Peculiarities of certain Cards

99 entries in Cards / Principles / Locator Cards / Peculiarities of certain Cards
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Natürliche Methode observing irregularities in back design
 		1896
Der moderne Kartenkünstler
132
Carl Willmann Zum Geheimnis der Falschspieler about naturally marked cards
Related to
 June 1896
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 2 No. 6)
93
Das Kartensortieren performer sorts the shuffled into number and court cards without looking at the faces, using the principle that picture cards have more ink on them that (in those days) clings to the card underneath, impromptu rough-smooth
 		Nov. 1897
Der Zauberspiegel (Vol. 3 No. 5)
65
Leopold Figner Der ausgeprägte Farbensinn No. 43, cards are shuffled and performer is able to tell if cards are red or black
 		1924
Offenbarungen aus dem Reiche der Kartenkunst
40
Leopold Figner Hellsehen No. 60, spectator removes ten cards and moves an amount of cards from top to bottom, performer names amount
 		1924
Offenbarungen aus dem Reiche der Kartenkunst
53
Friedrich "Fritz" Hügli Der gesteigerte Tastsinn four cards face-up on the table, one card is turned (not reversed) while performer is in other room, performer divines card
 		1927
Leichte Zauberei
48
Eric F. Impey A New Method of Card Location card chosen and replaced, spectator deals cards face-up, performer stops him at selection, key card from different deck
 		1928
Original Card Mysteries
3
Eric F. Impey A Latter-Day Card Miracle "dirty" key card is followed during dealing of shuffled card into two piles, card selected and replaced, then found from face-up spread
 		1928
Original Card Mysteries
4
Friedrich "Fritz" Hügli Das wispernde As always being able to locate certain card from the back, card apparently talks to performer
 		1930
Zauberkunststücke
61
Joe Berg Touch Reading De Luxe reading cards by touch after an honest riffle shuffle, without one-ahead, two different card finishes and interlocking chains
 		1930
Here's Magic
43
Dai Vernon Super Card Prediction stabbing force with principle that used deck splits always at same point
Variations
 1937
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
29
Charles T. Jordan Twentieth Century Sorcery exploiting special feature on back of Bicycle Blue Thistle Backs
Also published here
 1937
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
145
Charles T. Jordan The Mystery Problem position of selection is predicted, svengali deck with different finish on force cards, ending clean with switch-out
Also published here
 1937
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
251
Charles T. Jordan Neat Card Detection only with Bicycle backs from the old days and a printing irregularity, uncredited
Also published here
  • The Sphinx, Aug. 1916
 1937
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
299
Joe Berg An Amazing Card Location top five cards are shown not to be the selection, number up to five is called, card at that position is now selection, imperfection principle
 		1937
Here's New Magic
9
Off-Tone Key Card Sun-Marked Key Card
Worn-Back Key Card
 		1938
Greater Magic
81
Ivory and Air Cushion Finish halves from different decks with different finishes, divided deck location
Related to
 1938
Greater Magic
448
William H. McCaffrey Blindfold Multiple Detection blindfolded magician divines several cards, different finishes
 		1938
Greater Magic
449
R. M. Jamison Impromptu Slick Work ivory finish card in air cushion or linen deck
 		Dec. 1939
The Jinx (Issue 69)
472
Charles Hopkins 45 - Look for informal "readers". Check for telltale nicks/dirt/scrapes on cards
Related to
 1940
"Outs" Precautions and Challenges
63
Conny Steffensen Magische Lektionen brief explanations of various techniques to control a card, followed by french translation "Leçons de Magie"
  • 1. Durch Forcieren
  • 2. Anwendung der Volte
  • 3. Mit Hilfe der untersten Karte
  • 4. Ein Ersatz für die Volte
  • 5. Lange und breite Karte
  • 6. Eine billige, lange Karte
  • 7. Gebrochene Ecke
  • 8. Dicke Karte
  • 9. Kurze Karte
  • 10. Vergilbtes Spiel
  • 11. "Bleistiftstrich" auf der Seite des Spieles
  • 12. Rand und "Augen" Methode
  • 13. Die umgekehrte Karte
Related to
 1946
Hokus Pokus (Vol. 8 No. 1)
5
Edward Marlo Imperfection Force under-the-spread force
Also published here
 1947
Marlo In Spades
8
Milbourne Christopher* Milbourne Christopher's Column ideas for various tricks
  • Lit cigarette hold on thumb covered with handkerchief
  • idea for Al Baker's addition slate
  • on Lou Tannens shooting wand
  • Milk Pitcher
  • Brainwave Deck
  • gag with flash bill
  • Floating Ball
  • card location
 		Aug. 1947
Hugard's Magic Monthly (Vol. 5 No. 3)
341
Cy Endfield Time Must Tell using natural imperfection
Also published here
 Apr. 1949
The Phoenix (Issue 174)
696
Cy Endfield Time Must Tell using natural imperfection
Also published here
 1955
Cy Endfield's Entertaining Card Magic — Part III
25
Jack Avis All Fair Impromptu Spell mental spelling, imperfect card principle
 		1955
Ireland's Yearbooks (Issue Yearbook 1955)
18
Walter Behm Ein verblüffendes Kartenfinden
1955
Hokus Pokus (Vol. 16 No. 2)
282
Cy Endfield Time Must Tell using natural imperfection, clock lay out, with lie detector presentation
Also published here
 1956
The Best in Magic
110
Russell "Rusduck" Duck Las Vegas Deck ivory and air cushion finish deck in conjunction with Rusduck's four-Way Deal, see No. 8 for history of the principle
Related to
 Mar. 1958
The Cardiste (Issue 6)
2
Russell "Rusduck" Duck Re: Las Vegas Deck comments by Stewart James and Dai Vernon
Related to
 May 1958
The Cardiste (Issue 8)
9
Natural Air Pocket Principle squared deck is often cut at the same spot because of natural air pockets
Related to
 1962
Estimation
31
Dai Vernon Vernon Super Card Prediction stabbing force with principle that used deck splits always at same point
 		1962
Early Vernon
24
Edward Marlo Strippers from the Manufacturer called "The Great Discovery"
Related to
 1964
The Patented Shuffle (Issue 5 I Shuffled the Cards)
16
North Bigbee Magick Aces using a brand new deck
 		1970
Magick (Issue 6)
29
Joe Berg A Dirty Trick
Sep. 1970
Talisman (Vol. 1 No. 27)
142
Judson S. Brown Judson Brown (Genii - Dec, 1936) No. 395, bottom card warps as locator card, cheap deck
Also published here
  • "Deal Detection" (Judson Brown, Genii, Dec. 1936, p. 12)
 1972
Jacob Daley's Notebooks
108
Aristocrat Cards: One Way Eliminating Trick No. 474, card chosen, spectator deals and stops anytime, one of the two piles is shuffled and dealt again the same way until one card remains which is the selection
 		1972
Jacob Daley's Notebooks
132
Dr. Jacob Daley Natural Break Location No. 577, exploiting cards where the deck naturally breaks by pressure
 		1972
Jacob Daley's Notebooks
161
Edward Marlo In Case of a Miss spectator chooses odd-backed card via face-up spread force, based on different coatings
 		1974
The Unexpected Card Book
149
Edward Marlo Coated Locator using plastic coated card in standard deck
 		1975
The Hierophant (Issue 7 Resurrection Issue)
51
Dai Vernon Glimpse Location Use creases and subtle dirt marks on cards as a key card
 		1975
Magic With Faucett Ross
223
Dai Vernon Suggestion for Spread Location (Mistitled as Top Change Misdirection) Use breaks/clumps in spread to find cards
 		1975
Magic With Faucett Ross
226
Charles T. Jordan The Trio three cards predicted, new deck opened and three selected which match prediction, apparently around 1919 Bicycle Rider backs came as one-way deck with always the three same cards reversed
Related to
Variations
 1975
Charles T. Jordan: Collected Tricks
143
Charles T. Jordan Twentieth Century Sorcery exploiting special feature on back of Bicycle Blue Thistle Backs
Also published here
 1975
Charles T. Jordan: Collected Tricks
145
Charles T. Jordan The Mystery Problem position of selection is predicted, svengali deck with different finish on force cards, ending clean with switch-out
Also published here
 1975
Charles T. Jordan: Collected Tricks
169
Charles T. Jordan A Neat Card Detection only with Bicycle backs from the old days and a printing irregularity
Also published here
  • The Sphinx, Aug. 1916
 1975
Charles T. Jordan: Collected Tricks
275
Edward Marlo Marlo Card Secrets two Items, how to have locators in new decks (switching cards between two different decks)
 		1976
Marlo's Magazine — Volume 1
316
Edward Marlo The Sting punch deal with natural edge marks, Bee deck, see Busby reference for credit information
Related to
 1984
Marlo's Magazine — Volume 5
24
Dai Vernon, Frederick Braue Dai Vernon Force stabbing force with principle that used deck splits always at same point
Inspired by
 1985
The Fred Braue Notebooks (Issue 2)
2
Ben Harris Two Out of Four Isn't Bad order of the shuffled Aces is divined, using Ace of Spades printing defect noticed by Tom Craven
Inspired by
  • Tom Craven, Precursor #8
 Aug. 1986
New Directions (Issue 3)
16
Edward Marlo Fingertip Controls three methods, one with a "horribly warped" deck
Related to
 1988
Marlo's Magazine — Volume 6
263
Karl Fulves* Hole Card Play cheating method with high-low rough-smooth deck (or different finishes)
 		1991
Swindle Sheet (Issue 7)
80
Vanni Bossi The Perfect Key Card
1992
Vanni Bossi NEW Lecture Notes
19
Edward Marlo Odd Aces placing cards from other deck into deck as locator cards
 		Apr. 1992
The Olram File (Issue 11)
4
Vanni Bossi The Perfect Key Card card cut the other way put into deck, slick card
 		1992
Escorial 1992 — The Marlo Year
29
Charles T. Jordan The Trio No. 164, three cards predicted, new deck opened and three selected which match prediction
Inspired by
 1992
Charles Jordan's Best Card Tricks
197
Charles T. Jordan Twentieth-Century Sorcery No. 165
Also published here
 1992
Charles Jordan's Best Card Tricks
198
Charles T. Jordan The Mystery Problem No. 186, position of selection is predicted, svengali deck with different finish on force cards, ending clean with switch-out
Also published here
 1992
Charles Jordan's Best Card Tricks
222
Eddie Fechter Imperfection Peek
1993
Fechter
35
John Northern Hilliard "Think , 'Stop!'" Card Tricks three methods, double backer and tactile key cards
 		1994
More Greater Magic
1211
Dai Vernon Vernon 1-3 three location methods
 		1994
More Greater Magic
1245
Edward Marlo Mental Reselection spectator thinks of one of five cards, then choses one of them face-down, it's his mental selection
  • First Method (marked)
  • Second Method (five marked cards)
  • Third Method (five stacked cards)
  • Fourth Method (deck with imperfections)
Also published here
  • The New Tops, May 1979
 1995
M.I.N.T. — Volume II
402
Ellis Stanyon The "Ivory" versus "Air Cushion" Finish No. 19, card replaced in deck with different finish
 		1999
Ellis Stanyon's Best Card Tricks
202
Karl Fulves* Crimp Practice stranger card in a deck
 		2000
Charlatan (Issue 4)
46
Christian Ehret Spread 'Em Again Kings are lost in deck, then Aces are found in face-down tabled spread by pulling them out, simplified
Inspired by
 2000
Freebie 2
14
Karl Fulves* Different Finishes comment on combining deck with different finishes
Related to
 2003
Off The Books (Issue 3)
36
Jack Avis Jack Avis Ideas - 3. half deck jumbo and normal index for divided deck location
 		2006
Rara Avis
73
Jack Avis Jack Avis Ideas - 4. spectator thinks only jumbo index card
 		2006
Rara Avis
73
Jack Avis Jack Avis Ideas - 5. having a wide jumbo index card in a deck, no application
 		2006
Rara Avis
73
David Solomon Impromptu Svengali Deck Principle
2007
The Wisdom of Solomon
168
Edward Marlo Imperfection Force under-the-spread force
Also published here
 2007
Marlo on Erdnase
165
Aaron DeLong Cataclysmic un-gaffed haunted pack, exploiting natural breaking point
 		Mar. 2007
Antinomy (Vol. 3 No. 1)
20
Tony Binarelli Millennium Supermentalism a spectator finds another spectators's selections, jumbo index mixed with normal index
Also published here
Inspired by
 Aug. 2007
MAGIC (Vol. 16 No. 12)
81
Herb Zarrow Cutting To A Card squared deck is often cut at the same spot because of natural air pockets
Related to
 2008
Zarrow: A Lifetime of Magic
355
Joshua Jay In Sink several cards placed on water surface, all cards sink to the bottom except selection, plastic/paper
Also published here
 Sep. 2011
MAGIC (Vol. 21 No. 1)
77
Robert Cassidy An Interesting Fact on two different deck of the Hoyle Maverick Poker Size Playing Cards
 		2013
The Artful Mentalism of Bob Cassidy — Volume 2: Fundamentals
61
The Range Cut cutting precisely to spectator’s previously cut-to card (or within close range), natural air pocket principle
Related to
  • Moe Seidenstein, Moe and His Miracles with Cards, 1986
 2014
Applesauce
132
Steve Forte Sorts combining a deck from different decks
 		2020
Gambling Sleight Of Hand — Volume 1
495
Steve Forte rough and smooth combining different finishes
 		2020
Gambling Sleight Of Hand — Volume 1
497
Andi Gladwin Aura three selections lost, first found by performer in face-down spread, second with deck in performer's pocket, third by spectator who reaches into pocket
Related to
 2020
The Boy Who Cried Magic
221
Ryan Murray Discovery on natural stripper properties in standard decks
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
3
Ryan Murray The Natural Locator on the use of natural stripper properties in standard decks
  • Cutting to a Card
  • The Diagonal Grip
    • On the Table
    • In the Hands
  • The Strip-Out
    • Refinements
  • Nomenclature
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
6
Ryan Murray Separating the Cards aligning natural stripper decks
  • Using the Printing Imperfections
  • Using Pip Orientation
  • Separation Shuffle A
  • Separation Shuffle B
  • Combining Separation Methods
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
21
Ryan Murray As a Simple Location using natural stripper properties in standard decks
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
55
Ryan Murray Blind Location using natural one-way printing property in standard decks
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
56
Ryan Murray Impossible Location using natural stripper properties in standard decks
Related to
Variations
 2021
Natural Card Magic
57
Ryan Murray Double Impossible Location with two locations, using natural stripper properties in standard decks
Inspired by
Related to
 2021
Natural Card Magic
59
Ryan Murray Lucky Poker Deal card selected from packet and lost, four hands dealt, chosen one contains four Sevens and selection, using natural stripper properties in standard decks
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
61
Ryan Murray Mirrored a selection and its mate are located with fair procedure, using natural stripper properties in standard decks
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
66
Ryan Murray Multiple Selection four cards lost, incompletely shuffled deck put in case, cards drop in except three of the selections, their added value are used to find last selection, using natural stripper properties in standard decks
Inspired by
 2021
Natural Card Magic
71
Ryan Murray Ace Cutting using natural stripper properties in standard decks
  • Tracking the Aces
  • Cutting to the Aces by Suit
  • Final Notes on Ace Cutting
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
78
Ryan Murray Epiphany deck really shuffled face-up/face-down, using natural stripper properties in standard decks
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
85
Ryan Murray Epilogue on natural stripper properties in standard decks, credit information
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
99
Ryan Murray Appendix: References for natural stripper properties in standard decks
 		2021
Natural Card Magic
103
Tony Binarelli Millennium Supermentalism a spectator finds another spectators's selections, jumbo index mixed with normal index
Also published here
Inspired by
 2022
Talk About Tricks (Issue 1)
644
Joshua Jay In Sink several cards placed on water surface, all cards sink to the bottom except selection, plastic/paper
Also published here
 2022
Talk About Tricks (Issue 2)
1056
Ryan Murray 21 Card Trick using natural stripper principle
 		2023
Excerpts
18
Justin Higham* A Magician Fooler card selected, performer cuts at same card in borrowed deck
Related to
 2025
Spectator-Shuffle Effects
16
Justin Higham* Pro Tip on a Magician Fooler card selected, performer cuts at same card in borrowed deck
Related to
 2025
Twelve Ways to Sunday
52