Hi,

During my research into the history and methods of pitching the Svengali deck, I came across a couple of references to a "half card trick", which was used as a giveaway.

I've never heard of this, under that name.
Can anyone shed any light on this for me please?

Tks!

DCB

Unless it's a Three-Card Monte packet trick with a flap card.

But that's just a wild guess, I've never heard of it before. SETH

Seth - that's the D**** Looper. It's not that, for sure..

Regards,

DCB

SEth,

I think now, it probably is the 3CM.
It fits in with some new information I have.

Tks!

DCB

DCB -- You know, I thought the Dutch Looper was the trick where you looped a pencil through a person's buttonhole on their lapel, and then there was a special trick to getting it out. More of a novelty than a trick.

But I bet Don Driver or Bill Palmer would know, they are real fountains of information about this sort of stuff. SETH

The Dutch Looper is what the British call 3 card monte with the flap.(but what do they know)The pencil with the loop of string at the end has noting to do with a "Dutch Looper". ( all though that name fits the trick much better)

DCB,Now that I think about it many years ago maybe back in the late 60's I remember a 3 card monte where the cards were in a line top to bottom.It used a "half card" taped on the top card half way down.Just like 3 cerd monte but not in a fan,in more of a line.Not sure if this could be your Half Card Trick or not,I would guess no.Other than that I have no clue.

Don

Don,
What you describe there is currently doing the rounds as "The Kitson Miracle", Bob Sheets handling of the Dutch Looper, based on the 3CM developed and popularized by Pat Page. I was chatting to Pat about this at a show a few months back, and he just sighed in that way of his... "Everyone else does it now - I don't have anything to do with it"..and he showed me something else he WAS selling!

Pat Page has always been a big influence on my magic, and I have the utmost respect for him. Seems a shame to concoct something and then have it copied and marketted by others. It's happened to Pat over and over...but that's magic for you..

As far as I've been able to establish, the name "Dutch Looper", has nothing to do with the Dutch, and even less to do with loops. It's just a random name, giving no clue to the effect whastsoever.

I have to say that the cards being (displayed) in line as they are on this one, is not as convincing as the conventional fan. Every time I see three cards spread in a parallel fashion like this, alarm bells go off. But perhaps that's just me. I've never had a problem with laymen saying.. "hey - that's not a proper fan...do it properly...!"

I have to say that the cards being (displayed) in line as they are on this one, is not as convincing as the conventional fan. "


There are half cards and there are half cards. Cut on the diagonal, as it can be, you can make a pretty decent fan.

Jlucke..

I think that the reason for NOT cutting on the diagonal is that the matching of the backs of the cards, and the production cutting of the cards may be easier.
I haven't tried to assemble these myself - but it seems less work to use the parallel cut cards.

I HAVE seen it cut on the diagonal, but, at the time, it was of little interest to me. Wish I'd paid more attention... but then..I wish I'd paid more attention to many things I glanced at over the years...

Regards,

DCB