CONTROL GRIP: PART 1 NOTES ON CONCEALMENT FALSE COUNTS Stephen Hobbs

Overview A concealment count is any small packet false counts in which the surface of one or more cards are concealed from the audience while the cards are counted from handto-hand. In a 4-as-4 concealment count, you are actually working with four cards and these cards are counted one-at-a-time to show that you ha e four cards. !he two most famous concealment counts are the "lmsley and #ordan counts. !he following conditions apply to all of the following descriptions of the 4-as-4 concealment counts$ %&' !he cards are taken from the right hand into left-hand dealing grip. %(' )rom the audience*s perspecti e, on each +take, a single card is being peeled off the top of the packet into the left hand. %-' !here are always four +takes,. that is, apparently four cards are peeled into the left hand. %4' /uring the count, the face of a single card is concealed from the audience. )or teaching purposes, the following descriptions employ the ace through four of clubs. "ach description begins with the packet face up. the ace is on the face followed by the two, three, and four. 0f course, in practice the order and orientation of the cards may ary, but by lea ing the cards face up, the illustrations are far more meaningful. In the following descriptions, I ha e preceded each count with a chart the shows the beginning and ending positions of the cards in the packet. !he cards always begin in &-(---4 order from the top down. !he numerical position in bold indicates the card that is concealed during the count.

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Control Grip Elm le! Co"nt #$on$e%led $%rd t&ird 'rom top( Control Grip Elmsley Count St%rt End & & ( 4 #)( ( 4 #)(

4et*s begin with the basic "lmsley count so that you can see how the dynamics of the control grip are employed in the conte5t of a false count that I*m sure you already know. !his will also allow us to establish some basic principles that will not be subse6uently repeated. so please re iew this description e en if you are comfortable with the "lmsley count mechanics. In an "lmsley count, the card third from the top is concealed and ends up on the bottom of the packet. Hold the packet in right-hand control grip. )rom now on, whene er the right hand is holding the cards, this grip is the grip to be used. !hroughout the following, the right hand remains still as the left thumb apparently peels cards off the packet into left-hand dealing grip. First Card: As the left thumb mo es onto the packet to peel the ace into the left hand, both hands lightly and momentarily grasps the packet in control grip. 7ithout hesitation, e5ecute a bottom block pull out of the lowermost three cards. !his block is immediately held in position by the right thumb, as the left thumb drags the ace diagonally of the packet. !he control grip employed here is ery light, almost fleeting. it is held only long enough to allow you to e5ecute a ery fine block pull-out. )rom now on, whene er the description calls for the empty left hand to peel off the top card of the packet, assume that this is accomplished ia a three-card block pull-out. !his ensures that the lowermost cards do not spread, e5posing the re ersed card. In addition, it allows you to a oid the habit that many card workers fall into of starting with the packet in your left hand in order to preloosen the top card by angling it to the left with the left thumb. Second Card: !he right thumb now e5ecutes a block-push of the two cards abo e the lowermost card of the packet %i.e., the two and three are pushed o er as a single card'. !hese cards must be pushed o er in perfect alignment, so as not to e5pose the re ersed card. !he position of the right third finger at the inner edge of the packet makes this easier. !he left hand carries the ace underneath the right-hand cards, wedging its right edge between the right fingertips and the four. !he left thumb immediately clamps down on the outer left corner of the three and carries the two-card block diagonally off the packet, lea ing the ace under the four. !he right hand should be holding two cards, so the ace and the four do not need to be in perfect alignment. !his is the standard +"lmsley switch., )rom now on, whene er the term "lmsley-switch is used, this is the action that is taking place. Third Card: !he right thumb pushes o er the four and the left thumb drags this card onto the left-hand packet. Fourth Card: !o conclude, the left hand returns and takes the remaining card onto the packet.

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Static Elmsley Count (No-Reverse Reverse-Count) St%rt End & & ( ( #)( #)( 4 4

8ow we begin to mo e into new ground. As we know, an "lmsley count conceals the third card from the top, which ends up on the bottom of the packet. Sometimes, you want the concealed card to end up in its original position. !his is traditionally accomplished by placing the last card of the count underneath the packet and is often called a +ducked, or +underground, "lmsley count. /ucking the last card is not a terrible solution and is certainly easy to do. At the same time, howe er, breaking the rhythm of the count by placing the last card on bottom can feel contri ed. !he 6uestion is whether the same result can be accomplished without the ducking action, so that it appears that all four cards are counted, one onto the other, from the right to the left hand. As it turns out, this is not that difficult to do, particularly with the aid of the control grip techni6ue. 4et*s call any concealment count that lea es the concealed card in the same position as it started a +static, count. Here is the description for the static "lmsley count. 8ote that the first two counts are identical to the standard "lmsley count. First Card: !he packet begins in right-hand control grip. 9egin the count by peeling the ace into then left hand. !he block pull-out techni6ue is used to ensure that the top card is smoothly taken while the re ersed card is concealed. Second Card: "5ecute the "lmsley switch. !hat is, the right hand performs a block push-off of the top two cards of its packet. !hese cards are taken into left-hand dealing grip while the card in the left hand is stolen %the ace' is stolen back under the remaining card in the right hand %the four'. Third Card: Slide the right-hand double card directly onto the two cards in the left hand so that the packet is perfectly flush. Immediately hold grasp the packet in control grip and e5ecute a block pull out of the bottom three cards. !hese cards are retained %as a single card' by the right hand as the left thumb peels the top card into left-hand dealing grip. Fourth Card: /eposit the triple card onto the left-hand card to conclude. /o not be too alarmed by the need to hold a triple card at the end of the count. !he actions of the count ha e been firmly established and the triple is held for the briefest moment before it is deposited back onto the packet. !here are a large number of ways to e5ecute the count so that the third cards ends up in the third position. /uring most of these handlings, howe er, the face of the third card is seen. !here are comparati ely few ways to accomplish this count concealing the face of the third card. !he approach described abo e is the most practical and efficient that I ha e been able to de ise. )inally, note the ery interesting fact that this count actually returns the packet into its original order. !hat is, although you appear to ha e re erse counted the packet, the order of the cards has not changed at all. I ha e dubbed this the +no-re erse re erse-count., !here are other ways to accomplish this, but this is the only approach that conceals the third card from the top throughout the count.

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One p Elmsley Count St%rt End & ( ( #)( #)( & 4 4

7e ha e now considered two ersions of the "lmsley count$ the original techni6ue %in which the card third from the top ends up on the bottom of the packet' and the static techni6ue %in which the third card from the top ends third from the top'. !here is one more position at which the concealed card can arri e$ second from the top of the packet. 0f course, as these are concealment counts, the concealed card cannot end up on top of the packet. I call this count the +one up, "lmsley count, since the concealed card ends one position up in the packet from its starting point. !he se6uence of e5changes is identical to 7esley #ames* S7A3"1 count, but the techni6ue is considerably easier gi en the control grip mechanics. First Card: !he cards start in right-hand control grip. "5ecute a block push off of the top three cards and take them into the left hand. Second Card: Slide the right-hand card onto the left-hand packet. :rasp e erything in control grip and immediately e5ecute a block pull out of the bottom three cards, lea ing the single card in the left hand. !his is a +&-for-- switch,. Third Card: 3eel the top card of the triple onto the left hand packet. ;se the center block pull-out mechanics to ensure that the double card left in the right hand remains in alignment. Fourth Card: /eposit the double card onto the left-hand packet.

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Control Grip *ord%n Co"nt #$on$e%led $%rd t%rt on bottom o' p%$+et( Control Grip !ordan Count St%rt End & & ( #,( #,( (

8ow lets consider another well-known count, both for completeness sake and to establish some more basic terminology. !he #ordan count conceals the lowermost card of the packet. At the conclusion of the count, the concealed card is third from the top of the packet. Again, for teaching purpose the packet is face up in order ace-two-three-four order. !he four is re ersed and will be concealed through the count. First Card: !he packet begins in right-hand control grip. 9egin the count by peeling the ace into then left hand. As with the "lmsley 1ounty, the block pull-out techni6ue is used to ensure that the re ersed card does not flash. Second Card: !he left hand mo es back to take the two. !he ace slides underneath the right fingers and the right-hand packet is almost automatically placed into two-hand control grip. 7ithout pausing, the right e5ecutes a center block pull-out of the three and four. !he center double card %the three and the four' is retained in position by the right thumb as the left hand peels the two onto the ace. Again, you ha e simply peeled the top card into the left hand. 9y using the action of the center block pullout you ensure that the lowermost two cards remain in perfect alignment and the re ersed card is not e5posed. )rom now on, if you are peeling a single card from a three-card packet into the left hand, assume that this is the techni6ue to be employed. Third Card: !he left hand returns to take the third card. In reality, the double card in the right hand is placed s6uare onto the left-hand cards, the entire packet is held briefly in control grip, and the right thumb e5ecute a block push off of the top three cards. !he right thumb holds the ace in position as the left hand draws the triple onto the left hand. !his is the +#ordan switch, and will be referred to as such throughout the rest of this manuscript. Fourth Card: !he left hand returns and takes the last card onto the packet, completing the count.

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Static !ordan Count St%rt End #No- 1( End #No- .( & ( ( & & ( #,( #,( #,(

#ust as there is a static ersion of the "lmsley count, there can be a static #ordan count. !his count returns the concealed card, which starts in the fourth position, to the bottom of the packet. !here are actually a number of ways this can be accomplished, the two most efficient being described here. In both handlings, the packet begins in left-hand dealing grip. First Card: "5ecute a fourth finger pull down of the lowermost card of the packet. =each into the break with the right first and second finger, grasp the three cards abo e the break in control grip, and perform a center block pull-out of the middle two cards. !his allows you to peel the top and bottom cards of the packet into the left hand as a single card %see the center block pull-out description, abo e, for complete details'. Second Card: !here is now a double card %the two abo e the three' in the right hand. 3eel the top card %the two' onto the left-hand packet, catching a fourth finger break below it. Third Card: Slide the single card remaining in the right hand onto the left-hand packet, the right fingertips going into the break. 3eel the top card onto the packet and, at the same time, steal the card directly below it %the two' back into right-hand control grip. !his is simply a single center e5traction %described abo e' of the card abo e the break. Fourth Card: /eposit the card in your right hand onto the left-hand packet. In the following alternate method, a fourth finger pull-down of the lowermost card is retained throughout the count. !he techni6ue here is, I belie e, similar to 7esley #ames* +1arry 1ount,. First Card: "5ecute a fourth finger pull down of the lowermost card of the packet. =each into the break with the right first and second finger, and e5ecute a center block pull out of the middle two cards. As you peel the top and bottom card of the packet into the left hand, retain the fourth finger break abo e the bottom card. Second Card: Slide the double cards in your right hand onto the left hand packet, the right first and second fingers sliding into the break. Immediately e5ecute another center block pull out, drawing the top card of the packet onto the bottom card of the packet. Third Card: 3eel a single card onto the packet. Fourth Card: /eposit the remaining card onto the packet. !hese counts may seem complicated, but the control grip techni6ues makes the center block pull-outs so easy to do that they are really not that difficult. >y preference is for the second ariation. the two center block pull-outs easily follow one after the other and you end by peeling two cards cleanly into the left hand.

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T"o p !ordan Count St%rt End & & ( #,( #,( (

!he static #ordan count keeps the fourth card concealed on the bottom of the packet. !he standard #ordan count shifts the fourth card to the third position in the packet. !he two up #ordan count shifts the fourth card to a position second from the top of the packet. Again, because these are concealment counts, no ariation is described that shifts the fourth card to the top of the packet. First Card: !he cards start in left-hand control grip. "5ecute a fourth finger pull down of the bottom card. Insert the right fingertips into the break, grasp all of the cards abo e the break in control grip, and perform a center block pull-out of the middle two cards of the packet. !he top and bottom card are retained as one in left-hand dealing grip %be careful not to e5pose the bottom card of this pair'. Second Card: Slide the double card onto the left hand packet. Immediately grasp the entire packet in control grip. 7ithout hesitation e5ecute a block pull-out of the bottom three cards, lea ing a single card in the left hand. Third Card: !here is now triple card in the right hand. 3eel the top card into the left hand. It is ery important to use the center block pull-out mechanics here to keep the double remaining in the right hand in alignment. Fourth Card: /eposit the double card onto the packet to conclude.

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Control Grip ./% /, Con$e%lment Co"nt In a (-as-4 concealment counts, a packet of four cards is counted as four cards and two of the cards remain concealed throughout the count. In most circumstances %unless you are apparently showing a packet of duplicate cards' the packet is face down while this occurs and the backs of two cards are each seen twice, creating the illusion that four face-down cards ha e been counted. I was ne er able to e5ecute a two-as-four style count consistently or decepti ely until after I had de eloped the control grip handling. 8ow, these counts ha e become sure-fire and simple to perform. !hey are an e5cellent way to practice the bottom block push-out and pull-out techni6ues. !here are three possible (-as-4 counts. !hese counts can be described by the position of the two cards will be seen during the count$ %&' top and second, %(' top and bottom, and %-' top and third. 7e will continue to work with a face-up packet that consists of the ace through four of clubs. Aeeping the cards face up during the counts would ob iously not been done in performance, but will allow you to more easily keep track of the positions of the cards by referring to the illustrations. All the counts start from right-hand control grip and should appear as if the left thumb is peeling off the cards one at a time into the left hand. :enerally, (-as-4 counts should be e5ecuted at a fairly brisk pace.

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Control Grip #-as-$ Count (top and second remain in vie")% St%rt End & ( ( #)( #)( #,( #,( &

In this (-as-4 concealment count, only the top two cards of the packet will be seen, the lowermost two cards are concealed throughout the count. First Card: !he left thumb peels the top card into the left hand. ;se the block pull-out techni6ue to ensure that the lower three cards remain in perfect alignment. Second Card: As the hands come together, the right hand slides its three-card packet directly on top of the ace in the left hand. )or a brief moment, the packet is perfectly flush and held in control grip. 7ithout hesitation, e5ecute a block push-off of the top three cards, taking them in the left hand and lea ing the top card in the right hand. Third Card: !he hands come together and right-hand card is placed directly on the left-hand packet. Again, the cards are held momentarily in control grip. Immediately e5ecute a block pull-out of the lowermost three cards, lea ing the top card in the left hand. !he three-card block in the right hand must be held in perfect alignment. the block pull-out techni6ue allows you to do this 6uickly and certainly. Fourth Card: 1onclude by placing the three-card packet onto the left hand. Aeep the outer end of the packets tilted slightly downward as this occurs to conceal the fact that the left-hand is only holding one card and the right hand has the thicker packet.

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Control Grip #-as-$ Count (top and &ottom cards remain in vie")% St%rt End & 4 #.( & #)( #.( 4 #)(

In this (-as-4 concealment count, the top and bottom cards are seen, the middle two card are concealed. !his count and the pre ious count +recycle, to each other. First Card: !he right hand places the packet into the left hand and it is held briefly in control grip. Immediately e5ecute a block push off of the top three cards, taking them as one into the left hand. !his packet must remain in perfect alignment. Second Card: Aeeping the outer ends of the cards tilted downward, the right hand places its card onto the left-hand packet. " erything is held in control grip and the right hand performs a three-card block pull-out, lea ing the two inn the left hand. Third Card: Still keeping the packets tilted downward, the right hand places its packet onto the left hand, e5ecute a block push-off of the top three cards, and steal the four into the right hand. Again, the control grip mechanics keep e erything correctly aligned. Fourth Card: 1onclude by placing the single card in the right hand onto the left hand packet.

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Control Grip #-as-$ Count (top and third remain in vie")% St%rt End & #.( & #.( #,( #,(

In this final ersion, only the top and third card are seen, the second and fourth cards are concealed. !his ersion of the (-as-4 count may not ha e been considered before. it really only becomes possible because of the control grip techni6ue. First Card: !his time the packet begins in the left hand. "5ecute a fourth finger pull down of the lowermost card. !he right fingers reach into the break and pull out the third card from the top. As soon as the right hand has a hold on this card, the left hand draws the remaining three cards into left-hand dealing grip %this block must be as closely aligned as possible'. Second Card: Aeeping the outer ends of the cards tilted downward, the right hand places its card onto the left-hand packet. " erything is held in control grip and the right hand performs a three-card block pull-out, lea ing the two inn the left hand. Third Card: Still keeping the packets tilted downward, the right hand places its packet onto the left hand, e5ecute a block push-off of the top three cards, and steal the four into the right hand. Again, the control grip mechanics keep e erything correctly aligned. Fourth Card: 1onclude by placing the single card in the right hand onto the left hand packet. 8ote that the last three cards are identical to the last three cards of the (-as-4 %top and bottom' count.

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