Card-Discovery Routine

Hand the deck for shuffling and, when it has been returned to you, ribbon spread the cards on the table, turn them over, and gather them with a sweep. "So far, so good!" you comment. Spring the cards from hand to hand. "Better and better!" Perform the Charlier cut . "A perfect pack. I think it will give surprising results."

A Tipsy Trick

Present this amusing feat as described in the chapter on reverses.

The Double Speller

"I doubt if anything like that could happen tonight in the present company," you continue. "Still, one never knows how the cards will act." Spread the cards with a flourish, saying, "Will you take a card, sir? And you? And you too, sir? The more the merrier." After the cards have been shown to everyone, begin a lift shuffle and, having shuffled about one-third of the pack, throw the lifted packet on to the cards in your left hand and have the third spectator's card placed on top. Continue the shuffle by jogging the first card and shuffling off.

Form a break at the jog and repeat exactly the same procedure with the second person's card, and finally do the same with the third person's card. You have all three cards on the top of the pack in the order of their selection.

Shuffle once more, placing one card above the three chosen cards on the top of the pack.

Perform this trick as described in the chapter on the pass. When the first spectator finds his card reversed in the pack, the other two chosen cards will be second and third under the reversed card at the top of the packet remaining in his hands. Take this packet from him, drop it on the dealt cards and square the deck. Bury the reversed card and the one under it in the centre.

Pinkie Does It

Shuffle again, using the lift shuffle , then execute a riffle shuffle and finally the palm cut , retaining the two cards in position at the top. Perform the rising card trick exactly as explained in the chapter on tricks with the overhand shuffle, and at the conclusion allow the second spectator to withdraw his card himself.

A Smash Finish

You are now left with the third spectator's card at the top of the pack. Overhand shuffle , taking it to the bottom and back to the top. Palm the card in your right hand and hand the deck to be shuffled by someone on your left, and thereby sighting the card.

When the spectator has shuffled to his satisfaction, instruct him to hold the deck in his left hand by one end. No matter how he holds it, remove the pack with your right hand and place it in your left, secretly adding the palmed card.

Take hold of his left hand and turn it palm upwards, then place the pack face upwards on it, so that he can grip the cards between his thumb near the inner end of the deck, on the face, and his fingers on the back of the deck extending about half its length. Instruct him to take a firm hold of the cards.

Turn to the person who selected the third card. Ask him to hold out his right hand, and say, "In taking your card the tips of your fingers came in contact momentarily with its index at one end or the other. A minute impression of that index was thus left on your fingers. No, it is not visible and can only be detected by a highly sensitive sense of touch. This is much more difficult than reading the face of a card, but I shall try. Allow me."

Feel the tips of his fingers with your left hand, since, "that is the more sensitive, being nearer the heart." Announce the color, then the value, and finally the suit of his card, which you previously glimpsed.

Turn to the spectator who is holding the pack. "Now, sir, please hold the pack tightly." See that he has not changed the grip, his thumb near the inner end and his fingers protruding under the pack, and suddenly strike the pack with a sharp downward blow. All the cards except the lowermost will be knocked out of his hand and scattered to the floor. Have him hold up this card and show it to everyone. It is the card just named, the card that was selected by the third spectator.

We have mentioned elsewhere that it is always advisable to have several persons note a selected card in order to guard against the possibility that the drawer may forget its name, misread it, or misname it in an attempt to disconcert you. There is the possibility, too, that you may have erred in some manner and lost control of one of the cards.

In such a case you must never concede defeat. Let us say that you have lost control of a chosen card and now must extricate yourself from your predicament. Do it in this manner:

1. Hold the pack in your left hand as for the color change . Turn to the spectator, saying, "Kindly name your card." Place your hand over the pack and simulate the action of the color change . When the card is named, say, "I'll do something very surprising for you!"

2. Pass by this spectator's card and go on to the next drawn card. While discovering it, fan through the pack, find the lost card, place it at the top of the pack, and then go back and make your discovery of the card.