A Complete Card Act with Patter

This ebook offers a comprehensive guide to card routines using a stacked deck. While it focuses on the Si Stebbins stack, the techniques and principles can be applied to various other stacks, whether memorized or algorithmic. Additionally, it concludes with a simple two-person code.

Dornfield, President of the Chicago Society of Magicians, praised this work in The Sphinx magazine, November 1919:

“On the same program, Hugh Johnston showcased his incredible sliders and puzzlers. The way he commands a card or an entire deck is truly miraculous. Currently, he runs the only magical school in the United States, attracting many enthusiastic students who practice with coins and cards throughout the city, even while commuting. They will undoubtedly benefit from his expertise, as he is one of the finest manipulators in the country today.”

Lloyd E. Jones also shared his thoughts in Genii:

“In my opinion, this is the best resource available on the Si Stebbins deck. Don’t let that intimidate you! Many magicians performed Si Stebbins tricks during the vaudeville era. I personally knew Hugh Johnston, a talented card expert of his time, and witnessed the remarkable performances of Earl De Forrest. This material is not only entertaining but also mystifying and instructive, making it valuable for club performances, stage shows, and even to astonish fellow magicians.”

• Introduction
• The Arrangement
• Quickly Setting Up a Pack
• False Shuffles
  • The Overhand Shuffle
  • Fancy Overhand Shuffle
  • The Riffle
  • Another Riffle
  • The V Shape Shuffle
• False Cuts
  • Two-Handed Throw
  • The Three Section Cut
  • The Four Section Cut
  • The One-Handed Cut
• A Subtle Method for Arranging a Strange Deck
• A Good Switch
• Location
• The Arrangement
• The Human Scales
• The Center Card
• The X-Ray Eyes of the Joker
• The Gambler’s Dream
• Satan’s Vision
• The $1,000 Challenge
• Stage Version of the $1,000 Challenge
• The Eagle Eye of the Magi
• The Royal Deal
• With the Eyes of the Devil
• Look At It
• The Sensitive Touch
• Fannello
• The Devil’s Glimpse
• Out of Sight
• A Fast System for Locating Any Card
  • Odds and Ends for Fast Location
  • Odds and Ends to Increase Speed in Rapid Counting
• Cutting Any Card Called For
• To Cut Any Number of Cards Called For
• A Mind Reading Effect