Card Manipulations No. 4 By Jean Hugard - Umclidet

Card Manipulations No. 4
Jean Hugard
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An Effective Poker Deal
Nothing in card magic seems to impress the layman so
much as the apparent ability to deal good poker hands at
will. Here is an easy way to gain such a reputation.
Either beforehand, or in the course of other tricks, secretly
get a royal flush,--ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace---of any suit
but Spades, to the top of the deck. The five cards may be in
any order. False shuffle several times, retaining the five
cards on the top and finally undercut about half the deck,
jog one card and shuffle off. Cut at the jog and complete the
cut, bringing the five cards again to the top of the deck.
Hand the deck to a spectator, and ask him to deal five Poker
hands, face down, of course. This, you explain, is merely to
prove that the pack has been well shuffled and that the
hands will prove, most likely to be of low value.
The spectator deals five hands and naturally the first card of
each hand will be one of the set-up. Pick up the hands one
by one, showing the poker value of each but covering the
suit of the first card as much as possible. Drop each hand
face down on the balance of the deck, carefully keeping the
first cards in position, and the pack will then be set to give
the dealer the royal flush.
Remarking to the spectator about his being lucky or
unlucky, according to the value of the hands he dealt,
maintain that no luck can stand up against skill. Undertake
to give an exhibition of stacking cards as used by gamblers.
The hand being already set up you have merely to give as
convincing a display of false shuffling and cutting as you
are capable of. Deal the five hands and show that you have
dealt yourself a royal flush. The reason for not using the
Spade suit is that the Ace of Spades is so conspicuous that
its reappearance in the final hand might be noticed and so
give a clue to the secret.
With but little more trouble the trick can be made still
stronger. In setting up the cards for the royal flush run four
spot cards of the same value under them. In the final deal
these four cards will be in the hand next to the dealer and
you explain that the player in that position is to represent the
"Sucker" who is to be taken to the cleaners. Invite a
spectator to take that hand, and show the other three; they
will probably be of small value. Let him go as far as he likes
to bet, in fun, of course. The final show down gives you a
royal flush against fours.
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