I asked this question on Secret Sessions, but I thought I might get more pointed answers with a different subject line and a different thread. I'm looking for a way to grasp the top and bottom cards of a three-card packet, and turn them as one on to the top of the packet.


Paul Wilson has a nice method in his video Alias the Aces (from Vanishing Magic), but I'm having trouble because it uses a buckle. For some reason buckles are really hard for me. (I'm getting better at Wilson's handling with practice, though. ) Anyway, I thought someone might know of another method that doesn't use a buckle. I've tried various searches of conjuringarchive and lybrary without success.


Thanks for your help!

Bob

Kostya Kimlat's lecture notes with videos "Card Work, Card Play" describe an alternative to the Christ-Annemann alignment move - Undercover Three Way.

Thanks, Ian.

Bob

I believe Kotya’s Undercover Three Way requires four cards. In his booklet he describes a “basic” double deal. It’s similar to the one I perform but his uses a regular dealer’s grip whereas I use an Erdnase grip.

I posted a video in the Secret Sessions.

What about the way Oz does it in this old Color Monte video? https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/185

Basically, slide top card back then outjog the middle card as you realign the top and bottom card, then pinch the bottom right corner of top and bottom card, then complete the turnover.

Sometimes when I find myself in the situation you describe, it’s easier to displace the center card to the top or bottom of the packet while gesturing and perhaps mentioning that there are only three cards. Then just do a top or bottom double to get where you want to be.

John Bannon has a nice, and under known version of this. It's in one of the Racherbaumer books on Lybrary. Can't remember which - either one on colour monte or the three way display.

Hold the packet in your left hand dealers grip Riffle the bottom card with your right thumb so you have a thumb break with your right thumb and right hand is in biddle grip, now place your left thumb on top of the packet, peel the top and bottom cards to the left as one card, maintaining the centre card in your right hand biddle grip. Square the cards immediately after you peel them by placing your left finger on top and left thumb on the side, To display the card turn your left wrist over 180 degrees so your hand is palm down and they can see the card in the window between your middle finger and your thumb you create by bending your index finger down and out of the way. Then replace the card on the bottom of the deck. I just came up with that but it’s probably in a book somewhere. You should be able to square them in the larger motion of you pulling the card off and turning your palm down. So by the time you reach the display position you’re set.

If you’re trying to show all 3 cards the same. I also have an unpublished handling of be happy to send you.

Thanks for all the ideas, folks.


Puffin, if you own the relevant Racherbaumer e-books, and have time, could you tell me which one has Bannon's move? I have his book on the 3-way move, and I don't remember it being there. But there's also Monte-Mazements, and Facsimile 6; the latter ends with notes on color monte.


Thanks,


Bob

I think I found Bannon's alternative to the three-way move, Puffin. It's in Racherbaumer's "13 ways to 3-way" (title based on that of a Wallace Stevens poem, Racherbaumer being ever so literary -- not a criticism, quite the opposite), and is called "Freeway Threeway."


Claudio, thanks for clarifying Kimlat's handling.


Lancer3, I'm intrigued by what Oz does. It looks like the standard alignment move, but sort of fudged and curved so as not to be nearly as obvious.


Gowen, Sure, if you have time to PM me I'd be interested in your handling. One of the things that I find interesting about Color Monte is that, yes, all three cards are shown to be the same (twice), but the cycles of three are broken up in such a way that it isn't obvious that that's what's happening. Kind of like syncopation in music. It adds interest.


NicholasD, Sometimes simplest is best. Colombini does this sort of thing all the time in his videos: ("Casually, but openly, but the packet...") Still, I'm not sure I'd have the guts to do something as bold as what you suggest in a casual way.


Thanks again to everybody for your interesting thoughts. I'm going to have fun trying them out.


Bob

I`m also not happy with the Christ-Annemann aligment move.
Yesterday I tried a different handling (0:35-1:00).

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/HSrgFZhmWk0?si=suHsVp_aV0FAT0QZ

Nice! I PM'd you, Darko.

I have also sent you a PM.

So, that would be my version of the "Color Monte" routine.

As I said, I tried it the day before yesterday and I think it's better than the original handling with Christ-Annemann alignment move.


What do you think?

If I can make this look as half as good in my hands as it looks in yours, it will definitely be the way to go. I'll let you know after I practice it.