Magic Secrets

Many card tricks depend upon cards being controlled and bought to a certain position in the pack – say, to the top or the bottom from the middle of the pack. Learn to hold the cards in this left hand grip. Note how all four corners of the pack are firmly controlled by the thumb, forefinger and little fingers.

In this hold, which is very similar to Fig. 1, the left forefinger, curled at back of pack gives added control for the thumb which can count cards on top of pack by allowing them to flip past when pack is bent.

To control a card to the top of the pack.

Cut the pack and have the chosen card replaced on left-hand pile at X.

Through right hand portion, move cards in left hand so that they project a little at rear (Z). Top cards will slide forward to hide this “jog” (as conjurers call it). Open left fingers a little to accommodate cards from right hand. Left hand turns pack on its side (6A) and right hand lifts portion (X) out and drops it behind portion Y (6B).  NOW – chosen card is on top of pack.

What have the Audiences Seen? They have seen the card returned to the pack and they have seen you cut the pack. What could be fairer than that?

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Big Daddy Pays ... Find Out How

Magic Secret #42
X Marks The Spot!

You may need to “force” a card on a spectator. Here’s the way to do it without using sleight of hand. It’s known as “X-ing the cut”. Have the card you wish to force, on top of the pack.

Invite the spectator to cut the pack and place the lower half across the upper half – “so that you can see just where you cut”. Now you must distract his attention for a few moments, so that he forgets which half of the pack is which – and you will be amazed how easy it is to compose a spectator who has “X-ed the cut”. When you’ve engaged him in conversation for a few seconds, have him lift off the top packet of cards – where you cut! – and look at the top card of the lower packet. He’ll be looking at the card which was originally on top of the pack – the card you “forced on him”!

Magic Secret #43 Another Card Force

Not infallible – but is a subtle way to make a person take the card you wish him to take. This force is known as "bridging the pack" and is often used by card sharpers.

Divide the pack in halves. Bend each half in opposite directions. The “force” card is on top of the lower half.

If you hold the pack by the sides, your spectator will cut at the ends, where the gap is, and will then, at your invitation, take the top card of the lower heap, and that, of course, is the card you’ve look at beforehand! Gap is exaggerated here, for clarity.

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Magic Secret #44 The Glide

An important card sleight which is used in many tricks. In this one, you produce the Ace of Spades at any position in the pack. When the audience have named a number, you count out cards and find the Ace at that number.
Cards are drawn one at a time from the bottom of the pack BUT – look at this underneath view.
The left little finger draws back the ace, so that right fingers can take the card above it each time – until you come to the number the audience have named.

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Magic Secret #45 2 Out of 52

	In which you catch two chosen cards when the pack is thrown into the air.
	Control one chosen card to the top of the pack and the other to the bottom.
	The thumb and fingers of the right hand are moistened secretly.  Pack is gripped like this, with pressure applied by thumb and forefinger.
	Stand with left side to audience. Throw pack in the air, and bring arm quickly to side as shown by dotted line.
	Top and bottom cards stay in hand, thanks to wet fingers and thumb.
As the cards are falling, dart right hand into shower and reveal the two cards quickly.

Magic Secret #46 The Turnover Card

First Method

After having secretly bought the chosen card to the top of the pack, push it forward half an inch and hold the pack by the sides in the right hand. This is what happens when you allow the pack to fall to the ground – 1) Projecting card is caught up – rush of air and starts to turn over as pack falls. 2) Card is here shown turning over. 3) Pack has nearly reached the floor, chosen card is almost reversed. 4) Pack hits floor and chosen card settles down, face-up, on the scattered face down cards -

Here are two methods of making a chosen card turn over in the pack, so that it’s the only reversed card out of the 52. In each method you must first “control” the card to the top of the pack.

This time, the chosen card has been brought to top of pack and has been pushed sideways half an inch. The pack is deftly thrown along table top so that it spreads out in a ribbon of cards.

Again, the rush of air catches the projecting card and turns it over, at the same time lifting it up.

The pack shoots forward and the turned-over-card settles down in the middle of the spread, face-up on top of the face-down cards.

Magic Secret #47 The Famous 4-Ace Trick

The audience see you — or think they see you! — deal four face-down piles of cards, each containing an ace. But when you turn over the cards, all the aces have collected themselves in one pile.

First The Secret! 3 ordinary cards (not aces) are hidden, face down, under the card case.

1) Have a spectator sort out the aces from the pack.

2) After he’s mixed them up, tell him to lay them, face-down, on top of the pack.

3) Pick up the card case, carefully retaining the 3 hidden cards beneath it, and lay it on top of the pack. This adds 3 cards on top of the aces.

Remove the card, leaving the 3  extra cards on pack. Deal out, face-down, the four top cards. The audience think these are the aces, but cards A, B & C are ordinary cards. Card D is the first ace. You can let the audience catch a glimpse of card D as you deal it down!

Deal the next 3 cards (the remaining aces) on to card D. This packet now holds all 4aces but the audience think it holds 1 ace and 3 ordinary cards.

Deal 3 cards each on cards C, A, B – in that order – Remember – pile D is all aces.

Call for a number between 1 & 4 and force the “D” pile by counting round so that the number falls on that pile.

Discard the heaps A, B & C face-down and show that the aces have all assembled in heap D. Now watch your audience grab the discarded packets. And watch their faces when they find that there are no duplicate aces there!