The Expert at the Card Table: Classic Treatise on Card Manipulation (Dover Magic Books)

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Awesome little book on card magic and slights. Amazingly, this book has been in continuous publication since 1902 and has a small but diehard following in the card magic community. Although most consider a lot of the moves contrived and archaic the magicians who form the core following are immensely loyal to the book and spend many hours studying it with great care and attention. I am probably somewhere in the middle. The book is very nice but there are goofs and limitations that keep me from being one of the utterly devout. Stanley, T. L.; Times, Special to the Los Angeles (July 15, 2011). "Magic, mystery and double-crosses in 'The Expert at the Card Table' ". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 20, 2023. The Expert at the Card Table covers the art of card manipulation and sleight of hand at gambling tables. It was written, according to its author, because "if it sells it will accomplish the primary motive of the author, as he needs the money". [2] Martin Gardner described the book as "the most famous, the most carefully studied book ever published on the art of manipulating cards at gaming tables". [2] :vii Similarly, David Copperfield described it as "a detailed description of the sleight of hand used by crooked gamblers and card magicians. With discussion of everything from false shuffles to fake cuts, dodgy dealing to secret palming, it was the ultimate instructional manual on how to cheat". [3] The best quality, legitimate freebie is over on the Genii forum..., but contrary to some information in this thread, not every EATCT is free for the taking.

Now, don't cheat at Poker. Instead, study this book and learn to cheat at cards, because it will help you become a better magician. The Erdnase Journal - a notebook in the format of a reproduction of the original 1902 publication, with just the 101 drawings by M.D. Smith in their respective positions. if you chop off the “jam” and spell James Andrews better you might realize why so many people think Erdnase is in fact, Andrews) I still need to watch my DVD set, but I wanted to read the book first. It's easy to get through if you don't worry too much about visualizing the moves exactly. Get a general idea of what he's describing, and what each move does, and remind yourself that you'll be able to see them in action when you watch video instruction. The Mystery Author admits at the beginning of the book that he wrote it purely for financial gain and adopted Erdnase as a pen name.The best magicians of the 21st century set out on a journey to search for the lost author of the most legendary book about the art of sleight of hand. Of course it is generally known that much deception is practiced at cards, but it is one thing to have that knowledge and quite another to obtain a perfect understanding of the methods employed, and the exact manner in which they are executed. Hence this work stands unique in the list of card books. We modestly claim originality for the particular manner of accomplishing many of the manoeuvres described, and believe them vastly superior to others that have come under our observation. We do not claim to know it all. Many professionals have attained their success by improving old methods, or inventing new ones; and as certain artifices are first disclosed in this work so will others remain private property as long as the originators are so disposed. I guess the quote rings true: “Gambling isn’t about winning, it’s about cheating better than your opponent can” What is Expert at the Card Table about?

Prepared Cards. — The subject of prepared cards is almost as foreign to the main purpose of this work as the preceding one of hold outs, but a cursory review of the commoner kinds and their uses may not be out of place.

In our current exhibition, Staging Magic - The Story Behind The Illusion, one of our themes is ‘Masters of Magic and Their Influence.’ Here you can see items relating to some of the great conjurors: John Henry Anderson and Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, who popularised magic as a theatrical art in the 19th century, female magicians Adelaide Herrmann and Mercedes Talma, and the masters of the American stage such as Howard Thurston and Harry Houdini. S.W. Erdnase... the pseudonym of the man thought to be the most notorious card shark of the 19th century. His book "The Expert at the Card Table" is now considered the card conjurer's bible, making it compulsory reading for any magician. It took more than 30 years after its publication for the true value of the book to be appreciated - too late for the author to witness the success of his work and too late for all the magicians who would have enjoyed meeting him. His true identity is still uncertain and remains a great mystery, leaving even the best illusionists in the dark. This book is amazing, whether you want to cheat at Poker or perform the most astonishing card magic. In our film the greatest magicians of our time go in search of the long-lost genius. They talk about the rumors of his supposed suicide and other stories that will chill you to the bone. No proof of the many legends appears to exist, but in searching for him we learn about the true significance of hisbook. Along the way, we are given valuable insights into the history of deception through the ages and the origin of some of the best-kept secrets of the contemporary world of magic.

Hold Outs. — Many mechanical contrivances termed hold outs have been invented to aid the card player. The simplest form is a steel spring with an awl-like attachment at one end which can be pressed into the under side of almost any table in an instant. The spring snaps up against the table, the end curving slightly downwards to receive the cards. The thumb of either hand can put in or take several cards from the apparatus without the hands leaving the table.

Contents

Interview Partners: Richard Turner, Laura London, Guy Hollingworth, Jason England, Richard Hatch, Chris Wasshuber, Bill Mullins, R. Paul Wilson, Joseph Cranford Hazard at play carries sensations that once enjoyed are rarely forgotten. The winnings are known as “pretty money,” and it is generally spent as freely as water. The average professional who is successful at his own game will, with the sublimest unconcern, stake his money on that of another’s, though fully aware the odds are against him. He knows little of the real value of money, and as a rule is generous, careless and improvident. He loves the hazard rather than the stakes. As a matter of fact the principal difference between the professional gambler and the occasional gambler, is that the former is actuated by his love of the game and the latter by cupidity. A professional rarely “squeals” when he gets the worst of it; the man who has other means of livelihood is the hardest loser. Get it Free!?