• THE GARDISTE
"Dedicated To The ART of Cardistry"
No. 2 Rusduck, PO Box 372, Philipsburg, Pa, May-1957
DEALER'S CHOICE: Welll We FINALLY "Doo'd It" - What? - Got
past the hurdle of the "first shall be last" bugaboo...This
makes the SECOND appearance of "Cardiste".,.and it will
con-tinue to appear - even if the author's copy is the only one
called forl11 This project was taken on as a spare-time
ven-ture - BUT - I didn't realize at the time that SO MUCH spare
time would be involved...Consequently quite a bit .of time has
passed...subscribers are beginning to complain for action...
and the correspondence needs answering,..I have non,worked out
a budgeting of my spare time and expect to devote more of it
to "Cardiste" and my loyal and enthusiastic subscribers*
OF COURSE - I was waiting for the reviews - and was extremely
gratified with the response...JOHN CRIMMONS in "Hugard's Magic
Monthly" - JOHN BRAUN and ALVIN PLOUGH in "Linking Ring" were
all very gracious and unbiased...LLOYD JONES in "Genii" - a
controversial figure over the years - (he calls them as he sees
them) put in a nice word - but expresses aversion to the name
"Cardiste" - a coined word, Lloyd, combining CARD and ARTISTE.
MILTON KORT - my druggist pal from Detroit - draws the dubious
honor of becoming the first paid subscriber to "Cardiste". - SO
Milt has just acquired a life-time free subscription to this
endeavor...CHARLES HUDSON from St. Looey sent in the first
con-tributed guest effect - so Charlie also - inherits a life-time
•pass to "Cardiste". • •
•;
GENE GORDON came thru with the first multiple subscription
-followed shortly by LLOYD JONES...Other early subscribers are
"Bud" TRACY; "Doc" McDonald; CHARLIE HUDSON and WALTER SCOTT.
ED MARLO is the first "Card Star" heard from - he offers
con-gratulations and best wishes...JEAN HUGARD, Pre-eminent
pat-riarch of Prestidigitation sends along best wishes and warns
against any expectations of a large circulation - and Jean ia certainly qualified to know whereof he speaks - but I'd like to again refer to ray statement of policy in Issue No, 1: "It is not expected or intended that this work will reach a large circulation; In the first place - it is intended
exclu-sively for "Cardistes" - who constitute a small minority of the magical minded gentry in existence - and in addition to this - "CARDISTE" will contain ONLY such effects as are coin-cident to card table routine for which playing cards were or-iginated, designed, and intended",
Linking Ring Editor ALVIN PLOUGH commented that the contents of the first issue are "perfect", but suggests a wider margin for binding...I never gave it a thought that anyone might want to bind "Cardiste", but this will be corrected, starting with this issue...In asking all "Cardistes" to judge the 1st issue on contents only - I sincerely meant it,,.The issue was put to-gether by trial and error - and I find the margins crowded with faulty reproduction, and imperfect registration,.,It is hoped that this will be improved with experience and practice, and if all readers will bear with me until I get the bugs ironed out, and for the time being judge only on the quality of the contents - I shall get "Cardiste" rolling smoothly soonUl ALL PRESENT SUBSCRIPTIONS will start with this (No, 2) Issue, The first issue was a "trial-balloon" to determine the re-sponse and need for such a venture,,,Three months have passed and shown that you "Cardistes" want it and will support it -SO - I am.willing and eager to proceed with YOUR HELP,
If you still like what you read - you are urged to pass along the enclosed form to any interested Cardiste so that he too -can get his own copies...This is THE ONLY WAY it -can grow and be accepted. THIS IS WHERE YOP-U-U do YOUR'Bit to HELPU To all who have written - some enthusiastically and encourag-ingly - others in doubt - rest assured that I will get to my correspondence as soon as this issue is put to bed.,,In the meantime - keep writing your thoughts and ideas and utions for Cardiste,,.DON'T FORGET - Any acceptable contrib-ution of merit will insure you 12 free issues of "CARDISTEt"
ZENS-ATIONAL
RUSDUCK
. « • • ."Many are the poker tricks, set-ups, and continuous
routines that have been developed during the past few years.
Some are good, and some, instead, are.just plain boring from
the entertainment point of view. Generally a spectator will
make a remark, "Can you deal four aces?" or "Can you deal a
good poker hand to yourself?" and it is all that worries them,
too. .If you can immediately deal the cards and give yourself
a definitely good hand, you've accomplished the purpose, and
satisfied them directly. They'll remember and talk about how
you dealt the cards and gave yourself something good, long
after the other fellow has fumed around with complicated
build-ups. Four aces, or a quick royal flush are hands that have a
sort of hypnotic effect with a punch." - ANNEMANN.
During the middle thirties - the late MIKE ZENS put
together his classic "Quadruple Poker Trick" which has stood
the test of .time for nearly a quarter-century. Those of you
who don't have the original can find it explained in the
"En-cyclopedia of Card Tricks" (P. 369). The effect of the Zens
routine was that the Cardiste was able to produce any poker
hand on demand. Zens brought forth the desired hands from
his pockets. This is still an outstanding effect and the
purpose of this item is to adapt it to card table procedure*
Here is a semi-impromptu set-up which will permit
the Cardiste to deal at will - a combination of winning cards
for himself - in practically any card game mentioned.
REQUIRED: 13 cards gathered in the following order:
K - A - A - K - A - A - Q - K - J - 1 0 - 9 - 8 T Q
(Cards Underscored must be of SAME SUIT)
Observe that the first five cards form a
full-house - Starting with the 2nd card the 5 card hand shows 4
aces - on thru the series by advancing 1 card each time
the entire range of poker values is fully covered.
Although Zens used only 10 cards - it was found
that 13 cards made possible the drawing of any possible
pok-er value - and also has the faculty of forming a complete
cycle of cards by the simple provision of placing THREE
IN-DIFFERENT CARDS betewwn each of the 13 cards in the sequence
shown* This utilizes the entire 52 cards in normal deck,
and by cutting one of the sequence cards to the bottom, any
hand called for can be dealt, if the cards are dealt into
FOUR HANDS of five cards each.
This can be repeated indefinitely by returning the
key cards to the deck in the correct order - with the three
indifferent filler cards placed between each of the key cards.
A cut of the deck to bring the proper key card to the bottom
will then permit the deal of any poker combination desired.
You will observe that the winning hands are the highest
poss-ible combinations of cards - a four of a kind being 4 aces;
a full-house - aces and kings, etc.
I deal my poker hands face-up. Thus in reassembling
the deck I pick up the top card from the winning hand and
re-place it on the top of the deck - then three indifferent cards
- the next key card - three more indifferent cards, etc. until
all cards are gathered. Deck is now reassembled for dealing.
This set-up is valuable for further demonstration in
various card games. By dealing into 4 bridge hands you can
show a perfect slam hand by separating the cards into suits.
Black Jack can be shown by dealing to 4 players so that the
winning hand shows one of the Ace-King combinations. Winning
Rummy is shown by dealing the bridge hand and melding into
winning combinations and discarding the odd card. Although
a pinochle deck is not used, the key-cards will show some
very effective - high scoring pinochle melds.
It is hard to imagine a more effective routine with
anybody's deck. Experiment in the set-up will show the most
effective handling which should be developed to suit the
per-sonality of the Cardiste. This is a sure-fire utility routine
which can be mastered with a minimum of preperation.
HOCUS POKER
CHARLES M. HUDSON
This is the first contribution to be used in Cardiste, of origin other than Rusduck.,.Mr. Hudson has been very enthusiastic in his support of "Cardiste", and has sent in several items of merit vihich will appear here from time to time...This effect brings back memories of the past::::!::
This effect is based upon a similar offoct, Build-Up1', by Rusduck, in issue No, 61 of the old PHOENIX. The working is the same, but the stack is different, as follows:
The top 30 cards, from back to face> rum IOC JH 93 6S 5D 10H 8S AH QD KH AC 9C 5C JS KD JC 3S 10S KC 5S 9D QS 9H 10D -AC - KS - QH - AD - JD - AS. These 30 cards are used for all deals and all hands, each deal automatically setting up the hands for the next deal. Six hands are dealt each time.
1st deal: hand 1, nothing; hand 2, pair J's; hand 3, 2 pairs Q's & 9's; hands 4 & 5 nothing; dealer, 3 Tens, just . enough to beat the 2 pairs of hand 3» Hands are replaced on deck as shown, without disturbing the order of the cards: hand 1 face down on top, then hand 2, etc, False shuffles and cuts are a "must" for the best effect.
2nd deal: 1, pair J's; 3, pair K's; 4» three 5's; Dealer, a high straight.
3rd deal: 1, pair 10'SJ k, K High Straight; 5, pair K's; dealer, spade flush.
4th deal: 1, full house (A's & K's); 2, two pairs (K's & 10's); 4, Pair Q's; 5, pair J's; dealer, 4 nines.
5th deal: 1, pair 5's; 4, pair K's; 5, Straight heart flush, K High; dealer, royal flush in spades I The trick should stop here for the best climax, but for a few enthusiastic spectators, if any, three more deals can be
added, showing how you could deal hand 1, the winning hand
twice in a row to soften him up (first a pair of aces which
beats your pair of Kings; then an Ace-high straight); and then, last yourself the final hand of 4 tens. But I think the demonstration ends best with the royal flush climax.
A D D - E D : This certainly brings back memories - "Build-Up" was the first of an evolving -series of progressive dealing effects which finally resulted in the purloining of "Koldex", and the resultant publicity placed upon it to win the LINKING RING AWARD for 1955-56.
The weakness in these progressive deals is that in attempting perfection, by having the cards return eventually to their original order, that the effect might be repeated -too often, there is no effective climax, or a point at which to break it off...Mr. Hudson is correct in stating that the effect should be concluded at the highest point of interest]
In the initial issue of "Cardiste"- I declared that only rare reference would be made to the "You-Lose-It-I-Find-It" type of effect - and then only if it had exceptional mer-it...LESLIE P. GUEST (apparently to show me what I am missing - in his own whimsical way - sent along a copy of the Guest-Judah card creation - "U-NAMEIT-I-FINDIT" - not for publicat-ion in Cardiste, however,
Leslie writes: "Your stacked decks always have fas-cinated me, and long may you wave. And just to let you know,
that along with pal Judah, we once perpetrated a Stacked Deck of our own, happy to enclose a copy. It has fooled many
magi-ians, including WALTER GIBSON, but I have quit using it, be-cause I have to put on my glasses to read the chartI"
The Guest-Judah effect is ingenious, with an appar-ently haphazard arrangement of the cards...Card is located by Bans of a locater thru various trick spellings for the indiv-.dual cards...RALPH Wt HULL put out his "NAME-O-CARD" about, the same time with a system involving considerable memory
ork.,.EDDIE CLEVER tells me he still uses this system with the aid of the Roth Memory Course of Mnemonics for Cards,
Several years ago, "HEN" FETSCH, the Baltimore Bam-boozler, set the magic world on its collective ear, with the introduction of a perfect spoiler, which he demonstrated at the conventions, resulting in much publicity and fame for the originator..»I have not to this day seen Hen's effect, nor have the faintest idea how it is accomplished...After reading the effect, I devised the following version for my own use and sent it along to EDDIE CLEVER for possible use in his "Parade".
I told Eddie, of my inspiration from the reading of Hen's Miracle...and that if in his opinion..,it might tread upon the heels of the original.,,to discard it...Well, the item never appeared and I never asked Eddie about it - but the orig-inal effect has had its well-earned run of popularity - SO: there should be no hard feelings in the release of this effect:
NUDECK SPELLER RUSDUCK
The deck is in "New-Deck" order - that is from Ace to King in any suit rotation, but preferably in the alter-nating .color arrangement found in the factory packed item... This is what makes this a grand opener for the occasion when a brand new deck is used for demonstration.
The spelling is actually a combination of spelling and counting - a method which, has come into vogue since the era of the GUEST-JUDAH-HULL miracle spellers - and eliminates the necessity of complicated trick spelling for the various cards..,For Example: In spelling the FIVE OF SPADES the
Card-iste would say "Ace - Two - Three - Four - Five 0 - F S-P-A-D-E-S" taking each card singly from top and replacing on bottom of deck as called...and turning over to show the selected card on the final count.
By this method, any card in any suit can be called by this same manner, and deck is ALWAYS IN ORDER to repeat at will simply by cutting at proper key starting points.
H&RE IS THE GIMMICK: To spell any Spade Card, using this counting and spelling combination - it is necessary to start the count at 8 C A R D S ABOVE the first spade (Ace) in order to
cover the spoil "0-F S-P-A-D-E-S" (8 letters). The card at this point should be bridged or crimped to make a key for'' uasy cutting to this point. Only four key cards are required - one for each suit.
The spelling "OF HEARTS" also has 8 letters - "OF CLUBS" has 7 - and "OF DIAMONDS" 10.
Several effects are possible, making a varied routine:
1. Using an unopened deck. (Know your brand names-this •will work only if cards are packed from Ace to King).
2. Spelling to any named card,
3. Spectator spells to his named card,
4. Spectator THINKS of a card - All Cardiste must know is the chosen suit.
A simple variation of this effect is to use the fol-lowing count and spell combination: EXAMPLE: (5 of Spades) as follows: S-P-A-D-E Ace-Two-Three-Four-Five. By means of this method - you are actually holding the card you have named by number at that point in the effect - when you say "AGE" you are holding the Ace, etc. This is excellent for mental, pre-diction, or "stop" effects.
By this method, Cardiste can have the spectator call "STOP" when the correct count is reached, and he will be hold-ing the mentally selected card. The cards need not even be
called aloud, and Cardiste need have no idea of the card chos-en, - but - if the spectator has been alert on his mental count, the correct card invariably will be the one held at the command of "STOP". Since the only information required is the suit of the card...THIS IS A REAL STUNNERl
•JHBHHHHHHHi-Currently being advertised i s an impromptu "Card Repeat" in
which 3 rows of 1$ cards each are d e a l t . . , 4 . cards are taken
away repeatedly and 15 cards s t i l l remain in each row...I
haven't seen the secret of this intriguing effect - but the
reading indicates this idea might be derived from an old
puzzle effect...ABRACADABRA for April 6, 1946 carries an
outline of JACK LeDAIR'S "Tricks of a Trouper" wherein he
describes a stage effect he worked in 1922 with specially
prepared giant matches.
I have worked out an interesting l i t t l e story
presentation of the puzzle,..This i s n ' t primarily a card
trick, since the cards serve merely as counters - and coins,
poker chips, matches, e t c . could do as well,..'Tis,Called:
"SNEAKY P E f e " REPEAT
The complete 52 card deck i s used to s t a r t . Cut off or deal
3 piles of 16 cards each and arrange with the 4 remaining
single cards in the fashion shown in Diagram "START":
1
2 3 4
16 16 Ik 14 12 12 10 10
1
2 3 4
1 16 1 2 14 2 3 12 3 4 10 4
(START) (SAT) ' (SUN) (MON)
5 6 7 8
8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2
5 6 7 8
5 8 5 6 6 6 7 4 7 8 2 8
(TUE) (WED) (THU) (FRI)
Observe that these 7 piles of cards t o t a l 18 in 12 different
ways - the 3 piles in any straight line along the 3 sides of
the triangle or the straight lines bisecting the angles
-or by totalling the 3 piles in any of the 6 i n t e r i o r small
triangles..,NOTE ALSO: that this holds true for each of the
eight figures shown diagrammed.,.This i s a l l you need to know in
the operation of this puzzle effect.
The story goes that "Sneaky Pete" brings home his weekly pay envelope on Saturday and turns it over to Kate
-his dutiful wife - vino is responsible for balancing the family budget.
Kate is a devotee of the old school and sets up her budget by dividing her available funds and placing them into jars as shown in the diagram "Start".
This is the beginning of the effect with the cards divided into piles representing the dollars dispersed in Kate's Budget Bank. (Shudders from banker JIM THOMPSON I)
Our hero, "Sneaky Pete" is addicted to the "Bubbly" and likes to spend his evenings with the boys down at the
corner tavern. When he asks Kate for his weekly handout she counts as follows: "PUT - TAKE - PUT - TAKE - PUT - Take -PUT" suiting the action of her words and ending up with 2 dollars for Pete's weekly allowance - warning him not to dig into her budget bank as she is covered by 12 way bank protection.
At the first "Put" Kate takes a dollar from one of the jars holding 16 and places it on one of the corners ad-jacent. She then picks up another dollar from the same 16 pile on "Take". Going clockwise around the triangle, she repeats the operation, taking from each of the larger piles and placing in each of the corners. On the final "Put" a dollar is placed in the center of the layout. (Cards repre-sent dollars). Kate has 2 dollars left over, and the budget bank appears as in Diagram "SAT", still meeting all require-ments by adding to 18 in twelve different ways.
The story goes that Pete takes his weekly allowance and blows it on one evening's festivities. The following day being Sunday - Pete is loafing around the house and feeling a huge thirst. He keeps thinking about Kate's budget bank and wondering how he can beat her 12 way check-up. He decides he'll follow Kate's procedure of the day previous with her put and take routine. (Repeat as shown above)'placing one card taken from each large pile on an adjoining corner on "Put" (1 card in each corner) and taking next card from'
the same pile on "Take" - continuing around the triangle and placing the last card in the center on the final "Put" leav-ing Pete with TITO DOLLARS in his hand1.
This amazes Pete who has "Taken" only 3 times while "Putting" U and still leaving him with 2 - but the REALLY. AMAZING FACT is that Kate's Budget Bank is still in balance totalling 18 in all 12 ways. (As shown in Sunday Diagram).
Pete, not so strong in the mathematical category -shrugs it off and proceeds down to the corner.,.Shortly there-after, Kate misses Pete and decides to check her bank...All is in order with the twelve-way check-up totalling 18 all ways.
The story goes on to show how this byplay was re-peated by "Sneaky Pete" for the remainder of the week - by pilfering the "Budget Bank" each day for 2 dollars and still satisfying Kate that all was well with her budget bank system.
The following Saturday - another' pay day - and Kate again gives Pete his weekly allowance of 2 dollars...She is satisfied that her budget bank is intact - but she is sorely puzzled how Pete can go out every night in the week and come home so "mellow" on his weekly allowance of £>2 to last him« The handling is optional with the Cardiste...It is necessary that the various lines must remain in balance with cards from the piles at the middle of the lines being placed at the corners - with the extra cards being removed entirely.
A total of Ik cards will be taken from the original number - two for each of the seven days of the week - leaving a balance of only 38 cards remaining in the layout from the original 52 - but still meeting all the requirements of the 12 way check-up for totals of 18 in all combinations possible.
This effect has magnificent patter possibilities -GENE GORDON could go to town on this - and it is suggested
that each Cardiste, once he has worked out a smooth handling, develop his own patter potentials...Experience has shown that face-up cards better show the movement about the lay-out and break up the monotony of an ordinary repeat counting effect,