~Magic Utilizing Double-Faced Cards~
Contents
THIS particular principle has not received the attention it deserves from modern card men. Apart from the trick of passing four K's from a hat back to the pack, and vice versa, which was handed down by Hoffmann from prehistoric times of magic, there are but few tricks with double-faced cards ever seen nowadays. Most of the following are due to the ingenuity of Mr. U. F. Grant, the well-known magician and magic dealer. For higher flights of magic to which double-faced cards may be applied the student is strongly advised to study Hofzinser's Card Conjuring, translated by S. H. Sharpe.
Hat And Card Change
GrantREQUIRED. a double-faced card, say AH-KD. Put this on the bottom of a regular pack showing the AH face, next to it place the unprepared KD and in the middle of the pack, reversed, put the AH.
Begin by taking off the two bottom cards, showing their faces and drop them into the hat. Remove the double-faced card as the KD and vanish by means of a card box, by melting it in a glass of water, or any other way you fancy. Then show that the KD has returned to the hat while the AH has left it and is now reversed in the pack.
The Funny Pack
GrantIN YOUR upper left waistcoat pocket have a blank card, playing-card size, and in right trousers pocket a double-faced card, AH-KD for instance. Borrow a pack and palm the fake card on to it, AH face to show with the other faces. Run through the faces and show there are two AH. Turn the pack over and run over the backs, showing the KD face up, i.e. the faked card. Take this out and in pretending to put it in your waistcoat pocket, palm it and pull up the blank card already in the pocket just enough to show the white edge.
Finally have the pack examined, it is quite regular with one AH and one KD. Take out the card from your waistcoat and show it is simply a blank visiting card.
U Can't Do As I Do
GrantFAN out five cards face up, a double-faced card being placed second from the right-hand end. Hand a spectator any five cards and tell him to do exactly what you do. Close the cards together faces up. Put the top card on the bottom of the packet face down; top card to bottom face up; top card to bottom face down. Spread your cards and show three cards face up, two cards backs up. Spectator spreads his and they are in the same position. Compliment him. Close up the packets again. Place the top card on the bottom face down; turn the top card face down; turn the cards over and spread them-yours are all face up while the spectator's cards show one card reversed.
Again the spectator does exactly the same as you and again he has one card face down while yours are all face up.
The Spotter Cards
GrantPLACE a double-faced card, say a 7-5, fifth from the bottom of the regular pack, with the 5 side to show amongst the backs of the other cards. Riffle shuffle without altering the bottom packet and not exposing the fake card. Fan the cards face up to show them well mixed and have one freely chosen. The card is noted and then placed on the top of the pack and buried by one complete cut.
Order a card to reverse itself in the pack to indicate the position of the chosen card. Spread the cards and show the reversed card, i.e. the 5-spot side of the fake card. Count down five cards and show the selected card. In the same way you can spell the spectator's name to find his card.
SundryA DOUBLE-FACED card may be used in the 'Rising Card Trick', with the wrong face showing as it comes up. It is then changed to the right card by pressing the hand over it, that is by turning it round under cover of the hand.
A double-spot card, say a 5-7 may be shown as a 7 first and then changed to the right card by apparently rubbing two spots off, simply by turning the card under cover.
The Four AcesTHE plot of the trick is the usual one. Four A's are placed on a table and three indifferent cards put on each. One pile is chosen, the A's vanish from the other three piles and all four are found in the pile selected. The use of double-faced cards makes the trick easy to work and very convincing.
Three special cards are required; double-faced A's of H, C and D, which show indifferent cards on the backs. To prepare the pack; turn it face upwards and put the double cards at intervals near the bottom with the A sides showing. Next place the regular AS between the second and third fake A's. The other three A's of the pack must lie seventh, eighth and ninth from the top.
Begin by turning the pack face up and remove four A's (three faked ones and the regular AS), and lay them face up on the table with the AS as the third card in the row. Be careful not to expose the lower side of the faked cards but you may flash the back of the real AS. From the top of the pack take off three cards, show the faces casually and put them face down on the first A. Take the next three cards, again give a slight flash of their faces and drop them on the second A. The next three cards, the three real A's, you take off and drop on the AS. Without showing the faces, and finally, take three more cards and drop them on the last A.
The third pile must now be forced. You may either use the old method of having the two piles touched, and then one pile-using the old take or leave equivoque--or you may ask for a number between one and four to be named. This leaves two and three the only possible numbers, either of which brings you to the required pile according to which end you begin the count from. In any case pile No. 3 is placed aside.
You order the A's to pass to the chosen heap with whatever hocus pocus you may affect. Pick up the first pile with your right hand, the three top cards face down and the fake A up. Raise the hand, push the top card off and throw it face up on the table with a quick turn of the wrist. Raise the hand again but this time push out the fake A with the fingers and throw it A side down on top of the first card. Continue without hesitation by throwing the next card as you did the first, One card, an indifferent one, remains in your hand; turn it face upwards quickly, snap it with your fingers, showing it freely and drop it on the others. The A has vanished.
Proceed in exactly the same way with the other two piles, but vary the throw of the fake card with each pile. It is advisable to throw the cards all in one heap and drop the pack face up on them after the throw of the last card.
Finally turn the chosen pile face up and show the four A's.
Kings And AcesFOUR double-faced cards--K's on one side, A's on the other-are required. Place these cards in different parts of the pack but nearer the bottom than the top, with the A's showing with the faces of the other cards. Put the four genuine A's on the top of the pack.
Thus prepared, show the pack face upwards. Remark that you will use the four K's and the four A's and take out the real K's and the prepared A's, laying them down face upwards. As you draw attention to these cards make the half-pass, facing the pack, and bringing the four genuine A's to the lower end of it. Very openly put the four K's on the top of the pack one by one. Put the pack down. Borrow a hat. Take the four A's (the double-faced cards) show them again and put them on the table, covering them with the hat and turning them over in so doing. Pick up the pack, take off the four K's and show them once more, then replace them on the pack.
Order the cards to change places. Holding the pack in your left hand drop the hand to your side as you make a sweeping gesture towards the hat with your right hand. Bring your left hand up with its back upwards, the pack will be turned. Take off the four A's and show them, then lift the hat and display the four K's.
Under cover of this surprise right the pack, bringing the four unprepared K's to the top. Put the double-faced K's on top for a second but immediately palm them off in your right hand. With that hand pick up the A's and offer them and the pack for examination.
The Triangle Trick
DevantBY WAY of showing the higher flights to which the use of double cards may be put, a detailed description and explanation of this trick devised by David Devant, the great English magician, follows:
Having invited a gentleman to occupy a chair facing the audience the performer begins by calling attention to a complete pack of cards displayed on a blackboard on an easel and also to a quantity of wide ribbon. He removes the two top rows of cards, half the pack, drops them face downwards on a tray and asks the spectator to take them, cut the pack and put the halves together face to face and then to twist the center part of the ribbon several times around the cards. He then gives the two ends of the ribbon to two ladies seated at the extreme right and left of the front row, forming as he explains 'The Triangle' of which the spectator is the Apex. He removes the other half of the cards from the easel and puts them face up on the tray.
Each of the ladies is then asked to mentally select one card. This done he gathers up the cards and asks each lady to hold the packet in turn at the end of their ribbon and to wish the card thought of to leave the packet and go to the gentleman's at the Apex. The ladies name their cards, the packet is spread out and the cards are no longer in it. The spectator unwinds the ribbon from his packet and in it he finds the two cards mentally selected.
Method. A prepared pack, several yards of wide ribbon, an easel with a blackboard having four thin strips across it to hold the cards, a tray and a chair are required.
One half of the pack consists of double-faced cards, the cards on the backs being duplicates of the unprepared half of the pack. The cards are placed on the easel so that the two top rows are the ordinary cards, the two bottom rows are the double-faced cards. They overlap a little so that they can be picked up quickly. The performer takes off the two top rows, which the spectator puts into a faced packet and then winds the center part of the ribbon round it. The two ends of the ribbon are handed to the two ladies. He takes the two remaining rows from the easel and secretly turns them over in getting the tray, thus bringing the duplicates of the cards wrapped in ribbon into view. Each lady in turn is asked to merely think of one of these cards. He gathers up the cards, has each lady hold them to her end of the ribbon and as the cards are named he secretly turns the packet again. Naturally the two cards are no longer to be seen. Since duplicates of these cards have been in the packet wrapped in the ribbon all the time, the spectator on the stage finds them and the trick is brought to a successful end. In the meantime the performer has had ample opportunity to drop the double-faced cards into his pocket and bring out the twenty-six cards necessary to make up a complete pack. This he hands to the spectator for inspection.
Double Reverse
LarsenREQUIRED. A double-faced card, one face representing say, a JC, the other the 10H. Place this card second from the bottom of the pack and the J and 10 to match on the top. Force these two cards. Fan the upper portion of the pack and have the two forced cards replaced, faces down, and in different places. Cut the pack somewhere underneath the lower of the two cards so that neither can show up at the bottom. Order one of the two cards to turn over; fan the cards and the double-card is revealed showing say the JC side. Take it out with your right hand, holding it with the J side upwards and being careful not to expose the lower side. Turn the pack face up on it and again cut the pack. If you now turn the cards face down and spread them, the 10H side is revealed and the second card has apparently reversed itself.
New Card Monte
GrantBEFOREHAND place in your right trousers pocket a double-faced card, AH-KD.
To begin the trick openly take from an unprepared pack the AH and the KD and place in spectator's side coat pocket. Remove the AH and put it in your right side trousers pocket under the KD side of the double-faced card. Ask the spectator which card is left in his pocket. 'The KD,' he replies. 'Correct,' you say and bring out the double card, the AH side showing. Put this card in his pocket as the AH, turn it and bring it out as the KD, putting it back in your trousers pocket.
Ask him which card is now in his pocket and he naturally says, 'The AH.' Bring the AH from your pocket and throw it on the table. He finds the KD in his pocket. The two cards are perfectly ordinary and the double card remains snugly in your pocket.
A Book Test
GrantIN AN ordinary pack reverse the AH somewhere near the middle between two spot cards, say a 5 and a 7. On the bottom of the pack you have a double-faced card with the AH side showing. Note beforehand and memorize the seventh word on the fifth page of a magazine or book that you have at hand.
To present the feat turn the pack over and remove the bottom card face up as the AH. Turn the pack face down and have this AH thrust into it face up, being careful that no one gets a glimpse of the other side. Now spread the pack and show the reversed card, the only back that shows, between the 5-spot and the 7-spot, turn the card and show it is the AH. Say that the 5-spot represents the page and the 7-spot the word which is to be read by psychic vision. Hand out the book or magazine to a spectator and proceed to get the memorized word in the usual hesitating fashion.
A Changing Card
GrantA DOUBLE-FACED card, say AH-KD, is placed second from the bottom in an ordinary pack, with the KD side as the back of the card and the real AH on the bottom of the pack.
Thus prepared, execute a riffle shuffle, leaving the two bottom cards as they were. Make the Hindu shuffle, asking anyone to call 'Stop' whenever the spirit moves him. At the word, lift up the packet in your right hand and show the AH. This force is quite convincing to laymen, as it appears that you have stopped at some indifferent card on command. Drop the packet on that in your left hand and order the AH to turn over. Spread the cards and the KD side of the double-faced card shows. Something has evidently gone wrong so you take out this KD, keeping it face up and cut at that point thus secretly bringing the AH to the top of the pack. Take out any two cards and put them face to face with the KD face up between them. Snap a rubber band round the three cards, turning them over in the process.
Order the recalcitrant AH to appear face up between the two cards and the KD to return to the pack. Remove the rubber band, the AH is between t them face up. Pick up the pack in your left hand and throw out the two unprepared cards to be examined. Make the bottom change, taking the unprepared AH from the top of the pack and throw it down.
Palm the double card from the bottom in your left hand and spread the pack face up showing the unprepared KD amongst the other cards. Pocket the double card.
The Improved Burned Card
After AnnemannON THE bottom of a regular pack you have the AH and next to it a double-faced card, AH-KD with the KD side showing.
To begin, fan the pack and casually show the faces, keeping the AH at the bottom covered with your hand. Make the Hindu shuffle and force the AH as in the preceding trick. Put the two packets together and order the AH to turn over in the middle.
Spread the cards and show the AH side of the double-faced card. Remove it, keeping it face up and cut the pack at the point, bringing the real AH to the top. Place the double-faced card in an envelope, handling it always AH side up. Burn the envelope and the card and as they bum secretly reverse the AH on the top of the pack and pass it to the middle. Finally spread the pack on the table face up. One card is reversed in the middle. Turn it up and show the AH resurrected Phoenix-like from the flames.
A Spirit Message
GrantREQUIRED is a double-faced card which has both faces representing the same card. On one side write any message which may be appropriate to the occasion. Place this card in an ordinary pack, the unwritten side showing with the faces of the rest of the cards.
Remove this card and two others showing the faces of all three plainly. Snap a rubber band round the three and in the process turn the packet over. Call the spirits into communion and finally reveal the message.
A Transposition
GrantON THE bottom of regular pack place the KD, and next to it a double-faced card, AH-KD, with the KD side showing.
Borrow a hat, show the two bottom cards and drop them from the pack into a hat, but awkwardly and visibly let another card fall also. Remove the double-faced card as the KD and place it in a glass, covering it with a handkerchief and give the glass a half turn as you move it away. Order the two cards to change over and take the KD from the hat, uncover the glass and show the AH. When challenged about the third card, bring out an ordinary card, or you may use one with STUNG on it.