52 Farewells — Latta on Cards

released 2025
2022
Written by Stephen Hobbs, Stephen Minch
Work of Geoffrey Latta
295 pages (Hardcover), published by Hermetic Press
Illustrated with photographs
Language: English
106 entries
This publication has been reviewed by
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page Categories
Jamy Ian Swiss For the Record on Geoffrey Latta and the making of the Pink Purse tape
 		ix
Eric Mead Eric Mead on the Pink Purse Tape
xiv
Joshua Jay Joshua Jay on the Pink Purse Tape
xv
1. Card Sleights: From Basic to Particular
1
The Pinky Count
3
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... The Pinky Count on practicing the move
 		5
Stuart Gordon, Geoffrey Latta The Stuart Gordon Double Lift
6
Laurie Ireland Double Push-Off
6
Stuart Gordon Stuart Gordon Double Lift from Dribble dribbling the deck and retaining and turning last two over as a double
 		10
Geoffrey Latta The Partial Ascanio Spread four as three, double taken out and placed on top
Related to 11
Geoffrey Latta The Singularity Slide finesse for hiding the second-from-bottom card in buckle or pull-down counts
 		14
Geoffrey Latta Spread Break Technique multiple buckle with in-the-hands spread cover, right finger starts holding the break, also as placement for a culled card
 		18
Geoffrey Latta, Daniel Rhod The Pivot Spread variation of the D'Amico Spread
Related to 21
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... Basic Improvement
24
Geoffrey Latta The Latta Alignment Sequence featuring a bottom-top double deal from packet with a Stuart Gordon type turnover
Variations 25
Geoffrey Latta The Silver Eidetic Change coin on tabled card, card changes visibly with hands waving over it
Inspired byAlso published here 30
Dai Vernon Tabling a Double
30
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... Performance Anxiety tip by Karrell Fox
 		34
Geoffrey Latta The Isolated Switch double card held and inserted into tabled deck by lifting the top half with the right hand, in passing the bottom card is Tenkai palmed and optionally lapped (Peter Samelson timing finesse)
Also published here 35
Geoffrey Latta Tabled Bottom Tenkai Replacement
38
2. Palm d'Or
43
Geoffrey Latta The Latta Color Steal as deck is placed in left hand, three options after the palm:
  • Right Hand to Side with Card in Classic Palm
  • To Make a Color Change
  • Turning the Deck Face up
Also published here 45
Geoffrey Latta To Make a Color Change
51
Geoffrey Latta The Latta Side Steal into palm
 		55
Max Malini Flexing the Deck with Break
56
Geoffrey Latta The Interrupted Side Steal and Convincer pushed-out card left angle-jogged and bent downwards for a seemingly fair display
 		61
Geoffrey Latta Starting from a Dribble side steal palm as top half is replaced
Related to 63
Geoffrey Latta Latta's Palm Change Sequence transformation sequence of a single card (double)
 		68
Geoffrey Latta Palm Change Handling
Inspired by 69
Through-the-Fist with Double
72
Geoffrey Latta On the "Erdnase" Color Change full palm of stolen card
Inspired by 74
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... Practicing the Basics
80
Geoffrey Latta The Latta Multiple Top Palm
Inspired by 81
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... Reaching for the Core Effect
84
Geoffrey Latta On Capping the Deck in-the-hands
 		85
Geoffrey Latta The Fingernail Multiple Bottom Palm
87
Geoffrey Latta The Spread Bottom Palm
92
Geoffrey Latta Variation on the Cliff Green Bottom Palm delayed with deck in right-hand end grip
Inspired by 95
Geoffrey Latta The Express Diagonal Palm Shift
Inspired by 98
3. Pass Mastery
103
Geoffrey Latta The Missing-Frame Pass Slow Riffle Pass, slight wrist rocking action
  • Overview and Theory of the Missing Frame
  • Obtaining the Break
  • The Missing-Frame Grip
    • The Left Hand's Grip
    • The Right Hand's Grip
  • The Action of the Missing-Frame Pass
    • Frame 1: Starting Position
    • Frame 2: The Upward Rock
    • The Missing Frame 3: The Downward Rock
    • Frame 4: The Thumb Riffle
    • Frame 5: The Finger-Riffle
 		105
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... Finger Strength
115
Geoffrey Latta The Fast Pass best for shifting small packets to the bottom
Inspired by 116
Geoffrey Latta The Thumbs Down Riffle Pass left thumb remains across top
 		120
Geoffrey Latta The Elevator Pass out-jogged card travels visibly upward through deck
  • The Fast Pass with an Anglejogged Card
  • The Missing-Frame Pass with an Anglejogged Card
 		122
Geoffrey Latta The Circle Shift all-around square-up action, credit information
Related to 125
Geoffrey Latta The Open Turnover Pass credit information
 		130
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... The Pass
134
4. (F)(Pl)Aces
135
Geoffrey Latta Voyagers McDonald's Aces routine
  • Impromptu Get-Ready
  • Display and Lay-down Sequence
  • The First Ace Disappears
  • The Second Ace Disappears
  • The Third Ace Disappears
  • The Gathering
 		137
Tony Kardyro Mechanical Reverse with small packet
 		145
Edward Marlo, Geoffrey Latta Olram Subtlety Handling
148
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... The Rule of Three and Surprise
152
Geoffrey Latta The Misdirection Trick Aces tabled, selection is supposed to appears between Aces, tabled cards are Kings and Aces with selection between them is found in deck
 		153
J. Stewart Smith Coming Up in the World credit information
 		158
Geoffrey Latta Topsy-Turvy Surprise with Matching the Cards ending
  • Losing the Aces
  • Cutting the Aces
  • Kings Onstage, Aces Off
Also published here 161
Jerry K. Hartman Secret Subtraction
162
Edward Marlo Tabled Slip Cut tabled
Also published here 165
Riffle Shuffle Lap deck stands on its edge
 		168
Russell T. Barnhart Table Reverse with a riffle shuffle
Also published here 170
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... Improving an Effect Brainwave vs Invisible Deck
 		174
Geoffrey Latta Reflex Reflections with thought-of card from packet
Inspired by 175
Geoffrey Latta Copies in Triplicate Ace, Two and Three of Hearts tabled, three selections lost, the Hearts transform into the selections on the deck one by one, then all back
Related to 179
Geoffrey Latta Heartless picking off the pip with a real little heart
Also published here 181
Jon Racherbaumer Bluff Bottom Placement to second from bottom, bold
Also published here 182
Geoffrey Latta, Jamy Ian Swiss Point Blank face card is transformed from Three to Two to Ace (picking off the pip), deck becomes blank and normal again
  • Picking Off the Pip
  • Squeezing Two into One
  • Nothing Gained
  • All the Pips Are Gone
  • Success Inkorporated
Also published here 187
5. Condensed Illusions
197
Geoffrey Latta Four What? four Aces change into selection one by one, then into Kings
Also published here 199
Herb Zarrow Zarrow Block Addition
199
James Steranko Steranko Move moving a double from dealing position to finger tips with one hand
Also published here
  • Genii, Nov. 1962, p. 127
 201
Larry Jennings Bounce Double
206
Le Temps Switch Handling credit information
 		209
Geoffrey Latta Quick G-Way selection lost, three cards taken which are all shown as selection, then all-backs sequence, then they change to normal cards and the selection has vanished
  • Located by Force
  • Everywhere
  • All Backs
  • And Nowhere
Inspired by 211
Geoffrey Latta Refined Quick Three-Way Display
Inspired by 213
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... All Backs presentational comment
 		219
Geoffrey Latta, James Swain Preset for credit information see Swain "Metamorphosis" reference
Related toAlso published here 220
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... Constructive Criticism
225
Geoffrey Latta The Mis-show Card Trick King of Hearts in outer breast pocket transposes with Queen of Hearts sandwiched between red Jacks, using picture card mis-shows
Also published here 226
Geoffrey Latta Naturally Wild four Jokers change into the four Kings, Wild Card credit information
  • Four Jokers (The Diminishing Lift Sequence)
  • Jokers to Kings
 		230
Geoffrey Latta The Diminishing Lift Sequence reversed cards, see page 239 for credit information
 		231
Geoffrey Latta The Re-Universal Card odd-backed Joker changes to match three selected cards one by one, in four-card packet
  • The First Transformation
  • The Second Transformation
  • The Third Transformation
Also published here 240
Stephen Hobbs, Stephen Minch The Universal Card Plot credit information
 		240
P. Howard Lyons Slipduc six-card spread held with both hands, hand separate with half the cards each, center two cards are switched secretly
Also published here 242
Geoffrey Latta Twist Till It Hurts with Ace through Four, one card changes as climax
  • The One-by-One Twisting Sequence
  • Accumulative Twisting Sequence
Inspired byRelated toAlso published here 245
Geoffrey Latta Packet Reversal Subtlety Wiley Turn, see also page 252
Related to 245
Geoffrey Latta The Sorcerer's Phoenix Ace of Spades is produced in empty hands, three more Aces of Spades produced from air, transform into four different Aces
Inspired by 253
Cliff Green, Joseph Cottone Squeeze Production
Also published here 254
Cliff Green Coptomania Steal palming cards off double or multiple card packet
Also published here 258
6. Passing Fancies
261
Geoffrey Latta The Vanishing Collectors Aces vanish one by one from top of deck, then they are shown to have collected three selections
  • Making the Selections and Losing Them
  • The Vanishes and Gathering
Also published here 263
Geoffrey Latta One-Hand Tilt Get-Ready with pinky count
Also published here 264
Geoffrey Latta Streamlined Vanishing Collectors Aces vanish one by one from top of deck, then they are shown to have collected three selections
  • Making the Selections and Losing Them
  • The Vanishes and Gathering
Inspired by 267
Carmen D'Amico D'Amico Multiple Shift sliding block
 		267
Geoffrey Latta Instant Vanishing Collectors Aces set aside, three selections lost, Aces dropped on deck, they vanish and appear in the center with selections in between
  • Making the Selections and Losing Them
  • The Aces Vanish and Collect the Selections
Inspired by 269
Geoffrey Latta ATFUS Handling with Erdnase break
 		269
Geoffrey Latta Dazzling Interchange collectors set with Kings in middle of deck, Aces on top change one by one to Kings
Also published here 274
Geoffrey Latta Visible Ambition angle-jogged card rises to the top, credit information on visible rises
  • First Ascension: Top-Card Cover Pass
  • Second Ascension: Wrist-Turn Pass
  • Third Ascension: Fast Pass
 		277
Larry Jennings Top-Card Cover Pass
278
Wrist-Turn Pass
279
Geoffrey Latta Latta on... Unexpected Learning
281
Geoffrey Latta Deadlier Than the Male three very visual sandwich phases, featuring a visual ambitious card rise
  • The First Date
  • The Second Date
  • The Third Date
Inspired by 282
Geoffrey Latta Bottom Buckle deck held in right-hand end grip, card inserted second from bottom but apparently placed on bottom
Inspired by 284
A Final Thank You...
289
Stephen Hobbs An Observation on Friendship, Time and Devotion
291
Aliases & Previous Sightings
293
Stephen Hobbs, Stephen Minch A Bibliography of Geoffrey Latta's Card Magic in Print and on Video
295
Data entered by Denis Behr, August 2025.