To secure the other six, still in the pack, he has recourse to the following manœuvre.
Whilst playing, he has intentionally left all the tricks he has gained face upwards; and, as it is his turn to deal, he does the same thing with those of his adversary.
Profiting by the moment when the latter is marking his points, in taking up the pack, the Greek selects the cards required, and places them underneath with those which he has already secured.
If my readers are not "au fait" at tricks of cards, they will doubtless find the explanation I have given, both tedious and difficult of comprehension. It is really nothing; it resembles those tricks of sleight of hand, which require long explanations to make a very short operation understood.
But that is not the question; my sole wish being to make myself understood, which has perhaps caused me to be rather prolix.
The Greek having, in the twinkling of an eye, put the twelve cards he wanted at the bottom of the pack, then places them, so that they will all return to him in the deal, and whilst pretending to shuffle the cards, he puts alternately on the pack,
- 1. Three cards from the bottom.
- 2. Three indifferent cards taken from the middle of the pack.
- 3. Three cards from the bottom.
- 4. Three indifferent cards.
- 5. Three cards from the bottom.
- 6. Three indifferent cards.
After which, a false shuffle, a false cut, and a deal of three at a time.
It will be seen that, out of the twelve cards which were placed under the pack, nine must have come back to the Greek in the course of the deal; the three others come to him in the exchange. He therefore has in his hand:
- 1. A sixième-major in spades,
- 2. A quatorze of aces,
- 3. A quatorze of kings: