The Perfect Self-Working Discovery

A quick and easy revelation of a chosen card. A spectator shuffles his own pack,
then lays out 3 heaps of 6 cards each. It doesn't matter whether they are dealt,
pushed off in a packet, or how. Magician stresses he doesn't know any of these 18
cards and will not look at them at any time. He thereupon turns his back.
Spectator then chooses any 1 of the 3 piles, picks it up, fans it before his eyes, and
merely thinks of any card in the fan. He closes the fan, then combines the 3 piles
into one, sandwiching the pile with his card between the other 2 piles, so it will be
buried somewhere in the middle.
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The magician turns around, takes the l Svcard packet, and deals them into 3 piles,
1, 2, 3, and over these 4, 5, 6, and so on. He picks up each heap in turn and fans
them widely before the eyes of the spectator, warning him to give him no indication
of the card itself but merely telling him whether or not the pile contains his card.
The magician combines the 3 piles into one, with the pile containing the spectator's
card on top. He asserts that without further ado he will find the card the spectator
thought of, and without looking at any of them.
He removes the top card and transfers it to the bottom. He removes the next one
from the top and places it at the bottom He takes the third one from the top and
puts that also at the bottom.
Well, that does it. I've come to your card, the one you thought of, and without a
single question," says the performer. At the same time he tilts the packet in his
hand so he can see the bottom card.
"What was your card?" asks the performer. When the spectator names it, the card is
tossed out on the table face up. It will always be either the top or bottom one. If he
names a different card than the one you noted at the bottom, take off the top card
and show that you found it, having removed the correct number of cards to come to
it. If he names the one at the bottom, simply turn the packet face up to show you
placed it at the face of the packet. Whether top or bottom, the finish is equally
effective, as it appears you found it and purposely placed it at that position.
For those who dislike dealing, all dealing may be omitted. After spectator shuffles,
take deck, quickly push off the top 6, then the next 6, then the next. When he has
noted a card and combined the heaps, take packet in right hand, push off top card
between thumb and forefinger of left, second between first and second fingers, the
third between second and third fingers. Start over, putting the fourth card between
thumb and first finger, and so on, with all the cards. Now the 6 cards between each
2 fingers are shown separately to ascertain which group contains his. This can also
be done behind your back. Just state you are mixing the cards a bit or that you are
putting his card in a certain position which he will see shortly.
Contrived Coincidence

Spectator shuffles his deck. You take the deck and state you will do a trick in
reverse, that instead of you guessing a card a spectator might choose you will try to
have him guess one of your choice. You say you are thinking of one particular card
and that you will place it aside for future verification.
Fan the deck faces to you to look for your thought-of card.What you do is to note
the top and bottom cards. If, for instance, one is the 2 of Clubs and the other the 5
of Hearts, you quickly run through the pack to locate whichever comes first, the 2 of
Hearts or the 5 of Clubs. In other words you find a card of the same suit as one and
the same value as the other.
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Should the top and bottom cards happen to be of the same suit or the same value,
close up the pack and have it cut, apparently as an afterthought. When you find the
card you place it on the table face down without showing it.
Ask spectator if he can name it. Of course he can't. You tell him perhaps he may be
able to reveal it in a way he never dreamed of. State that you want him to insert a
finger, a knifeblade, a nail file, or something similar anywhere between the cards.
This done, you lift off the cards above the separation with the right hand, holding
the lower part of the pack in the left. Stretch the arms far apart, asking him to
notice that you separate the deck at the very spot chosen by him and that there are
no quick moves to deceive him. A slight pause and a little talking at this point
causes him to forget which half is which.
Place the top half in the right hand face down on the table and lay the other half
across it cross- wise to mark "the place in the deck he selected." This is the basis of
an old force. The previous top and bottom cards are thus brought together.
Spectator never notices the deception but thinks the separation marks the place he
cut to.
Now show your card for the first time. Then separate the two halves of the deck
where they criss cross, turning the top part face up and the top card of the bottom
half face up. Show the spectator that he has unconsciously designated your card in
this manner. If your card was the 5 of Hearts, you say: "See, you cut the deck at a 5spot and at a Heart."
A similar effect with a prearranged deck called "Controlled Coincidence" was
invented long ago by Victor Farelli. The above impromptu method was devised by
Glenn Gravatt, although others have been mistakenly credited with it.
Contrived Coincidence No. 2
Spectator shuffles his deck. You take back the cards and state that you are thinking
of a certain card which you will remove before the trick starts. Fan the faces of the
cards toward yourself, noting the top 2 cards, the suits and values of which should
be different. I f alike hand deck back to be cut, as if by an afterthought.

If for instance the top 2 should be the 3 of Clubs and the 5 of Diamonds, look for
either the 3 of Diamonds or the 5 of Clubs, whichever happens to come first.
Remove it and lay it on the table face down without showing it.
Hand the pack to spectator, asking him to deal off cards into a pile and to stop
whenever he pleases. This done, he is asked to pick up the small heap dealt off and
to deal it into 2 piles, a card at a time alternately. This will result in putting the 2
cards you first noted at the top of the respective heaps. (Cards of course are dealt
face down.)
You now display the card you chose. Suppose it is the 5 of Clubs. Ask him to turn up
the top cards of the 2 piles. He does so and finds one is a 5-spot, the other a Club.
Glenn Gravatt.
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Adding The Digits
A spectator cuts the deck into 2 parts, having been told to cut fairly near the center
although the parts do not have to be equal. Your object is to have him take at least
20. He is now to choose either portion and count to see how many are in it. Suppose
he counts 23. He adds the 2 digits, in this case 2 plus 3 makes 5.
He turns his chosen portion face up and counts to that number from the FACE of the
packet. In the assumed case he would count to the 5th card and remember it. He
places the portion cantaining his card on the unused portion, thus assembling the
complete deck. You can find his card because it will be 19th from the top.
Another way of using this principle of adding digits is to use 2 decks. The spectator
shuffles them and retains one, giving you the other. Both do the same thing. Each of
you cut off about a third of the pack. That is to keep the number under 20.
Each counts his cards and adds the digits. Meanwhile your back is turned. If the
spectator holds 17 cards, he adds 1 and 7, making 8, and deals 8 from his packet
onto the table, or in his pocket. He looks at the face card of those remaining in his
hands, then puts the packet on the main deck. All the while you pretend to be doing
the same thing but your actions are for misdirection only.
You exchange decks with the spectator, asking him to find the duplicate of the card
he noted io your deck, and you will find the duplicate of the one you noted in the
same way in his deck.
When the 2 cards are removed and shown they prove to be identical. Apparently
you both chose the same card. When you take the spectator's pack you note the 9th
card, which will be the one he noted. He removes its duplicate from your pack.
Still another method of the digit adding device is this: From his shuffled pack
spectator removes a number of cards from 10 to 20. He counts them and adds the 2
digits. If he has 17, he adds 1 and 7 making 8. So he returns 8 to the deck. All this
time your back is turned. Now you have him start at the top and call out the names

of the cards. Keep track of the number. When the 9th is called stop him. His card is
always 9th. Should you have him cut off a batch containing 20 or more and the
same procedure undergone, his card will be 18th.
Another trick using this principle is this: Layout an Ace and an 8--spot face down
without showing them. Spectator makes the deck into 2 piles and takes one. He
counts the cards in his chosen pile, adds the digits and deals the number of cards so
arrived at on the other pile. Thus he will be left with either 9 or 18 cards in his
hands, depending upon how many he took originally. If he took 15, added 1 and 5,
and removed 6, he would be left with 9. If he took 23, added 2 and 3, and removed
5, he would be Ieft with 18. Have him count the cards remaining, then show your 2
prophecy cards to prove you knew this in advance. If he has 9, add the Ace and 8spot to make 9. If he has 18, show that the Ace (one) and the eight, represent the
figure, 18.
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Berg's Revelation
The old principle of counting a batch of cards, adding the digits, etc. is cleverly used
by Joe Berg as follows: While your back is turned a spectator cuts off a bunch of
cards from a deck he has just shuffled, any number at all. He counts how many
cards he has, adds the 2 digits and discards that number of cards from the bunch,
putting them back with the deck.
For instance, if he has 24, he adds 2 and 4, totaling 6. So he removes 6 cards. He is
now asked to think of any number from 1 to 9, and again discard some cards,
returning to the deck a number corresponding to the number he decided upon.
This done, he counts to his thought-of-number (from 1 to 9) in the packet of cards
remaining in his hands, and looks at and remembers the card lying at that position.
He then hands you the cards which you keep behind you as you turn to face him.
Without disturbing their order count them behind your back. Whatever their
number, subtract that number from the next highest multiple of 9. The result gives
you the position of his card.
If you have 11 cards, subtract 11 from 18, the next multiple of 9, giving you 7. Thus
his card lies 7th in the heap. If there are 24 cards, subtract 24 from 27 (the next
highest multiple of 9) giving you 3. So his card lies 3rd in the heap. If there are 7
cards, subtract 7 from 9, giving 2. So his card is second.
Emphasize the fact that at no time have you asked a single question. At the start he
helped himself to an unknown number of cards, that is, unknown to you. He added
the 2 digits and discarded that number unknown to you. And finally he discarded
some more, this time having free choice of the number discarded, a number which
was never announced. He then noted a card at this freely chosen number.
Remove the correct card and place it face down on the table. Ask him to name his
card. He does so. You turn it up. Marvelous!

Divining The Number of Cards In Pocket

A Gerald Kosky improvement on a subtle mathematical principle used in several
tricks. A spectator shuffles his deck and while your back is turned, cuts off a bunch
of cards, any number at all. You do not know the number cut off, and you never ask,
but he counts them to himself to ascertain the number he cut off. The balance of
the deck is discarded.
He then adds the 2 digits of the number counted. He removes that many from the
cut-off portion and places them on the table. If he cut off 17, then 1 plus 7 makes 8,
so he would put 8 of the cards he holds on the table. If he cut off 20, then 2 plus 0
equals 2, so he would put 2 on the table.
Finally he removes any number of cards from 1 to 10, and puts those in his pocket.
You, with your back still turned so you can see none of his actions, ask him to call
out the colors of the
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cards he has left from the packet he originally cut off, some of which have been
placed on the table, and some of which are in his pocket. One by one he calls out
red or black.
This done, you immediately tell him how many cards he put in his pocket, which is
amazing because at no time did you have any idea of how many cards he was
working with.
You pay no attention to the colors called. This is a subtle device originated by Gerald
Kosky for the purpose of misdirection only. What you do is simply to keep track of
the number of cards. Whatever that number is, subtract it from its next highest
multiple of 9, and the result gives you the number of cards in his pocket.
For instance, if he calls out the colors of 7 cards, 7 from 9 leaves 2, so he has 2 in
his pocket. If he calls the colors of 14 cards, 14 from 18, the next highest multiple of
9, gives 4, so he has 4 in his pocket. Should he call out the colors of 20 cards, then
20 from 27 (the next highest multiple of 9) would give 7, therefore he would have 7
cards in his pocket.
Throughout you stress the fact that you did not know how many cards he cut off the
pack in the first place, therefore it follows you could not know how many he laid out
on the table, andfinally, you could not know the number he selected to put in his
pocket. The outcome therefore is the result of your powers of divination.
Combination of Chosen Card and Cards In Pocket
A good mathematical principle (or any other principle for that matter) may be
disguised and used in different ways so that many tricks, all apparently different can
evolve from the same base. The counting of a group of cards and adding the 2 digits
resulting from that count has been used to divine how many cards a spectator has

concealed or hidden in his pocket. It has also been used to name or reveal a card
noted and remembered by a spectator.
In this trick, the two effects are combined, resulting in a double climax, although no
more effort is needed than performing just one of the two. Here you not only tell a
spectator how many cards he has removed and put in his pocket, but you also
locate a card he has looked at.
Begin by having a spectator shuffle his pack. Turning your back, invite him to cut off
a quantity of cards, count them sccretly, add the digits and discard that many cards.
Thus, if he cuts off 23, he totals the 2 digits making 5, and removes 5 cards and
puts them back with the deck.
He is then to think of any small number and to remove that number of cards from
those in his hands and put them in his pocket. If he thinks of the number 7, he puts
7 cards in his pocket.
Tell him to count down to the card at this same number among the cards remaining
in his hands and make a mental note of the card. In this instance he would
remember the 7th card.
You turn around and take the packet of cards from him. Without glancing at their
faces, slowly pass the cards one by one before his eyes, asking him to watch for his
card but to give you no
50 Modern Card Tricks
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indication when he sees it, you want to catch his mental vibrations, mysterious
waves emanating from the brain which may tip you off. What you really do is count
the cards.
Suppose there are 11. Subtract the number from the next highest multiple of 9,
which would be 18. If the number is less than 9, subtract it from 9. A remainder of 7
is left. This is the number at which the noted card will be found from the top of the
packet. It is also the number of cards he put in his pocket.
Toss out his card (the 7th in the case assumed: and dramatically announce that he
has 7 cards in his pocket.
Matching Cards By Numerology
Glenn Gravatt uses an old principle to produce an entirely new effect: A spectator
shuffles his own pack. You take the cards, assert that you are thinking of a particular
card, which you will first remove frorn the deck.
Fan the cards before you and rapidly count (silently of course) to the tenth card,
noting it. Suppose it is the 7 of Clubs. Keep on until you find its mate, the 7 of
Spades, that is, the card that matches it in color and value.
Remove the matching card. Place it face down on the table without showing it. Ask
the spectator to call out any number between 10 and 20. He does so. We will

assume he calls 13. Deal off 13 cards. This just to reverse their order. Put them back
on the deck.
Tell him that in the science of numerology, with which he is doubtless familiar, a low
number is always arrived at by adding the two digits of a higher number. In this
case he selected 13, so 1 and 3 make 4. Therefore he will get the 4th card: Deal to
the 4th card and toss it out face down.
Turn up the card. It will be the one that was originally 10th, in this case, the 7 of
Clubs. Reminding him that he might have chosen any number, turn over the card
you removed "before the trick began:' It is the 7 of Spades. "The two black sevens,"
you say, "what a strange coincidence.
X-Ray Eyes
Secretly glimpse the bottom card of the pack. Hand pack to a spectator. Ask him to
square up the deck face down on the palm of his hand. Tell him to pull out the
center third of the deck and drop it on top of the pack. Ask him to mark his .initials
lightly on the back of the top card (the top one of the middle section he pulled out.)
He is not to look at its face.
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Ask him to give the pack a single cut, then another one or two. He then ribbon
spreads the cards in a long spread on the table, face up. You note the card
immediately above the bottom card you noted earlier. Mark your initials on its face.
Ask him if he can find his card. Of course he can't because he never looked at its
face.
Tell him that if he can't find his own card, there is no way that you can find it except
to look at their backs and locate the one with his initials. Turn over the cards. Pick
out the one with his initials on the back. Show that it is the very card on which you
wrote yours on the face. Credit to Ned Rutledge.
Back In Place
A spectator shuffles his deck, thinks of a number between 1 and 10, then looks at
the card at that number from the top. He now transfers the Same number of cards
from the bottom to the top. You sec none of this as your back is turned.
You now take the deck and place it behind your back. You stress the fact that since
you do not know the number he thought of, and since it is no longer at that number
inasmuch as some were transferred from the bottom on top of it, you wiII attempt
the impossible. That is, with no knowledge of his number you will find it and restore
his card to its original position.
Behind your back count off 20 from the top, placing the first between a thumb and
first finger, the second between the first and second finger, the third on the card
between thurnb and first finger, the fourth under the card between first and second
fingers, and so on, until you have dealt 20. Now put the 10 that are between the

first and second fingers on the 10 that are between thumb and first finger, then
place all 20 on top of pack.
Bring pack into view. State that you have located his card and placed it back in its
original position. Ask him his number. Suppose he says 7. Count down to the 7th
card and toss out. Ask him the name of his card. He says, for instance, the 3 of
clubs. Turn the tossed-out card face up. Sure enough, it is the 3 of clubs.
Perfect Location
Perhaps the closest approach to the perfect card location, as the spectator does
everything with the deck in his own hands. Hand deck to spectator. Have him
shuffle. Ask him to remove any card, to note and remember it, then put it face down
on the table. Tell him to cut the rest of the deck into 3 piles ABOUT EQUAL.
Tell him to put his card on anyone of the 3 piles, then take the pile with the chosen
card on top, turn the whole pile over and put it face up on either of the other 2 piles.
He then puts the
50 Modern Card Tricks
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remaining pile face down on top of all. Thus the pile with his card will be face up
sandwiched between 2 face down piles.
Ask him to give the deck one riffle shuffle. After this he may give the pack a
complete cut or two. The cards will consequently be well mixed, some face up,
some face down. Take the deck and turn it over. Run through the deck and you will
find a few face up followed by a few face down cards, then a whole batch of face up
cards. The rest of the pack will consist of small batches of face up and face down
cards.
The first face down card after the big batch of face up cards will always be the
selected card. You can then reveal it in any manner. In seeking his card, what you do
is to look for the longest run of face up cards. His card will be the one immediately
following this run.
Pointers: Make sure the 3 piles are nearly equal. For the riffle shuffle, make sure the
pack is cut as nearly in the center as possible, then riffled.
Impromptu Card To Pocket
No Sleights
Hand a spectator the pack and turn your back to him. He is asked to cut a small
packet of cards from the top of the pack. He counts his cards silently, then puts
them in his pocket. He then turns the deck FACE UP and looks at the card from the
face of the deck corresponding to the number pocketed. Thus if he removed 5
cards, he will note the 5th from the BOTTOM.
Spectator cuts the pack so that his noted card will be brought to a now unknown
position. When you turn around you take the pack and rapidly deal 26 cards onto

the table, explaining you intend to use only the half containing his card. Spreading
these 26, ask the spectator to see if his is among them, and simply to say yes or no
without indicating the card. It is not there.
You say then the other half obviously must contain it. You fan the rest of the pack
face up but he still doesn't see his card. You then produce it from your pocket. And
no sleight of hand is involved.
The method was devised by the renowned Scalbert. The only preparation-in
advance is to shorten one card (any card) by taking scissors and snipping off a very
tiny strip clear across one end. This short card is placed 27th from the top.
At the point described above where you turn to take the deck, you say "you lost
your card by cutting the pack, didn't you?" and while talking, give it a cut yourself.
What you actually do is to cut at the short card which is easy because when you
riffle the end the deck will snap open there. Cut the short card to the top.
I have omitted stating that after spectator cuts the deck and before you turn around
to take it from him, he returns the cards in his packet to the top, so that the 52 card
deck will be complete.
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Once you cut the short card to the top, the chosen card becomes 27th from the top.
As outlined above, you say you will divide the pack in half. So you deal off 26, This
leaves his card right on top of those left in your hands.
Hold these in your left hand while you lean forward to turn those on the table face
up and spread them with your right. The balance of the pack comes naturally over
the opening of your left coat pocket. At the moment you turn over the cards on the
table you thumb the selected one into the pocket. Thumb just slides it off from the
rest. This misdirection is absolutely perfect.
When spectator cannot find his card, you turn over the other pile. When he vainly
seeks it there, you produce it from your pocket for a surprise climax.
Impromptu Detection
A spectator shuffles his own deck, thinks of a card, removes the thought-of card,
and puts it face down on the table. Take the deck and without looking at the cards,
put them over the chosen card, saying: Your card is at the bottom of the deck. Just
cut the deck so that your card will be lost somewhere in the middle of the pack."
The spectator does this. You square the cards and say you will try to find the card
while holding the deck behind your back. You put the cards behind you and soon
bring forth one. He names his card. You show the card you have brought forth. It is
his.

While he is looking for a card to remove from the deck you turn your back to him "so
you wont get an accidental glimpse of the card." This gives you a chance to put the
tip of your right forefinger to your mouth and obtain a little saliva.
When chosen card is put on table, turn around, take the rest of the cards, and while
putting deck on top of chosen card, pass the moistened fingertip across the bottom
card of deck. When deck is cut and squared the two cards stick together.
It is easy to find the chosen one behind your back by feeling for two cards stuck
together. Separate the two and bring the chosen one forward. Attributed to Paul
Kahn.