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Jordan Count

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A false card display showing four cards as four, hiding the fourth card.

After the count, it usually leaves the cards in perfect order to do an Elmsley Count.

Described in "Charles Jordan's Best Card tricks", 1992, compiled by Karl Fulves.

Ed Marlo tried to claim credit for the sleight(1), retitling it The Flexible Count and publishing variations in The New Tops.

(1) Not exactly ! Excerpt from The New Tops, december 1963 : "(This count) embodies the elements of the Elmsley Ghost Count, increases the application of the Ellis Satnyon Count, as well as the Elmsley, in that it can be done with a greater number of cards because of a controlled dealing action."

Compare with this : Excerpt from Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol. 21, N° 3, november 1963, page 18. "Modified Elmsley Count" by Norman HOUGHTON. In this count, he describes in fact the Jordan Count.

Marlo and Houghton both quote Elmsley but not Jordan. Why only Houhgton have the benefit of the doubt ?

Variations

  • Double Jordan by David Evans, X cards as five count, only 3 faces seen, Apocalypse Vol. 7, N° 3, march 1984, page 895.
  • Modified Jordan Count by Larry Jennings, for five cards, Larry Jennings on Card & Coin Handling.
  • McCount by John McClure, accomplishing the same as Jordan Count, Apocalypse Vol. 20, N° 9, september 1997, page 2835.
  • Jorback Count by Phil Goldstein, mates the Back Count (aka Flustration Count) with the Jordan Count using the Biddle Grip, The Linking Ring, October 1982.

History

First published by Charles Jordan in Thirty Card Mysteries (1919) under his Phantom Aces trick. It was brought back to light in 1963 by British magician Francis Haxton.1

1Charles Jordan's Best Card Tricks by Karl Fulves, page 247.

References