Missing move in "LuLu Lemon"?

[dlfodness]

The directions for "LuLu Lemon" (Sept., Genii issue) seem to be missing a move. The first part of the effect says to riffle down the deck about 15 cards and then "turn these cards face up onto the deck and outjogged..." The magi is next to "remove the face-down card (the crimped card) from the top of the deck..."

The problem is that, following these dirctions, the crimped card has already been turned face-up on the deck as part of the 15-cad fanned-out group of cards. It no longer is at the top of the deck, ready to be taken out and placed face-down in the fanned-out, face-up group, as the directions imply.

What am I missing? It seems to me that to retain the crimped card on top, it is necessary to hold it down with the left fingers while slipping out the balance of the 15 cards underneath.

Maybe I have misread something, but it certainly seems that this move (to get the crimped card into the face-up fan) is not adequarely or correctly described.

I look forward to hearing about this. Thanks!

Dean

[Richard Kaufman]

I'm on an airplane right now (wireless!) so can't look at the instructions, but the simple solution is to withdraw the 15 card from either the center or bottom of the deck. I don't think there is a sleight missing from the description.

[David Acer]

Hi Dean,
I don't have the September issue yet and I can't access the online version at the moment but I was able to walk through the original description I wrote up and everything worked fine for me. I'll check out the digital issue tonight.

[David Acer]

AHA! I just read the online version and it seems Mr. Kaufman made a little change to the text that's incorrect. In other words Dean, you're right - when you turn the top 15 cards face up and spread them, the crimped card is face up at the left end of the spread, not on top of the deck. Here's the problem sentence as I originally wrote it (if you do this instead of what's written in the magazine you'll be fine):

Say, "I'll start by making a prediction, and that's this card." At the same time, your right hand lets go of the spread and openly removes the first face-down card from beneath it by grasping its inner end and pulling it toward you. Say, "I'll put it in the middle of these cards so it's isolated." Without looking at it, insert the card face down into the middle of the spread, leaving it slightly outjogged (fig.2).

Follow along from there and it'll all work out.

Oh, and in the Biddle Ditch sequence, ignore the reference to the face-down card in this sentence: "In a continuing action, your left thumb peels the top card off the deck and onto its packet, taking care not to expose the face-down card beneath it." (there is no face-down card)

[dlfodness]

Thanks, David, for the speedy reply. What you say clears up my conserns. Thanks so much!

Dean

[Evan Shuster]

This is a terrific trick. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Phil Pearce]

AHA! I just read the online version and it seems Mr. Kaufman made a little change to the text that's incorrect. In other words Dean, you're right - when you turn the top 15 cards face up and spread them, the crimped card is face up at the left end of the spread, not on top of the deck. Here's the problem sentence as I originally wrote it (if you do this instead of what's written in the magazine you'll be fine):

Say, "I'll start by making a prediction, and that's this card." At the same time, your right hand lets go of the spread and openly removes the first face-down card from beneath it by grasping its inner end and pulling it toward you. Say, "I'll put it in the middle of these cards so it's isolated." Without looking at it, insert the card face down into the middle of the spread, leaving it slightly outjogged (fig.2).

Follow along from there and it'll all work out.

Thanks for clearing this up, David. However (and it's probably me reading this wrong), when I follow these directions, after the "swiveling the whole deal clockwise" part, my crimped card winds up at the inner RIGHT corner, and subsequent references to the orientation of the crimped card are kind of backwards.
Can anyone clear this up?
And would it make sense to crimp the card on another corner, since when the original "15" cards are turned face up on top of the face down deck at the beginning, the crimp is visible to the spectators?
Thanks so much.

[Richard Kaufman]

The mistake that will not die.

[Edward]

Now that was really helpful.

[Richard Kaufman]

Sorry, we're on deadline for the March issue and I don't have the time to go over the entire handling again.

[dlfodness]

Phil,

You're right about the inner right corner not working out. I correct this by crimping the outer left corner at the beginning. Then everything works fine.

[Phil Pearce]

Phil,

You're right about the inner right corner not working out. I correct this by crimping the outer left corner at the beginning. Then everything works fine.

Thanks so much, Dean.

Phil