For many moons, a popular card effect among club and drawing room performers has been to pass three thought-of cards from a stack of 15 to another stack of 15, both packets of cards being sealed in envelopes. A long time ago, I tried to figure a method for doing this with unprepared cards and in an impromptu-like manner but never seemed able to develop it. Dr. Daley and I were talking when the subject came up, and his agile brain almost immediately figured the method as given here, which is perfectly practical and very effective. The general effect has been changed somewhat insofar as the number of cards used and passed is concerned. There is a reason for all of this, and we respectfully ask that it be tried as herein described before the reader attempts any variation or improvements.

Get a stack of about six business-size envelopes. Use any deck, but prior to the presentation, put any two cards into the top envelope (with the flaps facing you as you hold the stack in your left hand) and then turn the flap down in the back of the envelope. Put any eight cards in the second envelope. The flaps of all but the top envelope are left opened outward. The stack of envelopes now appears ordinary.

Start by handing the deck to a spectator who has stepped forward. Have him shuffle and deal two separate piles of ten cards on the table face down. Ask him to pick up either heap and step into the audience. He is to fan the cards facing two different spectators and have each merely think of any card which pleases them. When the spectator returns to the front, the performer is holding the envelopes, and taking the ten cards from the spectator, they are inserted in the top and flapless (turned back and under) envelope. This action is normal, and the flaps of the open envelope will hide this move, although there is little chance of anything wrong being seen. The right fingers immediately grasp the open flap of the second envelope, and this is pulled clear of the stack and handed to the spectator to seal and pocket.

He really gets the envelope containing eight indifferent cards while the group of ten goes into the top envelope, where two extra cards are added. You now pick up the other pile of ten from the table and put these in the next envelope under the top one. The flap of this envelope is open while the flap of the top one is still turned under, making the move very easy. This time, the top envelope is removed and the stack pocketed.

You seal the envelope and go over what has happened. Two piles of ten were dealt, one selected, and therein two cards were mentally chosen by spectators. The spectator has the packet sealed and in his pocket while you have the second group of ten. You are now to cause the thought-of cards to leave his envelope and come over to yours. The spectator removes his envelope, opens it, and counts the cards. Only eight are there! The spectators name their thought-of cards. Your assistant looks through his fan of eight and announces them gone! You now hand your envelope to someone else, who opens and counts to find twelve! And on looking them over, the two thought-of cards are found!

Just in case it ever happens that the two people in the audience think of the same card, there is one out. When this occurs, hand your envelope at once to someone else to hold. Take your assistant’s envelope, open it, and make a false count of nine. Only one apparently has gone. Hand the cards to the assistant so he can check and verify the disappearance of the card named. Then take the envelope from the other spectator, open it, and false count eleven. Then hand them to the spectator to verify the arrival of the card. They will never count them again, but just look for the card; however, it will rarely happen. The trick, as it stands, makes an excellent club number.