Everywhere and Nowhere

This is one of the most effective card tricks ever devised. The reason that it is so seldom seen is probably because the explanations given in the textbooks are unnecessarily complicated and give the trick the appearance of being very difficult. The moves in the routine that follows have been arranged to simplify the procedure as much as possible.

The only requirements area small stand or card easel or, failing that, three glasses, against which to stand cards for display, an ordinary deck of cards with two extra duplicate cards, two Tens of Spades for example. Any card can be used but the black suits are preferable if the feat is to be performed before a large audience since the spots stand out so much more plainly under artificial light. Let us suppose that Tens of Spades are used, place all three on top of the deck.

Begin by shuffling the deck overhand in this manner-undercut about three-quarters of the deck, injog the first card and shuffle off. Ask a spectator to draw a card, insert the tip of the left little finger below the jogged card and, spreading the pack, force one of the three Tens. This is much easier and more natural than making the pass to bring the Tens to the middle. The shuffle, being quite genuine as far as the cards actually shuffled are concerned, tends to throw the spectator off his guard and renders the force easier. In any case there should be no difficulty in forcing one of the three Tens.

As the spectator notes his card, close up the deck and insert the tip of the left little finger above the two remaining Tens. Hold the deck in right hand, fingers at the outer end, the thumb at the inner end, holding the break. As you ask the spectator to replace his card allow a few cards to drop from the bottom of the deck on to your left palm, then a few more, finally let drop. all the cards below the break and hold the left hand out to receive the chosen card which is thus returned on top of the other two Tens. Make the pass, or better, bring the Tens to the top by means of the Pass Substitute No. 1.

It is necessary now to place the Tens so that one shall be next to the bottom card, one on top of the deck and the third one third from the top. To do this the simplest way, grasp the pack with the right hand as for an overhand shuffle, press firmly on the top and bottom cards with the fingers and thumb of the left hand and lift all the cards but these two with the right hand. The top card, the first Ten, will fall on the bottom card and you drop the cards from the right hand on top of them, thus placing the first Ten next to the bottom. Do this casually, while talking, then as if having changed your mind as to the manner of shuffling, split the deck in half and riffle shuffle. Let the two lowest cards in the left hand packet fall first, then execute a genuine riffle until the top cards of the packets are reached. Hold back the top card of the left hand packet and let it fall between the two top cards of the right hand packet, i.e. between the other two Tens. The three cards are now in the position required--one on the top, one third from the top and the last next to the bottom card.

The usual patter runs to the effect that by means of a scientific system a card can be found in a shuffled deck in not more than three trials. "The most likely position," you say, "Is the top of the pack." Make a double lift and show the second card.

"Is this ..... of ..... your card?"

"No."

"Then I'll put it here on the table out of the way." Turn the two cards down, as one, take off the top card, the first Ten of Spades, and put it face down on the table or easel, or stand it upright against one of the glasses.

"The next likely position is on the bottom. Here is your card, the ..... of ..... " Say this confidently as if sure of its being right and hold the pack upright in the left hand, the bottom card facing the audience.

"What? Wrong again? Then I must put this card with the other one." Drop the left hand and by means of the Glide draw out the second Ten of Spades and put it beside the first. Now shuffle overhand by first running one card, then drop about half the deck on it, injog one card and shuffle off. The last Ten being the next card below the jogged card, make a break at that point with the right thumb at the inner end of the deck, separate the next two cards, Ten of Spades and an indifferent card, from the rest and push them forward, as one card, till they protrude from the outer end of the deck for about an inch. Turn the pack upright and with the right hand, thumb at rear and fingers in front, pull the two cards up for about three-quarters of their length above the deck. Assert now with the utmost confidence that you have succeeded.

"I have only one more chance and as my system has never failed yet this ..... of ..... simply must be your card. No again? You are sure? Pardon me, but did any one else see the chosen card? Oh, excuse me. I don't doubt you far a moment, but it is such an extraordinary thing for the trick to fail I thought you might have made a mistake. This is not your card." The more bewildered and anxious you can appear to be, the better the final effect. Drop the left hand, push the lower of the two cards flush with the pack, draw out the upper card, a Ten of Spades, and put it with the other two on the table.

"I must finish the trick somehow. You all say that not one of these cards (point to the easel or the glasses) is your card? Very well. May I ask you what was the card you chose? The Ten of Spades? Do you think it would be possible for me to make you see any one of these cards as the Ten of Spades? No? Let us try.

Which one shall I take? The middle card?"

Take that card and hold it with its back to the audience.

"Of course it isn't really a Ten of Spades, but it will appear so to you."

Wave your hands in pretended hypnotic passes, then turn the card face out.

"You all see it as the Ten of Spades? Very well, I will replace it here."

Make the bottom change in the swing towards the table and put the indifferent card down face inwards.

"You are still skeptical? Let me prove that you are all under hypnotic influence. Of these two which would you like to see as the Ten of Spades? This one? Very well."

Repeat the same business and again change the card for an indifferent one by the bottom change, placing this card down with the first.

"One card only is left. You will see this also as a Ten of Spades."

Show the card as before, but this time it must be changed by the top change. Show the card upright, holding it with fingers on top end, thumb on the lower. The left hand holds the deck close to the body about waist high, as you say: "Of course the card is not a Ten of Spades. The real Ten is here in the deck."

Drop the right hand bringing the card on top of the deck and at the same moment push the top card of the deck over to the right.

Release the Ten of Spades from the right hand and grip this top card in exactly the same way. A moment later the left thumb pulls the Ten squarely on to the pack and moves away, the right hand remaining stationary. Finally place the indifferent card with the other two.

"Let me give you further proof. You see this top card?"

Make the double lift and show an indifferent card. Name it and turn the two cards, as one, face down. Take off the top card, a Ten of Spades, and after more hypnotic passes turn its face to the spectators.

"Now you see it as the Ten of Spades." Replace it on top. Wave your hands again.

"Now look at the bottom card. It also is the Ten of Spades."

Hold the pack upright and show the Ten on the bottom. Under cover of this surprise make the pass and hold a break with the right thumb between the two packets. Show the pack upright in the right hand, bottom card facing the audience, an indifferent card is now seen to be there.

"It is all an optical illusion. The cards are not really Tens of Spades. They only appear so."

Place the pack in the left hand and slip the tip of the left little finger into the break. Lift off the top card and show it is an indifferent card now.

"But when I put you under the influence you can see the Ten of Spades only, look."

Cut the pack at the break and hold the top portion upright, a Ten of Spades again faces the audience, Insert the tip of the left little finger under the top card of the lower packet, i.e., the third Ten. Replace the top packet and make the pass, bringing the three Tens to the bottom. Riffle off the inner ends of these three cards and insert the tip of the left little finger between them and the rest of the cards, and hold the deck in position to execute the bottom palm. (Erdnase, p. 86.)

"I know exactly what you all suspect, that I have been trying to mislead you and that all the cards are Tens of Spades. I wouldn't do anything as barefaced as that for worlds. Look! This card is not a Ten."

Palm the three Tens in the left hand and at once turn the first card on the table face out. "Nor this," turn the next, "and this last one is not a Ten either" Turn it also.

"You see there is not a single Ten of Spades in the deck."

Spread the cards face up on the table with a flourish turning your right side to the audience as you do so and slipping the three palmed cards into your left trousers pocket at the same moment.

"In fact knowing that card is an unlucky one for my trick, I put it in my pocket before I began. Here it is."

Thrust your left hand into your pocket, bring out one of the three Tens and thrown it on the table.

Smoothly executed and well acted the feat has an extraordinary effect. It is one of the few card tricks suitable for performance before the largest or the smallest audiences. Paul Rosini, the Philadelphia prestidigitateur, makes a feature of the trick and in his hands it is a masterpiece.

A very good plan for displaying the three cards when performing the trick in a parlor, is to take a large thick book, stand it upright and insert the cards as shown in the illustration. This is another idea of Dr. Jack Daley's who also makes a specialty of the trick. In his hands it leaves nothing to be desired.

2. Using a Short Card

The use of a short card makes the placing of the three cards in position very easy. Put the short card on top of the pack with the three special cards following. Undercut about half the deck and shuffle overhand. Break the deck at the short and force one of the three Tens, then square the deck openly, tapping all sides on the table.

For the return of the card, break the deck above the short card so that the chosen card goes on top of it. There will now be two Tens below the short card and one above it. When you break the pack to riffle shuffle include the short card in the right hand packet and let at least two cards from this portion drop first then hold back the top card and let it fall between the two top cards of the left hand packet. The three cards are then in the required positions viz. one on top one third from the top and the last one second from the bottom.

The routine then proceeds exactly as in No. 1.

3. With a Borrowed Deck

This routine is another example of the subtle principle of the addition to a borrowed deck of strange cards, the faces only of which are seen by the audience producing thereby an extraordinary effect. Take two cards from any deck of the same value and suit as the card you propose to use for the trick, say Tens of Spades. Apply diachylon to the backs, sufficient to make them adhere to another card when pressed against it. Put one of these in your right hand trousers pocket, back outwards, and the other in your lower left vest pocket, also back outward.

Locate the Ten of Spades in the borrowed deck and force it on a spectator. Palm the top card in your right hand and, as you ask him to hold the card up for all to see it when you turn your back, place right hand into pocket and press the palmed card on the prepared one already there. Palm out the two cards as you turn away from the audience, place them on the top of the pack and square the two cards carefully. Take the second prepared Ten from your vest pocket, put it face down on the top of the pack and slip a card from the bottom on top of it. Again square the edges of the cards and press firmly on them. Be careful to keep your elbows pressed .to your sides while making these moves.

With these manufactured duplicates of the chosen card, the routine proceeds as in No. 1, up to the point at which the three cards on the table are shown as Tens of Spades. Then it is necessary to make the bottom change with the single card only. When one of the double cards is chosen exhibit it to the audience, upright, right fingers on top end and thumb on lower end. In apparently transferring it to the table take it with the left hand thumb on the back and fingers on the face card. Fig. 27.

Pull the upper card, the indifferent card, away from the right hand and' at the same time slide the lower card, the stranger Ten, into the right palm. Put the indifferent card down on the table and quietly pocket the palmed card. The second double card is treated in just the same way and the fact that the deck is not used in these apparent transformations greatly increases the effect at that stage of the trick.

The feat may be concluded by showing the Ten at the bottom of the pack, then spreading the pack to show that there are no duplicates and finally turning over the three indifferent cards on the table. Or, after showing the Ten on the bottom, side slip it to the top and show it there, then pass it to the middle by the slip cut and again exhibit it. Finally palm the Ten and produce it from your pocket as having been placed there before the experiment began.

The feat in this form when done in a parlor with cards that the spectators know you have never had an opportunity of handling before, is one of the most impressive that can possibly be performed with cards.

4. With an Ordinary Deck Without Duplicates

Several methods have been devised for doing the trick without the aid of duplicate cards, the following is, perhaps, the best. It has the advantage of dispensing with the force, since any card may be used for the effect, but mastery of the Mexican Turn Over is necessary for its presentation.

From any deck allow free choice of a card, have it replaced, bring it to the top, palm it and offer the deck to be shuffled. The expert will use his own favorite methods to accomplish these results but the neophyte is advised to use Pass Substitute No. 1, and the One Hand Top Palm, Card Manipulations No.1. Replace the palmed card on top (See: Replacing Palmed Cards.)

Pattering about the trinity of affinity, the spectator, the performer and the card, giving three chances to find the card, place the deck in your right hand outside coat pocket. Take off the two top cards, as one, and bring them out with the indifferent card showing to the audience. On being told that card is not the chosen card, place the two cards, still as one, face down on the left palm.

Bring out any other card as the second chance. This, too is wrong and you put it face down on the other two cards on your left hand. Repeat the same process for the third chance, putting the card on the others but immediately palming it off again as you square the packet prior to spreading the three remaining cards fanwise with their backs to the audience. (See Gambler's Palm.)

Remove the pack from your pocket, adding the palmed card in so doing, and put it on the table, cut and complete the curt, thus burying the card secretly returned to it. Lay the three cards face down on the table and spread them apart, the chosen card being in the middle. Suppose the middle card is now selected by a spectator, pick up one of the others and with it turn over the middle card in just the same way as when doing the Mexican Turn Over but do not make the change.

Turn the card in hand face up but hold it tilted away from the spectators so that its face is not visible to them, and with it turn the chosen card face down, this time making the change, leaving the chosen card face down in the right hand. Drop this card beside the third card and again allow a choice to be made. In the same way by means of the Mexican Turn Over each of these is shown to be the chosen card.

Take up the card and with a gesture towards the deck, make the bottom change and throw the card face down beside the other two. Finish by showing the chosen card at the bottom, then bringing it to the top by the side slip, from there to the middle by a false cut or top slip, finally palming the card. Spread the deck face up on the table and turn the three cards face up. There is no such card amongst them. Produce the chosen card from your pocket as having been placed there before you began.