The Holdout

Table Holdout Device. American, ca. 1900. Fine bench-made brass device that allows the operator to secretly add cards to his hand without suspicion. Lever-activated mechanism incorporated into a subst

Arm Holdout. Graham, ca. 1950. Also known as a sleeve holdout or third hand. Machine works smoothly and appears to be all original. Graham was a master machinist and made some of the finest cheating d

Cold Deck Holdout. American, maker unknown, ca. 1900. Unusual leather bag with zipper front. The zipper made it easier to access the interior for greasing and restringing. Very well made. Leather pouc

Arm Holdout. American, hallmarked “B.G." (Bill Gusias), ca. 2000. Nicely made holdout used by either card sharps or magicians. Complete. Excellent.

Kepplinger Holdout Device. American, unmarked, ca. 1960. Brass and steel with reinforced flexible tubing. With a page of instructions, photographically illustrated, that demonstrates how the machine d

Arm Holdout. American, ca. 1920. Also known as a sleeve holdout, third hand or Jacobs ladder. Made of aluminum and brass with original canvas strap. Works smoothly.

Keplinger Holdout. Bill Gusias, Arizona, ca. 1990. All brass construction, finely made. Complete, but in need of restringing. Hallmarked.

Kepplinger Holdout Device. Bill Gusias [?], ca. 1980. Brass and steel with reinforced flexible tubing. Secret device strapped to the cheater’s arm and body delivers a card (or cards) into the hand.

Kepplinger Holdout Device. American, ca. 1910. A knee spread device that straps to the knees and arm and when the knees are spread apart delivers a card into the hand. Straps and strings renewed, with

Arm Holdout. Maker unknown, American, ca. 1900. Holdout that could be adapted with a mirror to read the cards as they were dealt or a thief that could deliver a card into the hand. Straps and string r

Cold Deck Holdout. American, hallmarked “B.G." (Bill Gusias), ca. 2000. Well-made cold deck holdout with a metal holder in a cloth bag that straps to the waist. The metal holder holds a stacked deck

Kepplinger Holdout Device. Arizona: Bill Gusias, ca. 1980. Brass and steel with reinforced flexible tubing. Secret device strapped to the cheater’s arm and body delivers/removes a card (or cards) in

In good working condition and appears to be complete, is not marked, 54" long.

Two Dice Holdout Devices. Makers unknown, ca. 1930. Metal construction. Pinned under coat to hold crooked dice.

This ingenious card cheating device was made in the late 19th Century to swap cards out by means of a jointed device strapped to the forearm and triggered with a string attached to the legs. It is mad

Three Dice Holdout Devices. Makers unknown, ca. 1930. Dice included.

Trio of Antique Hold-Out Thief Attachments. For use with various Kepplinger-style holdout dices, including an extendable shiner and both a dice and card thief. Approx. 7” long each. Light or heavy o

Lot of Miscellaneous Parts for Holdout Devices. Including a miscellany of straps, thieves, tubing, strings, a Wizard cuff holder card and three cuff holders (which were also used to hold out cards).

Waist-Worn Holdout Device. British, ca. 1960. All black metal belt with clips, nylon band and attached bag worn around the waist to switch decks or other objects. Also known as a “sub.” 9 x 7”.

Holdout Device. American, Jack Miller, ca. 1960. This device could be used to hold out various items.

Shirt Bug Holdout. American, ca. 1950. Designed to allow a cheater to place one card into the concealed clip and remove another. An adaptation of the table bug made to be worn on a shirt. Wearing an o

Four “Bug” Holdouts. Used to conceal or “hold out” cards under a table for use by a card cheat. Brass, steel, and spring steel construction. Four different sizes, the longest 6 ½”.

Three Bean Shooter Holdouts. Circa 1990. Brass and Plexiglas devices that secretly steal cards from and delivers them to the hand of the magician or sharper. Very good.

Two Bug Holdouts. Cheating devices secretly affixed underneath a card table and used to “hold out” cards from the deck. One a spring steel device, the other homemade from brass and wire. The large