Mechanical Decks – Part 2

This article examines the Rough and Smooth principle in mechanical decks used in magic, detailing several types such as the Invisible, Brainwave, Split and Nudist Decks. It explores their history and usage without revealing the specific methods behind their magic tricks.

In my article Mechanical Decks – Part 1^[1] I spoke about the long and short principle and other cut decks. This article examines the Rough and Smooth Principle^[2] in card magic; however, due to my magician’s pledge, I am unable to go into specific details as to how some of these decks work.

“Mechanical Decks”^[3] (trick decks) can be defined as any deck of cards, a group or even a single card that has been modified or changed in some ways to facilitate the operation of the deck or trick. There are a great many varieties of trick decks; this article will explore the history and various mechanical decks that utilize the “Rough and Smooth Principle”^[4].

Rough and Smooth Principle

The rough and smooth principle is a system where two cards are treated by applying a solution called Roughing Fluid^[5] to playing cards to cause them to stick together, but not adhere. This principle was being used by card magicians by at least the 1930s for Rough and Smooth effects; the first solutions were made with diachylon^[6] (lead plaster).

Magic Christian^[7], in his book “Non-Plus Ultra Volume 2” (Christian 2013), states that Hofzinser^[8] used diachylon for a trick, but not for the traditional rough and smooth effects. Jean Hugard^[9] in “Encyclopaedia of Card Tricks” (Hugard 1965) devotes a whole chapter to the use of diachylon for making cards stick together. Nowadays roughing fluid is available as a spray in various brands; roughing sticks are also available.

A related, but opposite, principle is that of the “slick card”, which was described by Robert-Houdin^[10] in his book “Les Tricheries des Grecs” (Robert-Houdin 1861) under the title “La carte glissée”. Slick cards were treated with paraffin wax; nowadays people use a proprietary brand of car polish.

In an article in The Sphinx^[11], Vol. 23 No. 1, page 2 (Holden 1924), Max Holden^[12] called the attention of the magic fraternity to the many uses of the “Slick Card”.

Some of the decks that use the Rough and Smooth Principle

The Mirage Deck

As mentioned in my article Mechanical Decks – Part 1, the “Mirage Deck” is a variation of the “Svengali Deck”^[13] created by Ralph W. Hull^[14] in 1934. The “Mirage Deck” is a “Rough and Smooth Svengali Deck”. You can do all the effects possible with a normal “Svengali Deck”. However, you can fan out the cards to show them all different too. It was also marketed as the “Charlen Trick Deck”.

The Invisible Deck

The “Invisible Deck” (Haines House of Cards) is considered by many to be the best card trick of all time. Created in the 1930s by Joe Berg^[15], it was originally called the “Ultra Mental Deck”. Often mistakenly credited to Dai Vernon^[16], Don Alan^[17] or Eddie Fields^[18], the most-used presentation of the “Invisible Deck” was invented by J. B. Bobo^[19].

With the Invisible Deck, the backs of the cards are treated with roughing fluid and specific pairs of cards are “stuck” back-to-back and then assembled. When spread, only faces will show; the roughened backs prevent the backs from showing. If the deck is spread face up, only face-up cards can be seen. The deck is handled in a particular way to produce any card that is named and show it to be the only card with a back showing amongst the spread of face cards. The named card can be removed from the deck by the spectator, as it is a “normal” card.

A portion of the set-up of the Invisible Deck. One side is for the Spades and Diamonds; the other side shows the Hearts and Clubs.

This image shows the back of the named card.

This image shows the named card from the performer’s point of view.

The Brainwave Deck

The “Brainwave Deck”^[20] (Edward O. Drane & Co.) was created by Dai Vernon and was published in The Jinx^[21] No. 49, October 1938, page 341, and later marketed in November 1938. It is like the “Invisible Deck” but with an extra kicker. The deck is spread face down, and the named card is the only one that is face up. As a second climax to the trick, this card is turned face down and shown to have a different back colour from the rest of the deck, thus proving that the magician really did know what the spectator would say in advance and did not just secretly turn the card over.

The deck is made up of 26 blue-backed cards – Diamonds and Hearts – and 26 red-backed cards – Spades and Clubs. Each suit is in numerical order from Ace to King, and the faces have been roughened. Pairs of cards include a red-backed King of Clubs and blue-backed Ace of Diamonds; a red-backed Queen of Clubs and blue-backed 2 of Diamonds; a red-backed Ace of Spades and blue-backed King of Hearts. It is then a matter of taking the cards out of the box in a certain way depending on the named card, spreading the deck and separating the appropriate cards to reveal the named card.

A portion of the set-up of the Brainwave Deck showing the side with red backs for the Diamonds and Hearts.

A portion of the set-up of the Brainwave Deck showing the side with blue backs for the Spades and Clubs.

This image shows the face of the named card.

This image shows the named card from the performer’s point of view.

Earlier decks that may have provided the foundation for this deck were Edward Bagshawe^[22]’s “Reverso Deck”^[23] (1921) and his “Optica Deck”^[24] (1928). Max Holden brought the “Reverso Deck” to the United States with some improvements and marketed it as “Sympathetic Reversed Cards”.

The Mental Photography Deck (Nudist Deck)

The “Mental Photography Deck”^[25], or “Nudist Deck”, combines both the Rough and Smooth Principle and the Long and Short Principle. It is credited to Ralph W. Hull and advertised in The Linking Ring, Vol. 14 No. 10, December 1934. It is also known as “The Nudist Deck”, based on a popular presentation centring around a nudist colony.

This deck allows you to freely fan the deck and show both sides completely blank. But when you cut the deck, a card will appear. You can then riffle through the deck and show that all the cards are normally printed. You can then instantly turn all the cards back to blanks if you wish.

A portion of the set-up of the Mental Photography Deck showing all blank cards; the reverse side is the same.

A portion of the set-up of the Mental Photography Deck. The cards are spread revealing the card backs.

A portion of the set-up of the Mental Photography Deck. The cards are spread revealing the card faces.

Delirium Tremens Deck

The “Delirium Tremens Deck”^[26] (Haines House of Cards) was created by Ralph W. Hull and advertised in The Linking Ring, Vol. 14 No. 10, December 1934.

Advertisement in The Linking Ring, Vol. 14 No. 10, December 1934.

It is a variation of the “Mental Photography Deck”. The deck changes from an ordinary deck to one covered on both sides with pictures of snakes and other creatures.

A portion of the set-up of the Delirium Tremens Deck showing the backs of the cards.

A portion of the set-up of the Delirium Tremens Deck showing the faces of the cards.

A portion of the set-up of the Delirium Tremens Deck showing the cards spread and revealing the backs of the cards.

A portion of the set-up of the Delirium Tremens Deck showing the cards spread and revealing the faces of the cards.

Kids Kards

“Kids Kards” (Fun Incorporated) is a proprietary deck created by Richard Pinner circa 1998, as part of his act that won the title The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician of the Year, and is a variation of the “Mental Photography Deck”.

Richard Pinner’s Kids Kards front of tuck box.

Richard Pinner’s Kids Kards rear of tuck box.

Richard Pinner’s Kids Kards Thank You card.

The magician explains that, as a thank-you gift, a group of children he once performed for sent him an illustrated deck of cards they had made. Wonderful though this was, the cards were not much good for performing with. So, to make the most of his gift, the magician changes the hand-illustrated cards into an honest-to-goodness factory-printed deck! He dribbles through the deck – all the cards have changed.

With the brand-new deck, a mind-reading effect is demonstrated and proves a hit! Then, wracked with guilt at changing the beautiful gift into a model of magical conformity, the magician reverses the process, changing the cards back into the deck he started with – simply illustrated cards.

A portion of the set-up of Kids Kards showing the faces of the cards.

A portion of the set-up of Kids Kards showing the backs of the cards.

A portion of the set-up of Kids Kards showing the cards spread and revealing the backs of the cards.

A portion of the set-up of Kids Kards showing the cards spread and revealing the faces of the cards.

The Split Deck

Image of the Split Deck and the prediction card.

Images of the Split Deck halves spread to show the force cards.

The “Split Deck” is a “mirage deck” cut diagonally into two halves with one prediction card that matches the force card, in this case the 6 of Diamonds. Each half is spread face up showing all “indifferent”^[27] cards.

One of the split halves is spread face down for a spectator to “freely” select a card and not show it to anyone else. The other half is spread for another spectator to select a card. The two cards are now turned face up to show they match. Finally, the prediction card is also turned face up, and it matches the two selected cards.

In a variation the selected cards do not match; however, when the prediction card is revealed it is a match, being a blend of the two selected cards.

The McCombical Deck

The “McCombical Deck” (Trump Playing Cards – Australia) was created by Billy McComb^[28] and was marketed in 1960, after it enjoyed great success at the Boston S.A.M.^[29] and I.B.M.^[30] combined magic convention that year. It comprises 26 pairs of cards: 26 4 of Hearts “force cards” and 26 10 of Spades. Each pair is a 4 of Hearts face down on a face-down 10 of Spades; the face of each of the 4 of Hearts has been treated with roughing fluid so the pair of cards cling together.

A portion of the McCombical Deck spread showing only the 10 of Spades as the force cards (4 of Hearts) concealed due to the rough and smooth principle.

A portion of the McCombical Deck spread showing the 10 of Spades and the force cards (4 of Hearts) when the cards are separated.

From a separate deck of cards, a card is selected – the force card (4 of Hearts) – by the performer and placed face down on the table, without showing the audience. The deck of cards is spread with the faces to the audience, and not the spectator; only the 10 of Spades can be seen. When the deck is spread face down for the spectator to select a card, due to the set-up, they can only select the 4 of Hearts. After some byplay and the audience thinking the spectator selected the 10 of Spades, everything turns out fine.

Works Cited

• Christian, Magic. 2013. “Non Plus Ultra, Vol. 2: Hofzinser’s Card Artistry.”
• Holden, Max. 1924. The Sphinx, March 15: 3.
• Hugard, Jean, ed. 1965. Encyclopaedia of Card Tricks. London: Faber and Faber Ltd.
• Robert-Houdin, Jean-Eugène. 1861. Les Tricheries des Grecs. Paris.

Footnotes

1. Mechanical Decks – Part 1. ←
2. Rough and Smooth ←
3. Category:Mechanical Decks ←
4. Rough and Smooth ←
5. Roughing Fluid ←
6. Diachylon ←
7. Magic Christian ←
8. Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser ←
9. Jean Hugard ←
10. Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin ←
11. The Sphinx ←
12. Max Holden ←
13. Svengali Deck ←
14. Ralph W. Hull ←
15. Joe Berg ←
16. Dai Vernon ←
17. Don Alan ←
18. Eddie Fields ←
19. J. B. Bobo ←
20. Brainwave Deck ←
21. The Jinx ←
22. Edward Bagshawe ←
23. Reverso ←
24. Optica Deck ←
25. Mental Photography Deck ←
26. Delirium Tremens Deck ←
27. It means that the specific identity or value of the cards does not matter. ←
28. Billy McComb ←
29. Society of American Magicians ←
30. International Brotherhood of Magicians ←