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Elmsley Count

  • False Count
  • Intermediate
  • Sleight of Hand

The Elmsley Count is the most commonly used false count in card magic. It lets you display a small packet one card at a time while hiding one or more cards, and it is the engine behind a huge number of packet tricks.

Difficulty

Intermediate. The multiple push-off and the steal on the second card take the most practice. The genuine count itself is straightforward. The real test is making every take look identical.

Pre-Requisites

None

Sources

Alex Elmsley published the Ghost Count, later known as the Elmsley Count, in his 1959 monograph The Four-Card Trick. Dai Vernon's Twisting the Aces in More Inner Secrets of Card Magic (1960) popularized the count.

Deck Used

Mint Playing Cards

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Intro to Card Magic CourseFree

What Is the Elmsley Count?

The Elmsley Count is a false count, originally called the Ghost Count. You appear to show every card in a small packet, usually counting four cards as four, while one or more cards never come into view. After the count, those hidden cards have been taken to the bottom of the packet.

The rule is simple once you have seen it work. The original top card is seen, the card they think is second is seen, and the bottom card is seen. Anything sitting between that second card and the bottom card stays hidden. That is why the same count can hide a single face in a four-card packet, hide two cards in a five-card packet, or even display three cards as four.

How to Do the Elmsley Count, Step by Step

Follow along with the video. First get comfortable with a genuine count in this grip, then add the move that happens on the second card.

  1. Step 1: Hold the packet in the starting grip

    Start with four cards, or five if you want a clearer picture of what will be hidden later. Hold the packet in the right hand, face down. The thumb sits at the bottom right corner of the top card, the first and middle fingers support the packet from below, and the ring finger rests on the back edge. Different people tweak this grip slightly. Use a hold that lets you keep the packet square and still push cards over with the thumb.

    Four-card packet held face down in the right-hand starting grip for the Elmsley Count
    Thumb at the bottom right corner, fingers supporting from below.

  2. Step 2: Practice the genuine four-card count

    Before you add any sleight of hand, get used to peeling cards into the left hand in a smooth 1, 2, 3, 4 rhythm. Come over with the left hand so it briefly feels like a mechanics grip: the first finger curls around the front edge, and the thumb lies across the top card and presses down. Separate the top card just enough to take it, then swipe it into the left hand in one motion. Do not pause to side-jog the card first. Keep the remaining right-hand cards square as you peel, then take the second, third, and fourth cards the same way.

    Left hand holding one counted card in mechanics grip, remaining packet held in the right hand
    Peel one card at a time into a left-hand mechanics grip.

  3. Step 3: Take the first card exactly as you practiced

    The actual Elmsley Count starts the same way as the genuine count. Hold the packet in that same right-hand grip and swipe the first card off into the left hand, cleanly and without hesitation. Nothing secret happens yet. This first take is the model for how every other take should look, including the one that hides the cards.

    First card taken into the left hand, remaining packet held square in the right hand
    The first card is a genuine take.

  4. Step 4: Push off everything except the bottom card

    The hard part happens as you come back for the second card. The right thumb does a multiple push-off: it pushes over every card except the bottom card. In a four-card packet that is two cards; in a five-card packet it is three. Because you are working with a small packet, this push-off is easier than a multiple push-off from a full deck. Keep the pushed block aligned so nothing flashes, and start the push as you come over, not as a separate beat.

    Right hand pushing over a block of cards, including two face-up hearts, while holding back the bottom card
    Push over the block and hold back the bottom card.

  5. Step 5: Steal the first card under the remaining right-hand card

    Two things now happen at the same time. The left hand takes the pushed-off block, and the card already in the left hand is secretly deposited back onto the bottom of the remaining right-hand card. To make room for that steal, open the left-hand fingers a little, and open the right first and second fingers just enough for the left-hand card to slip underneath and square up. You will feel it align. That steal must happen with no pause. It should look exactly like the first take.

    Left-hand card being slid under the remaining right-hand card as the pushed-off block is taken
    The first card is left under the remaining right-hand card.

  6. Step 6: Count the last two cards on the same rhythm

    After the steal, the dirty work is done. Peel the third card, then the fourth, in the same rhythm as the first two takes. The hidden cards are now on the bottom of the packet. If the stolen card is a little out of line, a small gap is usually fine while the hands are moving. A large separation will make the steal obvious, so aim to keep it as square as you can.

    Spread of five cards after an Elmsley Count, with two face-up hearts now at the bottom of the packet
    The hidden cards end on the bottom of the packet.

Elmsley Count Tips

  • Learn the genuine count first. If the honest peeling action already looks smooth, the secret second take has a model to match.
  • Do not stop to side-jog the top card. Separate it and take it in one motion. A pause and a jog make the count look studied.
  • Keep the right-hand packet square. If those cards spread or flare, hidden faces can flash, especially when the packet is face up.
  • Open the hands just enough for the steal. A little space in the left fingers, and a little space under the right first and second fingers, is what lets the first card slip underneath cleanly.
  • Match the rhythm, not a particular speed. A steady 1, 2, 3, 4 looks fair whether you count at a moderate pace or take your time. Rushing is a common early habit, and it is not necessary.

Common Mistakes

  • Hesitating on the second card. That is where the move happens, so any pause points right at it. The second take has to look like the first.
  • Flashing during the push-off. If the block is jagged, the hidden card can show at an edge. Keep the pushed cards aligned.
  • Leaving a wide gap after the steal. A little misalignment can pass in motion. A big step in the right-hand packet will not.
  • Counting too fast. A hurried 1-2-3-4 looks guilty. Slow and even is easier to hide than fast and uneven.
  • Letting the right-hand cards get messy as you peel. The remaining packet has to stay together, or the later takes get sloppy and the hidden cards show.

How Long Does It Take to Learn?

You can understand the mechanics in a single practice session: take one, push off the block, steal the first card back underneath, then finish the count. What takes longer is doing that second take without a hitch and making all four takes look the same. Plan on a lot of slow repetitions, first with a face-up card or two in the hidden positions so you can see whether they stay out of sight. Once the steal feels automatic, put the faces down and work on a calm, even rhythm. When every count looks identical, the move is ready for tricks.

Elmsley Count FAQ

Which cards stay hidden during the Elmsley Count?

The original top card is seen, the card they think is second is seen, and the bottom card is seen. Anything between that second card and the bottom card remains hidden, and those hidden cards end on the bottom of the packet.

Why should you not side-jog the top card before you start?

Some people come over, openly side-jog the top card, pause, and then begin the count. That extra beat makes the count look prepared. Separate the top card and take it in one smooth motion, the same way you will take the rest.

How do you keep from hesitating on the second card?

Start the multiple push-off as you come over for the second take, not after you have arrived. Open the left fingers and the right first and second fingers just enough for the steal, and practice that deposit until it is muscle memory. The goal is a second take that has the same timing as the first.

What if the stolen card does not square with the remaining right-hand card?

A small gap is usually not a problem, because the cards are in motion and do not have to look perfectly square. If the separation is large, the steal becomes obvious. Feel for the left-hand card aligning under the remaining right-hand card, and keep practicing that contact until the packet comes away tidy.

Can you hide more than one card, or count three cards as four?

Yes. The technique is the same with four, five, or six cards, because you always push off everything except the bottom card. With five cards you can hide the two cards that sit between the second and the bottom. With three cards, all of the faces can be seen, but the same count still displays them as four.

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