The effect of all this isn’t new. What with card men doing it from Bombay to Buffalo; with midget cards and Jumbos; in swanky spots and manholes; by fair means as well as foul; it has had a lot of pushing around. Categorically speaking, it sneaks about from magician to magician under the name of The Acrobatic Cards. Strictly speaking, this is an unusually easy method without a lot of arm-swing and wide open movements.
Count off twelve cards from anybody’s deck and hold them squared face down in the left hand as though ready to deal. Push off the top card to the right. It is grasped by the right hand, thumb on top and four fingers beneath. The right hand moves away a few inches for clearance and then turns completely over, turning, of course, the card just removed, face up. The thumb will now be underneath and the fingers on top across the face. IN ALL OPERATIONS THE LEFT HAND DOESN’T BUDGE OR TURN AT ALL; IT ONLY PUSHES THE CARDS ONE BY ONE INTO THE RIGHT HAND.
The right hand now moves back again to the left, still in the face up card position. The left hand has meanwhile pushed out a second card. The right hand deposits its face up card on top of the second card, the fingers and thumb of the right hand grasping both and carrying them away. The right hand now contains a face up and face down card together. These cards are back to back as in the illustration (B).
The right hand turns over again, back to normal, with thumb on top and fingers underneath. It moves back to the left, places it two cards upon the third which has been pushed out a bit, and all three together are carried away to the right. The right hand again turns over, moves back, deposits its group upon the fourth card, moves away, turns back to normal again, picks up the fifth, etc., until all twelve cards have been treated with and taken by the right hand. With the 12th card the hand will be turned over. It turns for the last time to normal with thumb on top and the packet is squared using fingers of both hands.
To anyone watching you it would seem that you were going through the twelve, card by card, turning face up every other one. But actually the result is that you hold a packet divided into two groups of 6 cards, one face up, one face down. JUST REMEMBER THAT IN ALL OPERATIONS TURN THE RIGHT HAND OVER EACH TIME YOU REMOVE A CARD AND ALWAYS PUT THE PACKET IN THE RIGHT HAND ON TOP OF THE CARD YOU ARE REMOVING. THE RIGHT HAND MOVES OVER AND BACK LIKE A LEVER.
And now for the variation and then for the routine as a whole. The previous actions are followed exactly as to the movements and turnings of the right hand EXCEPT that, after the first card has been taken into the right hand, the hand turned and the second card removed, the hand turns back to normal for the third BUT GOES UNDER THE CARD INSTEAD OF ON TOP. And this UNDER move is done EVERY OTHER TIME starting with the third card pickup – every time the hand picks up a card while in normal (thumb on top and fingers beneath) position. Every “even” numbered card is picked up, the hand being reversed (fingers on top and thumb beneath) for these, by putting the packet on TOP of the card pushed over by the left thumb from its packet. Don’t put the right hand packet UNDER EACH TIME or you’ll get the same result as in the former case — just every other time on the “odd” card pickups, after the first. This action actually reverses each second card as it seems you were doing in the first procedure.
Now go over the two procedures until you have learned them well and can do them, as you will, automatic. Either procedure must be at your command without thinking.
All set ? Now we try the actual routine. Count off twelve cards or use some you’ve produced from a spectator’s coat pocket. Fan and display them as all facing one way. Run them singly to further (but not blatantly) prove the fact. Then square and hold them in the left hand. Go through the first procedure, repeating “Up, down, up, down, up down, etc.,” the whole action being rapid and smooth.
Square the packet and place it behind your back or under the table cloth. Snap them loudly. Bring the packet back into view and show half of them facing one way and half the other. (In two groups) Putting them out of sight is just for effect and, besides, gets the audience used to the move as it is needed later.
Right the cards, square, and place again in the left hand. Go through the cards following the second procedure. Square them, place under cover, give them a loud riffle, and this time show them fanned alternately face up and face down. Strip out the face up cards and assemble all the same way.
At this point you tell all that you are going to attempt the hardest part of the little puzzle, and to prove that what they see happen really doesn’t happen at all. During this bit of candid (?) oratory the cards, squared in the left hand, are given an upward bend. Now go through the first procedure, square and put behind the back. The cards are in two back to back groups, and, thanks to the upward bend, a bridge is now formed between the two sections. It is easily felt while the cards are out of sight.
The cards are cut at that point, one half turned against the other, and when brought to the front the cards are spread to show them all facing one way. And there’s your little interlude between trix, with only one move that isn’t in the open and that is done naturally, and safely, behind the back. Nobody, I suppose, will fall over himself rushing to be the first one to do it, but it has proven itself to be a cute thing to know and have on tap for the right time.
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