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by

Cameron Francis

This effect came about after reading an Ed Marlo version of

Hofsinzer's Everywhere and Nowhere plot. While the Marlo effect was

the catalyst for this trick, at the end of day they don't really resemble

each other in the slightest.

Effect:

Two cards are selected and lost in the deck, we'll say the cards are

the Five of Spades and the Eight of Hearts. The magician has the

spectator cut the deck into two piles. The magician picks up one pile

and runs through it, asking the spectators to tell him when they see

their cards. Neither card is in the magician's half.

The magician then instructs one of the spectators to cut the remaining

half into three piles. The magician turns over the top card of each

pile. None are the spectator's cards. The magician clicks his fingers

and shows the three cards again. They are now three duplicates of

the Five of Spades! One more click and when the three cards are

turned face up again, they are now the mates of the Eight of Hearts!

The magician spread his half of the deck and the Eight of Hearts is

seen reversed in the middle. But what of the Five of Spades? The

deck is reassembled and the magician hands it to the spectator. She

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spells “Find the card”, dealing one card for each letter and discovers

the Five!

Preparation:

Okay, this is pretty complicated. Grab a deck, read carefully and try to

follow along...

Place any four of a kind on top of the deck in any order.

Are you still with me? All kidding aside, that's the only prep you need

to do which makes this extremely practical.

In this example, we'll use the Eights and say that the Eight of Hearts

is on top of all.

Performance:

1. Give the deck a shuffle retaining the top stock. Cut the deck,

keeping a pinky break between the halves, and perform a Riffle

Force, forcing the Eight of Hearts on the first spectator. Thumb

the card off the deck and have the spectator look at it.

Reassemble the deck, the other three Eights going back on top.

Turn to another spectator and riffle your left thumb down the

side of the deck. Wherever the spectator calls stop, legitimately

cut the deck at that point and thumb the top card off the bottom

half to the spectator. We'll say this card is the Five of Spades.

Place the right hand portion onto the left hand portion so that

the three Eights are once again on top of the deck.

2. As the spectators are looking at the selections, secure a break

under the top three cards of the deck.

3. Take the Five back and place it on top of the deck. You now hold

a break under four cards. Perform a Braue Reversal so the four

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cards are now reversed at the back of the face up deck. For

those of you who don't know the Braue Reversal, here's a brief

description:

Hold the deck from above in right hand Biddle Grip, the right

thumb holding the break between the top four cards and the rest

of the deck.

With your left hand, undercut half the deck and flip it face up on

top of the cards above the break. Undercut the rest of the cards

under the break and flip them face up on top of all. You are now

holding a face up deck with four cards reversed at the rear.

4. Re-grip the deck so you are holding it face down in dealer's grip.

However, keep the top of the deck tilted back (neck-tied) so the

spectators cannot see the reversed card on top (Fig. 1).

5. Take the Eight of Hearts back and place it face down on top of

the deck (Fig. 2). Tilt the deck down so you are holding it

parallel to the floor.

Position check from the top of the deck down: Face down

Eight of Hearts, face up Eight, face up Eight, face up Eight, face

up second selection, face down rest of the deck.

6. Give the deck a couple of false cuts and place it on the table. Ask

the spectator to cut the deck in half.

Fig. 2Fig. 1

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7. Pick up the former top half of the deck and flip it face up. Say,

“I'm going to run through this half. Tell me if either of you see

your card.”

8. Start peeling face up cards into your right hand, counting silently

to yourself. Once you have counted off eight cards, stop and ask

the spectators if any of the cards were theirs. Once they say no,

flip the eight cards in your right hand face down.

9. With your left forefinger, push on the out right corner of the

bottom card of the packet to buckle it. Slip the eight face down

cards in your right hand between the buckled card and the rest

of the packet (Fig. 3).

10.Count off nine or ten more cards into your right hand. Ask if any

are the selections. Flip them face down and place them under

the left hand packet.

11.Count off the rest of the face up cards into your right hand, flip

them face down and place them under the left hand packet. Flip

the packet face down and hold it in your left hand.

12.Say, “We'll if neither card is in this packet, they must be in the

other one. Let's see if you can find your own cards.” Ask one of

the spectators to give the other packet (formerly the bottom half

of the deck) a shuffle.

Fig. 3

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This done, have him hand the packet to the other spectator and

ask her to cut the packet into a row of three piles. As this is

being done, secure a pinky break under the top four cards of the

packet in your hand.

13.We'll call the packets that the spectator cuts, going from your

left to your right, piles A, B and C. The half deck you are holding

is packet D.

14.Once the cards have been cut into three piles, pick up the top

card of packets A, B and C and place them on top of the cards

you hold in your hand, side jogged to the right. Flip all three

cards face up. Lift up all seven cards above the break, three face

up indifferent cards followed by three face down Eights and the

face down Five of Spades.

15.Perform J.K. Hartman's Secret Subtraction to display and then

ditch the three indifferent cards. Here's how it's done:

Hold the seven card packet in right hand Biddle Grip. Using your

left thumb, pull the top face up card to the left and rotate it

around to the bottom of the packet, holding a break between it

and the rest of the packet with your right thumb at the inner

right corner of the packet.

Tilt your right hand up so that the packet is perpendicular to the

floor to show the face of the indifferent card, asking if it is the

selection.

Repeat this procedure with the next two cards, maintaining the

break.

At the end of the sequence, all seven cards are face down and

you are holding a break under four of them.

During the action of squaring up the packet, allow the packet to

kiss the deck for a moment and release the three indifferent

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cards below the break onto the deck. This leaves you holding

four cards in your right hand. Place your half of the deck on the

table.

16. Still holding the cards in right hand Biddle Grip, place your left

thumb on top of the packet and your left fingers underneath.

Milk the packet, sliding the top and bottom cards into your left

hand (Fig. 4). You are left holding a double in your right hand.

Place the double on top of the two cards in your left hand. As

you perform the above, say, “So none of these three cards were

the selections...”

17.Snap your fingers over the packet. Perform a triple lift showing

that the top card has turned into the Five of Spades.

18. Flip the triple face down and drop the top card on top of pile A

(the pile to your left).

19. Perform a double turnover and show a duplicate of the Five. Turn

the double face down. Slide out the bottom card an place it on

top of pile B. This is discrepant but done swiftly no one will

notice.

20.Holding the last two cards as one from above in the right hand,

revolve the right hand palm up to display another copy of the

Five. Turn the right hand palm down and drop the double on top

of pile C.

Fig. 4

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21.Say, “Of course, this was just an illusion. There aren't really

three Fives of Spades on top of these packets. And if I just snap

the spell is now broken. Because now these cards are... The

Eight of Clubs, the Eight of Diamonds, and the Eight of Spades

which means the second selection must have been the Eight of

Hearts.”

As you say the above, suit your actions to the words and turn

over the top cards of each pile revealing the three Eights. Place

the Eights on the table, just above their respective piles.

22.Snap your fingers over packet D (your portion of the deck) and

spread it across the table, showing the Eight of Hearts reversed

in the middle.

23. Slide all of the cards above the reversed Eight to your right. We'll

call this new packet E. The cards below the Eight are packet D.

Fig. 5 shows the position of the packets from your point of view.

A B C

D E

Fig. 5

24. Place the Eight of Hearts to the right of the other three Eights

creating a row of four cards.

25.Now start gathering up the piles of cards in a counter clockwise

manner, starting with packet E. In other words, pick up pile E

and place it on pile C. Pick up the combined packet and place it

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on top of pile B. Pick up the combined packet and place it on top

of onto pile A. And finally place everything on top of pile D.

26.Turn to the spectator who picked the second card and say,

“Now, we found the Eight but where's your Five of Spades? I

have an idea. Let's ask the deck to find the card. Here, take the

deck and spell “Find the card” dealing one card for each letter...”

27.Once the spectator has done this, tell him to turn over the next

card. It will be the Five of Spades.

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© Cameron Francis 2010