Marlo On Erdnase Review Part 3

Variations of K.M. Move Force

Interesting variation of a slip force, with the riffle being performed from the performers side as opposed to the spectators. I believe the latter to be superior because of the openness it implies.

Art Altman’s Handling

A slight variation of the Backslip force described in the Royal Road to card magic, except this explanation takes a full page and 4 figures.

One-Cut, Double-Control

How to control two selected cards to the top using a slip cut under a block of cover cards. Good thing we have 5 photos to help us grasp it.

More Slip Cuts

Similar to the Marlo slip-cut, except you don’t use the thumb to peel off the top card. Not bad stuff, but nothing to do with Erdnase. Another 5 photos for those who can’t read. With as many page filling photos this book has, it might make a good flip book.

A Variation

Only works when the top card is face up.

Strictly on the Table

With a heading like that, I get the feeling we’re going to learn something practical. Let’s take a peak. Meh, it’s not bad, but it’s nothing new. There are two problems with this method. One is the sloppiness of the apparent bottom half. Friction will do it’s part, and make the cut look funky. The accompanying photo even shows this, but is explained as “exaggerated for explanation purposes”. Ah, what a great phrase for people that can’t do a move justice. Two is the hop of the apparent bottom half when you cut away the apparent top half. It falls to the table, and gives a tell.

Second Method

Ok, so get this. This is apparently the Second method for “Strictly on the Table” and it starts with “The deck is in your left hand in dealing position”.

I like the get-ready concept, but the handling requires you to hold the cards unnaturally. Good for performing an effect where you tell the story of playing poker with a Polar Bear who cut the deck in this manner.

Third Method

Another “strictly on the table” slip cut where the deck starts in your hands(?). Think classic pass false cut with a cover card and you have this method. Remember Erdnase? Man, I sure do miss him.

Shufflers slip cut

The preface justifies this portion of the book by explaining the other slip cuts were made by the ends instead of the sides. I smell a horde of variations and rehash coming up.

Think combination of Erdnase one handed fancy true cut, and tabled slip cut and you’ll get the idea. Bad from the front. If you are performing for the world’s tallest man then you’d be set!

Marlo Technique for the Top and Bottom slip cut

A tabled slip cut that uses a get ready to eliminate the straining first finger clamping down that top card. This is something practical.

Bottom Slip Cut

Do a get ready, a center block pull out, and throw on top simulating a cut. This is a good way to perform the center block pull out in Erdnase’s To Retain Bottom Stock-Riffle 2 and Cut 4. Woo Hoo! Something to use!

First Technique.

Slip cut performed slightly off the table, maintaining just the bottom card while apparently cutting the deck.

Second technique

Same thing, using different fingers.

Third technique

Same as the bottom slip cut, but using different digits.

Side note: Do we really need a variation for using each of the different fingers? I mean, a whole different section heading for each one? Give me a break.

Marlo Double Slip Cut

Ever have two aces on top, two aces on bottom, and want to cut the deck in two halves with an ace on top and bottom of each packet? Neither have I.

Dealing- No-Touch Second Deal

If you don’t know it, you should. This is a good source, but check out Seconds Centers and Bottoms for more detailed explanation.

S.F. Grip

Second Deal- First method

If you think the Erdnase grip is unnatural looking, you haven’t seen the S.F. Grip. Imagine taking the second card from the upper left corner instead of the right. It makes no sense, and is added like so many things in this book, as a variation to fill space.

Second Method

So instead of pushing the top card over to the right as you would in a normal dealing action. Try pulling it to the left to expose the top corner of the second card. What on earth are we talking about here? Most people (including myself) have a problem making the thumb look natural when we push the card the normal way and take the second card. Pulling the top card to the left is insane, and useless.

S.F. Natural Second Deal

No touch theory applied to the SF Grip

S.F Bottom Deal

Want your bottom deal to look like Jiggaboo Jones’ does? Use the S.F Bottom deal and take it from the wrong end! Actually, in this version the right thumb doesn’t even touch the top of the deck so there is no way people will believe you are taking the top card! Better bottom deal goes to Jiggaboo:

Missing Finger Deal

Curl your finger to prevent finger flash. Done and done.

New Bottom Stud

Take the bottom card out exactly as Erdnase describes not to.

Havana Deals

A quick quote: “Students may initially question why he devised six techniques? Why not simply choose the best one?”

Hit the nail on the head here. The real answer is that page numbers sell books that lack real substance. That said, I’m skipping all six techniques because I’m fed up with a page and two photos describing essentially the same thing 6 times.

Greased Bottom Deal

Uses a concealed position of the cards to ease in false deals.

First Application

Use this deal to show your friends that you spent time practicing the useless Greased Bottom Deal. Seriously, if you are going to do a bottom deal in a card trick, you should be good at it and not need to use shortcuts like this one.

Second Application

Bottom deal aces into your hand. These are applications of any bottom deal.

Third Application

Similar to the second application but uses aces AND kings. Gasp! Erdnase explains how to double duke in Expert. Oh, and a point about Vernon making a mistake in Revelations. Speaking of writing mistakes, the previous paragraph seems familiar:

“Erdnase mentions the Stud Deal for turning the trump card but does not recommend attempting it for a bottom deal because ‘the inverted position of the hand makes it more difficult to get the bottom card out noiselessly’ He recommended getting the bottom card free then turning it Stud-fashion.”

pages 95 AND 110 of Marlo on Erdnase.

Was this book compiled of notes on napkins? Did anyone even edit this?

Multiple Minus Bottom Deal

Greek Deals + Erdnase= non existent. This however is a good explanation of how to accomplish a Greek Deal

One Hand-Bottom Deals

Marlo apparently was the one who discovered bottom dealing is easier with a packet then a full deck. Wait, what? That’s in Erdnase?

“Bottom dealing is little used with a full deck. It becomes much easier as the pack grows less, consequently the dealer waits until the last several rounds before resorting to it.”

I’ve never been a fan of dealing one handed to yourself. The swing of the hand to propel the bottom card out looks fishy to me. I prefer using the bottom deal to “spring” a card out to someone, as Erdnase did.

Throw Bottom Deal

Racherbaumer is on point in this preface. He mentions that no top deal really conforms to a one handed bottom and provides his solution.

Outward Deal

Using inertia to shoot a card forward out of a deck

Inward Deal

Using inertia to shoot a card inward out of a deck

Flat Hand Bottom Deals

I’d rather use straddle grip, but this idea works too.

Second Method

Hey look at that, I predicted the future. The Flat Hand Bottom Deal using a straddle grip

Third Method

What is this, ways to deal the cards if you’ve had a stroke? What is it with unnatural handling that had Marlo so fascinated? I seriously would not be surprised if there was a method for dealing bottoms underwater in this book.

Dealing Bottoms Underwater

No way. No friggin way. Yeah, alright I’m just joking. Let’s keep rolling

See my review of the earlier parts of the book here

Marlo On Erdnase Review Part 2

Picking up right where I left off a year ago reviewing Jon Racherbaumer's 'Marlo on Erdnase'

Marlo’s False Shuffle (page 40)
Simply put, a Zarrow without any interlacing of the cards. A step in the wrong direction in my opinion; the strength of the Zarrow is the clean interlace.

A Cutting Action
This paragraph is just apparently for plugging other material. It says there are better ways to strip out a center block, and gives some references but no direction at all.

Easy Technique for the Zarrow Shuffle
Solid, but it’s easy at a price. This shuffle involves riffling packets into each other when one has a jogged packet on top of it. Why not just hold the break with the thumb? Beats me, I guess they felt that was too difficult. I thought this sentence was funny:

“This small block remains jogged and flush on Section B”

So I guess it’s both. What are we talking about? Oh yeah Erdnase. Well let me just get back to my copy of Expert and follow along with....

Faro Riffle Shuffle

Wait a second, why are we talking about strip outs, push through, zarrows, and faros? Is this supposed to be a sequel to Erdnase or what? I digress....back to the review

Faro Riffle Shuffle
4 pages of Faro goodness. Apparently Marlo didn’t think much of what Erdnase thought, so he started fiddling with table faros.

Ok I have a pretty vicious headache after reading that. Is there anyone out there that needed a book to learn a tabled faro? I always thought it was pretty self explanatory. Granted I know it’s difficult but I don’t think text really helps. There’s some more plugging here, and talk about the stay-stack.

On the Stevens Control
History on the Stevens Control. Starts off by saying Vernon is full of bs.

more badmouthing Vernon...

Ok here’s the juicy stuff. Split the cards, spot the one you want, then....”Perform the actions of the Stevens move to angle the desired card”?! But that’s the hard part! I know how to spot the friggin thing. So now we are talking about a move that isn’t in Erdnase AND isn’t in this book. Guess I’ll be sticking to Erdnase’s technique ‘To Ascertain the Top Cards While Riffling and Reserve Them at Bottom’

Marnase False Cut
Ok at least the heading got my attention, maybe we’re going to get back on track here. Yes! Okay we are talking about Erdnase’s Blind Cut- To retain the complete stock. Wait, wait a second. It’s the same cut as Erdnase except using the right hand to draw out the under portion instead of the left. Is that all you have to do to take half the credit for a move? Ok then, be looking out for my next project- a booklet called the Wessarrow shuffle! And don’t worry, there will be plenty of terrible variations as well.

Slippage
This is a section about the slip-cut, of which Erdnase describes as ‘ To Retain Bottom Stock- Top Losing One Card’. Racherbaumer points out that “although Erdnase indicated that this blind cut retains the bottom stock, it also retains to top stock (except for the top card).” Hey, look at that! We just got some new info about Erdnase material!

Wait, what’s that? Erdnase mentions that in this very section? But Racherbaumer implied that Erdnase didn’t know it!

“if this blind is used when the top stock is to be retained, an extra card is placed there during the shuffle” -Erdnase (waiving a middle finger)

Back on track, this section starts with a history lesson on the move. It goes on to......Oh wait! Typo alert! Someone forgot a space! “spurred by the publication of Cy Endfield’sSlip- Cut Force”. I’ll have to meet this Cy Endfield’sSlip fellow. That’s a name with three whole words in it! Apparently his Cut Force is something to check out.

One-Hand Throw Cut
Doing a one handed slip cut with the top card face up. But the right hand is used to secure a break each time. Good for those moments when you want to appear talented with one hand only some of the time.

One-Hand Bottom Slip Cut
“The one-hand bottom slip cut, shows the difference between the one-hand top slip cut and the one-hand bottom slip cut” So just in case you weren’t following, we’re going to learn about the one-hand bottom slip cut in the one-hand bottom slip cut section. Did I mention one-hand bottom slip cut? This paragraph just talks about the set up for the next move.

Extremely Delicate Ace-Cutting
Sweet move, but there are much better techniques out there to accomplish this task. Looking at the photo I would worry about flashes from half of the angles. Take a look at my notes on the SWE shift to see one that actually accomplishes this task, and relates to Erdnase!

Marlo Slip-cut
In the hands slip cut where you hold the cards in dealing position and peel off the top card with your left thumb. Pretty simple.

The True Cut
Ever wonder how to REALLY cut the cards in your hands? This section is for you.

The Complete False Cut
A tap cut with a sliding action as opposed to a tapping action. If Erdnase was alive, and we knew who he was, and he was sitting here reading this.....he would yawn.

Marlo’s Slip Cut Force
Blah blah blah 19 something....Chigaco...more of the same old stuff.

As an Exchange
How about just “As a change, let’s talk about Erdnase”? Naw, why give the people what they want.

This is actually a pretty cool use for a slip cut as a force. Has absolutely nothing to do with Erdnase, but it’s pretty cool. A little trick involving a prediction, a card reversed, and a slip cut with the deck face up.

See my review of the earlier parts of the book here

Marlo on Erdnase Review Part 1

I’m skipping the history lesson and getting right down to the nitty gritty.

Lessinout cull
I would argue that this is not an improvement of the Erdnase system of cull shuffling at all. The beauty of the Erdnase cull is that the entire deck appears to be shuffled.

The Lessinout cull is weak because of continually running single cards from the top of the deck. Anyone with half a brain could figure out that the majority of the cards are never shuffled.

Erdnase easily could have described the Lessinout cull. He explains how to bring a card that’s on top to the bottom by undercutting to the top card and throwing the other 51 cards on top, but provides a more complicated alternative with an injog because the point of a cull shuffle is to actually appear to shuffle the cards.

Erdnase explains the sequence should be made....

“in a manner so natural and regular that not a movement is made that indicates anything more than the purpose of thoroughly shuffling the deck.”

The lessinout cull fails in this aspect.

The Lessinout cull may be good for magic, but at the card table it is a lazy and obvious alternative for the Erdnase culls.

Lessinout Stack
Marlo apparently didn’t like using injogs or outjogs to stack. The alternative presented in the Lessinout Stack is a crimp. The crimp is really only used in the last sequence of the shuffle where (finally) some cards are actually shuffled in groups to the top. The book quotes Marlo as saying “You will find that the final fair shuffle will throw off students of Erdnase”. By that I think he means this last sequence is the only part of the lessinout stack that isn’t ridiculously apparent to an infant.

Besides, Erdnase thinks preparing cards by crimping them is a makeshift technique that should be dispensed with by anyone who knows any better methods anyway.

Streamlined Lessinout Stack
This is a neat little routine for demonstrating overhand stacking using a secret crimp. While this is good for magic, is has little to do with Erdnase and is a bit redundant. We have the same issues we do with the other Lessinout shuffles.

Marnese Overhand Stack
Unless there is something I am missing, this is identical to the technique Erdnase describes in the first method he gives for stock shuffling on page 68.

Marlos Methods of Injogging (1st-4th methods)
1st method
Okay here is the first thing out of this book that is of use to an Erdnase student. Basically this is a way to conceal the breaks that are sometimes visible when a performer stacks or culls via an Erdnase method. This is a good substitute for those that do not want to put the time necessary to perform the Erdnase techniques to his specifications; by having breaks “from an eighth to a quarter of an inch wide”.

2nd, 3rd, and 4th methods
These are more ways of concealing/eliminating the breaks by angling the jogged cards to control their position.

The downfall of these techniques are that the angled cards (especially when using a deck with borders) are easily visible. If you can’t perform the shuffles/culls up to Erdnase standards, it is still better to have a large break in the back of the deck then to have a card visibly angled.

Overhand Cull Shorts
Great idea for culling using short cards, but has no relevance at all to Erdnase. This is an idea that’s really worth toying with if you don’t mind making/using altered cards.

The 3 1/2 Second Stack
This is a technique for stacking the four aces for five hands. This trick falls under a category I would call ‘cheating at cheating’. Think of using a deck full of duplicates to demonstrate a flawless pass. It just doesn’t make much sense to me. if you are going to demonstrate something difficult- just put the time in to perfect your chops. I’m not a big fan of these type of shortcuts. This trick requires a crimp and a sneaky get ready. No relevance at all to Erdnase and is only impressive when a magician is timing you with a stop watch.

The 4 1/2 Second Stack
Erdnase never talks about the milk shuffle. He talks about alternating taking tops and bottom during the overhand shuffle, but never at the same time. The 4 1/2 Second Stack is exactly that.

Riffle Shuffling
Under this heading the author describes in many words he doesn’t have the space required to explain Riffle Shuffling (?)

Strip-out shuffle
Here is what Erdnase says about strip outs and push throughs:

“The blind process of riffling the two packets truly together, and squaring up in a slightly diagonal position, then withdrawing the packets, throwing the original top one on top again; or pushing the two packets completely through in the diagonal position, leaving the order of the whole deck the same, is quite possible, but very difficult to perform perfectly.”

Not very proficient for an explanation eh? Hopefully Marlo on Erdnase does a better job explaining. Racherbaumer writes:

After undercutting and interlacing....“execute all the steps leading up to the strip out position. Then strip out...”

Wait, what the hell? Erdnase gives us more specific technique then Racherbaumer does. A huge waste of space here.

Then a one step up-the-ladder cut is explained with three photos. I’d say page filler here.

Roman Shuffle
“This technique permits you to apparently perform a conventional in-the-hands Riffle Shuffle and a straight cut without disturbing the entire order of the deck”

Racherbaumer continues....

“Table the deck for a riffle shuffle..”

Anyone else notice some inconsistency? Just because I use my hands doesn’t mean it’s in the hands. I’d prefer not using the table at all for a false in-the-hands riffle shuffle. 8 photos of page filling action for this move.

Kid Royal Concept
Under this heading Racherbaumer justifies the page fillers by reminding us that Erdnase spoke “briefly” about strip outs.

Block Strip Out With Triple Cut
A way to conceal a strip out by simulating a running cut. A better alternative is to cut the top half of a tabled deck to the left, interlace, push the bottom packet through the top packet, then pick up the deck and strip out as Erdnase describes in the second method for Ordinary Methods Of Stocking, Locating And Securing. Follow up with a false running cut by taking a packet from the bottom of the cards remaining in the right hand and dropping them on top of the tabled (stripped out) packet. Then drop the remaining cards in the right hand on top of the tabled cards.

This is better because (1) I made a reference to Erdnase (gasp) (2) There is no breaks and (3) there is no repositioning of the hands while you’re dirty with the packets jogged.

To Keep the Bottom Stock
Wow I’m glad I was sitting down while reading; this is an atrocious idea. On the other hand if you’re looking for a bottom stock retention that really appears to blind shuffle the entire deck, this is for you. The concept is to interlace the entire deck then just strip out the bottom cards you want to retain.

Why the hell wouldn’t you use the Erdnase method and not interlace the bottom cards at all? It’s far less difficult and according to Erdnase “it is absolutely impossible for any eye to follow “ when performed correctly.

Variation of the Zarrow Shuffle
Remember what Erdnase said about the Zarrow shuffle? Er, wait. Neither do I. Why are we reading variations of a move that’s not even discussed in Erdnase?

“Weave the comers only slightly into each other” made me chuckle

I really don’t see much to talk about here so I’m moving right along.

2nd,Variation
The 2nd variation is exactly what Herb Zarrow says not to do on his DVD “On the Zarrow Shuffle”

3rd Variation
This is almost identical to Erdnase’ third method of Blind Shuffles, Retaining Entire Order. The only difference I see is using the right forefinger instead of the thumb for spreading the top cards to conceal the unweave. Perhaps this shuffle is performed on the table distancing the technique a bit more from Erdnase, but Racherbaumer doesn’t specify.

What’s confusing about this technique to me is how it is presented as something new and innovative since Erdnase.

4th Variation
Another variation of Erdnase’ third method. Although it’s very simple, I like the idea. Definitely something I will work on.

See my review of the earlier parts of the book here