This is a trick of the do-as-I-do variety. The effect is presented as an easy lesson in the art of card magic, but actually the audience is left completely bewildered.

Two ordinary decks are used. The spectator shuffles one while you shuffle the other. Try to glimpse the bottom card of the deck he holds after he has completed his shuffle. If you fail to do so, remember the bottom card of YOUR deck, and trade decks with him.

At this point you ask the spectator to follow your moves closely and precisely, repeating them after you. The deck is fanned in the left hand with faces toward you and a card is selected. This card is withdrawn and placed on top of the fan which is closed immediately. Unknown to the audience, however, the card which you selected and placed on top was the duplicate of the card which you glimpsed on the bottom of his deck. We shall refer to this card as the key card.

The decks are given a single cut and exchanged. Actually you execute a false cut, but since he is concerned with cutting his own deck the move will not be detected. Personally I prefer to use an old gambling cut that is made as follows: the deck is held horizontally in the left hand, backs to audience as shown in the illustration. The thumb is on top and the fingers below. The right hand draws the lower half of the deck to the right, and with a slight upward flourish it slaps the half on the table. The hand then returns to take the remaining half and place it on the cards on the table. The left hand never moves. Correctly executed, the false cut actually looks more genuine than a true cut made with the same motions!

After the decks are exchanged they are again fanned in the left hand, and again the selected cards are withdrawn and placed on top. What you really do is this. You first locate the key card. The card immediately beneath it will be the spectator’s card. Square these two cards together and remove them as a single card, placing them on top of the fan.

When the fans are closed and the decks are placed on the table, they will be prepared as follows. On top of your deck is your selected card and beneath it is his selected card. On top of his deck is his chosen card and beneath it is your card!

Each of you now slide your card from the deck to the table. Pause a moment and tell your audience that you are going to teach them the way in which magicians find a chosen card. Explain that it is only necessary to glance at the top card of your deck and it will be a duplicate of the card selected by the spectator. Turn over your top card and then the spectator’s card to show that they are identical. Now ask him to try the trick on you.

He turns over his top card and you smile and say “By George — you’ve got it!” Then turn over your card to prove it.

This double coincidence will be quite a surprise to those who have seen the simpler forms of the trick. Naturally you caution him not to tell others how the trick was accomplished.