The Expert at the Card Table

First published in 1902 by the mysterious S. W. Erdnase, The Expert at the Card Table is the acknowledged “bible” of card manipulation. Offering instruction in card cheating, sleight of hand and magic tricks, this masterpiece has never been out of print. This new edition from Charles & Wonder restores Erdnase’s classic text to its original condition, reversing decades of modification that have gradually effaced the author’s writing. Edited by Erdnase specialist Marty Demarest, this edition also features remastered illustrations, and for the first time includes a complete index to Erdnase’s groundbreaking work. The Expert at the Card Table is an essential book for anyone interested in card cheating, gambling, magic and sleight of hand, or---as the original title page puts it---“Artifice, Ruse and Subterfuge at the Card Table.” This restored edition is the ideal handbook for the “professional,” the “unlicked cub” and anyone who desires to leave “the annual crop of suckers” and learn to think like a true expert. Original text of the classic first edition from 1902, with all its quirks intact, and page- and line-breaks restored to their original positions Replicas of the original title page (with its alternate title), copyright page and table of contents Larger typeface and page size for easier reading and study than ever before Remastered illustrations culled from the clearest printings, enlarged to 120% of their original size A complete index to Erdnase’s terms and ideas, including modern terminology and cross-references between techniques An “Errata” with the most complete and extensive guide to Erdnase’s instructional errors Meticulously edited and designed in accord with modern principles of art conservation Corroborated by research at the Library of Congress, the Conjuring Arts Research Center, the Magic Castle Library and private collections