EXHALE

@
By

Steven Palmer
 Welcome to what I have dubbed the exhale shuffle force.

In a nutshell you are controlling a breather-crimped card which you will use a force card whilst

the spectator shuffles the deck in various ways.

The thinking behind this was that I wanted to add apparent extra levels of fairness during the

shuffles and cuts, thus giving the illusion of further control and choice for the spectator.

In reality the exact opposite is achieved; through various shuffles and losing procedures you are,

in fact, controlling the card you wish to force upon the spectator.

Suffice to say I stand on the shoulders of giants in this art, and what started this system was

reading about Arthur Finley’s Remote Control.

EXHALE card construction:

I have combined several ideas for the construction of the force card. Essentially the card is a

side-marked, top-cutting breather card. For explanation purposes I will use the King of Spades

as my force card.

1) Take the King of Spades and put a top-cutting breather crimp into it. Briefly, this is achieved

by using pressure from the thumbs and is applied in a crosswise way across the middle of the

force card. To do this, put your thumbs at the top index corner of the face-up playing card.

Gently push down and pull your thumb back towards you in a diagonal motion.
 The following picture with the “X” illustrates the correct application of the direction of

pressure to apply to the card. Flip the card around and repeat this at the opposite diagonal

corner so you have made an “X” crimp in the face of the card.

Apply only a light amount of pressure or you will leave a visible crimp in the card.

2) Next you will side mark the King. To do this, take a pencil and lightly run it along an inch of

the side of the card at opposite diagonal corners. The mark has been made in the picture with a

Sharpie marker for clarity of explanation. I use the pencil and run it along the side of the card,

ensuring none ends up on the face of the card.

 This side mark will enable you at a

glance to see the location of your

exhale card, wherever it may lie in the

deck. It has been fully marked to make

it visible in this photo sequence for

explanation purposes. Whilst it may

not be clear on a single card, when it

lies in the deck it will visible to the

trained eye.

3) Take a Sharpie that matches the colour of the card’s back design. Make a subtle mark on top of
the back design that will enable you to see the force card at a glance during the shuffles and

cuts.

In the following photos I have simply used a blue pen to fill in some of the card’s border on the

opposite sides.
Your finished force card can now be easily located by both touch and sight. It will reside

unnoticed in your deck until you decide to use it for a routine.

The following photo is an example of how the card would look in the deck from the side.

The side-marked card will be a lot more subtle and not noticed by the spectator when done

with pencil. To clarify again, I have used Sharpie marker for explanation purposes only.
Prelude:

The core method to the exhale force is that you will bring the force card to the top of the deck

during the spectator shuffles and cuts. This will be achieved by visually tracking the card and

adjusting your approach to the situation of the deck accordingly. The methodology explained

below will ensure your desired ending of having your force card on top of the deck.

I will outline handlings for various situations and how to adapt the shuffle procedure

accordingly.

Method:

I place the exhale card on top of the deck and then I will display the cards face up to show

them all different.

I then hand out the deck to be overhand shuffled. Following this I have the spectator table the

deck face down onto the performing surface in front of me.

I now notice where the marked force card is in the deck via the side marking on the card, and

split the deck into the necessary number of packets for the riffle shuffles to bring the force card

back to the top of the deck.

Possible force card positions:

Following the initial spectator shuffle, overhand style, the target force card will be in any of the

following approximate positions in the deck.

All of the starting positions are noted from glancing at the side of the deck and noticing where

the force card lies, visible because of the side marking on the card. Depending on its position, I

will guide the spectator through any of the following sequences of riffle shuffling and ruses to

get the card back to the top of the deck. Each of these gambits will seem to add further fairness

to the state of the deck, but in reality they are doing your work for you. I will now outline the

possible positions of the force card after the spectator shuffle.

Approximately Central:

This is my favorite outcome and certainly the most direct. Following the initial overhand

shuffle the target card has ended up in a central position in the deck.

In the above picture you can see the target card in the approximate middle of the deck.
From the central position I just cut at the breather-crimped force card to split the deck into

two piles in preparation for a riffle shuffle. This shuffle will bring the target card to the very top

or top section of the deck. Should any additional cards be shuffled onto the force card, you will

use the upcoming interlaced spread ruse to show how well-shuffled the two halves are, and

then you can use the upcoming “Burn” card ruse to get the exhale card to the top.

In the following photos the force card has been left face up in the approximate centre of the

deck for clarity of explanation.

Continuing on from having the exhale card in the middle portion of the deck:

If the spectator shuffles the deck,

keeping the force card on top of
its section, simply have him push
the halves together, completing
the shuffle. This situation will
happen more often than not and
is very clean.
Interlaced spread:

The interlaced spread is used when you watch the spectator shuffle one or more cards on top of

the force card, either in the two-packet riffle shuffle or the upcoming four-packet shuffle. Any

additional cards will be lost in the following burn card ruse.

Before the spectator can complete the tabled riffle shuffle by pushing the interlaced halves

together, I spread the interlaced cards towards me under the presentational guise of showing

how well-mixed the cards are. The motivation for this spread ruse is to show the fairness of the

shuffle. In reality this enables you to count accurately how many cards need to be disposed of to

bring the force card back to the top of the deck.

In the above picture, the force card is getting shuffled to third from the top of the deck. After

stating how fair the riffle shuffle was, I will ask the spectator to square up the spread, pushing

the cards flush together, and move on to the burn card sequence to bring the force card back to
the top. For example, in the above photo two cards would need to be “Burned” from the top of

the deck to bring the force card back to the top position.

Burn Cards:

As mentioned earlier, this is removing the number of cards above your force card to get it to

the top into the force position.

This subtlety stems from the gaming tables, most notably in various poker games, and is

particularly useful during this routine.

For example, if during the spectator riffle shuffle you have seen the spectator shuffle a card or

more on top of the force card, you will use the interlaced spread to demonstrate how well-

mixed the cards are and you will also see how many cards need to be disposed of in order to

bring the force card back to the top.

When the cards are spread towards you, count how many cards need to be disposed of.

You do this by looking for the markings on the back of the force exhale card and then asking

the spectator to “burn” the relevant cards from the top and also the bottom of the deck into

the middle of the deck. (“Burning” a card is the taking of a single card and placing into the

middle of the deck or off to the side, or in our case the middle of the deck.)
If I need to use this ruse, I cover it by saying, “Take a few cards (the necessary number that are

covering your exhale card) from the top of the deck and place them into the middle of the deck and

then do the same from the bottom, in case you think I have been tracking something. You may have

seen people in casinos or on poker shows on TV do this.” (I feel it is more deceptive to lose both the

top and bottom cards than just the top.)

This ruse adds a further element of randomness and fairness to the procedure in the spectator’s

mind while it in fact brings the force card to the top of the deck.

You will not always have to use the burn card ruse, but when you do it adds an extra layer of

deception the spectator will find difficult to backtrack.

If I have used this ruse I will also use the line, “You have now used full casino procedure of

shuffling, cutting and burning the deck.”

After the initial shuffles and the burn ruse, the spectator will now be utterly convinced of the

randomness of the deck.

Approximately Too Close to Top or Bottom:

If the force card is too close to the top or bottom for the standard two-packet riffle shuffle, one

option I use is to cut the deck off-centre to recentralize the force card. Following this I will

split the deck into two piles at the now-centralized force card, ready for the riffle shuffle. This

is easy due to the crimp in the King.

Ask the spectator to shuffle the two halves together. I watch where the force card ends up in

the shuffle and then have the spectator deal the force card from the top of the deck, should it

be shuffled there, or use the interlaced spread and burn ruse should I need to bring the force

card to the top again.

The Four-Packet Shuffle:

In the above situation where the force card isn’t central enough to allow a cut to recentralize

the force card, an option you have is to split the deck into four approximately even packets,

ensuring the force card lands on top of one of the four packets.

The force card has been left face up for clarity in the following photos.

In the above picture, I have split the deck into four packets with the top left packet now having

the force card on top of it. An important point here is to make the opposing packet smaller by

a slight amount. This will help ensure that the participant will shuffle the force card to the top

of the two combined packets. Should the spectator shuffle a card or two on top of the force

packet, then it is easier to see how many cards will need to be disposed of when the four

packets are combined via the interlaced spread and burn card ruse.
In the above photo the top two packets are shuffled together, and then to finish the opposite

two packets are then shuffled together. Finally the two combined single packets are shuffled

together.

Pay attention to the shuffles in both phases to see if the spectator shuffles any cards on top of

your force card. If he does, at the end of the combined shuffles use the interlaced spread and

then the burn ruse should any cards need to be disposed of in order to bring the exhale card

back to the top of the deck.

Alt Handling:

If you want a safer more direct handling of this stage, you can begin the shuffle of the packet

containing the force exhale card atop of it and its opposing packet, but leave the packets

interlaced with the exhale card on top of its pile.

The presentational cover I use for this is to ask the spectator if he can shuffle like in casinos

and then demonstrate by riffling the packet with the exhale card and the opposite packet

together, maintaining the exhale card on top of its pile.

Leave the packets interwoven and ask the spectator to shuffle the other two packets together

like you have just demonstrated. When he has done that, have him “complete the shuffle” of

the two packets you interlaced together by pushing both packets square into a single packet.

Finally have the spectator shuffle the combined two packets together.

If you notice the spectator has shuffled additional cards onto the force card, use the interlaced

spread and burn card ruse to bring the exhale card to the top of the deck.
Conclusion:

Reading all the above may make this all seem a complex process, but when you start practicing

the idea you will see how quick, flexible and direct the procedure is. It feels exceptionally fair to

the spectator. You are simply jazzing your approach to get the force card back to the top of the

deck

The key is to be flexible in your approach and nonplussed whatever the spectator does with the

cards. Have confidence in the fact that the card is always under your control.

A few trial runs with the deck in hand will show how direct and workable it all is.

Classic Adaptations:

In this section I will outline some of my favorite uses of this principle. Some are classics; some

are what I consider neo-classics.

The presentation is deliberately skeletal in nature. Essentially I offer you the presentational

outline I like to use. I leave the actual specific words to you, as they will be more believable and

stronger if they fit you and your performing personality. Also without much presentation, you

may look at the routine and it may click with a different presentation you already like.

Read the routines and see what ideas pop into your subconscious mind, and chances are these

will be right for you. I have put the main presentational focus in bold at the beginning of these

routines. With those in mind, see where your creativity goes.

 Heritage (d):

I begin the routine by asking the spectator, “Are you aware of the phrase: You can’t cheat an honest

man? I feel the majority of the time that is true, but with any rule there are occasionally exceptions.

This is based on an actual story passed down through my family; my granddad got me into this stuff

when I was young, and I heard this story and became fascinated with how to make it a reality. While

he never told me the exact method, a few years back I came up with this idea. In casinos, it is probably

impossible to cheat the dealer or the game as you never get to spend any real time with the person to

notice their shuffling and dealing habits, but in private games it’s different.

“Let’s say we had been playing cards all night and I started to notice you had some habitual traits

when shuffling the deck. Maybe, just maybe, I could figure out what you were going to do before you

did it.

“After hearing the story that was passed down, I was given these cards (show face-down packet) by

my grandmother. My granddad had kept them for some time, and as I was getting into card magic, it

seemed appropriate I was given them.”

Method and Performance:

1) I start with, “I’d like you to shuffle the deck,” as I hand the spectator the deck to begin an

overhand shuffle and cut of the deck.

I now use the exhale process to get the force card to the top of the deck and dealt/chosen by

the spectator.
 I bring attention back to the packet of cards mentioned in the premise of the routine as I say,

“These cards are from a perfect hand in poker. Let’s see if my words and actions have been able to

influence you into dealing me the exact card I need to complete the hand.”

2) You spread out four-card packet face down. You take the force card and place it face down next

to these cards. To reveal, you slowly turn over the individual cards and show their identities

before finally showing the exhale card at the end of the display to complete the royal flush in

Spades.

The face-down hand is turned

face up and spread, and the card

dealt after the exhale process is

placed next to it as a nice visual.

 The face-down hand is turned

face up and spread, and the card

dealt after the exhale process is

placed next to it as a nice visual.

before the reveal.

The card generated by the exhale

procedure is turned face up to

show it completes the perfect

poker hand.

Tttcbe: the trick that can be explained:

This is my handling of the classic Vernon plot. However while this mimics certain elements of

Vernon’s handling, the ending can be controlled and guaranteed.

I begin my presentation asking the spectator, “Do you read your star signs?”

Depending on the answer:

Yes: “Me, too. So I’d guess you believe in fate?”

No: “Me, neither, but sometimes things happen that are just too strange to explain as only

coincidences.”
 Either way: “This is an idea I have, and it’s for you and only for you; I won’t perform this for

anyone else tonight. My intuition tells me this is the right time and you’re the right person to show this

to. In this deck of 52 cards I have a favorite card. Do you have any idea what it could be?”

The spectator will respond that he doesn’t know.

1) At this point I write the identity of the exhale card on a business card and hand it face down to

the participant to pocket. I have him go through the exhale shuffle and any ruses needed to

bring the exhale card to the top of the deck. Ask the spectator to place the top card of the

deck, the exhale card, off to one side.

2) To conclude the routine after the force card has been dealt, I remind him of the business card

and ask him to remove it from his pocket. I state that it has my favorite card written upon it.

I ask, “Do you still have no idea what my favorite card could be?” He will respond he doesn’t. I tell

him to look at the face of the card he has dealt and then to turn my business card over to see

he has found and dealt my favorite card to me.

I finalize the presentation by saying, “I’ll let you decide if that’s fate or coincidence,” as I give my

business card to the spectator to keep.

Credits:
John Bannon

Arthur Finley

Eric Mead

Dai Vernon

Derren Brown