Disclaimer:

1. This thing is not presented as "the real deal".
2. This thing is in many ways inferior to conventional punch work.

Intro:

After reading "Techno-Tactile Card Marking Techniques for Cardicians: Taking the Punch Out of Punch Work" by Shawn Evans I discovered something that would appeal to the ridiculous title like "Taking the Punch Work Out of the Punch Work."

Meat:

You can do tactile markings on the cards without punching them that would not appear on the front of the card which follows the idea from Evans book. It is important to mention that the "mark appearing at the front of the card" thing is never a problem for the conventional punch work, because the marks are small and the marks are hidden (black line work).

How to make:

1. The paper cards (ALL BENDING AND MARKING STUFF IS EXAGGERATED)

Bend the card outwards like this:

https://imgur.com/a/4kQz6

(the picture is bad, it should be bend only in one place rather than two)

Then the line would appear

https://imgur.com/a/XWXk3

(again it should be only one line rather than a lot of small lines)

Sometimes the ink of the back design breaks and sometimes the paper of the back design crumples. It depends on the bend. Important: Nothing appears on the front of the cards. That is the beauty.

2. The plastic cards.

The plastic cards are different. Different bent and different bending technique.

https://imgur.com/a/X1X2i

Yes, the card should be bend the other way. The mark appears at the back!

https://imgur.com/a/Ik0Sf

The mark is different. Now it is a bump.


The following principle can distinguish different cards by bending in different places like this: https://imgur.com/a/jG3PB
Another important thing - the amount of the work depends on the skill, that means that the marks can be very very subtle.

IMPORTANT: The cards do not look bend and are very straight. The cards look normal. The only new thing is the broken ink (paper cards) or the bump (paper and plastic cards).

Conclusion:

Although this method is inferior to conventional punch work it has some potential. Like - no weird dot markings (the bend is more natural and is considered more of an accident rather than intentional marking), nothing at the front of the card and can be done with bare hands without the punch or the nail preparation.

I fully understand that you exaggerated the marks but, according to my experience, it wouldn't work.

In my games, some guys could become mad after the first microscopic discrepancy appearing on the back of one card and wanted the deck/card to be changed. Whatever the size of your mark, whatever the size of any punch work, it's ALWAYS visible.

Besides, the location of your mark is very hard to reach with the left thumb or would require a weird grip.

Never assume that the players don't check the deck. They do, and quite often! I think it's a big misconception among Magicians.

I understand that in some cases punch work is one of the last solutions available, but it's never been my thing. Too dangerous!

As put in the disclaimer "This thing is not presented as "the real deal""

The marks suit my four finger on the side grip quite good. As I said, this type of marking, in my opinion, provides cover if seen, because this type of bend happens naturally in most soft games.

Yes this method is bad for marking cards and I shared it just for sake of sharing.

I appreciate you input. Thank you.

Crudely marking cards by nail, etcetera is quite a common practice in the professional game, which may well come to light pretty quickly but I have yet to see anybody get the blame. The croupier will make a big thing of it and demand to see the player’s hands but that is about all that happens.

I have played with this idea before, I don't know how long it would last in your average game, but I thought it could be used when dealing for information about opponents' holdings.

Thanks for the input Peterson.
I played with edge nail marking a bit by simply putting a small nick on the upper edge of the high cards, and I tried punch dealing it. I could feel it but my reflex is too slow to make it at regular speed.

@ AMcD
I remember in one of your old posts, you mentioned punch dealing, and you even mentioned feeling the punch through one card ahead. It surprised me because I even have trouble feeling the punch directly on the punch card. I'm not sure if you shot any videos of punching dealing; many of your videos got deleted before I found them.

One Hall of Fame World Series of Poker player (now deceased), used to regularly nail several cards in No-Limit Hold'em play, using plastic cards. If the work was found no one knew who did it. Whether eventually found or not, at times it gave him an additional edge and with No-Limit Hold'em, with the right knowledge at the right time, one hand can bust another player. Keep in mind, this guy was a great card player on the square.

Slight bends in cards, nail work, etc. while it may appear corny can be done very well and subtly and does get the money in the right spots at the right time. Invariably it is used for "information," not to deal seconds except perhaps in the most easy to beat amateur games.

"Little" Jackie Newton was one of the sharpest card hustlers I ever met. The things he came up with were different, unknown and incredibly clever and he specialized in cheating other card cheaters and half smarts in heads up games. I mention his name as he is now deceased and also wrote a book, Confessions of a Cross Roader after he retired which divulged a few of his tricks but left out many of the really clever things he did.

For example, in addition to being a great card and roulette hustler, Jackie was a terrific card counter, played in Europe as well as the US and developed some additional "tricks" to help him when counting. One trick developed by Jackie 50 years ago, called "feeding," was reputedly used by Don Johnson in his big proposition Black Jack plays against the casinos in recent years in which Johnson won millions.

Another trick Jackie used when playing the count against a single deck BJ game was to put a somewhat strong crimp in one of the fives. Just one five, that is all. Just knowing where that five was in the deck enhanced his card counting over the course of a play in several different ways. If the bent five was found, it appeared to have occurred by accident as no one would only bend one card, and certainly not a five, in such an obvious way. Even something that appears to be somewhat obvious and gross can greatly help to get the money in the right hands.

Most would be amazed at how much money has been won without using any of the "fancy" stuff coveted by the sleight of hand card "movers." It is staggering. Of course, the right moves at the right time in the right games are nothing to be sneered at either, but in games with sharp players, private or otherwise, or in games with camera surveillance one must be a lot more cautious and clever.

Glen Bishop has some work on the Punch Deal.... Mabee you could contact him.... hes a member here...