Gordon Boyd

(Book revised, edited, and updated March 2018) Attention All Serious Card Magicians. You should own this book! It contains 86 card tricks. Seventy-three of the tricks were created by Al Thatcher. Thirteen tricks are from the fertile minds of recognizable names in magic.

Al was a good friend of Nick Trost. They resided in Columbus, Ohio, and spent many hours together creating. If you have read any of Nick's books you have probably seen Al's name mentioned. Al Thatcher was a talented card man who traveled in the shadows of other great creators of card magic.

While not for the beginner, the effects in this book are certainly within the reach of the intermediate card magician. The most difficult sleight would be an overhand stock shuffle or the "Elmsley Count"--pretty basic indeed. If you like effects that use the "Breather Crimp," you will be love this book. Al liked creating effects that used the "Breather" and many such effects are included. This book will satisfy the most discerning magician and provide him/her with effects that are of great value.

Thanks to the 13 magicians who contributed tricks to this book. With their kind help the card magic of Al Thatcher will become better known. These magicians are Tom Craven, Stephen Bargatze, Gary Plants, Mike Powers, Dan Block, Steve Beam, Del Copley, Wynn Mertz, Nick Trost (Courtesy of H & R Publishing), Robert Bengel, Evert Chapman, Gordon Boyd, and Richard Bartram Jr.

Sleights and shuffles mentioned and used in this book include the Australian deal, Biddle Count, bottom slip shuffle, breather crimp, Charlier shuffle, Cull place shuffle, double buckle, double undercut, Elmsley Count, false cut, false shuffle, gambler's cop, half pass, halo cut, Hamman Count, Hindu shuffle, jog shuffle, overhand shuffle, pinky break, reverse Faro shuffle, riffle force, running overhand shuffle, spectator peek, straddle Faro shuffle, swing cut, swivel cut, thumb break, and top change.