Seldom a trick comes along with a truly genius-like idea behind it and I honestly think that everyone who reads this now will do it immediately and continue to use it in preference to many others.
Mr Dalban suggests that it be used as a followup to one of the regular spelling effects. It is true that this could be so used in order to circumvent the ‘do-it-again’ person but even alone I think it of the best. The only requisite is a deck in which there is a short card.
While the performer’s back is turned a spectator spells out his name – which the performer need not know – dealing (into a face down pile on the table) a card from the pack for each letter of the name. The card that falls with the last letter is looked at and memorized. The balance of the pack is dropped on top of the pile on the table and the whole pack squared up and cut. The performer turns around, and taking the pack spells out his own name, dealing a card for each letter. The card that falls with the last letter is turned up and is the chosen card!
Shuffling the pack at the start, the short card is cut to the bottom of the pack. Now explain to the stranger what he is required to do, at the same time illustrating the instructions by spelling off a name – any name for example but it must have one letter less than your own name. Just figure out a name with a letter less than the number of letters in your name and always use it. When this name is spelled off the balance of the pack is dropped onto the pile on the table, the whole pack squared and handed to the spectator. The short card is now so many cards up from the bottom of the pack according to the name spelled off.
After the spectator has spelled off his own name as described in the effect, noted the card and dropped the rest of the deck on top and cut, the performer takes the pack again and cuts the short card to the bottom once more. Then remarking that his own name is magical he spells it off, turns over the last card and there it is.
Because the number of letters used by the spectator is immaterial you may even ask him to spell his mother’s maiden name, the month of his birth, or some such bit of data which you could not possibly know.
Leave a Reply