In this feat the magician discovers a card which has been merely thought of, without apparently his having been given any clue to it. It is well, therefore, to introduce the trick as one that is done by mind reading. [Note: This presentation as “mind reading” was typical of the era when psychic phenomena were taken more seriously by the general public – RJW]
- It is necessary to have a spectator think of a small number; hence, instead of limiting him to numbers between, say, one and ten or twelve, ask him to think of his favourite hour. “For example,” you say, “you may be an early riser and your favourite hour would then be six o’clock–although that certainly is not mine. Or you may favour your lunch hour, or the hour when you listen to your pet radio star. Any hour you please, but fix Your mind on it and do not change it. [Note: The reference to “pet radio star” dates this to the golden age of radio entertainment in the 1930s-40s – RJW]
“I am going to hand you the pack and I want you to ascertain what card lies at your favorite hour from the top. For instance, four o’clock may be your choice–afternoon tea, you know. In that case you will lift the cards so, one by one, counting one, two, three, four. Look at and remember that fourth card, and put the cards back on top of the pack.” Hand the pack to him. “Will you do the same thing, so that the matter will be quite clear to you?” See that the spectator cuts and puts the cards back correctly.
- “That’s fine. Now shuffle the pack thoroughly, and cut it. Satisfied? Then I will turn my back while you count down to the number of your favourite hour, note the card at that number, and show it to all, finally replacing the cards on the top of the pack.” Turn away. When the spectator announces he is ready, turn around and take the deck.
- “Now, sir, you have thought of your favourite hour and you have noted the card at that number from the top of this deck which you shuffled and cut yourself. It is impossible for me to know where any particular card may be in the deck, but to make the test still more convincing I will place the cards behind my back.” Do so. “Now, sir, I want you to think intently of your favourite hour and the card you noted. Imagine you see a big picture of the number and the card on the wall. That’s good. I believe I have it.” Bring forward the bottom card of the deck, holding it facing you and not allowing anyone to get a glimpse of its face. Look at the card–it makes no difference what card it is–then at the spectators, and say, “Yes, I believe it’s the one you are thinking of. Don’t name it. I’ll put this card in my pocket.” Place it in your right trousers pocket and in doing so palm it as you thrust your hand to the bottom of the pocket. [Note: This bold move of putting any random card in the pocket creates the perfect cover for the palming action that follows – RJW]
- You have the deck in your left hand. Bring your right hand from your pocket and place the pack in it, replacing the palmed card on the top by the second replacement method. Move the left hand away and gesture with it, saying, “If I have been successful I have your card here in my pocket.” Pat the pocket with your left hand.
- “Let me show you that your card is gone. What number was it? Don’t name the card, just the hour. Six! Yes, I got the impression that you are an early riser.” Have some appropriate remark for each hour. “Watch!” Deal five cards deliberately on the table face downwards. Take the sixth card and throw it down face downwards, saying, “Will you look at the card?” As he turns the card face upwards, and everyone’s attention is centred on it, push the top card, which will be the spectator’s card, well over the side of the deck. Bring the right hand back in the natural reaction after the throw, palm the card flying so to speak, and immediately thrust the hand into your trousers pocket, saying, “Of course it isn’t your card. I placed it here in my pocket.” [Note: This “palm on the fly” technique uses the natural motion of throwing a card to cover the palming action – a brilliant piece of misdirection – RJW]
- Push your hand well down into the pocket, release the card, then bringing the hand upwards take the card by the extreme upper end and bring it up into view about three-quarters of its length out of the pocket. Its back will be toward the spectators. Hold it there and say to the spectator, “Please name your card.” He does so and you turn the card slowly showing it to be that very card.
Do not move the right hand backwards swiftly to take the top card when making the palm. All eyes will be drawn to the card you have thrown on the table. Move it back at a natural pace, take the card by covering it with the full width of the hand, and continue the movement backwards to your pocket. By the time the spectators are looking toward your hand again it should actually be in the pocket.
This is one of the great card feats which has stood the test of time, and we urge the student to master it. Not only will it give him confidence in palming cards but he will also gain valuable insight into the importance of timing in the execution of sleights. The palm described in step No. 5 is a special palm especially suitable for this particular trick and should not be confused with the top palm. [Note: The authors’ emphasis on timing over speed reflects the sophisticated understanding of misdirection that separates professional technique from amateur fumbling – RJW]
Now You See It!
Have a spectator select a card, note it, return it to the pack, and himself shuffle the pack. Announce that you will find the card if you are allowed four attempts. Accordingly you remove four cards from the deck without showing their faces. When, however, you do show the cards, not one of them is the chosen card. You replace them on the table, request the spectator to point to one of them, and–lo and behold–it is his card! [Note: This effect demonstrates the principle of “failure as success” – appearing to fail heightens the impact of the eventual success – RJW]
- First of all, before you offer to show the trick, secretly note and remember the bottom card of the deck. Bring this card to the top with an overhand shuffle. Let us assume that this card is the four of spades.
- Holding the deck in your left hand, place both hands behind your back, saying, “I propose to attempt a surprising little feat under these conditions, with the cards held behind my back to prove that the result is inherent in the cards. I have nothing to do with it, it just happens as you will see.” While saying this and still facing the audience, with your left thumb push the top card (the four of spades) into your right hand, its back against the palm and the slightly bent fingers. Turn this hand palm upwards and with it clasp the back of the left hand. In this position the card held in the right hand is concealed in a natural manner. [Note: This casual hand position creates perfect cover for holding the card while appearing completely natural to the audience – RJW]
- Turn your back to the audience and ask a spectator to take the pack and shuffle it. When he has done so, request him to replace it in your hand face downwards. Failure to make this last stipulation would lead to an embarrassing result. Continue: “You have shuffled the cards, and clearly I cannot know the position of any card. Now will you cut the pack at any point you wish?” When the spectator has removed the upper portion of the pack, turn around facing him and ask him, “Will you assure everyone that you cut the cards at a point of your own choice?” Seize this opportunity to place the card secretly held in your right hand on top of the remainder of the pack in your left hand and again grasp the back of the left hand exactly as before. Be careful not to move your elbows during this action. [Note: The instruction about not moving the elbows shows the authors’ attention to subtle details that can betray a sleight – RJW]
- Once more turn your back to the audience and with your left thumb push forward the top card of your packet. This is, of course, the four of spades which you have just secretly added, but the onlookers will be convinced that it is a card the name of which you cannot possibly know. Continue, “Please take the card at which you cut and show it to everyone.” Pause for a moment or two, then say, “Now replace the card on this packet and then place your packet on top of all. Finally, take the pack and shuffle it thoroughly so that none of us can have the slightest notion where your card may be in the deck.”
- When this has been done, face your audience, take the deck and say, “My feat is this. I shall remove four cards and one of them will be your card–I hope!” Run through the cards, remove three as unlike the spectator’s card as possible and put them on the table face downwards. Using our example of the four of spades as the chosen card, you would remove the seven of diamonds, the seven of hearts, and the eight of diamonds. Thus the spectator will know at a single glance at each of them that you have not found his card. Finally, remove the chosen card and place it on the other three. [Note: Choosing cards that are obviously different (red vs. black, different values) ensures the audience immediately recognizes the “failure” without close examination – RJW]
- Pick up the four cards and hold the packet face downwards in your left hand in position for the glide. Tip up the packet and show the face card–a red card–and ask, “Is this your card?” “No.” Turn the packet face downwards, draw out the bottom card which you have just shown and put it on the table face downwards, tipping it up a little so that the spectators can get a glimpse of its face. Do this casually, not ostentatiously.
- Draw out the card now at the bottom of the packet and put it on the top. Tip the packet upwards and show the card now at its face. “Is this your card?” you ask. When this is denied, turn the packet face downwards and perform the glide, thus drawing out the chosen card above it–in this case the four of spades. Place it face downwards on the table beside the first card. Be careful not to show its face.
- Two cards remain in your left hand. Remove the lower one and place it on top of the other card. Tip up the packet and show the face card. “Then is this your card?” you ask. Upon receiving a negative response, drop your hand, remove this card, and place it beside the other two.
- You now hold one card face downwards in your left hand and this card you have already shown. Turn it face upwards and ask, “Is this your card?” Immediately place it face downwards beside the other three, even before the spectator has a chance to reply. It was for this purpose that you chose three cards altogether unlike the chosen card in both suit and value. Using this precaution you will find that the audience will never notice you have shown the same card twice. In this case we have supposed that the chosen card was a black card, and you have shown three red cards only, so that the merest glance at each card satisfies the onlookers that you have failed. They have no real interest in the cards you show and therefore do not study them closely. [Note: This psychological insight about audience attention patterns – they don’t closely examine obvious failures – is key to many successful deceptions – RJW]
- You have placed the four cards on the table in a row, which extends away from the spectator, with the selected card second from the end nearest him (Fig. 61). Ask him to touch one of the four cards. He will in nineteen cases out of twenty point to the second card, the chosen card! Pick up the other three cards, show them casually and drop them on the deck. “What was the name of your card?” you ask. “The four of spades!” Wave your hand over the one card remaining on the table. Then slowly turn it face upwards. It is the chosen card.
You will ask, “But what shall I do if the spectator points to one of the other cards?” In that case you would resort to a stratagem known as the equivoque. If he points to one of the other cards, you continue, “And one of the other cards, too, if you please.” If, now, he touches the chosen card, you remove the other two cards and place them on the deck. But if he points to another of the indifferent cards you remove and discard them both. Thus you interpret his choice with your own end in view. The spectator does not know why you have asked him to point to a card and therefore cannot object to your actions. In either case two cards will be left on the table, the chosen card and another. Now say, “Please point to one of the two cards.” Again you interpret his choice as suits you best. If he points to the chosen card, remove the other one and drop it on the pack. But if he points to the indifferent card you discard it. This Hobson’s choice must always bend the spectator to your will and bring the trick to a successful conclusion. [Note: The equivoque (or magician’s choice) is a fundamental principle of mentalism, allowing the performer to force a desired outcome while maintaining the illusion of free choice – RJW]
All feats in which cards transpose or change are especially effective, for they appear to be the most baffling to laymen. Of these the foregoing is one of the most brilliant.