The Five Card Trick
By Tom Osborne

Long Tack Sam showed me this trick years ago. He admitted that it wasn't his. so, after keeping the secret for these many years, I would like to pass it on.

The performer hands a deck to someone, and tells him to shuffle the cards and lay five cards, face down on the table. The deck is returned to the performer. Now the magician invites a spectator to lift up one card, remember it, and replace it in its original position, all while the performer turns his head away.

The performer turns away for two reasons. First, it gives him an opportunity to wet the ball of his left thumb secretly with saliva.

Secondly, it conveys the impression that the performer isn't looking when the spectator sights the card. Actually the performer peeks so that he will know the position of the selected card.

Once the card in replaced, the performer swings around and gathers up the group. Suppose the middle card was lifted, then the magician picks up two of the other cards and puts them face down in his left hand as indicated in Figure 1. As he brings the third card, the chosen one, with his right hand from the table to his left hand the left thumb moves across the present top card in his left hand, wetting the back. When the chosen card is put on the wet pack, only a firm pressure is necessary to make the two cards stick together.

When all five cards are in the left hand, hold your hand as in Figure 2. With the right hand, reach up and withdraw the card nearest to the left thumb, the rear card, that is. Ask if that is the selected card. On being assured that it is not, drop it to the floor. Repeat with the next card. The next card will really be two cards stuck together, the selected card with its face out of view against the back of an indifferent card. Exercise a little care so that the two cards don't become separated. Drop the two as one on the floor cis you did the others. Repeat the withdrawing and the question: "Is this your card?" with the last card.

Still holding your hand cupped as though it contained the fifth card, say: "Well, what was your card?" On being told, say: "That's what I thought." Brush both hands together. Apparently the selected card vanishes in thin air.

This vanish is an astonishing one for a lay audience. After you have acknowledged the audience's amazement, casually pick up the cards and go on with another trick.