Just a few days before this writing, I was talking to Jean Hugard, and he mentioned as a favorite of his, the thought of card to pocket effect, an impromptu masterpiece of subtlety. I recollected the presentation I’ve always given it, with actually performing it three times in a row for two different spectators. Jean suggested that I write it up for The Jinx but I explained that there was nothing much original about it all except the routine of three. My respect for Jean’s ability and knowledge always makes me bow low to his views and suggestions, so it is because of that conversation I am putting this down.
In bare effect, a spectator shuffles an ordinary deck, thinks of a number, and notes the card at that number from the top. The performer takes the deck behind, removes one card and places it in his trouser pocket. The spectator’s card is now looked for but has vanished, the performer pulling it out of his pocket.
In the three methods I use for the repetition, each has one or more strong points that stand out in the working. If all three methods could be combined, one would have the perfect trick, but by repeating the trick twice, the audience is more and more puzzled as they try to check, and when it is over they only remember the strong points of each method, and combine them into an unsolvable problem.
The first method is the best known and came out around 1902 in England, being sold for about five dollars. A spectator shuffles, thinks of a number from one to fifteen and notes the card at that spot. Taking the deck behind his back, the performer removes one card from the bottom, brings it to the front with back showing and slides it in his right trouser pocket, immediately palming it out onto the top of the deck. Now the spectator is asked what number he originally thought of. One at a time the performer deals the cards off the deck face down, and at the number named, tosses that card towards the spectator, asking if that is the card he noted. He says “No” and the performer says “Naturally, because I put your card in my pocket.” And as the spectator looked at card given him, the performer palmed off the next card on the deck, plunged his hand in his pocket and came out with it at the fingertips.
Now hand the deck to a second person, have him shuffle and note a card from 1 to 10 from the top.
Put behind back, but this time rapidly count off the top ten, square them, and bring them around as one card and put in your pocket as before. Ask the person what number he thought of. He tells you, but then you say “Here, you do the counting.” You drop you hand to your pocket and do your counting as he does. He says the card isn’t there, and you draw out the card from your pocket.
Take the deck back, and while you ask for someone else to help you, palm back the extra cards from your pocket. In the deck is one short card, or one with a broken corner at each right end, the same thing. Get this on the top of the pack. Tell this third person to think of a number, and when you turn back to count off the cards one at a time face down until he has dealt one less than the number thought of. He does so and you tell him to look at the top card of the deck, and then replace the pile of cards from the table on top. You turn, take the deck, put it behind your back, run along end until you stop at the short card. Take out the card BELOW the short, show the back of it like the others but put it only half way into the pocket, so it can be seen. The spectator looks for his card but it is gone. He himself takes it from your pocket.
This routine can be done impromptu with a borrowed deck by using the broken corner for a short. Try it out and then listen to them try to figure it out and argue against each other about what was done.
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