The performer shows two packs of cards. One pack has red backs and the other has blue. From the red pack a card is freely selected. The performer takes a bunch of about a dozen cards from the pack and the selected card is replaced among them. A rubber band is placed around the packet and it is set in full view in a clip on the table.
The same procedure is then adopted with the blue backed pack. A card is chosen and replaced in a small group of a dozen cards. These are also fastened with a rubber band. The blue packet is set in another clip, some distance from the red.
Taking the red packet, the magician removes a card and sets it in front of the clip, back toward the audience. This identifies the red packet. Another elastic is put about the packet, lengthwise, to go with the crosswise band. The same is done with the blue packet. An identifying card in front of the clip, and a lengthwise elastic band. This makes it impossible for the magician to remove a card from either packet.
Then comes the mystery. The two packets are taken, tapped together and tossed in the air. Each is caught and replaced in its proper clip. The red packet is given to the man who chose the red card; the blue to the man who chose the blue card.
A blue card is discovered in the red heap. It is the card that was chosen from the blue pack! A red card is found in the blue heap. It is the card that was chosen from the red pack!
The method is both subtle and simple. The packs are arranged beforehand. Take a dozen red cards and put them on the bottom of the blue pack. Place a dozen blue cards on the bottom of the red pack. Just above the cluster of red backed cards is a SHORT blue card. Just above the blue cluster is a SHORT red backed card. The bottom card of each cluster should be the same, say the six of diamonds.
The red backed pack is fanned, but the bottom cards are not spread. A card is selected. Finding the short red backed card, the magician removes the bottom bunch. He is apparently holding a cluster of red backed cards. Only the top card of the heap has a red back. The chosen red backed card goes in that group.
The same procedure goes with the blue pack. A card is selected and goes into the bottom cluster, which is presumably blue due to the top card of the packet.
The packets are put into their clips. To identify the supposed red heap, the magician holds the packet face towards the spectator and removes the top card which he set so the back is seen. He puts the lengthwise band on the heap and sets the heap face front in the clip. Thus he has a blue-backed heap designated by a red backed card ! He does the same with the other packet, so he has a red backed heap designated by a blue backed card!
The magician takes both heaps, holding the faces toward the audience. He taps them and throws them in the air together. This prevents anyone from noting which is which. The packets are caught and recognized by their backs. Each is replaced in its proper clip. But the performer has actually exchanged the heaps!
The trick is done. It simply remains to give the red heap to the man who took the red card; the blue heap to the chooser of the blue card. Each person finds a stranger in his packet – a card with the back of the opposite color. Each card proves to be the card selected by the opposite party.
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