Nufind

Effects such as the one which follows are to be welcomed at any time for that impromptu type of “do something” trick which every perpetrator of card tricks and magic is called upon to do, generally at off moments when the favorite gimmick or pull is in another suit.

Any deck is taken, and after a genuine shuffle the cards are given to someone and the performer turns his back and walks away. The assistant is asked to deal the pasteboards face down into two piles side by side, one card to each alternately, and to stop dealing whenever he pleases.

At such a time, the spectator is told to look at the top card of the pack he holds undealt, remembering it well. He then replaces the noted card on deck. Either one of the two dealt off piles is now placed on top of the deck and the remaining pile on the bottom, sandwiching the pack. Finally, the spectator gives the entire assembled deck a complete cut.

The performer returns to the fray, and, taking the deck, runs through them but once. Asking the person to think of the color, the performer throws out a card saying “That’s the color”. Asking the person to think of the suit, the performer throws out a card saying “That’s the suit”. Spectator now is asked to think of the value. This time a card is thrown face down instead, whereupon the spectator names his chosen card, is told to turn the face down card over, and it proves to be correct !

This effect is deceptive because apparently there can be no control exercised. The secret, however, takes up less space than the description. The performer has noted the top two cards as keys. The shuffle is a dovetail leaving them in position. One key thus becomes the bottom card of each dealt off pile, subsequently falling on top of the chosen card.

The deck is cut once by the spectator. Running through the face up pack, from face towards back, the performer locates the chosen card for it lies in front of the first key card reached ! The rest is merely build up. Put the problem in between other effects and watch it befuddle wise ones.