c1902, Original published by Frederick J. Drake Illustrated by Marshall D. Smith Soft Cover, 218 pages Available as an e-Book from Lybrary.com
Comments (Hunter Higgins): This book is considered by many to be the most important work in the literature regarding sleight of hand with cards.
From Lybrary.com: Originally entitled Artifice Ruse and Subterfuge at the Card Table, is probably the most cited and referenced book about card gambling moves - a classic in the history of magic literature. A must read for any card magician or aspiring gambling expert and an indespensable reference book. Until today it is not known who the real author was. Several theories are circulated but none can prove its correctness beyond a shadow of a doubt. See for example the 1999 December issue of Magic (page 67) for more details. Was it E. S. Andrews or W. E. Sanders? Nobody knows, and most likely nobody will ever know. This book was rated one of the ten basic books for a working library of conjuring by H. Adrian Smith, historian, collector and owner of the largest private magic library in his time.
Contents:
9 Introduction
CARD TABLE ARTIFICE.
13 Professional Secrets 14 Hold Outs 15 Prepared Cards 18 Confederacy 20 Two Methods of Shuffling 21 Primary Accomplishments 21 Possibilities of the Blind 22 Uniformity of Action 22 Deportment 23 Display of Ability 23 Greatest Single Accomplishment 24 Effect of Suspicion 24 Acquiring the Art 25 Importance of Details 25 TECHNICAL TERMS. Definitions of 28 POSITION FOR SHUFFLE 29 BLIND SHUFFLES, ERDNASE SYSTEM OF 30 I. To Retain Top Stock 31 II. To Retain Top Stock and Shuffle Whole Deck 32 III. To Retain Bottom Stock and Shuffle Whole Stock 33 BLIND RIFFLES AND CUTS, ERDNASE SYSTEM OF 34 I To Retain Top Stock 36 II. To Retain Bottom Stock 39 BLIND CUTS 39 I. To Retain Bottom Stock. Top Loosing One Card 40 II.To Retain Complete Stock 41 III. To Retain Top Stock 42 IV. To Retain Bottom Stock 44 V. Combination Riffle and Cuts 44 FANCY BLIND CUTS 44 I. To Retain Complete Stock 45 II. To Retain Complete Stock 46 FANCY TRUE CUT. ONE HANDED 48 TO INDICATE THE LOCATION FOR THE CUT 48 I. By Crimp 50 II. By Jog 11 III. By Crimp 51 IV. By Jog 52 BOTTOM DEALING 56 Top and Bottom Dealing. One Hand 58 SECOND DEALING 60 ORDINARY METHODS OF STOCKING, LOCCATING AND SECURING 65 STOCK SHUFFLE 68 STOCK SHUFFLING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OF 69 Two Card Stock 72 Three Card Stock 72 Four Card Stock 74 Five Card Stock 74 Twelve Card Stock 76 Euchre Stock 76 Euchre Stock 78 CULL SHUFFLING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OF 79 To Cull Two Cards 79 To Cull Three Cards 80 To Cull Four Cards 81 To Cull Nine Cards 83 PALMING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OF 83 Top Palm, First Method 85 Top Palm, Second Method 86 Bottom Palm, First Method 88 Bottom Palm Second Method 90 Bottom Palm When Cards are Riffled 93 TO MAINTAIN THE BOTTOM CARD WHILE DEALING 94 TO HOLD THE LOCATION OF THE CUT WHILE DEALING 95 SHIFTS 97 Two-Handed Shift 99 Erdnase Shift, One Hand 102 Erdnase Shift, Two Hands 103 TO ASCERTAIN THE TOP CARDS WHILE RIFFLING AND RESERVE THEM AT THE BOTTOM 104 MODE OF HOLDING THE HAND 106 SKINNING THE HAND 109 THE PLAYER WITHOUT AN ALLY 109 Dealing Without The Cut 110 Replacing the Cut as Before 110 Holding Out for the Cut 111 Shifting the Cut 112 Dealing Too Many 113 Copping for the Cut 113 Replacing Palm when Cutting 116 The Short Deck 117 THREE CARD MONTE 122 Mexican Monte
LEGERDEMAIN.
128 SHIFTS 128 Single-Handed Shifts 130 The Longitudinal Shift 132 The Open Shift 134 The S.W.E. Shift 137 The Diagonal Palm Shift 141 THE BLIND SHUFFLE FOR SECURING SELECTED CARD 142 FORCING 144 PALMING 145 The Back Palm 147 CHANGES 147 The Top Change 148 The Bottom Change 149 The Palm Change 150 The Double Palm Change 151 TRANSFORMATIONS. TWO HANDS 151 First Method 152 Second Method 153 Third Method 153 Fourth Method 154 Fifth Method 154 Sixth Method 156 TRANSFORMATIONS. ONE HAND 156 First Method 158 Second Method 159 BLIND SHUFFLES RETAINING ENTIRE ORDER 159 First Method 161 Second Method 163 Third Method 164 Fourth Method 165 Fifth Method 165 METHODS FOR DETERMINING A CARD THOUGHT OF 166 A. By The Riffle 166 B. By Springing Flourish 167 C. By the Cut 167 D. By the Gaze 168 TO GET SIGHT OF SELECTED CARD 168 THE SLIDE 169 FAVORITE SLEIGHTS FOR TERMINATING TRICKS 169 Catching Two Cards at Finger-ends 169 Leaving Selected Card in Hand of Spectator 170 The Revolution 170 Cards Rising from the Hand
CARD TRICKS.
171 EPLANATORY 172 THE EXCLUSIVE COTERIE 174 THE DIVINING ROD 177 THE INVISIBLE FLIGHT 179 THE PREAARRANGED DECK 185 THE TRAVELING CARDS 188 THE ROW OF TEN CARDS 191 THE ACROBATIC JACKS 194 A MIND READING TRICK 196 POWER OF CONCENTRATED THOUGHT 197 THE ACME OF CONTROL 198 THE CARD AND HANDKERCHIEF 200 THE TOP AND BOTTOM PRODUCTION 202 THE THREE ACES 204 THE CARD AND HAT
206 Critical Comments 206 Editorial Note 207 Introduction 208 The Erdnase Shift (One Hand) 211 The Erdnase Shift (Two Hands) 211 The Erdnase "Longitudinal" Shift 213 The S. W. E. Shift 213 The Erdnase "Open" Shift 215 The Erdnase "Top Palm" 217 The Erdnase "Bottom Palm"