Card Minded

The effect of this trick is as follows. The magician shuffles a deck of cards thoroughly and asks someone to cut it into two piles, choosing one of them for himself. From this pile a card is selected and removed. It is then inserted into the other pile which may be shuffled by the spectator. The magician takes this pile and fans it, faces down, in his hand, and asks another spectator to assist in an experiment in telepathy. The person who chose the card is asked to concentrate upon it while the fan is raised so that the second spectator may have a full view of the faces of the cards. He is asked to make his mind as receptive as possible, then to run his eye over the cards. If his mind focuses suddenly on a single card he is to remove that card from the fan and place it face down on the table. When this card is turned over it proves to be the chosen one ! No, there are no stooges, and the trick seldom fails to be successful.

You will have to master a false shuffle. I shall give you two and you may take your choice, or you may use both. The shuffles are designed only to keep separate the red and black cards.

The first shuffle is of the overhand type. The deck is arranged beforehand with the reds together and the blacks together, it matters not which is on top. A break is held between the two halves by the right thumb as shown. Undercut three fourths of the cards and shuffle them into the left hand until you reach the break, then in-jog a card and shuffle off the remaining half. Undercut three fourths of the deck, the right thumb pushing in the jogged card and holding the break again as before. The shuffle is repeated indefinitely. On the last shuffle you can neglect the in-jog; merely shuffle to the break and continue with those left.

The second shuffle is a riffle shuffle and more difficult to master. Once mastered it is completely convincing in appearance. To my knowledge it is here explained in print for the first time.

The cards are held in the right hand as shown in Fig. 2, and the left fingers withdraw half the deck FROM THE CENTER. The cards should be held a few inches above the table and tilted slightly toward the audience. When the center has been withdrawn the right thumb holds a break between the two portions as shown in Fig. 3. The cards are riffled together. The right thumb permits the cards to fall more rapidly so that it shuffles its lower portion into the lower portion of the cards held in the left hand. Then the left thumb allows the center portion of its cards to fall while the right thumb does nothing. Then the right thumb riffles its remaining cards into the upper portion of the cards in the left hand. In other words the red cards are riffled into red cards, and the black cards into blacks. The break makes it possible for the right hand to hesitate while the center portion of the cards in the left hand are allowed to fall. Practice this shuffle until you can execute it rapidly and follow with a false cut.

Have the deck cut into two piles. Force the larger pile on someone, and fan it for the selection of a card. A few cards of the opposite color will be either on top or bottom, so keep these few cards closed and fan the packet at the other end. The card is replaced in the smaller pile. Naturally it will be the only card in the pile of odd color. Have the pile shuffled and call upon someone to assist you who appears likely to have a sense of humor.

Build up the climax with a talk on telepathy and then fan the cards so that only the spectator can see the faces. He will spot the off color card immediately. Wink at him if you get the chance, but he should catch on anyway if you phrase your directions carefully.

Have the card placed face down on table and named before you turn it over. Unless you plan to repeat the trick (and it will easily bear a repetition) shuffle cards immediately to destroy the set up.

Note by Annemann: An easy false shuffle for a half and half set up like this one is a simple overhand shuffle and run of a few cards. Just start a fair over hand shuffle. As you near the center of deck, start running cards singly. Only eight or nine of these are necessary and then fairly over hand shuffle off the rest. This reverses the position of the red and black packets each time it is done, but that doesn’t matter. Just pass center of deck with a run of single cards, and fairly shuffle at start and finish.