No Title At All

I haven't the time to figure out suitable titles. The effect is what counts. And this is one that will puzzle not a few wise ones.

Make up a 52-card deck with two sets of 26 cards all alike and stack the deck with them alternately throughout, first one and then the other. Cut deck several times and then lay face down on table after noting bottom card so that you know what is on top. We shall say 3S and 6H repeated through deck. Now ask someone to step up and cut the deck into two piles, that is, cut off a portion; he then takes up the top card of lower half and notes it. Another person steps up and takes the next card and notes it. Now have second person replace his and then first person who puts top half of deck back on cards and squares them, and gives deck several cuts.

Now you know the two cards that they have looked at but you don't know which is which, so try this subtle way: Say that if the two cards are of opposite colors, the red must be found before the black and if the same color, the highest card must be found first. Ask which gentleman is first and thus you know he must have the red card, or the 6H! Simple? You are holding deck which you false shuffle and cut several times until a black card is on bottom which tells you the red card is on top and every odd card through deck.

Start dealing a card at a time onto table face down (of course) and count them to yourself. You have told man (who had red card) to stop you at any time after you dealt a card. Now when he stops you, if you have just dealt an odd numbered card, step back and ask him to turn over the card he stopped you at. It will be his card! But if you have just dealt an even-numbered card, just take off the next card, holding it with back towards him, and when he names his card, show him it is the one! Thus you get him either way!

in other words, you must turn over any odd card through deck to be his.

Now in picking up the cards on table, if the odd card is on the pile on table, after it is acknowledged and replaced, pick up the dealt packet and drop on top of your deck and the order is the same. But if you show the correct card from top of deck, after acknowledgement drop it on top of pile on table, pick up pile and deposit on top of deck.

Now the deck is in readiness to discover the second card. Hand deck to second man and ask him to name any number from one to twenty-five. When he names it, if it is an even number tell him to deal off that many cards, and when he does tell him to turn over the card at that number and it is his! if his number named is odd, tell him to count off that many cards and to look at the next one! You have him either way because his card is every even numbered card from top. And there you are. I can only say try it on someone, magician or not, and see what you think of it then and only then.