The Conjuring Arts new edition of The Phantom of the Card Table includes a single page from the Cardini version titled Poker Deals (pg. 39) which consists of a stack and some minimal instructions. Has anyone figured out what this is? This version was so thoroughly researched I have to believe that people tried figuring it out, but the endnote only says -this enigmatic page is unique to- the Cardini version.

Thanks in advance.

I do not know but there is an overhand shuffle move which Cardini created; one inserts four Aces into the deck and strips them to the bottom in the process. I guess one might apply it to a poker demo.

Hi Scharin,

This is my best guess, which is based solely on that page; I haven't actually got round to reading the book yet...

The cards are stacked as listed, with the first card being the first card to be dealt face down.

As directed, deal five hands of 5 cards.

The first hand is turned up to show 3 aces. The 3D & 4D are discarded and the player draws two, giving a full house.
The second hand is shown to have 4 cards to a straight. The odd card (9D) is discarded, and the 7S is drawn to complete the straight.
The third hand has four to a flush. Again, the odd card (7D) is discarded and the flush is completed with the 8H.
The fourth hand is four of a kind, but the player opts to discard the 4C in the hope of improving their kicker. The kicker improves to a 9C.
The fifth (dealer's) hand has three cards to a straight flush. The 5D and TD are discarded and two drawn to complete the straight flush.

The 7 discards can be put in a separate pile as they are discarded, and at this point they can be added to the bottom of the deck.
The hands should be laid out with the drawn cards uppermost - ie. the first hand has the 6H on top (though either 6 would work), the second has the 7S, the third has the 8H, the fourth has the 9C, and the dealer's hand should have the TC uppermost.
Collect the hands in any order, but ensure the individual hands are not mixed, and place the hands on top of the deck.

Deal the cards again, 5 hands of 5 cards each.
The only good hand is the straight held by the dealer, consisting of the uppermost cards from the previous hands (6H,7S,8H,9C,TC).
The other hands aren't of particular note, and there is no drawing phase at this point.
But for completeness:
1) QC,2C,3H,6S,AS (4 cards to a straight)
2) KC,2S,5H,5C,AD (pair of fives)
3) AC,2H,9H,4S,AH (pair of aces)
4) JC,2D,TH,3S,6D (jack high)
5) 6H,7S,8H,9C,TC (straight)
I assume that the only hand intended to be shown is the dealer's, and the others are left face down.

The face down hands can then be collected in any order and are added to the bottom of the deck. (As an observation, if the hands were collected and placed on top, then dealing the cards again would give the dealer a full house - AS,AD,AH,6D,6H)
The face up dealer's hand is then taken and the cards are placed into different parts of the deck, with the 6H being placed on top.
Since the face up hand has the 6H uppermost, you can gather the cards as they are, and place them face down on the top of the deck.
From this point, taking the top four cards one-by-one and putting them into various places in the deck would achieve the desired outcome.
It is important that the cards from the dealer's hand are only inserted into the lower half of the deck, so as to not disturb the remaining stack.

For the overhand shuffle that comes next, undercut less than 31 cards from the bottom, run 4 single cards onto the top of the stock, in-jog, and shuffle off the remaining cards.
Use the in-jog to get a break, shuffle the cards until you reach the break, and throw the remaining cards on top.
At this point, there should be four random cards on top, followed by the 6H, and then the rest of the original stack, starting from the 33rd position with the 6C.

Finally, deal these out into 5 hands of 5 cards each.
At this point the hands are as follows:
1) 8C,KH,3C,6C,XX (king high - unknown card could make it a pair, or a 4-flush)
2) KS,5S,KD,8S,XX (pair of kings - unknown card could make it 3-of-a-kind, 2-pair, or a 4-flush)
3) QS,QH,QD,4H,XX (3-of-a-kind - unknown card could make it 4-of-a-kind)
4) JS,JD,JH,7C,XX (3-of-a-kind - unknown card could make it 4-of-a-kind)
5) TS,9S,8D,7H,6H (straight)
It may also be that the only hand intended to be shown was the dealer's.
Especially as, whilst two of the other hands have trips, there is a small chance that the unknown cards could give them four-of-a-kind.
Also, there is the possibility that the first two hands end up with four cards to a flush, which may cause an audience member to request that they are permitted to discard and draw, in the hope of completing the flush and beating the dealer's straight.
However, the cards were set somewhat deliberately, so maybe this chance was intended to be taken...

TH

Thank you, TH!