The Card that Finds Itself

The feat to which the originator, Mr. Carlyle, has applied this title, is a fine addition to the list of tricks that can be done offhand with any deck. The effect is that a card is freely chosen,, replaced and the pack shuffled. Another card is found reversed in the deck and the selected card is located at the position indicated by the number of its spots.

The method is simple and well covered. After having the pack shuffled by a spectator, under cover of squaring the cards, pull the top card to the bottom, reversing it in the process, and sight its top index by pulling it a little to the left. With an overhand shuffle run cards to the bottom, one less than the number indicated by the value of the card. Thus if the card is a seven you run six, and so on; for the court cards, jack, queen and king take the values at eleven, twelve and thirteen.

Spread the pack and allow a free selection from the cards above the reversed card, which you are careful not to expose. As the spectator notes his card, execute the Hindu shuffle, but in the first movement pull out the cards above the reversed card so that the shuffle does not disturb the set-up packet on the bottom. This is merely a blind, helping to convince the spectator that the cards are really mixed. Repeat the shuffle, this time drawing out all the cards below the top packet, telling the spectator to call "Stop" whenever he wishes to replace his card.

Stop the shuffle at the point indicated, have the card replaced and drop the balance of the deck on it, thus bringing the set-up packet immediately above it. Square the cards very openly and hand the deck to the spectator. Name the card reversed as being your indicator card and order it to reverse itself at the position above the chosen card that is indicated by its value. The deck is spread, the reversed card revealed and below it at the indicated position is the chosen card.