Piquet Pack Series
The Piquet Pack Series is a collection of card tricks that uses a unique "Piquet pack" consisting of thirty-three cards. Named after one of the oldest European card games, Piquet (pronounced "PK" in French) was a popular game for two players in France, Spain, and Germany. Performing with a Piquet pack is a fantastic way to share the rich and fascinating history of playing cards with an audience. It provides an interesting hook that differentiates your magic from tricks using a standard fifty-two-card pack.
Piquet is traditionally played with a reduced pack of thirty-two cards, which includes the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven in each suit. However, the Piquet pack used in this series is modified to include only spot cards, along with a single Joker. This extra card enables certain mathematical methods that wouldn't otherwise be possible and makes the deck a more flexible tool.
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| Innocents and Card Sharpers (A Game of Piquet) by Ernest Meissonier. Image Credit: Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales) via Wikipedia. |
Moreover, the reduced pack also makes regular sleight-of-hand moves and techniques easier to execute. It's an excellent tool for beginners struggling with a full deck of cards. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a beginner, the Piquet Pack Series offers a unique and exciting experience for both you and your audience. I hope you give it a go.
If you'd like to learn more about the history of the game, please read this well-researched web article on Piquet by card game expert and historian David Parlett. You can learn to play the game by reading the rules for Piquet, available at Pagat.com.
Yours Magically,
Marty
Professor Pinetti Trilogy
The first three tricks in the series all pay homage to the flamboyant eighteenth-century Italian conjurer Professor Pinetti. "Piles of Pinetti" and "Pinetti's Pyramid" both introduce the character of Professor Pinetti to your audience. This makes them good opening tricks in a longer set inspired by Pinetti.
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Illustration of Professor Pinetti. Image Credit: The Wellcome Collection. |
Piles of Pinetti and Pinetti's Pyramid
"Piles of Pinetti" is a version of The Twenty-One Card Trick with thirty-three cards. After performing a brief cartomancy reading, the magician finds a mentally-selected card by spelling/dealing Professor Pinetti's name.
Pinetti's Pyramid is a slight variation of "Piles of Pinetti" that requires a large amount of table space to perform but is, in essence, the same trick with an alternate revelation. Once the reading is complete, the cards are dealt into a large pyramid. The magician announces that the "all-seeing eye knows everything!" and the top card of the pyramid is turned face up to reveal the participant's mentally-selected card!
Pinetti's Prediction
Pinetti's Prediction is a simple prediction effect invented by Professor Pinetti himself!
Pythagorean Prediction
"Pythagorean Prediction" is another very impressive prediction trick using the Picket pack. It works well as a follow-up effect to "Pinetti's Prediction".
More Tricks with the Piquet Pack
EZTZ
"EZTZ" is a streamlined version of "The Tantaziler" from The Royal Road to Card Magic performed with a thirty-three-card Piquet pack.
Lost and Hound
"Lost and Hound" is a whimsical location effect in which a "Bloodhound Card" locates a freely-selected card representing an escaped convict.
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