The Tantalizer

In this trick there is an element of sly humour which should be capitalized upon. A card is selected and returned to the pack. The whole pack is dealt into two piles, one of which you keep. The spectator cannot find his card among those dealt him, hence you deal your pile into two piles in the same way as before; but he still cannot find his card among those given him. This continues until what you are doing dawns on him–and, sure enough, when only one card remains this is the chosen card.

1. Glimpse the bottom card of the pack and bring it to the top in the course of an overhand shuffle . Spread the pack and have someone remove a card and show it to everyone; as this is being done, cut the pack, backslipping the top card, your key card, on to the lower portion. Keep your gaze averted from the pack.

2. Have the card replaced upon the lower portion, and replace the upper portion. Shuffle the cards, using the Key Undercut Shuffle , which will not separate the key card from the chosen card; then have someone make as many complete cuts as may be desired.

3. Take the pack and run through the cards as though searching for the card. Find your key card; the card above it is the spectator's card. Counting his card as one, count twenty-two cards to the left, and cut any cards over twenty-two to the bottom. If there are not enough cards to bring you to twenty-two, continue the count from the bottom and cut the required cards to the top.

In either case, the spectator's card is placed twenty-second from the top.

4. "I'll do this trick a little differently," you say, and deal the pack into two piles, one for the spectator and one for yourself. In this, and in every subsequent deal, always give him the first card, and always deal the cards face downwards.

5. Ask the spectator if he sees his card among those he holds. He will not. Have him discard his cards.

6. Take your pile, which you have dealt neatly to keep the cards in order, and deal two more piles. Ask him if he sees his card in his pile. He will not. Have him discard his pile.

7. Take your pile, deal two more piles, and ask if he sees his card, which he will not. Have him discard his cards.

8. Take your pile and deal two more piles. He will not find his card among those he bolds.

9. You now have three cards in your hand. Deal two more piles, in which he will receive two of the cards and you will receive one. Ask him if his card is one of the two he bolds. It will not be.

10. Glance at him wryly and say quizzically, "Well?" You now both know that the card face downwards before you is his card, and usually your audience will be amused. Have him name his card, turn over the one before you and show that is his card.