The Genii Forum

I knew a guy who use to do a trick with a regular deck of cards. The cards were pre-arranged ahead of time and the trick was basically a story of this guy "Little Louie".

As the story was told, the deck was shuffled and cut and as the cards were turned face up, they matched the story.

I would like to learn how to do this trick. Does anyone know who invented it and where I can read about it ?

-Squeed

I know it as Eric Mead's "A Night at the Improv...". You'll find it on Ammar's Easy to Master Card Miracles tape, Vol.1.

It sure sounds like "Sam the Bellhop" to me, anyone else agree ?
Rennie

If it helps. It goes something like. "And he was down on 3, 4, 5 street" as the magician deals out the 3,4 and 5. etc ...

-S

Does indeed sound like Sam the Bellhop , though there is no mention of a "Little Louie" in the routine. Perhaps you saw a personalized version. Or you could have seen one of the many other story deck routines that have been published. Some others to check out are:

Diamond Jack
Jack Goes to Town (?) Not sure of the title, it's in Scarne on Card Tricks
Simon Lovell's Who Killed Lily Longlegs
Christopher Carter's routine from his lecture notes The Adventures of Jack Spade and Other Mysteries
David Regal's routine from one of the Constant Fooling books

Frank Yuen

Squeed,
That is "Sam the Bellhop", go buy Bill Malones video and you will see the best version ever. The video is of course called "Sam the Bellhop".Someone obviously changed the name but from what little you said it is the same, I might add it is beautiful to see Bill Malone do it.
Rennie

You can learn Bill Malone's take on Sam the Bellhop and much more on his 4-volume On the Loose DVDs from L&L.

I think you're right that it sounds like Sam the Bellhop.

I first heard of the trick as Little Joe, and he meets a friend whom he hasn't met for a long time.

The idea is that you can make up your own story very easily and it is much easier than you might think to remember the prearranged order of the cards.

A few false shuffles and cuts will leave the deck in order for you.

Richard
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