Читать книгу Expert Card Technique - Jean Hugard - Страница 73

This extremely deceptive false cut, whereby the entire deck is retained in its original order, is another gamblers’ device. It is called, appropriately enough, “Up the Ladder.”

1. Grasp the pack with both hands between the thumbs and third fingers at the sides near the ends. Divide the pack at approximately the middle.

2. Draw the lower half, which we will call packet II, to the right holding it between the right thumb and third finger, and drop it upon packet I, jogging it half an inch to the right. See the first drawing, Fig. 3. The left thumb and third finger retain their grasp of packet I.

3. Draw out a small packet of cards, C in the figures, with the right thumb and third finger and drop it upon A and B, flush with packet I, as in the second drawing, Fig. 3. Hold the break thus automatically formed between the small packet C and the large bottom packet I with the left thumb; this will be utilized later.

4. Draw out another small packet B from packet II and drop it on top of C, as in the third drawing in Fig. 3.

5. Repeat this action with A, as in the fourth drawing in Fig. 3.

6. Repeat this same running cut with packet I, the break held by the left thumb under packet II ensuring a correct final cut, which will complete the return of the pack to its original condition.

Figures 1 and 2 show how the fingers of both hands grasp the packets during these running cuts. In Fig. 1 the right thumb and third finger are stripping out C as left thumb and second finger retain A and B. In Fig. 2 C has been placed at the top, directly above the bottom packet I, and B is being stripped out in turn by the right hand. Note that the left thumb and second finger now control both packets A and C. B is dropped directly upon C and A is then stripped out by the right hand in the same manner. The left thumb holds a break between packets II and I in readiness for a repetition of this running cut with I, after which the pack will be in its original order.

This particularly illusive false cut can be used with excellent effect after the Strip-Out False Shuffle given on page 84. Take the upper half of the pack in the right hand, riffle it into the left hand packet and immediately strip it out with the right hand as described. Drop it on top of the left hand packet and make the Gamblers’ False Cut with these cards. Thus the cards are apparently fairly shuffled and cut.

The reader will find that, of all false cuts, this is perhaps the best; and, for all practical purposes, the only one he need know.