An Effective Poker Deal

Nothing in card magic seems to impress the layman so much as the apparent ability to deal good poker hands at will. Here is an easy way to gain such a reputation.

Either beforehand, or in the course of other tricks, secretly get a royal flush,--ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace---of any suit but Spades, to the top of the deck. The five cards may be in any order. False shuffle several times, retaining the five cards on the top and finally undercut about half the deck, jog one card and shuffle off. Cut at the jog and complete the cut, bringing the five cards again to the top of the deck. Hand the deck to a spectator, and ask him to deal five Poker hands, face down, of course. This, you explain, is merely to prove that the pack has been well shuffled and that the hands will prove, most likely to be of low value.

The spectator deals five hands and naturally the first card of each hand will be one of the set-up. Pick up the hands one by one, showing the poker value of each but covering the suit of the first card as much as possible. Drop each hand face down on the balance of the deck, carefully keeping the first cards in position, and the pack will then be set to give the dealer the royal flush.

Remarking to the spectator about his being lucky or unlucky, according to the value of the hands he dealt, maintain that no luck can stand up against skill. Undertake to give an exhibition of stacking cards as used by gamblers. The hand being already set up you have merely to give as convincing a display of false shuffling and cutting as you are capable of. Deal the five hands and show that you have dealt yourself a royal flush. The reason for not using the Spade suit is that the Ace of Spades is so conspicuous that its reappearance in the final hand might be noticed and so give a clue to the secret.

With but little more trouble the trick can be made still stronger. In setting up the cards for the royal flush run four spot cards of the same value under them. In the final deal these four cards will be in the hand next to the dealer and you explain that the player in that position is to represent the "Sucker" who is to be taken to the cleaners. Invite a spectator to take that hand, and show the other three; they will probably be of small value. Let him go as far as he likes to bet, in fun, of course. The final show down gives you a royal flush against fours.