Houdini in action!

[Tarotist]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4W7xM4P5YI

[Jack Shalom]

That's pretty interesting. I think a lot of the common view of Houdini was that despite his earlier King of Cards moniker, he wasn't that skilled. But he seems to have some chops in this late piece of film.

[Tarotist]

I remember Murray the escapologist telling me that Houdini was really a card man. He said it disparagingly since he didn't like Houdini. Vernon admitted that Houdini could do a few flourishes but said that was about it! I suspect that he was better than other magicians made him out to be! Magicians didn't generally like Houdini. I have probably mentkoned in the past that John Mulholland told me that Houdini mishandled the funds of the SAM and he, Mulholland. was the only one with the guts to speak up about it.

[Richard Kaufman]

It's obvious from watching the extant films that Houdini was very capable with a deck of cards. There is more in the book Magic Without Apparatus.