Swindle Cut Aces

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Bob Farmer
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Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » April 21st, 2003, 4:57 pm

I'm researching versions of this effect. Here are the references I have so far:

In his book, THE ELEGANT CARD MAGIC OF FATHER CYPRIAN (published by Frank Garcia, 1980, pp. 10-18)), Father Cyprian describes, Swindle Cut Aces.
After the tabled deck is cut into four packets, the top card of each packet is turned over to reveal the four aces.

Two of the packets are topped by two aces each. As these aces are turned face-up, they are turned over and onto packets devoid of aces. The remaining two aces are turned over onto their packets.

This works because during the turnovers, both hands move at the same time, but in opposite directions. The only conclusion that an observer can make during these swift and confusing movements is that cards are being turned face-up quickly.

At the point where all motion ceases, there are face-up aces on top of each of the four packets silent advocates of the argument that the aces were cut to.

HISTORY: In Gary Ouellets 1990 book, CLOSE-UP ILLUSIONS, he describes his handling under, Three Second Wonder (pp. 28-32). His references (provided by Father Cyprian), are as follows: Cross-Over Aces, by Al Smith, THE TALON #2; and Joe Destephano for the idea of turning a card over onto another pile. Also mentioned, briefly, are Herb Zarrow and Frank Thompson.

In Roberto Giobbis, CARD COLLEGE VOLUME 1 (English edition, Hermetic Press 1995), it shows up in Royal Flush Finale (pp. 114-118). Bob Veeser and Ian Baxter are credited.

In Harry Loraynes, PERSONAL COLLECTION (published 2001, Harry Lorayne), he credits a version (though its more like timed misdirection), to Bob Veeser (see, Tally-Ho Extended, at p. 371).

Another interesting handling by Shigeo Takagi can be found in Who Cuts First? (pp. 40-42, THE AMAZING MIRACLES OF SHIGEO TAKAGI by Richard Kaufman, Kaufman & Co., 1990).

In his manuscript, PASTEBOARD PRESENTATIONS II, (LaGerould, 2001) the always resourceful Terry LaGerould describes one of the more unique uses.

After the deck is cut into four packets, the top cards are turned over to reveal four random cards. These cards are rearranged on the packets and when turned over again, they have changed to four aces.

The trick, is "Cardboard Keyboard, (pp.34-35).

Are there any other versions anyone knows of?

Also, all of these versions use 4 packets -- anybody know of a 5-packet version?

Thank you.

Guest

Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Guest » April 21st, 2003, 5:44 pm

The opening of J.C.'s Super Closer in The Commercial Magic of J.C. Wagner uses a swindle, credited to Ian Baxter, which differs from Father Cyprian's method, but achieves the same aim : two of four piles have two aces sitting on top, and the four aces appear to be found one atop each pile.

Bob Farmer
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » April 22nd, 2003, 9:02 pm

Thank you for that reference.

Here's another one: In Harry Lorayne's "Double Take" (Quantum Leaps pp. 214-217), he has a method for setting the aces on the piles. This method was later used by Gary Ouellet (uncredited to Lorayne) in Three Second Wonder.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » April 23rd, 2003, 11:27 am

Max Maven notes that Frank Thompson used this idea before others, though he did not publish.

Guest

Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Guest » April 27th, 2003, 2:21 pm

Bob,

David Harkey has a version of the Swindle Aces; He published it in "Simplicities" (a manuscript he released in the early 90's.) The title of the trick eludes me (I can't find my copy of the booklet.)

FYI: I recall, the main difference is; all four aces start atop the same pile.

If ya need more info, lemme know, I'll dig through my piles-o-pamphlets.

Regards,
Doug Conn

Ian Kendall
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Ian Kendall » April 27th, 2003, 2:30 pm

The Shigeo Takagi version also has the four cards on one pile.

And it's fab.

Take care, Ian

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Mike Powers » May 1st, 2003, 6:21 am

Harkey's item is called "Clear Cut." It is, as he states, loosely based on Cyprian's "Swindle Cut Aces." In the Harkey version, however, the spectator cuts the aces into four piles. You then show that each pile has an ace on top. As Doug Conn mentioned, Harkey's item begins with all four aces on top.

Mike

Jon Racherbaumer
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Jon Racherbaumer » May 1st, 2003, 10:30 am

The "swindle" idea, because it has been applied in numerous ways over the years, has been inaccurately credited or not credited at all. The idea of having two Aces on top of one pile and then simultaneously taking Aces off of packets in pairs was first recorded in FARO CONTROLLED MIRACLES (1964). Therein Marlo credits Bob Veeser, titling the item, "A Subtlety For The Spectator Cuts The Aces." (p. 46). Marlo had something similiar (only in reverse)that he applied to a trick called "Marlo's Four Card Miracle." He published this in FARO CONTROLLED MIRACLES, as well, although it was taken from Notes dated 1956. These versions were discussed via mail with Neal Elias, Bob Veeser, and Bill Simon.

Frank Thompson used a similar ploy, only one of the Aces was taken from the BOTTOM of a packet. The second Ace was on top. This, as Max Maven pointed out, was never published. Therefore, we have no dates and don't know points of inspiration, if any.

Onward,

JR

Guest

Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Guest » May 1st, 2003, 5:29 pm

Another similar effect is Marlo's "Knoxville Layout" which I can be a good opener to a set of ace effects. The first phase is a great little swindle.

Guest

Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Guest » May 3rd, 2003, 3:19 am

Frank Thompson used a similar ploy, only one of the Aces was taken from the BOTTOM of a packet. The second Ace was on top. This, as Max Maven pointed out, was never published. Therefore, we have no dates and don't know points of inspiration, if any.

Jon:

The Thompson Routine has been in my lecture notes for many years.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Gerald Deutsch » May 3rd, 2003, 6:29 am

The way I learned this effect (I don't remember who showed it to me - it could be Peter Marshall or Lenny Greenfader) was to lay out the 4 piles not in a row but in a square - that is :

1 2

3 4

Two aces are on pile 1 and 2 on pile 4

The top cards (aces) are picked up together from piles 1 and 4 and dropped back down face up on piles 2 and 3 and then the top cards of 1 and 4 are again picked up and put back on piles 1 and 4

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » February 29th, 2008, 12:52 pm

After much research and many emails, I suspect that the key guy in this story is Neal Elias. His name is mentioned in the original Marlo notes on the Veeser idea (1964) and by Paul Harris (who was using the Swindle Cut Aces idea in the mid 70s)-- in fact, Paul refers to it as the "Neil Elias Cutting Sequence."

I've sent a note off to Allan Ackerman because he may have some info on all this, but does anyone else have any details or references for the Neil Elias handling?

Is Elias still alive? If so, is there anyone here who could contact him and ask him?

Thank you.

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Ryan Matney
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Ryan Matney » February 29th, 2008, 4:28 pm

Neal Elias passed away several years ago. Around 2002 or 2003, I believe.

I published a trick using this concept in my first booklet. I tried to make it as automatic as possible and it uses a prelude effect to set up the aces.
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Jim Martin
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Jim Martin » February 29th, 2008, 7:42 pm

Here is a tribute site with a great deal of info regarding both his magic and his origami:

http://elias-tribute.co.nr/

One of the 'Forwards' is by his granddaughter, which specifically mentions his card magic.
Jim Martin
St. Louis MO

Bob Farmer
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » March 1st, 2008, 4:42 am

Thank you -- I checked out the site and sent an email to the granddaughter for more information.

I met Neil once at the 4F convention. He gave me a great tip for his multiple shift ("Double Undercut Multiple Shift," pp. 360-362, REVOLUTIONARY CARD TECHNIQUE by Ed Marlo, republished 2003 by Magic Inc.).

This is a marvellous move. Neil's tip: for the insertion of the 4th and last ace, riffle down and break the deck several cards below the outjogged third ace.

However, as you go to insert the 4th ace, close the break and insert it right under the outjogged 3rd ace. This makes the move more certain, since two of the aces are already together, and it still looks as if you placed the aces in different parts of the deck.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Pete McCabe » March 1st, 2008, 8:57 am

If this is the move I'm thinking of, it's taught in John Bannon's Dear Mr. Fantasy. A very nice multiple shift -- I'll have to try out this tip. Thanks, Bob.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Jim Schuyler » March 4th, 2008, 2:55 am

Thank you, Bob Farmer, for the Neal Elias fourth ace placement idea.

I've found that the marvelous Elias idea also works when placing four aces face down into a face down fan of cards. The first three aces are placed, from the right side of the fan, in widely spaced apart places. You turn the fan face to the audience to show the wide spacein after each ace is inserted. On the fourth ace placement, you seem to go widely spaced, but as you are placing the ace, you are also beginning to turn the fan face up. That's when the fourth ace it place directly below the third, but then tilted to the left so that it appears widely spaced from the front.

Anything that makes this stuff easier to do is a joy to me.
freshfish

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Pete McCabe » March 4th, 2008, 6:53 am

Isn't there a move where you appear to put the four aces spread out in a face-down fan, but really the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th aces all go directly below the first one, but arranged to look like they're going in at different places? I know I've seen pictures of this, although I don't know if I've seen it in person.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Edwin Corrie » March 4th, 2008, 8:34 am

Originally posted by Pete McCabe:
Isn't there a move where you appear to put the four aces spread out in a face-down fan, but really the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th aces all go directly below the first one, but arranged to look like they're going in at different places? I know I've seen pictures of this, although I don't know if I've seen it in person.
Ken Krenzel's Opti-Stack from his book "Ingenuities" is sort of the opposite - the cards seem to be together but are actually spaced apart. Apparently the basic principle was discovered by Audley Walsh (Tarbell Vol. 5, page 133). I'd be interested in a reference for the other version though.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » March 4th, 2008, 12:50 pm

Harry Lorayne has a really good version of this where the aces are dropped on a face-down spread and then the spread is scooped up. It looks great.

Harry -- what's the reference?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 4th, 2008, 12:54 pm

Lorayne's Spread Control from Personal Secrets. How good is it? Ricky Jay uses it in 52 Assistants.
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Jeff Pierce Magic » March 4th, 2008, 1:00 pm

I think David Regal has some work also.

Jeff

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Pete McCabe » March 4th, 2008, 3:04 pm

Originally posted by Bob Farmer:
Harry Lorayne has a really good version of this where the aces are dropped on a face-down spread and then the spread is scooped up. It looks great.

Harry -- what's the reference?
I've definitely read this -- or something similary -- in a Harry Lorayne book, and I never owned Personal Secrets. I recall Harry crediting this to Tim Wenk.

Harry Lorayne

Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Harry Lorayne » March 4th, 2008, 3:30 pm

I think you folks are referring to my Spread Control, which is all mine and never credited to Tim or anyone else. Boy! You guys are some researchers! The Spread Control was originally in CLOSE-UP CARD MAGIC, probably one of the best-selling magic books (or so I've been told), and been around since 1962 - it's on my DVD set, it's re-written in LORAYNE: THE CLASSIC COLLECTION. And etc. HL

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » March 4th, 2008, 5:28 pm

No wonder I couldn't find it.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Pete McCabe » March 5th, 2008, 6:58 am

Harry -- Close Up Card Magic it is. That's the only book that I kept during the ten-year gap between my high-school magic phase and my adult phase. Unfortunately my brother has all my Harry Lorayne books so I couldn't check the entry.

And I stand corrected on the Tim Wenk reference. My memory is not as good as yours!

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby David Britland » March 5th, 2008, 8:33 am

Sorry to contradict Harry but his Spread Control goes even further back than 1962.

He'd published it in Hugard's Magic Monthly, ten years earlier, in 1952!

Amazing.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 5th, 2008, 8:49 am

Got the credit right at least, if not the original place of publication.
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Pete McCabe » March 5th, 2008, 9:13 am

Well, if Harry can't get his own credit right, I don't feel so bad!

Harry Lorayne

Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Harry Lorayne » March 5th, 2008, 1:19 pm

Absolutely correct, David. But would have been silly of me to mention Hugard's since that's not available now; at least so far as I know. Whereas my book LORAYNE: THE CLASSIC COLLECTION is easily available. Why sell Hugard's when I can sell my own book? But at least we have a researcher in the crowd! Best - HARRY LORAYNE.

Harry Lorayne

Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Harry Lorayne » March 5th, 2008, 1:20 pm

PS: Since I was only about six years old way back then, it was difficult for me to "remember" it! HL

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 5th, 2008, 1:33 pm

I used to use Harry's Spread Control years ago when tables were more commonly around in the venues in which I did tricks. You don't think it will work at first, but when you scoop up that spread and all the desired cards are on top, it's pretty amazing. It seems like it will be obvious to laymen that the cards are just sitting on top of the spread and then riding to the top, but it's not at all obvious in practice. They don't see it.
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Harry Lorayne » March 5th, 2008, 2:03 pm

Try tucking just a small piece of the inner-right corner of the card nearest top of spread under the, say, 4th card from top. Then when you do the move, two of the cards end up on top and the "tucked card" ends up fifth from top. You can, of course, tuck it to whatever position you like. Fits into lots of routines, and it IS amazing. Best - HL.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » April 9th, 2008, 7:56 pm

Does anyone here recall seeing Jimmy Grippo do Swindle Cut aces? If so, when was that?

Also, does anyone here have Joe Destephano's email? Apparently he may have something to do with the development of the trick.

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Harvey Rosenthal » April 20th, 2008, 2:27 am

Frank Thompson demonstrated and taught me his handling of the Swindle Cut Aces at my home in Maryland in early 1971. I wrote up a complete description of the handling which I used for a number of years. I have not done Frank's handling in at least 15 years and have forgotten it. In addition, I have been looking for the write-up of the routine but still have not yet located it.

I would appreciate anyone who knows the routine in question would be kind enough to e-mail a description of the handling to me. My e-mail address is:
hmrosenthal1@comcast.net.

Thanks in advance.

Harvey

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » April 21st, 2008, 12:48 pm

Harvey:

I've sent you an email on this topic with some additional information.

Bob

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Philippe Billot » May 6th, 2008, 11:04 am

Lorayne's Spread Control, page 917, Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol. 9, N 11, april - 1952

Then

Spread Control, page 121, Close-up Card Magic - 1962

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Philippe Noël » June 18th, 2011, 10:43 am

In M.i.n.t volume 1, page 135, there is an article called : A problem posed. In this article Marlo explains that he has notes from Neal ELias on the effect "Spectator cuts aces". Does someone know what happened to those notes?

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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 18th, 2011, 11:18 am

All of Marlo's correspondence was bought by Persi Diaconis.
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Re: Swindle Cut Aces

Postby Bob Farmer » June 18th, 2011, 12:19 pm

An extensive history of this effect which traces its origins back into the mists of time will appear in my upcoming (at some point) book, THE BAMMO FLIM-FLAM CONglomeration.


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