Insidious Dr. Fu Liu Tu

In this urbane feat the celebrated Chinese magician, Dr. Fu Liu Tu, comes to your rescue and reveals the name of a chosen card.

Preparation. Secretly purloin one of the aces from the pack which you will use for this trick, and upon it ink a half dozen Chinese characters, copying some real Chinese writing. Do not trust to your imagination and draw some nondescript hieroglyphics which you think look like Chinese.

Since the trick is such a good one and you will do it often, it would be a good plan to have an extra ace thus prepared. Carry it in your wallet and when occasion arises secretly add it to your deck. Place this card at the bottom of the pack, face upwards.

Procedure. The steps are as follows:

1. Ribbon spread the cards face downwards on the table, bunching the bottom cards so that the reversed card will not be seen (see situation B of the spread and turnover ). Have someone draw a card and show it to all.

2. Gather the pack and hold it in your left hand in position for an overhand shuffle , holding it so that the reversed card cannot be seen. Undercut about half the pack and begin an overhand shuffle, inviting the spectator to replace his card wherever he likes. When he places his card at the top of the portion in your left hand, drop the cards remaining in your right hand on top of all, placing the reversed card above the selected card.

3. "Here's a curious thing I stumbled onto the other night," you say, spreading the cards from your left into your right hand. "There's a card in the pack.., ah, here it is!" When you come to the reversed card, cut all those above it to the bottom. Remove the card with the Chinese characters with your right hand, holding it face upwards with its outer end sloping toward the floor so that all can see the cryptic characters.

4. Turn the left-hand back upwards and point to the writing with the index finger, at the same time glimpsing the chosen card, which is now at the top by means of top card glimpse No. 1 . "That was written by the celebrated Chinese conjurer, Dr. Fu Lin Tu, and it reveals the name of your card." A little anxiously, ask: "Do you read Chinese?" The spectator assures you he does not. "Ah, that's a shame!" you say. "Well, I'll have to translate for you. It says that the card you chose is the ten of diamonds!" Here you name whichever card you just glimpsed.

5. Insert your left little finger under the top card (the chosen card). Casually drop the "Chinese magician's" card face upwards on top of it. Grasp the two cards, as one, at the ends between the right thumb and middle fingers. Lift the two cards about an inch, then drop the left thumb under the deck and flip the deck face upwards on the left fingers. Place the two cards at the face of the pack, cut the pack, and the chosen card is reversed at the centre.

Little attention is being paid to what you do, for so far as the spectators are concerned the trick is over. Now you say: "Do you know how Dr. Fu Liu Tu knew the name of your card?" When there is a general disclaimer, spread the pack face downwards in a long ribbon, showing the chosen card face upwards at the centre of the spread. "Very simple. The card is standing on its head."