the packet (Figure 164), and are then slid square beneath
it (Figure 165). This secret displacem ent, a covered pass, has rearranged
the color sequence of the packet. From the face it now reads red, red, black,
black, red, red, black and black.

FIG U R E 164

FIG U R E 165

The right hand proceeds to grasp the front of the packet and turns it,
end for end, face-down in the left hand. This action and all others should
be done slowly and neatly, so that the spectators have no trouble following
the assum ed positions of the red and black cards.

Count off the top four cards, w ithout reversing their order, into the right
hand, as you say, "I will separate the black cards, which act like oil, from
the red cards, w hich act like water." As the red cards are m entioned, the
left hand can allow a glimpse of the red card on the face of its packet.

Deal the cards alternately from the tops o f the packets into a face-down
pile on the table, leading with the right hand. As the packets are combined
you reinforce your actions with words, so that all is clear: 'T will mix the
oil and the water—oil, water, oil, water, oil, water."

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Pick up the pile from the tabic and neatly square it face-down in the left
hand. Turn it face-up, end over end, and grasp it between the right thumb
and forefinger by its right inner corner. Lift it from the left palm and shake
the packet gently up and down. "All I have to do is shake the cards like
this and the oil separates from the water and floats to the top."

Return the packet to left-hand dealing position and count the cards one
by one into the right hand, revealing the black cards in a group above the
reds. However, as the separation of the colors is displayed, the cards are
secretly displaced for the second phase of the routine:

The displacem ent technique used is one that Mr. Vernon first developed
for "Follow the Leader" (ref. S elect Secrets, pp. 14-15). The first black card
is pushed off the face of the packet and into the palm-up right hand. This
card should be taken onto the right fingers, with the inner end of the card
lying on but not beyond the length of the fourth finger. The tips of the fmgers
should not extend past the left side of the card and the right thumb should
contact its face, just forward of the fourth finger.

The next black card is pushed off the packet and is taken below the card
in the right hand. It should be left lying approximately a quarter of an inch
to the left of the first card, and slightly outjogged.

The third black card is thumbed off the packet and taken below the right-
hand pair. However, as it is taken, the right first, .second and third fmgers
drop slightly, while the fourth finger rem ains pressed to the backs of the
cards above it; the third card is slipped over the first three fingers, but under
the fourth. In other words, the fourth finger is introduced between the
second and third cards (Figure 166). This is the Vernon wedge break. As
the third card is slipped below the packet, it is pulled by the right fingers
into near alignment with the first card. Its edges must be concealed beneath
the upper cards.

FIG U R E 166

171
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

The fourth black card is dealt into the right hand and taken below the
packet, even with the card immediately above.

As the first red card is taken by the right hand, it is fed into the “V" of
the wedge break and pushed flush, above the fourth finger (Figure 167).
The sam e thing is done with the second red card.

The third and fourth red cards are dealt legitimately under the packet.
Thus, while displaying the separation of the colors, the packet h as been
rearranged for the next mixing. Its order from the face is black, black, red,
red, black, black, red and red.

Before leaving this displacem ent sequence, several further details must
be m entioned. First, when the sequence is begun, a small turn to the left
should be made, to cover the vulnerable angle of the break on the extreme
left side. Second, as each card is taken by the right hand, that hand should
move slightly to the right and then return to receive the next card. And
third, there m ust be no hesitation at any time in the counting of the cards.
A strict rhythm is adhered to, w hether the placem ent of the card is under
the packet or into the break.

S econ d separation: Take the packet into left-hand dealing position and
square it, imperceptibly disengaging the right fourth-firrger from its break
in the process. Slowly turn the packet face-down, end for end, and deal
the top four cards into the palm-up right hand, without reversing their order.

"I will show you that again. It is a scientific fact that oil and water will
not mix." As you mention oil, a glimpse of the black card at the face of
the left-hand packet may be allowed. Leading again with the right hand,
deal the cards, alternating them , into a face-down pile on the table. (Note:
The formation of the pile could be started by either hand, but by starting
each time with the right, w hen the packet is turned face-up the color of
the card on the face will be consistent with the expected positions of the
cards.)

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 THE LOST rNNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Pick up the packet and square it face-down in the left hand. Turn it face­
up and gently shake it, as was done in the first sequence. Return it to the
left hand and count the cards into the right to show the colors once again
have divided. As the cards are counted a displacem ent is made to prepare
the third sequence. While the sam e technique is used, the arrangement
o f the colors is changed:

As the red cards are taken into the right hand, the right fourth-finger
takes its break between the third and fourth cards, rather than between
the second and third. The first and second black cards are then fed into
the wedge break and the final two blacks are slipped legitimately below
the packet. From the face, the cards read red, red, red, black, black, red,
black and black.

Third separation : Take the packet into left-hand dealing grip, square it
and turn it face-down. Then take the top four cards into the right hand,
this time reversing their order as you deal them . Table the left hand's cards
face-down and take the right hand's cards back into left-hand dealing grip.
At this stage of the routine, som e spectators may begin to doubt the makeup
of the packets. S o tactics are changed and an extra display is used to dispel
suspicion.

"1 want you to see that the black cards arc really mixed with the red. TTie
black cards are here—one, two, three and four." In tim e to the count, the
following actions are perform ed. Turn the top card sidewise, face-up on
the packet. It is seen to be black. Turn it face-down in the same m anner
and deal it to the table, away from the packet already there. Next do a double
turnover, aided by either a two-card push-off or a buckle. A second black
card is seen. Turn the double card face-down and deal the top card onto
the first. As the right hand is tabling the second card, the left thum b pushes
the top card of the rem aining pair straight to the right about three-quarters
of an inch. The right hand returns to grasp both cards at their outer right
corners and lifts them so their faces are exposed to the audience (Figure
168). Two black cards can be plainly seen; however, the index of the upper
card is hidden by the right fingers, disguising its reappearance in the packet.

F IG U R E 168

173
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

Place the two cards together and face-down on the first two. Pick up the
pile and take it face-down into left-hand dealing grip. Then pick up the
other pile, that supposed to be the red cards, into dealing position in the
right hand.

The cards are again alternated, starting this time with the left hand.
ITowever, during diis alternation the faces of all but two cards are shown
as they are dealt, m aking the illusion of mixing the colors extremely
convincing. As each card is dealt it is first thumbed over the side of its packet
and the hand lifted so that the faces of the top and bottom cards can be
seen. The hand is then lowered and the top card is released. The only
exceptions to this procedure are the first card of the right-hand packet and
the third card of the left-hand packet. The cards are dealt to the rhythm
of the words, "A black card and a red, a black and a red, a black and a
red, a black and a red." T he fact that the faces of two cards are not seen
is completely overlooked if the rhythm of the display and the attitude of
the perform er are correct.

Take the face-down pile into left-hand dealing position. From top to face
the cards lie red, black, three red and three black. "N ow there can be no
doubt that the colors are thoroughly mixed—red, black, red, black." To
confirm this the top card of the packet is dealt into the right hand and its
face is displayed. The second card o f the packet is taken below the first,
fanned to the left, and the right hand lifts their faces toward the audience.
The third card is taken below these and the faces of all three are shown.
They are seen to alternate in color, as expected.

Replace the three cards on the packet and, in squaring them , catch a left
fourth-finger break below the top two. Do a two-card push-off into the right
palm and immediately deal three single cards on top of the double.
Apparently only four cards have been taken.

"This tim e Tm only going to shake half the cards." Adjust the right-hand
packet so that it is held by the right inner com er and shake it as you have
done previously. Then lay it neatly on top of the left-hand packet. Slowly
turn the cards face-up and count them from hand to hand, using actions
corxsistent with the earlier displays, but making no displacement. The packet
may now be dropped to the table and spread, conclusively showing the
separation o f the colors.

Fourth separation: "This lim e I will turn the red cards face-down as the
colors are mixed. That way you can see it happen." Push the black cards
away from the reds on the table and form the blacks into a face-up fan in
the left hand. Pick up the red cards, one by one, with the right hand, turn
them face-down and insert them into the face-up fan, alternating face-up
with face-down cards. The first face-down card is slipped betw een the
leftmost, o r lower, black pair; the second face-down card goes between the
two center black cards; the third face-down card between the uppermost

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

black cards; and the last face-down card is slipped under the left thumb,
on top of the fan. The face-down cards are left outjogged for at least half
their length as they are inserted, so tliat a two-tiered fan is formed, as shown
in Figure 169.

FIG U R E 169

Slowly close the fan and push the face-down red cards square with the
face-up blacks. This alternation of the cards is above suspicion.

"Now you can actually see that the red cards are mixed with the blacks—
red, black, red, black, red, black, red and black." In time with these words,
the face-down face-up alternation of the cards is once more show n. It is
during the display that the cards are partially separated. This is done with
the Biddle count:

Grasp the squared packet by its ends from above with the palm-down
right hand. With the left thumb, peel the top face-down card of the packet
onto the left palm as you say, "Red." On "black" the second card is drawn
off the packet and square onto the first. The third card is drawn next onto
the left-hand packet. Then, as the fourth card is taken, the left fourth-finger
catches a break beneath it. As the fifth card is pulled onto the left-hand
packet the right hand sim ultaneously steals the fourth card back, square
beneath the right-hand stock. The sixth card is drawn onto the fifth; but
another fourth-finger break is held below it and it is stolen back beneath
the right-hand packet as the seventh card is taken. The right hand now
holds three cards. These are placed square on top of the left-hand packet
as one.

The order of the packet from top to bottom is three face-up cards, three
face-down cards, one face-up card and one face-down card.

"T he black cards are facing this way, the red cards are facing the other."
This line lends motivation for turning the packet over, end for end, in the
left hand. The right fingertips immediately pull the lop red card back, then

175
 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

the underlying black card, so that the top three cards can be seen to alternate
face-up, face-down, face-up (Figure 170).

Push the top two cards again square with the packet, securing a left fourth-
finger break below them as this is done. "But all I have to do is give them
the tiniest sh ake..." Here, merely snap the face of the top card with the
right forefinger, "...and the colors separate like oil and water."

Push-off the top two cards as one into the right palm . Follow this double
card with three more, each taken singly upon the last. Four face-up red
cards are seen. (A face-down black card lies concealed beneath them .)

Lay the right-hand packet onto the left-hand cards, but do not place it
square. Step it about half an inch to the right and hold it in place with the
left thum b (Figure 171). Then, with the right fingers, tip all the cards over
sidewdse onto the left palm. The two stepped packets will slide square
automatically as they turn.

FIG U R E 171

176
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Immediately count off the four face-up black cards, now on top of the
packet, into the right hand, Then table the cards, turning them all face-up,
and conclude.

Mr. \femon developed an alternative handling for the fourth separation

that he uses from time to time. It is actually a near repetition of the third
separation, but done with the cards alternating face-up and face-down. In
brief, this is what is done: After the conclusion o f the third separation, the
black cards are picked up and held fanned, face-up, in the left hand. The
red cards are inserted between the blacks, but in this manner: Working from
the face of the fan back, the first red card is positioned face-down between
the first and second black cards; the second red card is slipped between
the middle pair of blacks; the third red card goes between the lowermost
black pair; and the last red card is positioned under the fan (Figure 172).
Thus, w hen the cards are squared, a face-up black card will be on top.

FIG U R E 172

The face-up face-down condition of the packet is displayed once more

as the cards are counted from the left hand into the right. During this display,
a wedge break makes displacements possible. The first three cards are taken
fairly, each one beneath the previous. As the fourth card, a face-down red
one, is taken the right fourth-finger is placed betw een it and the third. The
fifth card, a face-up black, is fed into the break. The sixth card goes below
the packet. The seventh card, another face-up black, goes into the break.
And the last face-down card goes under the packet. The order from top
to bottom is now one face-up card, one face-down, three face-up and three
face-down.

Take the packet back into left-hand dealing position and draw back the
top two cards so that a face-down cJird can be seen between two face-up
black cards. Push the two cards square again and catch a left fourth-finger
break below them . Snap the packet and show that the face-up black cards
have risen to the top. The m ethod for doing this is identical to that taught
with the Biddle-count handling.

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 AMONG THE AMARANTHS

While both handlings are satisfying, the first is preferred within the context
of the routine, as the Biddle count is a swifter way of accom plishing the
required displacem ents. As the fourth separation is reached, it is not
necessary to belabor the alternated condition of the cards. Rather, it is
desirable that the pace be quickened to maintain interest. The Biddle count
serves these purposes.

T he crediting of the various procedures in this routine is interesting, but

labyrinthine. In consideration of the necessarily long description of the
m ethod, it was thought best to withhold the history until the practical
m atters had been settled, rather than burdening the description further.
The accumulated credits will now be presented for those w ho enjoy the
exercise.

The magical separation of red cards from black is a venerable one. J. N.

H ofzinser may have been the first to consider it. H e posed the problem
of magically separating a shuffled pack into red and black cards. The
conditions of his problem can be found in Hofzinser's C ard Conjuring,
(second English edition, p. 187). It would seem that the first person to adapt
this plot to a packet format was Walter B. G ibson. H is "Like Seeks Like"
can be found on page 569 of T he Jinx, No. 91 (1940). In this trick a packet
of six cards was show n to consist of alternating reds and blacks. They then
segregated.

However, credit for the Oil and Water plot, as it is know n today, goes
to Edward Mario. This plot differs from its forebearers in several ways. Two
discreet packets—one of red cards, the other of black—are removed from
the deck and are then mixed, only to have the colors separate. Also, Mr.
Mario's trick, from the start, has contained the elem ent of repetition: The
effect was done several times, each time under more stringent conditions.
Finally, it is to Mr. Mario's credit that he applied the nam e "O il and Water"
to the plot, providing the trick with a neat presentational metaphor that
has proven irresistible.

"O il and Water" first appeared in print in September, 1953, in the journal
M.U.M. (Vol. 43, No. 4, p. 148), then later that year in The Cardj'cfan (pp.
111-117), This first version used ten cards that passed for eight.

O ne month after the journal appear<ince of the trick, Bill Sim on published
his m ethod in The P hoen ix, No. 293 (p. 1170). This was a true eight-card
version. Mr. Sim on used the maneuver that has com e to be known as the
Braue addition to displace the colors before the mix.

In 1956 Mr. M ario published his "New Oil and Water Routine" and "Oil
and W^ter Climax" in lb id em . No. 8 (pp. 164-167). The latter item established
the idea of causing the colors to remix magically after they had separated.
(It is interesting to note that Leslie Guest suggested a magical mixing of
separated colors as far back as October of 1929 [ref. The LirddngRing, Vol.

178
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

8, No. 8, p. 639]. In his trick, Mr. G uest used a full deck of waxed card-
pairs to effect an instantaneous alternation of the colors.) Mr. Vernon
com bined the two Mario routines in Jbidem , m aking a few changes and
adding small touches, to create the ten-card Oil and Water routine in M ore
Inner Secrets o f C ard Magic.

A nother Oil and Water premise was suggested by Bill Sim on on page 167
of the same issue o ilb id e m . He recom m ended that Mr. Mario's "All One
Way" trick be used as a sequel to Oil and Water. "AU One Way" was a method
of performing the Self-righting Cards, a plot pioneered by Charles T. Jordan,
Edward Victor and R. W. HuU. The effect was one of a packet of alternating
face-up and face-down cards that straightened itself by magical m eans. Mr.
Vernon took the suggestion from Mr. Sim on and applied it to the routine
just taught.

In the very next issue of Ib id em (No. 9, 1957) Mr. M ario published an

eight-card m ethod called, "Latest Oil and Water" (pp. 193-196). It was this
that inspired Mr. Vernon's second Oil and Water routine in M ore Inner
Secrets o f Card M agic and the variation above.

O nly one last piece requires fitting into the puzzle. Bill Sim on gets the
credit for applying the Biddle count to the Self-righting Cards prem ise. He
used the technique in his "Biddled" to segregate a twelve-card packet of
alternated face-up and face-down cards as they were being displayed. This
trick appeared in The P hoenix, No. 224, March 1951 (pp. 894-896). It was
Elmer Biddle himself who, in "Anti-Oil and Water", applied his count to
a reverse Oil and Water plot. This appeared in the Decem ber 1958 Gen (Vol.
14, No. 8, pp. 229-231). Mr. Vernon's Biddle-count sequence in the routine
above is notably different from the Sim on and Biddle sequences. Such are
the twisty paths of this now classic effect.
 NOTES ON
THE THREE-CARD MONTE

Mr. \femon's th r e e o r d monte routine, published in Eurf/ier/nner Secrets

o f C ard M agic (pp. 15-20), has becom e very popular with magicians over
the years. Indeed, it is the model that many performers have followed, What
will be given here are several further tips and ideas, discovered by Mr,
Vernon through continuous perform ance of the trick over many years.

It happens on occasion that certain persons will attempt to gain a small

advantage over the perform er by claiming, "I wasn't watching when you
mixed them . Do it again." This ploy is usually implemented after the cards
have been tossed and the person is asked to {x>int out the queen, or "money
card". The request for a repetition of the toss is usually m ade so that the
person can check the position of the cards before com m itting him self. If
this request com es after a false throw has been made, which is most often
the case, the performer can find himself in an awkward position—the queen
is not where it should be, had the throw been fair.

To extract him self from such a situation, Mr. Vernon developed a method
of coping with the request. To illustrate this procedure, assum e that the
queen is the center card of the three, but it is believed by the audience to
be on the left end. Respond to the spectator's request in an affable manner:
'All right, let's start again. The queen was in the middle." Pick up the center
card between the right thum b and second finger, in position for the monte
throw. Lay this card, the queen, over the left-end card and pick it up with
the thumb and third finger. Do the false throw, tossing the upper card into
the central position on the table. Then turn the hand palm-up to flash the
face of the black spot-card and throw it face-down on the left end of the row.

To the audience it looks as if the center position has been cleared, then
the queen picked up from the left end of the row and moved back to the
center. The real location that the queen occupied moments before has been
disguised and the cards are once more in position for the monte toss. If
the spectator had any doubts about the nature of the previous toss, they
should be quelled by this maneuver.

While on the subject of the false throw, it should be noted that the left,
or visible, long edge of the upper card should rest on that of the lower card
w hen held in the right hand, previous to the throw. While it is correct for
the right sides of the tw o cards to be slightly separated—for these sides
are hidden by the fingers—any separation at the left edges makes detection
of the false throw possible. This positioning of the cards was specified in
Mr. Vernon's original description of the throw; however, it was not
emphasized, nor was the reason for it clarified. Many performers, in learning
the sleight, overlooked this point. In so doing they learned to execute the
throw in a less deceptive manner.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

Another awkward situation occasionally arises during the bent-corner

sequence. At times Mr. Vernon has found his audience to be overly honest
and polite. Such well-meaning persons, rather than watch the poor
performer seemingly hang himself, will insist on pointing out that the com er
of the queen has been bent. The best rem edy for such scrupulous fairness
is to keep the patter flowing, giving no chance for com m ent to be made.
However, on occasion the over-zealously honest will not be denied. Upon
hearing som eone exclaim, "But look, the queen is bent," Mr. Vernon smiles
and replies, "O h yes, they are all bent so that I can pick them up easily."
This, of course, bears reference to the lengthw ise crimp that was placed
in the cards at the beginning of the trick. Having purposely misunderstood
the spectator's comment, Mr. Vernon proceeds with the presentation, giving
no further chance for inopportune interruption.

A swindle that can be used either to replace or to follow the bent-com er

dodge is the lorn card. The three cards are gathered face-down after the
last sequence in such a m anner that the positions of the cards are unclear
to the audience. The queen is the center card of the packet. Perform a double
turnover to show the queen, apparently on top. Turn the double card face­
down again and push the top card to the right. Grasp this card at its right
side, near center, with both forefingers and thumbs, and deliberately tear
it across nearly half its width (Figure 173). Take care not to expose the face

of the card as the tearing is done. Lay the three cards out in a row, perform
a monte toss with them and then turn over the queen in position. Then
slowly turn over the to m card to show it a black spot-card and conclude.
Mr. Vfemon devised this torn-card dodge after hearing of a m onte hustler
w ho used a sim ilar ploy to fleece his customers. It is a very effective climax
to a monte routine.

181
Dai Vemon a s Dai Yen
 Chapter Three:
Dreams of Mammon
THE PERSISTENCE-OF-VISION
COIN VANISH

The persistence-of-vision coin vanish is now a recognized staple of the

advanced coin-conjurer. This outstanding vanish, often called the "retention-
of-vision" vanish, gives one the illusion of having actually seen the coin
in the hand from which it vanishes just m om ents later. T h e sleight creates
an optical illusion that is extremely potent.

This type of coin vanish may be over a century old, but it was not widely
known to magicians until more recent tim es. Mr. Vernon was one of the
persons instrumental in popularizing the sleight. He learned it, w hen a
young man, from Hilliard and Downs' classic, The A rt o f M agic. There,
on pages 243-245, is given a description of the sleight as perform ed by T.
J. Crawford. In introducing the vanish Mr. Hilliard wrote at the time (1909),
"Vie cannot claim that this pass is origmal, or even new; but it is not generally
known to the profession." A lm ost thirty years later Mr. Hilliard, under the
guidance of T. J. Crawford, redescribed the sleight in more detail in Greater
Magic (pp. 717-719). Earlier in the same tome (pp. 666-667) Mr. Vernon's
handling of the vanish was also explained,

There is an amusing anecdote concerning this sleight. Attending an early

Abbott's Get-Together years ago, Mr. Vernon discovered that T. j. Crawford
was present. Introducing him self to Mr. Crawford. Mr. Vernon praised his
coin vanish and requested that he perform the sleight. Mr. Crawford
suggested they retire to a secluded spot, away from the crowd. This they
eventually did and Mr. Crawford asked that Mr. Vernon first perform the
sleight for him . This Mr. Vernon did, Mr, Crawford was highly
com plim entary of the illusion created by the vanish in Mr. Vernon's hands
and, saying that he had never achieved a better one, refused to perform
the sleight. Therefore, Mr. Vernon was never to w itness this vanish in the
hands of its best known exponent.

Since G reater M agic is sadly difficult to obtain at the tim e this is being
written, it seem s worthwhile to redescribe Mr. Vernon's handling o f this
valuable coin sleight, taking the opportunity to com pile all the fine points
and add several that did not appear in the original description. For though
this sleight has been published in several places (first in Five C iose-iJp
P robiem s [see Early Vbrnon, pp. 48-49j; also Bobo's M odern Coin Magic,
pp. 30-32), a com plete dissection of it has never been offered. This will
necessitate the discussion of many details. The elem ent of timing in the
vanish is paramount, and timing is a difficult enough thing to teach in
person. O n the printed page only careful detailing can hope to give the
reader an idea of the goal for w hich he must strive.

It is best if the coin used is brightly polished. The glint of the coin aids
in creating the desired visual im pression: Apparently this is a mom entary
 DREAMS OF MAMMON

afterimage of the coin left on the retina, after the coin is out of sight. The
coin is pinched between the tips of the right forefinger and thumb, As much
of the coin as possible must be exposed while retaining it in a secure grip.
The right second, third and fourth fingers are drawn back somewhat, so
as not to cover any portion of the coin. However, they must not be curled
tightly in o n the p d m . They are bent only minimally inward.

The [eft hand is held open and palm-up, fingers out straight and together.
The right hand approaches the left and lays the bottom edge of the coin
directly onto the base of the left fingers (Figure 174).

FIG U R E 174

Those fingers now bend up, as if a solid wall, in the first action of closing
over the coin. The fingers bend mostly at the inner, or proximal, joints,
while the fingertips point upward. This, for an instant, creates a screen
behind which the right second, third and fourth fingers can invisibly extend
over the coin. The timing of the right fingers' action must be considered.
Too soon, and the movement will be detected, destroying the illusion; too
late, and an unwcuited hesitation will be created. As a gauge for governing
the precise moment to extend the fingers, wait until you feel the left fingers
touch the backs of the right (Figure 175); only then should they be

186
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The movement of the right hand as it separates from the left is simple,
and yet com plex to describe. It moves to the right and away from the left
hand. It also moves slightly upward and outward at the same time, drawing
itself from under the left fingers. Simultaneously, the left fingers continue
to close, actually brushing across the backs of the right fingers as the right
hand withdraws with the coin.

T he right hand flexes or hinges inward som ewhat at the wrist as it moves
out of the left hand. It almost rolls over the tips o f the left fingers. This
action points the right fingertips slightly in toward the body, so that the
rim o f the coin is shielded from the extreme left side (Figure 176). Please
note that the inward turn o f the hand is small—just enough to move the
exposed portion of the coin from the audience's sight.

R G U R E 176

The "breaking" of the wrist is an important detail, one that distinguishes

the V?rnon vanish from its parent. Since the turn at the wrist effectively
hides the coin, the fingers' movement can be minimized without hazarding
the deceptiveness of the pass; rather, the illusion is strengthened. Mr. \femon
developed the wrist-break action after carefully observing the actions used
to place a coin genuinely in the hand. H e saw that the hand that deposits
the coin relaxed and dropped slightly at the wrist once the coin had been
relinquished. Indeed, a stiff-wristed action looked unnatural. This breaking
of the wrist, w hen not overacted, com municates to the observer's
subconscious mind the impression of an honest transfer of the coin. The
sam e subtle action can be incorporated into the vanish of any small object.

As the right hand draws away, the left fingers continue to close, apparently
over the coin, and the left hand drops an inch or two. T he right fingers
should curl in slightly, giving the back of the hand a relaxed appearance.
The fingers act as a ledge upon which the hidden coin is supported (Figure
177).

The rightward and slightly upward action of the right hand is sustained
only until the hand is about six inches away from the closed left hand. The

187
 DREAMS OF MAMMON

right hand then falls to your side. How it falls is important. It must be
relaxed, but not lifeless o r limp. A fault often seen in coin vanishes is
overcompensation, a ham acting of an unoccupied hand. Instead of relaxing
to a natural position at the side, the hand and arm drop and hang like a
felled python. Such an acHon calls attention to itself, rather than avoiding
it. Study how you and others naturally hold the arm at rest beside the body;
then mimic that posture.

An important point always stressed by Mr. Vernon is the judgem ent of

the proper m om ent to palm a coin after the vanish. M ost perform ers are
anxious to push the coin into classic palm immediately after the right hand
is withdrawn from the left. The finger motion is visible and can betray an
otherw ise faultless sleight. The coin is securely hidden on the tips of the
right fingers. There is therefore no need to rush its transfer to the palm.
Mr. Vernon will often execute the palm as the right hand moves to adjust
som ething; for instance, the left sleeve is tugged up a bit, or som ething
on the table is picked up or shifted. Here it is natural movement that conceals
the palming actions. Another good approach is strong misdirection. During
the placem ent of the coin into the left hand and the subsequent vanish,
your gaze and all attention should be focused o n that hand. O nly as the
left hand slowly begins to open, revealing the vanish, should the right
fingers press the coin into the palm.

It is also recommended that the left hand should be opened in an artistic

m anner w hen a vanish is perform ed. Do not simply open the fingers and
jerk the hand palm-down and up again to show the coin gone. Instead,
slowly and dramatically trace the tips of the fingers over the surface of the
palm, curling them ever more tightly in on them selves until they cannot
curl any farther. Then open them gracefully outward to display the entire
surface of the hand empty. Figures 178, and 180 give a sen se of this
action. O pening the hand in such a m anner sustains the suspense of the
vanish and is pretty to watch.

O ne further detail: There is an appearance of certainty in the way the

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 178

FIG U R E 179

FIGURE 180

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

coin is placed in the left hand that is impossible to describe. Quite simply,
it is pu t there. The action is wholly natural and deliberate. There is no
hesitation or posing as the coin is placed. The instant the coin contacts the
base of the left fingers those fingers close over it. It is as much the m anner
in which the coin is placed as it is the persistence-of-vision illusion that
makes this sleight effective. There is one way in which you can acquire this
manner: Study the genuine action of placing a coin into the hand and learn
to imitate it perfectly. T hen sit down with several children and do as Mr.
Vernon did:

He would often test the effectiveness of his technique on his two young
sons. W hen the boys would com e to ask him for som e spending money,
he would propose a small gambling game. Each boy was handed $10.00
and it was explained that they could keep a dollar for every time they could
correctly tell their father when he had really put a coin in his hand and
w hen he had not. For each time they were wrong they forfeited a dollar.
H e would then place a coin in his hand, sometimes performing the genuine
action and other times the sleight. H e knew that he had created the m ost
critical audience imaginable: two young boys with keen eyes, strongly
motivated to catch their father so that they could keep the money. It should
be recorded that Mr. Vernon always allowed them to catch him at least once
before the gam e ended, so that they each had a dollar to spend.

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 FIVE COINS AND A GLASS

EFFECT: It is my opinion and that of others that this routine and the next
are am ong the most aesthetically pleasing coin sequences ever conceived.
This. 1 realize, is extraordinary praise, but I think it deserved.

Mr. Vernon's coins and glass routine began as an appreciative study of

a routine by Edward Victor, "A Silver Collection" {ref. T he M agic o f the
H ands, pp. 36-40). The Victor routine involved the production of four coins,
their vanishm ent and reproduction, all with the aid of a clear tumbler. Mr.
\fernon took the premise and worked out original handlings of his own.
He later added another sequence to the routine and increased the number
o f coins to five so that he could finish with the Manuel coin star. O ne thing
further: The tum bler was replaced by a cham pagne glass. This last might
seem a small touch, but it is artistically brilliant.

In brief, aside from a cham pagne glass, both hands are seen perfectly
empty. A coin is plucked magically from the air and dropped into the glass.
This is followed by the single productions of four more coins. As the coins
appear they are displayed in a sm art m anner between the fingers o f the
left hand. Then, one by one, they are vanished only to reappear visibly
in the glass.

O nce again the coins are vanished in single fashion. The routine is
concluded by their instant appearance, trapped betw een the fingertips of
both hands.

METHOD: This routine was a part of Mr. Vernon's club act in the late
1930s. He subsequently taught it in his lectures. It has seen print previously
in T he Pallbearers C lose-U p Folio ^8 (pp. 1001-1007). Mr, Vernon has made
changes in the routine over the years. The version to b e taught here is a
refined handling, different from the two found in the Fulves ib/io. It closely
follows the handling given in Volume 4 of the "Revelations" videotape series
and is the superior construction in Mr. Vernon's judgem ent.

Required are five coins and a champagne glass or som e variety of elegant
stemware. The coins may be either half-dollar or sUver-doUar size. The larger
coins are of course more visible from platform or stage. WeU-worn coins
are desirable, as they decrease unwanted noise during manipulation.

W hile this routine can be done to patter, it lends itself beautifully to a

silent presentation done to music.

The routine begins w ith all five coins Downs palmed in the right
thumbcrotch. The champagne glass is held by its stem at the right fingertips

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

in a genteel manner (see Figure 181). The right forefinger and thum b should
pinch the stem of the glass about one inch below the bowl. In this grip
the coins are completely sheltered from view. Figure 182 exposes their
position from an overhead angle. The posture o f the hand is relaxed in
appearance and completely natural.

H G U R E 182

The left hand is free to gesture, establishing its em ptiness without being
flagrant. The glass and coins are then taken by the left hand so that the
right can gesture and be seen empty. This transfer is exceedingly clever in
its simplicity. The action is far more difficult to explain than to perform.
The left hand nears the right hand to take the glass. As it approaches, the
right second, third and fourth fingers move outward slightly from the stem
of the glass, just enough to allow the left fingers to pass under them . The
glass is supported at this time solely by the right forefinger and thumb.

The left second, third and fourth fingers slip between the right fingers
and the glass-stern while the left thumb travels behind it. The left forefinger
passes over the backs of the right fingers, moving between the fork of the
 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

right first and second fingers (Figure 183). (This finger could pass behind
the right fingers as well, but placing it in front gives the hand a more relaxed

FIG U R E 183

and open appearance.) The tip of the left second-finger contacts the bottom
of the stack of coins while the left thum b com es down on top of it (Figure
184).

The glass is not actually grasped by the left hand; rather, its bowl is nestled
into the fork of the left thum b and forefinger and is supported there.

The hands now separate, the left thum b and second finger carrying the
stack of coins silently from the right thumbcrotch. The left forefinger remains
extended but relaxed (see Figure 185, performer's view). The left hand should
turn in a bit at the wrist to shield the stack from the extreme right angle.
If this angle is critical a slight rightward body turn can be made.

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

FIG U R E 185

The right hand now gestures, allowing itself to be seen empty. (Mr. \femon
would make a motion toward the orchestra and request [a la M alini], "A
little waltz, professor.") This done, the glass is taken back into the right
hand and the coins replaced in Dow ns palm. To do this the actions just
taught are perform ed in reverse. It should be understood that there is no
hesitation as these hand-to-hand transfers are made. They are designed
to elim inate all fumbling and awkwardness.

Scame gesture is performed by the empty left hand. This must be worked
out by each performer within the context of his presentation and manner.
The important thing to note is that each transfer of the glass must be
motivated by som e obvious reason other than showing the hands empty.

Tlie glass and coins are once again transferred to the left hand, but in
a slightly different fashion. T he stem of the glass is slipped between the
first and second fingers of the palm -up left hand and the stack of coins
is laid quietly on the tips of the 1 ^ second and third fingers. The left thumb
com es down on the stack to steady it as the hands part (Figure 186). The
bowl of the glass lies cradled in the fork of the first and second fingers,
and the fingers naturally curl up a bit under it. The thum b can now move
away from the stack and assum e a more relaxed position. The coins are
once more protected from the audience's view.

The right hand gestures and then returns to the left hand to adjust the
position of the glass. It grasps the stem, near the foot o f the glass, between
the forefinger and thumb. The right second finger slips beneath the foot.
The glass is then lifted onto the outstretched left fingers. The coins are
allowed to slide a bit during this action, spreading forward across the fingers.

As the glass is set onto the fingers, the right second-fingertip lightly
contacts the top coin of the stack and slides it back so it can be clipped
between the tips of the right second and third fingers. The foot of the glass
is set silently onto the left fingers and remaining four coins (Figure 187).
While the foot of the glass is transparent, it nevertheless masks the presence
of the coins. This ingenious method of camouflage is Edward Victor's.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The right second, third and fourth fingers curl in slightly, concealing the
clipped coin while maintaining a relaxed appearance. T he right hand then
reaches out and plucks the coin from the air. To do this the right thumb
moves beneath the clipped coin and pushes it up and into view at the tips
o f the fingers. The coin is briefly displayed there and then dropped into
the glass.

Pick up the glass by its rim in the right hand and set it on the table. As
the glass leaves the left fingers, turn the hand slightly inward, maintaining
the four coins in a loose ffriger-palm. All attention is focused on the right
hand as it tables the glass and picks the coin from it at the tips of the
forefinger and thumb. The coin is held up for a m om ent and then carried
to the left hand, where it is apparently placed between the left thum b and
forefinger. However, a clever substitution occurs at this point.

While the coin is being displayed by the right hand, the left hand takes
advantage of the misdirection to adjust the spread of coins it holds. The
naU of tlie left thumb is brought against the back edges of the two uppermost
coins and these are pushed forward and into alignment with each other
by butting them against the edge of the forefinger. This forms a step in the
spread, separating the upper two coins from the lower two (Figure 188).

As the right hand moves to the left, the right second-finger stretches out
so that its tip can contact the face of the right-hand coin (Figure 189). At
the sam e lim e the hand turns in a bit at the wrist, taking the coin from
the sight of the audience (Figure 190). T he second finger presses the coin
flat against the tip of the thum b and then rides it back along the thum b

195
DREAMS OF MAMMON

FIG U R E 189

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

until it is dipped against the thenar (Figure 191). It is important to the

illusiveness of the move that the forefinger and thum b remain pressed
together and m otionless, as if .still holding the coin.

FIG U R E 191

W hen the right hand reaches the left hand it immediately grasps the upper
pair of coins waiting in the left fingers. These are pinched at their far edges
between the right forefinger and thumb and are lifted so that their under
surface is brought broadside to the audience (Figure 192), They are placed

FIG U R E 192

as one coin between the left forefinger and thumb. The pair of coins is helc
at opposite edges in a display position rather like that used in "Spellbound"
(Figure 193). Because the coins are held full face to the audience, their extra

H G U R E 193

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

thickness cannot be observed. A distance of just a few feet from the front
row assures this.

T he right hand now moves away from the left and, behind this action,
its coin is shifted to a finger clip. The right third-finger curls in to press
on the lower edge of the coin, freeing the second finger. The top edge of
the coin will automatically lever away from the heel of the thumb. This allows
the second finger to slip behind the coin (Figure 194) and clip it between
the second and third fingers. From there it is produced a second time at
the fingertips as the hand reaches out to a spot in the air.

This coin is seem ingly placed between the left first and second fingers,
but actually the two finger-palmed coins in the left hand are substituted
for it. The same maneuver just described for the placement of the first coin
is again used, with this small difference: T h e two palmed coins need not
be pushed forward against the left forefinger before they are picked up.
They are placed betw een the left first and second fingers as a single coin,
gripped by their opposite edges in the same position assum ed during a
coin roll-down or billiard-ball pose.

The right hand moves away from the left, shifting its palmed coin to finger
clip again. The coin is then produced a third time. Here the hands are held
casually open so that they can be seen unmistakably empty but for the
apparent three coins they are exhibiting.

The left hand turns palm-down, fingers rightward, so that the third coin
can be placed between the left second and third fingers. Since this coin
is being held between the right thum b and forefinger, the right third-finger
will be situated directly under the pair of coins between the left first and
second fingers. While the coin just produced is placed between the left
fingers, the tip of the right third-finger contacts the face of the front, or
lower, coin of the convenient pair and drags it away (Figure 195) and into
the right hand. This coin is balanced mom entarily on the third fingertip
until it can be d ipped between the second and third fingers.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

H G U R E 195

The right hand moves away to the right and the left hand turns
counterclockwise and palm-outward, resuming its former position of display.
The right hand produces its coin at the fingertips. This coin is then tapped
against the three apparent left-hand coins, one after the other, to emphasize
their number. As the first coin is tapped (that betw een the left thum b and
forefinger) the fifth coin is stolen into the right hand. The right hand is
holding its coin at the tips of the forefinger and thumb. As it com es to tap
the face of the outerm ost coin of the left-hand pair, the tip of the right
second-finger will be found near the bottom edge of that coin, w hile the
right third-fingertip can move easily behind the pair to contact the inner
coin. O ne of these two coins is drawn away, clipped betw een the right
second and third fingers. While either coin can be taken, Mr. Vernon favors
the foremost of the two, as it can be more surely released by the left thum b
and first finger (Figure 196). Experimentation will lead each perform er to
his own choice in this matter.

FIG U R E 196

There is no pause as the first coin is tapped and one is stolen. The right
hand taps its visible coin against the other two left-hand coins in turn and
ends by placing the fourth coin edgewise between the left third and fourth
fingers.

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

T he right hand, forefinger extended, points to the left palm . Then the
left hand turns so that the back of the hand can be tapped by the right
forefinger (Figure 197). The left hand turns palm-outward again and the

FIG U R E 197

right hand produces the fifth coin from behind it. This coin is laid into the
hollow of the left palm (Figure 198). That this placem ent of the coin closely
resem bles that of a classic palm is not without purpose.

The production of the fifth coin usually holds new surprise for the
audience, as the placing of the coins between the left fingers seems to suggest
only four can be shown.

This concludes the first stage of the routine, The second entails the
invisible passage of each coin into the glass.

The right hand takes the coin between the left third and fourth fingers
and tosses it deliberately onto the coin in the left palm. The sam e is done
with the coin betw een the second and third fingers, and with each o f the
others in order. The left hand turns palm-down, allowing all but one coin
to fall onto the curled fingers. The exception is the coin resting directly on
the hand. It is retained in classic palm.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The left hand deposits the four coins in a stack on the table. If the top
of the table is visible to any in the audience, the coins should be placed
casually behind som e object so that they cannot be seen. You are not so
much concerned about a coin being missed at this time; but the positioning
will becom e important in a few moments.

As the left hand is tabling the coins the right hand picks up the champagne
glass by its stem . The glass is passed to the palm-down left hand, which
holds it at opposite edges of the rim betw een the left thum b and second
finger. The left first, third and fourth fingers are raised delicately away from
the glass so that it can be plainly seen (Figure 199).

The right hand picks the top coin from the tabled stack and displays it
at the fingertips. This coin is apparently pushed into the left forearm and
caused to appear in the glass. This is accom plished with the John Ramsey
pivot vanish. The right hand, keeping the coin broadside to the audience,
places the left edge of the coin against the upper left-forearm (Figure 200),

pauses a m om ent and then pushes, causing the coin to pivot swiftly behind
the right fingers (Figure 201). Just as the coin disappears from view the
palmed coin is released by the left hand into the glass. If the vanish and
the release are tim ed properly, an amusing illusion is created of the coin
passing into the left arm and appearing in the glass.

Lift the right fingers away from the left arm—but do not palm the coin.
Sim ply keep it hidden behind the relaxed fingers. Transfer the glass from

201
 DREAMS OF MAMMON

the left hand to the right. It is during this broader m otion that the coin
is conveyed to classic palm, so that the fingers' m otion is not perceived.

The glass is taken between the right thum b and second finger, in exactly
the sam e grasp used by the left hand. The freed left hand picks up the
second coin from the table, shows it and then pushes it into the right
forearm. Actually, the Ramsey pivot vanish is done again and the right hand
releases its palmed coin into the glass.

T he left hand classic palms its coin as it takes the glass from the right
hand. Tine right hand then picks up the third coin from the table. This coin
can be vanished by pushing it against the top of the head or the right cheek.
Pretend to blow it at the glass as the left hand releases its coin.

The glass is taken by the right hand (which has classic palmed its hidden
coin) and the left hand p icl« up the last coin from the table. It is at this
point that the sheltered position of the coins becom es important.

Exhibit the coin at the fingertips and say, "T his one goes the hard way."
Pretend to toss it behind your back and to catch it in the glass. Actually
the left hand palms the coin during the tossing action and the right hand
releases its coin into the glass.

The glass is returned once more to the left hand and the right hand moves
to pick up the fifth coin from the table. This is of course pure bluff, for
no coin is there. However, if the action is mimicked with conviction it will
be convincing. "This is a difficult one." Pretend to toss the coin high into
the air, follow its imaginary flight with your eyes and release the palmed
coin into the glass at the proper m om ent. Be sure that the right hand is

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

seen empty at this point. This concludes the second stage o f the routine.

T h e third stage consists of the serial vanishm ent of the five coins. Place
the glass on the table and fairly remove one coin from it with the right hand.
Do a pass, or false transfer, of the coin into the left hand, retaining it in
the right. Then slowly open the left hand and reveal that the coin has
vanished. Mr. Vernon uses his version of the T . ). Crawford "persistence-
of-vision" vanish (described immediately before this routine) for this and
the following vanishes.

Do ncrt rush the coin into right classic palm as the pass is executed. Rather
allow it to rest on the tips of the curled right fingers. There are two reasons
for this delay: The first is the extra finger-m otion caused by transferring
the coin to classic palm—if this occurs immediately after the pass it can
betray the sleight. T he second reason will becom e clear when we treat the
vanish of the next coin.

Reach with the right hand and remove another coin from the glass. It
is now that the hidden coin is palmed, with the larger m ovem ent of the
hand covering the fingers' action. Repeat the false transfer of the coin to
the left hand and effect the vanish.

Reach for the third coin with the right hand. It is as the right forefinger
and thumb dip into the glass for this coin that the second coin is classic
palmed with the first. Here the second reason for delaying the palm becomes
evident. T he noise made by the third coin as it is removed from the glass
masks any "talking" of the second coin as it is palmed with the first.

The vanish of the third coin is identical to the second, as is the fourth
and fifth. W hen the right hand finally palms the fifth coin, extra care must
be taken, as there is no disguise for any noise made at this time. While
the five-fold repetition of the vanish may seem inadvisable in theory, if the
vanishes are done well and with a sort of rhythm , a fascinating illusion
is created of the coins seem ing to melt away in the hand. It is extremely
effective.

W hen Mr. Vernon knows magicians are in his audience, he often throws
in a feint for their benefit. As he places the fifth coin into his left hand for
the vanish, he pretends to push it into a rear thumb-palm position between
the left thum b and forefinger. This is observable, but is done slyly enough
to allow the clever onlooker to think he has caught som ething. Actually
the identical vanish is perform ed. W hen the left hand is opened to show
the coin gone, the thum b is kept pressed stiffly to the side of the hand.
There is a short pause to allow everyone to suspect the worst; then the
left forefinger curls in and performs a crumpling sort of action as the thumb
moves away from the hand, proving that the coin is gone. Both sides of
the hand are displayed to consum m ate the vanish.

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

The vanishm ent of the fifth coin ends the third stage of the routine. The
fourth and final stage is the instantaneous reproduction of the coins at the
tips of the fingers, coin-star fashion. Mr. Vernon has developed a typically
ingenious way of getting into position for this m aneuver in a natural
appearing manner. The right forefinger counts off each of the left fingers,
as if em phasizing the num ber o f coins that were there and are now gone.
The counting starts on the left fourth-finger and moves to the left thumb.
As each finger is touched by the right forefinger the left hand gradually
rotates palm-downward, until the left fingers point toward the floor and
the left thumb is extended to the right. Figures 202 and 203 show the starting
and end positions of the hands.

FIG U R E 203

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

From their position the left thum b and forefinger can reach into the right
palm and grip the coins, thumb going onto the stack and first finger digging
beneath it. At this lim e a slight turn to your left is made, so that the back
of the right hand can shield the left hand for the moment necessary to begin
the coin star, Mr, Vernon's simplified handling of the M anuel coin star is
meticulously described by Lewis Ganson in The Dai Vernon B oo k o f Magic
(pp. 98-100). Therefore, only the briefest of descriptions will be given here.

The left thumb, which should lie on the left edge of the stack, ju st over
the middle phalanx of the forefinger (Figure 204), neatly fans the coins back

and over the tips of the left fingers (Figure 205). The right thum b and
fingertips then descend, one onto each coin, the fourth finger contacting
the top one, the third finger the second coin, and so forth. The coins are

205
 DREAMS OF MAMMON

pushed outward on the left fingertips, adjusting their positions so that as

much of their surfaces as pKJSsible can be displayed (Figure 206).

FIG U R E 206

The paired fingers and thum bs of both hands now spread apart, starfish
fashion, with a single coin clipped betw een each (Figure 207). (It is urged
that the student refer to the G anson description for fuller details on this
flourish.)

As the fingers spread with the coins, the palm-pressed hands are held
out to the left, back of the right hand toward the audience. H old the pose
for a moment, allowing the beautiful and sudden reappearance of the coins
to register. Then swing the hands forward and directly over the glass on
the table. Release the coins, one by one, into the glass, starting with that
between the fourth fingers and ending with the fifth coin between the
thumbs. As this last coin is dropped the hands are left empty, palms toward
the audience (Figures 208 and 209), striking a subtle closing pose. If the
routine has been performed properly, applause is a certainty at this point.

206
 DREAMS OF MAMMON

Note; Readers may find it instructive to study S. Leo Horowitz's variation

of this routine, which was first published in the Septem ber 1940 issue of
The Sphinx (Vol. 39, No. 7, p. 166) and later reprinted in T he N ew M odern
Coin M agic (pp. 379-382). Mr. Horowitz and Mr. Vernon worked together,
trading ideas as they developed their individual versions of the Victor
routine.

207
 SILK AND SILVER

EFFECT: Three coins are produced and dropped neatly into the center
of a silk scarf. T h e com ers of the scarf are gathered, form ing an unpromptu
bag around the coins. The coins are bounced in the center of the scarf to
prove that they are still there.

Suddenly the scarf is allowed to fall open—and coins seem to melt silently
away. The scarf and both hands are shown unmistakably empty.

The corners of the scarf are once more gathered, again form ing the scarf
into a pocket. The scarf held in one hand, the other hand reaches out and
produces one of the coins. The coin is thrown at the scarf and lands inside
it. The second coin is similarly caught from the air and tossed into the scarf,
as is the third. In conclusion the scarf is dropped open and the three coin.s
are spilled from it in a stream.

METHOD: This is another exquisite routine that com bines visual beauty
with virtuoso handling. Witnessing its performance by Mr. Vernon, one
experiences a sense of seeing som ething genuinely magical. 1 cannot praise
it too highly.

Mr. Vernon devised this routine many years ago, incorporating several
suggestions given him by Tenkai. W hen Fred Kaps first saw the routine
performed he asked Mr. Vernon to teach it to him . Mr. Kaps, after making
several small changes to suit his style, included the routine in his act for
a long while.

Through the years Mr. Vernon has developed variant handlings for the
routine. Three will be offered in these pages, the three that have been judged
the most artistically sound. The first two are of Mr. Vernon's derivation,
the third conceived by Bruce Cervon.

A silk scarf is required. This scarf must be opaque and preferably of a

dark color that contrasts well with the silver coins. Its size can be from
eighteen to twenty-four inches square. It should also be a heavy grade of
silk, not light or wisf)y, as it must drape well and spread easily.

Half-dollar sized coins may be used, but the silver-dollar size is preferable
for visibility and weight. Mr. Vernon has used both three and four coins
for this routine. It will be explained with three. Should the reader deem
the addition of a fourth coin desirable, the necessary adjustm ents to the
handling are m inor and obvious.

To introduce the routine, the coins may be produced magically from the
air or from the scarf, or they can be simply brought from the pocket. There
are any number of good productions from which to choose. The Jack Chanin
method is a fine one (ref. The N ew M odern Coin Magic, pp. 378-379, or

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

T he TarbeU C ourse in Magic, Vol. 7, pp. 167-168). Bruce Cervon has devised
a pleasing sequence to produce the three coins, and has kindly offered it
for this volume.

THE CERVON OPENING:

The three coins are in right-hand Downs palm w hen the routine begins.
The scarf is folded neatly in the breast pocket of the jacket or is on the table.

As you speak and casually gesture, make a small turn to the right so that
both hands are seen seem ingly empty. Reach out with the right hand and
produce the first coin from Downs palm. Display the coin briefly at the
right fingertips. Then, turning the back of the right hand to the audience,
place the coin into "spellbound" position at the fingertips of the palm-up
left hand; i.e., the coin is held at opposite edges—the thumb on top, fingers
below—broadside to the audience (Figure 210).

FIG U R E 210

Reach forward with the right hand and produce the second coin at the
fingertips. Place this coin staggered to the right, behind the first, in the
left hand (Figure 211), Move the right hand six to eight inches to the right
 DREAMS OF MAMMON

of the left hand for a few m om ents while the two coins are displayed. As
the right hand moves to this position, curl the first and second fingers in
and clip the last coin in preparation for production.

An interesting shuttle pass is now performed. The right hand approaches

the left hand, apparently to take the two coins there. In reality the rearmost
coin is allowed to fall back onto the curled left fingers, and the coin in the
right hand is substituted for it. The left thum b can either ease its pressure
on the coin so it can fall, or the tip of the right thum b can actually knock
the coin backward (Rgm e 212). This happens under cover of the right fin ^ rs

as they approach to take the two coins. The coin clipped betw een the right
first and second fingers is laid gently onto the coin remaining at the left
fingertips and both coins are carried away in a spread at the right fingertips.
The third coin is hidden from the audience in the shallow cup of the left
fingers (Figure 213, audience's view).

FIG U R E 213

The left hand turns palm-down, retaining its coin in finger palm. If
desired, the hand can be casually shown em pty by turning it palm toward
the audience, curled fingers uppermost. The p^ m ed coin is subtly hidden

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

by Ihe fingers, in the m anner John Ramsey made popular (Figure 214). The
Irft hand then reaches out to produce its coin. Mr. Cervon produces it in
spellbound position. This is accomplished by easing the pressure of the

FIG U R E 214

fingers on the coin until its inner edge falls away from them . This edge
is caught by the tip of the left thum b while the opposite edge is supported
by the fingertips (Figure 215). The tips of the fingers are dipped toward
the floor an instant while the coin falls invisibly into position. T hen the
hand moves forward with a catching motion and brings the coin into view.
This coin is placed in front of the other two at the right fingertips, completing
a small fan.

Take the scarf from the table or jacket pocket with the left hand. With
the aid of the several free right fingers, drape it on the open left hand so
that the center of the scarf lies over the palm.

The right hand now closes its three-coin fan onto the covered left palm
and apparently leaves the coins there. They are actually stolen away by the
right hand with a variation of the persistence-of-vision vanish. W hen the

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

coins are first taken in the right hand and spread, the right thum b should
rest as high as possible on the back and rightmost coin, pressing it securely
against the middle phalanx of the forefinger (Figure 216). The m om ent the

FIG U R E 216

coins are knocked into alignm ent o n the left palm the left fingers bend
upward to enfold them . The instant the left fingers touch the backs of the
right fingers, the right second, third and fourth fingers stretch out over the
coins, covering them (Figure 217).

The right thum b presses the stacked coins against the right fingers and
the hand moves up and to the right. The left hand continues to close, as
if it contained the coins. The presence of the scarf over the hand hinders
none of these actions. The right hand drops nonchalantly to your side and
the stack of coins is adjusted to a "high" finger-palm position (that is, caught
mainly over the middle phalanges) by the third and fourth fingers. The
position of the right thumb on the fanned coins at the beginning is designed
to deliver the closed fan at or very near the middle phalanges of the fingers,
so that any necessary shifting of the stack is minimized.

T he left hand, thought to be clutching the coins, only holds a gathered

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portion near the center of the scarf. This hand, upon closing, moves slightly
forward and turns back up, causing the corners of the scarf to hang t«low
it. The right hand rises to meet the left and the right fingers encircle the
scarf just below the left hand, fingers in front, thum b behind (Figure 218).
The right hand then moves down the scarf, gently stroking it. The stroking
action is repeated twice more. On the third stroke the forefinger joins the
thum b behind the scarf. The scarf is drawn between the first and second
fingers as the right hand travels down it to the corners (Figure 219). W hen

the com ers are reached they are clipped firmly between the first and second
fingers and the left hand carries the bunched center of the scarf forward
and down, in an arc governed the tautness of the scarf. This action brings
the scarf over the fronts of the right second, third and fourth fingers (Figure
220). Following this m otion the right thum b shifts under the corners of the
scarf and pinches them against the forefinger.

O pen the left hand beneath the hanging scarf and hold its palm against
the center as if supporting the weight of the coins. A n extremely clever
maneuver is now performed that thoroughly convinces the audience that
the coins are caught within the scarf. Both hands bounce gently up and
down, causing the coins to jingle in the scarf—or so it seem s. Actually, the
coins are allowed to clink freely on the cupped third and fourth fingers
of the right hand (Figure 221). The illusion of the left hand bouncing the
coins in the scarf is perfect.

fbllowing this feint, the left hand descends, moving away from the scarf,
and then rises to take its corners from the right hand. As this is done the
audience is allowed to see that the left hand is com pletely empty. The fact
is not pointedly proven; it is simply observed in passing, A sequence of
hand-to-hand transfers, very like that used in the "Five Coins and a G lass"

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

routine, is now perform ed. Both the scarf and the coins are taken by the
left hand as follows:

The left hand, still palm-up, com es even with the right hand. The left
first and second fingers are spread apart to allow the scarf to pass between
them , just below the right first and second fingers. The right fourth-finger
at the sam e time moves away from the right third-finger. T he third finger
thus becom es the sole support for the coins. This perm its the tip of the
left second-finger to contact the under-surface of the stack, while the left
thum b com es down on the upper-surface (Figure 222). The corners of the
scarf are clipped between the left first and second fingers and the stack
of coins between the tip of the left second finger and thumb. This frees
the right hand to gesture and be seen empty. The coins are hidden behind

F IG U R E 222

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

the left fingers and scarf (Figure 223). The left hand should turn in a bit
at the wrist to insure that the coins are not exposed to those on the extreme
right.

A fter making some motivated gesture the right hand reclaims both scarf
and coins as follows: The right hand, palm toward you, moves over the
left fingers and catches the corners of the scarf once more between the first
and second fingers—with one small difference. The body of the scarf must
hang over the backs of the second, third and fourth fingers. As the hands
com e together to effect this transfer, it will be found that the left second
finger and thum b are in perfect position to place the stack of coins directly
into right-hand Downs palm (Figure 224).

F IG U R E 224

/
V\

\v

The m om ent the right hand has possession of the scarf and coins, the
left hand descends to the hanging center of the scarf, the hand incidentally
being seen empty once again, and clasps the center between the thumb
and fingers, as if catching the coins through the fabric. T he center is
immediately swung up and leftward while a tension is kept on the scarf
between the hands (Figure 225).

O nce the left hand matches the height of the right, the com ers of the
scarf are dropped from the right fingers. The center of the scarf is
immediately passed to the right hand where it is pinched between the
fingers and thumb.

There is a mom entary pause while the left hand drops down to the
hanging corners of the scarf, turning palm-up as it moves. The edge of the
scarf is deftly clipped between the left first and second fingers about one

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

inch from the nearest corner; the first finger should be above, the second
finger below (see Figure 226). During this action the hand is once again
seen to be empty.

The right hand neatly releases the center of the scarf and lets it fall. The
hands are held motionless as the scarf flutters to rest at the left fingertips.

The right hand moves down to meet the left and grasps the edge of the
scarf ju st to the right of the point where it is held by the left fingers. This
is done with the right thum b and forefinger. At the m om ent this happens
the coins are in perfect position to be stolen from Downs palm. They are
pinched again betw een the left thumb and second finger. Since the second
finger is under the scarf, a layer of cloth will be caught betw een its tip and

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

the bottom of the stack. With the coins held securely by the left hand behind
the scarf, the right hand can move to the right, passing along the hem until
it reaches the opposite corner. O nce there it is palm out and can be seen
empty (Figure 2 ^ ) . T h e scarf is stretched between the hands and can be
gendy shaken to affirm the absence of the coins. The hands may even be
crossed, right over left, to expose the reverse side of the scarf to the audience.

FIG U R E 227

The hands now meet and the right hand slips its corner between the left
first and second fingers (Figure 228). The bottom two corners are next

gathered by the right hand and brought up to the left fingers from behind.
These are laid over the first two corners and caught betw een the left first
and second fingers. The left thumb and coins will lie between the front
and rear corners, inside the bag just formed. As the bottom corners are
brought to the left fingertips, the left thumb must gently push forward on
the coins, causing them to spread or step to the right w ithin the folds of
the scarf. In Figure 229 the back corners of the scarf are shown transparent
so that the necessary position of the coins can be seen.

The right hand leaves the pouched scarf, once it is form ed, and reaches

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

FIG U R E 229

out into the air. There it pretends to catch one of the vanished coins. This
invisible coin is thrown at the scarf. Synchronized with this toss, the left
thumb releases the rightmost coin into the bag. The coin lands with a visible
force in the scarf. The effect created is quite magical.

The right hand reaches again into the air and gathers another invisible
coin. It is tossed toward the scarf, where it is both seen and heard to arrive.
This is the second coin released from the thumb. The same actions are
repeated to cause the reappearance of the third coin.

The right hand com es palm-up under the bag and taps it several times,
causing the coins to jingle. This action should imitate the false action used
previous to the vanish of the coins. The right hand then supports the weight
of the coins as the left hand releases the front corners of the scarf, letting
them fall forward over the tips of the right fingers. The back corners are
laid over the right forearm,

The coins are exposed on the center of the scarf as it rests on the right
palm. Tip the right hand down, causing the coins to spill off the right fingers
and into the left hand. Toss the scarf into the air w ith the right hand, catch
it and take your bow.

Before passing on to the second handling, several m inor variations on

this handling (which appear on Vol. 5 of the "Revelations" videotape series)
should be mentioned. Som e performers may prefer to catch the coins visibly
during the reproduction sequence of the routine. One way of doing so would
be to steal one of the coins away in the right hand as the scarf is formed
into a bag. To do this, return to the point where the center of the scarf has
just been dropped from the right hand and the coins have vanished. The
scarf is held by one corner at the tips of the left first and second fingers.
The hands m eet to stretch the scarf betw een them and the coins are
transferred from right-hand Downs palm to the left hand. The em pty right
hand moves to the right corner of the scarf, but seem s to misgauge the
distance and loses its grasp. It again picks up the edge of the scarf at the

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

point where the left hand holds it and moves to the right. However, as this
second pass along the edge of the scarf is made, the right thum b contacts
the innermost coin and draws it off the stack. This coin is slid over the fabric
by the thumb, as the right hand moves along the edge of the scarf to the
opposite corner (Figure 230), and eventually arrives in right-hand finger
palm as the corners are gathered together. The left thum b can spread the
coins just before this maneuver is executed, to aid the steal of the one coin.

The right-hand coin is produced, displayed and then apparently tossed

into the scarf. In reality it is repalmed as a throwing action is made and
a coin is released by the left thum b into the bag. These actions are repeated
to produce the second coin. The right hand then produces its coin once
more and actually tosses it into the bag with the rest. The trick is concluded
as described in the initial handling.

O ne other approach would be to leave all three coins with the left hand,
ready for release into the scarf—but then steal an extra coin from a holder
with the right hand and use this coin to make the visible productions. This
leaves you with an extra coin in play. The approach seem s attractive only
if another effect, requiring the secret use of an extra coin, follows this routine.

THE SECOND HANDLING:

The first handling, Mr. Vernon feels, has a m inor flaw or discrepancy.
Just before the coins are vanished from the scarf, at the point w here they
are apparently jingled to prove their presence, there are actually no coins
in the scarf. This is not discernible when the left hand is beneath the hanging
center of the scarf; but for that brief interval when the center is unsupported,
there is no weight w ithin it.

This discrepancy was not found a problem by Mr. Vernon, Fred Kaps and
others who have performed the routine. If the moves are smoothly executed
the absence of weight is never noticed by an audience. However, it was
the consideration of this discrepancy that led Mr. Vernon to devise the

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

second handling, which in its own way is as diabolically clever as the first.

We return to the beginning of the routine. The scarf is draped over the
open left palm and the three coins are held in a fan at the tips of the right
fingers, The right hand closes the fanned coins onto the center of the scarf;
however, as this is done the uppermost coin at the back of the stack is
allowed to fall over the right thum b and onto the left palm (Figure 231).
The rem aining two coins are stolen away behind the right fingers as
previously described.

FIG U R E 231

This maneuver actually leaves one coin in the scarf to provide weight.
The handling proceeds exactly as in the original; The jingling feint and the
hand-to-hand transfers remain the same. Things change only w hen the
vanish is about to occur. At this point two coins are in right-hand Downs
palm and the center of the scarf, with the third coin in its folds, is held
at the right fingertips. The empty left hand descends palm-up to the hanging
corners o f the scarf and clips the nearest one between the tips of the first
and second fingers. As this is done all four left fingers are briefly extended
together beneath the scarf. At just this m om ent the right fingers allow the
coin to slip from the folds of the scarf, It falls secretly and silently onto
the left fingers, where it is caught (Figure 232).

The coin lands in left-hand finger-palm and the first two fingers clip a
corner of the scarf. Almost simultaneously the right fingers release the center
of the scarf. As it floats downward, the coins seem to evaporate.

The original handling is once more resum ed. T he two coins in Downs
palm are stolen between the left thumb and second finger as the right hand
comes to straighten the scarf (Figure 233). The coin in left finger-palm should
in no way hinder this transfer.

The hands hold out the scarf between them and display it empty. The
right hand then gathers the corners into the left hand, enfolding the two
coins at the left fingertips within the scarf bag. The third coin rem ains in

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

left-hand finger palm.

The procedure changes once more. The m om ent the four com ers have
been brought together the right hand takes them , along with the two coins
within. The coins should be spread a bit by the left thum b before the right
hand claims them , so that they can be released singly and surely when
the time com es.

The left hand is now free. It reaches out and produces its finger-palmed
coin. The coin is displayed and then tossed into the scarf.

Reach out again with an obviously empty left hand and mimic the
plucking of another coin from the air. Make a tossing m otion toward the
scarf and release one coin with the right thumb. It audibly and visibly joins
the first coin at the center of the scarf.

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

Repeat this pretended catch and toss to produce the third coin. Then
conclude the routine as detailed in the first handling.

Notice how the production of the first coin lends validity to the false
production of the second and third coins. As the left hand is clearly seen
empty before these pn>ductions, the effect created is all the more astonishing
to the audience. This point and the solution to the weight discrepancy make
this handling undeniably attractive.

THE THIRD HANDLING:

This handling variation was devised by Bruce Cervon and is clever in
its ow n right, It resem bles the opening sequence of the second handling
in that one coin is left legitimately in the scarf while the other two are stolen
away. However, in Mr. Cervon's handling each coin is seen to be dropped
honestly into the gathered scarf at the beginning of the routine. The
procedure, based on the E. Brian MacCarthy handkerchief fold, is extremely
convincing.
As the routine begins, the coins are either brought out or produced. They
are laid on the table or can be displayed on a stand. This is necessary to
free both hands for the folding of the scarf. The scarf is taken from the
breast pocket, opened and briefly shown. It is then caught by two diagonally
opposite corners and folded along the diagonal between the hands (Figure
2M ). The left hand releases its com er (C) and clips the two hanging corners

FIG U R E 234

(AB) together between the first and second fingers, with the body of the
scarf hanging over the palm-side of the hand (Figure 235).

The right hand carries its corner (D) to the left hand and folds it over
the left palm. The newly gathered corner is drawn over the corners already
between the left first and second fingers and is caught there (Figure 236).
The right hand finishes the formation of the scarf into a bag by grasping
the last free com er (C) and folding it up and behind the rest. However,
this corner must be drawn over the left thum b as it is clipped between the
fingers and onto the other corners (Figure 237).

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 235

FIG U R E 236

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

Now, if the left thum b is raised to the level of the forefinger, it will lift
the rear fold of the scarf and create a hitch or false pocket at the center
(Figure 237 again). Here lies the crux of the deception.

The scarf formed into a bag, the right hand picks up one coin from the
table, displays it and drops or tosses it into the folds. This first coin goes
legitimately into the center pocket of the scarf. There are two entrances to
this space; either between the front and second layers of the scarf on the
right side, or between the third and fcmrth layers (see Figure 238). You may
wish to open one of these two channels with the right fingers before picking
up the coin, to facilitate its passage.

The second coin is picked up and displayed. If it has not already done
so, the left thum b should rise to create a false pocket at the rear of the scarf.
The second coin is dropj>ed or tossed into this pocket. Even though it is
separated from the first coin, it will be heard to clink against it, leaving
no doubt in the minds of the spectators that it is safely within the scarf.

The third coin is shown and dropped into the pseudo-pocket with the
second.

As a m eans of em phasizing the presence o f the coins in the scarf the

right hand now comes palm-up below the pouch and jingles the coins there.
It is in this action that the two coins in the false pocket are stolen from
it. As the coins are bounced lightly on the right fingers the left thumb
descends, releasing the hitch in the scarf, This allows the two coins to slide
out of the hitch and onto the fingers (Figure 239).

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The right hand moves from beneath the center of the scarf, hiding the
coins in a loose finger-palm . This hand rises to m eet the left and takes the
scarf from it, clipping the gathered comers just below the left fingers between
the right first and second fingers, first finger at the front and second finger
behind (Figure 240). The left hand, thus freed, moves beneath the center
of the scarf and jingles the coins there once more. Actually, here the jingle
feint from the first handling is executed to create the illusion of three coins
in the scarf where there is only one.

From this point forward the routine follows the procedure o f the second
handling exactly.

The reader is at a sad disadvantage if he has not seen this routine

performed. No written description can convey the simple yet elegant grace
implicit in the disappearance and reproduction of the coins from the scarf.
The purity of action creates an illusion that is truly magical. Ironically, the
greatest difficulty this routine presents is not the mastery of its sleights,
but the choice of handlings. Each of those described has its charms to entice
the meticulous performer.

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 SLIPPING THE TIT

EFFECT: W liat is offered here is not a trick, but rather a little swindle
that can be presented as an intriguing expose. This ru se was used in
Depression times to purchase a tw enty-cent item without paying a penny.
A twenty-cent s w in g e sounds trivial today, but during the Depression
twenty cents was a respectable amount. The exposure of the swindle
provides an interesting interlude that will capture and hold the attention
of any group. It benefits from a good story concerning money and confidence
games, two subjects that fascinate everyone.

"Jit" (short for jitney) is old Am erican-slang for a nickel. As will be seen,
"slipping the jit" is an apt description of this swindle.

METHOD: As you introduce the tale to your listeners, bring o ut two

quarters, a nickel and a half dollar. Lay them on the table near a spectator.
Also palm a second nickel in the left hand as the coins are brought from
the pocket. The action now begins:

"The swindler enters a store and picks up a tw enty<ent item that he wants.
H e takes it to the sales counter and pays for it with a half dollar." Push
the half dollar forward toward the spectator who h as the coins by him . The
implication is that he is to imagine him self in the role of the clerk,

"T he clerk places the half dollar on the counter of the cash register while
he makes the proper change. The item is twenty cents, so he gives thirty
cents back—a quarter and a nickel." Pick up a quarter from the table with
the left hand and place it on the right palm . Then place the nickel from
the table beside it.

"W hat the clerk doesn't know is that the swindler has a nickel palmed
in his other hand." Expose the palmed nickel in the left hand. If you feel
it undesirable to expose a well-executed palm, hold the coin in a purposely
awkward m anner as it is revealed.

"H e dumps the coins from one hand into the other, switching the quarter
for the nickel." Suit actions to words, holding back the quarter in the right
hand and adding the right-hand's nickel to that in the left. Hold out the
open left hand with the two nickels.

"H e then says, 'Say, you gave me too much. I only gave you a quarter.' "
Pick up one of the nickels with the right hand and place it on the table
near the half dollar. '"The clerk honestly responds, 'No, you gave me a half
dollar.'

"The swindler now looks a little confused as he stares at the coin in his
hand. The clerk sees the two nickels and the half dollar. He can assume
only one of two things: Either he made an error in the change, or a nickel

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

som ehow got into the quarter com partm ent of the cash drawer. S o he
apologizes and gives the swindler another quarter." Pick up the rem aining
quarter from the table w ith the right hand and place it w ith the nickel still
in the left. Then dump both coins into the right hand, adding them to the
quarter palmed there, and pocket them.

"T he swindler thanks him , pockets his change, takes the m erchandise
and leaves, well pleased with him self. For he not only has the goods but
every penny h e walked in w ith!"

The m ost im portant elem ent of this swindle, as with all such confidence
games, is the psychology and wording. Notice how cleverly the clerk is taken
off guard by the suggestion that he has made an error in the custom er's
favor, rather than the reverse. It is also instructive to note that the confidence
m an never suggests that the clerk short-changed him ; rather the clerk is
allowed to reach that conclusion himself. This tactic not only leads the
hapless victim to consum m ate his own ruin, but leaves the con m an in a
better position to plead his innocence if brought before the law.

The ploy is brilliantly constructed. Its effectiveness was proven countless

times during the Depression years. Mr. Vernon recalls meeting a m an named
H arry Casino, w ho used this swindle so often and for so many years, he
becam e known as "Slip-the-Jit Harry".

Slip-the-Jit Harry had more than one short-change method in his

repertoire. M ichael Skinner recalls a second one, shown him by Mr. Vernon
twenty years ago. Harry would approach a clerk or vendor with the intention
of purchasing an item for a quarter or less. H e would go to h is pocket for
the change and come out with a quarter on his palm . U nbeknow nst to the
merchant, Harry also had a nickel back palmed. Since Harry had large
hands, he could catch the nickel by its opposite edges betw een the tips
of the first and third fingers and have it completely hidden behind his second
finger (Figure 241). For those with slender fingers, the nickel can be back
clipped 1^ one edge betw een the first and second fingers.

FIG U R E 241

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

Harry would bring his hand from his pocket and display the quarter on
his palm . He would reach out with this hand to give the vendor the coin.
In the action of doing so he would turn the hand palm-down and
sim ultaneously curl the fingers in loosely, apparently to catch the quarter.
Actually, the quarter never moved from the palm; but the nickel was revolved
from the back of the hand to the tips of the fingers. (If back palm ed, the
second finger can move down and under the nickel in the sam e m anner
used by a coin manipulator when doing a back to front palm. O r the thumb
can simply contact the nickel at the back of the hand and drag it over the
tips of the fingers to the front.)

The nickel was then pressed into the vendor's palm. This may seem
extrem ely bold, but experience has proven it entirely practical. The
u n su sp e ^ n g m erchant never glances at the coin. H e just drops it into the
till drawer. Having seen a quarter, and moments later having a coin of similar
size and color placed into his hand, there seem s n o reason to inspect the
coin—if the switch has been smoothly executed. Slip-the-Jit Harry was never
challenged.

Perform ing 'T he C olor C hanging Silk'

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 CROSSED DESTINIES

EFFECT: The effect is a classic one: Coins Across or the Flying Eagles.
Three coins, two half dollars and an English penny, travel invisibly and
singly from one hand to the other. No gimmicks or extra coins are used
and the action is extremely direct.

METHOD: Mr. Vernon collaborated with Arthur Finley to create this

method for the Coins Across effect. Though its secret was taught by Mr.
Vernon to only a select few over the years, the trick h as circulated within
the magic community. Several of the original concepts em bodied in its
method have become estranged and have reached print in various contexts.
This is m entioned not to discredit anyone, but sim ply to place the
methodological structure of the trick into historical perspective. W hen Mr.
Vernon developed this handling with Mr, Finley years ago, it was
unquestionably innovative.

Three coins are used: two half dollars and an English penny. The presence
of the single penny adds an extra elem ent of interest to the effect. However,
the use of the odd copper coin also provides several cunning psychological
subtleties that will becom e evident as we proceed.

The three coins are held in a stack in the right hand as the trick begins.
The English penny is sandw iched between the halves. The coins should
rest on the middle phalanges of the first and second fingers.

The left hand is opened palm-up in front of you and the right hand moves
above it to count the coins. Tlie right thum b pushes the top half-dollar
forward, over the side of the right forefinger and onto the tips of the left
third and fourth fingers.

T he English penny is pushed off next and is laid forward of the first coin
and overlapping it. The penny should lie across the left second and third

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

The second half-dollar is pushed by the right thumb out of the right hand
and onto the left first and second fingers, forward of and overlapping the
English penny. It is as the third coin is counted and positioned that the
first deception is perform ed. The curled right fingers com e naturally over
the first and second coins as the last half-dollar is laid in place. While there
the right fourth-finger comes in below the first half-dollar and steals it with
a Tenkai backdip (Figure 243). This clever steal was originated by Ross
Bertram, Notice that by placing the coins at the left fingertips, any drop
or movement of the left fingers is eliminated as the steal is made. Since
the half dollar lies on the tips of the left third and fourth fingers, a portion
of the coin naturally projects past the shorter fourth-finger. The right fourth-
finger is thus able to contact this exposed surface of the coin to backdip
it, making the lowering of the left fourth-finger unnecessary.

FIG U R E 243

The right hand immediately drops back with its stolen coin and the left
hand d o ses into a loose fist before the absence of the third coin can be
noticed. The left hand's coins should remain in position, resting overlapped
on the left fingertips. (Here is the first instance where the use of the penny
improves the illusion. The presence of the penny between the two halves
is somehow arresting to the eye. Even if the coins are glimpsed momentarily
as the left hand doses, the eye is drawn to the copper coin and is distracted
from the absence of the second half-dollar.)

Move the hands apart, opening the right hand palm toward the audience
as you patter. Its apparent em ptiness is not stressed—it is simply observed
in the course of things. Jingle the coins in the left hand gently as you mention
them . Then dose the right hand, turning it palm-down. Attention to angles
is important here—the backdipped coin must not be seen.

D o not attempt to draw the half dollar into the fist now. Doing so would
cause unnecessary finger motion that might be observed. Sim ply bring the
right thum b under the coin and press the half flat against the backs of the
fingers.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

The hands should be at least two feet apart. Make som e gesture to indicate
that you are causing the first coin to travel magically to the right hand. Then
open the left hand slowly, bringing it forward and directly in front of your
body. Two coins are seen there. The right hand casually moves to a position
a few inches behind the left hand and waits.

T h e next actions are a bit complex, but must flow sm oothly in

performance. T he left hand closes on its tw o coins and falls back as the
right hand moves under it and forward, W hile the hands do com e within
close proximity, it should be obvious to the audience that they do not touch.
The action is perfectly normal in appearance, and establishes a precedent
for a secret transfer that is to come.

However, as the hands pass each other, more is happening than is evident
to the audience. The left third-finger moves from beneath the English penny
onto it as the left hand turns inward and begins to close (Figure 244). This

finger presses down gently but surely on the near portion of the coin,
causing it to pivot to a vertical position, dipped between the second and
third fingers (Figure 245). A portion of the circumference of the penny should

F IG U R E 245

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 DREAMS OF MAMMON

project above the inner surface of the fingers. The half dollar, resting on
it, is levered up slightly at the rear upon the edge of the penny {Figure 245
again). The left thum b may steady the half dollar as the maneuver is made.
This clipping action takes place as the left hand closes and moves back
toward the body.

Sim ultaneously the right hand moves forward and opens palm-up. As
it does so the thum b holds the half dollar in place, causing it to slide over
the backs of the fingers and around the fingertips (Figure 246) as the fingers

FIG U R E 246

straighten. By the time the hand has revolved palm-up and open, the thumb
is pressing the coin to the middle phalanges of the fingers (Figure 247).
There it is displayed.

The hands now separate for the passage of the second coin. The left hand
moves to the left and the right hand moves to the right, closing and turning
palm down at the same time. As the right hand closes, its coin is rotated
outside the fingers and into Tenkai backclip once more. This is done by
sim ply reversing the actions just used to bring the coin into the hand.

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

A gesture is made to indicate the journey of the second coin to the right
hand. The left hand moves in front of the body while opening palm-up.
From the audience's view (Figure 248) only a half dollar is visible. The finger-
clipped penny is hidden beneath the half. (Here is the second instance
where the use of the penny is advantageous. The dark copper coin is less
likely to be seen while hidden in this upright position. Bright sUver would
present a greater hazard.)

The right hand swings gently in behind the open left hand, ju st as before.
Again, a great deal happens covertly as the left hand closes and the right
hand opens. As the left hand begins to close, the thumb presses down gently
on the raised half dollar. This forces the English penny to lever upward
and flat against the lower surface of the silver coin. The third finger must
move up (Figure 249), then around and under the f>enny to allow it to pass.
This repositioning of the penny is the work of a second and should be
completed just as the left hand closes into a loose fist.

FIG U R E 249

At the same time the right hand opens palm-up, guarding the angles of
the backclipped coin, and moves forward beneath the retreating left fist.
In the instant the hands pass, the two coins in the left hand are dropped

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out the bottom (fourth-finger side) of the fist and onto the open right palm
(Figure 250). This action is a sort of Han Ping Chien transfer done off the
table.

To the audience the illusion created is one of the right hand opening to
show that it holds the ju st vanished English penny and the previous
half-dollar.

The hands once more move apart, the left fist swinging to the left and
the right hand closing as it travels to the right. The invisible flight of the
final coin is indicated with a gesture. T he left hand opens to reveal the last
coin is gone—and the right hand opens to show all th iw coins arrived there.
T h e right thum b of course draws the backclipped half-dollar inside to join
the other coins as the hand opens.

Mr. Vernon suggests an alternative procedure for the vanish of the copper
coin, which, while not as elegant as that just taught, is nevertheless effective
and far easier to master. We return to the point where the first coin is shown
to have traveled from the left hand to the right. As the left hand closes again
around its two coins, the left thumb pulls the forward silver coin quietly
back and over the copper coin. The copper coin is not moved to clip position
between the fingers, but rather is simply covered by the half dollar. W hen
the right hand next opens to show the copper coin vanished, the two coins
should rest together on the middle phalanges of the curled second and third
fingers (Figure 251). T he fingers do not open completely—they slightly cup
the coins, shielding their edges from view. The copper coin thus lies hidden
beneath the silver. T he display is not prolonged. TTie disappearance of the
copper coin from the left hand is quickly accepted by the audience: It is
in fact expected, as it follows the passage of the first coin. After a brief
ochibition o f the visible coin the left fingers close and the Han Ping Chien
transfer is executed. The balance o f the trick remains unchanged.

This is obviously not an easy trick to perfect. 'liming, grace and precision
are essential. However, w hen correctly performed the illusion created is

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 THE LOST INNER SECRETS, VOLUME 1

FIG U R E 251

all that could be desired. You are always steps ahead of your audience, and
the coins travel one after the other in as direct a m anner imaginable. All
superfluous counting and displays, so com m on to coin translocations, are
eliminated. Mr. Vfernon has fooled the most astute observers with this trick.
It still .serves the piupose admirably.

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THE PROFESSOR