Fundraiser for Telluride Young Life

TELLURIDE – Richard Turner says he believes in being honest. But he sure doesn't make an honest living.

The Telluride Young Life group will host Turner, a well known card shark, at the Sheridan Opera House next Thursday. Called “the greatest card mechanic of all time,” Turner is known for astounding audiences with his expert false deals, table shuffles and general deck manipulation.

Turner is quick to specify that he does not do card tricks. Rather, he is a card mechanic. Under the title “The Cheat,” he has mastered – and created – the most difficult moves ever devised for deception in card games. This includes dealing cards from anywhere in the deck (while making it appear as if he were dealing normally), shuffling cards so they interlace each other perfectly or shuffling cards such that they never get out of order.

His success with the deck has earned him television series spots, jobs in famed honky tonks and saloons, and a performing membership at the Magic Castle, the renowned Los Angeles, California club for magicians and magic enthusiasts. Turner has produced a video series on card table techniques that has become the standard in the industry, and he has performed for audiences that include everyone from Colin Powell to Gene Kelly to Muhammad Ali.

But Turner's background is possibly even more unique than his career choice. As a boy, Turner became interested in cards from watching the television show, Maverick. Drawn to the last line of the show's theme song – “living on Jacks and Queens” – Turner formed four life goals for himself: model his life after that of Bret Maverick, become an actor, master the martial arts, and develop an enviable physique like that of Charlie Heston in Ben Hur.

His dreams were put on hold when, at age nine, a bout with scarlet fever that left his vision severely impaired catapulted Turner into resentment and surliness throughout his teen years. But Turner turned around when he met a small group of Christians who inspired him to more aggressively pursue his goals. He started taking karate lessons in the 1970s, eventually achieving a fifth-degree black belt, which instigated his life-long obsession with extreme fitness. Turner says he has not missed his daily workout in over 38 years, though he does admit his age might be catching up with him.

“My poor bones are starting to feel it,” Turner says. “My 55-year-old body is starting to go, 'Oh, must we?'”

Turner has made a point to never let his visual impairment rule his actions. He has mastered the tight rope, climbed Sequoia trees and wrestled sharks. But throughout all of his adventures, Turner's commitment to the 52-card deck has never wavered; he says he practices up to 20 hours a day.

The card mechanic first started excelling at cards during family game nights; as the oldest child, he felt he had to win, mastering sleights of hand to do so. And when his younger sister started publicly proclaiming that Turner could not lose, he kept working to live up to his reputation.

Because Turner can no longer see the cards, the only way he can still effectively play card games is by employing his mechanics. For that reason, he insists that he has not seriously played poker in nearly two decades, preferring to stick with his light fingered talents. The 1980s, however, were a different matter. Turner says that sometimes he would be so eager to try out a new move in a pot-limit poker game that, afterwards, he would deal in his opponents favor in order to even the playing field.

In fact, the card mechanic has been approached many times with offers of huge sums of money to deal and cheat in high-stakes poker games, but he has always refused. Turner's performance – and his lifestyle – is based on hard work and passion for what he does. He says he is very lucky to live in a country where his ideas have reaped him rewards.

“If you love what you do it just makes it so much more fun,” he says.

Though he is mostly retired now, Turner still keeps up appearances at the Magic Castle and on occasional shows. He was prompted to do the show for Telluride Young Life because his brother, Michael Finch, lives here and manages Tom Cruise's estate. When it comes to fully retiring, though, Turner doesn't know if it's in the cards.

“I don't know if I could,” he says. “I have to say, people are just always soliciting me to come here and come there.”

Turner is also a devoted husband and father to his wife, Kim, and 13-year-old son, who is appropriately named, Asa Spades. Though he has taught Asa some of his tricks, Turner is firm that deception shouldn't be taken lightly.

“We teach him that cheating is stealing, and stealing is wrong,” Turner says.

All ticket sales will go to the Telluride Young Life group and other local community churches. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets – $20 for adults and $10 for kids – are available in advance at Wizard Entertainment or online at www.tellurideticket.com. Tickets can also be purchased the day of the show at the Sheridan Opera House box office; $25 for adults and $10 for kids.