Annotated Erdnase by Darwin Ortiz

Details: Ed Marlo felt magicians have very short memory. We often use concepts without knowing where they originated from. I can testify to that fact because recently I met a magician who could not vocalize the proper terms for each sleight-of-hand technique he used. Whenever he wanted me to realize what move he was thinking about, he just did it and said “that one.” Furthermore, whenever I spoke the magic language, he always asked me to show the move so he could say “oh that!”

The Annotated Erdnase is your reference to all of the sleights created since “Expert At The Card Table” was written (back in 1902). It is simply a copy of “Expert At The Card Table” with additional side notes from Darwin Ortiz. For those of you who don’t know, “Expert At The Card Table” is an extraordinary book offering technical description on gambling sleights such as false cuts, false shuffles, and shifts (what magicians call the pass). These sleights described however assumes the performance is at the card table. Because it was written back a century ago, it needed an update. What the reader will find valuable is the references to many other modern, variant sleights created since then. Let me tell you, this book is loaded with information. This is one book card conjurors need in their library. If you wanted to know everything related to the slip cut, this book will let you in on that! I should mention a different book called “Revelations.” The format is the same only it was written by the “Professor” Dai Vernon. In that book the focus was on the technical moves themselves, providing tips overlooked by the original author.

The Annotated Erdnase isn’t just a reference guide; it also contains informational tidbits regarding the book itself (like how many technical errors the author of “Expert At The Card Table” made). Also included is documents from Martin Gardner concerning the identity of the original author, who we still don’t know. If you’re interested on that topic, I know that new research has been done that is not in this book. Check out Genii and Magic Magazine – I believe sometime in 1999-2000.

I give this book also an A+ because it is readable, re-readable, and loaded with essential information. It will appeal to people who are interested in the history of sleight-of-hand as well as people who are looking for gambling techniques. If you’re a flashy, finger-flinging type of magician wondering if the sleight-of-hand in this book is good, look elsewhere. The sleight-of-hand techniques described have their roots in gambling.

Contents (from book ToC):

9 Introduction (Mike Skinner)
11 Publisher’s Note
17 Introduction (Darwin Ortiz)
24 Preface
25 Introduction (SW Erdnase)

26 CARD TABLE ARTIFICE
26 Professional Secrets
30 Hold-outs
35 Prepared Cards
41 Confederacy
44 Two Methods of Shuffling
46 Primary Accomplishments
46 Possibilities of the Blind
47 Uniformity of Action
47 Deportment
47 Display of Ability
48 Greatest Single Accomplishment
48 Effect of Suspicion
48 Acquiring the Art
49 Importance of Details
49 TECHNICAL TERMS Definitions of
52 POSITION FOR SHUFFLE
52 BLIND SHUFFLES ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
53 I To Retain Top Stock
53 II To Retain Top Stock and Shuffle Whole Deck
54 III To Retain Bottom Stock and Shuffle Whole Deck
55 BLIND RIFFLES AND CUTS ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
55 I To Retain Top Stock
57 II To Retain Bottom Stock
60 BLIND CUTS
60 I To Retain Bottom Stock Top Loosing One Card
61 II To Retain Complete Stock
61 III To Retain Top Stock
62 IV To Retain Bottom Stock
63 V Combination Riffle and Cuts
63 FANCY BLIND CUTS
63 I To Retain Complete Stock
64 II To Retain Complete Stock
65 FANCY TRUE CUT ONE-HANDED 
66 TO INDICATE THE LOCATION FOR THE CUT
66 I By Crimp
68 II By Jog
68 III By Crimp
68 IV By Jog
69 BOTTOM DEALING
76 Top and Bottom Dealing One Hand
78 SECOND DEALING
82 ORDINARY METHODS OF STOCKING LOCATING AND SECURING
86 STOCK SHUFFLE
88 STOCK SHUFFLING ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
90 Two Card Stock
92 Three Card Stock
92 Four Card Stock
93 Five Card Stock
94 Twelve Card Stock
95 Euchre Stock
95 Euchre Stock
96 CULL SHUFFLING ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
97 To Cull Two Cards
97 To Cull Three Cards
97 To Cull Four Cards
98 To Cull Nine Cards
99 PALMING ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
100 Top Palm First Methd
101 Top Palm Second Method
102 Bottom Palm First Method
104 Bottom Palm Second Method 
106 Bottom Palm when Cards are Riffled
107 TO MAINTAIN THE BOTTOM PALM WHILE DEALING
108 TO HOLD THE LOCATION OF CUT WHILE DEALING
109 SHIFTS
110 Two-Handed Shift
112 Erdnase Shift One Hand
116 Erdnase Shift Two Hands
118 TO ASCERTAIN THE TOP CARDS WHILE RIFFLING AND RESERVE THEM AT THE BOTTOM
120 MODE OF HOLDING THE HAND
121 SKINNING THE HAND
124 THE PLAYER WITHOUT AN ALLY
124 Dealing Without the Cut
124 Replacing the Cut as Before
126 Holding out for the Cut
126 Shifting the Cut
127 Dealing Too Many
128 Crimping for the Cut
128 Replacing Palm when Cutting
131 The Short Deck
134 THREE CARD MONTE
141 Mexican Monte

148 LEGERDEMAIN
148 SHIFTS
148 Single-Handed Shift
150 The Longitudinal Shift
152 The Open Shift
156 The SWE Shift
160 The Diagonal Palm Shift
165 THE BLIND SHUFFLE FOR SECURING SELECTED CARD
166 FORCING 
168 PALMING
169 The Back Palm
170 CHANGES
171 The Top Change
171 The Bottom Change
172 The Palm Change
174 The Double Palm Change
175 TRANSFORMATIONS TWO HANDS
176 First Method
178 Second Method
179 Third Method
179 Fourth Method 
179 Fifth Method
180 Sixth Method
181 TRANSFORMATIONS ONE HAND
181 First Method
182 Second Method
183 BLIND SHUFFLES RETAINING ENTIRE ORDER
184 First Method
185 Second Method
187 Third Method
187 Fourth Method
188 Fifth Method
188 METHODS FOR DETERMINING A CARD THOUGHT OF
189 A By the Riffle
189 B By Springing Flourish
190 C By the Cut
190 D By the Gaze
190 TO GET SIGHT OF SELECTED CARD
191 THE SLIDE
192 FAVORITE SLEIGHTS FOR TERMINATING TRICKS
192 Catching Two Cards at Finger-ends
192 Leaving Selected Card in Hand of Spectator
192 The Revolution
194 Cards Rising from the Hand

194 CARD TRICKS
194 EXPLANATORY
196 THE EXCLUSIVE COTERIE
206 THE DIVINING ROD 
209 THE INVISIBLE FLIGHT
213 THE PREARRANGED DECK
220 THE TRAVELING CARDS
224 THE ROW OF TEN CARDS
226 THE ACROBATIC JACKS
228 A MIND READING TRICK
230 POWER OF CONCENTRATED THOUGHT
230 THE ACME OF CONTROL
232 THE CARD AND HANDKERCHIEF
235 THE TOP AND BOTTOM PRODUCTION
237 THE THREE ACES
241 THE CARD AND HAT

243 APPENDIX I: NEW MOVES
243 Bob King on The Erdnase False Overhand Shuffle
246 Roger Klause on The Diagonal Palm Shift
248 Pat Cook on The Diagonal Palm Shift
249 Darwin Ortiz on The Palm Change
251 Gary Kurtz on Erdnase’s Two-Handed Transposition
257 Hustler’s Triple Cut

259 APPENDIX II: THE SEARCH FOR ERDNASE
260 The Man Who Was Erdnase by Martin Gardner
263 The Mystery of Erdnase by Martin Gardner
264 Editions of Erdnase
265 Problems Yet Unsolved

• Publisher: Mike Caveney’s Magic Words
• Pages: 270
• Location: Pasadena, CA, USA
• Dimensions: 9″x11″
• Date: 1991
• Binding: hardbound

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