Filed under: Card Table Artifice, Yarns | Tags: card, cheat, hold'em, holding, muck, out, palm, palming, warning, wrong
Should that title read “where does one muck his discards?” or is that a different thing?
All this mechanic slang about slugs and mucks and stacks and lights and pegs and shade and juice and culls and overhand shuffles (the most complex of all) gets me both aroused and enraged. As with any language, new words are simply created from derivations or suitable syllables, and then repeated enough times for others to start using it. Thus, the infection spreads. We have Shakespeare to thank for many of the gorgeous intricacies the English language presents for us, so who do we thank for the interesting slang that emerges from the world of the card table? Somewhere in history, did a Jacobean fop learn to muck cards? I, for one, certainly hope so.
Anyway, from now on, I think I’ll make up words occasionally. Why not? (because.) Could be interesting to read (it won’t). They might stick (They won’t).
Main body of this post is a simple lesson.
Whilst playing a swift game of cards, I noticed one particular pesky player was playing heavy and holding out. The held out cards were stashed in the pocket of the jeans, crumpled and painfully obvious. When it came to his deal, he elevated the held out card onto the bottom of the deck for the shuffle. INGENIOUS!… wait… wait… no. Not ingenious. Bloody stupid.
I hear this fella is quite the poker champion on his pub circuit, and now we know why. Intoxicated people don’t notice someone holding their cards underneath the table and two pairs happening practically every single hand.
The irony is, if he had left the card palmed in his hand, I doubt I would have noticed. The added “security” of the pocket was ultimately a counter-productive measure.
So, kids, never hold out cards in your pockets. It will get you in hot water, as it got this fella in. A simple deck count is enough to get you sweating amusingly. And when you do miraculously find the card on the floor, six feet from the table, its crumpled state will be a precursor for your health.
–Arthur—
Play safe
Filed under: Peculiarities | Tags: aaron fisher, ambitious riser, effect, knuckle buster, Magic, out, pop, quick
Something I have been fiddling with for ages on the magic side of things is this little ditty.
Effect: A card is chosen and returned to the deck. Instantly, the card shoots out of the deck face up. But alas, it is not the correct card. With just a shake, the out jogged face up card visually changes to the correct selection.
Schpeeeel: Explaining effects is always a silly process. It never really gives a very realistic idea of what the trick is like, now does it. I don’t think I’ll go into marketing…
At any rate, the sleights used are Marlo’s Automatic Reverse, Aaron Fisher’s pop out move and yes, Fred Robinson’s ambitious riser.
Now, this effect is a real bitch, and I still haven’t been able to perform it smoothly thanks to the constant maintenance of a break at the selection. But its a nice challenge. In theory, this effect, if smoothly performed would take about 10 seconds and be short, sweet and direct. That seems to be the fashion these days. Short and sweet. None of this spelling card names or laboriously counting down a deck. But then I suppose thats progress isn’t it.
Anyway.
Get a selection returned and reversed in the centre of the deck SECRETLY (mystery arouses me) and hold a break below the reversed card. Now, this bit is a bit tricky, you are going to do Aaron FishyFishes’ Pop out move, whilst maintaining the break below the selection with the thumb. This is surprisingly achievable. The bottom card needs to be popped out underneath the selection somewhere in the deck. A few cards down or something.
Now you transfer the deck back to mechanics and ambitiously rise (chortle) the selection over the top of the dud.
If this isn’t a miracle. What is?
Hope. That’s what.
Hmm…
I realise this isn’t the most polished idea, but I felt I should note it down so when I grow old and forget stuff this one doesn’t elude me. We wouldn’t want that.
–Arthur–
Sexy Post Script: Has anyone else noticed how the ambitious riser and the DB spin change (in that order) juxtapose rather well. Consider the patter: If I shake the card changes… hmmm… I’ll just wipe that away and we can start again.
