Anyone who can manage to palm a single card successfully will appreciate this routine. It employs two decks of cards with different colored backs, say red and blue for ease in explaining, although any bridge set may be used. The cards should have white borders.

At the beginning of the routine the blue deck is unprepared, but on the bottom of the red deck is a blue backed card REVERSED. The red backed duplicate of this card is on the top of the same pack. We shall assume that this card is the Ace of Hearts.

Someone is asked to shuffle the blue backed deck while the performer shuffles the red. Take care to hold the top and bottom cards in position, and be certain not to expose the reversed card on the bottom. Probably the best way to do this is to make use of the dovetail shuffle, but instead of lifting all of the cards with the thumb before the shuffle begins, leave the lower few cards on the table and shuffle the rest of the cards on top of them.

Place the blue deck temporarily aside. Take the red deck in hand and draw about one third of the pack from the center, slapping this drawn out portion on top of the deck just as though you had made a regular and fair cut. Hold a break at this place in preparation for a force of the red backed Ace of Hearts. After the Ace of Hearts is forced, have it looked at and replaced on top of the whole deck. Then place the deck on the table and give it a single cut.

Make the announcement that without further handling of the cards you will cause the selected card to reverse itself in the pack. Without apparent material means, the chosen pasteboard will turn over in its close quarters. Then pick up the deck and fan cards to expose the reversed Ace of Hearts. Certainly, as far as you’ve gone, your work couldn’t be more free from guilt. However, the onlookers do not know the face up Ace has a blue back.

State that again you will place the Ace in the center. Do so as follows. Close the half of the fan above the Ace and reverse this half. Then close the portion of the fan below the Ace and reverse these cards also. This places the blue Ace in the center without exposing its face and at the same time automatically brings the red Ace to the top.

Palm off the red Ace as you hand the pack to someone with the request that he place it in his pocket. Pick up the blue deck with the hand holding the palmed card and deposit it on top. Immediately turn your body slightly to the right (that is, if you’ve palmed card in right hand) and overhand shuffle the deck bringing the red backed Ace to the center. As you shuffle the cards, remark that somewhere in this pack is a duplicate of the Ace which is now in the center of the red deck. Hand the blue deck to someone to hold or place in a pocket.

With proper showmanship you cause the Aces to change places. Place the two decks on the table and spread them with backs up to reveal the two odd backed cards. Remove these two and turn them over together for a dramatic finale.