Ebook - Tricks with Cards: A Complete Manual of Card Conjuring by Professor Hoffmann

Unlock the Art of Card Conjuring with Professor Hoffmann's Definitive Manual

Step into the captivating world of card magic with 'Tricks with Cards: A Complete Manual of Card Conjuring' by the legendary Professor Hoffmann. This isn't merely a collection of card sections pulled from his broader works; it's a standalone, exhaustive treatise dedicated solely to the art of card manipulation, presenting unique content meticulously compiled for the aspiring and seasoned conjurer alike. Originally published in sections as 'Card Tricks With Apparatus' and 'Card Tricks Without Apparatus' since 1893, this digital download brings together Hoffmann's complete vision, offering a rare glimpse into a master's frustration with his work being fragmented.

Master Foundational Sleight of Hand and Advanced Techniques

Dive deep into the core mechanics of card magic with Chapter II, 'Sleight of Hand Processes, Applicable to Card Conjuring.' Learn the crucial techniques like 'To Make the Pass,' 'To Force a Card,' 'To Palm a Card,' and various card changes, including Hellis' Change. Beyond the fundamentals, you'll explore advanced maneuvers such as 'False Shuffles,' 'The Bridge,' and 'To Spring the Cards from Hand to Hand,' laying a solid foundation for intricate illusions.

Explore a Rich Tapestry of Card Tricks

This manual goes beyond basic sleights, introducing you to the secrets of 'Special Cards' (Chapter III) and 'Marked Cards' (Chapter IV), and how to leverage them for maximum impact. From simple, self-working wonders in 'Card Tricks of a Simple Character, Not Necessitating Sleight of Hand' (Chapter V) like 'The Spelling Trick' and 'The Whist Trick,' to the more demanding 'Card Tricks Without Apparatus, and Chiefly Dependent Upon Sleight of Hand' (Chapter VI) such as 'The Obedient Aces' and 'Cards Judged by Weight,' you'll find an astonishing variety of effects.

Dazzle Audiences with Apparatus and Stage Illusions

For those ready to elevate their performance, Chapter VII, 'Card Tricks With Apparatus, or Requiring Special Cards,' introduces fascinating props and their applications, from 'The Transforming Sevens' and 'Card-Boxes' to 'The Magic Sword' and 'The Sand Frame.' Finally, Chapter VIII, 'Stage Tricks,' guides you through grander illusions designed for larger audiences, including 'The Rising Cards,' 'The Cascade of Cards,' and 'The Sensation Card Trick.' This comprehensive manual, spanning 250 original pages, equivalent to 344 standard pages of text, is your complete guide to becoming a skilled card conjurer.

Original Specs

A complete manual of card conjuring. This is not identical to the card sections in Hoffmann's other books such as Modern Magic etc. But this book has been released in sections under the titles Card Tricks With Apparatus and Card Tricks Without Apparatus since 1893. It appears Hoffmann was not too happy about breaking it up into parts.

• CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY
• CHAPTER II. SLEIGHT OF HAND PROCESSES, APPLICABLE TO CARD CONJURING
  • To Make the Pass
  • To Make the Pass with both Hands
  • Single-handed Pass, No. 1
  • Single-handed Pass, No. 2
  • Single-handed Pass, No. 3
  • To Force a Card
  • To Force a Person to Think of a Particular Card
  • To Palm a Card
  • To Palm the Bottom Card of the Pack
  • To get Sight of a Card
  • To Change a Card
  • Hellis' Change, No. 1
  • Hellis' Change, No. 2
  • To Slip a Card
  • False Shuffles
  • The Bridge
  • The Ruffle
  • The Click
  • To Throw a Card
  • To Spring the Cards from Hand to Hand
  • To Change one Pack for another
• CHAPTER III. SPECIAL CARDS AND TRICKS THEREWITH
  • Long or Wide Cards
  • Longs and Shorts
  • Biseauté or Tapering Cards
  • Tricks with Long Cards
  • Tricks with Biseauté Cards
  • "Cornered" Cards
  • Changing Cards
• CHAPTER IV. MARKED CARDS, AND TRICKS THEREWITH
• CHAPTER V. CARD TRICKS OF A SIMPLE CHARACTER, NOT NECESSITATING SLEIGHT OF HAND
  • The Turn-over
  • The "Nerve" Feat
  • The "Alternate Card" Trick
  • The "Spelling" Trick
  • To Name all the Cards of the Pack in Succession
  • The Whist Trick
  • Two Heaps of Cards having been placed upon the Table, to Predict with Certainty which Heap a Spectator will choose
  • The Pack being divided into two Heaps on the Table, and a Card taken from each Heap and placed in the other: to discover such Cards
  • The Queens digging for Diamonds
  • A Row of Cards having been formed Face downwards, to divine how many have been moved from one end of the Row to the other
  • To make a Card thought of by one Person appear at such Number in the Pack as another Person shall choose
  • The Affectionate Quartette
  • To discover a Chosen Card by the Throw of a Pair of Dice
  • The "Whispering Trick"
  • The Capital Q
  • To pick out a Chosen Card under a Handkerchief
• CHAPTER VI. CARD TRICKS WITHOUT APPARATUS, AND CHIEFLY DEPENDENT UPON SLEIGHT OF HAND
  • The Obedient Aces
  • Conus' Ace Trick
  • The Shower of Aces
  • Bertram's Ace Trick
  • Clairvoyance by Touch
  • To Pass a Card through a Hat
  • The Ladies' Looking-Glass
  • Everybody's Card
  • Cards Judged by Weight, and the Multiplication of Cards
  • "Stop!" Three Cards having been drawn by Three different Persons, to make them appear at such Numbers in the Pack as the Drawers or any other Person may select
  • The Cards having been freely Shuffled and Cut into three or four Heaps, to Name the Top Card of each Heap
  • Thought Anticipated
  • A Person having Secretly Thought of a Card, and the Pack having been Divided into Three Heaps, to Declare in which Heap the Card thought of will be found
  • To Invite a Person secretly to Think of a Card, and before such Card is named to pick it out of the Pack
  • A Card having been Thought of by one Spectator, to offer the Pack to another, and cause him to draw the same Card
  • Thought Doubly Anticipated. To Place a Card Thought of by one Person at such Position in the Pack as another Person shall mentally Select
• CHAPTER VII. CARD TRICKS WITH APPARATUS, OR REQUIRING SPECIAL CARDS
  • The Transforming Sevens
  • The Protean Pack
  • The Four Queens changed to Kings
  • The Cards passing up the Sleeve
  • The Diminishing and Dissolving Cards
  • Card-Boxes
  • "The Card Table"
  • Two Drawn Cards, placed in Different Boxes, made to Change Places at Command
  • A Drawn Card, placed in a Closed Box, made to fly back to the Pack, while Another takes its Place in the Box
  • The Torn-Card Trick
  • Jumping Cards. - To Make Selected Cards Jump out of the Pack
  • The Sand Frame
  • Professor Field's Card-Frame
  • The Magic Sword. - A Chosen Card Caught on the Point of a Sword
  • A Card caught on the End of a Walking-Stick
  • The Magic Mirror
  • The Charmed Bullet and the Black Cloth Target
  • The China Plate and Flying Cards
  • The Card-Catching Plate
  • A Card found in a Cigar
  • A Card found in a Candle
  • Money-producing Cards
  • A Pack of Cards changed to a Handkerchief
  • The Black Velvet Banner
  • The Multiplying and Vanishing Cards
  • The Magic Star and Cabalistic Pointer
• CHAPTER VIII. STAGE TRICKS
  • The Fairy Star
  • The Cabalistic Star
  • The Rising Cards
  • The Wonderful Fan and Enchanted Card
  • The Card and Smoke Trick
  • The Cascade of Cards
  • The "Sensation" Card Trick
  • The Crystal Frame
  • The Black Velvet Frame
  • The Card in the Candle
  • The Card Bouquet
• L'ENVOI

1st edition 1889, 250 pages; PDF 172 pages
word count: 86079 which is equivalent to 344 standard pages of text