Magic tricks - Trick-A-Month - Card tricks
CONTROLLING A CHOSEN CARD TO THE TOP or Bottom. METHOD TWO This is a very simple method of bringing a chosen card to the top of the deck, after having it replace in the middle. Simply have the card returned somewhere about Two Thirds down into the pack and replace the top half of the cards, - Holding A Break with the little finger of the left hand, above the Chosen Card.
Done casually and quickly, it appears that the chosen cards has been placed into the centre of the pack and you have quickly cut the pack three times, completely losing the card somewhere in the centre of the pack. You can now shuffle the cards if you wish retaining
the top card (the chosen card) in its palce right at the top of the
deck, where you can do with it as you wish. You really only need to know one good method of controlling a card to the top to do countless great card effects and I certainly would recommend the previous method of shuffling the chosen cards into the pack. - However, you can try both the aforementioned methods and chose whichever you feel more comfortable with. I also use the "Standard Pass" as a way of bringing a card to the top and I will give you a brief description of it here plus another method of apparently shuffling the chosen card into the pack. But first - METHOD THREE - the PASS The STANDARD PASS is the method I normally use in a cabaret situation to quickly control a chosen card to the top or bottom of the deck. Unlike the other simple methods of controlling a card, the Pass does require some misdirection. However, when performing standing up, there is always plenty of cover in the natural movement of the hands and also the misdirection when addressing comments etc. to memebrs of the audience. Let's asume you fanned out the cards to allow a member of the audience to have a card "Freely Chosen". - In our example it is the Ace of Diamonds. You have the card memorised, shown to other members of the audience and then replaced in the centre of the pack (for illustration it is replaced Face Up) - See FIG. 1
The pack is then closed up (FIG. 2) and the card is apparently completely lost in the centre of the pack. - However, you must hold a break with the little finger as in FIG. 3
To complete the Pass, under cover of the right hand and usually whilst moving the hands after having the chosen card replaced, - you simply grasp the top section of cards above the break (FIG. 4) and "Pass" them UNDER the lower section of cards (FIG. 5)
The move is completed in a Flash as the right hand squares up the pack as in FIG. 6 - and leaves the chosen card now on the "Top Of The Pack", ready for your miracle
This can often be done in one quick and unseen movement. - This is the card is replaced in the centre of the pack, and the pack is apparently squared up, - I usually give the pack a quick riffle and immediately hand it out to the member of the audience to be shuffled, having performed the Pass and Palmed the card in one swift movement. Many magicians don't use The Pass because they fear that the movement will be detected by the audience, but I can assure you that if you practice it well and perform it in a relaxed manner when you are addressing the audience it will be completely unnoticed. - The best time to perform any sleight is when the audience aren't looking at you hands. - Isn't that an obvious statement. However, many magicians have no idea of just when to perform sleights and either continue to perform very poorly or refrain from carrying out centre sleights and so restrict the many great miracles that they could easily perform. The Pass and The Palm are best performed as the hands are moving and when your eyes and your comments are directed at a memebr of the audience. At this moment all the audience are automatically directed to the person you are speaking to and they are concentrating on what you are saying. So don't miss out on this great sleight. It will allow you to perform many great tricks. Later on I'll show you some novel magical ways to reveal a chosen card....
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