CARD TRICKS by John Robertson Copyright with the Publishers First Edition 1982 Printed end Published by BOOK LAND *\£ Greater Kailash, Main Market, New Delhi-110048. P.O. Box 9820, Bandra, Bombay-400050. CONTENTS Page .. An elementary trick ... ... ... 3 "Patter" ... .. ... ............... 7 Finding a "chosen" card (various methods) ... 9 Revealing a discovered card (various methods) 12 To name a "chosen" card without seeing it ... 17 To name any number of cards in succession ... 18 To tell whether a packet of cards is odd or even in . number ........................ ... ... ... 19v To place four Kings in different parts of the pack, and bring them together by a single cut ... 20 The' ruffle" ................. .... ... 21 A simple "false ruffle" ... .. ... 21 To change two cards whilst they ?re held by ..’ spectator ... .. .. .. 22 To "vanish" a card from the pack, and make it .appear in some one's pocket ... .. 24v To name cards thought of by four different persons 26 To name several groups of cards thought of by sseveral persons ... -,if. :>t . 27' Other systems of finding cards "thought of" . 30 ’ To tell which of four cards has been turned round in your absence .. ... 31 "Inseparable families" trick ... .. 32 To name four cards cut by a member of the audience ... .. ..35' Find a certain card by touch inside a person's pocket ... ... ... 37 CONTENTS PAGE Catch chosen cards from a shower of cards 38 Forcing pack ... 41 B’xsaauta pack (and how to make such a pack) 43 Substituting for genuine pack .. 48 The torn card trick 50 Attraction of money: a trick with biseaute cards 51 Any number of Kings: a finale with thejorcing pack 54 Special "changing" cards, and how to use them 55 False shuffle (five methods) ... 62 The false cut .. ... ... 67 Palming ... 68 Change (various methods) ... ... 70 Pass (two-handed) ... 75 Pass (single-handed) ... 77 Bridge ... .. 81 Forcing ... 81 Obedient aces 84 Walking card ... 89 Dealing oneself all trumps ... 91 Invisible changing cards ... 92 CHAPTER I EFECTIVE TRICKS WHICH REQUIRES NO SLEIGHT-OF-HAND THESE tricks may be performed with any ordinary pack of cards. But if you are desirous of ultimately acquiring skill in sleight-of-hand, it is best to make it a rule to use a pack smaller than the ordinary English pack. The Continental kind are the most useful size; failing these, an American pack (these are usually slightly smaller than the English) will do. A "stripped" or "picquet" pack (i.e., with the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes removed) is the handiest to work with. As an elementary exercise, practice the following : Take the pack in both hands, as shown in Fig. 1, and secretly draw down the bottom 3 card. The suit and value of this card you may easily know by having glanced at it during your opening ''patter*' with reference to the trick. Then, with the backs of the cards towards your audience (real or imaginary, for the purpose of this exercise), draw the top cards back in series of steps. Ask the audience to stop you at any particular place. When so stopped, draw of completely the cards you have pulled back, and with them the bottom card, already known to you. This card will appear to be one at which you were requested to stop, and, holding its face towards the audience, you should ask them to note what it is. FIG.l. 4 So far, you will say, there is nothing in it. True, this simple process will impress but few if you let it remain at that. But now you have "forced" the card (for that is what you have really done) you must proceed to make your audience forget all about your method of doing it. Act as though this is a mere preliminary to the trick, request several persons to shuffle the pack, and so on. Then deal out the cards face upwards in rows on the table, as though in accordance with some system, nothing where the forced card falls. Collect the pack, picking them so that the forced card is on the top, back upwards. This you may easily do without attracting attention if you but act carelessly and converse the while. FiG. 2. 5 Now take the pack firmly in the right hand between fingers and thumb, as shown in Fig. 2, having previously moistend the fingers, but not the thumb. Announce to your audience that you will now produce the chosen card, which you have found by means of your secret mathmetical system, and which, you remind them, you did not see when it was chosen and noted. Gripping the pack firmly in the manner indicated, and holding the face of the bottom card towards the audience, give the whole a sharp downward jerk sufficient to cause it to fly out of your hand. All the cards will fall to the ground with the exception of the last, which will be retained by your moistened fingers and your thumb, which will close down on it. Unless your audience have had much pre­ vious experience, they will be greatly impressed by seeing the card in which they noted suddenly starting them in the face, after having been shuffled so well by themselves. 6