This is basically a “Card at any number” trick that I found in a book:The Vernon Chronicles — Volume 2: More Lost Inner Secrets. (1988), by Stephen Minch,published as “The Slap Trick” Stephen Minch,’
Originally published:
- Title: A Most Unusual Experiment in Which a Chosen Card Appears Instantly at Any Number in the Deck from 10 to 45
- Author: Laurie Ireland
- Publication: New Card and Coin Manipulation (Ireland’s Yearbook)
- Year: 1935
- Publisher: Ireland Magic Company, London (presumed)
- Placement: It appears among articles in that yearbook, under the section for number‐effects; page 10−11 is listed in some older references.
The method was adapted by Dai Vernon from Laurie Ireland’s version, refined, performed often, and eventually published as “The Slap Trick” in Stephen Minch, The Vernon Chronicles — Volume 2: More Lost Inner Secrets. (1988)
Reading Minch’s description is well worth your time. One of the key points he makes is how Vernon handles multiple possibilities. Vernon’s method uses a classic pass, which is good. I sometimes do that, or use a cover pass. But for most audiences I avoid the pass and do an open cut. Here is how I do the trick,
Effect:
A spectator selects a card, returns it to the deck, and names any number from 1 to 52. After an intense gaze and couple of cuts to the deck, the performer counts down to the chosen number—and the spectator’s card is there.
Method:
1. Control to the Top:
You control the selection to the top of the deck using your preferred method.
2. Positioning the Selection at Tenth from the Top:
I use one of three stacking methods:
- Riffle Shuffle Variants:
- Riffle four cards on top of the selection.
- Then either:
- Riffle another five cards, or
- Perform an In Faro shuffle.
- Result: selection is now in 10th position.
- Overhand Shuffle + In-Jog + Double Cut:
- Overhand nine cards.
- In-jog one, shuffle off.
- Double cut at the in-jog to bring the selection to 10th.
3. Estimation and the Break:
- You ask the spectator for a number.
- You subtract 10 from that number to get your estimation target.
- You cut approximately that number of cards off the bottom to the top and retain a break.
- Then you perform a Jay Ose false cut, ensuring the packet with the break is the first cut, so you can easily reestablish the break as you reassemble the triple cut packets.
4. Handling Over- and Under-Estimation:
- If you overestimate (i.e., break is above the desired count):
- Use Vernon’s block push-off false count to deal a group of cards as one (keeping rhythm intact).
- If you underestimate (i.e., you reach the break before hitting your count):
- You mentally add 10 to the counted number when you hit the break.
- This gives you the actual location of the selection.
- When you reach that number (e.g., if you hit the break at 15 and the target was 27 → selection is at 25), you deal seconds (just 2 in this case) to land the selection at the right spot.
Additional Thoughts
Instead of asking the spectator for a number you can create the number by having the spectator select three random cards. This is going to mimic the classic card trick that is mathematically based. That classic trick involves dealing cards to make each dealt card equal to ten, and then adding the three cards values together and dealing that number of cards down to then find the selection.
So if you spectators are familiar with that trick then this will throw them.
Have three cards selected, ideally from below the tenth card. Turn the three cards face up and in your mind add the value together and get ready to make the pass as in Dai Vernon’s “Slap” trick. Ask the spectator to add the values and as they are doing this make the pass (or as I often do, simply cut the deck casually.) Proceed as describe above to deal to their card.