S.W. Erdnase

" The Expert at the Card Table is the most famous, the most carefully studied book ever published on the art of manipulating cards at gaming tables." —from the Foreword by Martin Gardner.For almost a century, this book has been considered indispensable to attaining the highest level of card mastery. In it, S. W. Erdnase, a supreme master of card manipulation, teaches card enthusiasts how to perform the dazzling tricks and sleights — many of them his own creations — that made him famous.The first section of the book deals with card table artifice, or, to put it more bluntly, cheating at cards. Step by step, Mr. Erdnase demonstrates his own systems of false shuffling, false riffling and cutting, dealing from the bottom, and such slick moves as palming cards, "skinning the hand" — even three-card monte.The second section covers legerdemain: the art of forcing a card, one- and two-hand transformations, the devious "slide" and more. Card handlers will love Erdnase's selection of dazzling card tricks, including The Acrobatic Jacks, The Exclusive Coterie, The Divining Rod, The Invisible Flights, A Mind Reading Trick, and many others.In an informative Foreword to this edition, Martin Gardner relates the unhappy details of the author's personal life, and recounts the history of this famous book, whose methods, Mr. Gardner asserts, "are as useful today by magicians and card hustlers as they were in 1902. This book is still the bible of card 'mechanics,' and as much a delight to read as it was in the early years of this century."

Considered by many magicians and card sharps to be the one essential guidebook to attaining the highest level of card mastery. Includes author's own systems of false shuffling, false riffling and cutting, dealing from the bottom, palming cards, "skinning the hand" — even three-card monte, plus 14 dazzling card tricks.ContentsProfessional SecretsHoldoutsPrepared CardsConfederacy Two Methods of ShufflingPrimary AccomplishmentsPossibilities of the BlindUniformity of ActionDeportmentDisplay of AbilityGreatest Single AccomplishmentEffect of SuspicionAcquiring the ArtImportance of DetailsTECHNICAL TERMS. Definitions ofPOSITION FOR SHUFFLEBLIND SHUFFLES. ERDNASE SYSTEM OFI. To Retain Top StockII. To Retain Top Stock and Shuffle Whole DeckIII. To Retain Bottom Stock and Shuffle Whole DeckBLIND RIFFLES AND CUTS. ERDNASE SYSTEM OFI. To Retain Top StockII. To Retain Bottom StockBLIND CUTSI. To Retain Bottom Stock. Top Loosing One CardII. To Retain Complete StockIII. To Retain Top StockIV. To Retain Bottom St0ckV. Combination Riffle and CutsFANCY BLIND CUTSI. To Retain Complete StockII. To Retain Complete St0ckFANCY TRUE CUT. ONE‘HANDEDTO INDICATE THE LOCATION FOR THE CUTI. By CrimpII. By JogIII. By CrimpIV. By JogBOTTOM DEALINGTop and Bottom Dealing. One HandSECOND DEALINGORDINARY METHODS OF STOCKING, LOCATINGAND SECURINGSTOCK SHUFFLESTOCK SHUFFLING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OFTwo Card StockThree Card StockFour Card StockFive Card StockTwelve Card StockEuchre StockEuchre Stock CULL SHUFFLING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OFTo Cull Two CardsTo Cull Three CardsTo Cull Four CardsTo Cull Nine CardsPALMING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OFTop Palm, First MethodTop Palm, Second MethodBottom Palm, First MethodBottom Palm, Second MethodBottom Palm when Cards are RiffledTO MAINTAIN THE BOTTOM PALM WHILE DEALINGTO HOLD THE LOCATION OF CUT WHILE DEALINGSHIFTSTwo-Handed ShiftErdnase Shift, One HandErdnase Shift, Two HandsMODE. OF HOLDING THE HANDSKINNING THE HANDTHE PLAYER WITHOUT AN ALLYDealing Without the CutReplacing the Cut as BeforeHolding Out for the CutShifting the CutDealing Too ManyCrimping for the CutReplacing Palm when CuttingThe Short DeckTHREE CARD MONTEMexican MonteLEGERDEMAINSHIFTSSingle-Handed ShiftThe Longitudinal ShiftThe Open ShiftThe S. W. E. ShiftThe Diagonal Palm ShiftTHE BLIND SHUFFLE FOR SECURING SELECTED CARDFORCINGPALMINGThe Back PalmCHANGESThe Top ChangeThe Bottom ChangeThe Palm ChangeThe Double Palm ChangeTRANSFORMATIONS. TWO HANDSFirst MethodSecond MethodThird MethodFourth MethodFifth MethodSixth MethodTRANSFORMATIONS. ONE HANDFirst MethodSecond MethodBLIND SHUFFLES. RETAINING ENTIRE ORDERFirst MethodSecond MethodThird MethodFourth MethodFifth MethodMETHODS FOR DETERMINING A CARD THOUGHTA. By the RiffleB. By Springing FlourishC. By the CutD. By the GazeTO GET SIGHT OF SELECTED CARDTHE SLIDEFAVORITE SLEIGHTS FOR TERMINATING TRICKSCatching Two Cards at Finger-endsLeaving Selected Card in Hand of SpectatorThe RevolutionCards Rising from the HandCARD TRICKS.EXPLANATORYTHE EXCLUSIVE COTERIETHE DIVINING RODTHE INVISIBLE FLIGHT .This book published in 1902 has been reformatted for the Kindle and may contain an occasional defect from the original publication or from the reformatting.

The Expert at the Card Table has been the most studied card manipulation book for almost 120 years. For the first time you can meet the author S.W. Erdnase, the man shrouded in mystery, and session one-on-one with him. Every page is full of rich illustrations, complete with the original illustrations being re-inked and incorporated into this seminal work. Adapted and illustrated by David Trustman (The Rise, GOD Slap, The Memory Arts) The Expert at the Card Table Graphic Novel is a entirely true to the original, but reformatted to be as reader friendly as possible.“If you ever wanted to learn the material in Erdnase , then this is the book you need. The artwork is fantastic and it makes learning the Erdnase material so much easier, however you will need to put the work in. Absolutely first class and highly recommend. I wish I had a book like this, I would have learnt the Erdnase material more quickly.” — Eddie McColl“This is hands down the best! Extra clarity added to every image while staying true to the original artwork gives this classic a much needed upgrade. If you’ve read expert at the card table 100 times, or just skimmed it, you have to add this amazing version to your collection.” — Daryl Williams“Reading Erdnase's book is now easier and much more entertaining than ever thanks to David Trustman. The illustrations are incredíble. Highly recommended.” — Fenik