13 JUMBLE POKER

JUMBLE POKER

by Jean Devriès

This routine which uses the Bob Hummer's CATO principle (Cut And Turn Over), is inspired by Larry Lorayne's effect called “Hidden Gems” (Genii 2009).

Effect. After a card had been selected by the spectator and placed aside, several cards are dealt, face-up/face-down, onto the table. Then, the dealt packet is cut, top cards are turned over, and so on, several times over, at will. Finally a retro-Faro is executed to increase the “chaotic” condition of the packet. After spreading the cards across the table, only four appear face-down in the ribbon. Surprisingly, these four cards associated to the spectator's one reconstitute the Spade Royal Flush of the deck. The experience is repeated with the same shuffled deck; but now, it is the Diamond Royal Flush which is obtained! (see Video).

Set-up. On top of the deck place the five Spade Royal Flush cards (Ten to Ace, in any order) followed by those of the Diamond ( also in any order).

Performance.

PHASE – I (Spade Royal Flush)

1°/ Begin spreading the deck, face-down, across the table, then using the forefinger turn the ribbon over in wave (Photo 1a). Immediately gather the cards and riffle- shuffle the deck (face-up) maintaining the set-up in place (on back) (Photo 1b). Holding the deck face-down use a swing-cut to centralize the set-up, taking a pinky break above it (Photos 2a, b). Now, spreading the cards towards the spectator, “force” it to touch one of the five cards directly below the break (Spade Royal Flush). Peel the touched card onto the table (Photos 3a, b).

 Be careful to re-take the pinky break when you close the spread into the left hand (Photo 3c). For the moment the spectator does not glance at the identity of his card. Displace the card a little aside.

2°/ Now say to the spectator:”I'm going to complicate things, dealing cards, face-up and face-down” Proceed as follows. With the tip of right fingers into the break flip the upper packet over onto the lower (Photos 4a, b). Then the right hand grasps the deck from above (in Biddle grip). The left hand, slightly squeezing the deck between the thumb and fingers, “draws” the top and bottom cards towards the left, and deposits the two cards, turning them over together, onto the table (Photos 5a, b). Draw an other card pair (Photo 5c) and deposit it directly onto that already on the table. Repeat the previous operations drawing two new pairs, and, turning over one of them before it is deposited onto the tabled cards.

In a continuing action, rapidly spread the deck between the hands to locate the separation point of the two halves. Turn over, face-up, the lower portion and slide it below the upper (Photos 6a, b). Grasp the face-up reconstituted deck from above with the right hand, and, as explained previously, successively draw four card pairs from the deck and drop them, turned over or not, onto the tabled pile (Photos 7a, b). In the course of the dealing, as far possible, take precaution not to expose the bottom card face of each pair (Spade Royal Flush cards).

3°/ Set the rest of the deck, face-down and crosswise, onto the spectator's card (Photo 8). Bring the dealt cards together and square them. Then execute two or three complete cuts of the packet (between hands or on table).

4°/ Continue to “mix” the cards as follows. Hold the packet in left hand dealing grip and use the thumb to push a few cards. The right hand takes 2, 4 or 6 of them off, always in ever number, without inverting their order, and flips all them over directly onto the packet (Photos 9a, b). Immediately complete cut the packet. You can repeat these operations at will. At this point spread the cards between the hands, to show their “jumble condition”. And say:”Now, I'm going to increase more again the disorder of the cards!” As you deliver the last words close back the packet and follow through with a retro-Faro: spread again, out-jogging every other card (Photos 10a, b). Then take the jogged card group off, and flip it over onto the other (Photos 10c, d). To finish execute one or two complete cuts in hands.

As a result of these operations, all the cards are facing in one direction except the four remaining Spade Flush cards. To continue the routine it is necessary to make sure that the four cards in question are face-down. Simply for this, casually spread the top cards: if you see an indifferent card face, the work is done; otherwise, nonchalantly, flip over the packet.

At this point, the spectator should be convinced all the cards are mixed.

5°/ Now ribbon spread the packet across the table (Photo 11). Isolate the face-down cards (4). Bring together the other cards and set them, face-down, aside. Pick up the rest of deck and use it to turn over the spectator's card, face-up, directly onto the table centre. Place the deck onto the previously discarded cards (Photos 12a, b).

Take up the 4 face-down cards and present their faces towards you. Slowly deal the cards, one by one, associating them with the spectator's card in a row, in this way to reconstitute the Spade Royal Flush, according the normal card order (Photo 13)...

PHASE – II (Diamond Royal Flush)

Tell the spectator that you will repeat the effect. Re-take the deck and insert the Flush cards separately into it. At this point the spectator expect the performer is going to produce the Spade Royal Flush again. In reality that will be the Diamond which is (unknown to the spectator!) on top of the deck.

As previously, riffle-shuffle the deck, face-up, maintaining the five cards of the Diamond Flush in place (on back of deck). Here, you are going to execute the “jumble dealing” before the spectator's card choice. But, at first, centralize the set-up: swing-cut the face-down deck and flip the initial lower portion over, face-up, onto the other (no pinky break). Grasp the deck from above with the right hand and you are ready to execute the dealing in question as described in the Phase-I, §2°.

Leave the dealt cards on the table. Four of them proceed from the Diamond Royal Flush. The 5^th card of the Flush is still on top of the deck. At present pretend to remember the spectator has not chosen a card yet. Set the deck, face-down, onto the table and invite the spectator to cut a upper portion. Put the remaining portion crosswise above it (“to mark the cut point”) (Photos 14a, b).

Immediately attract spectator's attention to the dealt pile again. Pick up it and continue to “mix” the cards according to the CATO method and the retro-Faro, as already described in Phase-I, §4°. Make sure that the four Diamond Royal Flush cards are face-down in the packet.

Ribbon spread (Photo 15) and take out the 4 face-down cards. After glancing at their identity (Photo 16a) deposit them in a row corresponding to the Royal Flush order onto the table. Of course one card is missing to complete the Flush (Photo 16b).

Usually at this stage of the routine the spectator has forgotten the manner the cut of the deck was done: he mistake the initial upper portion for the the lower (it is the purpose of the “cross force”!). Then, calmly, lift up the present upper portion. Invite the spectator to take up the top card from the tabled packet and to turn it over, revealing it is the card to make up the Diamond Royal Flush (Photo 16c)...