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I'm looking for references to methods of culling and openly setting decks. I'm quite OK with shuffles, controls and cuts, but am having problems managing the cards in hand, even face up.

Any things to look at would be excellent.

I often set up decks right under the spec nose. Get them talking about somthing unrelated to magic and they never pay any attention to what you're doing.

I often ask them about their day or job for example.

I'm constantly amazed what one can get away with.

Lady of Mystery is right. You just need to assess what kind of spectators you're dealing with.

I've found out that I can get away with such obvious moves as turning a card over right under their noses or separate reds and blacks with 90% of my spectators. I just divert their attetion from the deck with a question or a weird remark. People will almost always establish eye contact with you when you make them a question or say something funny.

Mathematical questions always get them looking away from you and your cards while they're thinking. Questions like "How many cards are there in a deck with no jokers?" (pretty easy question, but most people will take a few seconds to decide if it's 52 with or without the jokers) or "What are the odds that this card is the same suit of your selection?" (you could set their shoes on fire and they would't notice while calculating the odds).

Of course you'll always meet spectators that will be looking at your hands the whole time, so you'll have to employ smoother techniques. If you want a clean red/black separation method, take a look at Lennart Green's Angle Separation.

The angle separation I know. I'm more looking for whip four to 13 cards to the bottom/top of the deck really quite quickly

I tend to set up right in front of them, quite blatantly. I think people who know me are used to the way I behave with cards now.. if on the odd occasion someone asks me what Im doing I tell them ''Im setting up the next trick'' and just smile at them.. they often just laugh and carry one talking.

Then when Im ready Ill just perform a few false cuts and shuffles.. and they are none the wiser..

Im a BIG fan of being blatant... I've even gone as far as this.. bringing out 3 gaffed 4 of spades in the red gaff deck ( which were put in the normal deck to start and ive just kept an eye on their position ) I have brought them out and gave them to a spec FACE DOWN and asked them to hold on to them .. found the real 4 of spades and the two jokers.. placed them on top of the deck.. took back the 3 gaffed cards from the spec.. and done a packet switch for the jokers which are on top of the deck saying '' I dont want the jokers in for this trick '' shown the jokers and put them away.. contorolled the gaffed cards to where I want them and carried on.. all just for the sake of it and it really does take the heat off the cards..

But maybe thats just me.. my verbal misdirection is poor, so I tend to use visual misdirection.. sometimes just to take the mic Ill say '' Look.. an elephant'' and point behind them and they always look but I wont do the sleight until they are looking back at me, as by this point they are always laughin or something.. and because my hand was outstretched maybe subconciously they dont think i can 'mess with the deck' one handed.. I dont know

I dont worry about it, i use a lot of talk during an effect and one of my fav card efects requires a force , a cull and a DL. you can get away with lots when performing , well one guy was clued in to everything but thats life. I think what it is when setting up a deck. people dont think you will be that blatant about doing it , and will look for something sneaky. And my cull is terriable by the way


or you could use diffrent methoods, pass, cull. undercut etc. just like your toying with the deck. On the trickery Dave Forrest sets up the deck blatentley in front of the spec but makes it look like he is just playing before the trick.

Cull de Stack in Dear Mr Fantasy by John Bannon might interest you.