Phantom of the Card Table, Critical Edition by Edward McGire, Lorie Piper and Maxwell Pritchard - Book

The Phantom of the Card Table was originally a typescript that was written and circulated by Edward McGuire at the end of 1930 through about 1932. This became an instant underground classic and all the prominent card men of that time, including Dai Vernon, were entranced by it.The reason this little typescript was sought after was its subject, Walter Scott. In the summer of 1930, Scott and McGuire traveled to New York City and held a very private exhibition of what was then and should be now considered to be the greatest sleight of hand ever done! Scott allowed the other magicians to shuffle their own deck and give it to him and he could still deal out winning hands of cards. This completely fooled those who witnessed it that summer. One of the few invited to see this master was Cardini, who exclaimed after seeing Scott, "Scott is 500 years ahead of Erdnase!" Once the two men met they became lifelong friends and Cardini, naturally, wanted to learn the work Scott was doing. This desire