HENRY CHRIST
In this effect, which we are doing at every opportunity, Mr. Christ has brought into being a subtle problem with ramifications that cover all trickiness. In as much as the effect and method are being combined in this description, we recommend that you follow the moves with a deck of cards in hand.
Any deck is shuffled, and you offer to demonstrate a little "psychic Poker" showing how one accomplished in the reading of minds could very easily know exactly what cards were going to be played, or what cards in a player's hand were most important.
Four face down hands of five cards each are dealt onto the table, and these are picked up by the four spectators agreeing to play. Each is asked to peek at one of the cards in his hand, and then shuffle his cards. It is best to have them each peek at one card rather than fan out the hands, for some people have good card memories and might remember several of the cards in their hands, if not all of them.
While talking, bring out four coins, saying, "I hear people say so often they wouldn't play cards with me that I'm going to furnish the money so none of you will have anything to lose." Turning to the player at your left, give him one of the coins and take back his hand of cards. The coins may be of any denomination but should all be alike. However, the one difference is the dates on the coins which you have memorized, and in passing them out begin with the earliest date and end with the latest date. The first person therefore gets the earliest dated coin. But be sure you do not make it apparent that you are giving out the coins in any particular order. This is an important detail for you later.
The first hand of five cards you take back with your left hand, and give it a single, careless cut. The right hand now picks up the second coin and gives it to the second spectator, receiving in return the second packet of cards. Take these back with your right hand, spread them a bit in a slight fan face down, and then place them on top of the left hand packet. As you do so, the left little finger holds a break above the bottom card of the right hand packet. Square up the cards a bit, cut them at the break, and complete the cut. The right hand now picks up the third coin, hands it to the third person, takes back his packet, spreads them a bit face down, lays them on top of the left hand packet, and the left little finger again holds a break above the bottom card of this third packet. Again the entire packet is cut at the break, and the cut completed. The fourth coin is now handed to the fourth spectator, who is immediately on your right, and you take back his hand of cards. The same maneuvers are now gone through with the packet, ending up with your cutting the entire packet at the break and completing the cut.
To the players you have taken back the hands one at a time in return for the coins you passed out, and after each hand has been returned the packets have been added to each other and the final packet has simply been cut. Actually, however, the arrangement of the cards from the top down (back to face) is as follows, and we'll list them by numerals denoting the four players from left to right: 4-3-2-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-3.3.3-3-4-4-4-4. Now deal out the four top cards in front of you on the table, from left to right and all face down, saying, "Stud will be the best form of poker demonstration for my purpose." Now continue to deal cards face up in front of these "hole cards" (laying them on the table towards the spectators and overlapping about half of the card's lengths on each deal) just as you would for a real game, until the packet of twenty cards have been laid out for the four hands.
The situation now is this: The four "hole cards" from left to right (that is, from your point of view) belong to players 4, 3, 2, 1. The first face up row across in front of the "hole cards" belongs to player Number 1 — the man on your left. The next row across belongs to player Number 2; the next row belongs to player Number 3; and the last to player Number 4.
Now ask the four players to put their coins in front of the row in which they see their peeked at cards. If a player doesn't see his peeked at card, then it must be one of the "hole cards" which are face down and, in this case, he is to return his coin to you. You step away and turn your back while they place their coins, or set them to one side awaiting your return.
Everything now is set for the climax. Picking up a coin in front of any row, you pass it up and down several times along that row, and then suddenly drop it onto the correct card! This is repeated with all other coins in view, and each time the player acknowledges that you have located, or designated, his card. Finally you look at the one or more coins in your hand which represent the "hole cards." Ask the player, or players, to think of his card and then drop a coin onto one of the face down cards. When he turns it up, he finds that you have located his card correctly. Do the same with the second coin, if you still have one.
From the foregoing explanations of the set up after the final deal, you should have no trouble in seeing through the deception of the climax. As you pick up the coins placed on the table in front of the various rows, all you do is note the date on the coin which designates the different spectators. Then merely drop this on the face up card in that row — 1, 2, 3, 4, — which corresponds with that spectator's number. The same rule applies to the "hole cards" — 4, 3, 2, 1.
The dates of the coins is the little detail which allows you to step away from the table and turn your back while the coins are being set in front of the various rows. Upon your return to the table you may find two coins in front of one row. This, of course, presents no difficulty. Pick them up one at a time, note the date as you wave it to and fro over the row which tells you whether it belongs to player Number 1, 2, 3, or 4, and then drop it on
the corresponding face up card. Then point directly at that player and say, "Your card." This really startling action was not possible with the old school boy trick of 25 cards dealt into five hands twice which is the basis for this modern version, nor was it possible to use but four hands of five cards each. The hole card angle makes this possible, and it throws completely out of calculation anyone who knows the old mathematical layout. At times a hole card will not be among those chosen, but the percentage is high in its favor. The showmanship of the first discoveries more than make up for the lack of face down discoveries.