Once again I introduce an effect that has been tested under fire and which has proven a good item for small club and close-up programs. It uses one of my favorite subterfuges – that of introducing an odd card into a borrowed deck – than which there is no other principle more intriguing at the moment.
Asking two members of the audience to assist, you have one on each side and announce a most baffling problem with the borrowed deck. With the cards face up you deal them onto the spectator’s hands, the man to your right getting the black cards, and the man on your left getting the reds. You ask if everything has been fair to date and receive an affirmative reply from both. The packet of red cards is now given a shuffle with faces towards the audience, and encircled with a rubber band, the left hand spectator holding them thereon. The man on the right is now asked to say ‘stop’ as you riffle the black packet, and note (as well as remember) the card stopped at. This packet is also secured with another band and given him to hold. Mystic words are said, passes are made and everyone holds their breath. The right hand man is told to look through his packet and remove his card. It is gone! The left hand man is now told to look at his cards and see whether or not there is a black one among the reds. There is! The first man names his card. The second man shows the black stranger. Climax!
Nice? I think so because it has always been received very well.
Borrowing the deck for this trick makes it a practical drawing room and club number. In the latter places, have the secretary, president, etc., or from whom you obtain the deck, act as one of the assistants to emphasize this point.
Besides yourself an extra card is necessary. It may be of any back design. I always carry four cards about with me. Two are of bridge size with red and blue backs, and the other two are of regular size, also with red and blue backs. Thus it is possible to match a deck in size and general color. This extra card is a ‘short’ but made with a trimmed corner or a concave trim at the center of the ends. Straight across shorts are not practical as I have said at length before.
Palm it onto the top or back of the deck you have borrowed. Keep the deck face up, and fanning them through, locate and pass to the face of the deck the genuine duplicate of this extra card. I forgot to say that the extra card should be a small black spot card. It shows up better and the contrast among the reds is greater. Consider it said.
Have the spectators up and standing on each side. Their hands outstretched, you deal the cards from the face out pack, the reds to the left and the blacks to the right. After the first and until the last they can be dealt in bunches, but the man on the right gets the black packet with the genuine card at the back and the fake duplicate at the face. They both admit that everything has been fair. You take the two packets from them, one in each hand. The right black packet is in the right hand, ends between the thumb and second finger with backs up. The left red packet is face down on the left hand. You ask the left hand person which color packet you shall use. At the same time you tap the right hand packet’s side onto the back of the left packet, and the left fingers come up around the back of the packet and top slip the card off onto the back of the left packet.
The spectator names a color. It doesn’t matter. If he says “Red” you hand the black packet back for the moment and with the faces of the red cards to front, overhand shuffle about half and drop the rest on top (or face) all of which brings the genuine black card to about center. Take a rubber band from your right trouser pocket, snap it around the packet and give him to hold.
If the spectator says “Black”, say that you will have a card chosen from this selected packet but first you will have the red ones secured and then proceed in exactly the same manner. Now take the black packet again. At the face of this packet is the fake duplicate. Cut the deck bringing this locator card near the center and turn the packet face up.
Riffle the front end from bottom to top and have the right hand spectator say “Stop” at any time. It is simple to riffle this packet through quickly several times as you say this and whenever he says “Stop” you riffle to the short and stop. Thus the fake duplicate is looking up and staring him in the face. He remembers it (we hope). The deck closes and it is turned face down. The right thumb riffles up the end nearest to the performer until the short card drops again and the deck is cut, the right hand masking the back of the fake duplicate now on top.
At this time however, you are talking about the card that has just been noted in the black packet and you ask the man with the red packet if anyone has been near him. He says “No”. At this time you palm the top card of your packet to your pocket as you reach for the second rubber band. Secure the black packet and give it to the right hand man. The effect is done as far as mechanics are concerned.
Reread the description for the finish and the deck is returned to the host or hostess with thanks.
Leave a Reply