Cards to the Pocket

This trick is a favourite with cardmen, who have found that it has a fascination for audiences. A number of cards vanish from the left hand and one by one find their way into an empty pocket. The trick is unusual in that it is equally suitable for large or small audiences.

It has been said that a performer's worth can be determined by his presentation of this feat, for it calls for a skilled technique, an interesting presentation, and the ability to make credible a feat which logic rejects as impossible. Perhaps more than any other card trick, it is a feat which must be lived with and performed over a period of years before it will yield all its riches.

1. Make a brief introductory statement along these lines: "I should like at this time to present one of the great feats of card magic." Hold the pack in the left hand at arms' length, gesture toward it with the right hand, and make the Charlier cut , which audiences mistakenly believe to be a most difficult manipulation.

Fan the pack gracefully, with the card faces to the audience, saying, "A pack of fifty-two cards. I shall ask one of you to take the deck in his own hands and give me any ten cards taken from the top, the bottom, or the middle, as he chooses. I want you to be satisfied that I could not know beforehand which ten cards would be given me."

If you are performing on a platform, you should walk into the audience as you say this, thus shortening the interval spent away from the stage.

2. Approach a gentleman, hand him the pack, and extend your left hand. "Ten cards, please." If he removes some from the bottom or the middle, you say, "A card from the bottom, one. A card from the middle, two. One from the top, three," and so on to ten. You do this because one of the most important factors in making this trick incomprehensible is to convince your audience that you do not know which cards you will use in performing it. Never under any circumstances remove the cards from the pack yourself, for presently you will make these cards leave your left hand and appear in your right trouser pocket. You must not give the audience reason to think afterwards, "Ah, but he had duplicates of the cards in a secret pocket in his trousers. That's how he did it!"

3. Leave the remainder of the pack with the spectator, saying earnestly, "If you will take the rest of the pack, sir, place it under your pillow when you retire tonight, and make a wish, I promise you that when you awaken tomorrow morning.., the cards will still be there." Transfer the ten cards from your left to your right hand and hold them aloft, well over your head, as you return to the platform.

4. "Ten cards!" you continue. "I shall count the cards for you, and may I suggest that each of you remember one or two of them." You must not explain why you want this done, for that would violate a most important rule: You must never tell an audience beforehand what you propose to do. Given this knowledge, it might conceivably fathom your methods. Forewarned is forearmed.

5. Hold the packet of ten cards face downwards in your left hand as for dealing, holding both hands well away from your body but not so high as to obscure your face. Push the top card off the packet with the left thumb and take it in the right hand, with the fingers at the face and the thumb at the back of the cards, grasping it at the middle of the right side. Count "One!" as you do this and move the hands apart.

Bring the hands together and push off a second card with the left thumb. Slide this in front of the card in the right hand, counting "Two!" Continue in this way until you have counted the fifth card. When you push the sixth card into your right hand, and all cards thereafter, allow the cards to project a half inch to the left of the first five cards. You must not watch your hands as you make this count. Instead, meet the gaze of several persons in the audience in a friendly manner. "Ten cards, no more and no less," you summarize.

6. Bring the hands down to your waist with the fight hand. holding the cards in a horizontal plane. Bring both hands together casually and place the cards in the left hand, pressing the left little finger tip up against the lowermost card of the first five. This is why you stepped the ten cards into two packets of five. Square the packet with your right hand, taking and holding a break under the first five cards with the left little finger. Turn the left hand so that the break cannot be seen.

As you do this you say, "May I call attention to my right trousers pocket." Without ostentation, show that your right hand is empty in a natural movement, then thrust it into the pocket and withdraw the lining. "Absolutely empty, a truly unfortunate circumstance which I shall be happy to give away absolutely free of charge." Replace the lining and withdraw your right hand. Square the packet of cards in your left hand once or twice, then remove the right hand.

7. Make an amusing remark and, as the audience reacts to it, palm the top five cards in your right hand. Grasp the remaining five cards in the same hand, at the ends near the right corners, between the index finger and thumb. Move the empty left hand away to the left, and hold the right hand absolutely motionless for the moment.

"My trick is this, ladies and gentlemen. I shall place the ten cards in my left hand and cause them to pass up my sleeve, across the vest from my left to my right shoulder, and down into the pocket which I have just shown you was empty." Now unhurriedly place the five exposed cards in the left hand, face downwards, and move the right hand with the five palmed cards up the sleeve to the crook of the elbow, tugging at it as if to raise it a little. Any hurried action in the trick will destroy the illusion you are seeking to create, and you must not hurry the action in the mistaken belief that the sooner you get rid of the palmed cards the better off you will be. The contrary is quite the case.

"If you watch closely, you will not only see the cards make their mysterious journey, but hear them go as well."

8. Ruffle the cards in the left hand, at the same instant moving the hand up and down about an inch to conceal the smaller movement of the finger. Tug a little at the left sleeve with the fight hand. Hold this position as you say, "Did you hear the card go?" Move the right hand smoothly and unhurriedly down to the right trouser pocket, thrust it in and release the five cards it holds. Simultaneously grasp the outermost card between the tips of the fight index and middle fingers, and draw this card slowly from the pocket, back outwards. Drop your thumb under it and lever it face outwards, calling its name. "The first card, the five of clubs! Some of you will remember the card." After a moment, drop it to one side.

9. Square the packet in the left hand, then move your fight hand back to the left sleeve, tugging at it. It is not unlikely that many of those watching will believe that you have removed a card from those in the left hand, for now they know what your trick is and they are alert to learn how it is done.

"The second card follows in the path blazed by the first." Again ruffle the packet. Move the right hand to the pocket, but before thrusting it into the pocket turn it naturally so that its palm may be seen to be empty. You must not give any sign that you know that some of the spectators are surprised to see that it does not contain a card. Your purpose in misleading your audience into thinking that you might have palmed a card is this: All laymen have heard of palming cards and in this particular trick their first reaction is, "Ah, he palmed it into his pocket." You first convince these persons that they have hit on the correct solution and then you demonstrate, by showing the hand empty, that they are mistaken.

You have thus gained an important psychological advantage, for now they will not jump to conclusions without positive proof. (It is a curious fact that, although audiences are willing to believe that a performer may palm one card, they are blind to the fact that it is just as easy to palm five.)

Thrust your hand into your pocket, remove the uppermost card between the right index and middle fingers as before, and show it in the same manner as before. "The second card!" Display it and drop it to one side.

10. Move the right hand directly back to the left sleeve. "The third card!" you explain. "Before you can wink an eye, it moves like lightning, up, across, and down into my pocket." Ruffle the packet as you say this, then remove a card from your pocket as before, display it, and discard it.

11. "Three cards have passed from my left hand into my pocket,"

you recapitulate. "Three from ten–seven. I have seven cards remaining in my left hand."

Count the five cards you hold in such a manner as to convince everyone that they are actually seven, by using the following false count:

a. Hold the packet of five in the left hand, as for dealing, but in

a vertical position and with the little finger resting against the inner end.

b. Push off the top card and take it, face outwards, in the right

hand between the fingers at its face and the thumb at its back, at about the middle of the right side. Count "One."

c. Push off the next card and take it in front of the one held in

the right hand, counting "Two."

d. Push off and take the next card in front of those held in the

right hand, counting "Three." At the same instant drop the left thumb upon the rearmost card of those in the right hand, and secretly draw it back on top of the two remaining in the left hand. The left little finger, at the end, keeps this card in alignment with the others. The movement of the rearmost card of those in the right hand back onto the lefthand packet is completely concealed by the cards in front.

e. Take another card in front of those in the right hand, counting

"Four."

f. Push off still another card, counting "Five," and as you take it

in the right hand, draw back the rearmost card with the left thumb as you did before, adding it to the card in the left hand.

g. Place the two remaining cards in the right hand, counting

"Six. Seven!"

This false count is extremely deceptive, but in the following manner you should guard against the unlikely possibility that someone may notice that two cards are shown twice: Face a little to your left as you count the first two cards. Face directly ahead when you count the next three. Face to the right as you count the last two.

12. Place the five cards, which the audience thinks are seven, in your left hand and prepare to pass another card. "The fourth card!" you say. "Watch it go!" Ruffle the packet and thrust your right hand in your pocket. Palm one of the cards already there, and remove the right hand. "I often have trouble with the fourth card," you explain. "For some reason it has ideas of its own. It isn't in my pocket. I should say that right now it is digging into my elbow." Bring your right hand behind your left elbow and press the palmed card against it with the fingers. Move the hand down, retaining the card pressed firmly against the elbow, then grasp it between the right index and middle fingers at its lower end, and with a little tug bring it into view. "Couldn't negotiate the curve," you explain unhappily.

13. "Six cards remain." False count the five cards as six, drawing back the rearmost of those in the right hand in making the count of three. If you are performing under circumstances in which you can move to a spectator without loss of time, hand him the packet of cards. "One, two, three, four, five, six cards," you say as you hand him the packet, retaining a grip on one corner. "How many cards do you hold, sir?" Ask him this abruptly and almost invariably he will reply, "Six." All those except the few close to the spectator think that he has actually counted the cards, and this makes the passage of the next card all the more baffling. In the rare case when the spectator replies "I don't know" or starts to count the cards, you override him by saying strongly, "Six cards. Watch !"

Ruffle the corner of the cards, saying, "Did you feel it go? One of the cards slipped away from you. Kindly count the cards." Extend your left palm and have him deal them onto it, counting the cards aloud as he does so, "One, two, three, four, five!"

Turn so that your right side is toward him, saying, "Please remove the card which only a moment ago you yourself held in your hands." Perhaps a little awkwardly, he will dip into your pocket with two fingers and remove the card. Take it from him and hold it high in the air, exclaiming, "And here is the fifth card!" This is a climax, so make the most of it.

Turn immediately and return to your place, still holding the card aloft. In most cases you will be applauded at this point if you have performed the trick well. When the applause has subsided, drop the last card to one side.

14. "Five cards remain. I'll count them for you again." Count the five, but this time, when you place the fourth card in front of those already in the right hand, jog its lower end a half inch below the other cards. Replace the five cards in your left hand and in squaring them, press down on the jogged card with your right thumb and take a left-little-finger break above it, in readiness to palm off the three cards above it.

15. "May I call your attention to the fact that my trouser pocket remains empty at all times between the passage of the cards." In a natural movement let the right hand be seen empty, withdraw the lining of the pocket, and replace it.

Bring the two hands together, square the cards once or twice, and utter some amusing pleasantry. When the audience reacts, palm the three top cards. Hold the remaining two cards as before, between the right thumb and index finger, and move the left hand away, holding the right motionless.

16. "I shall now attempt a feat rarely seen," you announce. "The passage of two cards at one and the same time–a feat so difficult that I hesitate to contemplate it, and therefore shall not contemplate it." Now place the two exposed cards in the left hand, and carry your right with the palmed cards up to the sleeve. Ruffle the two cards, thrust your right hand into your pocket, drop one of the cards, and remove the other two, holding them aloft. "Here they are!"

17. "Three cards remain," you point out. If convenient, advance to someone and extend the packet you hold. "Will you kindly breathe upon the cards?" The instant he does so, spread the two cards, saying, "Two cards only! One has shot into my pocket." Turn your right side to him, saying, "Kindly remove the card." Take it from him when he removes it from your pocket, and hold it high so that all can see it. However, if it is inconvenient to approach a spectator, blow upon the cards yourself, spread them, showing only two, and remove the card from your pocket as usual.

18. "Two cards!" Hold one in each hand, face outwards. Place them squarely together and take them face inwards in the left hand. Touch the cards with the right hand and make a throwing motion toward your right pocket. "Another card in the pocket!" Grasp the two cards at the ends between the right fingers and thumb, then grasp them firmly at the middle of the left side between the left thumb at the back and fingers at the face. Snap the two cards sharply with the right middle finger, exclaiming, "One card only!"

19. You are going to palm the rearmost of the two cards, and this must be done well. Take the two, as one, at the ends between the right thumb and fingers, and hold "it" up so that all can see it. Place the two cards, face downward, in the left hand and, at the moment the left fingers take it, palm the top card by means of the first method of palming. Do not look at your hands as you do this. Immediately and smoothly move the fight hand with the palmed card to your pocket, then dip into the pocket and remove the palmed card, showing it. "Here's the card!"

20. "One card remains, and it is the hardest of them all!" Hold the card in your right hand, showing it. Hold your left hand with its back towards the audience, the fingers pointing downwards. Thrust the card between the thumb and the palm of the left hand and pat it well into the hand with the tips of the fight fingers. Rub the back of the left hand with the right finger tips, then turn the left hand showing the card. "The last card often refuses to make its journey," you explain ruefully. "I'll try again."

Again show the card with the right hand and thrust it into the left hand as before. This time, however, when the right finger tips have patted the card into the left hand and only an inch of the card extends from the hand, press outward against the end of the card with the fight finger tips. This levers the card against the side of the left forefinger causing it to spring back into the right palm, the left thumb moving back a little to permit this. Palm the card in the right hand and rub the back of the left hand with the fingertips as you did before.

Move the left hand, still back outwards, away from the right hand, fixing your gaze upon it. Blow upon the hand, then slowly turn it and show that the card has vanished. Move your right hand with the palmed card rather slowly to the right trouser pocket, thrust it in and a moment later withdraw it with the card clipped between the first and second fingers, saying, " And here it is! "

Because we think so highly of this feat, we have described it in the fullest possible detail. Although it is a trick that demands the utmost of a performer, it is worth learning to do well. A trick so charming to watch is a rarity, and the time spent in mastering it is time well spent. Once you have made it yours, you will never drop it from your repertoire.