Hey guys, a couple of years ago there was conversation on the Café about this trick and where to learn it. Most people pointed to Paul Curry's, 'A Swindle of Sorts'. I know that I had learned this trick and it wasn't in a Curry book. I had thought it was originally in Scarne on Card Tricks or Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. I was wrong, it was in neither book and so for the longest time I couldn't remember where I had learned it, until today. I happened to come across a book I used to own and looked up the effect and there it was. It's called Duck One, Drop Two and it can be found on page 128 of Garcia & Schindler's: Magic With Cards, published by Barnes & Noble.
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Cards-Frank-......7&sr=8-6

Seth

Thank you for calling this to our attention. I do not remember the trick, but I have the book. I'm off to look it up.

Thanks also for mysterious topic's title...

Well......

Mystery really only PARTLY solved. While the effect as titled is Garcia's, the principle DOES belong to Paul Curry. There have been a slew of effects that use Curry's ingenious discovery - truly a swindle - since its introduction to the magic community. In fact, I need to find the title of a VERY cool Aldo Colombini effect that uses Mr. Curry's principle to achieve a really killer effect.

Also bear in mind that the effect in the Garcia-Schindler book was written up for mass market consumption as opposed to professional or trade publications which are not available in Barnes and Noble or Amazon. These books tend NOT to properly credit. However the lack of crediting is not necessarily due to theft, but rather that the general non-magic public looking for some cool card magic to show their friends wouldn't know Paul Curry from Paul Hallas.

Regardless, glad you found the effect you sought Seth!

Best,
Vlad

One of the best applications I have come across is Marlo's "Leipzig Would Have Loved This."

Vlad,
Well for me and my buddy Mike the mystery is solved. It was where did I first learn the trick.