UNPREPARED CARDS: 1--20
1. THE CLASSICAL FORCE. The pack having been shuffled by a spectator, is returned to performer who takes it in right hand, at the same time casually pulling up left sleeve followed by the left hand pulling up right sleeve. When right hand with deck pulled up left sleeve, the bottom card 'of deck was easily spotted. Asking the party if they are satisfied, a pass is made and card brought to about two-thirds down in pack. A slight break is held at this spot. The thumb of left hand now runs the cards of the upper portion, fanwise, over into the right hand, the person being, at the same time, invited to take one. When about half of the upper portion has been passed, a card, NOT THE ONE TO BE FORCED, is pushed temptingly forward. The person may be inclined to take it--whether he is so inclined or not, the performer draws it back, with the remark, "Oh! not necessarily that one." This gives him confidence, and the performer continues to pass the cards over to the right hand, spreading them nicely fanwise, until he reaches the one to be forced, which he exposes a little more than usual, then continues, "Just take any one you please." It will, of course, be understood that the action must be timed, as near as possible, to meet the hand, as it is raised to draw a card.
2. COUNTING METHOD. Have the card to be forced fourth from the top of pack. Now ask someone to name any number under twenty. Suppose eleven be the number named. Count cards face downwards on table quickly, and having dealt fourteen, stop and exclaim, "Oh! I'm sorry, what was your number?" Upon being informed that eleven was the number desired, replace the fourteen cards on top and hand deck to person in question, saying, "Perhaps you had better count them so there will be no mistake. Count down in the pack and take out the eleventh card." The eleventh card will be the forced one.
3. CARD IN GLASS. What I think is an original method of forcing one card is to use a well known magical appliance, the mirror glass. The card to be forced has been placed face out in the back compartment. The empty side of the glass is towards the front. The deck may be shuffled by anyone and is spread face down on table for a selection. Performer simply takes the card pointed to freely, and without showing it to anyone it is placed back outward in the glass. Later, when it is time to show and announce the card previously selected, the glass is merely turned around and the face of the card (?) seen. This card is removed and the glass is again apparently empty.
4. An ambiguous form of questioning can be made use of when the performer wishes to have a selection made of one of two piles in hand, or one of two deck, or practically anything else of which there are two. He merely asks, "Which of these shall we use?" No matter which is named, he may either keep it for himself or give it to the spectator, whichever course is necessary.
5. The card to be forced is on the bottom of deck. The cards are run from left to right in the usual manner, but the action is started while approaching the audience so as to give time for the following maneuver: With the second and third fingers of the left and right hand work the bottom card over toward right side. The cards are still run from left to right passing above the chosen card. Ask someone in the audience to indicate his choice by touching the card desired. When it is indicated lift up this card with all the cards above it and as the pack is squared up the forced card slips in from below. A clever form of misdirection is to tell the person after he has touched one card that in order to demonstrate to him that you are not forcing a card upon him, you will let him keep his first choice or make another. Of course, it makes no difference at all.
6. In this method the card to be forced is placed about fifteenth from top of pack. Cards are held in the left hand and the little finger makes a break directly beneath the known card. A flat dinner knife is handed to the spectator who is asked to insert it anywhere be may please, while the performer slowly riffles the pack. It is only necessary that the knife enter the pack below the chosen card and fairly near to it. The top fifteen cards are now pushed forward onto the blade, pack being tilted slightly downward. Performer grips the knife with right hand and the fifteen cards, the lowest of which is the known card, are pushed well forward and slightly raised. The spectator is asked to note this card, which appears to be the one he has cut.
7. In this method a few top cards are prearranged. Three cards of one number (say five) are placed on the top of the deck and the card to be forced then placed at eight from the top. The pack is false shuffled, keeping the top eight cards in place. The three top cards are then dealt onto table in a row and one selected while face down: This one is turned over and the spectator handed deck to count down and remove the fifth card, which is the right one.
8. A simple yet effective force is to have the card on the bottom of the deck. After a shuffle which leaves it still there, the deck is placed behind the back and performer asks spectator to cut off any number of cards in a bunch. Immediately this is done, the performer swings around and asks the spectator if he knows bow many cards he cut. The answer is "No" of course, and the performer states that he cannot possibly know either. He asks the spectator to take the next card from the deck and to keep it. The card has been forced by simply bringing it from bottom to top of packet when talking to spectator. During this interval the hands were out of sight and the work done.
9. One, two or three cards may be forced in succession in a clean cut manner as follows: The three cards are previously placed in the inside coat pocket. The deck is shuffled and then openly placed in pocket so that the three cards are on bottom. Now three spectators are asked to name a number from one to twenty. The numbers named, the performer brings out a card at a time, and each time a chosen number is arrived at that card is given to the spectator.
The performer merely takes the card at this point from the bottom while the others come from the top.
The following five methods are not 100% perfect methods. I've used them all many times and will merely say that they will work the greater number of times because of the sensible psychological principles. I would never use such an effect on a paying date unless set to back it up in case of failure. Many times a selection may be offered in one of these ways and if it works, it is a great thing. If, however, another card is picked, it is possible to go into another effect and there is no failure to record. When one of such things work, it is talked about; and when it doesn't it is covered.
10. What is known as the "bridge" makes possible a neat cutting force. The card is on bottom of deck. Cutting same about center, the lower half, which is to be placed on top, is given a simple bend (concave) at the ends. Spectator is asked to cut deck somewhere and look at face card of cut. If cut is made at sides, this will work time after time, as the slight break at sides will cause upper half to be lifted off by a quick cut. By bending the sides, the bridge can be placed at ends for an end cut. Previous cutting by the spectator will give you this information. Most cuts are at sides.
11. This is purely psychological but a wonder when it works. A new deck is opened and of course the cards are in numerical order with the suits separated. Start fanning it towards right with faces toward you, and about fifteen cards in remove a red card near the end of the suit and move it five or six further on so that it comes second or third in the following black cards. Put deck into case. Hand new deck to person, ask them to open and fan cards through slowly and to think of a card as they pass by. Then they are to shuffle deck. The reaction of the person is easy to figure. They are running through a new deck symmetrically arranged and suddenly they notice one card out of line, and apparently packed that way.
12. There is an old effect wherein three cards are returned to the deck and it is place in the spectator's pocket. At command, the spectator reaches in and draws out a card. Three times in a row he draws out one of the selected cards. This depends upon the fact that such an action causes the spectator to draw a card from the top of the deck, or outside of same as it lays in side pocket. The faster you make spectator work, the surer it is. There is no reason for this not being used for a single or double card force where they are on top of deck to start with. Shuffle and leave them there. Put deck in his pocket, have him quickly draw out a card. Then another. While he may know himself that they came from the top, no one else does, and he won't think of it himself because of the shuffle.
13. Place a short card near center of the deck. Card to be forced mentally is above it. Hold deck straight up in front of spectator. With first or second right fingers riffle top of deck from face to back, smoothly and without a stop. Ask spectator to note cards and to think of one that he sees. Practice before a mirror to get speed. The short card will click by and the following card will register on the spectator when the rest of the deck is a slow blur. Don't try to stop at the card but let it work itself. It will seem impossible at times that a card will show up in this way but try it before several people before you judge.
14. This psychological force depends upon the address of the performer. It works nine times out of ten and the spectator is the most astonished because he had tried to trick you, but merely falls into a trap. Merely hold the deck, ask him to make his mind perfectly blank, and to think of any one of the 53 cards in the deck, and that you will try to fathom his thoughts. That's the secret. People are so accustomed to thinking of a deck as 52 cards that when 53 is mentioned off hand, it never fails to register. Immediately it brings the Joker to their mind, and your insistence that you will read their mind or reveal the card makes them want to fool you.
15. A stranger is handed the deck and sent to a far comer. He is asked to run through the cards slowly and when he comes to one that impresses him as being different than the others, one that stands out from the rest, he is to pick it out and put it into his pocket. I call this more of a good natured force. You have turned the card over about fifteen from face of deck. Pick someone who has helped you and is a good natured person. Read over the above and you will see bow this leads the spectator without previous coaching. I use this a lot to start another effect and when it works I quit right there. When it doesn't I proceed by using the selected card in the main effect and none are the wiser, especially the spectator who may have seen the turned over card and refused to help you.
16. To force any two particular cards apparently at random, have a faked card with a back on both sides to match the deck used. Have on top, and about twenty cards down and between the two to be forced, is any other card turned face up. False shuffle deck, take top card without showing face (?) and have spectator push it face down into the face up deck as you hold same. Turn deck down and fan it through or spread on table. There is but one face up card near middle and it is taken for the one pushed in. Take the card on either side of the reversed one and you have innocently and fairly forced both.
17. This is an old force of a pile but the addition of the third pile instead of the usual two may be new. Three piles are made and something written down. A free choice is given of any pile, but the prediction is shown to be correct. The writing says, "You will pick the seven pile." The first pile has seven cards, the second four, and the third two. The second pile is of four sevens and none can be elsewhere. The third pile adds to seven with a three and a four, and there you are. Just try and go wrong if you can.
18. A cute force for the spirit photography trick or another is with an envelope. After sealing the blank paper for a picture, or writing a prophecy and sealing, envelope is laid on top of deck in left hand while spectator initials. In lifting it off the top card to be forced is taken away from deck with it, while spectator shuffles the deck. Placed back on left hand, spectator cuts it anywhere and performer places envelope on lower half and upper half is replaced on top. Now a few minutes elapse, deck is separated at envelope and the top card of lower heap shown. Proceed with the revelation to suit. Very clean.
19. For forcing bottom card place pack in left hand, sidewise and face downwards, between the tips of the thumb and fingers, and with the second finger of right hand draw the top cards one after the other, asking someone to stop you at any time. Then draw cards completely off pack in same direction, promptly with the one indicated at the bottom of the batch. However, the thumb of the same hand, which rested at bottom of pack, has drawn out the known bottom card which has squared up and appears to be the one chosen.
20. Place a short card or a double card, two glued together, near center of pack. The card immediately above it is to be forced. By riffling the ends of the pack from face upwards, the pack always clicks and stops at the double or short card. Have spectator insert his finger in pack while doing this and time to reach break as you push deck forward to his finger. This moment's break enables him to jab finger in. Have him look at or take cut face card of upper half.