Simon, Bill: Card Magic for Amateurs and Professionals
Originally published as Effective Card Magic
©1952, ©1980 Louis Tannen, Inc.
Edited by Jean Hugard, Illustrated by Stanley Jaks
©1998 Published by Dover Publications, Inc.
Paperback, 181 pages
ISBN-13: 9780486401881
ISBN-10: 048640188X (Dover edition)

Comments: The Dover publication is an unabridged reprint of the 1952 Effective Card Magic. This is a good compilation of intermediate, practical card magic.

Contents:

vii Foreword by Bill Simon, 1952
ix Introduction by Martin Gardner
xi Table of Contents
13 Observations: Specialization, Importance of Practice, Necessity of Trial, Importance of Studying Simple Moves, Manipulation, Technicalities, Art of Presentation, Spontaneous Resourcefulness, Conjurer vs. Gambler, Best Magic, Handling, Cultivating Originality, Unprepared Cards, Present Day Sophistication, Audience Participation, Patter, Poker Cards vs. Bridge Cards, Accessories

27 Part I: Choice Tricks
29 Coincidence: Spectator touches a card in a face down packet and leaves it sticking out of deck. Cards from face up and face down packets are removed at the same time until protruding card is reached. Both cards are same color and value.
32 Business Card Prophesy: Magician's prediction on a business card correctly identifies the cards it is placed between in the deck.
35 The Instant Reverse: Spectator selects a card from a fan, turns the card over and inserts it into the deck. When the deck is spread, all 3 mates are found reversed as well.
37 Three Queens Monte: a Monte effect using the Queens and Aces. Not quite a packet effect, as the deck is used for card control
39 Sympathetic Control: Three Queens turn face up to match the Leader Queen while held in packets by three spectators
43 Elevator Cards: Ace, Two and Three of Hearts travel up and down the deck
48 The Turnabout Cards: A deck shuffled face up and face down into itself is righted magically
51 Card Affinity: a card suit and value are thought of while a deck is wrapped in a napkin. Two knives are stabbed, one at the same value, one at the same suit (set up deck)
54 The Gambler Controls the Ace: the magician shows control over the 4 Aces
60 A Touching Experiment: Spectator touches two cards and Magician touches two cards. They are the Aces! Follow up with a traveling Aces effect
66 The Ambitious Card: a card repeatedly appears at the top of the deck

69 Part II The Second Deal
71 The Second Deal: Introduction
72 The Component Parts of the Second Deal: detailed
75 Exercises: practicing the deal
79 Tricks With the Second Deal: intro
79 Call to the Colors: magician is able to deal any color he chooses
81 Two Numbers: 2 spectators name a number between 1 and 10. Magician deals that many numbers and reveals each of two cards previously returned to the deck
83 Danbury Delusion: Magician will find selection using three cards. First card turned over tells value (it is actually the selection). 2nd Card tells the suit. 3rd card tells how many cards down the selection will be found. Magician counts, the selection is found at that card! Spectator will jump at first card and find it to be an indifferent card
86 The Middle Deal: magician can apparently deal from the middle of the deck
87 The F.B.I. Card: Spectator inserts FBI card into the deck, and finds previously selected card
89 Four Card Location: Using the Second Deal to locate Four of a Kind


91 Part III New Sleights and Tricks Therewith
93 The Simon Card Control: apparently cards are fairly inserted into the deck, but control is retained
95 Set-Up of Four Cards: controlling 4 cards in the deck
97 The Two Card Peek: peeking two cards
99 A Piquant Peek: subtle method of determining card peeked at by spectator
101 The Peek Force: subtle force
102 The Simon Fan Steal: stealing a card returned to a fan
104 Telepathy: Using the Fan Steal, the magician writes a card selection and written number on a slate
105 Automatic Writing: elaboration of above effect
107 The Simon Secret Addition: Simon's method of secretly adding cards
109 The Thought-of Ace: the thought of Ace rises to the top of the deck
111 A Transposition: Four cards transpose to another pile one at a time
112 Cover for the Side-Slip
115 Ambitious Bit: touched card in middle of deck immediately appears on top (side slip)
115 The Helpers: Two cards cut to the middle of the deck sandwich the selection
116 Predict Switch: a touched card has been predicted by the magician


119 Part IV Interludes (Quick Tricks)
121 Discoveries: introduction
121 The Finger-Stab: deck is tossed into the air and magician plucks selection from the air
123 A Trick With a New Twist: the deck is spun around and the selection falls out
124 Half and Half (Elimination): Spectator eliminates cards until one is left - the selection
125 A Strange Card: spectator selects one of a packet of 5, and the face is rubbed off. Then the card gets its face back, but is found reversed in the packet
128 Card in the Mouth: Simon's version
131 Four Deep: selected card jumps from spectator's packet to magician's
133 Unexpected: Two red aces change to two blacks, then are used to "catch" two cards: the red Aces


135 Part V More Choice Tricks
137 The Magnetic Cards: a Five "magnetically draws" the other fives to the face of packets
139 Double Rise: two cards rise to the top of two packets
140 Six Face Up Cards Right Themselves Spontaneously: in a packet of 12
142 Odd Card Out: a selected card becomes reversed in a packet of 12
143 Misdirection Plus (for magicians): variation on Six Face Up, above
144 The Ubiquitous Jack of Spades: a quicky where the JS remains at the top
144 Rapid Transit: Two black cards transpose with two reds
145 Mind Reading: magician counts to selected card after an apparent miscount
148 "Touch" Retouched: a prediction matches a card simply touched by the spectator
151 Similar Twins: Face up and face down cards are pushed out by magician and spectator and they match
152 The Locator Three of Clubs: 3 of clubs can be used to select any of 14 positions (clever idea)
155 The Somersault: a card transposes from a face up packet to a face down packet
158 Night Club Card Assembly: 4 card assembly
161 Double Prediction: magician predicts two cards
163 Four Deuces and the Ace of Spades: An Ace keeps returning to a packet of Deuces, then the Deuces turn to Aces
166 Deuces Wild: Black Deuces travel to top of deck, then sandwich the reds
169 Four Way Coincidence: three spectators select uncommonly similar cards


173 Part VI Shuffles and Cuts
175 Shuffles and Cuts: essay
176 The Basic Cut
178 The Simon System of False Riffle Shuffles
178 The Top Stock Control
180 The Bottom Stock Control



Basic text on modern card conjuring describes for specialists and amateurs alike exact methods for perfecting the Instant Reverse, Three Queens Monte, The Ambitious Card, and many other sleights of hand. Also includes advice on manipulation, the art of presentation, audience participation, use of patter, and much else.