FOR SALES SAKE MEDITATE!

You don’t want to just pull the card out of the scattered cards and hand it to the person.

Once you have identified the card pick up all of the cards in a seemingly haphazard manner, arranging the cards into a squared off stack. Make sure that the selected card will be at the bottom of the stack when you are done. Don’t let the person see that his selected card is at the bottom.

At this point you could say, “I am not sure yet, keep concentrating on your card.”

Note: Even though you have identified the card all the cards should still be kept aligned so that you will be set up to do the trick again. You will be certainly asked to repeat this card trick!

Put the stack of cards face down into your left hand, and do the following over and under shuffle. With your right hand take about half the stack from the bottom. Then shuffle this half so that some cards are placed over the cards you are holding in your left hand and then shuffle some cards under, then a few over and a few under, until you are down to the one card (which was the bottom card), and complete the shuffle with this last card going to the top of the stack. While shuffling say, “keep concentrating. I’m trying to get a feel for it.”

Next, hold the shuffled deck face down in your right hand (the selected card is face down on top). Hold the stack as if you were going to deal from it. Cup your left hand over the stack to conceal it from the person. Say, “I think I’m getting something, keep concentrating on your card.”

Using your right thumb slide the top card towards the left so that the left edge of the card protrudes about one-half inch from the stack. Make sure to keep the 18 cards below it squared off. Using your cupped left hand, which is already in position over the stack of cards, grasp the stack of cards away from your right hand. Raise this stack about one and one-half feet above the table and let the entire stack drop flat onto the table. The protruding top card will flip over (due to the air resistance on its protruding edge) when you drop the stack. Practice this move a few times until you are able to get the stack to drop flat and the top card to flip over on top of the dropped stack. With additional practice you can do this from a height of about 8 to 12 inches by forcefully dropping the stack; the resulting additional sound of the deck slapping the table and the faster flip over of the card will make it look as if the card popped up from inside of the stack.

Step 6: Watch his jaw drop in amazement; you will be asked to repeat the trick.

Casually pick up the cards and align the top card back into the deck for performing the encore.

Step 7: The encore. Here is where you really dumbfound him.

This step requires that you have previously observed the person shuffling cards and know that his method of shuffle will not result in the cards loosing their orientation, i.e. they will all still point in the same direction after his shuffle is completed.

Shuffle the 19 cards, making sure not to change the alignment of any of the cards. Then, while handing him the cards say, “Here, why don’t you shuffle the cards.”

When he completes the shuffle ask him to place the stack of cards on the table.

Then ask him to cut the stack. You then complete the cut and pick up the stack.

While holding the stack close to the table ask him to pull a card out and put it flat down on the table without looking to see what it is.

When he pulls the card out bring the stack of cards a little bit towards you and rotate the deck. Then, as if you changed your mind, while you place the stack of cards in front of his selected card, say, “In fact, why don’t you do the whole trick.”

Note: Your stack will be aligned 180 degrees opposite to his selected card that is face down in front of the stack.

Then say, “Please follow my instructions carefully.” Stand up and turn your back to him. Say, “Please look at your selected card, memorize it, and slip it into the stack.” After two seconds ask, “Have you placed the card back into the stack?” (you don’t want to give the person too much time here to play with his selected card and possibly rotate it).

When he says, ‘yes’ then reinforce his following of your instructions by saying, “Good.” Then say, “Now please shuffle the cards.” Give him just a few seconds to shuffle the stack. Then turn around and take the stack of cards from him.

Repeat Steps 4 and 5. When his card flips over and he looks totally befuddled ask him, “How did you do it?”

Remind him that he shuffled the cards, he cut the cards, he selected the card, you walked away with your back turned, he looked at the card, he replaced the card and he shuffled the cards. All you did was to tune into his thoughts regarding the card.

Don't repeat the card trick again, otherwise he may begin to learn how you are doing it.

Note: When starting the card trick you can add one symmetrical face card to the stack, such as King of Clubs or Queen of Hearts, for a total of 20 cards. While performing Step 5, if none of the other cards show signs of having been rotated 180 degrees, then you can assume that the selected card was the face card. By having a face card in the stack it takes attention away from someone noticing that the cards being used are non-symmetrical, and it makes it look as if the cards are a good representation of the entire deck.

Practice this magic card trick a little bit and I am sure you will have a lot of fun with it.

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