Peter Duffie - Selected Tricks

FAULT FINDING by Peter Duffie This routine is really a card location masquerading as a Lie Detector. Arrange the pack in alternating colour order - red / black / red / black and so on. WORKING 1. False shuffle and cut the pack a couple of times then place it face down on the table. Invite a spectator to give the pack another couple of complete cuts. Cut the pack at the mid-point (26/26). A guide is that the face card of the upper section will be the same color as the bottom card of the pack. 2. Place both sections face down on the table and ask the spectator to pick up one of the halves and hold it face down in his hands. Pick up the other section in order to demonstrate what will be required. Explain that you will ask him some questions about a card which he will shortly look at and he can lie or tell the truth. Give an example saying; “I will ask you to spell out the suit of your card. You might say Diamonds. In that case you will spell the word D-I-A-M-O-N-D-S dealing off a card at a time onto the table one on top of the other like this....then drop the rest of the deck onto the dealt cards. You will do this in answer to every question I ask.” Make sure he understands before going on. 3. Place your packet aside then turn away. Ask the spectator to give his packet a couple of cuts then to look at and remember the bottom card. He should show this to the rest of the audience. You now ask him the following questions and he will spell the answers, either by lying or being truthful: a) “What is the suit of your card....was it Clubs, Hearts, Spades or Diamonds? Remember you can lie or tell the truth.” b) “Is your card a face or a spot card....Face or Spot?” c) “Is the value High or Low?” d) “Is the value Odd or Even?” e) “Finally, have you been completely truthful?....Yes or No?” 3. Take the packet and casually fan it face up. Immediately look at the top ten cards, that is the ten cards at the rear of the fan. If there is a pair of cards together of the same color then the left card of the pair is the selection. If there is no pair of the same color in the back ten, then move along to your right until you come to the first pair that matches in color. The selected card is the fifth card counting back to the left from this pair. Reveal the card as you see fit.

FIRST EXPERIMENT by Peter Duffie A spectator merely thinks of any card in a packet. He then answers a series of questions about his card - colour - suit - etc. In the end he finds himself holding his card. This can be presented as an experiment to check the compatibility a spectator who you choose to assist you. A 14 card arrangement is required - reading from the top:

QD-7S-KH-8H-4D-KC-3C-8D-8S-4H-3H-JD-JC-5S-rest of deck. WORKING 1. Jog Shuffle retaining the stack on top. With the deck face down, push off seven cards, without reversing the order, and place them on the table. Push off another seven cards and place these face down beside the first pile. The rest of the deck is discarded. 2. Turn your back as you invite a spectator to pick up either pile - look through the cards and merely think of one. Once he’s done that he places his packet on top of the other pile. 3. Pick up the 14 card pile and carry out the following simple Overhand Run Shuffle (this has to be precise): Pull off the top card then throw the balance on top. Run 4 cards single then throw the balance on top. Run 2 cards single then throw the balance on top. 4. Explain to the spectator that you will try an experiment to see if he’s suitable to assist you with your magic. You will ask him four questions. All he has to do is spell out the answers by dealing one card for each letter into a pile on the table. Give an example, saying, “I may ask you if your card is a SPOT card or a COURT card. If you’re card is a spot card, you will spell S-P-O-T like this, then drop the rest of the cards on top.” Here, you deal 4 cards into a face down pile while spelling the word S-P-O-T, then drop the balance on top of the four dealt cards. Now give him the cards. 5. You will ask the following four questions, and he spells the appropriate word, dropping the balance on top each time: a) "Is your card RED or BLACK?" b) "Is your card a SPOT or a COURT?" c) "Spell the suit - CLUBS, HEARTS, SPADES OR DIAMONDS." d) "Spell the VALUE." (note he spells the value and does not count). Conclude by asking him to remove the top card of the packet and hold it for a moment. Finally say, “This experiment can only succeed with a truly psychic subject. What was your card?” Once he names it, ask him to turn over the card he is holding. This will be his card. Congratulate him on his psychic powers and proceed with your next effect. A trick using his selected is ideal.

3 - SOME by Peter Duffie A matching effect where the spectator does all the work and finishes with Three of a Kind. Inspired by Marty Kane’s Status Quo-2 Principle. Remove any three threesomes, say, 3 Aces, Kings & Tens. Arrange them rotationally as follows: A-K-10-A-K-10-A-K-10. Place this packet on top of the deck. Devise your own presentation for this if you feel you need one. WORKING 1. False shuffle then deal off nine cards - discard the rest of the deck. 2. A spectator gives the packet a few cuts then carries out any number of Deal Mixes, as follows: A spectator deals the packet into two face down piles, then picks up either pile and drops it on top of the other. He repeats this as many times as he wishes. He can also cut between mixes, but that might slow things down too much. Finally he deals the top card face down onto the table as his selection. He is left holding eight cards. 3. He now deals the top four cards into a face down row on the table. He turns the remaining four cards face up then deals these onto the first four to form four pairs - he must deal in the same direction both times. 4. Now turn the selection face up. Look for a matching value among the four face up cards (clue....it will the 3rd pair along), and slide the selection under this pair to form a three card sandwich - the middle card is face down. You might want to ask for a number betwen 1 and 4 thus forcing the 3rd position. Turn the lower cards of the other three pairs face up showing that none match. Finally flip over the face down card to reveal Three of a Kind.

AUTO - SPLIT A mysterious double card revelation, where a spectator manages to separate the colors of the cards with the exception of two selections. Interestingly, you never touch the cards ! This first appeared in Cards in Principle (1994). I hope to make this book available in e-format soon. Set the top sixteen cards of the deck in a strict red-black alternating sequence. The number of cards needn’t be sixteen, you can use any even quantity, but sixteen is about right. WORKING 1. With two able spectators at hand whom we will refer to as A and B. Hold the deck face down and push off sixteen cards. Give these to spectator A and ask him to give the packet a few straight cuts. Meanwhile place the deck aside as it is no longer needed. 2. Ask the spectator to deal two piles of cards with three cards in each - he should deal alternately left and right as if in a game. The first card will be dealt to spectator B if he deals according to the rules of card play. If he happens to deal the top card to himself, simply relabel the spectators B and A. The balance of his packet is placed on the table. 3. Ask both spectators to pick up their three cards and hold them face down. Tell spectator A to mix his three cards, keeping them face down, then to spread them and remove the middle card. He looks at this card and remembers it, then replaces it between the other two. Finally he drops his packet back on top of the tabled balance of the sixteen card packet. Now spectator B does exactly the same with his three cards. It is essential that you instruct the spectators clearly so that they don’t turn their cards over. If all three cards are seen, it would be apparent that they are all one colour. 4. Ask spectator B to give the tabled packet one complete cut then to take the packet into his hands. Instruct him to deal the complete packet into two piles, again dealing alternately as in a two handed game. As he completes the deal, say, "I think you made a couple of mistakes there, but I can't be sure....never mind, it’s only a card trick!" Ask each spectator to name the card he looked at. Finally turn over each pile and spread them to reveal that all the blacks are in one pile, and the reds in the other, with two exceptions. These are the two selections. As you remove the two selections, say, "I told you that you made two mistakes!...but they were pretty good ones!"

DIRECTLY BETWEEN by Peter Duffie NOTE! This effect appeared in Obsession (1992). The complete Obsession manuscript containing 20 tricks will soon be made available on this site as a free download.

EFFECT A selected card vanishes from the bottom of the deck and appears between two face up Jacks in the middle.

WORKING 1. Remove the two black Jacks from the deck then hold the deck face down in a dealing position in the left hand. Take the two Jacks and hold them face up with the right hand with the thumb on the face and the fingers below. With the left thumb riffle down the outer corner of the deck stopping at the centre. The right hand spreads the Jacks slightly and begins to insert them into the gap held open by the left thumb. Due to the spread condition the upper Jack enters the deck first, as soon as this happens, the left thumb releases two more cards Thus two face down cards have been secretly loaded between the face up Jacks. Placing your right thumb on the inner end begin to push the Jacks square with the deck. When you reach the point where the Jacks have only about half an inch to go, lift the right thumb and push them flush. This will cause the two loaded cards to emerge at the inner end by means of the plunger principal. During a squaring action push down on the injogged cards with the right thumb and obtain a little finger break above them. Look the spectator in the eye and ask him if he has a good memory, carrying out a classic two handed Pass. 2. Turn over the top card and ask the spectator to remember it. Turn the card face down again and apparently deal it onto the table, really executing a Strike Second Deal. As your right hand is dealing the card open up a break anywhere near the middle of the deck by pulling down with the left little finger and inserting it. Again look the spectator in the eye and say, "I'm now going to make this card vanish and appear between the two Jacks." As you say the word 'vanish' carry out another Classic Pass then immediately drop the deck onto the card which is on the table. The tabling of the deck should coincide with the finish of the sentence. Finally ribbon spread the deck across reveal a face down card trapped between. Have the card removed and verified Leave the deck lying as someone is bound to pick it up and look at the bottom card.

BLACK SEPTEMBER by Peter Duffie A variation on the Brown aka Fulves 'Black Widow' trick. WORKING 1. Remove the four Kings and lay them face up in two pairs, reds and blacks. Give deck to speck and ask him to remove a red and black Ace. He places the red Ace between the red Kings and the black Ace between the black Kings (all cards are face up). Deck is tossed out the window at this point. 2. State that ONLY THE KINGS have magic powers. Then state that you will cause one set of cards to magically pass up through the other set of cards, asking, “Which will be the magic set.....the reds or the blacks?” Let’s say he names the reds. Pick up the blacks and hold them face down in dealing position. Now pick up the red set and place them face up on top. Spread to show them, and then you APPEAR to turn the threesome face down and place them to the bottom of the blacks. What happens is: When you turn the reds face down you pause to square them - in doing so you allow the bottom card to fall onto the lower section. Then, you place the remaining 2 cards SECOND from the bottom using a Pull-Down or Buckle. As you do this you say, “The red set goes under the black set.” 3. Tap the packet then flip over the top card revealing a red King has risen to the top. As you turn it over you catch a break below the next card. Now take the top 2 cards as one with your right hand then push off the next card and take it face down (don’t turn it) on top of the face up King, saying, “The red Ace.” Flip over the next card using the edge of the right hand packet to reveal the other red King, which is taken on top of the right hand cards. The red set has risen through the black set as you said they would. Casually replace the right hand cards on the left hand packet, then push off the top 3 and place them on the table in a spread - face up red King / face down card / face up red King. 4. Finally say, “You’ll recall I told you that only the Kings have magic powers? I can prove this to be the case because while the Kings passed through one another....the Aces remained static.” At that, turn over the three cards you are holding to reveal the two black Kings now have the red Ace between them. Conclude by turning over the face down card between the tabled Kings to show the complete transposition.

CHRIST MEETS BALDUCCI by Peter Duffie Three spectators each cut the deck - one cuts near the top - one cuts near the middle and one near the bottom. As a result, three cards are selected. The deck is spread and one card is found to be reversed - this is the Ace of Spades. When the other three cards are turned over they prove to be the other three Aces. This is a very simple application of two well-known principles - The Christ Force and the Balducci Cut-deeper Force. Here both principles are combined in one. This was inspired by a Ace production which I believe was Herb Zarrow's. To begin arrange the top 5 cards of the deck as follows from the top: FD Ace - FD Ace of Spades - FU Indifferent - FU Ace - FU Ace = rest of deck FD. WORKING 1. Give the deck a Jog Shuffle retaining the top stock then hold it face down in dealing position. Extend your hand towards a spectator and ask him to lift off a portion, saying, “Make your cut above center.” Now tell him to turn the packet face up and replace it on the deck. Spread over all the face up cards and take them momentarily with your right hand as your left thumb deals the first face down card onto the table. Replace the face up section on top (keep it face up). 2. Turn to a second spectator and ask him to do the same but he is to cut at the center - turn over the packet and replace it. Again, spread over all the face up cards and take them momentarily with your right hand as your left thumb deals the first face down card onto the table. Replace the face up section on top as it is. 3. Repeat with a third spectator, this time asking him to cut deep down near the bottom - turn the section over and replace it. Again remove the first face down card but this time flip the right hand cards face down to finish, then place the deck face down on the table. 4. Mime the removal and reversal of a card, which you pretend to reinsert into the deck. Now spread the deck across the table revealing the Ace of Spades face up in the middle. Remove the Ace and tap the three selections with it. Finally flip them over one by one revealing the other three Aces.

COLOUR POKER CHALLENGE By Peter Duffie You explain that a lot of people do not play card games, especially Poker. Therefore, you have devised a simplistic version of Poker which uses the colours of the cards only. The idea being, the player who gains the most cards of the one colour wins the game. Five of one colour is obviously the best possible hand. You ask a spectator to 'think' of any number from one to ten. This secret number will represent the number of hands he will shortly deal. You give the deck a 'psychic shuffle' then give it to the spectator, who only now announces his secret number. It might be 'eight'. He deals eight hands of five cards. All the hands contain a mixture of reds and blacks, except the spectator's hand, which contains five reds! This trick appeared some years ago in The Budget. NOTE: Thanks to Jim Snapp, the stack for this has now been altered as of 1 Nov 2001. This allows the dealer a choice of ANY number of hands from 1 to 10 (inclusive) rather than 3 to 10. The idea for using the colours of cards in a Poker demonstration was utilised by Lewis Jones in 'Colour Poker' that appeared in his book Shampagne. Lewis devised his effect with non-card players in mind. The idea is good as everyone can follow the effect. The following uses a simple stack which allows the cards to be dealt into any number of hands from one to ten inclusive; in any deal the dealer will receive all of the one colour, and all other hands will be mixed. The dealer will always receive five red cards except when he deals seven hands, when he will receive five blacks. This uses a stack. To set the deck, separate the reds from the blacks, then reassemble them so that the reds occupy the following positions, reading from the top down: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 18, 20, 24, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36, 40, 45, 46, 50, 52. WORKING 1. Introduce the deck and say, "I expect most of you are not regular Poker players. Well, I've got news for you - I have invented the simplest Poker game in the world. All you need to bother about is the colour of the cards, red or black. You deal out a number of hands as normal until there are five cards in each hand. The idea is that the player who has the most of one colour wins. The best possible hand is all five of one colour." Select a spectator as the dealer and ask him to think of any number from one to ten inclusive, but not to tell you as yet. Continue, saying, "As I invented the game, I also devised a way of cheating at it. It's a rather unusual method because it does not require any dexterity. You see, because we are only concerned with colours I am able to use psychic powers to manipulate the cards." 2. Place the deck face down on the table in front of the spectator and ask him to pick it up. Stare at him and pretend to send psychic messages to the deck, then say, "That's it. The deck is now stacked so you will receive the winning hand of all one colour." 3. Tell him to deal the number of hands he had decided upon. Once he had dealt the first round you will know if he is dealing seven hands. If he is, say, "That's good. Stop once every hand has five cards. You will be amazed to see that your hand will be the only one containing five cards all black." If he is dealing any other number of hands, substitute red for black in your patter. All that remains is for you to turn over each hand to show that none is of the one colour. Finally ask the spectator to turn over his hand to conclude.

COVERSION by Peter Duffie You cut the deck into two halves. A spectator picks up either and shuffles it. He then selects any card, which is lost back into the packet. This section is replaced on the table. You ask a second spectator to pick up the other half and start dealing it into three piles. At ANY point he can stop the deal - no matter on which pile he dealt the final card. The top card of each pile is turned over and the three values added together. They might total 20. The first spectator counts down to the 20th card in his half and is surprised to find his chosen card! A full deck stack is required and I suggest you grab a deck and set it before reading further. The stack is an expansion of the classic 12/13 or 14/15 Force. Here is a 26 card stack - both halves are set in identical order: X = Court cards and Ten spots.

9-9-A-8-X-2-7-X-3-6-X-4-5-X-5-4-X-6-3-X-7-2-X-8-A-X Set the other 26 cards in identical order. Crimp the bottom card of one section then place this section on top of the other. WORKING 1. Give the deck a few False Cuts then divide it at the exact centre (crimp). Place both halves face down on the table. 2. Invite a spectator to pick up either half and shuffle it. Then ask him to remove any card as his selection. Take the cards from him while he shows the card to the other spectators. As he is doing this push over the top 6 cards and retain a little finger break below them. Ask him to place his card on top of the packet, then cut the cards above the break to the bottom. His card now lies 20th down. There are other ways to get the card there, so feel free to use the method that suits you best. 3. Ask a second spectator to pick up the other half in readiness for dealing. Point out the various values in a deck - Ace = 1 and Court cards = 10. You must ensure that they know the latter. 4. Ask him to deal the cards into 3 face down piles - dealing in the same direction each time. the best way to say this is to ask him to deal as if it were a three-handed game. Allow him to deal a few cards then tell him he can stop the deal at ANY point he wishes. So, he can stop on any pile and does not need to complete the final three-card round. 5. Next reach forward and turn over the top card on each pile and ask the spectator to add together their values. The total will be either 19 or 20. It can be nothing else. Finally ask the first spectator to carefully count off 19 cards - if the total is 19, he turns over the NEXT card. If 20, he turns over the 20th card. Either way, it will be his selection.

CROSSFIRE by Peter Duffie A simple matching effect based on Arthur Setterington's "X Marks the Spot" (Abracadabra 2161, 1987). A slightly more elaborate effect will be offered at the end. WORKING 1. Run through and remove five matching pairs of cards, for example, two red Queens, two black Threes, etc. Arrange these cards in a rotational order: A-B-C-D-E-A-B-C-D-E. You can either do this openly (without actually showing the faces of the cards) or you can set it up in advance and push the 10 cards off the deck. Only the 10 cards are used. 2. Give the packet to a spectator and ask him to give it a few straight cuts. Now say, "Let the magic begin, but before that can happen you need to tell the cards." At that, ask him to spell MA-G-I-C dealing a card for each letter into a face down pile on the table, then he drops the remaining cards on top. 3. He now carries out as many Deal Mixes as he wishes. That is, he deals the cards into two hands, as if he were dealing a two-handed game of cards, then drops one hand on top of the other. This can be repeated indefinitely because the packet is in Stay-stack order and this type of mixing procedure contains certain Faro properties.

4. Say, "The sign of the Cross has been significant in human spirituality throughout history and before. It has been a focal point and symbol for many religions. It's purpose is to bring together soul-mates and create peace and happiness. Unfortunately, most religions misused this precious symbol to bring death and persecution to those who dared to express their free-will, and who refused to bow to the man-made dogma of a new religion. Let's see if we can return the Cross to its rightful purpose, the bringing together of soulmates." Ask him to deal a row of 5 cards, followed by a column that crosses the row - both central cards overlap (see illustration). Finally turn over the pair at the center of the Cross to reveal a perfect match - Soul Mates.

ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING by Peter Duffie You ask a spectator name to name king - he might say Diamonds. You cut the KD to the top of the deck and remove the two black Aces. You explain that the King will represent Elvis - the King of Rock ‘n Roll, and the two Aces are his bodyguards. You place Elvis between his bodyguards then pop the sandwich into the card box, which represents the auditorium. You say, “It has only recently come to light that Elvis had a secret way of leaving the auditorium without the fans seeing him. When the announcement was made, ‘Elvis has now left the building,’ he really had.” At this, you toss the deck from hand to hand and instantly produce the three card sandwich - Elvis between his two bodyguards. Finally you say, “And when the fans finally got to his dressing room, they were bitterly disappointed, because all they found was three Elvis impersonators!” The contents of the card box are revealed as the other three Kings! Although created independently while experimenting with the Multiple Lift, the basic effect is similar to a previous effect of mine called ‘Inside Job’ (Alternative Card Magic). All you need to do is get the four Kings together anywhere in the deck. You can utilise the above presentation, or make up your own (check out ‘Inside Job’ for another suggestion). Here are the actions you carry out to accompany the patter.

WORKING 1. Introduce the theme of Elvis as outlined above, then ask a spectator to name any King. Say, he names Diamonds. Spread through, with the faces towards you, and locate the block of four Kings - if Diamonds is already at the face of the group, simply cut all four Kings to the top (rear). Otherwise, slip the desired King to the face of the group and then cut them to the top. I just make the adjustment openly as no-one can see what I’m doing. Now run through and toss the two black Aces face down onto the table. As you close up the spread downjog the named King which is now 4th from the back. 2. Turn the deck face down and establish a break under the injog - that is, under all four Kings. Reach down and turn over the two Aces leaving them on the table. As you explain what they represent (bodyguards), you flip over all four cards above the break as one (Quadruple Lift). This displays Elvis! Now pick up the two Aces and place them face up on top of Elvis, then flip all 6 cards face down. Immediately push over the top three cards - remove the top card (apparently Elvis) and slide it between the other two, then place the three-card sandwich in the card box. 3. As you are continuing the story, Double Cut the top two cards to the bottom, then hold a break above them. You now perform a Hofzinser-Toss-come-Muller-‘Three-Card-Catch’ as follows: Assuming the deck is in your left hand; the bottom two cards are gripped between the little finger (which holds the break) and the palm of the hand. Your left thumb presses down on the top card of the deck. You now toss the deck from your left hand into your waiting right hand - however, the top card and the bottom two cards will remain behind. I use a wrist-snap action which makes it appear more sudden. Pause for effect, then slowly turn over the three cards revealing Elvis and his two bodyguards. Conclude by revealing the other three Kings inside the card box.

EMIT by Peter Duffie You show a packet of cards arranged in red/black pairs plus four Aces. A spectator inserts the Aces into the packet at random positions then squares the packet. You now turn time backwards. The top four cards are once again the Aces, and the remaining cards are as they were - in red/black pairs. The plot is Roy Walton’s ‘Back into Time’ that appeared in The Complete Walton 2. The method is the Gilbreath Principle. For a related item, method-wise, check Phil Goldstein's "Straight Raiser" that appeared in Afterlife, a limited edition manuscript compiled by Gordon Bean in honour of the publication party for The James File, last August 2000. WORKING 1. Remove the four Aces and place them in a face up pile on the table. Next remove about a dozen pairs of red/black cards and form a pile on top of the Aces. The overall sequence of these cards (excluding the Aces) should alternate, but do not draw attention to this fact. Instead attention is focused on pairs. Here is an example of the face up pile from back to front: A-A-A-A-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B-R-B 2. Hold the packet face down in dealing position. Show the set up as follows: Push off the four Aces, turn them face up and drop them on the table, saying, "We have the four Aces who are the time travellers in the pack." Now push off a pair of cards, turn them over, saying, "A red and black..." then drop these face up on top of the Aces. Repeat with the remaining pairs. Explain that the red/black pairs represent little pockets of time and space, each consisting of one positive and one negative colour. 3. Pick up the pile and take it face down into dealing position. Push off the four Aces from the top and catch a break under the third card further down (See End Note). Turn the Aces face up and pick up all seven cards above the break. Count them onto the deck, flipping each face down using the Braue Addition, the final Ace is flipped face down on top of all. 4. Push off the top 4 cards, without reversing teh order, and set them on the table, then spread the remaining cards into a line on the table. Invite a spectator to push the Aces into the spread at random. As if to demonstrate, pick up the top card of the Ace pile, flash its face, then insert it 4th from the top. Now invite the spectator to do likewise with the remaining three cards - the only stipulation is that he must move progressively downwards from the card you inserted, so that each card goes below the previous. Finally the packet is squared. 5. Talk about going back in time - pretend to turn the clock back - then cleanly turn over the top 4 cards revealing that the Aces are now on top untouched. Finally turn over the remaining cards a pair at a time showing each to consist of a red and black card, saying, "Red, black....red, black...red, black..." and so on. The packet, also, is seemingly back as it was. END NOTE: The break for the Braue can be set in advance as you initially show the second pair of red/black cards. If you spread them so the lower card is injogged then drop these on the pile, the injog can later be transformed into the break.

FOURSHADOW by Peter Duffie A spelling effect using a shuffled deck which culminates in the revelation of the four Aces. The plot, I believe, belongs to Henry Christ. Before you begin you need to cull the four Aces with Hearts at the rear and have one random card between the first and second Aces. Let’s use the following order for this description: AH AC - AD - X - AS (face card of packet). These 5 cards are on top of the deck. WORKING 1. Hold the deck face up and spread the cards from hand to hand, saying, "I need the magic Queen for this trick." As you are talking, spread to the end, then close the spread keeping a break above the 5 card stack. Cop this packet in your left hand as your right hand takes the deck and gives it to the spectator, saying, "But first you’d better give the deck a good shuffle." Once he has shuffled the deck take it back, face up into your left hand, and replace the five card stack from the cop position.

2. Spread through and toss out the Queen of Clubs - as you begin to spread, note and remember the 5th card from the face. This will be a key card and you only need to remember it for a very short time. Turn the deck face down and give it a cut and retain a break between the halves. Riffle Force to the break, removing the upper section, and ask the spectator to look at and remember the top card of the lower section, after which it is replaced. Drop the right hand section on top and square the deck. The selected card is fairly lost in the middle.

3. Turn the deck face up and make a wide fan in your left hand. Raise the cards slightly so that the faces are not quite visible to your audience, then pick up the Queen and insert it two card to the right of the first Ace. In this instance, you will insert the Queen two cards to the right of the Ace of Spades. Before closing the fan, look to the left of the Ace group and you’ll see your key card. Obtain a break below this card as you close the fan. Finally turn the deck face down executing a Turn-over Pass. Alternatively, turn the deck face down, retaining the break, then Double Undercut. POSITION CHECK: Reading from the top down, you should have -

X - X - X - X - X - AH - A - A - X - A - X - X - QC - Rest of deck. 4. Say, "I’ll demonstrate what I want you to do. That’s why I used the magic Queen because she never fails me." At this, spell Queen of Clubs, dealing one card for each letter and forming three separate piles, thus:

1 ................... 2 .................... 3 Q-U-E-E-N .......... O-F .......... C-L-U-B-S Place the deck on the table then flip over the top card revealing the Queen of Clubs. Place this card face up to one side. With your left hand pick up pile 1 as your right hand picks up pile 3.

Drop the left hand packet onto pile 2, then drop the right hand packet on top of all. Pick up the complete packet and drop it on top of the deck.

5. Invite the spectator to pick up the deck and spell the name of his selected card - Ace of Hearts - forming three piles as you did.

1 ................. 2 ...................... 3 A-C-E .......... O-F .......... H-E-A-R-T-S Tell him to turn over the top card of the deck and he should be surprised to find his card, the Ace of Hearts. Pause for effect and act as if the trick is over. They won’t expect anything else because the spectator has repeated exactly what you did with the magic Queen. Finally, pick up the Queen, saying, "I expect you’re wondering exactly why I call this card the "magic" Queen......well, I’ll show you." Tap each pile with the Queen, then ask the spectator to turn over the top card of each. This reveals the other three Aces to match his selection.

RETURN TO THE GARDEN PATH by Peter Duffie EFFECT A card is selected and returned to the deck. The spectator deals four packets of four cards and discards the rest of the deck. The top card of each packet is turned face up, but none is the selection. The packets cleanly are placed together with the four reversed cards still in place. You hold the packet, tap it, and the selection falls face up onto the table. Finally you spread the cards revealing that the other three face up cards have changed into the other three mates of the selection giving four-of-a-kind. The only preparation is to cull any four-of-a-kind to the top of the deck. Let's say you have the four Jacks on top with Spades at the top.

WORKING 1. Force the jack of Spades, have it returned and controlled back to the top. So you're back where you started with the four Jacks on top - Spades the top card. 2. Give the deck to the spectator and ask him to deal four cards into a face down row, followed by four more on top of the first four. Then again, and again. This results in four piles of four cards - a Jack at the bottom of each. The rest of the deck is now discarded. The selected card is at the bottom of one of the end piles - it was the first card dealt. 3. At this stage it doesn't matter in which order you deal with the piles. So pick up an end pile, saying, "The top card of this pile will tell me something about your card...in fact it may even BE your card. But don't give me any help...at least not yet." Buckle the bottom card and flip over the upper three as one. Make any suitable comment about the card now showing, then replace the pile back on the table where it came from. 4. Repeat the above with the three remaining piles. At this stage, the audience perceive four piles, each with a face up card on top. In fact, the true position is the complete opposite! 5. Study the four piles, saying, "I'm having problems now...are any of these four cards the same value as your card?" They'll say, no. "No? Well, that means that none is your card. That's not so good. This wasn't supposed to happen." 6. Now cleanly gather up the piles, placing one top of the other - starting with the selection pile so it finishes on top. There is a face up card on top, so you give the cards a cut to lose it. Here you lift off the top three cards and place them to the bottom to leave a face down card (selection) on top. 7. You now finish as follows: a) With the packet in dealing position, obtain a little finger break below the top card. b) Ask the spectator to name his card. As he does so, turn your left hand completely over (fig.1).

At this point loosen your grip on the broken card so it's held very lightly. Now strike the back of your hand with your right fingers (fig.2).

This causes the selection to drop face up onto the table, as you say, "You mean this one?" Casually place the rest of the packet face down beside the face up selection and act as if the trick is over. Finally, say, "You know, I still can't figure out why I couldn't deduce your card from the other three reversed cards...." At that, spread the packet revealing the other three cards have changed into the other three Jacks.

HOFZINSER MEETS ERDNASE by Peter Duffie This is another handling for the well-worn (by me) Hofzinser Ace Problem. The use here of the Erdnase Colour Change has its roots in Roy Walton’s “Mission Accomplished” (Complete Walton, Devil’s Playthings chapter). METHOD 1. Run through the deck and remove the four Kings, placing them face down on the table - the red Kings should be beneath the blacks with Hearts at the bottom. As you remove the Kings cull any Heart to the top of the deck. 2. Force the top card on a spectator, and have it returned then control it back to the top. Hold the deck in dealing position with a break under the top card. 3. Pick up the Kings - turn them face up - and place them momentarily on top of the deck. Pick them off again along with the card above the break then count them one by one onto the deck, the last two are placed on top as one. As you count them, say, “Here are the four Kings, the greatest magicians in a deck of cards.” Don’t draw attention to the suits. You now appear to cut the face up Kings into the deck - in fact you execute a Slip Cut which takes only the top King into the deck. The illusion, however, is perfect as a face down card (selection) finished on top as it should. There are three face up Kings under this card. 4. Say, “Now for the King’s magic. Watch as they appear instantly back on top.” Here you execute an Erdnase Colour Change, which transposes the top and 2nd card as your right hand passes to and fro over the deck. The Kings have apparently risen back to the top. Spread the top four cards showing three face up Kings with one face down card among them. Place this four card spread on the table. Point out that it is the King of Hearts that has reversed, then ask the spectator which suit his card was. He will say Hearts. 5. Turn the deck face up and make a wide fan revealing one face down card in the middle, saying, “Look. Your card has reversed in sympathy with the King.” Pull out the face down card from the fan and turn it face up revealing that it is the King. Conclude by turning over the face down card among the Kings, revealing the selection.

HUMMER & LIGHT COMPANY Duffie/Robertson A card trick in which Bob Hummer’s Cut-and-Turnover (CATO) principle is used to demonstrate California’s electricity problems. WORKING 1. "Has everyone heard about the problems California is having with electricity? Things are getting so bad, people have a better chance winning in Las Vegas than keeping their electricity on in California. I’ll give you an example. Each card will represent a California household. At any given time, one house might have the electricity on, one their electricity off, on and off." As you talk deal a pile on the table, alternating face up and face down cards. Deal at least a dozen cards and make sure you have an even number by starting with a face up card and ending with a face down card. 2. "But just like Vegas, some people are lucky. Let’s pick three luck households." Have three spectators point at a face down card one-at-a-time. In each case, turn the card face up in place, and have it remembered. 3. "As the energy problem has become more severe, the electric companies have been using roving blackouts, turning off the energy on a random 2% of the homes." At this, start doing Hummer’s CATO (Cut and Turnover): that is, cut the deck and complete the cut, then turn over the top two cards. After you’ve demonstrated this a couple of times, hand the cards to a spectator to continue as long as desired. 4. "Recently there was an especially bad day when half the homes lost energy at one time." Have the spectator deal the cards into two alternating piles, then turn either one over on top of the other. While this is going on, watch to see in if the cards are now almost entirely face down or face up. If face down, you’re ready for the climax. If face up, say, "In fact, briefly the electricity went off everywhere at the same time." Motion the spectator to turn over the whole packet to illustrate this. 5. "But even in the worst crises, some people are luckier than others. How do you think you did? Well, I think you’ll be happy to know that your three homes were the only three with electricity still on." Have the spectator spread to show that the three chosen cards are the only face-up cards in the packet.

IDEAL HOLMES by Peter Duffie The effect of the following was inspired by Steve Hamilton’s “Thinking Out Loud” that appeared in Roger’s Thesaurus by Roger Crosthwaite and Justin Higham. The principle employed here stems from an observation made by Tom Sellers in “A Trick with the Si Stebbins Pack”`(Card Tricks That Work). NOTE: Tom Sellers' “A Trick with the Si Stebbins Pack” can be found in Best Sellers. The deck is set in the standard Si Stebbins arrangement, which is simply that each card is three ahead in value than the previous, and the four suits rotate throughout. WORKING 1. Begin by giving the deck a False Shuffle, followed by a couple of genuine cuts. Spread the deck between your hands and have a card freely selected by a spectator who places the card directly into his pocket without looking at it. As he is doing this, give the deck a complete cut at the point where the card was withdrawn and square up. 2. Turn to a second spectator and say, “You will now discover the secret identity of the hidden card, first the suit and then the value. However, you will need some help to do this, so let’s call upon the greatest detective of all time, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. He will help you to identify the suit.” Hand the deck to the spectator and ask him to spell the name S-H-E-R-L-O-C-K by dealing one card for each letter in the name into a face down pile on the table. Turn over the top card of the tabled pile to indicate the suit. 3. Next, say, “OK, so that’s the suit taken care of, but the value is much more difficult...even for Mr. Holmes. I think we will need to use a little ‘magic’ now.” You now ask the spectator to spell the word M-A-G-I-C in the same way as before, but dealing into a separate pile. Turn over the top card of this pile heap to indicate the value. 4. Finally announce both the value and suit together thus completing the name of the card then ask the spectator to remove the card from his pocket. This will prove to be that very card. END NOTES The above will also work with a four lettered word followed by a nine lettered word. I use “CARD” “DISCOVERY” for an instant repeat, by replacing the used cards on the bottom of the deck, and then having a second selection made from the top half of the deck. As I prepare for the repeat, I say, “Of course this is really a Card Discovery, so let's use those very words and see what happens?”

MARRIED TODAY by Peter Duffie A spectator places the four Queens on top of the four Kings. The Kings and Queens now marry up! Based on the classic Hofzinser plot. WORKING 1. Remove the Kings and Queens (discard rest of deck). Lay out the Kings in two spreads with both sets in the same suit order. So you can follow this, let's say they run in C-H-S-D with Diamonds at the face of each. 2. Having allowed the audience to see that all are present and correct, you pick up the Queens, saying you’ll mix them so they are no longer in the same order - hold Queens face up and do an Over-under shuffle i.e., take the top card in right hand, take next on top, next below, last on top. Replace the Queens in a spread on the table. They now run - H-D-S-C (Clubs at the face). 3. Ask a spectator to pick up the Kings and hold them face down, then to pick up the Queens and place them on top of the Kings. It is clear to everyone that both sets of cards are separate. 4. Say, "To start this experiment we need "any pair." Not just any old pair, but any pair.....In fact we'll use these very words." Ask the spectator to spell A-N-Y dealing three cards into a face down pile on the table - the third card is slid aside. The balance of the packet is dropped on the two remaining cards. Now he spells P-A-I-R dealing 4 cards into a pile - the 4th card is slid aside and the balance dropped on the remaining three cards. [At this point it's all over - all four couples are now matched up!] 5. Pick up the two selections and tap the packet. Ask the spectator to turn over the top two cards - they are a perfect matching couple. Tap the packet again and ask him to turn over the next pair revealing a second perfect marriage. Finally, tap his last two cards, saying, "When I say, NOW, we'll both turn our cards over together -remember these are the two cards you picked at the start (referring to your two cards)." You both turn your cards over to reveal two more perfectly married couples.

MENTAL MERGER Duffie / Robertson A trick jointly created by Robin Robertson (USA) & Peter Duffie (UK). Together, they have amassed over 100 new card effects, moves & subtleties devised through their transatlantic brainstorming conducted via the internet. Here they offer a direct and baffling mental speller. Meanwhile the brainstorming continues! The following trick was inspired by Karl Fulves’ Riffle Shuffle Control, but doesn’t actually use it, only the actions. The count/spell principle is a Stewart James idea. Set the Ace through King of Hearts on top of the deck (Ace on top) then add six cards. Assume the spectator it sitting across the table from you.

WORKING 1. Place the deck face down on the table and cut the top half to the right. Riffle Shuffle the sections together and leave them elongated. 2. Demonstrate how you want the spectator to lift off a section. Here you simply cut off a section then replace it. The reason for demonstrating is, so he knows that he is to make a regular cut despite the elongated/partially shuffled condition of the cards. Ask him to cut near the middle and hold the section faces towards him (fig.1). Point to the left side ( your left), saying, "Take the value of that card..." then point to the right, saying, "..and the suit of that card. This random suit and value make up a new card. Think of that card." He then replaces the cut section.

3. Strip the sections apart and replace the right onto the left. The deck is back as it was. You can now either give him the deck and allow him to carry out the final spell, or deal the cards yourself. Let's assume the spectator has the deck. 4. Tell him to think of his card. He now deals cards slowly onto the table, while he mentally COUNTS the value of his card (explain the values of court cards). Then he SPELLS the suit (plural) and holds the final card as you ask him to announce the name of his card he is thinking of. Finally ásk him to turn the card over to reveal the very card.

PHANTOMESQUE by Peter Duffie In case you're wondering how a 1999 trick can be highlighted as "new." It was drawn to my attention by a reader that I had duplicated a trick. So I have added this one. This trick came about after reading Les (The Phantom) Johnson’s "Time Zone" in Abacus, issue No.3, Vol.7. A 12 card set-up is necessary: arrange an Ace through Queen of any suits on top of the deck in order (Ace on top), then add one more card on top of all.

WORKING 1. The card case is lying on the table. Give the deck a Jog Shuffle retaining the top stock then give the deck to a spectator and turn away for a moment. Ask him to think of any time of the day (one to twelve), and to remove that number of cards from the top of the deck and place them into the card case so you cannot touch them.

2. Turn to face the front and take the deck face down. Turn to a second spectator and tell him that he is to choose a card. As you are talking, carry out a Braue Reversal with the top card the result of this is that the deck is face up with the original top card face down at the rear.

3. Spread the cards and ask the spectator to choose any one. Close up the spread then begin a Hindu Shuffle (deck is still face up), and ask him to call stop at any time and drop his card onto the portion in your left hand. Finally drop the balance on top and square the deck, then place it face down on the table. NOTE: Instead of the Hindu Shuffle, you could simply ask the spectator to place his card on the face of the deck, then give it a complete cut.

4. Enter the Phantom. Pretend to remove an invisible card from your breast pocket, which you show to the audience, calling it your Phantom Finder (or whatever you wish to call it). Take aim as if you are about to toss the card at the deck, then stop, saying, "Sorry, the card should be face up." Pretend to turn it face up, then make a tossing motion towards the deck. 5. Spread the deck revealing one face up card in the middle. Slide this card out of the deck along with the card immediately above it. Ask the spectator to remind everyone what his card was, then turn over the face down card revealing it to be the selection.

6. Now turn to the first spectator, and draw attention to the value of the face up phantom finder. It might be a Seven spot. Reach forward and tip the cards out of the card case - make sure they come out face down. Ask the spectator to verify the number of cards, which represent the hour he thought of. This quantity will be the same as the value of the locator. Finish. END NOTE : You could ask the spectator to put the cards in his pocket, but in this effect, if he removes them face up, the numerical stack will be evident.

PSYCHIC MATH by Peter Duffie This is a card discovery that appears impossible for two reasons: first, it doesn’t seem possible for you to know where the card is in the pack, and second, the card is found using the values of two random cards that were selected before the trick began. The only requirement is a full pack of fifty-two cards. This combines two different principles. One is a Henry Christ concept called “Sum and Difference.” The other is a placement belonging to Eddie Joseph/Marlo. WORKING 1. To begin, run through the pack and remove any Ten spot and place it face down on the table. Give the pack to a spectator and ask him to remove any SPOT card and place it face down on top of your card. These, you state, will prove very useful later. Now ask him to shuffle the pack then to cut off less than half the cards and place the balance on the table. Turn away as you ask him to secretly count the number of cards the took. Let’s say he has 17 cards. Tell him to place his packet of cards either, in his pocket, or into the card case as they won’t be needed again. Tell him to pick up the rest of the pack and count down and remember the card that lies at the same position from the top as his secret number. In this case he would remember the 17th card from the top. At this stage you can tell him to only remember the card - he can forget his number. 2. Turn to face the front and take the pack, saying, “First I’m going to give you a psychic test. I’ll show you some cards and when you see your card, just “think” of it. If you don’t see it, it doesn’t matter.” Hold the pack face down and push off ten cards without changing their order. Take these ten cards in a fan with your right hand and hold them up in front of the spectator. Turn your head to one side, saying, “As this is a psychic test, I don’t want to get any clues from your facial expressions.” Place these ten cards to the BOTTOM of the pack, and push off another ten. Hold these up as before then place them on the bottom. Do this one more time with another ten cards, which you place to the bottom. 3. Pause and say, “I don’t know if you saw your card or not, but I certainly didn’t get any psychic message. So let’s use the two random cards that we chose earlier.” Turn over the two cards - they might be a 10 (one will be) and a 6. I’ll tell you what to do if both cards are Ten spots in a moment. Point out that you can add, multiply and subtract the two values to get different results, saying, “We’ll try two simple examples arithmetic. Add and subtract.” Ask the spectator to add the values, in this case he will get 16. Tell him to deal 16 cards from the pack into a pile on the table. Now ask him to subtract the values. This time he will get 4. Tell him to deal 4 more cards onto the tabled pile. Ask him to name his card, then tell him to turn over the last card he dealt - top card of the tabled pile - to reveal that very card! If both cards turn out to be Ten spots, you only use addition, 10 + 10 = 20. He then deals off 20 cards. The selected card will always be 20th. If you have two cards of different values and one is a 10, when you add, subtract, then total both results, the final total will always be 20!

REFERENCE POINT by Peter Duffie This is a variation of an Alex Elmsley effect entitled "Cross 25," and is a different handling from another version which I included in my Triad Cavalcade in Abracadabra. This version appeared in Obsession. The Deal Mix option in step 5 has since been added.

WORKING Begin by placing a wallet or envelope on the table. Or any similar object that will act as a cover - a postcard is also ideal. 1. From a shuffled pack push off 12 cards and hand them to a spectator whom we shall call (A) Have him shuffle the packet and as he is doing so, push off another 12 cards and give them to a second spectator (B) who also shuffles. 2. Ask both spectators to hold their cards face down and cut off a section and look at the face card of the cut off portion. Now ask each to replace their cut off sections on top of the others' balance. In other words the top halves are swapped over. Lastly ask that either of them take the others packet and place it on top or bottom of his then give the cards several complete cuts. 3. Take the packet of cards and hold it face down in the left hand. Push off the top four cards into the right hand and hold then up in front of spectator 'A.' Ask him if he sees his card. If he says yes then move on to Step 4. If he says no, place the four cards to the bottom and repeat with the next four cards and continue until he replies in the affirmative. 4. Apparently mix the four cards, really doing nothing except shifting them around so they finish back in the same order, then place them on top of the main packet. Your right hand now lifts the wallet at the inner end as the left hand apparently thumbs off the top card beneath. In fact your left thumb simply pushes over the top card then retracts it once under cover - in similar fashion to the Rub-a-Dub Vanish. 5. Give the packet to either spectator and ask him to deal the cards into two piles - dealing alternately - then to drop one pile on top of the other. Now ask the other spectator to do the same. Take back the packet. Alternatively, you can give the packet two Reverse Faros. 6. Now turn to spectator 'B' and repeat the procedure as you did in Step 3 except this time you show groups of SIX cards instead of four. When he says "yes," false mix the six cards then place them back on top. 7. After some deliberation lift the top three cards at the inner end, remove the 4th card and place it on top of the packet. As you do this, obtain a break below the top two cards. With the right hand lift the wallet at the inner end, ensuring that no one can see that there is nothing under it, and with the left thumb push off the top two as one below the wallet. Both selections are now under the wallet and in the correct order. So you can now lift the wallet - ask each spectator to name his card, then turn over each card to show that you have been 100% successful.

DOUBLE-CROSS DISCOVERY Peter Duffie Two cards are freely chosen from a packet. A spectator now finds the matching mates.

This is essentially Roy Walton's "Double Discovery" (The Complete Walton, Vol.1, 1981). While playing with Crossfire, I realized that the same concept could also be used for a one-spectator version of Roy's trick. The cross-deal is Arthur Setterington's. WORKING 1. This time you remove 6 pairs of cards (rather than 5) and arrange them in a rotational stack: A-B-C-D-E-F-A-B-C-D-E-F. 2. Give the packet to a spectator and ask him to give it a few straight cuts. Now say, "An experiment in chance, but before we can proceed, we need to program the cards." At that, ask him to spell C-H-A-N-C-E dealing a card for each letter into a face down pile on the table, then he drops the remaining cards on top. 3. He now carries out as many Deal Mixes as he wishes. That is, he deals the cards into two hands, as if he were dealing a two-handed game of cards, then drops one hand on top of the other. This can be repeated as many times as he wishes. He stops at any time after he has dealt two piles. Ask him to remove the top card of each pile and place these two cards face down to one side. He then places one pile onto the other. 4. Pick up the 10-card packet and cut the top two cards to the bottom. Give the packet to another spectator and ask him to deal a row of 5 cards, followed by a column that crosses the row - both central cards overlap (see illustration).

Ask him to turn over the two cards he selected earlier. Draw attention to the color and value of each, for example, "A red Jack and a black Two."

Finally turn over the pair at the center of the Cross to reveal the two matching mates.

MINI MENTAL REVISITED The deck is shuffled by the audience and a spectator removes any eight cards. Two spectators each think of one of the cards. You ask each one question - they answer yes or no. You immediately know where each spectator's card is.

This is a simplification of Peter Alexis' "Mini-Mental" (Pallbearers Review, page 380). Alexis says, with regard to the procedure, "The system may look complicated. It isn't." Well, it may not be highly complicated, but it could be made a lot simpler. There are also two errors in the four options given...to further...eh...complicate matters :-) This revised method is very easy to remember. I'll leave it up to the reader how the two cards are eventually revealed to the audience. I don't have an elegant way to finish it! WORKING 1. Hand out the deck for shuffling then ask someone to remove eight cards and place the rest of the deck aside. 2. Ask him to lay the cards out in a row of four pairs. 3. Invite two spectators to assist - these will be A and B. Turn your back and ask A to pick up any pair - keep one card for himself, then give the other card to B. each remembers their card. Tell B to replace his card in the row on the table, then A places his card on top of B's Finally ask either spectator to place the piles on top of one another in any order so all eight cards are together in one packet again. You now turn to face the front. 4. Pick up the packet and give it a False Mix. A simply way is to push off a pair into your right hand - push off another pair and take them on top of the first pair. Push off a 3rd pair and take these below - place the final pair on top (or bottom. You can shift the pairs around, just so long as you don't reverse the order of any pair, or split them. 5. You now deal the cards into two piles. This is a casual distribution, and is as follows: a) Deal one card to the RIGHT then one to the LEFT b) Deal one card to the LEFT then one to the RIGHT c) Push off a pair and take it in your right hand so you hold a pair in each hand. Drop a pair on top of each pile to make two four-card piles. 5. Pick up the left pile with your left hand and the right with your right hand. Fan both packets and show the LEFT pile to A, and the RIGHT pile to B. Ask each, "Do you see your card?" One YES means both cards are on top of the 'yes pile' - A's card on top of B's. Two YES' mean each card lies THIRD from the top of its respective pile. Two No's mean each card is at the bottom of its pile (A's card is at the bottom of pile B, and visa-versa). Now use this knowledge in your most inventive manner!

TOUCH & GO # 2 by Peter Duffie While your back is turned, a spectator takes a deck and puts some cards in his left pocket and some cards in his right pocket. He then places the remainder of the deck in your hands after which you turn round. With the deck behind your back, you now put some cards in your left pocket and some cards in your right pocket. In the end, you both have the same quantities of cards in each pocket. Again inspired by a placement-based trick shown to me by George McBride on Halloween 2000. NOTE: a) If you use a touch-locator like a short card you can do it all with the deck unseen by you. Simply cut the locator to the bottom in step 1. b) You must restrict the choice of numbers from 10 to 17 (inclusive) as suggested by Jim Snapp. WORKING 1. Hand out the deck for shuffling then take it back face down in dealing position. Say, “This is an experiment in exact quantities, so I need to make sure I have a full deck.” As you are speaking, crimp the bottom card, or edge mark it by scraping your right thumb nail along its inner edge. Now spread count the cards from hand to hand, counting out loud if you wish, and block off the top 22 cards as you count. Then keep counting till you reach the end - thus, seemingly, satisfying yourself that the deck is complete. Square the deck and obtain a break below the 22nd card. Finally cut the cards above the break to the table then drop the rest on top. The key is now 30th from the top. 2. Give the deck to a spectator and ask him to pocket two groups of cards exactly as in the first version. Now turn to face the front and take the deck into your hands. Obtain a break below the crimp as you explain that you will attempt to duplicate what he has just done, but by sense of touch alone. 3. Take the deck behind your back and immediately count the cards above the break. Instantly half this number - but without fractions. It will always be an odd number, so one “half “ will be greater than the other. So if you count 17 cards: 17 / 2 = 8 & 9. Always take the higher number, in this case 9. Another example. You count 13 cards. That’s 6 & 7. Use 7. Now simply subtract this number from 20 and count off that number of cards for your left pocket. Now count off the total of the digits for your right pocket. Finish as in the first version showing that you succeeded in matching the quantities of both the spectator’s packets exactly.

SUDDEN IMPACT by Peter Duffie The audience believe you are going to cut to the Aces - they get a bigger surprise when you don’t! WORKING 1. Remove the four Aces and hold the deck face down in left hand dealing position - get a break below the top three cards. Place the Aces face up on top with Spades at the rear - not essential, but recommended. 2. Lift off all 7 cards above the break in a Biddle grip and perform a Braue Addition, as follows: Peel off the first Ace with your left thumb and lever it face down onto the deck Repeat with the next two Aces - Place the remaining four-card block onto the deck then turn the final Ace (Spades) face down on top of all. POSITION CHECK: The order from the top is: A-X-X-X-A-A-A-rest of deck. 3. Remove the top card with your right hand then riffle down the outer left corner with your left thumb. Stop when only the bottom card remains and insert the Ace above the bottom card. Leave it oujogged, saying, "I’ll lose this Ace down near the bottom." Do this with the next three cards (apparently the other 3 Aces - really random cards), inserting them at varying intervals. Finally push all four cards square. 4. State that you will now try to cut to the Aces.Turn the deck face up and obtain a break above the lower/rear three cards (Aces).You now appear to cut off a section onto the table with the Ace of Spades appearing on top. Bring the right hand over and grip the deck - thumb at the inner end and fingers at the outer. However, do not grip the three broken with the thumb. Place your left thumb on the face card. You now appear to cut the deck. Here’s what happens. Your right hand pulls the main deck to the right and slaps it onto the table - but the three broken cards stay in your left hand, and your left thumb retains the face card which falls onto these cards. The moment the deck hits the table - all eyes are focused on the Ace of Spades. It looks lie a simple cut. DO NOT pause here, also do not rush. Reach down with your right hand and pick off the Ace of Spades, "Ace number one, the Ace of Spades." Without hesitation, place the Ace on top of the left hand packet. Believe me, at this moment the audience have it in their mind that half the deck is in your hand and half is on the table. Don’t pause and ruin it. Raise your right hand - their eyes will follow - then slap it flat onto the packet in your left hand and make a squeezing motion, as you say, "Watch!" Lift your hand, making sure the packet is square, then back-spread the lower three Aces to show all four. Then spread the deck to finish off the illusion.

THE 5.5 TRICK by Peter Duffie A variation on the classic gag 'The 31/2 of Clubs' (why always Clubs?). Here is a version that I came up with which goes over just as well with an audience and uses normal cards. The force belongs to Bob Ostin. This first appeared in Hidden Agenda. All you have to do is tear (or cut) a card in half lengthwise and discard one of the halves. Place the remaining half into an accessible pocket. Set the top nine cards of deck so that they run in strict numerical order - TEN to TWO - with suits mixed. Ten is on top.

1. At some point during your performance, cop the half card from your pocket and add it to the face of the deck, so that it is in line with the left edge of the deck.

2. With your right thumb riffle off FIVE cards (plus the half) and place the balance of the deck face down on the table in front of a spectator. The prediction packet is placed to one side, at an angle so that the torn edges of the half card are not directly facing the audience.

3. Ask the spectator to think of any single digit number. This restricts his choice to between One and Nine inclusive. Now ask him to pick up the deck and count down to, and remove, the card that lies at that position from the top, and to note the value of the card. Point out the representative values of court cards for effect only, as he will never arrive at one.

4. Now ask him to mentally add his secret number which only he knows to the value of the random card. He will automatically arrive at ELEVEN. Finally ask him to half the total by dividing it by two. This will give him five and a half.

Draw attention to the prediction packet and state that you have predicted the outcome by removing the exact number of cards which will equal the total that the spectator is thinking of. Spread the packet to reveal apparently SIX cards, then ask the spectator to announce his total. Act as if he has made a mistake and ask him what the two numbers were etc. Finally close the spread and take the packet into your hands and count the cards onto the table, pausing on the fourth, then deal the fifth to reveal the half card, saying, "Five...and one half (flick the half card for effect) makes five and a half!"

THE AMNESIA CARD TRICK by Peter Duffie The following is a surprising revelation of a chosen card by means of a totally unexpected transformation come transposition. This originally appeared in a small limited-edition manuscript called ETHOS (1993). The idea of using TILT to cause a card to change belongs to Ed Marlo. Further inspiration was derived from Jerry Sadowitz's “Prone To Live Dangerously” which appeared in his book Cards Hit. The Cut Deeper Force belongs to Ed Balducci. WORKING l. Run through the deck and cut the Ace of Spades to second from the top position, saying, "I will use the most prominent card in the deck to demonstrate a most prominent card trick." Hold the deck face down and carry out a Double Lift to show the Ace then turn it face down and deal off the top card face down onto the table. 2. Ask a spectator to lift off about one third of the deck and turn it face up onto the balance. Now ask the spectator to lift off about two thirds - “Cut deeper this time” - and turn this section over and place it on the balance. At this, say, "I would like you to remember the first face down card which nobody can know." Spread through all the face up cards and place them momentarily on the table then lift off the top two cards of the face down remainder as one, and show the card to the spectator, turning your head away so you do not see it. Do not flip the double over but raise it so that the face is away from you anyway. Replace the double and deal off the top card and place it in front of the spectator. 3. Retain a break below the top face down card then pick up the face up section and square it adding the card above the break below it, then pivot the face down 5ection face up and place it below the other face up section thus completing the deck. This also leaves the selection face down in the middle. 4. With the deck face up, position the top card in readiness for TILT ( Vernon Depth Illusion ) then pick up the supposed Ace of Spades, saying, “If I thrust the most prominent card into the deck at a prominent position I should be able to show the prominent trick I promised you.” Execute TILT placing the face down card second from the face. Immediately spread the deck face up across the table to reveal the face down card in the middle as expected, however this is not the Ace but the selection, which the audience believe to be still lying on the table in front of the spectator. Carry on, saying, "Here's the miracle....because the prominent position is in fact right next to your card ...what was your card?" Of course as far as they are aware ,the selection hasn’t been put back! After a bit of acting you realize your mistake, then take the appropriate action by causing the face down Ace to change into the selection - then finish by having the spectator turn over his card to reveal the Ace!

THE BESSEWISSER CARD by Peter Duffie Three spectators each select a card and all three are lost back into the deck. You give the deck a cut and turn over the top card, which may be the Seven of Diamonds, but this is not a selection. Not to be discouraged you insist that this card represents all three selections. Pointing out that the card is red you announce that the first spectator’s card must be a red card. It is. You then point out that the card is a Diamond, therefore the second spectator’s card must be a Diamond. It is. Lastly, you point out that the card is a Seven, therefore the third spectator’s card must be a Seven. Again this proves to be correct. Finally you push this card face up into the middle of the face down deck, tap the deck, then spread revealing that the card has now transformed into the three selections which are now face up in the middle. Before you begin you need to cull four cards to the top, reading from the top down. Any red card, any Diamond, any Seven and the Seven of Diamonds. You don’t have to use the Seven of Diamonds, so these can be various combinations. WORKING 1. Jog Shuffle retaining the small stack on top then cut the deck and hold a break. Approach the first of three spectators and carry out a Riffle Force, cutting the upper section to the bottom. Give him the top card, then give the next card to spectator 2 and the next card to spectator 3. Once they have noted their cards take them back on top of the deck in 3-2-1 order then False Shuffle. The four cards stack is still on top as it was. 2. Hold the deck face down and spread the cards, saying, “Your cards could be anywhere in here and I’m going to attempt to cut to all three with a single cut.” Close the spread obtaining a break under the top four cards. Tilt your hand upwards slightly so the front edge of the deck faces the audience. Now grasp the lower half by the sides between your right thumb and second finger. Pull this section inwards then slap it on the table. Come back to the remaining half and flip over the top four cards as one, revealing the 7D. Place this half on top of the tabled half them pick up the complete deck. This is essentially a standard False Cut while maintaining your break. 3. Ask if this is a selection. It is not. Now follow the presentation as given in the “effect” above, giving a bit of information about each selection. During this you execute a Top Card Cover Pass anywhere near the middle of the deck. Choose your best moment. 4. Now remove the face up 7D and show it. Ask the three spectators to each name their card. As you do this set the top card in readiness for TILT (Vernon Depth Illusion). Push the face up Seven into the break, square the deck and place it on the table. Immediately spread it across the table top revealing the three face up selections in the middle in place of the Seven. Take care not to expose the face up Seven below the top card as you spread.

WEDLUCK ( From Card Flair ) The trick that follows is a simple, yet effective, royal marriages effect using the Rusduck Stay Stack principle. A Stay Stack is a mirror stack that retains its properties after certain shuffling. WORKING 1. Remove the four Queens and the four Kings and arrange them in a mirror stack, paying attention only to the suits. Here is an example of a set-up:

KC - KH - KS - QD - KD - QS - QH - QC The suits of the top four cards are in reverse order to the bottom four. So as you can see, the arrangement can be made to look like a random one. Before discarding the pack remove the Jack of Hearts, saying that he represents Cupid. Place Cupid face up on the table. 2. Show the packet of cards to the audience pointing out that they are the Kings and Queens. I'll leave the main presentation to the reader. Turn the packet face down and give it to a spectator and tell him to deal the cards into two piles, dealing to and fro as in a two-handed game of cards. Then tell him to pick up either pile - drop it on top of the other, then pick the packet up. The spectator can now carries out the above process as many times as he wishes, until he is satisfied that the cards are in an unknown order. He now carries out the following procedure: a) He deals the cards into piles again. Then, he picks up Cupid and places him him face up on top of either pile. Finally he drops the other pile on top of Cupid to bury him. b) You now spread the packet on the table and slide out the face up Cupid along with the two cards on either side. Remove Cupid from between the two cards and place him face up on the table. Close up the remaining spread and give it to the spectator. Steps A) and B) are now repeated two more times. This will result in two more face down pairs of cards, plus the final pair, which you ask the spectator to lay on the table beside the other three. 3. Conclude by tapping each pair with Cupid before turning them over one by one to reveal four perfect marriages!

MARRIED WITHOUT A CAUSE A spectator places the four Queens on top of the four Kings. The Kings and Queens now marry up! Based on the classic Hofzinser plot. WORKING 1. Remove the Kings and Queens (discard rest of deck). Lay out the Kings in two spreads with both sets in the same suit order. So you can follow this, let's say they run in C-H-S-D with Diamonds at the face of each. 2. Having allowed the audience to see that all are present and correct, you pick up the Queens, saying your mix them so they are no longer in the same order - hold Queens face up and do an Over-under shuffle. This is: take the first Queen in your right hand - take the next one on top take the 3rd below - finally place the last one on top. Replace the Queens in a spread on the table. They now run - H-D-S-C (Clubs at the face). 3. Ask a spectator to pick up the Kings and hold them face down, then to pick up the Queens and place them on top of the Kings. It is clear to everyone that both sets of cards are separate. 4. Say, "To start this experiment we need 'any pair.' Not just any old pair, but any pair.....In fact we'll use these very words." Ask the spectator to spell A-N-Y dealing three cards into a face down pile on the table - the third card is slid aside. The balance of the packet is dropped on the two remaining cards. Now he spells P-A-I-R dealing 4 cards into a pile - the 4th card is slid aside and the balance dropped on the remaining three cards. [At this point it's all over - all four couples are now matched up!] 5. Pick up the two selections and tap the packet. Ask the spectator to turn over the top two cards - they are a perfect matching couple. Tap the packet again and ask him to turn over the next pair revealing a second perfect marriage. Finally, tap his last two cards, saying, "When I say, NOW, we'll both turn our cards over together -remember these are the two cards you picked at the start (referring to your two cards)." You both turn your cards over to reveal two more perfectly married couples.

MARRAID ( From With Cards ) You cut the deck four times - each time a face up King appears. You now find a random card for each King by using their suits. When these cards are turned over they prove to be the four Queens - each paired perfectly with the correct King. The plot is the classic ‘Royal Marriages’ and belongs to J. N. Hofzinser. To begin, remove the Kings and Queens and set them on top of the deck as follows - the the Kings are face up and the Queens face down - the Queen of Clubs is the top face down card of the deck:

QC - KC - QH - KH - QS - KS - QD - KD WORKING 1. Begin by giving the deck a Jog Shuffle retaining the top stock, then hold it face down in dealing position. Say, “There are four Kings, or Monarch’s in the deck. Each has to marry according to their race - so, for example, the King of Hearts is forbidden to marry a Queen of any other suit. He can only marry the Heart. I’d like to show you how they accomplished this.” 2. You now cut the top half of the deck onto the table, but you hold back the top card, in other words you execute a Slip-Cut. The King of Clubs sits (FU) on top of the tabled half. Draw attention to the suit then spell C-L-U-B-S, dealing one card for each letter into a face down pile on the table. Pick up the King and drop it below this pile, then pick up the tabled half and drop it on top of the deck.. 3. Repeat the above procedure three more times, dealing a new pile of cards for each suit. In the end there are four piles of cards on the table, each accompanied by a face up King. Finally turn each pile face up revealing the four matching Queens, saying, “There you are - four harmonious couples.”

THE STRAGGLER by Peter Duffie A selected card is placed between the two black Jacks. The complete sandwich is cut into the middle of the deck. At your command the two black Jacks rise to the top. However, where is the chosen card? Upon spreading the deck the selection is seen to be still in the middle, but it has somehow mysteriously reversed. This trick first appeared in The Griffin. WORKING 1. Remove the two black Jacks then have a card selected. As it is being looked at take this opportunity to reverse the lower half of the deck using a Half-Pass. Place the selection between the Jacks with all three cards facing upwards.

2. I retain the deck in my left hand during the following simple count. If you prefer you can place the deck momentarily on the table leaving your left hand free. I will describe the procedure with the deck in hand. Either way, the packet is held face up in a right hand Biddle grip. Carry out the following brief count:

a) With your left thumb peel the upper Jack onto the deck but retain a little finger break below it. b) As you peel off the selection the first Jack is stolen (Biddled) beneath the other jack. c) Finally both Jacks are placed on top as one. Conclude by turning over all three cards over onto the deck.

3. Explain that you will cut the selection with its two guardians into the middle of the deck. This you appear to do - in fact you carry out a Double Undercut to take only the top card to the bottom. This cutting must use only the top half of the deck!

4. Explain that the Jacks will now cause the selection to reverse itself, then the Jacks will rise back to the top with their mission accomplished. Obtain a break where the facing sections meet and execute another Half-Pass to right the deck, using the Christ Twist as your cover apparently your magical gesture to activate the Jacks. Now turn over the top two cards revealing the Jacks. Conclude by spreading the deck to show the selection face up in the middle.

THE VERSATILE TEN by Peter Duffie A number revelation based on a Stay Stack related principle. 1. Remove an Ace through Ten of mixed suits and arrange them in order, running in either direction. Then toss out the Ten of Clubs face up onto the table. The rest of the deck is place to one side. 2. Point out that every number is represented in the packet, so they are all different. Now hold the cards face down and give them a few Charlier Shuffles then give them to a spectator for cutting. Tell him to pick up the Ten spot and push it face up into the packet anywhere, then spread the cards on the table. Offer him a chance to reposition the indicator card. 3. Slide out the indicator card along with the two cards on either side of it. Now gather up the rest of the spread, marking off the point where the cards were removed, then make a complete cut at that point. 4. Slide out the indicator card from between his two selections and leave it in front of them. Say, "Now I’ll select two cards also. But to ensure that I don’t cheat I’ll let the Ten of Clubs choose my cards for me. I’ll do this by simply spelling its name." Spell T-E-N transferring three cards from top to bottom, then spell C-L-U-B-S transferring another four cards to the bottom and turning the 5th face up onto the table in front of you. Your first selection. Repeat the above spelling, dealing a second card face up onto your first then discard the remaining cards in your hand. 5. Draw attention to the values of your two cards and add them together, announcing the total. Remind the audience of the fairness of the initial selection, etc., then ask the spectator to turn over his two cards and announce their total. It will be the same. There are two exceptions: If your two cards are an Ace and Two: Drop them beside the face up Ten spot (indicator) and total all three cards. This total will equal the spectator’s two cards. If your cards are a Nine and Ten: Push the indicator back between the spectator’s two cards, then ask him to turn the outer two cards over and add all three cards. This total will equal your two cards.

TO AND FRO by Peter Duffie A spectator looks at a card in the middle of the deck where it remains. A second spectator attempts to find the card. He cuts off a portion and turns it over, it might be the Five of Spades....but this is not the selection. So you spell the name of this card by dealing a card for each letter of the name - you turn over the final card....and it’s NOT the selection. Not so good. But then you say, "I’ll tell you what - the last time I did a trick backwards the damn thing worked. Maybe it’ll work here. Let’s spell our indicator card backwards......SPADES OF FIVE!" You do this, forming three piles, one for each word. You turn over the final card and Bingo! it’s the selection. Finally you turn over the to card of each pile to reveal the other three mates making four-of-a-king. Cull the four Jacks - three go to the bottom of the deck and one goes to the top (make this the Jack of Hearts for this description). WORKING 1. Slip Cut the top Jack into the middle of the deck and hold a break below it. Riffle Force to the break - lift off the upper section and have a spectator member the face card (JH). Replace the upper half executing the Ovette/Kelly so the Jack of Hearts goes to the bottom. For this I recommend Robin Robertson’s "Final Control" from his 1965 book Handle With Care (Hades). 2. Invite a second spectator to cut off half the deck and place this section face up on the table. Ask if the card showing is the selection - it isn’t. Let’s say the card showing is the Five of Spades. Say, "Well, let’s use this Five of Spades as an indicator to try to find your card. We’ll use the complete name of the card." You now spell F-I-V-E O-F S-P-A-D-E-S dealing one card for each letter and forming a single face down pile on the table. However you deal bottoms on the first two letters of "FIVE," the first letter of "OF," and the first letter of "SPADES." Easy to remember - you begin each word with a bottom, except for the first word which kicks off with two bottoms. Turn the top card of the dealt pile face up - it’s not the selection. Replace this card on top of the dealt pile as you place the rest of your half deck aside. 3. Pick up the small pile, saying, "I’ll tell you what - the last time I did a trick backwards the damn thing worked. Maybe it’ll work here. Let’s spell our indicator card backwards......SPADES OF FIVE!" Do that but this time you form three piles. Spell "S-P-A-D-E-S" into one pile, then "O-F" into a 2nd pile and finally "F-I-V-E" into a 3rd pile - but retain the final card in your hand. Ask for the name of the selection then turn this card over revealing it to be the selection. After a pause, tap each pile with the card then turn over the top card of each pile revealing the other three mates to make four-of-a-kind.

The Twin Aces From Seller's Secrets, 1931. EFFECT Two black Aces are shown. One is placed at the bottom of the pack, the other anywhere near the centre. A selected card is now placed on top of the pack. The cards are cut and selected card is now found between the two Aces. REQUIREMENTS: A pack of cards. METHOD Remove the two black Aces with an extra card concealed behind them. Place these cards face up in a spread on the table as two Aces - the extra card is aligned with the lower Ace and thus concealed. Now have a card selected. The spectator retains the card. Pick up the two Aces and place the packet face down on top of the pack. Place the top card into the centre, then place the next card on the bottom. Ask the spectator to place his card on top of the pack, then to give the pack one complete cut. Turn the pack face up and spread the cards revealing both Aces now together in the middle with the selected card between them.

Living or Dead? From Tricks that Work, 1927. EFFECT You introduce five slips of paper on a tray or plate, each ARE identical. Five spectators each take one. You ask four spectators to write the name of someone who is living, and the fifth spectator to write the name of someone who is dead. Each spectator rolls his paper into a ball and a member of the audience collects the five papers in a hat. You are now fairly blindfolded. Reaching into the hat, you remove the balls of paper one by one, pressing each to your forehead. You throw one ball out to the audience, and this proves to be the slip with the dead person's name on it. You are not limited to five people - this can be worked for any number of people. All papers are of the same size, colour and weight. All edges are the same. SECRET One of the pieces of paper on the tray is perfumed. You simply keep a watch who selects it. The one who takes this piece is asked to write the dead person's name on it. As you pass each ball of paper to your forehead, you let every one pass your nose. You immediately know the ball you want by the smell of the perfume.

A CARD FROM POCKET TRICK From Card Tricks That Work, 1934. This is an excellent card to pocket. It combines both directness and subtlety in a manner that appeals to me. EFFECT The performer has a card selected and replaced in the pack. He next shows that the card is neither at the top or bottom of the pack. The selected card is now produced from the performer's pocket. REQUIREMENTS: A pack of cards. METHOD Have a card selected and returned to the pack; as the card is returned to the pack slip one card above it and make the Pass, this bringing the selected card second from the top of the pack. Now give the pack a False Shuffle. Take the top card and show it. Remarking, "Your card is not on top," spin the card in the air which shows you have only one card, as the card returns to you (boomerang fashion, as described in Down's Art of Magic), slip the little finger of your left hand under the top card. Now, as you square up the pack, palm off the two top cards into your right hand, at the same time turn the pack over and show the bottom card. Remarking, "Your card is not at the bottom," take the pack in your left hand, and placing your right hand in your inside pocket, withdraw the under or selected card, leaving the other card behind. (Duffie) If you use your right trouser pocket rather than the inside pocket, you will now be in a position to repeat the effect a la "Francis Carlyle's Homing card," should you wish to.

THE "NO OPTION" SPELLER From 21 New Card Tricks, 1936. This is a rather ingenious effect. It requires a set-up, but if you can bring the deck into a card session with your fellow magi, you'll probably blow them away. (PD) EFFECT The performer (or spectator) deals the pack into four equal piles. A heap is now freely selected. The performer asks the spectator to name any Ace in the pack, when this has been done, the performer (or spectator) removes a card for each letter of the name of the selected card, when the last letter of the name is reached this is seen to be the chosen card. ARRANGEMENT When the pack is face down the arrangement from top to bottom is as follows: AD - KS - JS - QH - AS - KH - JH - QC - AH - KC - JC - Any Card - AC - Any 34 Cards - QD - Any Card - KD - JD - QS. METHOD Either you or a spectator deal the pack into four equal heaps, in a row. Now have a heap freely chosen. Tell the spectator that whatever heap he chooses you will use it for the trick. If heap "one" is chosen - ask for any ACE and spell it out by taking a card from the top of the packet and placing it to the bottom. If heap "two" is chosen - ask for any KING and spell it out in the above manner. If heap "three" is chosen - ask for any JACK and spell it out as above. If heap "four" is chosen - ask for any QUEEN and spell it out. For Hearts, Clubs and Diamonds the card is turned up on the last letter of the name. For Spades, the full name is spelled out and the next card turned up.

THE STRONG CIGARETTE From More Secrets, 1933. EFFECT The performer borrows a cigarette, then shows a piece of ribbon with a loop at one end and a small hook at the other. He now attaches an examined weight to the hook on the end of the tape. Holding the cigarette at the extreme end with his fingers and thumb, he slips the loop over the other end. The weight is seen to be suspended from the top of the cigarette, yet it does not break. The loop is removed and the cigarette is given back to the lender with the remark that it is too strong for you.

Sellers says, "I am not sure if this can be classed as a conjuring trick, nevertheless, it is thoroughly practicable." Well, it's certainly a more subtle use of invisible thread than floating a dollar bill! (PD) REQUIREMENTS A weight (just heavy enough to be lifted by the thread), a piece of ribbon about two feet long with a small loop at one end and a small hook at the other. Attach a thread to the hook, this thread should be longer than the ribbon used. Tie the free end of the thread to one of your vest buttons, place the ribbon and hook in one of your vest pockets allowing the thread to hang free. You are now ready to perform. METHOD Borrow a cigarette and allow anyone to handle the weight. Remove the ribbon with hook from your pocket and attach the weight to the hook. You now take hold of the end of the ribbon with the loop and place the loop over the tip of the cigarette, at the same time allowing the thread, which you will remember was attached to your vest button, to take the strain of the ribbon. Hold the weight apparently by the end of the cigarette for a moment or so, then take the loop off the cigarette and return it. Remove the weight, coil up the ribbon and replace in vest pocket.

CUT From Magical Pleasantries, 1933. The basic effect here is a favourite with Ricky Jay. (PD) EFFECT You introduce a pack of cards and cut them equally into two portions. You now offer a spectator a free choice of either half, then request him to shuffle his half while you shuffle yours. You now ask him to cut his half anywhere and show the card he cut to; nevertheless, when you cut your half you always beat him. If he cuts an Ace, you cut an Ace and draw with him. ARRANGEMENT Arrange the pack into two heaps as follows: Two Aces, Two Twos, two Threes, two Fours, and so on, up to two Kings. Place the two halves together and you are ready to perform. METHOD Cut the pack at the two Kings and offer either half to a spectator (free choice). Now ask him to shuffle his packet, while you shuffle yours. You of course only False Shuffling. Now ask him to cut and tell you the card cut; as you know the arrangement of your packet, with a little judgement you can always cut higher than your opponent. Great fun can be had if you contrive just to beat him by one spot. If he cuts a Seven, you cut an Eight, if he cuts a Ten, you cut a Jack, and if he cuts an Ace then you cut an Ace also. I finish the trick by exchanging the heaps and ask him to shuffle, while I do the same. As I do, I take care to locate an Ace and get a break at this point. I ask the assistant to cut just once more; of course, I win again. I immediately hand him my packet, but there is nothing to be found as both heaps have been genuinely shuffled. I have had a lot of amusement out of this trick. Give it a trial.

MATTER THROUGH MATTER From Quick Tricks, 1935. This effect is currently marketed by David Roth. (PD) EFFECT The performer shows an empty bottle and inserts the cork. The bottle, which has a conspicious label on the outside, is now wrapped in a piece of newspaper. After tapping with the wand the performer unwraps the bottle. "Perhaps you are wondering what has happened,""Well, if you examine the bottle closely you will see that the label has passed right inside the bottle!" REQUIREMENTS Obtain a quart, clear glass, bottle and with a little manipulation get a label stuck inside. With the aid of very little wax, stick a duplicate label on the outside, over the one inside the bottle. A sheet of newspaper with plenty of wax spread about the centre is also required; also a cork for the bottle. METHOD Exhibit the bottle closely, but do not tell the spectators what you are going to do. Pick up the sheet of newspaper and as you wrap the bottle up in it, press the well-waxed piece on the label. When you unwrap the bottle the label will adhere to the newspaper, which is thrown aside. You can now pass the bottle for examination. Perhaps a little improvement in the effect would be to have the underside of the outside label covered with newspaper. Then you could show the newspaper on both sides when you conclude the trick.

A Trick with the Si Stebbins Pack From Card Tricks That Work, 1934. EFFECT The performer has a card freely selected. He now lays two cards on the table. One of these cards denotes the suit and the other the value of the selected card. REQUIREMENTS. An arranged pack set up in the Si Stebbins order, every card being three spots higher than the preceding card. Plus the four suits rotating in an known order. METHOD False shuffle, have a card selected, cut the pack at the selected card. Now deal off cards until you come to the twelfth card, this card will denote the suit and the thirteenth card will denote the value of the selected card. When the pack is cut at the place where the selected card is removed, the twelfth and thirteenth card will always denote the suit and value.

A SURPRISE SLATE TRICK From Sellers' Secrets, 1931. Although Sellers uses a slate - a natural prop of that time - there are alternatives that can make a message appear. For close-up a double lift with a blank business card will work. (PD) EFFECT A clean slate is shown to the spectators. A number of cards are exhibited bearing such names as "Sahara," Indian Ocean," "Vesuvius," "CoraL Islands," Red Sea," etc., etc. One is selected. The name of the selected card is shown on the slate in a surprising manner. REQUIREMENTS A flap slate. A number of cards as above, say about twelve. Under the flap with a piece of red chalk write a large letter C. You are now ready to perform. METHOD Show slate and lay on table. Now show cards and have one selected. Forcing the card with the name, "The Red Sea," receive it back and shuffle into the remaining cards. Now ask the spectator to name the card he selected, and on his answering "The Red Sea" show the large red C on the slate.

ON THE TOP IN REVERSE From 21 New Card Tricks, 1936. Most magicians know the card trick where a selected card is replaced in the centre of the pack, the pack is riffled and the card shown to be on top, having apparently been pulled right through the pack. Of course, the secret is that you made a Pass and brought the card to the top. The effect of the trick I am about to describe is similar only the selected card is returned to the centre of the pack face up. REQUIREMENTS. A pack of cards. METHOD Have a card selected, fan the cards and ask for the card to be replaced face up in the pack. As you square the cards, slip one card above the selection and make the Pass. The selected card lies face up in second position from the top. Hold the pack in the left hand in dealing position. With the right hand riffle the front end of the pack. After the riffle the right hand away from the pack then returns and riffles again. Move the right hand away and return for a third riffle. This time, as the right hand covers the pack the top card is instantly palmed, then the pack is riffled. The selected card seems to appear on top of the pack visibly. PD NOTE: Sellers suggests an alternative handling: as the right hand palms the card, your left thumb makes the riffle rather than the right fingers. Because the right hand covers the pack, this is not seen and it is assumed the right fingers carried out the riffle as before. However, if you can execute a half decent Top Palm, your right fingers are already in position to riffle and the illusion is perfect. The right hand with the palmed card leaves the pack showing the selected card face up on top. As you show it, remark, "This trick can only be done with the Nine of Hearts" - or whatever card it happens to be. As you say this flip the face up card face down while leaving the palmed card secretly on top. You now remark, "I will place the card face down in the centre of the pack this time." You remove the top card and place it in the centre, riffle the pack, remarking, "Only one riffle this time," then show that the card has again come to the top.

THE WINNER From Scots magic, 1939. EFFECT To begin you write a prediction on a card and leave this in full view of the audience with the writing hidden. You next hand out to five spectators, five envelopes, each containing a card, on every card is printed the name of a racehorse. After these cards and envelopes have been examined, the holders are requested to seal the cards in the envelopes. A spectator is now requested to collect the envelopes and mix them. You now take the envelopes and state that you will move one from the top of the packet to bottom for each letter in each horse's name that the envelope that falls on the last letter will be discarded, and that the last envelope left will be considered the winner. You proceed as stated until only one envelope remains. This is handed to a spectator to open, and the name of the horse read out. This matches your prediction. REQUIREMENTS Five cards, five envelopes, a card to write your prediction on. On each of the five cards write the name of a race horse. Each name must have five letters only, such as Mirza, Pasch, or the like. Place each card in an envelope and mark one of the envelopes with a small dot, also note the name of the horse within. METHOD Pick up the card and write the name of the horse you mentally noted and lay it down without letting the audience see what you have written. Hand out the envelopes, ask the spectators to open them and read the cards and remember the name of the racehorse. Have the cards replaced, collected and mixed. Take back the envelopes and note where the marked one lies. If it is second from the top, leave it there. Otherwise, while explaining what you are going to do, casually cut the marked envelope to second from the top. Now, if you spell each horse's name - as called out to you randomly by those who held the cards - placing an envelope from top to bottom for each letter, and discarding the envelope that falls on the last letter of each name, you will be left with the envelope that contains the horse you predicted at the outset.

ON THE TOP From Card Tricks that Work, 1934. Tom Seller's Ambitious Card where a card rises to the top four times. A different method is used for each phase. METHOD Have a card selected, noted and returned to the pack. Control the card to third position from the top. Give the pack a riffle then execute a Triple Lift revealing the selection has risen to the top. Turn the triple face down and remove the top card. Place this card on the bottom of the pack. Give the pack another riffle, then execute a Double Lift showing the selection has again risen to the top. Taker this double card and insert it face down into the middle of the pack - once it is about half way in push the lower card into the pack, leaving the upper card outjogged. Now cut all the cards below the outjogged card to the top, then push the jogged card flush. Give the pack another riffle then remove the top card showing the selection on top for a third time. Before the audience has fully recovered from this triple effect, execute a Top Change. Now push the switched card slowly into the middle of the pack - give it a riffle - then show it on top for the final time.

A NUMERICAL MYSTERY From Seller's Secrets, 1931. EFFECT You begin by handing out a sealed envelope. Next, you show nine cards, each with a different number on it. Two cards are freely chosen and their numbers added together. The sealed prediction is the same as final total. REQUIREMENTS Nine cards numbered One through Nine. You could use playing cards. The order of these cards are 1,2,3,4,5,9,8,7,6. NOTE: Sellers had the cards running in strict numerical order. However, as you will see, this meant having to deal in opposite directions, with no logical reason given. Write the number 10 on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. METHOD Give the envelope to a spectator for safe keeping, then introduce the nine cards. Deal the top four cards into a row - left to right. Place the 5th card to one side, then deal the remaining four cards onto the first four making four pairs, again dealing left to right. Pick up the odd card and ask a spectator to tap any one of the pairs with it. Discard the other three pairs. Now have the numbers of the selected pair of cards totaled = 10. The prediction is opened and revealed to be 100% accurate.

THE CHANGE-OVER ACES From Magical Mixture, 1943. A forerunner to the popular "Black Widow" effect published in the Pallbearers Review by Alan Brown. This is the same plot. A red Ace is placed between two red court cards and a black Ace is placed between two black court cards. The Aces change places. (PD) METHOD From the pack remove two red court cards and two black court cards, the Ace of Clubs and the Ace of hearts. Place the Ace of Hearts between the two red court cards and the Ace of Clubs between the two black court cards. Hold the six cards in a fan and draw the spectators' attention to the arrangement of the Aces. Square up the cards and hold them face down in readiness for the Glide. With your right hand slide out the bottom card and put it on the top. Glide back the next card (the Ace) then withdraw the next two cards, one by one, and put then on top. Now withdraw the Ace and put it on top, glide back the next card (other Ace) then withdraw the next two cards and put them on top. Withdraw the Ace and put on the top, now withdraw one more card and put it on top. Deal the cards in a row as follows:- First card face up, second cards face down, third card face up, fourth card face up, fifth card face down, sixth card face up. When you turn up the two face down Aces they will be seen to have changed over. The black Ace will be seen between the red court cards and the red Ace between the black court cards. A simple trick, but somehow I like it. NOTE: Sellers makes 8 transfers in total. He could have done it with only 6 transfers as follows: FAIR - FAIR - GLIDE - FAIR - FAIR - GLIDE. (P.D.)

A SPELLER IDEA From Magical Pleasantries (1933 or 1934) EFFECT You have the deck shuffled then ask someone to name any card. You drop the deck into your pocket and remove a card for each letter in its name as you spell it. The final card is the named card.

REQUIREMENTS An extra pack of cards split into the four suits, each running on order. Place each suit into a different pocket and remember which is where. You also have one complete deck.

WORKING 1. Hand out the complete pack for shuffling then take it back. 2. Ask a spectator call out the name of any card. Place the pack into the pocket containing the suit of the named card. Let's say he names the Nine of Clubs. Place the pack into the Club pocket so that the arranged suit is on top of the deck. s 3. Now start spelling the name removing a card from the TOP of the deck for each letter. Once you have removed one less than the value - in this case 8 cards - remove the remaining cards from the BOTTOM of the deck - then remove the TOP card on the final letter. This will be the named card.

PREDETERMINED THOUGHT From Magic Hits (1937) EFFECT You write the name of a colour on a blank card and place it, writing unseen, in a small glass. You now introduce a packet of cards on each of which is printed a spot of a different colour. A spectator examines and mixes these then freely selects any one. This is placed in the glass beside your prediction, which is immediately removed. Your prediction may say, "RED." The chosen card is now taken from the glass and proves to have a red spot.

REQUIREMENTS A dozen blank business cards. A further dozen on on each of which has been printed (or has a sticker) a spot of a different colour. A small glass that will hold a card neatly in an upright position. Place a card with a red spot face down on top of the packet of blank cards.

WORKING 1. Pick up the packet of blank cards, turn over the top two as one, and write the word "RED" on it. Tilt your hand up so the audience cannot see what you write. Lift these two cards off as one and drop them into the glass with the writing away from the audience.

2. Now bring out the packet of colour-spot cards and give these to a spectator, who examines them and then mixes then face down. He now selects any one without looking at the face. Take this card and drop it into the glass in front of your prediction. Immediately remove the front card - apparently your original prediction - and give it to the spectator. Ask him to read out what you wrote - "RED."

Finally remove the remaining two cards as one and turn then round to reveal a red spot. Or simply turn the glass round.

.............

UNDERFAN Originally from The Gen - rewritten for brevity (P.S. This one looks weird in Netscape!) EFFECT A card is selected and returned to the pack. You cut off a section and fan it with the faces towards the spectator, requesting if he can see his card. He doesn't, so you drop the fan face up on the table. You now riffle the rest of the deck towards the tabled fan. When the fan of cards is turned over, the chosen card is found underneath, face downwards on the table.

WORKING Have a card selected and, upon it's return, control it to the top.

Hold the pack with your left hand as if for a Charlier Cut as in figure 1, then pull about 20 cards from the middle. Make a one-hand fan, completely hiding the left hand section of the deck (fig.2). Ask the spectator if he can see his card in the fan. As he's doing this, your left thumb pushes the top card to the right and it's gripped between the first & second fingers of the right hand (fig.3). Once the spectator has confirmed that his card isn't there, separate the hands, keeping the stolen card pressed against the fan (fig.4)

Hold the fan level with the table and drop the cards. The selected card will remain hidden under the fan (fig.5). Now riffle the remainder of the pack you hold towards the tabled fan. Finally lift the fan revealing a face down card - ask the spectator to name his card, then turn over the card to finish.

TOUCH & GO by Peter Duffie UPDATE! Jim Snapp wrote to inform me that the trick had a major fault in its construction. If the spectator thought of 18 or 19 you ran out of cards! To cover this, Jim tells a story about his teaching mathematics to students, whose ages range from 10 to 17, then have the spectator pick an age that they would like to be (assuming they are older than that) or use their age if they are in that range. The description has now been modified with a similar patter theme, and the stack has been shortened.

EFFECT While your back is turned, a spectator takes a deck and puts some cards in his left pocket, some cards in his right pocket, and a single card in his breast pocket. He then places the remainder of the deck in your hands after which you turn round. You haven’t seen the deck, and you still can’t see it. Without any delay, you now put a single card in your breast pocket, some cards in your left pocket, and some cards in your right pocket. In the end, you both have the same quantities of cards in each pocket, and your single cards prove to be matching mates! The following was inspired by a placement-based trick shown to me by George McBride on Halloween 2000! See Select Secrets section for an impromptu version. This effect works on the principle that if you add the digits of any number between 10 and 20, then add the total to the original number, the final sum total will always be odd. But don’t worry because that’s something you don’t need to know to do the trick! This requires a stack, but one that is easy to remember (The second version in the Select Secrets section uses a shuffled deck but loses the single card selection). The stack is “physically” a Bilis Stack, but the Bilis principle is not used, only the Horowitz singular stack principle is used, thanks to the odd number principle. Set the deck as follows from the top down:

Any 13 cards - A - A - 2 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 4 - 4 - 5 - 5 - 6 - 6 - 7 - 7 - rest of deck. The only stipulation is that each individual pair of values be the same colour. So you can have two red A’s followed by two black Twos, and so on.

WORKING 1. Give the deck a Jog Shuffle making sure you don’t disturb the top 27 cards. 2. Talk about the ages from10 to 17 as being "the best years of our lives. Once we turn 18, we become adults - eligible to vote - we lose our innocence." Then ask what age, from 10-17, they would like to be again, and to think of that number. Give the deck to a spectator then turn your back. Ask him to silently count off that number from the top and place them into his left pocket. We’ll assume he counts off 15 cards for this description. Now tell him to add together the digits in his number and count off that number of cards and place them into his right pocket. In this case 1+5 = 6. He pockets 6 cards. Finally tell him to remove the top card of the deck and place it into his breast pocket.

3. Ask him to place the deck in your hand which you hold behind your back. Now turn to face the front. Explain that using sense of touch alone you will try to duplicate what he has just done. Remove the top card of the deck and bring it to the front, saying, “This will be my single card selection.” Place this in your breast pocket, glimpsing the face as you do so. In this example the card will be a 5 spot. This means he took 15 cards first. If it’s a 3 spot he took 13 cards, a 7 spot he took 17 cards, and so on. Quickly thumb off that number of cards, bring them to the front and drop them into your left pocket. Now add the digits and thumb off that number and drop these into your right pocket. Discard the remainder of the deck. NOTE: Jim Snapp pointed out that (assuming you have a full deck) if they have taken 17 cards, after pushing off 8 and putting them in your left pocket, simply put the rest of the deck in your right pocket - no need to count. 4. You now both bring out the cards from your left pockets and count them in unison. Both packets are equal. Repeat with the cards in your right pockets. Finally you both remove the single cards from your breast pockets. Ask him to turn his over (if it’s face down) then slowly turn your card over revealing two matching mates.

UNINHIBITED by Peter Duffie You begin by placing a random card on the table. This, you state, will be an indicator card. A spectator now selects a card by using any number from 10 to 50. He then stabs the indicator card into the deck and the two cards on either side are removed. The values of these cards now reveal the position of the selection in the deck. This was inspired by Phil Goldstein’s "Reduz" (Thequal, 1984 & The James File Vol.1, page 1256, 2000). "Reduz" was in turn a variation on Stewart James’ "Heduz" (Stewart James in Print, 1989). Cull the 9D plus any 3 and 4 to the top of the deck (9D on top with the other two cards in any order). WORKING 1. Palm off the top three cards and give out the deck for shuffling. Take back the deck adding the palmed cards, then toss the top card (a Nine) face down onto the table, saying, "We’ll use that as an indicator card in a moment." If you prefer not to palm cards a false shuffle and cut will suffice. 2. Give the deck back to the spectator and give him the following instructions: "Think of any number between ten and fifty and deal that number of cards into a pile on the table." Watch how many cards he deals. All you need to know is if it’s in the teens, twenties, thirties or forties. "Now for the mystical element. Your number has two digits. Add these together - now take back that number of cards one by one from the pile you just dealt and put them back on top of the cards in your hand. "No one could possibly have predicted what number you would think of so we have a totally random situation. Look at and remember the card now on top of the pile on the table. "Finally shuffle the cards in your hand and drop these on top to bury your card." 3. Pick up the deck and Double Cut the bottom card to the top. This places the Three and Four spot at top and bottom. The deck is face down in dealing grip. Pick up the face down indicator card and hand it to the spectator, saying, "Stab this card into the middle of the deck somewhere and leave it sticking out." You now the Bill Simon business card turnover. This turns the Nine spot face up and also places the Three and Four on either side of it. Seeing the 9D, apparently for the first time, say, "The Nine of Diamonds....the Curse of Scotland? Well there’s an omen right away. I’ll remove the Nine along with the two cards on either side of it." Separate the spread as you place the three cards on the table then place the right hand section to the bottom and square up. Give the deck back to the spectator.

4. You now use the three cards to locate the selection as follows: a) If his number was in the teens, push the face up Nine to one side, and turn over the 4 and 3. Say, "Well that could represent 43? It could also mean that your card is the 43rd card in the deck." He counts down and it is. b) If his number was in the twenties, push the face up Nine to one side, and turn over the 4 and 3. Say, "Well that could represent 34? It could also mean that your card is the 34th card in the deck." He counts down and it is. c) If his number was in the thirties, say, "I am going to use these three cards to calculate the position of your card in the deck." Turn over the two face down cards, saying, "These could represent 34. If I subtract the indicator value, that’s 34 less 9 = 25. Would you believe your card is 25th down in the deck? Have a look." He counts down and it is. d) If his number was in the forties, turn over the two face down cards, then say, "Let’s add together these three values - 3 plus 4 plus 9 gives us 16. Would you believe your card is 16th down in the deck? Have a look." He counts down and it is.

UNWONTED by Peter Duffie You lay the Ace, Two, and Three of Spades in a face up row on the table. Next you remove the two black Jacks, which you claim have incredible powers! You offer to demonstrate. You pick up the Ace and place it below the Jacks. Instantly you turn over the top card revealing the Ace has risen up through the Jacks. You place the Ace back on the table. You now repeat this with the Two and then the Three, each time the card is placed below the Jacks and rises to the top. Finally you place the two Jacks between a spectators palms. You gather up the three tabled cards and snap them, whereupon they transform into the two black Jacks. The Ace, Two, and Three are now between the spectator’s palms! This routine is based on a previous one of mine called "Hellraiser," a revised handling of which can be found in Effortless Card Magic. The transposition was inspired by Jerry Sadowitz’ "The Whisperers" that appeared in Alternative Card Magic. WORKING 1. Remove the Ace, Two, and Three of Spades and lay them in a face up row on the table. Next run through and openly transfer the two black Jacks to the face of the deck, then lift off the face THREE cards as two, placing the rest of the deck aside. 2. Hold the Jacks face up and push over the upper one to display both, the extra card remains concealed behind the rear Jack. Square the packet and turn it face down and retain it in dealing position. You can use the Ed Marlo elevator patter from here on in if you wish. 3. Pick up the Ace and place it face up on top of the packet. Make any relevant comments then flip the card face down. You now appear to transfer the top card to the bottom. In reality, you Buckle the bottom card and transfer the top THREE cards as a unit to the bottom. This is very easy to accomplish, and the triple is never in focus long enough to be spotted. Tap the packet then lift it with your right hand from above in a Biddle grip. With your left fingers back-spread the lower two cards into your left hand, leaving a double in your right. Turn your right hand to show the face of this double which is the Ace. Place the double face down on top of the two cards in your left hand then deal the top card face down onto the table where the Ace came from. 4. Repeat step 3 with the Two, then again with the Three. POSITION CHECK: There are three face down cards in a row on the table. The audience think these are the Ace, Two, and Three of Spades. Not so. These are a Jack, a Jack, and an odd card. The audience think that you have the two Jacks in your hand. Wrong again! These are the Three, Two, and Ace. 5. Ask a spectator to hold out his hand palm up. Place the cards you are holding on his outstretched palm then ask him to cover the cards with his other hand. 6. Pick up the three cards from the table, by picking up the odd card first and placing this on top of a Jack, then place both on top of the other Jack. Finally place all three cards into your left hand. 7. Make a mystical pass towards the spectator’s hands, then snap your cards face up. Take the face Jack into your right hand and snap the remaining double and the single Jack together, giving the impression that you have only two cards. Finally ask the spectator to examine the cards he is holding, and he should be surprised to find that he now has the Ace, Two, and Three.

13/13 FORCE by Peter Duffie The 13/14 or 14/15 Force Deck has been a standard weapon in the arsenal of mentalists and close-up magicians for many years. The simplicity of the sum of any two adjacent cards totaling one of two possible totals is a powerful tool. The following idea will never replace the aforementioned classic, but it does guarantee you a total of 13 every time. It came about through experimentation (or, having too much time on my hands). Others may well have made the same observations. While still a full-deck stack, it's an easier one to assemble. Simply set the cards in reverse numerical order and mixed suits: K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-A- repeated three more times. This is a standard rotational stack and can be cut any number of times.

WORKING To demonstrate how this works, we'll present it as a prediction. 1. On a piece of paper, or business card, write: "13 IS LUCKY FOR SOME." Place this on the table writing side down. 2. As you introduce the trick give the deck a False Shuffle. I use a standard fake Overhand Shuffle as follows: Undercut half and pretend to pull off some cards with your left thumb (really taking none) then drop half of the right hand block below the left section - then throw the remainder on top. A one-two-three action. Repeat several times. This results in the deck being cut rather than shuffled. This is an old technique and very deceptive. 3. Give the deck to a spectator and ask him to give the cards a complete cut, the to deal the top card face up onto the table, saying, "This card will be your helper." [ see end notes ] Let's assume this card is a Six spot. Ask to deal six cards into a face down pile on the table, then to deal a second pile of six cards beside the first. The rest of the deck is placed aside. CURRENT POSITION: There are two face down piles on the table. The helper card (in this case a Six spot) lies face up somewhere nearby (see below). This card may, or may not, be used again. 4. Ask the spectator to turn over the top card of either pile, saying, "Whichever card you decide upon, that's the one we'll use." a) The top card of the first pile dealt will always be a King (13). If he turns the King over, casually flip over the top card of the other pile to show that this card is a different value, saying, "You could have had this card," then flip it face down again. Point out that a King is value 13. Now proceed to reveal your prediction. b) If he turns over the other top card, take it from him and drop it face up next to the "helper" card. Flip over the top card of the other pile to show a different value, saying, "You could have had this card," then flip it face down again. Now have the two cards totaled - these two cards will always equal 13.

I feel that it's important to show that the card he didn't select is of a different value. The fact that each card is dealt with in a different manner, and you have made no reference to card values at that point, there's no way a 13-connection can be made with the other card.

END NOTES: i) If he cuts to, and turns over a King at the start, forget the helper card and stop right there as he's freely cut to a King (13). ii) If he cuts to, and turns over an Ace; say, "This will be a marker." Now ask him to leave it face up on top and give the deck a complete cut. Talk about your prediction for a bit, then spread the deck across the table and slide out card immediately below the face up Ace. This is a King.

SHEER-LUCK HOLMES Peter Duffie A demonstration of theft detection is followed by the successful identification of the thief, and it's all down to Sherlock Holmes and a deck of cards. This first appeared in my book N.D.E. (Near Deck Experience). This two-part routine is based on Phil Goldstein's "Sherlocution" that appeared in issue one of The Conjuror (October 1995). It further incorporates a principle that belongs to Gene Finnell. The only preparation is to get any Ace, Two, Three and Four to the top of the deck - in order - with the Ace on top. In the description that follows patter suggestions are given above each stage of the handling. Incidentally, luck plays no part in this!

PART ONE "The Great Brain Robbery" "Let's try an experiment in crime detection using this deck of cards." Give the deck any shuffle that retains the top stock. "Pretend this is a random burglary. So we need to find a random location for the crime to take place." Hold the deck face down in dealing position and invite a spectator to cut off about a third of the deck turn it face up - then replace it on top. Now ask him to cut off a larger portion, saying, "cut deeper this time." Again he turns the packet over then replaces it. This is of course the Ed Balducci 'Cut Deeper Force.' "We'll only use a few cards for this to keep it simple. As this is a case of detection, we'll spell the word detective." Spread through all the face up cards and place them to one side, leaving the face down section in your hand. Spell the word detective dealing one card for each letter as you spell aloud - D-E-T-E-C-TI-V-E. The order of the cards is reversed as they are dealt to the table. Place the rest of the cards you are holding on top of the other half of the deck then set the deck face down to one side. "I’ll turn my back, and when I do, I want you to 'steal' one, two, three or even four cards from the top of the packet of cards on the table. Once you have stolen the cards, hide them from view." Turn away and allow him to carry out your instructions. Once he has hidden the stolen cards, turn to face the front again. Ask a second spectator to pick up the remainder of the packet. You now instruct him (clearly) to carry out a Down-Under Deal to leave him with one card. "You have arrived at one random card. That card will reveal exactly what has been stolen." Ask the spectator to turn the card over. It will either be an Ace, Two, Three or Four. Whichever it is, that will be the number of cards that the other spectator stole.

PART TWO "No Hiding Place" Gather the nine cards together and ask one of the spectators to give them a mix. "The next part of this experiment is more difficult, and so we will need the assistance of one of the greatest detectives of all time...........Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You may have heard of him." Ask the spectator to place the packet face down on the table, then turn your back once more and give the following simple instructions: "Look at the top card and remember its identity because that is the criminal (Moriarty?). Of course the criminal is not going to remain at a known location, he's got to go into hiding. So I want you to take some cards from the top of the deck and add them on top of the cards in your hand. You may add, one, two, three.....up to six, even seven." (He must not exceed seven) Once he has done that turn to face the front. "At this point I have no idea of the location of the criminal. So let's call on Sherlock." Instruct him to spell the name S-H-E-R-L-O-C-K transferring a card from top to bottom for each letter in the name. Spell the name aloud nice and slowly so there can be no errors. Instruct the spectator to carry out a Down-Under Deal to eliminate all but one card. Emphasise that the suspect was ultimately at a random location, and that the spectator had complete freedom in positioning the card. Finally ask him to reveal the identity of the criminal. Then ask him to turn over the card he is holding to reveal that very card.