Performers who have used the effect of a card being placed second from where it jumps to the top will like this really new version which takes away the necessity of much skill.
It is necessary only to have a short card in the deck, a short card made by trimming across the entire end of one card about one-thirty-second of an inch. Have it on the bottom and the usual card selected. The noted card is then returned to the top of the deck which is undercut, effectively burying it. Another cut and a riffle shuffle at the ends can be given as, with thumbs at ends, the short card will not be separated from above that selected. Now riffle and cut the deck so the short card is at the top. The selected card is second. Say that you have located the card because by its strange power it always comes to the top. With the right thumb at one end and second finger at front, lift the top (?) card and show it. Really though, the second card is picked up and the short card is with it! Don’t try to pick up two cards, try to pick up the top one and the two will come up together. Still holding the selected and found card with the right finger and thumb, use its left long edge to flip over the top card of the deck which the left thumb pushes out a little. Call attention to this one, which apparently is the second card of the deck. Flip it back face down and drop the right hand card on top. Now slide the top card back a little, slide out the second card and place it on top. Pick up by the ends as before (only the one card will come up this time) and it is the chosen card back on top! Put this down for a second and look to see if the second card on the deck is the same as before. Lift by the ends and two cards come up as one and the second card is seen to be the same.
Replace this and pick up the chosen card from the table and place it back on top. Again slide the second card out and place it on top. Again lift by the ends (the short card is now back on top) and once more the chosen card is back. Again flip over the next card on the deck, and again it is the same card. Replace all as before. Now very slowly take off the top card alone and slide halfway into the center of the deck. Now if you can make a decent genuine double lift you can show the second (?) card on top which apparently proves the selected card is at the center of the deck. Put the second card back face down, shove the card completely into the deck, tap the deck and turn over the top card showing that the chosen card is back for the last time.
This is a very beautiful and worthwhile improvement for those not any too skillful with the strictly sleight-of-hand method.
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