Do It and Fail

The trick which we now give you is one that has challenged the wits of many thousands of persons. It is especially suitable for use after dessert, when the company is relaxed, the talk is general, and everyone is in a congenial mood. It is not a trick for a set performance.

The trick is One that people remember. One famous magician, while making an ocean voyage, performed it at the dinner table every night at the insistence of his fellow voyagers, and years later shipboard acquaintances would remind him of the trick and ask him to explain it. Such a trick is a good one.

The effect is that the magician does a trick, explains it, and then allows the spectators to do it, or fail utterly, at his will.

One sleight only is used, the palm, but it is done at favourable moments and, since you present the trick as a puzzle, no one thinks of sleight-of-hand being used.

1. Take a pack of cards, turn it face upwards, and, saying that you will use a few cards of each suit in order to save time, take out seven cards of the same suit as the face card. Do not openly count them or give anyone else a chance of doing so; square them and put the packet down. Do the same with each of the other three suits, thus making a packet of twenty-eight cards. Secretly, however, you have slipped one card of each suit to the top of the remaining twenty-four cards. Lay these aside.

2. Arrange the twenty-eight cards in seven rows of four cards each, the first row consisting of a card of each suit, taking no notice of their values. The second row must begin with a card of the same suit as that with which the first row ended, then continue with the suits in the same sequence as the first row. The same rule applies to the remaining rows. For example, if the first row consists of a club, a heart, a spade, and a diamond, the layout will be

C H S D D C H S S D C H

and so on for the succeeding rows. The cards of each vertical row must overlap each other by half.

3. Pick up the fourth vertical row, that on the extreme right, by sliding the cards together from the top down. Lay the packet on the bottom card of the third row and pick aH up in the same way. Do the same with the last two rows.

4. Place the assembled packet before someone and have him make as many complete cuts as he pleases. Then deal the cards face downwards into four hands, one card at a time from left to right. Turn the packets face upwards and show that each one consists of cards of one suit only. Always deal face downwards and turn each packet face upwards in turn to show this result.

5. Explain fully how the trick is done and have a person on your left take the cards and do it. While he is doing this and all are watching the process, take the remaining packet of twenty-four cards casually and palm the four cards at the top in your right hand. No one will take any notice of you at this stage. Lay the packet down again.

6. When the spectator turns each of his four packets face upwards and it is seen that he has succeeded in dealing each suit into a separate pile, reach out with your left hand and turn the packet farthest away from you face downwards. Draw it towards you and pick it up with your right hand, adding the four palmed cards. Turn the other packets over and assemble the whole into one pack and square it. Shuffle the cards, now thirty-two in number, and lay them down.

7. "A very easy trick when you know how it's done, isn't it?" you ask the spectator. He agrees and you continue, "You understand, of course, that one mistake in laying out the cards would spoil the trick?"

"Yes."

"But you are sure that you know the proper procedure?"

"Yes."

"And you are positive that you could do the trick again?" "Of course."

"Do you think that by mental control only I could cause you to make a mistake and ruin your trick?"

"No."

"Very well," you say. "Try again. This time I'll make you fail."

8. The spectator confidently lays out the cards and, as he does so, you keep up a running fire of comment, assuring him that he will make a mistake, and you appeal to the onlookers to make no remark when they see an error, and so on.

9. When he has completed the layout and the packets have been assembled, have a third person make as many complete cuts as he wishes and then have the spectator deal the four hands face downwards. Say to him, "You really believe that you laid out the cards exactly as before? You do? That's strange! Turn over the cards yourself." To his consternation he finds cards of every suit in each packet.

Most likely he will want to try again. Let him do so. Carry on the same bluff of causing him to make an involuntary error. The result is the same, there are mixed suits in every packet. In showing them and reassembling the thirty-two cards, contrive to get one card of each suit to the top and palm the four cards. Lay the packet down.

10. Apparently the trick is over. Casually pick up the other packet, adding the palmed cards to it; then lay it aside. After a moment or two, you say to your victim, "You don't believe I really caused you to fail, do you? Well, I'll prove it. This time I'll allow you to succeed." He goes through the same procedure as before, so he thinks, and this time, when the hands are turned over, there are the four suits segregated, each in its own pile!

That is your climax and you'll find it a good one. Gather up the cards and add them to the remainder of the deck, thus allowing no opportunity for anyone to determine exactly how many cards were used.

Presented under proper conditions, this trick will cause more talk and be remembered longer than many more ambitious card feats.