Card moves you avoid

[Guest]

I have always avoided or worked around the diminishing lift. You know, packet of 4 cards where you show all 4 to be the same card. The problem is the last show. I have read countless of peoples solutions and I havent like any of them. Therefore I either rework the effect or disregard it. The rumba count can work but I'm not to fond of it either. Just thought I would throw this post out there to see what other moves you all avoid and why.

[Carl Mercurio]

I don't have a satisfactory solution. Let me know if you find one....

[Richard Kaufman]

Actually, the sequence you describe is not Marlo's "Diminishing Lift" sequence--I have made the same mistake myself, in print no less. What you are describing is something that, for lack of a better title, I've been describing as an "All Alike" sequence. Marlo first used it in "Future Classic." There have been many solutions to the issue of the last card. I'd check out Jim Swain's handling in "Richard's Almanac." As I recall, it was excellent.

[Chris Aguilar]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
I'd check out Jim Swain's handling in "Richard's Almanac." As I recall, it was excellent.

I could be wrong, but I think Swain also covers it in one of his books. Can't remember which one right off the bat. Thanks for the Almanac reference. I always like having a good reason to go back to it as it's one of my favorite books.

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[Thomas Van Aken]

Hi all,
Jim Swain's solution to show the last card is part of his J.S. count and is described in his first book: "Don't Blink"
Best regards
Thomas

[Guest]

Jason Alford ( of The Second Deal) has a very elegant and simple solution. I'm not sure if it's in print but you can email him.

Noah Levine

[Guest]

Shuffling-- I never shuffle.
Makes things so much easier.
:p

Steven Youell

[Gary Freed]

The problem with the "Diminishing Lift Sequence" is not the final card, but the awkward display of the 4 cards, period..Even watching Darwin Ortiz show the 4 tens in "Jumping Gemini" is painful to watch. It is just too labored.

At that point in the routine, I just go into the "Flushtration Count" and the final King display which should make them forget the rest of the trick anyway.

[Guest]

The diminishing lift sequence is also one that bothers me. I do have one fairly decent solution for it, though it is not applicable to all situations.

As a side note, Marlo was not the first to publish a diminishing lift sequence. Marlo's handling from Future Classic was inspired by the diminishing sequence published by Bill Simon.

[Kevin Baker]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
Actually, the sequence you describe is not Marlo's "Diminishing Lift" sequence...

What you are describing is something that, for lack of a better title, I've been describing as an "All Alike" sequence.

Richard,

Could you clarify the differences?

Kevin

[Richard Kaufman]

The Diminishing Lift Sequence is in Ibidem, not in Future Classic.
The question in this thread is about what happens when you have a small packet of cards, say four, and they're all FACE DOWN. You do a quadruple lift, then deal off the top card, followed by a triple lift, then deal off the top card, then a double lift, then deal off the top card. You have two cards remaining. How do you show the final card (a double) or cards (two single cards) as one or two more duplicates.
The Diminishing Lift Sequence, which is something I've never used (so the memory is hazy) involves a small packet of cards on top of the deck where the cards are "faced," that is, three cards face down on top of three cards face up. A card is turned face up, then the entire block of six is turned face down onto the deck. Then the top card is dealt off. This can then be repeated several times, each time turning over a diminishing number of cards, to switch out a number of cards. It's clever because the card which you initially turned face up is unloaded when the block is flipped face down.

[Guest]

Richard,

Just a clarification. The sequence you describe from Ibidem (#21) is the Diminishing Lift Switch (not sequence).

BTW in case anyone cares, Bill Simon's original diminsihing handling (1952, one year before Future Classic) was not given a name.

[Edwin Corrie]

This is interesting. Do you have a reference for the Bill Simon move?

I think I've seen this referred to as the Rising Crime display sequence, named after Daryl's trick in For Your Entertainment Pleasure where Stephen Minch just calls it "a delightful counting procedure" and doesn't specifically credit it to Daryl. Somehow I had also got the idea it was called the Diminishing Lift sequence.

Also, for this sequence to work, two of the cards have to be similar (e.g. two kings) because both are shown twice, as in the Gemini Count. If you want to show all four as the same card it has to be a Flushtration Count or Rumba Count.

[Guest]

Edwin,

Daryl's display is another variation of the concept, though the peeling action used in Daryl's display usually doesn't find itself into other handlings of the concept (aside from Jennings' modification of Daryl's display which is just a change in the grip).

The Bill Simon move appears in The Ubiquitous Jack of Spades in Effective Card Magic (1952).

[Edwin Corrie]

Thanks. It's a while since I read Effective Card Magic - must have a look tonight.

[Chris Aguilar]

David Regal uses Daryls "Rising Crime" display to excellent effect in his routines "Streamlined Assembly" and "Cheating".

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