y Lofayne's VOL.12 NO.l
$4.25
JAN., 1989
pocalypse ISSUE NO.133
•forme four or five years ago, Martin Nash included an effect on a video tape (he also did it at lectures) that consisted of a spectator dealing 26 face-down cards onto the table as he dealt a face-up card onto each. After all the cards were dealt, the spectator selected any 3 pairs. These were shown to match; i.e., they consisted of mates - 3H/3D, JC/JS, 9D/9H, etc. Then Martin showed that all the pairs consisted of "matching" cards. Ed always felt that this nullified the impact of only the three selected pairs matching. As a matter of fact, all the remaining pairs of cards should be shown as not consisting of matching cards. I agree that that makes for a much stronger effect. Ed solved the problem some years ago, and has since streamlined it. This is it. 1) He always starts a full-deck StayStack (a Rusduck idea) with a new deck of U.S. Playing Cards (Tally-Ho, Bicycle). These come cased from top down - AH to KH, AC to KC, KD to AD, KS to AS. The AH is the top card, AS is at bottom. Now, continuing Ed's handling: 2) Discard the jokers and all extra cards and hold the deck - faces of cards toward you. Push over (thumb spread) all the spades into your right hand, without reversing their order. Onto these, thumb over all the diamonds. Then, simply drop those 26 cards (spades/diamonds) onto the remaining half deck. 3) Now, from top of the face-down deck AH to KH, AC to KC, KS to AS, KD to AD. AH on top, AD at bottom, the black kings at center - 26th and 27th from top. Cut between those black kings and you automatically cut exactly at center - in half. Do an "in" or "out" faro, or you e COPYRIGHT 1989 by H. Lorayne, Inc.
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can even set-up is of mates the faros
do off-center faros - the Stay-Stack retained! You will always have a pair at exact center deck, so cutting for is no problem.
4) After a sufficient number of faro shuffles (and false cuts, if desired), you go into the matching routine. The first part of Eddie's routine was published in Ibidem. In 1964, an enlarged version appeared in Faro Controlled Miracles. (Martin Nash used a large portion of it in forming his own routine, climaxing with the matching of all the pairs.)
And, it's a simple matter for your right fingers to grasp that bottom card's right long side as your thumb takes the top face-up card. Thumb and fingers squeegee, and hold, both of the cards. (Fig. 2; stop action.) That's how I do it; use your own method. It's an easy thing to get away with under these circumstances. Rest these two, slightly spread, cards on the left-hand cards, sidejogged to the right. There is an illogicality here - if your right hand had really taken the top two cards, a face up card would show on top of the left-hand portion. Now, a face-down card shows. This won't register - you don't give it a chance to. Your left thumb holds the 2 cards against the deck for an instant — Fig. 3 — as your right hand grasps only the face-up card at its right side and turns it face down onto the other card. Now take both cards at their right sides - thumb on top, fingers at face - and raise the right hand to display their faces. Point out that they do not match. Toss both cards face down onto the table.
5) As mentioned, the approach is to show that only the three freely chosen pairs consist of matching mates. Okay; after some faros, you can do a face-up ribbon spread to show the mixed condition of the cards. (The spectators must believe that the deck is thoroughly shuffled.) Then, cut the deck between the centered mates (they'll always be 26th and 27th from top) and place the face-down halves onto the table. Let him pick up either half and hold it face down. You pick up the other half (you can false shuffle or cut it, if you like - as long as this is not taken as permission for your spectator to do the same; up to you) and flip it face up. 6) You need quite a large working-surface space, of course. Instruct him to deal cards from the top of his portion - singly and face down - not one on top of the other. As he deals a face-down card, you deal a face-up card onto it. Every pair will, of course, consist of two mates. When all his cards have been dealt, and each has your face-up card on it, tell your assistant to point to any three "sets." He can change his mind as often as he likes. Build the free-choice aspect of it (since he really does have a free choice). 7) As soon as he's made his choice (of 3 ) , you pick up all the remaining pairs, one pair onto the other, using both hands — until all but the 3 chosen pairs are assembled and squared into left-hand dealing position. 8) Now, you want to show, quickly, that none of the in-hand pairs match. The left thumb pushes over only the top face-up card. As your right hand is about to take that card, the bottom face-down card is taken along with it. In other words, do an "Open Double Deal." This is the only real "move" in the routine. When holding an almost full deck, here's what I do: As my right hand momentarily holds the deck from above, my left fingers push the bottom card to the right in a side-steal action. It's sidejogged only enough to allow my left fingertips to press the right long side of that card alongside the deck's right long side. It's bent up to rest against the deck's side. (Fig. 1 is as exposed as I can manage; right hand is removed for clarity.) This prepares for a "Greek" bottom deal. Now, your left hand again holds the deck in dealing position.
9) You now show all the pairs - in a rather rapid fashion - in, seemingly, the same way you showed the first pair. Read this carefully, with cards in hand, because this is how you'll show every pair. Your left thumb deals over the top face-down card, exposing the face-up card under it. With your right hand, stud turn the top face-down card face up, bringing its face toward you. At the same time, raise both hands as your right hand places its card beneath the left-hand's top face-up card. Your left thumb pushes over that card a bit in order to facilitate this. (Fig. 4.) The lower face-up card (the one just turned face up) is sidejogged to the right about half an inch. Your left thumb holds the 2 cards in place, freeing your right hand to turn palm down and grasp both cards - fingers on face and thumb below. (Fig. 5.) Turn the two cards face outward (back of your right hand outward) so that your audience can see them. Point out that they do not match. Drop them face down onto the first face-down tabled pair. '1586-
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10) Repeat exactly with the next 2 cards. Remember that these actions, showing each pair, are done rather quickly. Not so quickly that your spectators can't see the faces of each of the pairs. That's the point, of course. As you do this, you may become aware of the fact that one card of each pair does match one card of the next pair. Don't worry about it because your spectators won't be aware of it. That's why Ed put it all together this way, the pairs being dropped face down, and that's one of the reasons it is all done rather quickly. (The other reason is that you want to arrive at the strong ending faster.) Also, in each case, the matching card (in each 2nd pair) is covered by the full card of that pair as the two cards are flashed. You'll see what I mean when you try it. Believe me, there's no need to worry about it. As I show the pairs, I will occasionally say, "That's close - but not a match." I do this when I see, for example, a black 9 and a black 10, or a red jack and a black jack, and so on.
the
11) After showing all your pairs, point to three tabled, chosen, pairs. Stress again
SOL STONE
the free-choice angle -- and show, as dramatically as you like, that all three are matching pairs! Afterthoughts: Ed is aware of the fact that if aTT pairs were dealt face down it would be easier to accomplish the necessary mis-matching and that's one of the reasons he doesn't do it. He also feels, and I agree, that that, somehow, does not have the same strong impact. He also feels that cutting down on the number of pairs dealt onto the table also does not - for some reason - have the same strong impact. Again, I agree. And yes, there are other ways to "go" once you're in Stay Stack. For example, you could say, "I want you to have half the deck," and openly (and also rapidly) count down 26 cards, reversing their order. (This would eliminate any thought that you can cut 26 cards too easily. ) Then, your spectator deals face-down cards onto the table from his selected face-down half as you deal face-up cards from the top of your face-down half. I'm sure Ed would agree that this is a good alternative handling. I taught it in the text, however, exactly as he does it.
ARITHMAGIC
|his is just as smooth as silk in Sol's hands. I've taught some of the moves before, but I will keep this complete unto itself. The routine lasts only seconds but, obviously, it will take much longer than that for me to teach it. It's done standing up, facing your spectator - and you'll need one half dollar and one quarter. Prepare by Classic Palming the quarter in your left hand, and finger palming the half dollar in your right hand.
Spellbound (left-hand) position as you end the remark. Sol does a slight tossing motion with his right hand just as the change occurs. This also shows the right hand to be empty.
To Perform: Ask to borrow a quarter. Take it with the fingertips of your right hand, and place it between your left thumb and forefinger to sideways Spellbound position. (Fig. 1.) Obviously, you have to watch your angles throughout this routine, so that the palmed coins do not flash. Pivot the visible quarter with your extended right forefinger - to show its other side. Then, as you patter, "If I multiply this quarter by two - we get a half dollar," change the quarter to a half dollar via the standard Spellbound action. Your right hand moves to the front of the visible quarter, the back of your right thumb pushes it back to fall to left-hand finger palm (Fig. 2) as your right hand moves to leave the half dollar in its place. In Figure 2, the half dollar is still in right-hand finger palm. Your right hand moves back to the right to display the half dollar in sideways
"If I divide this half dollar by two - we get two quarters!" The actions to match: As the left hand turns toward you, bringing the outward surface of the half dollar upward, your right thumb and forefinger grasp it, forefinger on top. The first crease of your forefinger is near the coin's left edge. (Fig. 3.) Slide the half dollar back into thumb palm with the forefinger (Fig. 4 ) as your palm-down right hand moves to the heel area of your left palm and moves toward the left fingertips in a wave or "brush" gesture. As your right hand moves, your left fingers (under cover of the right hand) flip the finger-palmed quarter toward your left palm, bringing the quarters closer together it looks better that way. (Fig. 5.) The forefinger sliding the coin back to thumb palm, incidentally, is a very clean way to "vanish" a coin. Practice until it happens smoothly.
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