This effect is based on an old classic. Everybody who's ever picked up a deck has probably learned one version or another of this effect. My only problem with it was that it required you to set up the entire deck in some fashion or another. This version is impromptu and requires no advance setup. The first impromptu version of this effect I ever ran across was in Harry Lorayne's My Favorite Card Tricks. It knocked me through the wall, and after a couple of years of performing it, became the jumping board for this version, which has a nice twist.
EFFECT: A spectator freely selects any card, which is then lost back into the deck. The deck is then handed out for a shuffle. After the deck is taken back. The performer fans it with the faces
towards him and begins to take out cards at random. He asks the spectator to call out what color he feels the card is. Red or black. The performer sets the card down into two different piles. One for red and one for black. After several cards are laid out, the performer lets the spectator takes over. When the deck is nearing its end, the spectator shows the remainder to indeed be a genuinely shuffled deck.
The packets are then turned over to show that the spectator's intuition was perfect, and they have man-aged to separate all of the reds and blacks except for one card, the selection!
SLEIGHTS: Infinity, False Shuffle, Top Palm
METHOD: The first thing you need to do in this effect is to get an Infinity card to the bottom as described in the Infinity chapter. Note what it is, it will be important later. You now have a card selected and returned to the pack just below Infinity, again, as described in the Infinity chapter. You now must bring Infinity and the selection to somewhere between half and two thirds down into the deck. Simply do a small cut or something of that nature. I prefer to bring it to just below half so that the effect isn't drawn out too much.
The next section of this effect, if done properly, is very deceptive. Give the deck a quick false shuffle. You now state that you're going to start taking cards out at random, and you want the audience member to look at the back and tell you whether it is red or black. You now fan the cards towards yourself and, from the top, start taking out cards that are the opposite color of your Infinity card (fig.1). This is also a great time to look at what the selection is. Your audience will sim-ply believe that you're taking cards out at random. They won't suspect that you're removing cards of just one color! You run
through the pack taking out just the one color and placing them in two different piles depending on whether the audience member says red or black. Do this until you come to the Infinity card. You will now have two piles on the table. They will both be of the same color, but the spectator will believe they are two different color piles.
You now state that you're going to change piles. Start new piles below the first two by taking out a red and black card, and placing them below the opposite color of the first pile, (red below black and black below red) (fig.2). You now set the pack down, cut at Infinity, and hand the packet to the spectator. They will now have cards of just one color in their hand, but they don't know that. Have
them deal face down onto the piles they now believe the cards should go on. As they are doing this, palm off the top card of the remaining packet. This should be the selection. (fig.3) After they have completed the dealing process, hand them the remainder of the packet and tell them to examine it and make sure that it was indeed a shuffled packet. You now switch the card to a clipped palm. Move your hand to pick up one of the packets that are of the
oppo-site color of the selection. You allow the selection to scoop under the packet as you pick it up. You now place the packet on top of the packet to its side. They are picked up and place on top of the third and then the fourth packet. The pattern should be a square. The fact that you've picked up the packets in the wrong order will go completely unnoticed every time.
fig.1
fig.2
fig.3
Now you end the effect on a bang. You recap at this point and explain the fairness of the whole situation. You look at the spectator and ask how they think they did. They'll usually give you an answer that lends itself to good byplay. Spread the packet
face up and show that the colors have been completely segre-gated except for one card, their selection.(fig.4)
NOTES: There have been more variations on this effect than most magicians would ever care to think about.
This one is quick and fun. Don't be too serious with it. I've gotten a lot of laughs and fun from this one. I hope it works
out well for you. fig.4
Martin with Goldfinger & Dove
"I've met a lot of card mechanics in my time, I have yet to meet a retired one."
- The Professor,