This marvelous treasury of card magic presents the exact details of 155 professional card tricks that anyone can learn. The world's number-one card wizard, John Scarne, reworked an exciting series of classic card tricks to eliminate the need for sleight-of-hand. Simple instructions and clear diagrams illustrate Houdini's "Card on the Ceiling," Blackstone's "Card Trick Without Cards," Carlyle's "Piano Card Trick," Milton Berle's "Quickie Card Deal," and Scarne's own "Drunken Poker Deal" and "Knockout Card Trick." Scarne presents all tricks with advice on accompanying patter, offering helpful suggestions about the kinds of words and gestures that give performances a professional gloss. Introduction. Index.

Audley V. Walsh presents a fascinating overview of the popular street (and con) game of Three Card Monte, with contributions by magician John Scarne. There are multiple methods and card maneuvers used by tricksters of which the general public is unaware and magicians can incorporate into their acts Walsh (1894-1957) was a Vaudeville comic turned policeman, and an expert on gambling fraud.

A classic in its field, this is the essential, all-inclusive guide to today's card games, including poker, bridge, baccarat, solitaire, and dozens of others, as well as histories and variations in the games, odds, and tips on how to detect cheating.