Rope-It
By Bob Haskell

A selected card is shuffled back into the pack by a spectator. The spectator spreads the cards in his hands and tosses them in the air. As the cards come down in a shower, the performer, who has formed a lariat out of a piece of rope, lassos the selected card.

Properties: A bobby pin, painted white, and a ten-foot length of rope. A lariat is made from the rope, and the bobby pin is attached as in Figure 1. Lay the rope on your table or a chair.

To Load: To attach the card to the gimmick, first pick up the loop at point A with your left hand. The card is palmed in your right hand, and as your right hand reaches the gimmick, the card slips naturally under it and is held there firmly.

Still holding the rope with your right hand, let go with your left and take the rope up again at point C. By pulling the rope you close the loop around your right hand and the card. Don't close it too tightly; leave a loop of about eight inches. Continue wrapping the rope around your hand until you reach the end, point D. This end is held between your right thumb and first finger as in Figure 2.

When the cards are thrown, toss the coiled rope, straightening your fingers. Hold on to the end with your thumb. As the lariat reaches its full length, a short jerk on the rope will close the noose around the card.

Presentation 1. Have a card in your right trouser pocket. Force a duplicate of this card, then let the spectator shuffle the deck. While this is being done, your right hand gets the card from the pocket and the left hand picks up the rope. The card is loaded into the gimmick as explained above. Finish the trick as described.

Presentation 2. Have the card in the gimmick at the start. The rope is coiled on your table. Force the card and during the shuffling pick up the coiled rope. Your hand naturally conceals the card. Conclude the feat in the usual way.

Presentation 3. No duplicates are used in this version. Use any deck. Have the spectator mark his freely selected card. After the card has been returned to the deck, palm it out and give him the deck to be shuffled. Slip the palmed card in the gimmick when you pick up the rope. The spectator tosses the deck skyward; you throw your lasso. You snare the marked card in the noose.