A Poker Puzzle

"Can you deal a good poker hand?" is a question which is almost certain to be asked after you have shown your prowess with cards. The routine which follows has been arranged to convince the questioner that you can.

1. "Can I deal a good poker hand?" you repeat. "The answer to that is–yes and no. I'd better show you what I mean. No doubt you've read articles on the methods used by the gamblers –everyone has heard of second dealing and bottom dealing, although very few persons have seen these sleights performed. In poker, the gambler arranges to get the high cards of course. Let me show you the usual method. I'll use the four kings." As you are talking in this vein, run through the cards with the faces toward yourself and, as you come to each king or ace, slip the kings to the bottom and the aces to the top of the pack. Do this casually without explaining what you are doing.

2. Take off the four kings and show them. "Four kings make a good hand," you say, "so the gambler places the cards he wants on the bottom of the pack." Place the four kings on the bottom.

3. "We shall suppose it is a five-handed game. The gambler deals four cards, but when he deals one to himself he pulls off the bottom card, so." Do this openly, laying the king face downwards before you.

4. Continue the deal in the same way, each time pulling out a king for yourself as you explain that by years of tedious practice the gambler can make this false deal imperceptibly. When you have dealt yourself the four kings from the bottom, deal the next five cards in the ordinary way. You have dealt five hands of five cards each and you show that you have the four kings.

5. "That is the gambler's method," you say. Gather up the other four hands carelessly in any order but without disturbing their sequence, and drop them on top of the pack. Do not expose the face cards, which are the four aces. Drop your own hand with the four kings on the pack last of all. The deck is now stacked to give you the four aces on a deal of five hands.

6. False shuffle the pack by undercutting not more than twenty cards, injogging the first card and shuffling off. Form a break at the injog, shuffle to the break, and throw the cards below it on top, thus returning the top thirty cards to their original position.

"That is the way a gambler does it," you explain. "However, you asked me if I could deal a good poker hand, and I must remind you that I am not a gambler and therefore never use the gamblers' methods. If I did try to deal myself a good hand I'd use magic, like this. Watch my hands and see if you can find any fault with the way I deal."

7. Deal five hands of five cards each in the regular way. "Did you notice anything unusual with the deal?" you enquire. "Of course not. Yet I dealt myself the four kings. Look I" Pick up your hand and, holding it well squared, turn it face upwards, showing a king at its face. "The four kings I" Remove the top card, exposing an ace. "Ah, something's gone wrong!" you exclaim disgustedly. Pause for a second, then brighten, saying, "Oh, well! I imagine that four aces are good enough!"

Spread the other four cards you hold showing that they are the aces.