BENDING, SHIFTING, TURNING, STEALING, &c.
There is another trick of bending the whole pack back a little; you
then draw one, and while you are looking at it, the gambler bends the
pack in a contrary direction, and when your card is put in the pack,
from being bent in a contrary direction, it will press against the
others, and wherever it may be, will cause a slight opening, and by
that he can always tell where it is.
This trick is sometimes practised as follows : A man will take a
pack of cards, and show you the top card, and say, " You see this card
on top;" and after you have looked at it, he puts it back ; perhaps it
may be ten of hearts. He will say, "I will bet you it is the ace of
spades;" but you have seen it, and you know it is not. He then has the
ace in the middle, and slips the bottom part of the pack on the top so
quickly that you cannot see him do it. He will then say, "Now, sir, I
will bet you that this top card is the ace of spades;" and you might be
willing to bet, not knowing that he has changed them; but, in betting,
you would certainly lose by his artifice.
At other times he will face one half of the pack against the other,
and after showing the top card, he will turn the pack over, and the one
on that side will be what he said the one on the other side was; and
you will be deceived by not noticing his turning the pack over.
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