Читать книгу Expert Card Technique - Jean Hugard - Страница 83

THE GAMBLERS’ CRIMP

In crimping cards gamblers favor the upward crimp, since it is more difficult to detect the subterfuge when a card so crimped is laid on the table.

The following method of putting an upward crimp in a card is indetectible and easy of execution:

1. Push off the top card with the left thumb and grasp its inner right corner between the right first and second fingers at the face of the card and the thumb at the back, Fig. 1.

2. Turn the card face upwards; in so doing press down upon the face of the card with the second finger and against the back with the thumb, crimping the card against the thumb. This is shown in Fig. 2 with the crimp exaggerated.

In the simple action of showing the face of a card, you have crimped it for use as a key card for any other purpose. For instance, suppose that in the Merlin Spread trick{5} a perverse spectator removes a card at too great a distance from your key card; take the card from him under the pretence of showing it to everyone and crimp it as above. Let the spectator indicate a spot for its return to the spread, push it in and invite him to gather the cards and shuffle them. The crimp being in the opposite end to that of the key card there can be no confusion when you come to locate the card.

THE PEEK CRIMP

A spectator having peeked at a card in the familiar manner, hold a break under it at the side near the inner right corner with the left little finger.

Cover the pack with the right hand, accepting and holding the break with the thumb at the inner end.

Under cover of the action of squaring the pack, let the spectator’s card—the bottom card of the upper packet—slip off the right thumb against the tip of the left little finger. Bend this finger inwards and crimp the corner of the card upwards, Fig. 1.

The card can then be immediately located after honest shuffling and cutting.