In the book Shh-h-h–! It’s a Secret by Annemann is an effect where
the spectator takes ten chances to find the performer’s card and fails,
whereupon the performer takes one chance to find the spectator’s card
and succeeds. The method as explained used an impression device, but
this improvement in procedure for gaining the information simplifies it,
and may make it more desirable an effect for many. The subject is asked
to think of any card in the deck and write it on a slip of paper which the
performer hands him. This is folded and dropped into a glass or placed
in full view. The performer now writes something on a piece of paper
which is placed elsewhere. The deck is spread face up on a table and the
spectator given ten chances to pick out the performer’s card. He fails.
The performer now spreads the cards faces down, picks one card, has the
spectator name his thought of card, and it is right.
Used are three pieces of paper, a deck of cards, and the simple finger
switch of papers which is too well known to need much discussion. The
performer has them in his left trouser pocket to start. One is folded and
the other two open. The two opened pieces are removed and placed on
the table. One is handed to the spectator for the writing of his card after
which he folds it. Meanwhile, the performer has secured the dummy in
his left hand from the pocket and taking the folded slip from the spectator
switches and drops the dummy in the glass or in view. Immediately
picking up the remaining open slip from the table, the performer writes
his own card’s name down, folds, switches for the spectator’s slip and
drops in view, retaining the slip upon which he has just written. And the
card whose name the performer writes is on top or at the back of the deck
(and may be any card).
Spreading the cards from left to right faces up, the performer does
so that the last card or two remain hidden at the end. At this time the
spectator’s slip is a dummy, the performer’s slip belongs to the spectator,
and fingerpalmed in his left hand the performer has his own slip. The
spectator now indicates face up cards, one at a time, and the performer
says ‘No’ after each until ten have been selected. Picking up his paper
(apparently, but actually the spectator’s) the performer opens it and calls
off the name of his own card, and reads the name of the spectator’s card at
the same time. He refolds the paper, switches, and tosses his own paper to
the audience to verify, retaining the spectator’s slip just read.
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Scooping up the deck, the performer hands it to the spectator to verify the
presence of the card in the deck. However, knowing the spectator’s card
at this point, the performer scoops up the deck in bunches which enables
him to leave the spectator’s card on top and which action transfers the
performer’s card to the center ! The performer now spreads the deck face
down and picks up one card which he places face down on the spectator’s
outstretched hand. Picking up the spectator’s slip (really the dummy) the
performer switches and opens the actual slip which he reads and hands
still open to the audience. The spectator turns his card on hand over and
it is the same !
On paper this routine may sound a bit complicated but it isn’t. From
the audience viewpoint the action is direct and nothing is done of an
untoward nature. The theme is interesting and different from the usual
card problem. And when the spectator is picking out cards in an effort
to find the one thought of by the performer the interest holds. It is all
presented as an example of how difficult it really is to find a chosen card,
and when a person can’t pick it with ten chances and a face up deck while
the performer does it with one chance and the cards face down, the point
should be proven !