This effect differs with the size of the audience but in each case the performer appears to have perfect control of the pasteboards.

An ordinary deck is shown and riffled. A spectator inserts his finger or a knife into the pack and removes the card stopped at. There is no forcing.

His card is replaced upon the deck. Two cards are now removed and shown. The selected card is cut to the center of the pack. Performer takes the pack and the two cards just shown and states that he will thrust them reversed into the squared up deck. Suppose the two cards to be the Two of Diamonds and the Three of Spades. The Wizard says that he will do this very quickly, and to show that it isn’t necessary to see what he is doing, the action shall take place behind his back. Suiting the action to his words, he places the deck and cards behind his back for about one second.

The pack is now brought to the front and fanned. The Two and the Three are seen near the center reversed, but a card is facing them the opposite way. Removing these three cards together, they are turned over and the center card is the chosen one!

In one second’s time the performer has managed to thrust the two cards into the squared up deck with one on each side of the selected card.

Nothing but ordinary cards are used for this feat, there are no sleights and examination of the deck would show only the regular 52 cards.

However, the effect, if shown to but one or two at a time, can be made to become even more miraculous. In such a case, the spectator himself may thrust the two cards into the deck, and still they will be found on either side of the first chosen card!

First shall come the explanation for the first of the described effects.

At the beginning there are two duplicates used. We shall say, for instance, the cards above mentioned. Thus one would have two of each. One of each is on the top and bottom of the deck. And above and below these two, reversed, is the other pair.

Thus arranged the pack appears natural and may be riffled without exposing the two reversed cards next to the top and bottom. The working should now be clear. The card chosen by the spectator (freely selected from the deck) is placed on top of the deck. This card is then slightly raised at the rear and the one beneath removed. The selected card now hides the fact that the next one is a reversed card. The bottom card of the pack is also removed and the pack kept at an angle so that the now reversed card on the bottom cannot be seen.

The two cards thus removed are shown. The deck is cut to lose the selected card, but unknown to spectators this cut brings the selected card between the two reversed duplicates. The performer emphasizes the speed of the behind the back action. The deck is in the left hand and the two cards in the right one. Both hands go behind your back but instead of the two cards being thrust into the deck they are really thrust into the hip pocket and the deck brought back into view.

The deck now consists of only 52 cards and the selected card is found between the two reversed cards just seen by all. You won’t find an explanation in a carload of spectators.

The extra kink for allowing a spectator to do the inserting of the two cards himself is very simple. The deck is the same as before with the addition that you have removed any other two cards (what they are is unimportant) and placed them in a convenient pocket. The two ‘finders’ are removed and the deck cut as in the first method. Now an explanation is made to the spectator that he is to take the pack and the two cards, and, behind his own back, thrust the two cards into the pack reversed.

Hand him the pack keeping the two cards in your hand. Have him turn around and the moment his back is turned change the two cards he has just seen for the two cards you have had right along. Hand them to him telling him to keep them face up, but actually give them to him face down.

After this he turns, fans through the deck and actually finds face up the cards he just saw and apparently pushed into the deck himself. In between them is found the card he originally selected.

This second method, while good for only one or two people at the most, is a stunner in its place.