Pseudo Cheating Demos and Effects by Justin Higham

Contents include:

• The 15-Card Poker Climax – A climax phase for the classic 10-Card Poker Deal, culminating in the performer revealing a royal flush and a prediction which shows the hands that would be dealt by the spectator – even though they shuffled and distributed the cards themselves. Includes ideas and notes by Will Houstoun and Dean Bodenham. (Sleights used: simple overhand shuffle work and a false cut.)

• Spread-Count Poker 1 & 2 – A sleightless way of stacking the Aces, normally achieved via the Bottom-Deal Count. (Sleights: uses an optional palm replacement at the start.)

• Freedom Stacking (Joseph Barry) – Four Aces are dealt from a borrowed, shuffled deck – the classic pick-up build in a new form. (Sleights: full-deck false shuffle.)

• Bottom-Deal Count Substitute – The spectator cuts off half and 25 cards are counted off by the performer. These are dealt into poker hands by the spectator, who receives the four Aces – another way of stacking the Aces in lieu of the Bottom-Deal Count. (Sleights: overhand shuffle work; also uses one bottom deal if stacking a royal flush.)

• Mini Faro, Named Centres – Four Kings and four Aces are openly alternated and placed in the middle of the deck. The spectator names either Aces or Kings and the performer ‘centre deals’ the chosen cards. The other four of a kind are shown still in the middle. (Sleights: dribble pass, turnover pass.) Also includes ‘Mini Faro, Two/Three Players’, ‘Mini Faro Hold ‘em’, and other ideas.

• The Compensation Deal – An illogical but fooling solution to the classic Vernon/Fulves poker problem: the Aces are openly stacked for four hands, then a freely chosen number of people join the game. The performer still deals the Aces. (Sleights: double-card handling, bottom deals.)

• Pseudo 10-Hand Poker Stack – The Aces are placed on the deck and the cards given a selected number of riffle shuffles. The performer deals 10 hands of poker and receives the Aces. (Sleights: adding cards onto a top stock during a riffle shuffle, tabling a double, double push-off/deal.)

• Face-Up Deals – From a borrowed, shuffled deck the performer deals and wins multiple hands of blackjack, and also deals a full-house from a shuffled deck. (Sleights: multiple second deals.)

• GM Poker – A solution to the problem of doing the classic ‘Gardner–Marlo Poker Routine’ with only one four of a kind being dealt throughout. (Sleights: turnover pass.) Plus related material.

• Two Shufflers – The performer and spectator each shuffle half the deck to test their shuffling abilities. The performer deals his/her half first revealing – nothing. The spectator’s half is then dealt revealing four Sevens. ‘Maybe two shufflers are better than one’, opines the performer. The two halves are shuffled together and the spectator deals a royal flush. (Sleights: jog shuffle, milk-build shuffle, faro shuffle, and an easy switch taught in the text.)

• Stand-Up Poker Deal (Sav) – From a borrowed, shuffled deck the performer deals a full house. (Sleights: culling, faro shuffle.)

• 75% Poker Deal – The performer deals three of a kind from a borrowed, shuffled deck. (Sleights: classic pass.)

• Faro Flush Presentation – Fr. Cyprian’s well-known effect brought up to date with a pseudo-memory presentation and a choice of draw poker or hold ‘em. (Sleights: faro shuffle, double undercut.)

• Pseudo-Memory Deal (Benjamin Earl) – The spectator shuffles the deck and the performer deals the Aces in a four-handed game. (Sleights: faro shuffle.)

• Pseudo-Memory Deal/Location – A way of dealing or cutting to the Aces in a deck shuffled by the spectator. (Sleights: faro shuffle (optional), basic cut and shuffle work.)

• First Flush – A royal flush is cut into the middle of the deck. Two hands are dealt, and one of these is ‘switched’ for the royal flush. (Sleights: simple false cut.)

• Poker Charade – A royal flush is dealt from a deck shuffled multiple times by the spectators. Based on a classic cheating concept called the count-down. (Sleights: palm replacement and general card handling.)

• What Goes Around, Comes Around – Three hands are dealt from a spectator-shuffled deck. The performer receives a full house. (Sleights: none / general card handling.)

• The ‘Appearing’ Poker Hand (Ben Earl) – The performer ‘deals’ a royal flush with no false shuffles, stacks, deals, or switches. (Sleights: general card handling.)

• Jungian Poker (Modified) – The performer locates a thought-of card and its matching straight-flush cards. (Sleights: top stock shuffle, false cut, spread cull, overhand shuffle work.) Also includes ‘Jungian Location’ and ‘Jungian Instinct’, where the spectator lifts off a packet and peeks its bottom card, then replaces it and immediately shuffles the deck. The performer locates the card and its matching straight-flush cards. (Sleights: spread cull and optional sleights.)