Expert Card Technique

[Jonathan Townsend]

Dustin - given the choice I'd be happier to see a new edition of ECT made available at low cost and (as posted months ago) see that as a way to put the book back under copyright protection. An analogy of what as being similar to what?

[Dustin Stinett]

An analogy of what as being similar to what?

Well you got me, JT. I just figured since you thought Vernons students and their reticence to share was somehow analogous to this conversation Id use the word for you (since you brought it up in the first place). Oh, wait: was the Geoff Latta reference analogous to this or Vernon in California? Oh never mind.

[Jonathan Townsend]

The analogy goes as far as people who saw things publishing without permission. Geoff's material has remained quiet - thanks to all involved.

My hypothesis that some of Vernon's circle were affected by the H&B situation stands. On the this BBS, early on, I asked someone about a couple of items from the 1970s. Nuff said - his to do as he sees fit.

I won't hold my breath for a corrected version of ECT.

[erdnasephile]

Aside from the Charlie Miller material and the Vernon All Backs routine, I really haven't used a lot of the material directly from this book. I'm sure that some of the routines I do have roots in some of the technique here--for example, the Pop-Up Card. (Is that move also Miller's by the way?)

Do many of you use the book's contents on a frequent basis? If so, what do you actually use?

[Philippe Noël]

I think for example that Contrary do as I do or Cagliostro cuts the cards is quite useable.

[El Mystico]

But - do you use them?

[Jim Maloney]

Rub-a-dub-dub, Psychic Stop and Peregrinating Pip are all good.

I seem to recall that the idea of using a half-memorized deck (which Tamariz elaborates on in Mnemonica) came from here as well.

Pop-Up Card is, I believe, Braue's.

[Justin Wheatley]

I will forever be indebted to this book for introducing me to that psychological stop force.

[Joe Pecore]

For those interested in tracking down the credits within Expert Card Technique, feel free to use MagicPedia to help document: http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Exp ... _Technique. I think most of the credits included in the book are already there.

Also, each article on MagicPedia has its own discussion page where you can propose ideas and debate ( http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Talk:Expert_Card_Technique ).

[Jonathan Townsend]

Are folks putting in the corrected handlings - missing bits in the tricks?

[Joe Pecore]

Not yet.

[Welles]

Perhaps an edition with loads of additional material could be compiled, but it wouldn't address the problem, which is that Hugard and Braue didn't have access to the correct information. Even when Charlie tipped Braue seems not to have appreciated the work, the result being descriptions less than useful. In many other cases, Miller didn't tip and the descriptions are pure supposition.
Certainly that was always the case with Vernon's work, and for the most part this is true with the material Mcmillen shared with Braue as well. A typical case is the Deck Vanish that Braue highly praises. Jack showed him that about 1936 but didn't tip. As a result the method is guesswork and leaves the reader who tries it to wonder why Braue was so impressed.

Someone might be interested in more of the same, but I really can't imagine why. I'd just as soon see the book forgotten.
In fact, I can't understand why it is still even discussed (in spite of some really wonderful stuff peppered amongst the junk.