The Ubiquitous Card A favorite trick with conjurers is to discover a selected card that has been shuffled back into the pack at any number, counted from the top of the cards, that a spectator chooses. The method that I am about to explain, besides being superior to the older forms of the trick, has the advantage that it is entirely unknown. As usual, after the selected card has been returned to the pack the pass is made and the card is brought to the top. After giving the cards a False Shuffle, the conjurer asks at what number the spectators wish the performer to find the chosen card. We will suppose that fifteen is the number chosen. Holding the pack in the left hand, the performer counts "One" and transfers the top card, which is the desired one, to the right hand, seizing it between the first and second fingers. The next card is transferred to the right and placed above the card already there, the tip of the first finger being used as a division between the two cards. In this manner the other cards are successively counted into the right hand, counting until the number thirteen is reached. At this stage the performer, instead of taking the top card of the pack, leaves the selected card (which is at the bottom of the ones in the right hand) on top of the pack. This movement is made to exactly resemble taking off a card. It ought to be well practiced and, if properly executed, will be found very illusive. Counting "Fourteen," at the execution of this sleight, the performer states that the next card is the fifteenth one, which ought to prove the selected card, and requests the spectator to name their card. The spectator does so, whereupon the performer turns over the top card of the pack and shows it to be the desired one. 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.