Card Sleights In describing the following methods of discovering the name of a card that a spectator has secretly thought of, I take great pleasure in making my readers acquainted with some of the most interesting and undetectable sleights in the whole range of conjuring.   First Method In this form of the trick the performer takes a pack of cards that has just been shuffled by a spectator. Holding the cards (the order of which the performer has absolutely no knowledge) in the right hand with the backs of the cards towards the performer, the performer passes them one at a time into the left hand. At the same time, the spectator is requested to think of any card desired. After the person has signified that they have made a selection, the performer closes up the pack and gives it a thorough shuffle. The performer now finishes the trick in any manner that is chosen. Producing, for instance, the thought card at any number called for, or causing any card that some one else selects at random from the pack to change into a thought card. The secret of this trick depends upon a novel application of the Mind Reading Act, a la Bishop and Cumberland. The performer counts the cards as they are deliberately passed the cards from the right hand to the left, at the same time carefully watching the eyes of the spectator (who is rather close). It is a curious fact that as soon as the latter has made a silent choice, their eyes will give recognition of that fact by the glance losing its intensity. The conjurer can thus invariably tell which card has been selected, and having kept tally on the number of cards passed, knows its exact position it the pack. It is a comparatively easy matter to make the pass at this place, thereby bringing the desired card to the top of the pack, which is next subjected to a False Shuffle. The finish of the trick, which is optional with the performer, ought to be made as brilliant a one as possible.   Second Method The conjurer employing this plan of discovering a card secretly thought of is apt to be suspected of being in league with the devil. When performing the trick the performer takes an unprepared pack of cards that has just been shuffled, and without as much as glancing at one of the cards places the pack behind the back, which is turned towards the spectators. Passing the cards from one hand to the other, the performer invites a spectator to think of one of them. Closing up the pack, and after shuffling it, the performer produces the selected card in any way desired. This method, which is entirely different in principle to the preceding one, depends mainly upon a novel way of forcing a card. As the conjurer rather rapidly passes the cards from one hand into the other, the attention of the spectator is engaged with something like: "Now, as I pass these cards from one hand into the other in this fashion, please have the kindness to think of one of the cards." The moment the performer exclaims "think," the transfer is stopped for an instant only, fully exposing the face of the card that is about to be transferred. The card is then placed in the other hand, and the remaining cards passed in rather quick succession on top of it. The spectator will, in almost every case, select the card that the performer has made a brief stop at, for the very simple reason that they did not know to a certainty what the conjurer wished them to do until the latter came to the word "think," of the short sentence uttered. It is also almost impossible for the spectator to select any of the cards that follow the one that the performer intends to force, because they are intentionally passed too quickly before their eyes. The artist, who has slipped the little finger of the left hand above the forced card while transferring it to the other hand, closes up the pack and in the act of turning around, makes the pass (thereby bringing the card to the top of the pack). Palming off this card, the performer allows the pack to be thoroughly shuffled. Replacing the palmed card after it has been returned, the performer then finishes the trick in any way desired.   Third Method The ruse employed in this version of the feat is really as ingenious as the preceding one. The performer advances towards a spectator and, holding the pack with the backs of the cards towards the spectator, causes them to spring from one hand to the other in the manner familiar to all conjurers. At the same time the performer requests a spectator to think of any of the cards that are seen. The spectator does as requested and is very much surprised, when a few moments later the conjurer produces, in some mysterious manner, the card that the spectator selected. In this case another novel force, resembling in principle the preceding one, is used. It is practically impossible for the spectator to note, in particular, any of the cards as they are sprung from one hand to the other, for the very reason that they pass before the eye too quickly. When about half of the cards have been sprung, the performer stops for an instant, say a quarter of a second, thereby causing an extremely brief cessation of the springing and thus causing the last card that has been sprung, to be more fully exposed than any of the others. The spectator readily grasps the chance offered and selects this card. The performer, who quickly places the little finger over it, is also able to catch a glimpse of it. The rest of the cards are then sprung on top of the other ones in the usual fashion. The pack is then closed and the pass made, bringing the chosen card to the top of the pack. The performer can then deal with the chosen card as best suits the occasion. Home | Card Tricks | Card Trick Skills | The Pass | The Force | Changes False Shuffling | The Glimpse | Card Palm | Card Sleights Copyright © 2003-2006 HowToDoCardTricks.com. All rights reserved worldwide.   You can quickly get a copy of every trick on this web site in a downloadable PDF book. That's over 40 classic card tricks to amaze and astound your friends, all stored on your computer to refer to at any time! Just click the link below to get your own copy today for just $5.