The "You Spell It Yourself" Feat
Annemann

Here is a really new and different version of a spelling trick wherein the performer apparently does nothing but direct the spectator. Your audience will afterwards swear that you have never touched a thing. The misdirection is perfect. At the finish, everything is left in their hands with no chance of any trickery being found.

Two packs of cards are used although only one is in evidence at any time. Follow the slight preparation carefully, and you will readily understand what a really subtle principle is involved.

We shall call them pack No. 1 and pack No. 2. From pack No. 1, take the following cards, and arrange in order from back to face:-

ACE OF CLUBS SIX OF HEARTS JACK OF SPADES EIGHT OF HEARTS

NINE OF DIAMONDS QUEEN OF DIAMONDS TEN OF CLUBS ACE OF SPADES

KING OF HEARTS SEVEN OF SPADES FOUR OF DIAMONDS EIGHT OF DIAMONDS

Now, these place on top of pack, and between each of these cards, place any other card from deck. Thus, these cards lie at EVEN NUMBERS down from top, as far as 24.

These 12 arranged cards are to be known as set No. 1 of six cards beginning with the ACE OF CLUBS--and set No. 2 of six cards beginning with the TEN OF CLUBS.

This arranged pack is now placed on table.

It is understood that any number from 12 down will be in the first set and over 12 to and including 24 is in the 2nd set.

The deck No. 2 is arranged by taking out the above 12 cards IN THE SAME ORDER and placing on TOP of deck. On top of these are placed ANY NINE OTHER CARDS. This deck is placed in the left side coat pocket, LAYING ON ITS SIDE. You are now ready.

Take deck from table. False shuffle if desired. State that you will have a card selected, but BY THE SPECTATOR HIMSELF and that you will do nothing through the test. Hand him the deck and ask him to call out the first number he thinks of up to 25. He does so and you turn your back, asking him to count down and look at a card. BUT--if he names an EVEN NUMBER, you tell him to count down and look at the card AT THAT NUMBER. If he names an ODD NUMBER, you just tell him to count off that number of cards. When he has done so, ask him to look at and remember the NEXT CARD.

So no matter whet number he names, he must arrive at ONE OF THE 12 VITAL CARDS.

If he has named 12 or below--you know it is in Set No. 1. If OVER 12, you know it is in Set No. 2. You remember this for later use. You do not know the exact name of his card, and never do until the last part of the effect.

When he has looked at his card, tell him to shuffle it into the deck well, and to remember that no one knows the card he has looked at. Also that no one knows WHERE it lies in the pack that he is shuffling.

Turning back to him, you take deck and explain: you want him to put the cards in his pocket, name his card for the first time, and then remove ONE CARD AT A TIME as he spells its name. As the performer explains this--he drops deck in his left coat pocket, STANDING IT ON END SO AS NOT TO MIX WITH THE OTHER CARDS (as shown in FIG. No. 6). Then as he explains about the spectator's bringing cards out singly as the spectator spells, he illustrates by bringing out, one at a time, SIX cards from the top of the other pack No, 2. (Spelling out six letters of a card like "F-O-U-R-O-F" etc.) With these SIX cards in hand, performer brings out deck, it being apparently the same deck as before in use. Now--

If the number named was in the 1st set (that is, if his number was under 12)--these six cards are replaced on TOP OF DECK --and then deck handed to spectator.

If the number named was in 2nd set (over 12)--the six cards are placed on BOTTOM--and then deck is handed to spectator.

So far as the performer is concerned, the trick is now over, although EVEN NOW HE DOESN'T KNOW THE NAME OF THE SELECTED CARD! The spectator puts deck into his pocket, and now FOR THE FIRST TIME NAMES HIS CARD!

When he names it, the performer asks him directly if any one could have known the card he was thinking of before. Also the performer relates that after noting a card with freedom of choice, the spectator thoroughly SHUFFLED the cards, and now has the deck in his pocket where no one can tamper with it, This helps work up the climax and brings out the "impossible points."

The spectator now spells his card's name, letter for letter, and brings out a card at a time from off deck in pocket. On the last letter, the performer asks him to hold the card high up AND IT WILL BE THE NOTED CARD!

From the audience viewpoint, a miracle has happened, because from their knowledge, only one deck has been in use. To their minds, only the spectator has handled the pack, the spectator apparently had FREE CHOICE of 25 cards (although this subtle principle of "alternating" has lowered that freedom to 12 cards) and the spectator also freely and thoroughly shuffled the cards after the selection. The performer actually never sees the face of a card throughout the test and YET IT WORKS.

Arrange the cards as above--and try it out alone first. Most important is the fact that, at the finish, the SPECTATOR HAS THE DECK (which he can keep and examine) and find nothing wrong in any way with the pack!!