Many fine performers never employ a 'Change' because they have a firm conviction that they will be caught in the action. When properly timed the rapidity of the actual exchange is submerged and the whole action appears to be deliberate, leisurely and unhurried.įirstly, let me give you Dai's analysis and reasoning so that you can have a better appreciation and understanding of either the Top or Bottom Change. The entire action has the appearance of being done very slowly. The quick action of the right hand in turning the AD face down is perfectly natural and just the normal pace at which one would rum a card face down. When the AS arrives at the left elbow, turn it slowly face up revealing the change. While the right hand moves slowly along the left arm sliding the face down card towards your elbow, the left hand moves obliquely upward and to the left, flexing the wrist to cover the movement of the left fingers in squaring the card on the bottom of the deck (Fig. Instantly seize the AS with the tips of the right thumb and index finger (both hands moving forward until the arms are almost fully extended) and now slow down the tempo, using the same leisurely pace as when you first brought the AD towards the pack. The tempo is speeded up the instant the AD is turned face down and the substitution made.) As you quickly turn the AD face down, the left middle, ring and little fingers relax slightly to receive the AD at the bottom of the pack. (Up to this point the action has been at a slow and leisurely pace. 1 and shields the pack from view, push off the top card (AS) about an inch over the side of the deck with your left thumb. When the AD arrives at the position indicated in Fig.

At the same time, make a slow body turn to the left and bring the tip of the right index finger behind the card. Holding the AD face outwards and upright in front of you, move it slowly towards the pack in the left hand. Face the audience, with your hands at about waist height and about a foot apart. Turn the card upright face outwards and remove the index finger from the face, slightly bending the finger. Take the AD in your right hand face downwards and hold it by the lower index comer between the tips of the thumb on the back and index and middle fingers on the face. The middle, ring and little fingers rest free on the side of the pack and take no part in gripping the cards. Procedure: Place the AS face down on the top of the pack, and hold the pack in your left hand between the thumb on the back and the index finger on the face, near the outer end of the pack. For the sake of clarity in explanation, let us assume that you wish to change the AD to the AS. Vernon's conception and handling differs essentially from the standard method employed by de Kolta but still retains some of the salient features. It is too good to be allowed to remain in the limbo of forgotten feats. After some half dozen changes of the pips to various colors, the pips would return to their original red. He used it in a very pretty trick in which the pips of the 10D would change color to correspond with the color of any part of a spectator's clothing to which the card was touched. His handling of the sleight was excellent. Buatier de Kolta is said to have been the 'Father' of the 'Bottom Change'. In requesting explanations of sleights, readers of Hugard's Magic Monthly have written me more letters with regard to the 'Change' than any other sleight and most of the letters conclude by saying, 'Why don't you get Dai Vernon to explain it?' And so that was the first thing I asked Dai to do when it came time to write this chapter. Jacob Daley Introductory Remarks Right Hand Side Steal Left Hand Side Steal Double Peek and Bilateral Side Steal Longitudinal Side Steal and Transfer Applied MisdirectionĪ LESSON IN CARD HANDLING By DAI VERNON THE DE KOLTA CHANGE The Side Steal and some of its finer points By Dr. Enjoy: Otherworldly DreamerĪ lesson in Card Handling By Dai Vernon The De Kolta Change Tips on Changes Multiple Card Control Hand-to-Hand Transfer The Peregrinating Pip The All Backs Details of Handling Insertion of the Cards Dover chose not to reprint that edition for unknown reasons, what follows are the 2 missing chapters which haven't been in print since 1950. There is a 3rd edition with 2 extra chapters, which many of the younger card handlers have never even heard of. If you purchased expert card technique just recently, chances are you got the 2nd edition.

Expert card technique download free pdf