Play It Safe Card Trick
This is a good routine to remember as it has three possible outcomes and can save you from an embarrassing moment when a trick does not go exactly as planned i.e. a card is dropped or lost in the deck. After all, nobody's perfect, eh ?
The Effect :The magician hands out a deck of cards and asks the spectator to freely choose one of them. The card is placed on the top of the deck, which is then cut and shuffled and cut once more.
When the cards are given back to the magician he fans through them, and then cuts and shuffles them himself. When the spectator names their chosen card, the magician reveals its exact location in the deck.
The Secret :When cards are shuffled, they are not thoroughly mixed and randomized very well. This and a sneaky peek at the top and bottom cards are the magician's secret tactics in this trick..
Materials Required :Only a regular deck of playing cards is required to perform this.
Preparation :No advance preparation apart from practice is needed, although the magician will need a peek at the top and bottom cards before handing the deck over to the spectator.
Performance :
1) the magician shuffles and cuts a deck of cards, takes a peek at the top and bottom cards, and then hands it to a spectator.
2) The spectator is asked to select a card from the middle of the deck and show it around to the audience.
The card is then placed on the top of the deck and then the spectator is asked to cut the deck, putting the chosen card back in the middle area of the deck..3) To make this stunt even more impossible for the magician, the spectator is asked to give the cards a shuffle, and then cut them once more before handing them over to the magician.
4) The magician then fans through the deck. Here is how he finds the cards. When the spectator placed his or her chosen card on the top, it was on top of a card the magician had memorized. When the deck is cut, it is now between two cards memorized by the magician - in a secret sandwich of cards.
When the magician fans through the deck he looks for these two cards and notes the card in between.5) The magician then cuts the deck so that the chosen card is on top and asks the spectator to name their card. He turns over the card and takes a bow.
6) But what if there are two cards in the secret sandwich, thanks to the shuffle? No problem. The magician simply cuts between the cards, taking note of which ends up on top and which is on the bottom. If the named card is on top, the top card is turned over. If it is on the bottom, the deck is turned over.
Helpful Tip :
And what if there are THREE cards between the sandwich ? This is rare, but is still a possibility. Cut the first two to the top of the deck, and put the deck behind your back as you explain that it is sometimes easier to feel your way to the right card.
Take the top card and put it reversed in the middle of the deck. If that card is named, spread the cards and show that the chosen card is reversed in the deck!This play it safe trick is a useful back up to have.