The Expert at the Card Table

Originally entitled Artifice Ruse and Subterfuge at the Card Table, is probably the most cited and referenced book about card gambling moves - a classic in the history of magic literature. A must read for any card magician or aspiring gambling expert and an indespensable reference book. While the authorship of this book is hotly debated we are convinced it was Edward Gallaway. (For a detailed work on the search for Erdnase see Hurt McDermott's Artifice, Ruse & Erdnase.)

[A copy of this book is also included in Michael McDougall's Card Mastery. This ebook is also available in a German translation.]

This book was rated one of the ten basic books for a working library of conjuring by H. Adrian Smith, historian, collector and owner of the largest private magic library in his time. Other books in this top 10 list are:

• The Art of Magic by T. Nelson Downs
• Magicians' Tricks by Henry Hatton and Adrian Plate
• Modern Magic by Prof. Hoffmann
• More Magic by Prof. Hoffmann
• Later Magic by Prof. Hoffmann
• The Modern Conjurer by C. Lang Neil
• Our Magic by Maskelyne and Devant
• Tarbell Course by Harlan Tarbell
• Greater Magic by John Northern Hilliard

first published 1902; 218 pages; with critical comments by Prof. Hoffmann

9. Introduction
13. CARD TABLE ARTIFICE
13. Professional Secrets
14. Hold-outs
15. Prepared Cards
19. Confederacy
20. Two Methods of Shuffling
21. Primary Accomplishments
21. Possibilities of the Blind
22. Uniformity of the Action
22. Deportment
23. Display of Ability
23. Greatest Single Accomplishment
24. Effect of Suspicion
24. Acquiring the Art
25. Importance of Details
25. TECHNICAL TERMS, Definition of
28. POSITION FOR SHUFFLE
29. BLIND SHUFFLES, ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
30. I. To Retain Top Stock
31. II. To Retain Top Stock and Shuffle Whole Deck
32. III. To Retain Bottom Stock and Shuffle Whole Deck
33. BLIND RIFFLES AND CUTS. ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
34. I. To Retain Top Stock
36. II. To Retain Bottom Stock
39. BLIND CUTS
39. I. To Retain Bottom Stock. Top Losing One Card
40. II. To Retain Complete Stock
41. III. To Retain Top Stock
42. IV. To Retain Bottom Stock
44. V. Combination Riffle and Cuts
44. FANCY BLIND CUTS
44. I. To Retain Complete Stock
45. II. To Retain Complete Stock
46. FANCY TRUE CUT. ONE-HANDED
48. TO INDICATE THE LOCATION FOR THE CUT
48. I. By Crimp
50. II. By Jog
51. III. By Crimp
51. IV. By Jog
52. BOTTOM DEALING
56. Top and Bottom Dealing. One Hand
58. SECOND DEALING
60. ORDINARY METHODS OF STOCKING, LOCATING AND SECURING
65. STOCK SHUFFLE
68. STOCK SHUFFLING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
69. Two Card Stock
72. Three Card Stock
72. Four Card Stock
74. Five Card Stock
74. Twelve Card Stock
76. Euchre Stock
78. CULL SHUFFLING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
79. To Cull Two Cards
79. To Cull Three Cards
80. To Cull Four Cards
81. To Cull Nine Cards
83. PALMING. ERDNASE SYSTEM OF
83. Top Palm, First Method
85. Top Palm, Second Method
86. Bottom Palm, First Method
88. Bottom Palm, Second Method
90. Bottom Palm when Cards are Riffled
93. TO MAINTAIN THE BOTTOM PALM WHILE DEALING
94. TO HOLD THE LOCATION OF CUT WHILE DEALING
95. SHIFTS
97. Two-Handed Shift
99. Erdnase Shift, One Hand
102. Erdnase Shift, Two Hands
103. TO ASCERTAIN THE TOP CARDS WHILE RIFFLING AND RESERVE THEM AT BOTTOM
104. MODE OF HOLDING THE HAND
106. SKINNING THE HAND
109. THE PLAYER WITHOUT AN ALLY
109. Dealing Without the Cut
110. Replacing the Cut as Before
110. Holding Out for the Cut
111. Shifting the Cut
112. Dealing Too Many
113. Crimping for the Cut
113. Replacing Palm when Cutting
116. The Short Deck
117. THREE CARD MONTE
122. Mexican Monte
128. LEGEDERMAIN
128. SHIFTS
128. Single-Handed Shift
130. The Longitudinal Shift
132. The Open Shift
134. The S. W. E. Shift
137. The Diagonal Palm Shift
141. THE BLIND SHUFFLE FOR SECURING SELECTED CARD
142. FORCING
144. PALMING
145. The Back Palm
147. CHANGES
147. The Top Change
148. The Bottom Change
149. The Palm Change
150. The Double Palm Change
151. TRANSFORMATIONS, TWO HANDS
156. TRANSFORMATIONS, ONE HAND
159. BLIND SHUFFLES. RETAINING ENTIRE ORDER
165. METHODS FOR DETERMINING A CARD THOUGHT OF
166. A. By the Riffle
166. B. By Springing Flourish
167. C. By the Cut
167. D. By the Gaze
168. TO GET SIGHT OF SELECTED CARD
168. THE SLIDE
169. FAVORITE SLEIGHTS FOR TERMINATING TRICKS
169. Catching Two Cards at Finger-ends
169. Leaving Selected Card in Hand of Spectator
170. The Revolution
170. Cards Rising from the Hand
171. CARD TRICKS
171. EXPLANATORY
172. THE EXCLUSIVE COTERIE
174. THE DIVINING ROD
177. THE INVISIBLE FLIGHT
179. TRICKS WITH PRE-ARRANGED DECK
185. THE TRAVELING CARDS
188. THE ROW OF TEN CARDS
191. THE ACROBATIC JACKS
194. A MIND-READING TRICK
196. POWER OF CONCENTRATED THOUGHT
197. THE ACME OF CONTROL
198. THE CARD AND HANDKERCHIEF
200. THE TOP AND BOTTOM PRODUCTION
202. THE THREE ACES
204. THE CARD AND HAT
206. CRITICAL COMMENTS
206. EDITORIAL NOTE
207. INTRODUCTION
208. THE ERDNASE SHIFT (ONE HAND)
211. THE ERDNASE SHIFT (TWO HANDS)
211. THE ERDNASE "LONGITUDINAL" SHIFT
213. THE S. W. E. SHIFT
214. THE ERDNASE "OPEN" SHIFT
215. THE ERDNASE "TOP PALM"
217. THE ERDNASE "BOTTOM PALM"

word count: 56503 which is equivalent to 226 standard pages of text