Card Trick Identity

[Benjamin]

A long while ago I saw a card trick that interested me but I have no clue as to resources for the trick. The trick starts with a shuffled deck and a spectator is asked to cut of a packet of card, but no more than about a third. Then the spectator deals of 26 card from the deck and sets them flat in one of his hands and the spectator sets the packet they cut into the magicians other hand. The magician then pretends to be a scale and eliminates cards from the 26 until both packets in his hand hold the same number of cards. I hope this makes sense.

Thanks.

[mrgoat]

Anything where a deck of cards has to be counted out repeatedly sounds like entertainment gold to me!

Sorry, no idea what the trick is but is sounds dreadful!

[Philippe Billot]

I think it's an old trick from 19th century named:

To Tell the number of Cards by their Weight.

It was updating by Nick Trost and Mike Rogers.

See The Complete Mike Rogers (1975), page 201.

[mrgoat]

The hive mind of genii is awesome!

[Philippe Billot]

See also Genii, No. 2, october 1971, page 88.

[Benjamin]

The magician, after being given two packets of unequal size, discards cards from the heavier packet until they feel equal in weight. After being counted the packets are exactly equal. I don't quite see how that sounds dreadful. I think this trick has room to be a very good piece.

Thank you for the help Philippe. When you mentioned Nick Trost and Mike Rogers that rang a bell. I found the trick one of the Karl Fulves books.

[Max Maven]

The trick can also be found in one of the earlier Al Koran books (which virtually guarantees it came from someone else). Years ago I worked out a funny presentation that played quite well in informal circumstances.

[Ryan Matney]

I used to use the human scale presentation (Mike Rogers version I think) quite often when I was a teen. I hadn't thought of the trick in ages. Might be time to haul it out again!

The Rogers version is very good. You don't have to count the cards twice, you just eliminate them as you seemingly balance the packets like a scale.

Max, might we persuade you to tell us your presentation?

[Philippe Billot]

The trick can also be found in one of the earlier Al Koran books (which virtually guarantees it came from someone else). Years ago I worked out a funny presentation that played quite well in informal circumstances.

Hi Max,

Is it in a book by Jack Lamonte, Martin Breese or Hugh Miller?

[Max Maven]

Is it in a book by Jack Lamonte, Martin Breese or Hugh Miller?

I'm presently in Venezuela, hence thousands of miles away from my library, but I'm fairly certain that it's in one of the Miller books (I believe it's the second one, Al Koran's Legacy).

[Philippe Billot]

Thanks, Max. I'm looking for.

[El Mystico]

Max is right; it is Eye of the Beholder in Legacy.

[Philippe Billot]

Thanks "Le Mystrieux".