* Flourishes

PSEUDO - chapter 9, pages 996-1004

The following flourishes are a far cry from the spectacular displays of skill seen in the field of Card Artistry. These ideas are merely simple, creative ways to have a little fun—most are throwbacks from my crap-dealing days and fooling with chip flourishes.

I remain respectful of the traditionalists who denounce flourishes, believing that they make it easy for laypeople to explain miracles—skill versus magic. Whatever your philosophical position, here are a few flourishes for those who sent me their thoughts. They may not garner oohs and aahs, but you'll get a few smiles along the way and a style that distinguishes your card handling.

The clip depicts a montage of the following: spring-spread (page 998), one-handed split-over (page 998) one-handed back-somersault cut (page 1000), jump-deal (page 1004), and the reverse strip (page 999), the latter prompting a few strange questions and comments. One reader asked about the purpose and motivation for this idea. I responded, "It's simple; I like to think outside the box and it's fun to show cardmen something they have never seen before!"

After a slower-than-average five-part strip, say "This is called stripping the deck; want to see what it looks like in reverse?" Then do the reverse strip.