Pages from 52 amazing card tricks professional tricks that anyone can do

Uuf, Gaid P R O F E S S I O N A L THAT

A N Y O N E

T R I C K S C A N

Compiled by W. F. (Rufus) Steele

Edited by Robert Parrish

Cover Design by George Pearce New Orleans, Louisiana

PUBLISHED BY W . F. (RUFUS) STEELE Wacker Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

D O

W . F. (RUFUS) STEELE

INTRODUCTION A MONG magicians, W. F. "Rufus" Steele has long been known as a ( 3 / 1 "man of mystery." Coming from other men of mystery, this may be regarded as a high compliment. But Rufus Steele disclaims it.

The facts of his life, he says, are simple and well-known. He was born in 1881 in Janesville, Wicsonsin. He grew up in New England and{ studied electrical engineering. While attending M. I. T., he kept cases in the Faro Bank of a fashionable Boston gambling house. He entered the engineering profession and rapidly developed an outstanding reputation in the field, taking charge of some of the largest installation projects in the country during the first part of this century. He did not turn his first-hand knowledge of gambling to professional use until accidental circumstances sent him to the West, where he entered a colorful life conditioned by gold strikes and a generally fabulous period of national development. For many years he moved all over North America as a journalist, investigator, and gambler. Much later he drew upon his expert knowledge of all forms of play to become a writer and lecturer on bridge, poker, and the history of gambling.

To those who know him, all the facts of Rufus Steele's life only add to the sense of mystery behind the dignified manner and gentlemanly character of the man. This much, however, is certain: Rufus Steele knows both gambling and magic and is acquainted with probably every prominent gambler and prominent magician in the country. Many magicians, of course, do not know the first thing about gambling and are inclined to regard such information as disreputable.

Yet modern card magic has gained much from the knowledge of gambling tricks and psychology that Rufus Steele has traveled many miles and spent many dollars to acquire.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Rufus Steele's books of card tricks are unique in the literature of magic. The latest addition to this series contains many wonderful tricks that have never been printed before, given by leading magicians for use in this book. In addition, it includes a careful selection of tricks out of the past that would otherwise remain forgotten. All of them work. All of them mystify.

No card trick is self working: somebody has to do it. But none of these tricks require a mastery of sleight-of-hand. However, sleight-ofhand experts will employ many of them to add to the mystery of their routines.

Should this book be your introduction to card magic, you will find here a series of wonders that demand only the ability to study and rehearse carefully. The one thing for you to remember is never to give in to the request to "do it again." To repeat a trick is to destroy its mystery.

Even automatic tricks can be enhanced by the use of palming, card controls, false shuffling, etc. Any dealer in magical supplies will be glad to recommend books that explain these fundamentals.

ROBERT PARRISH

BOOKS

BY RUFUS

STEELE

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Card Tricks You Will Do

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Card Tricks You Can Do

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Card Tricks Easy To Do

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50 Tricks You Can Do

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52 Amazing Card Tricks

Dedicated to

JOAN ZALOGA

Copyright 1949 by W. F. (RUFUS) STEELE

CONTENTS Haskell 6 Psychic Spell Paul Rosini 7 "Let's See What You've Done" Eddie Joseph 8 Mystic Fifteen 9 Hiding the Principle .. .-Edward Mario 9 Double Thought ...

Martin Gardner 11 Five Nine King Stewart Judah 12 A Bridge Trick . ....Oscar Weigle 13 Under the Table Coincidence ....Ken Krenzel 14 Mental Discernment Improved 17 The Reluctant Card ..

18 Betting On a Sure Thing 18 The Ten of Diamonds ...

19 Trick of the Year Al Leech 20 Double Deuce Bill Simon 21 A Set of Surprises ...

Carmen Da Mico 23 Rapid Revelation Al Baker 24 Two Souls With But a Single Thought ...

25 The Missing Card .. _ H . Adrian Smith 26 A Beginner's Miracle .. ....Sid Lorraine 27 "I Never Touch the Cards" Rufus Steele 29 The Card in the Pocket ..

Robert Parrish 30 Automatic Assembly ..

Henry Christ 32 Birds of a Feather Vic Torsberg 33 Aces from the War 35 Follow Your Card .. ...Paul Rosini 36 Tap, Tap ..

Stewart Judah 37 Black and Red Prediction .

38 Red and Blue ...

Bert Allerton 40 Transcendent Trick ... ...Charles "Chic" Schoke 41 Chic's Parlay John Scarne 42 The Dixie Double Location ..

Ben Berger 43 No Prep 45 My Number, Your Card ..

46 Identity 47 The Magic Separation 48 Face-up Prediction Charles "Chic" Schoke 49 The "Chic" Trick Again Audley Walsh 50 Improvisation Walsh-Allerton 51 Prepared Improvisation Audley Walsh 52 Calling All Cards 53 Fair Cuts—Double Force John Scarne 54 A Drunken Deal 54 The Simple Impossibility 55 The Spectator's Location ..

56 A Test of Will ..

58 The Disappearing Card Trick Dai Vernon 59 Judgment : 61 Try It Yourself 61 Jiffy Speller 62 The Amazement 62 An Alarming Coincidence ...

Ed Miller 63 The Deck of Cards Story