Both this trick and the one to follow, make use of new angles with a two kind force deck. I say that now for those who may not wish to go further. I’ve used both, before magical gatherings, at one time or another, and it’s only because they puzzled that I’m sold on them. As to the propriety of using such decks, I won’t argue.
In the first effect, you advance on the unsuspecting spectators, and have someone cut the deck anywhere they like and remove the top card of lower half. A person near them is asked to take the next card. They are both replaced, and the top half of the deck, which has been on your right palm, replaced on the cards in your left hand. You step back to the front and remark “It really doesn’t matter much if I do know what, or where, these chosen cards are. I am going to have them turn up at the spot you dictate.” You give the deck a shuffle and cut. The first person stands and you start dealing the cards one at a time face down. He is told to stop you at any time you have dealt a card. He does. You turn it over, and it’s correct. Putting the deck together, the second person stands. He is to vary the procedure by naming any number. Deliberately, you deal the cards to that number. His card is there.
The deck, of course, is made up of only two cards, and they alternate with each other. You are always careful that the face card does not show. You can false shuffle such a deck by running off any odd number of cards, singly, and reversing their order in the process, and dropping the rest of the deck on top. Have the deck on your left hand, and a bunch cut off and placed on your right hand. The person takes the top card of the lower half, and another takes the next card. They replace them, second person first, and the top half is replaced on all. You step back, giving the deck several cuts. As the cards are red and black, you glimpse the bottom card of the deck to know the top one.
The first person stands. You say “You’re thinking of a red card, aren’t you?” Whatever he says, you know whether his card is in odd or even positions from the top. Start the slow deal. When he stops you, his card will be either on top of the deck or the one just dealt. Hold it out deliberately, and have him name it. Then show. Drop it on the dealt off packet if the packet has an even number, or on the deck if the packet dealt off is odd. As the dealt off cards are reversed, there must be an odd number of them to put back on the pack. Cut the deck several times as the second person gets up. Glimpse the bottom card, and you know whether his card is in an odd or even position.
He names a number. You deal off and count. You either count off the number and then turn over the card on the deck, or turn over the card last dealt, as the case may be.
For the second effect, use the same kind of deck and with alternating cards. Shuffle the deck as described, put on your left hand and approach a spectator. Ask him to give the deck a complete cut on your hand. With your head turned, have him take the top card for himself, and pass your hand to someone close by to take the next card. As they look at their cards, cut the deck once or twice, and again place on your hand. Make it very clear, and apparent, that this is a one hand mystery. Have them push their cards anywhere into the deck, and without touching the cards with the other hand, drop them into a soft felt hat or derby. You drop them in flatwise, with backs up. Now take the hat by the brim in your right hand and give it a good, sound shaking up. However, no matter how much you shake it sidewise, as long as you don’t bounce the cards up and down, they’ll merely slide around and stay in the same order.
Now ask each to name his card. As you cut the deck before replacing, and noticed the bottom card, you know the order of the two duplicates on top. Reaching into the hat, you appear to dig around, and produce the cards in the order named.
Both of these effects are very clean, and to the point. Used, at different times, and stuck into your presentation as a single card number, you’ll have something easily remembered, and done without any skill needed.
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