If this routine is given the proper practice and presentation it will prove to be a reputation builder. After steady use for four years I know it is good. It can be done at any time and anywhere with borrowed material.

EFFECT #1. First of all the magician is securely blindfolded. I always borrow two coins, half dollars or quarters, and place one over each eye. Then a pad of gauze is placed over each coin, followed with a cloth blindfold over all. This is a genuine blindfold and the method has a decided appeal to the layman.

The magician then requests the loan of a deck of cards which are thoroughly shuffled before they are handed to him. Any card is now freely selected, revealed to everyone except the magician, and returned to the deck. The performer then runs the cards with faces towards the audience, from one hand to the other, telling everyone to mentally think the word “stop” when the selected card comes into view. And under such conditions as these he succeeds in stopping on the chosen pasteboard.

EFFECT #2. Saying that due to the favorable conditions which resulted in your being able to discover the chosen card you will attempt to go a step further, you proceed to have three cards selected, revealed to all, and returned to the deck which again is shuffled and cut several times. Once more the performer runs the cards face outward from hand to hand and stops at all three of the chosen cards.

EFFECT #3. The audience is now cautioned to pay strict attention to the final effect. Any card is once more taken, shown to all, returned for shuffle and cuts, and the magician builds up the climax. He refers to the blindfold, the free selection of cards, etc., and finally says that he will attempt to reveal the chosen card BY NAME. The spectator is asked to visualize a picture of the card and the performer succeeds in his revelation!

I have described exactly the effect as seen by the layman. Never have I been questioned on any part of the routine which gradually builds to the climax that they remember.

It is presented strictly as a test of mental vibrations from the audience to the spectator, which is why everybody is asked to help send their mental commands to the performer. The blindfold is to exclude all light and normal perceptions that might tend to confuse the demonstrator.

I always work the routine standing up to any type of table with the audience all around. In your left hand coat pocket previously put a known card of regulation size. In your right hand coat pocket place a known card of the bridge size. They may both be alike. Then grab a deck of cards and follow instructions.

Effect #1. Pass the cards from one hand to the other, cards facing your audience, and have one selected. While the card is being revealed to everyone, crimp the lower left-hand corner of the top card. Cut the deck retaining the top half in the right hand, in position for the regular overhand shuffle. Have the selected card returned to the top of the left-hand portion then shuffle the right-hand portion on top in the regular overhand fashion, with the crimped card going on top of the selected card at the beginning of the shuffle. Have anyone shuffle and cut the cards, but hurry him along in this action – in other words time your patter so that you have him cutting the cards before he really gets the chance to shuffle them properly.

Now, with the deck in the left hand, remove the cards one at a time with the right so that the lower left-hand corner of the card passes under the thumb of the left hand which is resting on top of the deck. Because of this position, when you come to the crimped card, you will feel the crimp as it goes under the left thumb. All that remains to do is to stop on the NEXT card which will be the one selected.

Effect #2. At the finish of the first effect you cut the crimped card to the top of the deck. Then have any three cards selected freely and shown to all interested. Explaining that you will use just part of the deck to shorten the handling of the cards, start dealing the deck into three face-down piles, one at a time, with the bottom card of the first pile being the crimped one. After you have dealt about four cards onto each pile stop and ask someone to stop you at any time. You continue dealing.

No matter when the signal comes for you to stop you continue dealing that row across. In other words, each pile must finally get the same number of cards. And as you deal you count. You must know how many cards there are to a pile. Thus, if you finish the row with the 21st card dealt you know that there are 7 in each pile.

Using that number as an example you tell the people with chosen cards to replace them, one on the top of each pile. And while this is going on you casually place the remaining cards in the side coat pocket which contains the known card to match the size of the deck being used. These cards are so placed that the added card becomes the new bottom or face card of the deck. It’s a natural move to put the cards in your pocket for the hands must be free for the handling of the cards on the table. Being blindfolded, it’s about the only place one could put cards without fumbling around.

The three piles are assembled in any order and cut several times by you and the audience. And at this time it might be well to caution against the performer making any fancy cuts or shuffles. It is best to appear clumsy in handling the cards throughout the routine. You won’t have much trouble doing that if blindfolded and that is the real secret of impressing the audience with what you are doing.

From this point the removing of the cards is the same as in Effect N°1, except that as each card is removed it is placed back on the bottom of the packet in your left hand. Keep passing the cards in this manner until you come to the crimped card. Following the crimped card is one of the selected cards which you stop on, and then lay on the table. Now you pass on seven more cards to the bottom of the packet, and the next card will be another of the selected cards. Stop on it and lay it also on the table.

Pass seven more cards to the bottom, the next card is the second spectator’s selected pasteboard. This you stop on and put with the first two laid out. To “halt” a wise person who may count, or get the impression of sameness in the length of passing, go a couple of cards beyond the last one – say you aren’t positive because impressions aren’t as clear as at first – ask the selector to concentrate upon each card showing – and, one by one, deal backwards until you reach the proper card upon which you stop and that is the one you lay down.

With that verified, you pass seven more cards to reach the third and last selected card. Just remember that the number of cards in each pile BEFORE the selected cards are returned, is the number of cards you pass each time after the revealing of the first selected card which follows the crimp.

Effect #3. Replace the selected cards from effect number two on top of the cards in your left hand – and then give them to anyone for a shuffle and cut.

While this is going on you take the rest of the deck from your coat pocket and riffle shuffle thoroughly, but keeping that known card on the bottom. The helpers place the other cards on top of your packet. Then you give the entire deck another riffle shuffle, still keeping your known card on the bottom for the finale. This action has served to convince all that the deck has been shuffled well by both you and the audience members. The riffle shuffle is advocated for it is best suited to conceal the difference in back design of the added card.

And now comes the force of the known card. Hold the pack normally in the left hand and, with the right hand’s thumb and forefinger at the sides, pull out a portion from the center of the deck. Run off these cards, a few at a time, onto the top of the left-hand pile in the Hindu Shuffle manner. You ask, during this, for someone to stop you as he wishes. However, you have timed talk and shuffling off so that you’ve run out of cards before a command can come. But, without hesitating, you pull out a new section, not from the middle this time but from the bottom portion – run as many off the top as you can until the “stop” comes, and immediately turn over the right hand packet to show the face card to those watching.

At this point you ask all to remember that everything has been done before their eyes, and realize the impossibility of your knowing what card they are looking at. You also recall that you have so far successfully located the cards upon which they were concentrating – and add that you want to go a step further.

During this talk, and after they have had a chance to see the card’s face you put the right hand packet underneath the left hand packet which keeps the noted card on bottom – and then you riffle shuffle the deck a time or two – all the time, of course, keeping that important card still on the bottom.

The selector of the card (?) approaches you and you place your fingers upon his forehead. This always entails a bit of difficulty so you naturally drop the deck into your side coat pocket for the time being and proceed to use both hands. While he thinks of his card you do as dramatic a presentation as possible and reveal the identity of the chosen one.

Immediately upon the acknowledgement of this feat you ask for the removal of the blindfold. During this activity you remove the deck from the pocket but minus the odd card. Then the cards and coins, borrowed for the blindfold, are returned to their owners and all is over.

This description hasn’t been long-winded – it has been thorough. I’ve done it for enough years to have realized the salient points and find out for myself how well it affects the audience.

There is but one thing to make clear as I see it. As a whole the feat is best presented as a matter of extra-sensory perception – with a perfect-plus (to J.B. Rhine, at least) conclusion as a finale. You, as the performer, receive impressions from the audience – and act upon them. Then, as a last test, you attempt, and succeed in, a revelation of the actual card chosen. It must be “scientific” – NOT a trick.