1978 July 15, Ray Herbeck Jr., “Unleashing the Grease on an Unsuspecting Public”, in Billboard, volume 90, number 28, →ISSN, page S-12:
She points to a shooting board propped against the studio wall. It resembles a game of 52 card pickup which has been picked up in turn from the floor and pinned en masse to the board.
If the secret police starts breaking down your door, just calmly shuffle the deck. (Don't throw it up in the air; you'd be surprised how much of the deck ordering is maintained during the game of 52-Pickup.)
Atwater's naked torso remained on the bed, her heavy breasts hanging toward each side of her chest where her armpits had been; the rest of her lay scattered around the room like a butcher's version of 52-card Pickup.
2004 July 1, Lee Nichols, Tales of a Drama Queen, Red Dress Ink, →ISBN, →OL:
I do another tarot spread—more like 52-pickup—and sure enough, the cards recommend a date with the church lady.
2006 October 31, Raymond M. Featherstone, Jr., Naptown Memories: One Boy's Life Growing Up in Indianapolis, 1930s & 1940s, iUniverse, →ISBN, →OL:
By the age of ten my favorite card game was 52 Card Pickup. I would search out an unsuspecting younger kid in the neighborhood who had never heard of the game. When he agreed to play the game, I would throw the pack of cards up in the air which scattered in a wide area and say “O.K., Pick 'em up.”
2006, Linda S. Watts, Encyclopedia of American Folklore, Infobase Publishing, →ISBN, keyword “humor, folk”, page 206:
Another popular American prank is the game described as 52 Card Pickup. The prank player asks the victim whether he or she would like to play 52 Pickup. If the mark answers affirmatively, then the prankster throws the entire card deck on the floor and says “Okay, pick them up!” This prank is usually played on very young children who are seeking to be included in others' play, since it only works if the victim asks no questions about how the game is played.
2010, Ernest Ranly, Pick Up Stuff: Family Farm Life[1], PublishAmerica, →ISBN:
For those who do not know about snipe hunting, no explanation is permitted... Snipe hunting is like “52 Pickup.” You learn the game the first time you play it.
2010 April 30, “Action 52”, in The Angry Video Game Nerd[2], James Rolfe (actor):
You know what's more fun than playing Action 52? (holds up deck of cards)52-card pickup. You know how you play that? (riffles deck onto floor) Pick up the cards!
2010 June 17, Joshua Jay, “Self-Cutting Deck”, in Joshua Jay's Amazing Book of Cards: Tricks, Shuffles, Stunts & Hustles Plus Bets You Can't Lose, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OL, page 26:
But follow these instructions carefully, or you'll find yourself playing 52-card pickup.
2010 August 12, Melissa Thomson, Keena Ford and the Field Trip Mix-Up[3], Puffin, →ISBN, →OL:
Brian came into my room and said, “Do you want to play 52-Card Pickup?” and I said, “Sure!” because like I said, I love card games. Then Brian took the cards out of the box and threw them EVERYWHERE in the room. And then Brian said, “Okay, now pick them up.”
2010 August 24, Rebecca Herold, Managing an Information Security and Privacy Awareness and Training Program, CRC Press, →ISBN, →OL:
For example, the country song “The Gambler” and playing 52-card pickup with a selected victim used to communicate Internet gambling was popular in Northern Wisconsin training, as well as in our Virginia/West Virginia offices.
2011, James Patterson with Michael Ledwidge, Now You See Her:
The idea that I could exonerate Harris in a week while keeping the house of cards that was my life from quickly becoming a game of 52 pickup was a tall order even for someone with my extensive creative skills.
