THE AMBIGUOUS CARD

EFFECT: A selected card is placed face up in the deck. The deck is then squeezed, pushing the atoms of
the selected card closer together. When the corner of the deck is opened, the selection pops out as a
miniature card! The miniature is extracted and visibly grows to its normal size. Finally, the normal card
shrinks to a miniature again in a very visual manner. Everything may be examined.

REQUISITES: You’ll need a miniature card whose color matches the deck you are using. (For awhile
it was difficult to obtain Bicycle miniature cards that match the normal deck colors. Luckily, U.S. Playing
Cards has reissued the miniatures with the correct colors.)

SET-UP: Obtain the normal sized matching card to the

miniature. Let’s say it’s the 5C. Place the normal 5C face
down on top of the face down deck and the miniature face
up about 16 cards from the top. The miniature is positioned
at the outer right corner as shown in Figure 1 (but about
16 cards from the top).

ROUTINE: Swing cut the upper half of the deck into the
left hand. Place the remaining cards on top and hold a left
Fig. 1 4th finger break between the halves (over the large 5C).
Perform a Riffle Force, forcing the large 5C on your spec-
tator. After the force, the right hand places its cards under
the cards in the left hand, restoring the deck to its original order. As the spectator examines the selection,
obtain a TILT break under the top card. (Obviously you can use any method that forces the top card and
leaves the miniature in the same position after the forcing sequence.)

Take the selection back from the spectator and turn it face up. Say, “I’m going to alter some of the phys-
ical characteristics of your card.” As these words are spoken, place the selection face up into the TILT
break. To the spectators it seems to go into the center of
the deck, but actually it goes 2nd from top. Squeeze the
deck as you explain that this causes the atoms in the
selection to move closer together, changing the size of
the card. Explain that if the corner of the deck is opened,
the release of pressure will cause the selection to jump
from the deck. Now perform the following actions:
Hold the deck with your left hand at its inner left corner
between thumb on top and 1st and 2nd fingers on bot-
tom. (See figure 2.) The deck should be nearly parallel Fig. 2
to the floor and beveled as shown in figure 2. Now the
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 THE amBIGuous CARD
right 1st finger riffles upward at the outer right corner. This will cause the miniature card to jump from
the deck. By adjusting the positions of your left fingers and thumb and the intensity of the riffle, you can
get the card to end up protruding from the deck as in figure 3. If the card jumps completely from the deck
or fails to protrude to the position shown, reposition the miniature in the deck as in the figure. ( I believe
Joe Berg came up with the idea of the miniature jumping from the deck.) You’re now going to visibly
make the card grow back to its normal size!

Fig. 3 Fig. 4

Explain that pressure must be maintained in order for the card to remain small. If it is pulled from the
deck the atoms will expand again. Raise the deck to a vertical position and get ready to perform a Necktie
Second Deal. The top card is angled over a bit to the right, exposing the upper right corner of the face
up 5C. Your right thumb is touching the upper right corner of the 5C in readiness for the second dealing
action. Figure 4 shows the finger positions at this point. Notice how the right fingers are beneath the pro-
truding miniature card. Both hands begin to move downward bringing the deck to a position parallel to
the floor again. Now, just as the edges of the cards point at the spectators, your right hand performs the
Second Deal. Figure 5 shows this action in progress. The large 5C will come completely out and ulti-
mately will totally cover the miniature. (Note: The miniature is hidden under the big 5C and is held in
place by the right fingers and thumb.) It will appear to the spectators that the miniature card was pulled
from the deck and visibly grew. You will probably have to try this move a few times to reach the point
where you consistently end up with the miniature card completely hidden under the large card.

The final change: The 5C (with the miniature

hidden under it) is brought over to the left hand,
which is still holding the deck. The left thumb
and 2nd finger momentarily hold the two cards as
the right hand regrips them at the right long edge.
Be sure to keep the miniature centralized so it
doesn’t peek out at the edge. For the final change,
the left hand rotates clockwise as the right hand
holds the two cards parallel to the floor. When the
left hand is nearly palm down, the right hand
places the left long edge of the big 5C between
the left fingers and the right long edge of the deck
Fig. 5 for about 1/16 in. Now the left hand begins to
reverse the rotation. This puts tension in the 5C
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POWER PLAYS
as shown in figure 6. The right hand releases the 5C, allowing it to snap onto the top of the deck in the
left hand. This is facilitated by pressure applied by the left fingertips. This leaves you in the position of
figure 7, holding the miniature card. This last change is extremely startling and visual and is based on
Ed Marlo’s Face Up Startler. Be sure the spectators are watching closely for maximum impact.

Fig. 6 Fig. 7

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is a very visual sequence indeed. I always give the miniature card to the
spectator since the cost is about 5 cents. If you do give away the card, it is important to palm out or oth-
erwise get rid of the normal selection (5C). The spectators will certainly be curious as to whether there
is a normal duplicate in the deck. And given any opportunity to handle the cards, will look for it. Make
sure it’s not there! It is possible to change the mini card into the normal card one last time. One way is
to place the mini face up on the pad. You then turn the deck face up and side steal the bottom card (nor-
mal 5C) into the right hand. You can now place the right hand onto the mini, leaving the normal card on
top. Apparently the mini has grown back again.

By the way, if you like the shrinking and growing theme, check out my commercial item, Diminishing
Returns. It is available from most dealers. Here, besides a truly free selection growing and shrinking,
the entire deck grows and shrinks as well. There is a video of both the amBIGuous Card and
Diminishing returns on my web site at www.mallofmagic.com. Check them out. (By the way - you get a
free item with the Diminishing Returns deck called the Defective Deck. There is also a video of this item
on the site.)

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