False Shuffles and Cuts

[TomEwing0973]

I am trying to identify the best source for learning a variety of false shuffles and cuts as I want to try some effects with a stacked deck. Can someone point me in the direction of a good resource. It can be print or DVD. I've already looked at Erdnase, Gibson, Hugard & Braue, etc, etc. In fact "The Royal Road to Card Magic" has a great overhand shuffle where you undercut the bottom half of the deck and appear to shuffle cards off that part of the talon on to the top of the deck. Actually you never shuffle a single card off, just execute a perfect imitation of the hand movements of pulling a card off and then return the cut off portion to the bottom where it started. It has to be used casually and without calling attention to it but in front of a mirror and used a number of times in presentation, it's practically impossible to spot. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Scott Grossberg]

Tom -
Take a look at the following:

1. Bill Malone's "On the Loose" DVD's (particularly the one that describes Sam the Bellhop)

2. Lennart Green's "Green Magic" DVD series (particularly Vols. 4 and 5)

3. Richard Turner's "The Cheat" DVD

Of course, there's always my "A Chip and a Chair" routine. I have done a lot of review of particular false cuts and shuffles as part of assembling/creating the trick and have included that information in my manuscript. If you are interested, take a look at:

"A Chip and a Chair"

The routine uses a full deck stack and various methods for keeping it intact. Enjoy. - Scott

[Tom Dobrowolski]

Daryl's Encyclopedia of Card Sleights DVD Series

[Jeff Haas]

The December 2004 issue of Genii...Bob Farmer's column has a great overhand false shuffle.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Tom Ewing:
In fact "The Royal Road to Card Magic" has a great overhand shuffle where you... ...never shuffle a single card off, just execute a perfect imitation of the hand movements of pulling a card off and then return the cut off portion to the bottom where it started...

For another version of this which is startlingly effective, check "The Magic of Rezvani", by Dariel Fitzkee, 1949, San Raphael House, publishers. Highly endorsed by the likes of Charlie Miller,who knew his stuff!

This, by the way, is Rezvani of "The Tomato Trick" fame. In fact, there is an abbreviated form of that trick in this book. The entire trick was originally a single manuscript, with a suite of plates, published in French and printed in Persia, I think.

Also in "The Magic of Rezvani" - "The Card On Tie", later re-created by John Cornelius, I believe, and some other unusual material. It is usually inexpensive, and not so hard to find from the used book dealers...

Best, PSC

[Guest]

Of course, Card College is a wonderful resource for false shuffles and cuts. If you don't have that, you should definitely get it, at least volumes 1-4. It also gives you excellent information on faro shuffles of all sorts, which will come in handy if you're doing memdeck effects.

Also check out The Annotated Erdnase by Darwin Ortiz. The appendix contains a false overhand shuffle that is probably the most convincing of all of the shuffles I've seen.

For a superb in the hands false riffle shuffle (which can also be done at the table), my recommendation is Guy Hollingworth's, published in his excellent book Drawing Room Deceptions.

And of course, for a standard tabled riffle shuffle there is the venerable Zarrow Shuffle. Card College, once again, is a great resource, as well as a book by Gary Plants and a DVD featuring Herb Zarrow himself.