Pass, shift and control

[Echoedecho]

Hi, just wondering what's the differences between a pass, a shift and a control?

All 3 have generally the same ideas right? :/

 

[brklynmutt]

Pass and shift are the same, its a cut, usually secretive

A control is a sleight which places a card or cards at specific locations

Passes are also used as controls

 

[Medifro]

A Pass is a move where the two halves of the pack transpose without the spectators knowing it. An invisible cut. The Charlier Cut is a one handed cut, the Charlier Pass is the cut executed invisibly.

The Shift is the gamblers' term of the Pass, though the name has been used by magicians to describe the pass, and other moves where single or a group of cards are moved/shifted, from one position of the pack to another. These moves are all intended to be invisible with the spectator unaware of anything has been done to disturb the order of the deck.

A Control refers to a category of card sleights involving taking control of single or group of cards in the pack, in a course of a shuffle, cut, or any other action. The spectator might be aware or not about the deck's order being disturbed/retained.

My definitions, if there is any correction I'd really appreciate it

Cheers,

 

[Chr!s]

In a pass, the deck is divided into two packets, which transpose, usually to nullify a cut, as a control.

Shift is another term for a pass.

A control isn't necessarily a pass (many different types) and a pass doesn't always have to be used as a control.

CL

 

[btaylor]

The Shift is the gamblers' term of the Pass, though the name has been used by magicians to describe the pass, and other moves where single or a group of cards are moved/shifted, from one position of the pack to another. These moves are all intended to be invisible with the spectator unaware of anything has been done to disturb the order of the deck.

Cheers,

for a shift the cards do NOT have to be shifted to another place in the deck. there are a few moves that are entitled a shift that remove the cards from the deck entirely. there is one i can think of right now from Erdnase but I know there are more similar moves.

 

[TeeDee]

I think the definitions have become a bit blurred over time, especially when it comes to the words "pass" and "shift".

I would say a "control" is any sleight which moves a card or group of cards to a different position. By this definition, what Joel Paschall calls the "Fan Control", I, based on the literature I'm familiar with, would refer to as a "Fan Location", because the move itself actually leaves the card in position, while allowing you to keep track of it. Cutting the selected card to the top after such a location would, in my opinion, be a control.

"Shift" and "pass" can be seen as pretty much interchangeable, and usually refer to a move in which two halves of the deck are transposed. However, there are single-card passes and multiple shifts as well as old gamblers' moves in which a small slug of cards are controlled. Therefore, I would suggest that a more all-encompassing definition of these terms would be any move that invisbly moves a card or cards to a new position in the deck.

Therefore, shifts and passes are types of control, but a control could be a visible action, whereas shifts and passes are always intended to be invisible.

Regarding palm-shifts, I think they are a different class of move altogether. They can be used as a control, or as a palm, and are therefore members of both divisions of sleight.

 

[Echoedecho]

oh thank you everyone

 

[Medifro]

for a shift the cards do NOT have to be shifted to another place in the deck. there are a few moves that are entitled a shift that remove the cards from the deck entirely. there is one i can think of right now from Erdnase but I know there are more similar moves.

As Erdnase mentions, DPS can be done to control a card (single or multiple) to various top or bottom. He doesn't dub it with a new name.

Various magicians been naming certain moves that move on card only as "shifts" and "passes", like Krenzel's One Card Pass, or the straddle grip card steal ( which is named a pass in the book Greater Magic ), as well as the mechanic of whats now known as Wow Control. Unfortunately, the names as published in Greater Magic escape me, but I'm pretty sure they end with a "pass".

In Hillard's notes, in one of the letters he describes a one handed shift, actually a move that controls a single selection to the top.
These are examples on how some magicians sometimes refer the name "Shift" or "pass" to sleights that has nothing to do with cutting the deck.

Cheers,