This is a post I made over a year ago in the "Pick a Card" section. Perhaps it belongs in this section, instead. Thanks, in advance, for your help. - Scott

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A long while back, someone (I believe a magician from outside the United States) issued a printed manuscript on the Game of 31. It not only involved the general outline of the game and how to win/lose at the magician's discretion, it included a routine where, I believe, the spectator could take one or more "other" cards from the deck, as well, and add it to his total and the magician would still win. Does anyone know the name of this publication and where it might be obtained?

I am not looking for publications with the normal/general descriptions. I believe I have all or most of those. I am looking for a more in depth treatment.

Thanks for your help.

Perhaps you're thinking of the Robert Neale booklet (and
addendum)? If so, I believe both were published by Karl Fulves.

Stan Alger

Stan - Thank you for the entry. I've looked through the Fulves and Neale material in my library and don't see what I thought I was referring to. Geez - perhaps I dreamt the whole thing up. Anyway, for those who might be able to point me in some further direction, here are the sources I primarily have relied upon in forming my Game of 31 routine for my shows:

1. Magic Digest by George B. Anderson

2. Beat'em, Cheat'em, Leave'em Bleedin'- Bill Goldman

Alternatively, if there are any mathematicians out there (Scott Cram, Doug Dyment, etc.), do you have any nuances you might want to offer for this routine?

Thanks, all, for your help. - Scott

The book you're looking for is Robert Neale's "Six Card Swindle", published in 1985 by Jeff Busby. The first sentence: "The Six Card Swindle is a new version of the Australian Game of Thirty-One -- it has been greatly altered so that it is virtually unrecognizable."

Thank you, dlhoyt - alas, it looks to be out of print and I can't find much more detail from an internet search. - Scott