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STUDY. PRACTICE. SCRIPT. REHEARSE. PERFORM.
Neo-Classic Card Routines
Excerpted from the pages of 'Carpe Chartaes' by Mick Ayres. Copyright 2003 by CardWorker.com. All rights reserved.
CUT POKER
You borrow a deck of cards and offer to play a creative game of chance with the spectator. You and the spectator each cut the
deck five times, alternating back and forth, and each time the cut card is removed from the deck and placed aside. As the
game progresses, it gradually becomes obvious that you have cut an unbeatable, winning hand!
For years, Cut Poker has been my response when a spectator says, "Wow, I'd hate to play cards with you". It's fun, incredibly
simple and entertaining from start to finish.
Begin by asking for the use of a deck of cards. Have your friend shuffle the deck thoroughly before handing it to you. Say,
“We’re going to play a new game of chance and we need all fifty-two cards but no jokers. Let’s make sure.” As you run the
cards from hand to hand, don’t actually count them. Instead, secretly cull a royal flush in hearts to the back of the deck.
Remove any jokers you come across. Marlo’s Prayer Cull or Hofzinzer's Spread Cull are both wonderful techniques. I prefer
the Hofzinzer method and, although it has been described in detail in several publications, I will explain it briefly here:
HOFZINZER SPREAD CULL
With the deck face up, begin spreading the cards from left to right. As the cards are received into the right hand,
keep your right second, third and fourth fingers loose. After a few cards have passed, you’ll spot your first
desired card. Use your right fingers to slide the desired card underneath the spread and pull it as far to the right
as possible. You’ll need to develop a few habits here. First, your first few cards should be delivered into the web
of the right thumb. Second, keep the flow of cards moving gently and steadily. Third, ignore your tendency to
gaze at the cards in the center of the spread; instead, focus your attention on the spot where the cards begin to
leave the left hand. This enables you to identify the desired cards long before they get into position to be culled.
Fourth, your right hand should not square the cards as it receives them. Instead, always leave three or four cards
spread out a bit. This will help tremendously during the cull itself.
To complete the cull, continue spreading cards until you spot your next selection. Here’s where the fourth point
comes into play. Your right fingers slide the selection underneath the spread to the right and underneath the
first card. Those three or four cards in the right hand that remained jogged to the left will keep the balance of the
deck flowing into the gap between the first card and the previously-run cards. This same technique is used to cull
the remaining three selections.
Bear in mind, you are not trying to get the culled cards in numerical order; in fact, the more random the better. Once the cards
have been culled, square the face up deck and hold it face up in your left hand as you say, “Good enough. Let’s play a game
of Cut Poker, shall we?” Using your right thumb, reach over and pull up on the inside left corner of the deck’s face card
(nearest the base of the left thumb), giving it a crimp. Place the deck face down on the table between you and the spectator.
The crimped card is now on the bottom of the deck with the crimp towards you.
Say, “Here are the rules. We each place a wager of one dollar on the table. As the game progresses we may add to it as we
wish. The game is played by giving the deck one fair, regulation cut. The cut card is removed from the top of the deck and
placed face up. We take turns and alternate back and forth, cutting the deck until each of us has built up a five-card poker
hand. The winning hand wins the pot. Simple! The first cut is a point of honor, so please...be my guest.”
As he gives the deck a complete cut, he will bury the royal flush in the middle of the deck with the crimped card directly above
it. Have your friend remove the top card and place it face up to one side. No matter what card he has, comment on it in a
favorable way such as, “Good start! There’s no telling what hand can be built from that card. Remember, you may increase
your wager at anytime.” Reach over and cut the deck at the break formed by the crimp. Complete the cut and lay the first card
of the royal flush face up on your side of the table.
Don’t comment on your card. Gesture at the pack, indicating that it is now his turn to cut. Each time he cuts the deck, he is
setting you up to cut to the remaining royal flush cards. Continue in this manner, alternating back and forth until you each have
cut five cards. Keep a running commentary going about his cards while ignoring your cards altogether.
Since the royal flush was not culled in any particular order, it usually will not dawn on your friend that you are building a very
strong hand until the third or fourth cuts. There is ample room for plenty of humor in this situation. For example, keep
reminding him that he may increase his bet at any time...you accept all major credit cards...even traveler’s checks, etc. Smile
kindly when you ask, “Anybody for double or nothing?”
I'm probably not the first one to think of this use of the Hofzinzer Spread Cull...but perhaps I am the first to put a solid
presentation to it. To give credit where it is due, in his beautifully direct effect Always Cut The Cards, Larry Jennings uses the
same crimped-card/ cutting-sequence, albeit for a different purpose. In the same spirit, the plot of Cut Poker meets the
cardworker's goal of wringing every drop of entertainment possible from each sleight.
FIRST DATE
A card is freely selected, signed and returned to the deck. The deck is thoroughly shuffled. At this time, the spectator calls out
a number and deals that many cards to the table. The last card dealt is the selection!
Technically speaking, this is a demanding routine. However, to the spectator this effect is simple, direct and packs a lot of
punch. First Date was created as the answer to a self-imposed challenge: it had to be a straight deck (no duplicates, no
preset), the number had to be freely chosen and no shuffling or mixing of the cards was to take place (to the eyes of the
audience anyway) after the chosen number had been publicly declared. Some of the modus operandi in this trick owes a debt
to Paul Cummins' trick Count On It. However, the differences in the handling and presentation create a whole new effect for the
audience, so Paul has given First Date his thumb stamp of approval--and that's a fine compliment any day.
To begin, have a card selected, signed and returned to the deck. Control the card to the top of the deck using any pass, shift
or steal that is most comfortable to you.
Spread the pack face down between your hands and injog the tenth card from the top of the deck. I count the cards in blocks
of three each. After the third block is counted (nine cards) simply injog the next card. As you do this, say, “Your card is lost in
the deck; but let’s give it a good shuffle before we continue.” Close the spread and hold the deck loosely in the left hand. Lift
up on the right edge of the deck and lever the pack until the back of the deck is resting against the base of the left thumb in
preparation for a simple overhand shuffle.
With your right hand, grip the deck by its ends and push against the jogged card so you obtain a right thumb break below the
top ten cards. Shuffle off the top card into the left hand. Next, allow the remaining nine-card packet to drop onto the single
card in the left hand. Now, injog the next single card, run three cards and injog the next single card. Finally, shuffle off the
remainder of the deck. Under the guise of a common overhand shuffle, you have arranged the deck so the selection is on the
bottom and the eleventh and fifteenth cards from the bottom are injogged.
Hold the deck face down in the left hand and, as you square the deck, you will secretly obtain a double-break. Simply lift up on
the lower jogged card to secure a break below it and push down on the upper jogged card to get a break above it. It reads like
a lot, but it takes no time at all. The deck is now broken into three sections. The bottom packet contains ten cards, the middle
packet contains five cards and the upper portion holds the balance of the deck.
Say, “You have chosen a card and marked it with your signature. So, please think of any number between 1 and 52. No--wait
a second. Instead, I’d like to locate your card in a unique manner. So let's come up with a number that is special to you...
okay? Think about the first time you went out on a date...do you remember how old you were? That’s a number only you would
know and, if you don’t mind, we’ll use that as our special number. 15? That’s great!”
I scripted this patter-line to give the impression that any number could have been chosen. In truth, you have cleverly forced
him to think of a number between 10 and 20.
As soon as you hear the number (in this case ‘15’) drop the lower break only. You now have a break above the bottom fifteen
cards of the deck. Experience has taught me that fifteen is the most common answer. However, if the answer is ‘seventeen’,
you would simply release the bottom break, use your right thumb to drop two cards off the bottom of the upper portion and
secure a new break above the bottom seventeen cards of the deck. Or, if the answer is ‘thirteen’, release the top break, reach
down with your right thumb and drop three cards onto the lower portion and you are set. The point is, with this technique you
can get a break above a fairly large number of cards in no time flat.
Look up at the spectator and ask, “That’s a coincidence. I was fifteen on my first date, too.” The moment the spectator looks
up at you, execute a pass and table the deck. This puts the selected card exactly fifteen cards from the top. Please do not be
tempted to merely cut to the break. The classic Hermann pass or my own Ceilidgh Pass work well here since you are
transferring a smaller block of cards from the bottom to the top and these passes were created with that goal in mind.
Continue by saying, “But this is your show, not mine. Since you picked a special card and fifteen is a number that is obviously
special to you...would you please do the honors? Count fifteen cards to the table.” Reach down and turn over the last card
dealt. Say, “That is your signature, isn’t it?”
The trick is over.
THE TINKER'S DILEMMA
A small drama plays itself out while you attempt to locate a spectator’s card. Twice you come very close to finding the elusive
pasteboard, but being close isn’t good enough. It turns out that one of your efforts is only one pip away from being correct...so
you just remove a pip from your second effort and magically add it to the first one, making it the spectator’s selection after all!
To prepare, remove the two, three, four and five of hearts from the deck. Drop the four, then the five on top of the face-down
deck. Now cut off about two-thirds of the deck and drop the two, then the three onto the bottom portion. Replace the upper
portion of the deck. Finally, add a breather crimp to the bottom card of the deck (add the crimp while holding the card face
down, so you will always cut to the card below it). The order of the face down deck from the top should be: 5H, 4H,
approximately thirty-five cards, 3H, 2H, balance of deck with a crimped bottom card. Return the cards to the case and you’re
ready to begin.
Say, “Magicians like card tricks, don’t they? Really! They love to have someone pick a card, just so they can find it. The
challenge is to do this under more and more difficult conditions. In fact, every magician has their own favorite way of doing this
trick. I’ve been working on a new method that works, well, most of the time. Would you like to see it? Great!” Remove the
cards from the case and give them your best false shuffle.
Force the five of hearts upon the spectator without disturbing the order of the deck. The Sligo Force described elsewhere in
this book works perfectly. Have the selected card returned to the top and then ask the spectator to give the deck one fair cut to
bury their selection in the middle.
“The cards were shuffled, you fairly selected any card and buried it yourself into the deck. My job, and I choose to accept it, is
to find your card using a bit of dexterity...” As you say these last words, pick up the deck in your left hand and give it a one-
handed cut, bringing the crimped card to the bottom again. “...get it--deck'sterity? Okay, it’s not that funny, but it usually
works! If I did this right, your card should be right here on top. Yes or no?”
Perform a double-turnover, showing the four of hearts. The spectator will say, “No.” Turn the doubled cards back over and
remove the top card, the five of hearts, and casually toss it face down to the table. Say, “Huh? No? Wait, don’t tell me what it
is, but tell me this...am I close? Yes! Okay, I’m close. Is it a red card? Good. Is it a heart? Yeah...even better! So, I’m real
close but it’s just not the four, correct?” Here is where Robert Houdin’s words never rang truer. You must act out this dilemma
to the best of your ability. Don’t just say the words; look confused and bewildered that you missed the card.
“Okay, let me try one more time...hold on a second.” As you say this, run through the deck, holding the faces away from the
audience until you see the two and three of hearts. When you spot this pair, visibly relax and allow a look of realization to cross
your face. Say, “Okay, I see what I did,” and cut the deck between the pair, putting the three on the bottom and bringing the
deuce to the top. Flip the deck face down into your left hand.
Immediately you will take the two of hearts into a right hand lateral palm and, in the same motion, use the right ring and pinky
fingers to flip the deck face up deep into the left palm. The left fingers should extend well above the deck.
Turn to the left and position your left hand so the three of hearts is facing directly towards the audience. The left fingers will
now be parallel to the floor and can act as a sort of shelf in a moment. Point to the deck with your right index finger and say,
“Your card is the three of hearts then, right? No? Hey, this isn’t funny...you said I was close, didn’t you? But your card isn’t the
three? Oh boy. All right, I give up. What card did you take? The Five of Hearts! So, I was close but I headed in the wrong
direction, didn’t I? Wait a second because if I tinker with this I think I can fix it!”
Bring your right hand over to the deck and secretly drop the deuce directly onto the extended left fingers. Your right hand
hides the deuce from the eyes of the audience.
Say, “See? If I remove the middle pip from this card...”. Suiting words to action, rotate your right hand palm up and, using your
right thumb and index finger, pinch them open and closed a few times as if to illustrate a ‘plucking’ action. Your right wrist and
the edge of your hand still hide the deuce.
Rotate your right hand back towards the deck and, at the same time, close the left fingers just enough to leaf the deuce up onto
the three. Your right thumb and index finger act like they are removing a pip from the empty space between the two hearts on
the deuce. Keep these fingers pinched together as if holding something and bring right hand away from the deck. You just
performed a beautiful color change.
Hesitate just long enough to allow the audience to see the change, then table the deck. With your left hand, pick up the tabled
card, keeping it face down. Move your right hand underneath the card and pantomime placing the ‘pip’ dead center. Flex the
card as if you are pressing the pip into place so it won’t fall off.
Say, “I’ll just add it to this card...that makes the four a five...and, of course, makes it the card you selected. So, you might say I
was right all along!”
The best moment in this effect is the instant it registers to the audience that the three of hearts has become a deuce. You’ll
hear chuckles because people start putting things together in their minds before you pick the card up off the table to ‘add the
pip’. Use a mirror to practice this effect and you’ll notice that the color change is completed a moment or two before people
notice it.
TOSS THE FEATHERS
The plot is simple. A shuffled deck coughs up the four kings one at a time. A snappy appearance by the four aces ends the
presentation. The strength of this effect lies in its simplicity and story line. First, it establishes you as a charming and
competent entertainer. Second, it says 'If you blink, you’ll miss it...so watch carefully'.
This is the first effect I ever developed that I was actually willing to perform in front of others. It has served me well for over 25
years in restaurants and clubs all over the southeast United States. It is also the trick I chose to perform for Kirk Stiles the first
time we met in Miami...and he later agreed to become my mentor.
To prepare, cull the four aces to the top of the deck. Now, run through the cards again and cull the four kings to the top. Turn
the deck face down and you’re ready to begin.
Shuffle the deck, keeping the top eight cards intact. “Around the turn of the century, my grandfather used to earn extra money
at a one-ring circus that came to town once every year. When you came out of the side-show tent on your way back to the
midway, you would pass this young man standing at a card table who would offer to play a game that you couldn’t lose.” Clear
your throat. “That was my grandfather.”
“He would allow someone to shuffle the deck any way they desired.” Shuffle the cards any way you like, keeping the eight-card
stock on top intact. Hold the deck in your left hand and secretly obtain a break under the top card.
“Without saying a word, he would take the cards and give them one...two...three cuts and, in this case, a king would pop out of
the deck.” Suiting actions to words, you now execute Bruce Elliot's Spin-Cut Production. Begin by double-undercutting the top
card to the bottom of the deck, counting “One...Two...”. On the count of “Three” you will cut the cards with a bit of a flourish.
Using your left index fingertip, touch the deck’s inner left corner and pull a block of about ten or twelve cards a bit to the left.
Now, push forward and slightly to the left on the block making it pivot off the right fingertips. The block will spin out of the deck
and can easily be received into the left palm. A more detailed description of this sleight can be found in Fusillade by Paul
Cummins and Doc Eason.
Begin to place the cards from the right hand onto those in the left, however, allow the edge of your left thumb to contact the
king on the bottom of the right hand packet. As the deck halves come together, the king will slide to the left and then around
the upper half until it rests face-up on top of the deck. This is extremely easy to do and only takes a second or two in
performance.
At this point, you should have a face-up king on top of the face-down deck with the remaining three kings and four aces on top.
Deal the king to the table, leaving it face-up.
“Now here’s how the old man made his living. He would bet that he could do it again and could cut to another card of the same
value! Folks would place their bets while the deck was being shuffled. The cards were cut once...twice...three times and the
crowd would groan as another king appeared.” Suiting words to action, shuffle the deck while retaining the top stock. Again,
secure a break under the top card of the deck, double-undercut it to the bottom, spin the middle block of cards out into the left
hand and use the left thumb to slide the bottom king up and over to the top of the deck just as before.
Using this same technique, continue along this same line and make the two remaining kings appear one at a time. “Each time
the deck was shuffled...but it didn’t matter. In three cuts another king was produced. The crowd quickly learned to hold on to
their money, despite the odds being in their favor. As he cut to the last card, the old man would hesitate before turning it over.
And, sure enough, as the last king was revealed, the crowd burst into thunderous applause...because that’s what you do when
you lose all your money in such a grand style.”
At this point, the four kings are face-up on the table and the aces are the top four cards of the deck. With your right hand,
collect the four kings from the table. At the same time, use your left thumb to push the top two cards over and back to secretly
obtain a break below them.
Lever the four kings face down on top of the deck. Say, “Naturally, when I was first shown this stunt as a young boy I was
obsessed with learning it. But, a twelve-year old is clumsy at best with a deck of cards...”. Double undercut the six card block
to the bottom of the deck. You will now have two aces on top and two aces on the bottom. “...and though I tried my best to cut
the cards where I should, ultimately I was just tossing them from hand to hand...”.
As you say these words, perform the Hofzinzer Two-Card Toss. That is, hold the deck in your right hand with the thumb on top
and the four fingers on the bottom. Toss the deck into your left hand while keeping a slight pressure on the top and bottom
cards. All the cards except these two will fly into your waiting left hand. Your left hand now grips the deck in the same way and
tosses the deck to the table while retaining the top and bottom cards. With a little practice, it is a simple matter to toss the deck
onto the table without throwing the cards everywhere. I usually touch the table with my right middle, ring and little fingers and
allow them to act as a barrier to prevent the deck from sliding all over the place. The end result is two face-down aces in each
hand.
“But I learned my first lesson about magic: it doesn’t matter what you do or how you do it...as long as you impress ‘em in the
long run.” With these words, clip the face down pairs in each hand between the index and middle fingers. Using your thumbs,
snap the aces over as a pair in each hand revealing all four aces at once.
If that isn’t well-deserved applause you hear, nothing is.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, E-MAIL: mick@cardworker.com
