A Tricky Production

Original Author: Unknown

Effect: A spectator selects a card, returns it to the deck and shuffles the deck themselves. The magician retrieves the deck and produces the selected card in a very surprising manner.

1. For this trick you will need a card from a mini deck, preferably one with a back that matches that of the full sized deck. At the beginning of the trick the mini card will be in a pocket where you can easily retrive it. For now let's assume that you use the king of diamonds.

2. Begin by forcing the card that is the duplicate of the mini. Any force will work, as long as the spectator has to remove the card from the deck. Classic force seems to work best.

3. After the spectator removes the card, immediately hand the rest of the deck to another spectator and instruct them to shuffle it. Tell the first spectator to return their selection to the deck then shuffle it again.

4. While their attention is distracted by the shuffling, palm the mini card in your left hand, face away from the palm, length-wise along your hand.

5. Retrieve the deck in biddle grip in your right hand and deposit the mini on the bottom of the deck at the thumb end.

*Riffle through the back end until you find a low card of the same suit, for now assume the two of diamonds, and cut the deck so that the two is at the bottom and the mini is somewhere in the middle.

6. With your right hand, tightly grip the end opposite of the mini and rotate the deck to display the two to the audience, and place your right forefinger on the other end as though to rifle the cards.

7. Say "O.k., I've cut to the two of diamonds. This card has qualities that should be very similar to the card you selected. First it's a red card, was your card red? Second, it's a diamond, was your card a diamond? And two is a fairly small number, was yours a small card? No?!"

8. Now riffle the deck with the left fore finger very hard and very fast. "Well that's as small as they get!!"

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