The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley — Volume 1

1991
Written by Stephen Minch
Work of Alex Elmsley
404 pages (Hardcover), published by L&L Publishing
Illustrated with drawings by Amado Narvaez
Language: English
148 entries
This publication has been reviewed by
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page AA Categories
Louis Falanga A Note From the Publisher
i
Stephen Minch Alex Elmsley: The Man and His Book
iii
Stephen Minch Acknowledgement
Chapter One: Alex Elmsley on the Theory and Practice of Magic
1
Alex Elmsley Alex Elmsley On the Theory and Practice of Magic
3
Alex Elmsley The Automatic Producer An outline of points designed to analyze an act for problems and to find solutions for those problems
 		11
Alex Elmsley On Misdirection
Related to 15
Chapter Two: Spirited Counts and Revenant Trick
19
Alex Elmsley The Four-Card Trick back and face of a card changes
Related toVariations 23
Alex Elmsley The Elmsley Count
23
Alex Elmsley Cigarette Switch
27
Alex Elmsley Flight to Witch Mountain
30
Frederick Braue, Alex Elmsley Braue Addition Variant
31
Alex Elmsley Shale Fellow Well Met Oil and Water combined with Follow The Leader, 4&4
 		34
Alex Elmsley Shale Fellow Well Met - The Contrasting Backs Variant
39
Alex Elmsley A Rebours 4&4
 		39
Alex Elmsley, Bert Douglas Elmsley's Ghost variation of Bert Douglas' "Ghost Card Trick", one of four Queens changes into selection
Variations 46
Alex Elmsley Hoftwister combo
Variations 47
Alex Elmsley Addition to Packet
50
Persi Diaconis Avoiding Grip Shifting handling tip (now standard)
 		51
Dai Vernon Through-the-fist Flourish
51
Alex Elmsley Mini-Milton five cards
 		54
Alex Elmsley Five-as-five Ghost Count combining Elmsley Count and Eric de la Mare False Count, Five-as-Five while hiding one
Related to 55
Alex Elmsley Mixed Marriages two royal flushes from two decks, they magically arrange in same order and one selected value transposes
 		58
Alex Elmsley Serendipity two unknown cards sandwiched between three of a kind turn out to be later selections
Variations 61
Alex Elmsley One Poor Lion Aces, Kings, Queens and Jacks perform some transposition with story presentation
 		65
Alex Elmsley The Great Pretender card in the middle of Kings changes to multiple selections
 		69
Half Pass with small packet
 		70
Tip-Over Change with one-handed get ready
 		72
Alex Elmsley Everchange Count four as five while hiding one
VariationsAlso published here 74
Alex Elmsley Twister's Flush with five cards (Royal Flush), final card vanishes and travels to pocket
Related to 77
Alex Elmsley Thoughts In Transit chosen Ace travels from Ace packet to odd-backed Ace packet
Inspired by 80
Alex Elmsley Neverchange Count four as five, hiding one
 		81
Transfer from Packet to Packet
84
Chapter Three: Sundry Sleights
89
Alex Elmsley Break Time - Battling the Bulge shifting left little finger break to right thumb
 		92
Alex Elmsley A Bluff Hand-to-hand Transfer while maintaining a break
 		92
Alex Elmsley Taking a Break in a Spread when selection is returned
 		93
Alex Elmsley Preparing for the Double Lift two ways to pick up a break
 		94
Alex Elmsley Fan Shuffle Strategies to control a selection or as a false shuffle
 		96
Alex Elmsley The Hook-Strip Shift overhand shuffle action multiple shift
Related to 99
Alex Elmsley Aces turn over at once
100
Frederick Braue Braue Bottom Palm
101
Alex Elmsley Top and Bottom Card Interchanges two methods
 		103
Alex Elmsley The Tabled Cover Reverse secretly reversing top card to second from top
 		104
Alex Elmsley The Tabled Top Change one-handed
 		107
Alex Elmsley Two Novel Slip Cuts
  • The Swivel Slip Cut
  • The Undercut Slip
 		109
Alex Elmsley The Tipsy Turnover Pass
112
Alex Elmsley A Polished Push-Off eccentric method for block push-off
 		114
Alex Elmsley A Biddle Displacement with Follow The Leader application
 		116
Charlie Miller, Jack Merlin Tip-Over Change Handling
117
Alex Elmsley The Thumb Palm Addition adding cards from bottom to top
 		119
Alex Elmsley A Card Fan Production alternative to split-fan production
 		121
Alex Elmsley New Techniques for the Rear Palm several applications and transitions
 		124
Alex Elmsley The Top-card Rear Palm
126
Alex Elmsley, Edward Marlo The Misdirection Rear Palm
128
Alex Elmsley The Tap Replacement from Rear Palm
 		129
Alex Elmsley The Center-card Rear Palm as fan is formed
 		130
Alex Elmsley A One-handed Center Steal
133
Alex Elmsley Trouser-pocket Loading Technique from rear palm
 		135
Alex Elmsley Variations on Erdnase's First Transformation: Transformation with Outjog
Related to 137
Alex Elmsley Erdnase's First Transformation as a Vanish
Related to 140
Alex Elmsley Flying Squad card vanishes and reappears next to selection
 		141
Alex Elmsley, Edward Marlo The Misdirection Slide Palm
141
Alex Elmsley Two Pocket Deck Switches intro
Related to 143
Alex Elmsley The Climax Pack Switch
143
Alex Elmsley The Empty-handed Pack Switch
Related toVariations 145
Chapter Four: Minus Fifty-two
147
Alex Elmsley Puncture! hole moved on business card
Related to 149
Alex Elmsley The Nodding Skull small skull is nodding as the performer wants it to
 		154
Alex Elmsley The Visual Torn and Restored Newspaper
Related toVariations 157
Alex Elmsley Ring and Paper Clip ring magically links to paper clip
 		166
Alex Elmsley The Twister (A Puzzle)
Also published here 169
Alex Elmsley Two Thimble Changes
Also published here 172
Alex Elmsley The Elmsley Color-Changing Knife Routine
175
Alex Elmsley The Perpetual Cigarette cigarette is lit while it is torn and restored
 		181
Alex Elmsley A Cigarette Vanish
Also published here 185
Alex Elmsley A Production of Cigarettes in Holders four cigarettes in holders
Also published here 187
Alex Elmsley Magnetic Monte three miniature wands, one is shown magnetic
 		192
Alex Elmsley Ring on Silk ring is thrown into silk and is instantly threaded onto silk, using Jardine Ellis ring
Also published here 195
Alex Elmsley Physical Medium jacket is removed while thumbs are tied
Also published here 200
Alex Elmsley Sleeve Loading for the Cups and Balls
202
Alex Elmsley The Elmsley Cups and Balls Routine salt as final load
VariationsAlso published here 205
Chapter Five: Twisted Classics
211
Alex Elmsley 1002nd Aces
Also published here 213
Alex Elmsley, Brother John Hamman The Atomic Aces four phase variation on Hamman's "Final Ace Routine", including Oil & Water and Follow the Leaders Phase
Inspired byVariationsAlso published here 217
Alex Elmsley Repulsive Aces cannibal card routine with different presentation, two selections vanish
Variations 229
Eric de la Mare de la Mare False Count four as five, variation of Stanyon Count
Also published here 232
Alex Elmsley Double Finders four packets, face up Ace on each, all put together, two sandwiches with selections are visible when spread
 		234
Alex Elmsley Apprentice Aces two cards found by performer, two by spectator
 		236
Alex Elmsley Pick of the Litter four touched cards are Aces, strip out switch
Related to 238
Alex Elmsley Strip-Out Addition and Switch different handling than Vernon's
Related to 239
Alex Elmsley The Four Blanks blank cards get faces
 		242
, Alex Elmsley Double Deal from Small Packet
243
Alex Elmsley Five-Card Sam five Card Repeat with rhyming patter
 		247
Alex Elmsley Bare-Aced Hofzinser clean handling with Aces in possession of spectator from the start
Variations 253
Alex Elmsley A Minor Triumph with ten cards
Related to 256
Alex Elmsley All Backs with Aces cutting to Aces presentation
Also published here 259
Frank Kelly, Joseph Ovette Kelly-Ovette Bottom Placement
261
Alex Elmsley A Triple Reverse with three selections
 		267
Alex Elmsley Infinity: Round Trip card vanishes from face of packet and reappears reversed in deck
Variations 269
Alex Elmsley Chosen Cards Across three (signed) selections
Related toVariations 271
Alex Elmsley Invisible Card in Cigarette named card in borrowed cigarette, cigarette index
Related to 274
Alex Elmsley New Pieces to an Old Puzzle
Variations 280
Alex Elmsley Liars' Club with spelling, setting up in front of spectators
 		284
Alex Elmsley One at a Time Collectors selections appear one by one between four Aces
Related toVariationsAlso published here 288
Alex Elmsley Snap Swap one under hand, one reversed in deck
Variations 291
Alex Elmsley Double Swap two selections with two Aces in breast pocket
 		293
Forceps Double Lift using two cards to handle the double
 		293
Alex Elmsley Ambitious to the End three phases
 		296
Alex Elmsley Ambitious Stranger ambitious card has different back, in the end deck changes color
Related toVariationsAlso published here 299
Push-In Change
302
Chapter Six: Down and Dirty Deals
307
Alex Elmsley 7-16 down under deal, Ace of Spades remains, game presentation
Also published here 309
Alex Elmsley A Double Prediction two cards, progressive spelling set-up, one-ahead, sixteenth card principle
VariationsAlso published here 311
Alex Elmsley Melbourne position and card at that position are thought of, card turns up with down-under-deal
Related toAlso published here 314
Alex Elmsley Australian Self-Help involving counting, spelling, down-under deal
Related toVariations 317
Alex Elmsley Chance and Choice strange selection process involving down-under-deal, three cards
Also published here 319
Chapter Seven: Welcome Correspondences
323
Alex Elmsley Returned to the Nest two decks, using automatic placement like selection procedure
 		325
Alex Elmsley Arith-Mate-Ic some cards are cut, rest is cut into two piles, number of cut-off cards determines coincidence in two tabled packets
Variations 328
Alex Elmsley Pother one deck, mathematical selection procedure from one half, Penelope Principle, all mates twenty-six apart
 		331
Alex Elmsley Brownwaves I two cards are selected with the "card at position of cut-off number"-procedure, deck then divided in two halves, both deal in unison and the selected cards are at the same position
Related toVariations 333
Alex Elmsley Shadowed sunken key is used for selection
Variations 337
Alex Elmsley Buried Treasure I one deck, distant key, fair selection process
 		340
Alex Elmsley The Memphis Matchmaker one deck, faro placement
 		343
Alex Elmsley The Right Place, The Right Time one deck, procedure heavy
 		345
Alex Elmsley The Book of Fortunes humorous presentation, selection derived at by "power-of-thought"-coincidence is predicted in book
Variations 347
Chapter Eight: Where It's At
353
Alex Elmsley Buried Treasure II distant keys, performer stops at selection
Variations 355
Alex Elmsley Hair Cut using a hair to mark position, selection out of performer's hands
 		358
Alex Elmsley Calcolate X 2 two selections made out of performer's hands, three keys
 		361
Alex Elmsley Cross-25 two selections made out of performer's hands, re-matrixing
Related toVariationsAlso published here 363
Alex Elmsley Weight with small packet, marked key card
Related to 366
Alex Elmsley Choosey card chosen and lost, packet removed, spectator removes one card from it and it is selection or leads to it
Also published here 368
Alex Elmsley Rough Tracker edge marked and roughed locator card
 		370
Alex Elmsley, Martin Gardner Card Hopper selection is found by moving a prop from card to card in a row, Martin Gardner's Parity Principle
Variations 371
Alex Elmsley Penny Plain performer brings card to special position corresponding with cut-off packet behind back, principle similar to Penelope Principle
Related toVariationsAlso published here 374
Alex Elmsley The Clock Runs Down automatic placement
 		376
Alex Elmsley Mathematics and Mentalism one of sixteen cards thought of with its position, during reverse faros the spectator says in which half his card is, selection ends up on top (and force card brought to original position)
Also published here 378
Chapter Nine: No Gamble
381
Alex Elmsley Misogynist's Monte card vanishes in the end
 		383
Alex Elmsley The Bridge Builder all picture cards and Aces are dealt to dealer and partner, ungaffed
Related toVariations 388
Alex Elmsley Just Lucky riffle stacking for four players in which top card is lost every time
 		391
Alex Elmsley Aces Up stacking with faro shuffle for any number from two to five
 		395
Alex Elmsley Pierce Arrow unusual game in which one deals through twelve cards and tries to predict position of reversed card, actually "Peirce Arrow"
Also published here 397
Alex Elmsley Four Flusher stacking all four royal flushes one after the other, faro stacking
Inspired byRelated toVariations 399
Alex Elmsley A Strange Story great presentation about a poker game
 		401
Data entered by Denis Behr, June 2008.