The Cardiste 7

THE CARDISTE

"Dedicated To The Art Of Cardistry"

No, 7 Rusduck, PO Box 372, Philipsburg, Pa. April 1958

DEALER'S CHOICE; I surprised myself with Cardiste 6...After

resigning myself to appearing j u s t "Once in

a while" - I actually (for the f i r s t time) made a d e a d l i n e , , .

Here's hoping t h i s and succeeding issues w i l l do as w e l l . . .

TED ANNEMANN used to talk about his "Jinx" being a 'one-man'

job from s t a r t to f i n i s h . . . W e l l , Cardiste i s - and l i t e r a l l y .

Once I have succeeded in getting an issue i n the mail - I find

i t necessary (to make a deadline) to edit the contributions

sent in - select the material to be developed - then s i t down

a t the t r u s t y mill and grind out 16 pages of layout material,

a l l subject to l a t e r change for l a s t minute corrections.

Next, I cut 8 mimeo stencils trying to proofread as I go

-^"with l i t t l e ' e f f e c t as shown by the excessive numbers of typos

..which appear in the finished product). Next comes mimeo work,

concentrating on inking and registration..,Now, collating

(sorting and gathering), then folding, and f i n a l l y addressing,

stamping, and stuffing envelopes.,,Do you wonder I heave a

King Size sigh of r e l i e f when the l o t i s dumped at the P, 0.1

Consequently my correspondence suffers. And another thing

-No Magical Manuscript can exist without material and

subscrib-e r s , Altho I havsubscrib-e considsubscrib-erablsubscrib-e Rusduck matsubscrib-erial on hand and

constantly (dream-up

) new brain-waves - the readers-mant a

variety of m a t e r i a l . . , F o r example - RON EDWARDS wants mental

, effects and I w i l l p r i n t them if they come in...Unfortunately

I'm short-suited in the mental and mathematical departments

and must s o l i c i t t h i s type of material if i t i s to appear in

Cardiste...No worth-while material of merit w i l l be refused.

And f i n a l l y to subscriptions,,.Fortunately Cardiste i s not a

means of existence for me. I t was conceived as a medium of

exchange of ideas r e l a t i v e to c a r d i s t r y , , , I have never r e

-ceived a dime from card entertainment as mine i s purely

hob-by, »»Yet, I expect Cardiste to pay i t s way

The cost i s very

nominal because I do all the work from start to finish and

place no monetary value on my time, since it is done in

my-spare-time hobbywise as I get the urge and inclination. I

have no incentive to promote a large circulation - and am

in competition with nobody. Not exclusive but independent!

At the time of my last, mailing - I was surprised to find that

approximately 2% was outside the USA, with the bulk of that

percentage going to England and Canada.,,Surprising in that I

didn't even consider this a potential market - or attempt to

slant the material in that vein at the time Cardiste was. .con-._.

^ived...It was only after WALKER FLEMING informed me that it

could be sent ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD for a 2£ stamp, I wakened,

SO - to wrap'it up - Don't EVER expect ANYTHING but a

home-spun, personalized handling and presentation in the usual

man-ner to which you have become accustomed in Cardiste - for if

the time ever comes - due to lack of interest or support - when

I am unwilling or unable to carry on - Cardiste will do the pro

verbial Arabian Act of Folding Its Tent and Stealing Away into

the Night - BUT ,- If you like Cardiste as it is - you can do

your bit by passing along the form enclosed with each issue to

some budding cardiste who might fan the spark,..It is the only

form of advertising and promotion aside from the reviews which

have been extremely favorable except for the honest

observat-ions (Are you there, Bulgy?) anent the tardiness of the sheet.

RE: STACKED DECKS: Did'ja know that you can't purchase any kind

BUT a Stacked-Deck? All Factory-Made decks

are pre-arranged in suit and sequence of values...This i s the

ideal stack and GENII used to record such items - and I believe

PCAM held a contest annually for such effects done from a

fact-ory sealed deck...If the cardiste could disguise this obvious

stack from the spectator,, he would have the only weapon

necess-ary for performing the acme of cardistry.

Obviously, Si Stebbins i s an outgrowth of the new-deck stack,,,,

because i t i s actually the new-deck order separated by the

progressing suit-chains. The new-deck order i s disguised but

observation will show the ascending values and_ repetition of

cles. I developed Si Stebbins into the "Rusdux System"

Inking Ring, Jan. '55 wherein'the cards run in the usual a l t

-;aating rotation of suits and colors - BUT the cards DO NOT

progress in steps of 3 . There i s NO repetition of cycles

with each set of 13 cards. The cards DO progress, following

a mathematical system, and the cards in each suit follow in

a progressive numerical sequence. YET - the deck w i l l stand

much closer examination than Si Stebbins will permit,

I havo stated before that I would not stack a deck simply to

perform a "Take-A-Card" effect. There are far too many

im-promptu methods to accomplish this* However, there ARE

cer-tain miracles which CANNOT be performed without

pre-arrange-ment - even with sleight mastery - and these are FAR BETTER

effects than the discovery typo - because regardless of the

infinite variety of discoveries you havo done JUST THAT

-and THAT ONLY - simply the same effect in the eyes of the

spectator - who if ho wanted to find a card - would merely

search thru the face-up deck u n t i l he located i t - RIGHT?

I agree that the presence of the stacked deck should remain

secret. But if you are able to perform with the spectator's

deck, which has been previously handled and mixed - don't you

have the edge on the commonplace "Take-A-Card" addict?

In my own routine I use stacked decks thruout. I open with

a "card Sense" item wherein a shuffled deck i s distributed

among the spectators and recalled a la Nikola, I then do

Koldex DeLuxe. From the displayed face-up cards at climax

I recite "Sermonette" which arranges the cards in proper

sequence for "Build-Up Bridge". This leaves the cards in

new deck order for my Solitaire Deals (Phoenix 298 "3'N'l")

again leaving cards in new deck order from which I can go

into the "Rusdux System" or "Fantabulous" as the fancy

strikes-me - and this a l l evolving from the spectator's

own shuffled deck. The point I'm trying to s e l l i s t h i s :

Don't b e l i t t l e the NU-DECK ORDER for the acme in cardistryl

Personally I can't understand why some look down on stacked

decks - when they are content to use gimmicked and obviously

phony items which could never stand inspection, or be used in

ordinary card table^routine...This seems to indicate a lack

of ingenuity or plain mental laziness - for my money - I ' l l

keep using proarrangement and keep trying to devise means to

accomplish this starting with anybody's well shuffled deck*

Remember t h i s : The use of ANYBODY'S CARDS, anywhere, any

time, any place, under any conditions i s the MIRACLE FACTOR!

KOLDEX DELUXE RUSDUCK

" H i e man who can do ONE TRICK WELL i s , t o my mind, a b e t t e r C o n j u r e r t h a n t h e man who meanders t h r o u g h half-a-dozen t r i c k s and leaves his audience wonder-ing what he i s supposed to have done I"- DAVID DEVANT This is of course my personal pride and joy. I t i s the r e s u l t of a long period of evolution in progressive build-ups used in poker dealing. Previous efforts in the "Build-Up" series have appeared over the years in Phoenix, Genii, and Linking Ring. I have become identified with this type of effect. Continual

changing, a l t e r i n g , developing and experimenting have gradually brought along the progressive poker deal to i t s present s t a t e

approaching perfection. As I write, I have long since discon-tinued the award winning deal in July, 1955 Linking Ring, and recent developments have brought the effect into a much more advanced s t a t e of perfection. This you w i l l be enabled to judge for yourself. I t i s suggested that you compare i t with the Linking Ring item mentioned above, as well as the purloined version appearing in Tarbell 6. TIME MARCHES ON - TEMPIS FUGITl KOLDEX DELUXE i s a demonstration of Master Poker Dealing in which you duplicate the operation of Cdld Decking by dealing a

series of Poker Hands in which the dealer always wins. In add-i t add-i o n , the d e a l e r ' s hand keeps gettadd-ing progressadd-ively better., with each set of hands d e a l t . The deal i s entirely automatic and s t r i c t attention to directions -will enable you to demon-s t r a t e a demon-sendemon-sational effect of pdemon-seudo-dexterity in deceptive dealing with anybody's deck, anytime and anywhere sards show. Required i s any ordinarycomplete deck of 52 playing cards pre-arranged from top to bottom, face-down, as follows:

K3 - 2C - XS - 2D - JS - 5H - QS - 5C - "AS - 5S - 9H - 3S - KH 3D - JH - 8H - QH - 3C - XH - 8S - 5D - 9D - 7D - KD - 7H - 8D 7C - JD - 7S - AD - 6H - 9C - 6D - XC - 3H - 8C - 6C - QC - 6S AC - Ifi - KC - 4D - XD - 4H - JC - 4C - QD - 9S - AH - 2H - 2S Only the f i r s t 50 cards are actually used in the progressive deals - the l a s t 2 (deuces) are shown and discarded on 1st deal,

CAUTION: Be certain that the cards are in exact order at the beginning of the routine. Take care in dealing and in pick-ing up the cards, to follow directions EXACTLY, so that the order of the cards does not become disarranged. REMEMBER: An incomplete 'deck, or careless handling in the deal or pick-up -which misplaces the order of even JUST ONE card, will com-pletely ruin the effect. Practice the routine repeatedly.

Deal or have the cards dealt into 10 face-down piles, in the

usual poker dealing routine, starting at dealer1s left and

continuing clockwise, dealing one card at a time with dealer last. It is preferable to have spectator make this deal, BUT make certain that the cards do not become disarranged.

Turn over and show an average distribution of the cards, with dealer however, being high with 3 aces. There are two cards remaining - the two deuces. Show and discard. Comment that it is necessary to deal better than average hands in order that the players will remain in the game. State that you pro-pose to deal several sets of poker hands, none of which will

show less than a straight, with each succeeding hand beating the one previously shown, and dealer topping them allways. Pick up the hands in the order dealt, 1 to 10, turning each face-down in your hand, and placing the next pile face-down upon it. False shuffle and cut, retaining the entire order of the deck, and proceed to deal ten more hands face-down in the same manner. ALL 10 HANDS show straights or better, with each hand topping all the ones preceding it, and the dealer's beating them all, I deal the hands on table in this manner:

2

1

(Dealer)

10

8

9

Hands are picked up one at a time and placed face-down in this order: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10. k, 5, 6, 7, 8. Hand 1 is on the bot-tom and hand 8 is on top. This arrangement places the cards in order for the succeeding deals of five hands which immed--iately follow. The five hands containing the face-cards are thus separated from the five containing number cards only, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANTI False shuffle & Cut retaining entire order.

IJOW deal out FIVE HANDS clockwise with dealer last. (NOTE:

All hands are dealt FACE-DOl/N in KOLDEX DELUXE routine. Lay down remainder of deck and show dealt hands. All meet

the required specifications of straights or better.

Pick up each hand in order, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and place face-down. Place remainder of deck on top. Again false shuffle and cut, retaining the complete order of deck.

Again deal five face-down hands in same manner and show. Pick up as before, placing remaining cards on top.

This deal is repeated for two more sets of five hands but I vary my layout in this case, So: The first set of five hands is dealt and left displayed on the table as below:

(Face-Up) 1 . 2 3 4 5

Now the 2nd set i s dealt, and in showing, they are placed

be-low the f i r s t set in this fashion:

6 7 8

9 10

1 usually conclude at this point, by picking up the cards as

named in the "SERMONETTE" Lecture - but t h i s need not be the

conclusion if you so desire.

Pick up piles 6, 7* 8 (the middle ones) in order and place

face-down on your palm. Follow with piles 1, 2, 3, 4> 5, 9,

10 in order. (This leaves' pile 6 on bottom - 10 on top),

Gne perfe'ct Faro shuffle w i l l now return cards to t h e i r

original order. Add the two discarded deuces to bottom.

If you don't do the perfect riffle shuffle, the cards can be

returned to their original order by picking up as shown and

dealing them into FIVE FACE-DOW PILES, collecting them in

the order 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and AGAIN dealing into five face-down

idles. The collected cards are now in ORIGINAL ORDER AGAIN I

1 perform this effect with anybody's previously well-shuffled

'leek, I ^original ly learned the set-up a la Nikola, but by

constant repetition of the effect, the cards and their

locat-ions in the deck became so well associated numeraciy that each

card has a designated location in the deck by number with the

1 ntal picture association Nikolawise that I now reserve the

(6)

Nikola method for the impromptu challenge effect of memoriz-ing anybody's well shuffled deck on the spot. However, you need not go to any of this trouble. My previous Koldex

eff-ect used this simple method of doing the routine with no memory work whatsoever:

WITH ANYBODY'S CARDS: Type or print the KOLDEX order on the back of a business or calling card, and place in your wallet or bill-fold, so that you will always have it in your possess-ion. Have the shuffled cards cut into several piles with each given to a spectator, which can be examined and further shuffled if desired.

State that while many persons believe that gamblers always cheat when they play cards, the truth of the matter is that most of them prefer to rely more upon their memories, which in most cases are highly developed. They feel that as long as they know definitely just which cards have been played and which ones have not, they have a sufficient advantage over their less informed opponents. Most of us when playing cards do not concentrate upon the game, with the result that often we are in doubt as to which cards are still unplayed. As an example of how one's memory can be trained, this demonstrat-ion will show how thru constant practice and effort, card memory - commonly known as "Card Sense" can be developed. Direct each of the volunteers to give you a fleeting glimpse of the cards he holds. Take a quick glimpse at each group of cards and state that you will attempt to call each card in the deck without regard to sequence, value, suit, or color, at random, until all 52 cards have been called, without re-peating any card once named.

Retire to a far corner of the room and turn your back, stat-ing that you do not wish to see the cards, since this would

interfere with your powers of concentration. Instruct your volunteers, as each card is called, to have it placed face-upward on a pile upon the table, and indicate when this has been done.

When you turn your back, fold your arms, and simulate deep concentration. Read off the cards in order from your pre-pared Key-Card. Yes, Cardistes - it's as simple as that 7 but for the sake of presentation, appear to hesitate and

concentrate. Each card is called in proper sequence,

TELE-MENTAL RUSDUCK

T,.;hile w a i t i n g f o r m e n t a l c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o come a l o n g , i n r e -s p o n -s e t o RON EDWARDS' r e q u e -s t , I t h i n k I w i l l k i c k - o f f w i t h a mental speller I have used on occasion.

This idea is based on one found in Greater Magic and i s made possible by cards spelling with varying number of l e t t e r s . In most versions, 9 indifferent cards are used to get to the starting point of the spell - but in t h i s one - only the cards from which the mental choice i s to be made, are used. This

one even makes Rusduck happy - because a certainamount of pre-arrangement i s used.

EFFECT: Any of one to four spectators are handed a group of cards with instructions to REMEMBER one of them. Spectator now makes a MENTAL SPELL of his card and i t turns up on the l a s t l e t t e r * At no time does the cardiste need know the card selected - or is required to handle the cards o onco they have been given to the spectator.

METHOD: Altho each spectator i s given a "hand of cards" he gets EXACTLY SIX, each respectively spelling with 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, & 15 l e t t e r s . You will, perhaps prefer pre-arrangement of the cards - but I use a well-shuffled deck and hand the cards one-at-a-time at random (?) (So I

say) giving him his cards face-up in his hand. Actually they are culled in the required order,.

Now in order to make his mental spell function, the cards must be given in t h i s order (face-up):

1 3 - 1 4 - 15 - 10 - 11 - 12 - for example: QS - 9D - QD - AC - 2H - 4S :

NOVJ by having spectator turn cards face-down in his hand and i.iaking a mental spell of his card - taking one card from top and placing i t on the bottom for each l e t t e r , and turning up the card on the final S. I t must be his mentally selected <\ird. This i s automatic, and can be repeated infedinitely as long as the order i s unchanged and the 13 l e t t e r card i s 1 s t ,

CARDISTE'S FIRST COMMANGQMENT: THOU SHALT ALWAYS HAVE AT THY COMMAND, THINE TRUSTED TABLETS OF TAROT, BE THE MASTERY OF WHICH, THOU 1JILT BE THUS ENABLED TO GO FORTH AMONG THE MULTITUDES, TO ACCOMPLISH MIRACULOUS MARVELS AND MYSTERIES THEREWITH I - R u s d u c k

Way back around 1930 - when I was attending Penn State Univer-s i t y - I got my f i r Univer-s t Univer-symptomUniver-s of my inUniver-satiable and incurable mania for cardistry. One day an itinerant cardiste came to our fraternity house and proceeded too show his wares* He did a magnificent array of flourishes and some tricks of the "Take -A-Card" variety, and then offered to expose the know-how for a price. I didn't have the necessary mazuma but was none-the-less bitten by the bug.

In the course of his working he did the springing of cards -from hand to hand, and a l l his card shuffles were done in the hands - a l l in a l l , a very astonishing display for an impress-ionable young freshman like myself.

I started practicing the shuffle and in my confused mind, the two sleights mentioned became interwoven, and I actually be-lieved he made his shuffles by springing the cards together from the hands.

S0-0-0- I practiced this and accomplished i t . I used i t for years under the impression that i t was the accepted manner of procedure for the r i f f l e shuffle, off the table and in the hands. At no time did I attempt to make any fal-se shuffles simply because I had never knennthey existed. I used i t in normal card playing procedure with my friends.

One day I accidently discovered that this r i f f l e shuffle was NOT mixing the top and bottom cards. I was unconsciously

releasing the cards irf my l e f t hand f i r s t , and finishing with those in my right hand. Further research showed that this did did not affect only the top and bottom cards, but the top and bottom stock of cards as well.

Sometime l a t e r , another accidental incident occurred which convinced me that I really had something. In springing the cards into each other,' I somehow released a l l the cards in the left hand BELOW a l l the cards in the right hand, and in-gathering them found that the order of the deck was NOT

J nged in the l e a s t . I t r i e d this again and again and .ound the shuffle completely deceptive, because the cards made the same c l a t t e r as the legitimate shuffle and the 3quaring-up process was the same - thus disguising any chicanery with an appearance of fairness and authenticity, 1 have tested this riffleshuffle for the past 25 years

-even before I got into magic - and have yet to see i t written up in magical l i t e r a t u r e . I have never been called on i t - e even tho I have used i t frequently in card games in conjunct-ion with genuine shuffles to determine if anybody would notice ihe irregulafcity. The only comments I ever received were r e -garding the showiness of the r i f f l e shuffle. I am passing

this along for your approbation - and would appreciate i f the book sentinels like SID LORRAINE, STEWART JAMES, TOM RANSOM, ct al would l e t me know if t h i s has ever appeared in this form - and applied to this use. Ha/Z1 ABOUT IT, GENTS?

RUSDUCK RIFFLE RUSDUCK

This rapid, showy and deceptive riffle shuffle will do all of the following actions with an identical deceptive action:

1. Legitimate Riffle Shuffle

2* Retain Top and/or Bottom Cards.

3. Retain Top and/or Bottom Stock, 4. Retain Entire Order of Deck. Expedite the Riffle Cut.

GMgUINE SHUFFLE: ' Deck is divided into halves and one-half ta-ken in each hand with thumb at one end, and the bases of the four fingers at the other.

Hands are brought within two or three inches of each other with tho extended fingers cupped below, and the cards sprung simul-taneously from the respective thumbs. Cards from each hand are sprung into the released card's from the other, and are gathered on the cupped fingers below. They are then squared, and again cut with riffle being continued as desired. At first, you will

i^perienoe difficulty 'in catching the cards, but as the posit-ion is learned, it becomes increasingly easy.

RETAINING TOP & BOTTOM CARDS: I found that in order to fac-ilitate the catching of the cards in the fingers below - the move was aided if I released a small group from one of the thumbs before beginning to release them from the other. By the same token, since there remained more cards in the other hand, they were the last to be riffled off, and remained in-tact on the top of the deck. This becomes an authomatic move in this riffle shuffle, even when you make an attempt to do a genuine riffle shuffle. This move takes care of retaining top and bottom stock of cards intact as well a single cards. . RETAINING ENTIRE ORDER: Divide deck as before. Bring hands together with fingers beneath. All cards in left hand are sprung BELOW all cards in right hand. The springing of the cards simultaneously, from both hands, disguises the fact that there is no change. The rapidity of the riffle shuffle also aids in this subterfuge. The clatter of the sprung cards is identical with that of the genuine riffle shuffle.

RIFFLE CUT: Same as retaining entire order, but place half completing cut on top or bottom as necessary. It is recommended that you^ experiment to determine the pro-per position for holding the cards. I f you have ever sprung, cards from the thumbs in a ribbon release, you have already acquired the necessary grip.

Don't be discouraged if you drop cards at the beginning. The shuffle is designed for card table procedure and should be practiced as such. Experiment will show you the proper dis-tance the hands should be held apart, and how the extended fingers in both hands below the deck should be placed in or-der to catch the cards as sprung.

Then test yourself as I did, in actual friendly card games, by interspersing legitimate shuffles with the phony ones (the legitimate shuffles will keep your conscience serene) and I predict that the only comment you receive will be re-garding your skill and flair for flourishing in riffling.

This is my idea of a universal riffle shuffle because of its speed, showiness and deceptiveness and readily replaces sev-eral of the basic sleights you have spent years to master. Why not master this ONE SLEIGHT, forgetting the others?????

RUSDUCK ROULETTE RUSDUCK

S e v e r a l y e a r s ago C a r d i c i a n ED MARLO s e n t me h i s manuscript-.1 -MEXICAN SOLITAIRE - an i n g e n i o u s system f o r p l a c i n g t h e c a r d s i n a r e q u i r e d arrangement i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h a Card System, t didn't seriously try i t i m t i l recently I saw what could-be accomplished in the All-Mario Issue of IBIDEM Mo, 8 . (HOUARD LYONS i s s t i l l waiting for Y O U R subscription), Ed shows sonic marvelous Poker Deals accomplished by this system used i n conjunction with the faro-shuffle, I wondered if some-thing similar could not bo done which would wind up with the cards completely set-up for the SI STEBBINS System and this i s the final r e s u l t . This display of an apparent memory feat

/jill wind-up with SI STEBBINS from a well-shuffled deck. PRESENTATION: As a new type of Solitaire in which the cards

are placed in four piles so that there- i s no duplication of values in any p i l e , and each p i l e containing one card of each value from Ace thru King,

PROCEDURE: Have deck well shuffled and extract the k a c e s . Place them face-up on table i n t h i s manner:

• C H D

S

Take the remaining cards one at a time and place each face-up on the aces i n accordance with the following system:

PLACE: 2 - 3 - 4 On 1st pile Counter-Clockwise (R to L) from Suit Key-Card.

5 - 6 - 7 On opposite pile of same color as Key-Ace. 8 - 9 -10 1st pile clockwise (L to R) from Suit

Key-Ace,

J - Q - K Place on same suit Key-Ace.

This should be followed slowly and carefully to familiarize yourself with the procedure in placing the cards correctly, i t i s suggested that you follow with t h i s diagram key before you in placing the cards for a few times u n t i l you become

familiar -with the system. This is not really difficult. A few examples; JS go'es on the Spade Ace; AH goes oounter-clockwise 1 pile from AH or on AS; 8D goes oounter-clockwise 1 pile from AD or on AS; 6C goes on opposite Ace of same color, or on AS«

When you have gone thru the deck - check each pile to determine if conditions have been met; No duplication of values, and one card of each value front Ace> to King.

Cards on AS should be 2, 3, & 4 of Hearts; 5, 6, & 7 of Clubs; 8, 9, & 10 of Diamonds; and J, Q, & K of Spades.

Heart Ace should have 2, 3, & 4 of Clubs; 5, 6, & 7 Diamonds; 8, 9, & 10 of Spades; and J, Q, & K of Hearts.

Club Ace should have 2, 3, & 4 of Diamonds; 5, 6, & 7 Spades; 8, 9, & 10 of Hearts; and J* Q, & K of Clubs.

Diamond Ace should have 2, 3, & 4 of Spades; 5, 6, & 7 Hearts; 8, 9, & 10 of Clubs; and J, Q, K of Diamonds.

Cards in each pile will be in mixed order however, and you now pick up the spade pile and start placing cards in 3 face-up piles so: A - 2 - 3; now place 4 on A; 5 on 2; 6 on 3; 7 on 4| 8 on 5; 9 on 6; 10 on 7; J on 8; Q on 9; and K on 10.

Pile with Q on top is placed on K pile; and J pile is placed on all. Completed pile is squared and placed aside face-up.

Continue same procedure with heart, club & diamond ace piles in turn, placing each on top of spade pile as collected.

Examination will show that the cards are in SI STEBBINS order using the SHOD sequence. You will like to play around with this system even if you don't use it. The placing of the cards upon the proper key-aces will provide sufficient mental gymnas-tics to brush out,the cobwebs. With SI STEBBINS to hand - YOU

take it from here*

Perhaps next issue I will disclose my latest variation on SI STEBBINS, which I have called "TRI-QUAD"...This retains all the virtues of the parent stack and eliminates weaknesses./ilUSS/

.^cO FAVORITES; J u s t o n e i t e m i n t h i s d e p a r t m e n t f o r t h i s

issue, and i t uses a move dating clear back

to the Hoffmann Era (What's so bad about t h a t ? ) .

ZIG ZAG

RUSDUCK

I have worked out a 10 card effect of the "Follow The Leader"

type, consisting of five red and f i v e black c a r d s . I t f o l

-lows the usual p l o t of cards coming out i n the r e s p e c t i v e

colors as determined by "leader" cards - but a l s o incorporates

the following remarkable coincidences:

1, Cards appear matched for v a l u e .

2 . Cards appear i n numerical paired sequence.

This of course follows the p l o t of leading cards being t r a n s

-posed with subsequent cards in proper color order on appearance.

Here i s how I work the e f f e c t :

Ten cards are d e a l t off and separated for colors: - I use these

cards: - A, K, Q, J & 10 of Spades and Hearts r e s p e c t i v e l y ^

In the color separation the cards a r e arranged i n t o two hands

thus: Spades: - A - Q - 1 0 - K - J

• Hearts : - K - J - A - Q - 1 0

The spade hand i s held face-up i n the l e f t hand, and the h e a r t

hand i s held i n the same manner i n t h e r i g h t . Both hands are

shown to be i n mixed order without s p e c i f i c mention of t h i s .

Now the two hands a r e brought together and the cards i n t e r

-laced by moans of the old-fashioned fan-weave which brings

them i n t o the following order:

AS - KH - QS - JH - 10S - AH - KS - QH - J S . - 10H

This is- done i n a single move by slapping the black cards

n the red ones so t h a t - t h e corners interweave. I have found

oxpbr&merrfe t h a t i f I press downward on the l o f t hand cards

and upward with the r i g h t hand cards simultaneously - the

cards buckle s u f f i c i e n t l y to create t h e necessary openings

so t h a t tho cards may interweave for c o r r e c t color a l t e r n a t i o n .

Cards are How i n correct order f o r t h e effect to continue.

They are squared i n turning face-down and then separated

i n t o two h a l v e s . Both halves are squared and turned f a c e

-up simultaneously, showing a red 10 and a black 10 on the

faces of the r e s p e c t i v e p i l e s .

Both p i l e s are placed side by side on the t a b l e face-down

and top cards taken and placed i n faceup p o s i t i o n to i n

-d i c a t e l e a -d e r s . These are the r e s p e c t i v e a c e s .

I n the usual p l o t procedure, the leaders are transposed and

the next two face-down cards (one from each p i l e ) are shown

and placed with t h e i r proper l e a d e r s . Both pi^es are t r a n s

-posed f o r each set of face-down p a i r s and effect i s

complet-ed showing t h a t the cards have followcomplet-ed t h e i r leaders i n a

zig-zag path thru the subsequent t r a n s p o s i t i o n s ; and i n

add-i t add-i o n they have appeared 'add-in Paadd-ired Values - and add-i n Numeradd-ical

Sequence - TRULY A TRIPLE THREAT COINCIDENCEI

HEY JOHNNY! I'm catching up. Last issue, I stated that I could accomplish the one-hand perfect riffle shuffle once'in about a hundred times...Now I find I can do it on an average of about once in twenty-five - However I'm not kidding myself that this accomplishment will put me in the same league with SCARNE...Some of us are gifted as show-men - others are not...I classify myself as an inventor and creator of effects - rather than one who has the aptitude of selling them.to an audienGe...But I don't feel too badly a-bout it...LLOYD JONES tells me that the genius CHARLES T. JORDAN who created so many, many effects now in public dom-ain - would NEVER APPEAR IN PUBLICll I will be sincerely gratified and flattered if any Rusduck Effects find favor with others - and there will never be any feelings of self-ishness or remorse in passing along my ideas to cardistes, Personally - I derive a'complete inner satisfaction by set-ting myself a problem - working out a solution to.it - and passing the result along for your approbation in Cardistel

' ' '

Lii£ OTHER CHEEK: Alt ho the stature of MAX KATZ as a figure

wizard i s well assured, and he certainly fy

needs no defense - he certainly has backing in support of the

solution he gave in Cardiste 5 for coding the stud hole card.

1 myself find this an ingenious and practical approach, and

now I find support in a l e t t e r from JOHN J. CRIMMINS, JR. the

eminent reviewer for Hugard's Magic Monthly,

John writes in part: "Just read with considerable surprise

that Max Katz

remarkable code contribution to your issue #5

has become a controversial i s s u e . What goes? Some find i t

is not a 'true 4 card divination', others find the explanation

too complicated'. Actually ONLY A CARDS ARE NAMED. The hole

card is named as such, but this I think i s the most intriguing

part of the code...By now you must realize that I think Max

Katz has come up with one of the BEST BITS OF CARD MAGIC to

appear in several years...Of course, I may have a b i t of

advan-tage since Max explained the entire code to me some time ago

with several demonstrations. I found i t extremely ingenious,

very simple to understand, and easy to l e a r n . . . 1 read the

in-structions carefully,"~I found them complete and

understand-able, and have just finished dealing hands for the past 20

minutes and getting a t e r r i f i c kick out of coding them.,•

I'm s t i l l enthused over i t . I think i t ' s tops I . . . "

Thanks, JACK CRIMMINS, now I feel vindicated in my belief that

MAX KATZ has really honored Cardiste with a top-drawer item,

and can now show my face again after being forced to pull in

my neck fifter the controversial Katz Item appeared.»,Guess I

must develop some editorial i n t e s t i n a l fortitude, Hi, LLOYD?

Now don't be scared off - The pages of Cardiste are open to

reader's viewpoints and I welcome your criticisms - so keep

sending them - and I ' l l keep writing them - I t ^ s a l l yours

.

,

CARDISTE HAS ARRIVED: Last issue I mentioned that ED MARIO

was the only "Card Star" who had

ack-nowledged receipt of Cardiste,..Now I have heard from the

MAESTRO himself - DAI VERNON who says in part: "Please

ex-cuse my laxity, I very seldom write to anyone...Allow me at

this time to congratulate you for some of the ingenious things

voyi have come out with,..Few realize how much thought and

eff-i't and discarding often precede a finished e f f e c t , , , I t i s

rprising sometimes how actually simple a thing becomes after

:h groping, changing and improving.,,

« A LESSON FROM DAJj