The ASK ALEXANDER archive is an amazing resource. Recently I was using it to find variations on John Bannon’s DISCREPANCY CITY PREDICTION. This is a brilliant idea which will fool you when you first play with it. Along the way – I came across a lovely idea by Norm Houghton. He suggests using the Bannon idea as an ‘out’ for when you try (and mess up!) the Dai Vernon ‘PSYCHOLOGICAL STOP FORCE’. That is a gem of an idea…

On a sidenote I should mention that my favourite use of this idea is by Jack Parker. In 52 MEMORIES there is an excellent version of the HOFZINSER ACE PROBLEM which makes use of it…

Anyway during my research I came across a trick by Roy Walton. Or to be more accurate – Roy Wlaton. I was really pleased about this since (due to the misspelling) it was one that hadn’t come up in previous searches. The trick is called TRAVELLING LADIES and can be found on page 93 of the DECEMBER 1987 issue of THE LINKING RING. It uses the Bannon idea to give an effect similar to Walton’s ROUND AND ROUND (from Vol. 2 of THE COMPLETE WALTON).

For me – there is nothing better than having your favourite creator make use of one of your very favourite ideas…

And to think I nearly missed it because Walton’s name was spelled wrong.

Here is an idea from the legenday Moe Seidenstein. It is a principle as well as a trick…

Have a spectator shuffle the deck. Then have them remove any 4 of a kind. Now riffle the cards in front of your face. As they riffle by – quickly ask yourself if you see any Aces, Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, Sixes, Sevens, Eights, Nines, Tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings. It might sound strange – but your ‘kinetic’ memory will notice which card value was not seen. [This may seem impossible – but it really does work.]

You now know which four-of-a-kind was removed.

Also – do try and track down the MOE AND HIS MIRACLES book – it is fascinating reading.

And check out the tribute site to this legend –

A Martin Gardner idea.

Take a shuffled deck of cards. And then take another deck of cards and arrange it so that it’s order is the reverse of the first deck. Riffle shuffle the two decks together and cut exactly in half (ie at the 52nd card).

You now have two complete decks of cards.

Is there a trick in this?