Complicated to an impractical extreme was the following trick which, after much thought, I have made so simple that a child can work it. The top 28 cards of the deck are arranged as follows: The top 7 of the deck are in any order you like and are: AC, 7C, 3H, KH, 5D, 9D, JD; from 8 to 14 are these cards in any order: 2S, 7S, JS, 2C, 10C, 3D, 6D; from 15 to 21 in any order: 4S, 6S, QS, KS, 4H, 5H, 7D; and from 22 to 28 are: 8S, 10S, 8H, 9H, JC, QC, KC.
A false shuffle and cut should be given deck at the start. An excellent false cut, one of the most effective ever conceived, follows. It is absolutely natural.
It depends upon an apparent mistake for its success. You have the deck cut into two packets. Now, as usual, you place the original under packet onto the former top packet to complete the cut, but a little in advance of the under pile, about half an inch, forming a step and overlapping on the end towards the spectator.
With right hand still on pack, lift up the deck and carelessly (?) leave a few cards behind on the table. Place pack in left hand still holding with the right. At this precise moment you must notice the cards on the table. Right hand strips away the lower packet from left hand and puts it on the table heap. It looks as though your empty hand merely went to table to pick them up.
Picking up the complete packet now, you return it on top of the cards left in left hand. The pack is now the same as at the start. It is difficult to pick up all of the cards on a smooth surface; and if it occurred that unconsciously you left a few cards behind, you would employ just this method to rectify your mistake.
After the false shuffle and cut, ask a spectator to MERELY THINK OF ANY CARD. Say that you want him to get a vivid impression of it rather than a vague mental impression which may change. Lift off the top seven cards and ask him if any card of the same suit as his is there. Then ask if any card of the same denomination or value is there. Drop them face down on the table and repeat with the other sets of seven.
You may also show him an extra set or two as a blind. After you have shown the four sets and received an answer “yes” or “no” to your queries, hand the entire deck to him asking that they be shuffled once more. Taking them you fan through and put one card face down before him. He names his card and turns it over. It is correct!
The secret is this: For the suit you need only to remember that there are no spades in the 1st 7 but all other suits are there; no hearts in the 2nd 7; no clubs in the 3rd 7; no diamonds in the 4th 7. So whichever set he says does not contain his suit, you instantly know what it is. If his denomination is in the 1st set you mentally say “1”. If in the 2nd set you say “2”. If in the 3rd set, say “4”. If in the 4th set, say “8”. These are the key numbers and you need only to add the key numbers of the sets in which he says his denomination is, in order to know the value of his card. Thus if he thought of the King of Diamond, he would say there was a card of his denomination in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th sets. Thus one plus four plus eight is thirteen, or King. His suit isn’t in the 4th set so it must be Diamonds.
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