The Charming Cheat (1-6) by Martin A. Nash

Original title: Award Winning Card Magic Of Martin A. Nash

Martin A. Nash, who was one the most popular performers to appear at the Magic Castle's Close-Up showroom is also considered one of the most entertaining magicians with a deck of cards.

On this five video set you will experience his performing persona as "The Charming Cheat" and relish at his exceptional technical ability and flair for engaging presentations.

Martin thoroughly explains each trick, technique and routine as well as giving many professional touches that can elevate intermediate and advanced card magic to its highest level.

Charming Cheat Volume #1:
►Kings Incognito: During a demonstration of the different types of shuffles that gamblers use, the deck is shuffled face up and face down. When the cards are re-spread all the cards are now facing down except for the four kings. The kings are then turned into the four aces.
►Palm Unseen: In a demonstration of palming the four aces are apparently invisibly palmed and visually placed on the table.
►In The Nick Of Time: A spectator looks at a card in the tabled spread, reassembles the deck and gives it a couple of cuts. The spectator then deals the cards face-up on the table and at some point you yell stop. The next card is the selection.
►Limited Ambitions: A terrific small packet Ambitious Card routine with a kicker ending.
►Ovation: The Ovation routine is an act in itself. This is what Martin uses to close his shows and often receives standing ovations. It is a multi-phase routine with card selections, discoveries, and impossible matching sequences.

Additional techniques explained within routines: Soft Shuffles, Overhand top stock control, Zarrow Shuffle, D’Amico Spread, Pull-Through Shuffle, spread location, New Deck Stay Stack, Deck Switch, Nash Classic Force, and much more. Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Charming Cheat Volume #2:
►Down The Garden Path: In a card control demonstration where a selected card is placed among the four queens but manages to completely disappear and appear face-up in the middle of the deck.
►A Problem With Fulves: A multi-phase Triumph routine where the cards are repeatedly shuffled face-up and face-down and each time the deck is spread all the cards are facing the same way except for a Queen. On the third try the cards are shown to be all face-up except four face-down cards in the middle that surprisingly turn out to be the four aces.
►Fastest Card In The West: A quick routine where a spectator thinks of a card he sees in the center of the deck and you make it jump out of the middle by supposedly using a center deal.
►Peek Control #1: A spectator peeks at a card in the middle of the deck. The deck is turned face-up and the face card is used as an indicator by counting down its numerical value. The thought of card is found in that position.
►Peek Control #2: A spectator peeks at a card in the middle of the deck. After the spectator names their card you immediately spell down to it from the top of the deck.
►Jacks Or Better: This is one of Martin’s trademark routines and is an act in itself. It is a 15-minute, five-phase routine where different selected cards continuously appear between the two red jacks under more, and more impossible conditions.

Additional techniques explained within routines: Easy Pinkie Break, Side Glide, Optical Revolve, Side-Steal Control, Pseudo One-Handed Center Deal, Top Stock Controls, Multiple Peek Controls, Slip Cut, Triple Under Cut, Kelly Bottom Placement, Running False Cut, and much more. Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Charming Cheat Volume #3:
►Blackjack Demonstration: A quick expose of cheating techniques that could be used in Blackajack while performing a routine where you deal yourself the best Blackjack combination.
►Dunbury Delusion: Martin’s handling of the classic sucker effect where everyone thinks you failed to find the spectator’s card but of course you do.
►Computer Card Trick: After shuffling and dealing the cards the deck acts as a computer to find the color, suite and value of a selection.
►Vernash Aces: Four spectators shuffle a deck of cards and lose the four aces in different parts of the deck. After a few shuffles and cuts you find the four aces.
►Celestial Aces #2: You shuffle and cut to each of the four aces and as a finale you shuffle and cut to a named card.
►Mental Topper: A spectator names a card. You and a spectator then shuffle the deck. You then cut the deck into four piles where the selection and its three mates are found on the bottom of each pile.
►Overkill: You shuffle and cut the deck into four packets. On top of each packet is a King. You then cut each packet in half… cutting to the four Aces.
►Incomplete Masterpiece: A spectator remembers a card that he sees in the deck. A second spectator, using women’s intuition, cuts a small packet of cards. The quantity of cards in that packet is used to count down from the top of the deck to find the original spectator’s card.
►Poker Opener: After shuffling the deck and letting a spectator cut each time you deal yourself the four Aces in a game of Poker.
►Colors On The Match: Demonstrating how gamblers cheat by controlling cards, you deal a series of cards in alternating red, black order. But when you re-deal them they now in pairs 2-reds, 2-blacks, etc. They are then dealt in triplicate with 3-reds, 3-blacks, etc. You then shuffle the deck and let the spectators decide on how you deal, singles, doubles or triples. As a finale you show that the rest of the deck has been separated into reds and blacks.

Additional techniques explained within routines: Greek Deal, Crimping, Fan Force, Dad Stevens Control, Gamblers Cop, HaLo Cut, Incomplete Faro Control, Segregation Shuffle, and much more. Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Charming Cheat Volume #4:
►Any Way You Want It: This is one of Martin’s favorite routines. It is a center deal demonstration where the four aces are lost in the deck and are then dealt in any order the spectator wants and to any number of hands.
►The Slug: A demonstration of skill where you are able to cut slugs in any quantity you want from the top, bottom and center of the deck. As a finale a spectator names a number, you cut exactly that many cards and the bottom card is the selection.
►Weighted: The weight of cards are discussed as the spectator cuts a small packet. You then cut your own packet. Both have an equal number of cards and when that number is counted down into the deck the spectator’s selection is found in that position.
►Running Up Hands: Using a multiple shift, a tabled faro shuffle and a second deal Martin teaches how to seemingly stack a deck for different poker hands.
►Tabled Faro Shuffle: An in depth look and variations of how to master the butt style of tabled faro shuffles.
►4-Way: A selected card is found when a spectator cuts to a card in the middle of the deck and uses it as an indicator to count down to the selection.
►Beat The Cheat Poker: A funny poker routine where a group of spectators are dealt Poker hands and are allowed to switch cards with each other until they have hands they are happy with. Their discards are kept as your hand and are discovered to be a Royal Flush.

Additional techniques explained within routines: Nash Multiple Shift, Infinity Card, Tabled Faro Shuffle, Up The Ladder Cut, Infinity Cut Force, Packet Switches and much more. Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Charming Cheat Volume #5:
►Omni Twist: An Ace, two, three and four of a named suite are shown and a card is looked at and remembered by a spectator. The four cards now turn face up and face down and as a surprise ending one of the cards turns into the selection.
►A Bottom Deal Tutorial: Martin discusses and teaches his favorite bottom deal techniques. You will learn the Push-Off Bottom Deal, the Strike Bottom Deal, the One-Handed Bottom Deal, and Sailing The Strike.
►A Second Deal Tutorial: Martin discusses and teaches his favorite second deal techniques. You will learn the Strike Second Deal, Stud Second Deal, One-Hand Seconds, Slap Second, Longitudinal Second, and the Push-Off Second Deal.
►A Center Deal Tutorial: Martin discusses and teaches his favorite center deal techniques.
►A Multiple Shift Tutorial: Martin discusses and teaches his favorite tabled multiple shift techniques. You will learn how to control cards to the top, bottom and even under cover. He also teaches a method that doesn’t change the order of the deck.
►A False Shuffle Tutorial: Martin discusses and teaches his favorite tabled false shuffles. You will learn the Pull-Through Shuffle and multiple shuffles and cuts variations. Includes some of Martin’s additional combination shuffles.
►The Show-Off: A fancy gambling routine that utilizes the techniques explained throughout the video. It begins with you cutting to the four aces, a false dealing demonstration, a marked deck demonstration, and a poker deal where you end up with the four aces beating the spectator’s four kings. Martin uses this routine to practice all of his advanced techniques.
Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.

A Meir Yedid Magic Product. Produced by A-1 MagicalMedia. Original release date: 1998-2001. Combined running time: Approximately 7 hours and 20 minutes.