MiracleMethodsCastingNewLightontheStripperDeckJeanHugard
Jean Hugard
22,813 wordsMentalismintermediateThe State Library of ! Viettoria A T re a tis e o n th e S cie n ce a n d A rt o f M a n ip u la tin g B is e a u te C a rd s E m b r a c in g e n tir e ly n e w a n d o rig in a l m e th o d s o f h a n d lin g s tr ip p e r c a rd s a n d p e r f o rm in g tr ic k s th e r e w ith , a n d b rin g
PalmForce
MIRACLE
METHODS
CASTING NEW LIGHT
ON THE STRIPPER DECK
by
JEAN H UG AR D
and
FRED BRAUE
P R IV A T E L Y PUBLISHED
22 O R IG IN A L
$100
EFFECTS ID EA S
W ILL ALMA
M.I.M.C. ( L O N D O N )
The State Library of ! Viettoria
“A LM A CONJURING COLLECH
MIRACLE
ME T H O D S
CASTING NEW LIGHT
ON THE STRIPPER DECK
A T re a tis e o n th e S cie n ce a n d A rt
o f M a n ip u la tin g B is e a u te C a rd s
by
JEAN H U G A R D
and
FRED BRAUE
•
E m b r a c in g e n tir e ly n e w a n d o rig in a l
m e th o d s o f h a n d lin g s tr ip p e r c a rd s
a n d p e r f o rm in g tr ic k s th e r e w ith , a n d
b rin g in g th e m o st b r i l l i a n t c a r d fe a ts
w ith in th e r e a c h o f e v e ry p e r f o r m e r
w ith o u t th e u se o f s le ig h t o f h a n d .
•
Copyright 1941 by the Author
Privately Published By
JEAN HUGARD
2621 EAST 27t i i STREET
BROOKLYN, N . Y.
C O N TEN TS
PAGE
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3
P reparing the Stripper D eck................................................................................... 3
Mechanics—
T he Stripper G rip ............................................................................................ 4
T he H ugard-B raue Strip Shuffle .................................................................. 4
T o Reverse a Packet of Cards ..................................................................... 6
T o Reverse a Single Card ............................................................................. 7
A Reversed Card as Key Card .................................................................... 7
T he H ugard-Braue C ut Control ................................................................... 8
Sighting the Bottom Card ............................................................................ 8
H ugard-Braue False Strip Shuffle .............................................................. 8
T o Control Tw o or M ore Cards ............................................................... 9
T he Stripper Jog Control .............................................................................. 10
H ugard-Braue Stripper Force ....................................................................... 10
T he Stripper U ndercut ................................................................................... 11
The Stripper R unning C ut ............................................................................ 11
T he Stripper G lide .......................................................................................... 12
T he H ugard-Braue Stripper Change ......................................................... 12
The Stripper C ut .............................................................................................. 13
Tricks w ith the Stripper Pack—
U nfathom able ..................................................................................................... 13
Astro-Vision ........................................................................................................ 14
The Slop R e v e rs e .............................................................................................. 14
T he Busted Bobtail .......................................................................................... 15
The M ind M irror ............................................................................................ 16
Money Talks ..................................................................................................... 17
Phenom enal ........................................................................ ............................... 18
Card and N um ber ............................................................................................ 19
D ig w ith a Spade ............................................................................................ 20
A Bewildering Change ................................................................................... 20
A Subde Location ............................................................................................ 21
A Stripper Spell ............................................................................................... 22
T he Stripper Key ............................................................................................ 23
T he Lightning Calculator .............................................................................. 23
Locating the Aces ............................................................................................ 24
Princess Card Trick; Stripper Version ....................................................... 25
A Canny Coincidence ..................................................................................... 26
C ut and Come A gain ..................................................................................... 26
T he Mystic C ut ................................................................................................. 27
T he Pickpocket ................................................................................................. 28
H allucination ..................................................................................................... 29
T he Braue Aces ................................................................................................. 31
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
INTRODUCTION
T h e prepared pack of cards, commonly know n in A m erica as a stripper pack, is
one o f the oldest devices of card magic. Essentially the pack is ons the sides of w hich
have been tapered, the deck being thus infinitesimally w edge-shaped at one end. It is
obvious that, if a single card or a num ber of cards be reversed in such a deck, these
cards w ill be found at will, since the w ide end o f the reversed cards can be felt at the
narrow end of the p a c k
I t is a curious fact that the stripper pack has n o t been highly regarded by the
conjuring fraternity, w hich for the m ost p art has thought of it as a plaything of novices.
T his may be accounted for in great part, through its neglect at th e hands of m agical
„ w riters. T he earliest m ention that w e have been able to find is by G uyot in his book
'Z N o u v d le s Recreations Physiques et M athem atiques, published at Paris in 1769. H e
(-'describes tw o tricks only, the discovery of a chosen card by the reversal of the deck
U a n d the stripping apart of the tw o colors at a single stroke. Subsequent w riters have,
~9. 3 for the m ost part, sim ply repeated these two tricks. T his paucity of inform ation as to
^ q the possible uses of the principle and the inferior quality of the stripper packs presently
o O o n the m arket, these cards being cu t so strongly wedge-shaped as to invite detection
b O by observant onlookers, have no doubt contributed to the disdain show n by magicians
j=r 3 for this ingenious instrum ent of deception. Y et, as the reader will come to understand
i— 3 after perusing this book, some of the m ost b rilliant of card effects are m ade possible
£ 2 w ith this deck, effects w hich have resulted from the discovery and application of new
# 0 and ingenious principles.
M any of these principles and tricks are evolvem ents of the audiors, separately
^ and jointly, and never before have appeared in p rin t, having been reserved for their
^ private use. Some of these, of w hich the authors are immodestly proud, have been
s m arked w ith a brand — H -B— , and the authors can only ask the reader to indulge them
in their vanity, since they feel that this book cuts cleanly into new lands never before
explored. In sharing these and other feats w ith the fraternity, it is their hope th at the
despised stripper deck w ill come to be regarded w ith the respect to w hich it is entitled.
PREPARING THE STR IPPER DECK
In preform ing the feats described in this book, the reader should use a deck the
sides of w hich have been stripped extremely finely; cards w hich have been cut coarsely
may be acceptable for platform work', b u t for intim ate trickery a delicate strip is essen
tial. W ith such a deck a card may be reversed and the deck handed to a spectator w ithout
fear th at he w ill discover the subterfuge; indeed, it is only after a certain am ount of ex
p erim ent that the conjurer him self w ill learn the technique necessary for the location
and control of reversed cards.
Packs as finely stripped as these are difficult to obtain and for this reason the
authors’ m ethod of preparing the deck is given herew ith: First of all, take tw o playing
cards and of these m ake tw o tem plates for use in preparing the deck. From a side of
each card trim , w ith sharp scissors or razor-blade, a tiny triangular strip ru n n in g
nearly the length of the card. U pon each card m ount a strip of cigarbox w ood slightly
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JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
smaller than the surface of the playing card, using a good glue or rubber cement. Finally,
secure a fine-toothed wood file.
Place the tem plates at the top and bottom of a pack of cards of good quality.
Insert the pack and tem plates in a vise (or, if you prefer it, secure tw o small hand-vises
and clam p one at each end of the pack and tem plates.) U sing the file, file the sides of
the pack briskly until it is cut to the depth of the guiding template. Be careful to file
at rig h t angles to the side of the pack, lest certain of th e cards be w ider than others, if
only by the fraction of an inch. A fter the side of the deck has been cut to the approxi
m ate requirem ent, remove the pack and the tem plate and riffle the ends of the pack,
w hen a fine w hite pow der w ill be blown from it. Shuffle the cards, being careful n o t to
reverse any of them , and once again place the pack betw een the tem plates and insert
it in the vise. A gain score the side of the pack w ith the file; thus, if the original filing
was n ot m ade at a perfect rig h t angle, this second filing w ill com pensate for the original
error by reducing any cards w hich may be higher than others. R epeat the procedure if
necessary.
T he side thus filed should be reduced for less than a thiry-second of an inch at
the narrow end— as finely as the reader finds, in his experience, a pack may be cut and
still enable him to control the reversed cards.
If desired the other side of the pack may be filed, thus m aking of the deck a
standard stripper p a c k The authors, however, have found th at a stripper pack, one side
alone of w hich has been stripped, is em inently satisfactory, fulfilling all the functions of
the usual wedge-shaped deck.
End strippers— cards the ends of w hich have been cut wedge-shaped— are m ade
in the same manner.
A . MECHANICS
T he Stripper Grip
T he m ethod of gripping a stripper deck to be described hereunder is of special
significance since it makes possible the system of m anipulation explained in this book.
1. G rasp the pack in the left hand, palm upwards, w ith the thum b at one side
near the left hand corner, the first finger curled at the outer end, and the second finger at
the other side near the rig h t outer corner. T he third and fourth fingers play no p art in
the grip.
2. H old the deck low in the left hand so that its sides press against the thum b
at the joint and against the second finger at the m iddle joint.
T he position is almost idencical w ith that taken b y the left hand in the fa m i l iar
H in d u shuffle.
T he Hugard-Braue Strip SliufQe
T his m ethod is the best yet devised for controlling a card or cards reversed in
the deck. H ere is the m ethod:
N.B. It should be noted particularly that in the text w hich follows the w ord reverse means
in all cases the turning of a card end for end. W h e n a card or cards are to be turned
face upwards it will be so stated.
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JEAN HUGARD'S MIRACLE METHODS
1. H old the pack in your left hand in the Stripper G rip w ith the narrow end
outwards.
2. G rasp the inner end of the pack betw een the extrem e tips of th e rig h t thum b
and second finger, draw out the lower half of the pack and allow th e packet rem aining in
the left hand to drop onto the left palm. If the reversed card was in the packet thus draw n
o ut it w ill have been retained by the pressure of the left thum b and second finger and
w ill, therefore, become the bottom card of the packet just dropped onto the left palm.
Im m ediately execute an end running cut w ith the packet in the rig h t hand.
3. If the desired card has n o t been draw n o u t by this first action, it m ust now
be in the low er half of the deck and you have only to repeat the m ovem ents to ensure
b ringing the card to th e bottom of the pack.
T he same process holds good w hen there are several cards reversed in the pack.
T he first shuffle w ill bring the reversed card or cards in the low er half to the bottom
and the repetition of the m ovem ents w ill strip o u t the rem aining card o r cards on top
of th e first. T he shuffle may be repeated any num ber of tim es to guard against mischance
and to guarantee th at all the reversed cards are taken to th e bottom , those reversed cards
already on the bottom rem aining there during such subsequent shuffles.
If it is desired to take a reversed card or cards to the top, m ake the shuffle w ith
the pack face upwards, under the p retext that you wish those present to see for them
selves how w ell the cards are m ixed; or, if you have an objection to shufflling w ith the
cards face upwards, take the reversed cards at the bottom to the top by m eans of an
overhand shuffle.
T his new procedure is perhaps the easiest and m ost deceptive m ethod o f control
lin g cards in a stripper deck and, as the reader will determ ine for him self, opens u p a
new and exciting field in practical card work.
R eversing th e Pack fo r th e R eturn o f a C hosen Card
FIRST M E T H O D . 1. H old the pack in the left hand, w ith the rig h t hand spread the
cards from left to rig h t in a w ide fan and have a spectator rem ove one.
2 Close the fan of cards by placing th e fingers of the rig h t h and against its
left side, m oving the rig h t hand around to the rig h t and squaring the pack against the
left palm. T his action turns the pack end for end in a perfecdy natural way.
T o prevent a spectator from accidentally tu rn in g his chosen card end for end, thus
nullifying the reversal of the pack, a casual request that he hold it close to his chest to
prevent any possibility of its being glim psed, generally serves to prev en t such a contre
temps. H ow ever, should you note that the spectator has reversed his card, fan the deck
a second tim e and again reverse it, as given above, in closing the fan of cards as if merely
toying w ith the deck w hile you impress on him the necessity of rem em bering his card.
SECO N D M E T H O D . 1. Spread the cards in the left hand in a w ide fan w ith the
rig h t hand in the usual way for the selection o f a card.
2. A card having been taken, close the fan of cards by placing the rig h t fore
finger against the rig h t side of the spread, m oving the hand around to the left and so
b ringing the pack back to its original position.
£5}
JEAN HUGARD* S MIRACLE METHODS
3. Seize the pack w ith the rig h t hand by its ends, the thum b at the in n er end,
the fingers at the outer end, and m ove the hand towards the right, at the same tim e tu rn
ing it, back downwards, and bringing the pack face upwards.
4. Retake the pack in the left hand by placing the left fingers on its face and
the thum b on its back, the back of the left hand being upperm ost. T u rn the left hand to
hold the pack as for dealing and the pack, automatically, w ill have been turned end
for end. - ' j
T he subde action of the rig h t hand in taking the pack should appear to be a
m ere gesture accom panying some rem ark to the spectator.
T H IR D M E T H O D . 1. Spread the cards in the usual way betw een the hands and have
a card freely selected.
2. Square the pack and hold it by the ends w ith b oth hands, thum bs on the top,
fingers on the face. W h en the spectator has noted his card and is ready to retu rn it, re
move the left hand and spread the cards fanwise w ith the rig h t hand. H old them out
towards the spectator and have the chosen card pushed into the spread.
3. If by chance, or purposely, the spectator reverses his card, you have sim ply
to release your rig h t hand and spread the cards w ith the left.
For this m ethod it is not necessary to m ake a perfect fan w ith one hand. W h ich
ever hand it is necessary to use, the pack is in the correct position and, by pressing the
thum b one way and the fingers the other way, it is an easy m atter to spread the cards
sufficiendy.
FOU RTH M ETHOD. 1. Spread the pack and have a spectator freely select a card.
2. Im m ediately hand the pack to a second spectator, have h im spread the cards
and the first spectator replace his card am ongst them.
T he action of handing the pack to the second spectator reverses it.
T O REVERSE A PA C K E T O F CARDS. Several effective tricks w ith a stripper deck
depend upon having a packet of cards, generally of a know n num ber, reversed in the
pack. In cases w here this cannot be done beforehand, this procedure can be followed:
1. Riffle off the required num ber of cards w ith the left thum b and transfer the
break to the left litd e finger ( E xpert Card Technique, page 125.)
2. Palm the packet in the rig h t hand and hold the pack by the ends in that
hand betw een th e thum b at the inner end and th e first and second fingers at the outer end.
3. T u rn the rig h t hand to bring the thum b upperm ost and the pack on end,
take the pack w ith the left hand by the sides and tu rn the left hand palm upwards, so
that the pack lies on its side on th e fingers, the thum b being on the u p p er side. T ap
the inner ends of the cards w ith the backs of the rig h t fingers, squaring them.
4. R etake the pack w ith the rig h t hand, adding the packet, now reversed, to
the top.
As w ith many sleights, this action should be m ade w hile talking of other things
in an apparent interlude betw een tricks; it should n o t be tho u g h t of as a sleight in the
strict sense of the word. I t is merely som ething w hich is done unnoticed w hile toying
w ith the cards.
1 6 }
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE MET HODS
T o R everse a S ingle Card fo r U se as a K ey Card
a. 1. In toying w ith the pack, push off the to p card w ith the left thum b;
grasp it at its inner rig h t corner betw een the rig h t th u m b above, and th e first finger
below, at its face.
2. T u rn the card face upw ards, end over end. R est its left side against the rig h t
side o f the deck and flip the card face downwards, sidewise, reversing it.
T h e action should be m ade w ithout looking at the pack, as being a m ere idle
gesture. It can be repeated several times, it being necessary only to com plete the action
on an odd num ber.
b. T o reverse a card w ithout exposing its face to the spectators, follow this
procedure:
1. Push the top card off the pack w ith the left thum b and take it w ith the rig h t
hand, the thum b on its face and the fingers on the back.
2. T u rn the card face upw ards, end fo r end, and th en face downwards, side-
wise, by releasing the thum b and pressing dow nw ards w ith the fingers on the back. T he
back of the card is towards the audience at all times.
A REVERSE C A R D AS A K E Y CA R D . T his useful stratagem should be used occasion
ally to throw the spectators com pletely off the scent since, how ever subtly the pack may
be reversed, the fact rem ains th a t certain m ovem ents are m ade before the retu rn of a
chosen card. By using a reversed card as a key, th e pack rem ains in exactly th e same
position before and after the card is taken. All that is necessary is to reverse one card and
this can be done in toying w ith the pack, as explained above, and you do n ot have to
know w hat this card is. T he stratagem is used thus:
1. W ith a single card reversed in the deck, hand it to be shuffled. Take it back
and allow a spectator to m ake a free choice of a card and note w hat it is. As he does
this, control the reversed card to the bottom of the pack. U ndercut about half the cards
and have the spectator place his card on the top of the packet in your left hand. D ro p
the cu t on top, thus bringing the reversed card im m ediately above the chosen card.
2. Square the pack very openly and lay it on th e table for a m om ent w hile you
ru b your hands together or pull your cuffs back a little, m aking some appropriate rem ark
to th e spectator at the tim e. T o find the card later, you have merely to jog th e reversed
card and cu t it to the bottom , thus bringing the selected card to th e top.
I t is unlikely th at a short overhand shuffle w ill separate the tw o cards and you
can, if you please, hand the pack to th e spectator to be shuffled before you m ake the cut.
H ow ever, the procedure given above is so convincing th a t there is little to be gained
by having a spectator shuffle the pack except w hen a direct challenge is made. In th at
case, after pretended dem ur, hand the pack over, b u t take it back after a few shuffling
m otions have been m ade, w ith a jocular rem ark, such as. "Oh, I don’t w ant you to
shuffle all the spots off the cards.”
A nother good m ethod is to use the Stripper Force to place a reversed card under
a chosen card. In this case, an obviously honest ru n n in g cut is m ade u n til th e m om ent
before the chosen card is dropped into the pack, at w hich tim e the bottom reversed
card is stripped onto the top o f the le ft hand packet, th e spectator thus placing his card
£ 7 }
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
on top of the key card. A Stripper Under-cut w ill th en send the selected card to the
bottom of the pack, as explained below.
T H E H U G A R D -B R A U E C U T CO N TRO L. A single card having been reversed in the
deck to act as a key card, it is desired to bring th at card to the bottom .
1. H old the pack in the left hand, face downwards, the narrow end outerm ost,
betw een the ball of the thum b at the side and as near as possible to the outer left
corner, and the top joints of the second and third fingers on the opposite side, near the
outer rig h t corner, the first finger curled under the pack and the fourth finger free.
2. B ring the right hand over the pack, the thum b at the inner end, the fingers
at the outer end, and at the same m om ent press the ball of the left thum b lightly against
the protruding side o f the reversed card, relaxing its pressure on the cards below, thus
allow ing them to fall onto the left palm.
3. Immediately grip the upper packet w ith the rig h t hand, lift it as in m aking
a regular cut and slide it below the packet in the left palm.
T he action is sim ilar to th at in w hich the pack is split at a bridge, or a face-up
card, prior to m aking the Charlier pass. If the reversed card happens to have been left
by the shuffle near the top or the bottom , m ake a regular cut first to b rin g it near the
middle, then m ake a second cut as explained.
S IG H T IN G T H E C A R D A T T H E BO TTO M . W e w ill suppose th at you have a chosen
card reversed in the deck and you wish to sight it before revealing it:
1. Control the reversed card to the bottom of the pack by means of the H -B
Strip Shuffle.
2. D raw out the bottom half w ith the rig h t thum b and fingers and m ake a
ru n n in g cut exactly as in m aking the H in d u shuffle, th a t is, draw cards from the top
o f the rig h t hand packet w ith the left thum b and fingers, allowing them to drop upon
the cards retained in the left hand.
3. T u rn a little to the left and tilt the packet in your rig h t hand upwards, so
th at its bottom card faces you, and w ith it tap the inner ends of the cards in the left
hand as if merely to square them ; the tw o packets com ing together at rig h t angles.
T he card to be sighted is thus brought into your view w ith o u t arousing any sus
picion since it is natural to look at the cards as you tap them square.
H -B FALSE STR IP SHUFFLE. 1. H old the deck in the Stripper G rip and undercut a
little m ore than half of it w ith the rig h t thum b and second finger. D ro p these cards on the
top of the pack so that they project about an inch over the inner end of the lower packet.
2. G rasp the sides of the upper packet betw een th e left little finger and thum b
and, w ith the rig h t second finger and thum b, w ithdraw th e low er half of th e cards of
the projecting u pper packet. D ro p this packet on top, its outer end flush w ith th at of
the bottom packet.
3. As you do this, grasp the m iddle packet, w hich now projects from th
inner end of the pack, betw een the rig h t thum b and th e th ird finger, draw it away
from the pack and drop it on top. R epeat the moves several tim es rapidly.
A pparently the cards have been m ixed; actually they have merely been cut,
otherw ise they retain their original order. For those w ho use the Strip Shuffle or the
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JEAN HUGARD'S MIRACLE METHODS
H in d u Shuffle habitually, this false shuffle, smoothly and rapidly perform ed a num ber of
times, w ill serve to convince those who w atch that the cards are in reality w ell mixed.
W ith a slight modification this shuffle can be used to keep a prearranged deck
in its exact order. In such case, in draw ing o u t the m iddle packet, as in item 3 above,
insert the tip of the left little finger above the bottom packet and, as a final movem ent,
draw out this bottom packet w ith the rig h t thum b and second finger and drop it on
top. T he whole pack w ill then have been returned to its original order.
T O CO N T R O L T W O O R M O RE CARDS. W e will suppose th at you w ish to dem on
strate how gam blers control a num ber of cards, using the four aces for this purpose.
T he follow ing procedure w ill show how a num ber of cards can be controlled w hen a
stripper deck is in use.
1. T u rn the pack free upw ards, ru n through the cards and push the aces up-
O wards, one by one, as you come to them , m aking them protrude from the pack for half
.S3 H their length.
~ W 2. T u rn the pack face downwards in your left hand and w ith the rig h t hand
> —1take the protruding aces by their outer ends, w ithdraw them from the pack and throw
•g § them onto th e table face upw ards, turning them end for end in the action.
> ,q 3. R u n through the cards rapidly w ith their faces towards the spectators to
H 2 show that there are no other aces amongs them , square the pack and spread it in a w ide
^ fan in your left hand.
o g 4. T u rn the aces face downwards, sidewise, take them by their outer ends one
~ O by one and push them into the fan in different places, well apart, allow ing about half
0 ^ their length to protrude. T he aces have been, thus inperceptibly reversed.
jS S 5. Close the fan o f cards, rest the lower end of the deck on the table and w ith
3 the rig h t hand p at the aces dow nw ards until they are flush w ith the other cards. D o
s this very openly so that there can be no m istake about the aces being lost in the pack,
then m ake an overhand shuffle.
6. Jog all four aces at the inner end of the pack in exactly the same way as
explained below for one reversed card.
7. This action leaves the pack in the rig h t hand, held by its narrow end, the back
of the hand outerm ost, the little finger resting against, and concealing the jogged cards,
the forefinger, extended, resting on the back of the top card. B ring the left hand over
the pack, palm downwards, and take hold of its outer corners betw een the thum b and
th ird finger, the first and second fingers resting 'on th e side and taking no p a rt in the
grip. D raw the rig h t hand away smartly to the right, strip p in g o ut the four jogged aces
and dropping them face downwards, the action sim ulating the first m ove in a ru n n in g out.
8. Im m ediately continue taking small packets of cards from th e top and d ro p
p in g them onto the aces until the pack is exhausted. Pick up the pack and square it; the
aces are now on the bottom .
T he aces can be brought to the top of the pack by an overhand shuffle and turned
face upw ards one by one, or a m ore effective finish w ould be this:
1. B ring the aces to the top, tu rn your left side to the spectators and take the
pack w ith the rig h t hand by the ends betw een the thum b and fingers, holding it face
outwards, vertically on its side.
191
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
2. B ring the left hand over, palm upwards, and rest the lower side of the pack
on the fingers, the thum b resting on the outer top corner. W ith th e left thum b separate
about a quarter of the deck near the bottom , press the tips of the left fingers against the
rear card, that is, the top card of the pack and first ace, and lift away the rem aining cards
above the break w ith the rig h t hand. T he first ace is thus slipped on top of the packet
in the left hand and you drop that packet face downwards on the table.
3. R epeat exactly the same action w ith another quarter of the deck, slipping
the second ace on top of it, and drop the packet beside the first. D ivide the rem ainder
of the pack in half, repeat the slip and drop the packet w ith the others. T hrow th e last
packet, w hich has the fourth ace on top, beside the outer three.
4. Finally tu rn the top cards of the packets face upw ards and reveal th e four aces.
T H E STR IPPE R JO G CO N TRO L. W ith a single card reversed in the deck, here is
the m ethod of controlling it by m eans of the jog.
1. A fter shuffling the pack overhand w ith the w ide end outwards, take it in
the left hand in the Stripper Grip. Square the ends of th e pack w ith the rig h t thum b
and fingers.
2. Take hold of the narrow end w ith the rig h t hand, the thum b at the u p p er
side, the second and third fingers at the low er side, and m ove th e rig h t thum b and fingers
inw ard about an eighth of an inch before actually gripping the inner corners. This action
w ill jog the reversed card at the inner end of the deck.
3. L ift the pack w ith the rig h t hand and tap its lower side on the palm of the
left hand, squaring the sides.
4. Place the pack face downwards in the left hand in dealing position, cu t at
the jogged card and com plete the cut, thus bringing the reversed card to the bottom of
the pack.
In m aking the cut, press the rig h t fingers downwards on the outer end of the pack
to prevent the thum b pushing the jogged card inwards, then w ith the rig h t thum b lift
the jogged card and the cards above it upwards, slip th e tip of the left little finger into
the break, push the jogged card flush and m ake the cut. T his action takes b u t an instant
and ensures a clean cut, otherw ise the outer end of the jogged card has tendency to drop.
W ith very fine strippers it is extremely im portant th at the left hand holds the
cards very lightly, so lightly in fact that the cards w il m ove a little apart at their inner
ends. T o bring the card to the top you have simply to m ake the cut above the jogged card.
T H E H -B STR IPPE R FORCE. W e w ill suppose th at you w ish to force the six of
diamonds and that you have reversed that card in the deck. H an d the deck to be shuffled
by a spectator, indicating an overhand shuffle; then—
1. Take the pack back, control the reversed card to the bottom and hold the
pack w ith the narrow end outwards.
2. U ndercut a little m ore than half the deck w ith the rig h t hand and proceed
at once to do a Strip Shuffle, inviting the spectator to call Stop w henever he wishes.
H old the inner ends of the rig h t hand packet tightly and, in taking the successive small
packets from its top w ith the left thum b and second finger tips, g rip th em lightly in
order to avoid any prem ature seizure of the reversed six of diam onds a t the bottom of
this packet.
110]
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
3. W h e n the spectator calls Stop, m ake a last action w ith th e rig h t hand, strip
o u t th e reversed six of diam onds from the bottom of th e packet by engaging it w ith the
sides of th e left thum b and second finger and let it fall o n to p of th e cards in the left
hand. Im m ediately extend the left hand towards him in v itin g him to take the card h e
stopped you at, the six of diam onds in this case.
T he action is easy, deceptive and convincing. T h e spectator, having shuffled the
pack him self, is satisfied you cannot know the position of any particular card in the
pack and, therefore, it appears to m ake no difference w hat card is stopped at.
T H E STR IPPE R U N D E R C U T . By means of this sleight a reversed card is brought
to the top of the pack by w hat appears to be a perfectly regular undercut. A single card
being reversed in the pack, to bring it to the top, proceed as follows:
1. H old the pack in the left hand in the Stripper Grip.
2. Seize the inner end of the deck betw een the rig h t thum b and second finger,
th e forefinger resting on the back of the top card.
3. Feel the protruding sides of the reversed card w ith the rig h t thum b and
second finger, press dow nw ards lightly, separating that card and all the cards below it
from the other cards above it. D raw out the packet thus separated and slap it dow n on
top of the rem ainder of th e deck.
T he undercut is now in such general use that the action appears perfectly regular
and the reversed card is brought to the top naturally.
T H E STR IPPER R U N N IN G CUT. A single reversed card being in the deck, it is
desired to bring that card to the top of the pack in the course of a ru n n in g out. H ere
is the process:
1. H old the pack in the left hand in the Stripper Grip, the narrow end outwards.
2. W ith the tips of the rig h t thum b and second finger slide a small packet of
cards inwards from the top of the pack, taking it by the inner corners, and drop it face
dow nw ards on the table.
3. R epeat the action until eventually you take hold of a packet in w hich the
reversed card lies. In draw ing this packet away the reversed card w ill be held back by
the left thum b and fingers pressing against its w ide end.
4. D ro p this last card on top of the other cards on the table and imm ediately
let all the cards rem aining in the left hand drop onto the left palm , thus preventing
anyone noticing the space betw een the reversed card, w hich is held back, and the packet
below it.
5. Take all the cards rem aining in the le ft hannd and drop them on top of
the cards on the table. T he reversed card w ill be the top card having been brought there
by w hat appears to be a regular running cut.
If the reversed card is reached in the first tw o or three cuts, take no notice of
it and continue the cuts throughout the deck in regular fashion. T h en repeat the action
and, this tim e, w hen the card is stripped out, it w ill be at the top of the last small packet
w hich you then drop on top of the cards on the table. Be careful n o t to look at your
hands during the action, ju st keep talking.
til]
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
T H E STR IPPE R GLIDE. W ith the stripper pack this very useful sleight can be exe
cuted in a m ost convincing way. Let us suppose that you have controlled a chosen card
to the top of the pack.
1. M ake an overhand shuffle by first pulling out all the cards except those at the
top and bottom , then shuffle off freely onto these two cards.
2. Take the pack face downwards w ith the left hand, the narrow end innerm ost,
the thum b on the m iddle of one side, the fingers on the other, the tips of the fingers
p rotruding straight down below the deck. Lift the pack to a vertical position to show
the bottom card, then turn it downwards to a horizontal position about two inches above
the table.
3. W ith the rig h t hand, palm downwards, take hold of the outer w ide corners
of the pack betw een the thum b and second finger and draw the pack outw ards about
half an inch. This action accompanies the statem ent that you are about to deal from the
bottom and appears to be m ade to bring the cards into a better position for this purpose.
T h e pressure of the left thum b and fingers, however, on the w ide end of the reversed
card holds it back and causes it to protrude from the inner end about half an inch. T his
projection is covered by the left little finger and a side view of the pack can be given
showing th at the left fingers do not touch the face of the bottom card.
4. Make the deal from the bottom very openly, taking the cards from the
extrem e edge of the outer card, turning the first card face upwards, and taking the
following cards w ith absolutely no m ovem ent of the left fingers.
5. W h en the tim e comes to draw out the reversed card, push it flush at the
back w ith the left little finger and take it w ith the rig h t hand in exactly the same
m anner as the other cards.
This m ethod of m aking the glide is so subtle th at even those w ho are well
acquainted w ith the regular sleight will have no suspicion that it is being used.
T H E H -B STR IPPE R C H A N G E . T his change, w hich is applicable to strippers only
is very easy to do and is perfectly illusive. Useful in m any tricks, especially T h e A m b itio u s
Card, it is executed as follows:
1. A fter the usual prelim inaries, bring the reversed card to the top of the pack,
w hich you hold in your left hand w ith the narrow end innerm ost in the Stripper
2. Rem ove any indifferent card from the pack, show it and place it on the
top, being careful not to reverse this card in the action.
3. Place the rig h t thum b at one side of the inner end of the deck, the second
finger at the other side and the straight forefinger on the back of the to p card, its tip
resting near the outer end.
4. A pparently remove the top card w ith the rig h t hand, b u t actually strip out
the second card, the thum b and second finger g rippin g its w ide end, the top card being
retained by the pressure of the left thum b and second finger on its w ide end, w hich
corresponds w ith the w ide ends of the other cards of the deck. T he position of the rig h t
first finger rem ain the same so that it presses against the back of the reversed card after
this has been stripped out, enhancing the illusion of taking the top card. In actual
practice, w hen doing a trick, you shuffle the reversed card to the second place from the
top, turn the top card to show it, turn it dow n and then, executing the change, apparently
place it on the table.
t 12 }
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
T H E STR IPPER CUT. Let us say that you have a stock of twelve cards reversed to
gether in the pack and that it is your desire to bring this stock to the top. T he procedure
is this:
1. H old the pack in the Stripper G rip in the left hand, the w ide end being
grasped by the left fingers and die w ide end of the reversed packet being thus at the
inner end.
2. Place the rig h t thum b flat against one side of the narrow end of the deck,
the rig h t second and third fingers at the other side, and curl the first finger at the top.
3. M ove the rig h t hand inw ards on the same plane as the top of the pack, draw
ing w ith it, grasped by the fingers and thum b, the reversed packet. T his packet slides
o ut of the pack in the same plane as its surface and is n o t lifted out.
4. Immediately, and in the same action, drop the rem ainder of the pack into
CONJURING COLLECTION
the left palm by opening the left fingers, and place th e packet ju st stripped o u t o n th e top.
Stnte Library of V icto ria
It should be noted particularly that this strip cu ttin g of a packet o f reversed
cards is equally efficient no m atter if the packet is at the top, at the bottom or in the
m iddle of the deck. W h e n cards are stripped from the m iddle the action is perfectly
innocent for then it appears to be the usual cu t from the m iddle, favored by m any
cardmen.
TRICKS W ITH THE STR IPPER DECK
UNFATHO M ABLE
T his is one of the finest feats possible w ith a stripper deck. T h e w hole of the
action is natural and aboveboard and the keenest observer cannot possibly obtain any
clue to the w orking. In a w ord— the effect is unfathom able.
The
'ALMA
EFFECT. A fter the pack has been shuffled by a spectator, it is cut into two packets
about equal. A spectator secretly removes a card from one packet and inserts it in the
s other packet, squaring both to destroy the slightest possible clue to the action. T h e two
packets are then honesdy riffle shuffled, the one into the other, yet the m agician locate*
the selected card and produces it at will.
M E T H O D . 1. H ave the pack shuffled by a spectator. W h en he is satisfied th a t the
cards are w ell m ixed, take the pack back.
2. H old the pack in your left hand, face inwards, vertically on its side, the
thum b on the u pper side, the lower side resting on the fingers below.
3. C ut off half the cards w ith the rig h t hand thus: H old the hand palm dow n
wards and take the top half of the pack by the sides near the outer corners betw een
the thum b on the lower side, the first and second fingers on the u pper side.
4. Rem ove this packet and place it face dow nw ards on the table, tu rn in g the
rig h t hand outwards in the action. A t once grasp the rem aining packet by its ends, the
rig h t thum b at its inner end, the fingers on the outer end, and drop it on the table, beside
the first packet and a few inches apart from it. T he first packet has thus been im per
ceptibly turned end for end and any card moved from one packet to the other w ill be
reversed.
5. T u rn away and invite a spectator to take any card from one packet, note it
and insert it in the other packet.
6. T his having been done, turn around, take the packets one in each hand, the
thum bs at the inner ends, the fingers at the outer ends, and execute an end riffle shuffle,
at the same tim e calling attention to the fairness of the action. Push the interweaved
packets straight into each other and square th e pack.
[13]
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
T he selected card w ill be the only card reversed in the deck and ‘it is, therefore,
completely under your control, to be revealed in any m anner you may desire.
ASTRO-VISION
W h a t can be m ore intriguing to a m agician than to have his victim do all the
m anipulation necessary to enable him to discover a card secretly chosen? In th e trick
th at follows, not only has the spectator no suspicion that he is aiding the m agician, b u t
he is persuaded that he is m aking the m agician’s task an impossible one.
M E T H O D . 1. H and the pack to a spectator requesting him to shuffle -it well and
indicating an overhand shuffle.
2. T u rn away so that you cannot see w hat he does and instruct him to deal as
many cards as he likes, face downwards, on the table. W h en he has done this, have him
place the next card face upwards on the face-down packet. R equest h im next to place
the rem ainder of the pack upon the cards on the table, pick u p the entire pack and con
ceal it from your sight by holding it under the table or behind his back.
3. W h e n the cards are hidden, tu rn around, m ake any kind of explanation of
the feat you propose to perform and glance furtively at the table-top upon w hich the
cards w ere dealt, as though it were im portant in the success of the trick. This is a m ere
w indow-dressing b u t because you apparently attach im portance to it, so w ill the spectator
in attem pting later to explain how the trick was done.
4. A gain tu rn your back and request the spectator to b rin g forth the pack,
spread it from hand to hand, again note his card, w hich is face upwards, and rig h t it so
th a t it w ill face the same way as the rest of the pack. In doing this h e w ill tu rn the
card sidewise, whereas in the first instance it was turned end for end. Thus, w ithout
in the least realizing it, the spectator has him self reversed his card in the deck.
5. A gain have the pack shuffled by the overhand method.
6. T he chosen card being the lone reversed card in the deck, it can be controlled
by any of the m ethods previously explained and revealed in a startling fashion.
THE SLOP REVERSE
In this quick and charm ing feat, a card is chosen and replaced in the pack, w hich
is then m ixed in an extremely sloppy, haphazard fashion, some of the cards being placed
face upw ards and some face downwards, until, to the spectators, the pack is in com plete
disorder. It is fanned out imm ediately and the cards are found to be in perfect order,
every card being face downwards save one and this one is the chosen card.
M E T H O D . 1. Spread the pack w ith its w ide end outerm ost for the selection o f a card
and, in having it replaced, reverse the pack by one of the m ethods previously given.
2. C ontrol the chosen card to the bottom by the H -B Strip Shuffle.
3. H old the pack face downwards in the left hand and w ith the thum b push
off a half-dozen cards from the top. T ake these by the sides w ith the rig h t fingers on
the face of the cards, the thum b on the back. T u rn the rig h t hand over inw ards so
th at its back is upperm ost and the packet is face upwards.
4. Push a half-dozen m ore cards off the pack w ith the left thum b and take
them in the rig h t hand under the face-up cards. T hus you now hold in the rig h t hand,
a packet of cards of w hich half are face upwards, half face downwards.
5. T u rn the right hand over, so that its back is lowermost, push off another
half-dozen cards from the pack w ith the left thum b and take them at the bottom of the
£14]
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
* packet in the rig h t hand; that is to say, add these cards to th e face-down cards at the
bottom of the rig h t hand packet.
6. C ontinue the actions in 3, 4 and 5 u n til you have exhausted all b u t the last
few cards in the left hand. C ontrive to term inate the process w ith the back of the rig h t
hand low erm ost and to add all b u t the bottom card to the bottom of the low er packet.
Thus you are left w ith a single face-down card in the left hand, this being the chosen
card. H old this in the left hand and again turn the rig h t hand w ith its back upperm ost.
Place the single card, face downwards, on top of all the other cards.
7. Y ou now hold a pack, the bottom half of w hich is face dow nw ards and the
top half face upwards, the latter having a single face-down card— the chosen card— at
the top. H ow ever, because of the nature of the action, the bottom half of the pack w ill
have its w ide end innerm ost and the upper half w ill have its w ide end outerm ost.
8. H old the pack in the Stripper G rip and strip o u t the low er half w ith the
rig h t hand, holding it by the extrem e corners. Let is sw ing dow nw ards and revolve end
for end in the rig h t hand, then slap it dow n on the cards in the left hand, im m ediately
tu rn in g that hand over and placing the pack on the table.
8. H ave the chosen card named, u tter your m agic form ula, or use w hatever
hocus-pocus you prefer, and spread the cards on the table, show ing th at they are all
face downwards w ith the exception of the chosen card.
9. Rem ove this card, show it, and in replacing it in the pack turn it dow n
sidewise; th e pack w ill then be in norm al condition.
In perform ing this trick the various actions should be m ade quickly and as
awkwardly as possible— sloppily, in fact, as the title indicates. If this is done it w ill
appear to the spectators th a t the cards have been hopelessly m ixed and the denouem ent
w ill be a startling surprise.
T he use of the stripper pack makes this perhaps the easiest and m ost deceptive
of all reversal tricks. It should be noted particularly th at the feat is m ade alm ost self
w orking, there being no need to bridge the deck, or use the half-pass, as in the older
methods.
THE BUSTED BOBTAIL
Nowadays every conjurer is expected to be able to deal at w ill the m ost m irac
ulous hands in any gam e and to confess inability to m ake some such display is to suffer
a loss of prestige. T he follow ing feat w ill be found an ideal one for such occasions, since
it provides for an apparent failure followed by an astonishing and b rillian t recovery.
EFFECT. T he m agician boastfully claims that he can deal a royal flush any tim e he
w ants to even though the pack is shuffled and cut betw een the dealing of each card.
U nder these conditions he succeeds in dealing four cards of a royal flush of spades, for
example. W e w ill suppose that the card required to com plete the flush is the ten of
spades. T he m agician shuffles and cuts and— turns u p the ten of hearts. A fter his vain
glorious boasting he has dealt a bobtail flush. H ow ever, the tables are turned w hen the
four other cards are turned face upw ards and prove to com plete a royal flush of hearts.
M E T H O D . Beforehand arrange the follow ing cards, Q H , QS, A H , AS, JH , JS, K H ,
KS, 10H, in that order, the Q H being the top card of the packet and the 10H the
bottom card; reverse the packet and place it on top of the pack. T o perform the feat,
proceed as follows:
1. Shuffle the pack overhand, not disturbing the order of the nine cards b u t
sending them to the middle.
£ 15 }
JEAN H U G A R D ’S MIRACLE METHODS
2. Strip out the stock to the top. Make a double lift, turning the two cards end
for end showing the queen of spades. T u rn the tw o cards dow n sidewise and deal the
supposed queen of spades, really the queen of hearts, face downwards on the table.
3. Execute an overhand shuffle as before and strip out the reversed packet to
the top; this now consists of seven cards, the queen of spades having been again reversed,
automatically joins the rest of the pack. D ouble lift end for end show ing the ace of
spades; turn dow n sidewise and deal the ace of hearts face downwards on the first card.
4. R epeat the same moves to show th e jack of spades and the king of spades
b u t really dealing the jack and king of hearts on the other two cards.
5. T h e ten of hearts is now the only reversed card in th e deck. T h e successful
dealing of the four cards of the required flush has so swollen your ego th at you propose
to perform a miracle. H and the deck to a spectator requesting h im to shuffle it thor
oughly. Take it back and strip cut the ten of hearts to the top. W ith the greatest con
fidence announce the ten of spades and turn— the ten of hearts.
6. W ith o u t looking at the face of the card, throw it face dow nw ards o n the
four tabled cards. P retending not to understand the m errim ent of the spectators, you
claim to have succeeded in your undertaking and that you have dealth a royal flush.
T his is disputed and you are told th a t you have a bobtail flush, four spades and one
heart. K eep u p the argum ent as long as it is am using, then tu rn the five cards face
upw ards and show the royal flush in hearts.
T he actual w orking of the trick is so easy that you can devote practically your
w hole attention to the proper presentation, w ith results that will be found highly
gratifying.
THE MIND MIRROR
T his trick, w hich in its original version was devised by M r.. Jack M cM illen, now
w ith a stripper deck comes close to being the perfect self-w orking feat w ith cards.
D epending upon a stock of thirteen cards of one suit, a repetition was dangerous in the
original version since it was necessary to cull the cards to the top p rio r to each p er
formance of the trick. Use of the stripper deck makes possible a repetition of the feat
w ithout apparent culling of required cards.
EFFECT. A card is chosen by a spectator w ith the pack always in his ow n hands,
follow ing w hich he riffle shuffles die pack himself. U nder these conditions the perform er
infallibly discovers the chosen card.
M E T H O D . Secretly, prior to perform ance, reverse the thirteen cards of one suit— say,
hearts. W h en perform ing, hand the pack for shuffling and upon its retu rn cull the
thirteen reversed cards to the bottom by means o f'th e H -B Strip Suffle.
2. Casually tu rn the pack so th a t its w ide end is gripped by the left hand in
the Stripper G rip, the w ide ends o f the thirteen reversed cards thus being at the inner
end. U ndercut about half the pack and drop the cut on top, thus placing the reversed
cards in th e middle. Im m ediately strip out the hearts in one packet w ith the rig h t hand
by the Strip Cut, run-cut a few cards of this packet to the top and w ith the rem ainder
square the inner end of the back and thus sight the bottom card of the packet. N o te this
card, w hich w ill be your key card, and com plete the run-cut of the thirteen cards onto
the top of the pack, the key card falling last. Thus, you know the nam e of the to p card,
your key card.
3. T o m ake it impossible for anyone to think th at you have sighted one of the
cards, proceed thus: U ndercut about half the pack, d ro p it on to p and thus place the
{16}
JEAN HUGARD'S MIRACLE METHODS
heart packet in the m iddle again. W ith o u t looking at the pack, strip the hearts from
the m iddle w ith the rig h t hand, using the Stripper Cut, and d ro p them on top. T he
condition of the pack now is this: T he top card is your key card, below it are the twelve
other hearts.
4. H and the deck to the spectator and ask him to follow your instructions:
H e is to deal any small num ber of cards w hile you tu rn away, stop the deal whenever
he likes, look at and rem em ber the card then at the to p of th e rem aining cards. H e is
to replace the dealt cards and then shuffle the pack twice, using a riffle shuffle. N o th in g
could appear m ore fair and any spectator w ill feel th at his card has been freely ch