Harry Riser and the Farro

[Brandon Hall]

I've been reading The Secrets of the Escamoteur, and it occurred to me that the only time I've ever seen a proper Farro was when it was performed by a magician....in my opinion it looks fishy...it's not the way a layman would handle the cards. Also, the effects that require the farro, seem to be more about the "outs" required when/if the shuffle is not perfect. It reminds me of Jazz music...it requires a great deal of versatility and skill but it's kind of self-indulgent...as opposed to "pop" which is for the masses.

[Pete Biro]

If you ever see a magician that does a proper Faro (one R) you don't know it is ia Faro. That is a proper Faro (IMHO) is a TABLE FARO.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Brandon Hall:
Also, the effects that require the farro, seem to be more about the "outs" required when/if the shuffle is not perfect.

No, someone who mastered the faro can easily (!) do it 100% of the time without failure. There are a lot of magicians who can do it, even though it takes some practice. Outs for screwed-up faros are virtually never necessary.

I don't agree that in-the-hands-faros are useless because magicians recognize them. This can be said for many sleights. As always, it just has to look and appear natural.

Denis

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Originally posted by Brandon Hall:
it occurred to me that the only time I've ever seen a proper Farro was when it was performed by a magician....in my opinion it looks fishy...it's not the way a layman would handle the cards.

My wife who, somehow, cannot do an overhand shuffle, uses the action of a faro to shuffle a deck in her hands. Granted, it not a perfect weave, but as far as not being the way a laymen handles the cards, well...yeah.

The real point is that "how a layman handles cards" is somewhat irrelevant -- each person handles cards differently. As Denis said, as long as it appears natural, you're fine.

-Jim

[Richard Kaufman]

I've never heard of, or seen, a layman perform a Faro Shuffle of any kind. So, yes, it's only something done by magicians at this time.

The obvious fairness of the shuffle seems to negate any suspicion about it--when you see and hear the cards cascading together, the peculiar nature of the initial butting together to weave the cards seems to vanish.

Once you've mastered the Faro Shuffle, you've mastered it and outs should never be necessary except on rare occasions.

The only problem for me in doing tricks that rely on a Faro Shuffle has always been cutting the deck evening at 26. You'd think that after 35 years I would have mastered that simple thing, but I haven't. So, I only do Faro tricks like Krenzel's The Bullet, or LePaul's Gymnastic Aces, which don't require a perfect cut.

[Brandon Hall]

Much of Harry's work involves stacks, doesn't that require a "perfect" farro, or an "out"?

[Pete Biro]

Harry, and his main student, Mike Close can hit 'em right on ALL THE TIME.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
The only problem for me in doing tricks that rely on a Faro Shuffle has always been cutting the deck evening at 26.

This is no doubt more difficult than the weave itself. The best solution for a mistake here (instead of bringing the packets together and transferring one card, which doesn't look particularly random and unstudied) is by Alex Elmsley. In Volume 2 of his Collected Works there is the chapter "Weave Corrections for Miscuts" on page 297. Some easily remembered rules are described that solve the problem (if you are one off in either direction).

Denis

[Ian Kendall]

Since we are going down this path, the best way to learn to cut for a faro is not to think of cutting to 26, but to cut half the deck.

This becomes apparant when you compare thicknesses of different brands of cards; Aviators and Bees have a noticable difference, and if you learn to cut a particular 'size' of packet you could find yourself out if given less familiar stock.

However, if you work on eyeballing half the pack you will be able to nail faros with short decks, and even half deck packets, and it takes surprisingly little extra work.

Then, when you get bored, you can work on cutting specific numbers of cards from any deck. But you have to be very bored first.

Take care, Ian

[Guest]

Originally posted by Brandon Hall:
Much of Harry's work involves stacks, doesn't that require a "perfect" farro, or an "out"?

This is not necessarily true. There are many ways to set up a stack. In fact, in Close Up Card Magic (the only Lorayne book I own) Harry gives ways of setting up a stack or prearrangement in the process of almost every trick that needs one.


Don't be afraid of the faro. Be it's friend.

[Michael Close]

Heres what I wrote about this in Closely Guarded Secrets:

A comment that often pops up is that the Faro shuffle looks unnatural, so much so that laymen will comment on this fact. Try this: Split a deck a cards between your hands so the left hand holds its cards from below at the left end and the right hand holds its cards from above at the right end. Push the cards together in the manner of a Faro shuffle, but make no attempt whatsoever to have the cards weave in any methodical way. Is it difficult to push the cards together? Not at all, especially if your hands grip the cards loosely. Now do the same thing, but after pushing the cards together complete the shuffle by doing a bridge. Is there anything at all unnatural about what you just did? Absolutely not. In fact, this is way many laymen who lack the ability to do a riffle shuffle mix cards. They just push them together.

So what's unnatural about the Faro shuffle? What's unnatural is that most magicians can't hit it perfectly every single time without fail. If the cut is off, they have to bring the packets together to transfer cards to correct the situation. If the weave is off, they have to separate the cards and try again. None of these actions would occur if the shuffle were a casual action whose outcome was of no importance to the magician. But any adjustment is a visual clue that the shuffle is important and that the cards are being mixed in a controlled way. And this is what makes the Faro shuffle seem unnatural. Gosh, the spectators think, that guy's going to a lot fuss just to mix those cards. Why doesn't he just riffle shuffle them?

CGS contains two strategies that make it unnecessary to ever adjust an errant cut or weave. This information makes Faro shuffle tricks practical for those who cant hit it perfectly under fire.

Close

[Richard Kaufman]

Let's all remember that Ian put out a DVD called "Bastard Hard Moves," so I'm sure cutting to 26 is easy as pie for him ... the bastard. :)

[Jeff Eline]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
I've never heard of, or seen, a layman perform a Faro Shuffle of any kind. So, yes, it's only something done by magicians at this time.

I've had a few spectators push the ends of the cards together to shuffle, but it was more out of an awkwardness with cards. They certainly weren't trying to weave them as in a faro.

In fact I've had more people shuffle that way than in hindu shuffle style if you want to talk about naturalness.

But like Richard said, the sound of the cascade is what really sells it, in my opinion.

[Guest]

If you cant do eight perfect faros you can always deal two hands of 26 out eight times and it will back in order.

[Michael Close]

Ian offered the hot tip as far as cutting to 26 goes. You learn to spot the middle. This is important, because with the current lack of quality control of Bicycle cards, you'll encounter decks of various thicknesses. When I open a new deck, it will take me a few moments to learn where the middle is.

Getting good at the faro (and the cutting) is simply a matter of doing it many, many times. As I've said elsewhere, the faro is my TV move. As I sit watching TV (or waiting for an airplane, or whatever) I practice faro shuffles. After the first several hundred thousand it gets a lot easier.

Close

[Pete Biro]

I guess I need more work, I'm up to 27 Faros. :D

[Guest]

Brandon just be patient it takes time. Mike also has a CD-ROM out on the Faro shuffle which may be of help but overall practice practice practice.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Michael Close:
When I open a new deck, it will take me a few moments to learn where the middle is.

It's somewhere near the center, isn't it? That's where I'd look first.

[Harry Lorayne]

I use Faros often, with which to do bloody miracles! Many of the things I've written call for a "straddle" faro for which you don't have to cut exactly half, or exactly anything. The main reason I'm posting here is - if you really don't want to learn a legitimate perfect faro, look up my Non-Faro Faro in QUANTUM LEAPS, if you can find a copy.

Rage1 - Close-Up Card Magic is the ONLY Lorayne book you have?! Please! HARRY LORAYNE.

[Guest]

Yes!

[Brandon Hall]

I really wasn't requesting tips on executing a perfect faro, although I really appreciate them, I was merely commenting on the unnatural look of it. Like the famous mountain quote, I work on my faro because "it's there". There seems to be a lot of techniques that while practiced are seldom used and then there are many we take for granted and seldom practice--such as a double lift.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Brandon Hall:
I really wasn't requesting tips on executing a perfect faro, although I really appreciate them, I was merely commenting on the unnatural look of it. . .

I tend to agree with you. The natural un-naturalness of the maneuver is successfully masked either overtly (e.g., a good tabled faro) or as a pretty flourish combined with calling attention to its thoroughness as I have enjoyed watching Lorayne do many times, years ago. My own preference is to not use it at all, unless the context of the effect calls for the explicit interweaving of 2 equal halves of the deck. It then becomes, yes, a pretty flourish that also serves the procedure on which the effect is based; an interlude that introduces the opportunity for certain visual charm but also completely fits the logical flow of the procedure. This approach means I will not normally try to take advantage of the many effects supported by the mathematics of the faro done more subtly (I can't do a decent tabled faro anyway). This is a personal choice -- it is certainly possible to be entertaining and magical and use the faro in all sorts of ways, if that works for who you are.

[Brandon Hall]

Well said, Michael. Thank you.

[Guest]

I use the Faro ALL THE TIME at professional gigs! Well, I actually use the Straddle Faro more often than not. (By books are laden with Faro effects.) Having taken the tip from Harry Lorayne, I point it out...I highlight it... And, as Richard Kaufman says, the final cascade is the clincher.

My two books (with an array of BIG card names as contributors) "THE SECOND 16th CARD BOOKS" utilise various forms of the Faro. And, ALL the tricks are gems! Vol. 2 TEACHES all the nuances of getting a Faro right the FIRST time!

Best, Paul Gordon

Faro Tips:

1) Start with a perfectly squared deck!
2) Do the cut without 'un-squaring' the remainder.
3) Butt the corners only. (Get a V-shape on the corners.)
4) A left to right see-saw action helps.
5) Use Marlo's little finger 'table' idea.
6) Do NOT try and hide it! Flaunt it!

[Matthew Field]

Faro Shuffle, Hindu Shuffle, Double Undercut, Riffle Force, Cut-Deeper Force and many other moves are "unnatural" in that laypeople don't so them. But do these things all the time in your work, even when they're not necessary for the trick, to familiarize spectators with them.

Erdnase's 'uniformity of action' is the key. You are a performer and spectators will presume a Faro is how pros mix the deck, even if they can't do it.

Some magicians say things like, "This is how dealers mix the cards in Vegas. All the cards thoroughly mixed, as you can see," spreading the incompletely Faroed deck and pushing the portuions together, or allowing the spek to do so, ala Tamariz.

Matt Field

[Michael Close]

Here is an important aspect of using the faro shuffle in real-world performance. You must treat the faro shuffle as you would treat any "controlled" shuffle. As you do it, you are talking to the audience and paying very little attention to your hands. You cut, weave, bridge, and square up; the actions take only a little longer than it takes to read this sentence.

I have as much (if not more) experience using the faro shuffle for real people than anyone here on the Genii board. You can take my word on it, if you have enough skill to perform the faro shuffle casually (and that's the key) laymen will not comment on it.

My big problem now is that my eyes are not as good as they used to be. If I am working in dim light I have a hard time seeing if the weave is perfect.

Those of you who get M.U.M. should check out the issue with Harry Riser on the cover. I wrote the article on Harry and included a really good faro shuffle trick of Harry's plus a very useful application of Homer Liwag's False Faro.

Close

[Richard James]

I sent a little something to Richard for publication in a possible upcoming Scottish issue of Genii. It has applications for more than just the Faro Shuffle (I showed R.Paul Wilson something with it years ago) but I mainly use it for the Faro.

Basically, it helps make sure you have cut at exactly 26 cards, and if you haven't you WILL know exactly how many cards you have cut to.

If it is of no use to Richard, I will publish it on my Website instead - http://www.cc-magic.co.uk

Or, if Richard intends using it for the Scottish issue, but doesn't mind me sharing it before that, I will happily share it with any member of my site that wants it.

[Guest]

I've done thousands upon thousands of faros, and yes, I use the faro regularly in performance. Some tips I've picked up:

Splitting at 26:

1. As I hold the deck for the split, my thumbs are separated by about 3/4 of an inch on the side of the deck. This is the area where I focus to see if the cut is exactly at 26.

2. I apply light pressure with both thumbs before the split to ensure that the deck is as compressed as possible.

3. I sight the middle of the deck between my thumbs. I start the split "book-wise" and as the two halves separate, I can immediately see if I need to release a "page" from either side. The entire time I continue holding the pressure from my thumbs on both the top and bottom of the deck to ensure everything stays tight. As soon as I'm at 26, I glance back up. The whole cutting sequence takes just about 1 to 2 seconds.


Selling the Shuffle to the Spectator:

Along with the cascade mentioned above, I will often hold the faroed deck out to one of the spectators and say "That looks fair, doesn't it?" as though I'm getting their approval on the shuffle. Every last person has always said "Yes." This openness seems to sell it for the group. In fact, I've had a couple spectators make a big deal afterwards, one saying "That was the fairest thing I've ever seen a magician do. I have no idea how he did that."


Practicing the Faro and 26/26 Cut

1. A great time to practice faros and cutting is on the phone, especially when on hold. Don't cascade, though, or else it sounds like someone running a lawnmower to the person on the other end of the line. Trust me on this one.

2. Practice faros using a deck in Stay-Stack. It gives you immediate feedback on whether or not you've cut exactly at 26 and if the faro is right.

3. I often practice my faros "blind" and don't look at my hands until its time for the cascade. That way I can verify if I've done it right.

One last comment. In a conversation with Harry Riser at the Indianapolis Magician's Roundtable, he mentioned that it's best to only do one faro per trick or else you risk missing.

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