INTERMEDIATE · FUNDAMENTALS
The Elmsley count
A study guide to a named technique, with the credit kept attached.
What you are studying
The Elmsley count is a display technique associated with Alex Elmsley, often used with a small packet of cards. Learning it well means making a purposeful, readable display, not rushing a count.
Begin with a real display
Take four cards. Show and count them naturally, one at a time, without using a secret move. Notice the motion and rhythm. This gives you something ordinary to compare against as you learn from an authorized source.
Study with context
Use Alex Elmsley’s published work or a legitimate teacher who credits him. Keep technique practice separate from learning an entire routine. The page below links to a commercial lecture; its methods remain with the publisher.
Rehearsal questions
Can each apparent card be seen clearly? Are your hands at a comfortable height? Does the counting have a reason in the presentation? Can you stop concentrating on the mechanics long enough to connect with your audience?
Do not perform the move merely to prove you can. Learn the effect first, then ask what display it needs.
Alex Elmsley is credited for the named technique. No method is reproduced.
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