(From Cards in Principle)
The effect of the following was inspired by Steve Hamilton's 'Thinking Out Loud' (see The Crimp, No.10, and Roger's Thesaurus, by Roger Crosthwaite and Justin Higham). However, the principle employed stems from an observation made by Tom Sellers' in "A Trick with the Si Stebbins Pack" in Card Tricks That Work.
The pack is set in the standard Si Stebbins arrangement, which is simply that each card is three ahead in value than the previous, and with the four suits rotating throughout, i.e.,
AC-4H-7S-10D-KC-3H-6S-9D-QC-2H-SS-8D-JC-AH-4S-7D- and so on finishing with the JD at the face. The stack can be cut.
WORKING
1. False shuffle, then carry out a couple of genuine cuts. Now spread the pack between your hands and have a card freely selected by a spectator who places it directly into his pocket without looking at it. As he is doing this, give the pack a complete cut at the point where the card was drawn and square up.
2. Turn to a second spectator and say, "You will now discover the secret identity of the hidden card, first the suit and then the value....
however, you will need some help to do this .... so let's call upon the greatest detective of all time, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, to help you to identify the SUIT."
Hand the pack to the spectator and ask him to spell the name S-H-E-R-L-O-C-K by dealing one card for each letter in the name into a face down pile on the table.
Turn over the top card of the tabled pile to indicate the suit.
3. Next say, "OK, so that's the suit taken care of, but the value is much more difficult ... even for Mr. Holmes, and I think we will need to use a little MAGIC now."
You now ask the spectator to spell the word M-A-G-I-C in the same way as before but dealing into a separate pile. Turn over the top card of this five card heap to indicate the value.
Finally announce both the value and suit together thus completing the name of the card then have the spectator remove the card from his pocket to find that it is in fact that very card.
END NOTES: The above will also work with a FOUR lettered word followed by a nine letter word. I use CARD DISCOVERY for an instant repeat, by replacing the used cards atop the deck and having a second selection made from the undisturbed stack, but not from the bottom 13 cards, saying, "Of course this is really a CARD DISCOVERY, so let's use those very words and see what happens?"
CANNIBALECTOR
(From Cards by All Means)
As an introductory feat, the four Kings demonstrate their magical abilities by causing two random cards to vanish. Having proved their expertise in the art of vanishing, they now instantly collect three previously selected cards.
This is based on a Phil Goldstein combination of Twisting the Aces and the Walton Collectors. Here, the combination is the Searles Cannibal Cards and the Collectors. The principle behind the trick remains Goldstein’s.
WORKING
1. Remove the four Kings and lay them face up on the table in a spread – the two reds in the middle and Spades on the face. Now have three cards selected and control then to the top in any order.
2. Turn the deck face up and obtain a break above the three selections at the rear. Spread the cards and outjog any two cards at random, asking, "Are any of these the cards you chose? No? Good. Because I want to use these for a quick demonstration."
Strip out the two cards adding the three selections via the Vernon Add-on, then immediately drop the deck on top of them. Turn the deck face down and deal the top two cards onto the table.
3. Pick up the Kings in a Biddle grip, while obtaining a break under the top card of the deck.
Say, "The Kings are great magicians – Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and clubs. Together they make one of the best teams in magic."
Accompany this by doing the following ATFUS:
Pull of Spades onto the deck, but as you do so, pick up the card from the break under the other three kings – keep a thumb break over this card. Apparently pick up the King of Spades under the other three, but really deposit the broken card on top of it so it remains hidden 2nd from the top of the deck. Now pull off the next two red kings one by one, transferring each to the rear of the packet normally. Finally draw attention to Clubs – now at the face of the packet where it remains.
Place the deck on the table and then place the Kings (only three) into your left hand, still face up.
4. Say, "Before we proceed to the main event, let me give you a quick demonstration of how good these guys really are."
Pick up one of the two face down cards – apparently random cards – and insert it second from the bottom of the three face up kings via a Buckle.
Don't be overly concerned about this because the card is supposed to be going into the packet. A buckle is a way to ensure you don't expose the fact you've only got three Kings.
Take care not to let the face of the card be seen as this is now a selection. Flick the packet then give the cards an Elmsley Count – last card to the bottom. The random card has vanished.
Pick the other face down card and repeat the above exactly – again last card to bottom. The second random card has vanished.
5. Say, "I told you these guys were good. But that was only a demonstration. Now for the main event." As you speak, Double Buckle then pull the king of Clubs onto the lower two cards – as if giving the packet a cut. In fact this is a Slip-cut.
Finally drop the kings on top of the deck – snap your fingers over the deck – then pick up the deck and spread off the top seven cards showing the four Kings with three face down trapped between. Reveal these as the selections to finish.