Question about something in The Royal Road

[tmelf]

Hello. I'm a new poster here, but I enjoy the forum.

I'm working my way through the Royal Road to Card magic and I am in need of a bit of clarification. In the first chapter, 'The Overhand Shuffle,' the practice routine is:

1. Turn the top card face up
2. Shuffle it to the bottom and back to the top.
3. Shuffle it to the bottom, retain it once, and the back to the top.
4. Reverse card at the bottom too, and shuffle retaining the top and bottom cards in position
5. Shuffle the top card to the bottom and back to the top.
6. Continued...

The last two I've written there are described in different sections of the chapter, yet I can't seem to distinguish the moves from each other. I've read the descriptions over and over again and again but I can't seem to notice the difference. Any thoughts?

 

[Sepharoth]

If I recall correctly, when retaining the top and bottom cards in position, you run the top and the bottom card to the bottom of the deck in the first movement of the overhand shuffle. You're left with bottom card -> top card -> rest of the deck (from the bottom of the deck). You then repeat that movement, and shuffle the initial top card from the 2nd last position back to the top of the deck.

Shuffle the top card to the bottom and back to the top means just that -> the top card goes directly at the bottom of the deck, rather than 2nd from bottom

... I think

 

[saborfang17]

Hello. I'm a new poster here, but I enjoy the forum.

I'm working my way through the Royal Road to Card magic and I am in need of a bit of clarification. In the first chapter, 'The Overhand Shuffle,' the practice routine is:

1. Turn the top card face up
2. Shuffle it to the bottom and back to the top.
3. Shuffle it to the bottom, retain it once, and the back to the top.
4. Reverse card at the bottom too, and shuffle retaining the top and bottom cards in position
5. Shuffle the top card to the bottom and back to the top.
6. Continued...

The last two I've written there are described in different sections of the chapter, yet I can't seem to distinguish the moves from each other. I've read the descriptions over and over again and again but I can't seem to notice the difference. Any thoughts?

The first bolded idea refers to shuffling in a manner that ends with the top and bottom cards being the same. The second bolded idea is referring to shuffling the top card to the bottom of the deck, retaining it there, then shifting it back to the top.

Essentially, in the first line, you're retaining the same card on the top and bottom at the end. For the second, you're shuffling the top card to the bottom and back to the top. Certainly, they're similar, but the second one doesn't have to keep the bottom card the same.

 

[tmelf]

Ah, that was a typo on my part. Quite a critical one at that. Step 5 should say "Shuffle the top card to the next to bottom and back to the top." Though now that I look at it the list I made doesn't seem to be numbered, it is the fifth.

From the book:

Retaining the Top and Bottom Cards in Position

1. Grip the entire pack with the right hand to start the shuffle, at the same time pressing lightly on the top card with the left thumb and on the bottom card, with the left middle and ring fingers holding them back so that all the cards except these two are lifted clear, the top card falling upon the bottom card. Continue the shuffle, without pause, until completed.

...

Top Card to Next to Bottom and Back to the Top

1. Lift the pack for the shuffle, retaining the top and bottom cards in the left hand as in the preceding sleight. Shuffle the cards in the right hand onto the two cards in the left hand without hesitation. The card originally on the top is now next to the bottom card.

2. Again lift the pack, retaining the top and bottom cards in the left hand. Shuffle off the cards in the right hand upon the two in the left, allowing the bottom card to fall last, thus returning the top card to its original position.

You will find ...

After re-reading the section to type that out I'm tempted to think that its suposed to be a clarification of some sort, but I can't figure why it would be in the practice routine as two separate steps if that is the case.

Its not really that big of an issue, I'm just making sure I'm not missing something.

Thanks,
T

 

[RealityOne]

Its not really that big of an issue, I'm just making sure I'm not missing something.

I've actually had several people ask that question before. The steps used are the same but the purpose is different. For the first one, you are controlling two cards (the top and bottom cards). For the second one you are controlling a single card but are able to show that it isn't the at the top or the bottom of the deck after the first shuffle. So with the second one, you could shuffle the cards, show that it's not the top card or the bottom card, shuffle a second time and return the card to top to be palmed off or whatever is required for the next step. Same actions, different purpose.