It is often remarked that any effect with cards is performed through trickery, or, by the use of apparatus. I am going to endeavor to demonstrate to you that such is not a fact--that certain effects can be produced by the aid of what is generally termed "mental telepathy," or by an unconscious assent on your part at the critical moment.
May I borrow a deck of your own cards? For, were I to use mine, immediately suspicions would be aroused. You can shuffle the cards if you so desire. The pack I am going to divide into two heaps or piles, and, as I place them face up on the table I wish you would just keep your mind on the cards--do not attempt to memorize them; if you do, you will soon see how foolish the statement, sometimes heard, that I, or anybody else can memorize the cards in any particular heap. For my part, as each card is laid down, I concentrate intently upon it for a fraction of a second and register it indelibly in my memory, for a purpose you will soon learn. Will one of you choose a packet? This one here? I will remove the others and ask you to thoroughly shuffle this packet, so that the arrangement of the cards is entirely changed-in other words-see that the cards are thoroughly mixed.
Next, will you remove any card at all that you desire-- also, you--just take one. And, over here, take whichever card you desire. Please note these cards firmly in your mind-that is most important, and upon which lies the success of my problem. Place your card back please, any place at all--likewise yourself, and you--take the cards too and give them a good shuffle. Thank you.
As I deal the cards face up on the table, I want you to watch them very closely and when you see your card, do not, by the slightest move indicate that it is such, but do this: Think the word "stop," and, if conditions are proper, I will tell you when I reach your card. "Stop"--you are thinking "stop"--that is one of the cards selected? Correct. To continue--don't forget that mental "stop"-- There it is again-that's right?-Again I receive the impression-that is the card you selected a minute ago, isn't it?
If you desire, we will try the experiment again. And, this can be repeated as often as desired.
The above results are obtained on the order of a "stripper" pack, using only certain cards, which are easily recognized by the manner of printing the pips on the face of the cards. Below are the cards which can be used, and which should be placed in one pile-all others are placed in the second pile. After sorting, the simplest way to get the desired pack is-when you state "Will someone please point to a packet?" If they point to the desired one, pick up and use, getting rid of the other; should the other be selected, ask party to keep it and you will use the remaining one. At completion you can ask them to try it with their packet.
Here are the cards to use:
SPADES: 1, 3 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
CLUBS: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
HEARTS: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
DIAMONDS: 7.
In dealing off the pack these cards to be used should be laid as follows:
Ace of Spades-Upside down, or with pointed part of ace down.
Three-Two pips are upside down, one, right side up; place
card in pile so the two pips are upside down.
Five-Turn card so center pip and two corner pips are
upside down-three are upside down-two opposite.
Six-Place so four pips are upside down and two up.
Seven-Center pip down, which shows-five pips down-two up.
Eight-Place so five pips are upside down-three up.
Nine-Place so five pips are upside down and four up. (see
illustration.)
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The same applies to the other suits, except the diamond, the seven being the only one of this suit that can be used; this should be placed so the center diamond is at the bottom of card. or between the lover four pips.
Now, if a card is freely selected and by reversing the deck and having card inserted at the end, the cards can then be thoroughly shuffled and in turning cards off the deck, when you come to a card that is reversed, you know it is the one selected. It is necessary to watch a person, as a general rule they do not turn the cards in their hands; if such should be the case, of course the deck should not be reversed. A good method is while they are looking at a card, which has been selected, while deck was held in left hand, as they start to return card, place deck in right hand, grasping the opposite end and hold at tips of fingers, as soon as the card is partly in deck, let them have it themselves, and push card in and shuffle.
This can be repeated as often as desired, and even though anyone becomes aware of the fact that you did reverse the deck, still they cannot tell you how it was that the card was located, though the average person will not notice the turning of the deck.
In sorting out the cards to get them in the proper order, that is with the largest number of pips down, the turning of the cards when taking them off the deck is liable to be noticed: if you have to turn several in succession, take one and lay on wrong pile, then pick up and place on the other pile, turning the card while so doing.
When the deck is handed to you, glance at the bottom card - if you place the cards right side up and deal off the top, tuning card over, they will come off, of course, with pips upside down, and it is then much easier to note when a card is reversed.
Should the top card be a reversed card, if you did not look at the bottom, or even so, turn over the next two cards to see which way they are running, for possibly the bottom card may also be reversed; this will save you making a mistake, and even though you run through the deck, when starting over you know either the first or second card is the correct one. If a mistake is made, then say, "I guess your impression was not strong enough" -or "I received the wrong impression."
Practice a few times before attempting to demonstrate.
The following described effect is especially suitable for parlor entertainments, and if presented in a mysterious manner cannot fail but to create a favorable impression upon your audience.
Briefly, the experiment appears to the spectators as follows: A card is freely selected and shuffled back into the pack; performer being blindfolded; as the cards are handed to him one at a time, face down, he suddenly tells dealer to stop handing him cards, that the next one on the pack is the selected card he naming this card before it is removed from the pack.
Either force a known card on one of the audience allowing them to replace and thoroughly shuffle the pack, or, allow a free selection, holding the pack yourself, and after passing this selected card to top of pack, steal a glimpse of it and hand pack out for further shuffling, if desired. Have a person blindfold you, using a handkerchief for this purpose, and see that the handkerchief is folded in and pushed up sufficiently high to enable you to look straight down along the nose, and this will allow YOU to see the cards as they are dealt out on the table.
Have the pack divided into two nearly equal packets, one of these is selected and handed to you. Deal the cards from this packet face up on the table, requesting the party woo selected a card to tell you after all the cards have been dealt, if the selected card is in this heap. Count the cards as you deal them off, and when you come to the selected card, provided it is in the first packet, you will know its exact position. If the card is not in the first packet, and you are so informed, take second packet, dealing off in like manner on the table so you can glimpse the faces of the cards and likewise counting to yourself, so that when you come to the selected card, the position from the top of the packet is known to you.
No matter in which packet the card lies, hand it to one of the party, preferably the person selecting the card, asking him to deal off cards one at a time, face down and hand to you. Supposing the selected card lies twelfth in the packet; when eleven cards have been handed you, tell the person to stop dealing for the next card is the one he selected, naming the card yourself before he has an opportunity to turn it over.
T H E A P P E A R I N G C A R D S
The effect of this trick is that of having two selected cards shuffled into the neck, same placed in an unprepared' goblet. covered with a handkerchief, and on command the first chosen card appears on the bottom of the pack, facing audience; on covering a second time the other selected card likewise makes its appeara1lce on the bottom of the pack.
Take two cards and glue them together, back to back, so that the faces of cards show on either side, preferably using two entirely distinctive cards, as the four of spades, and the queen of hearts.
Place the double card on your stand or table near the handkerchief you intend to use in presenting the experiment, the side of the card to be forced first laying face down.
Force, through any of the various methods, two duplicates of this fake card, hand deck to parties who selected the cards with the request that they thoroughly mix their cards into the pack.
As you return to your table, make a half pass; that is, turn the cards so each half of the pack is back to back-in other words. Both the front and back of the pack show the faces of the cards, but unknown to audience.
Lay the pack on your table, on top of the fake card, pick up goblet and exhibit, then picking up the pack with the fake card as the bottom card, place the pack in the goblet, the fake card being to the rear. (Should either of the selected cards happen to be the bottom one after shuffling, proceed to cut it into deck before exhibition of goblet.) The handkerchief is shown from both sides in order to demonstrate that it is unprepared in any manner, and grasped near center and placed over the glass or goblet, but in so doing, take a hold of the goblet and as soon as handkerchief conceals the cards from view, give the goblet a half turn, which will bring the back of the pack now into view, with the first selected card facing the audience. After inquiry as to what the first chosen card was, and after necessary mystic passes, lift up the handkerchief shoving that this selected card has made its way to the bottom of the pack.
Take this apparently selected card out of glass, placing on back of deck, holding the face to audience, as you would naturally place the card were backs showing, and this brings the other side of fake card showing from the rear. Again display handkerchief, place over goblet, making the half turn as formerly and the second card selected will be seen when handkerchief is removed.
Very perplexing and when presented with a line of patter to distract from actual moves will fool even one versed in magic.
Take four aces and four kings, or any other sets will do, paste each king and ace together, back to back, so that one side of the cards will appear as an ace, the other side as a king.
Load your regular deck as follows: Remove from it the four unprepared aces and the four unprepared kings. Cut the pack somewhere near the center, cards lying face down; place the four unprepared aces on lover portion of deck; that is on top of the packet on which you will place the other packet, or balance of the deck. On top of these unprepared aces place the four fake cards with the aces down, so that the kings face up on pack: on top of these place the upper half of deck, and on top of deck. the four unprepared kings.
To operate: Deal off the four top cards and exhibit as the kings, just holding them spread out fan-wise and replacing back on the pack, turn deck over, making the Hermann pass as you do so. As the fake cards are double, by riming with the thumb you can immediately locate these cards; riffle cards slightly, separating deck so that the four fake cards are the bottom ones of top packet, the real or unprepared aces being the top cards of the lower packet. The regular two-handed pass will suffice, but it will be found much easier, and also more deceiving, as you slightly separate the two packets, to let one drop and turn deck over, exposing the fake cards on the bottom of the pack. These cards are immediately dealt off face up, of course; stating that you will place the four aces here on the table; turn deck over, dealing off four top cards. stating that you will deal the kings in this pile; not allowing these cards to be seen as in reality the, are the four aces.
Now request the loan of some gentleman's hat, or make use of a handkerchief, picking up the four aces, once more exhibiting them and cover with hat or handkerchief, but in so doing,-say with the hat,-after brim touches table, turn over the cards in your hand so that they lay under the hat with the kings up.
Make the announcement that you are going to cause the aces to leave the hat and take the places of the kings, and the kings to enter under the hat. Make passing motion, or count "one, two, three"-lift hat and show that thereunder are now the four kings. Pick them up and place in deck, so as to be easily gotten rid of, then turn over the remaining packet and the four aces are found instead of the kings, the packets seemingly having changed places.
While turning over last packet it is a good idea to slip the fake cards into your pocket, and you can then continue with some other effect, or allow the pack to be examined.
T H E E Y E S O F T H E J O K E R
For one using the Si Stebbins arrangement, or other prearranged system, the following will be found a very practical and useful diversion from the regular routine. I am indebted for this effect to Mr. Frank Sterling of Chicago, a real wizard with a prearranged pack.
After a false shuffle and cut, have several cards selected from center of pack as is usual with this routine, but, when each card is removed, request that the card be placed in the pocket, or underneath some article, so that no one will be aware of the value and suit of the different cards. After such disposition has been made of the cards, take the joker from your pocket, or, previously remove it from the pack and lay on the table, stating something to the effect "that the joker is endowed with a wonderful vision; in fact, solid matters are no hindrance to such vision; that by placing the joker near the various cards you will endeavor to have him communicate to you the name thereof."
Place the joker against the party's pocket containing card, or against the book, or whatever conceals the card, holding the joker to the ear and announcing the fact that the joker informs you- "the card is a black card, one having seven pips, you say a spade? -The seven of spades." Party on looking at their card will find this to be correct. The balance of the cards are treated in a like manner, the presentation and patter being varied, either running in a serious vein, or to comedy, as may best suit the occasion.