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STUDY. PRACTICE. SCRIPT. REHEARSE. PERFORM.
Dramas & Presentations
Excerpted from the pages of 'Carpe Chartaes' by Mick Ayres. Copyright 2003 by CardWorker.com. All rights reserved.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY!
The late great Mike Skinner once said, "Presentation is everything". That quote is the key to this first effect.
Shaken down to its bare bones, this trick is nothing more than forcing a card and then telling the spectator which
card you made them pick. Truly, it is how you reveal the card that makes this trick a good one.
First things first. Just how do you force a card? Well, there are literally hundreds of good methods to choose from,
ranging from the simplistic to the technically advanced. Because this section consists mostly of self-working tricks,
we'll go with the simple but effective method...the Criss Cross Force.
Begin this trick by having the deck thoroughly shuffled by a spectator. This trick is more fun and better received if
you perform it with a member of the opposite sex...you'll see why. While the deck is being shuffled, try to get a
glimpse of the bottom card of the deck and remember it. Be unobtrusive and casual about this. If you don’t get a
good look then simply wait till she is finished shuffling, reach down and get a glimpse while you are squaring up the
deck. For this example, we'll pretend the bottom card is the Queen of Hearts.
Hold your left hand out flat and place the deck face down on it. Say, “Please cut the deck in half and put your half
on the table.” After she does so, place the remaining half on top of the tabled portion, but lay it in a 90-degree (or
right angle) position to the bottom half...or criss-crossed.
Now, step back from the table and say, “We’ve marked the spot where you cut the deck, but I need to ask you a
question? Did you know that the eye retains an image of what it sees? Really! Now, that's only if the brain
concentrates on what the eye is seeing...so an image will be formed on the retina and it can be seen by others.
Here, I’ll show you what I mean. Look at the card you cut to and concentrate on it.”
At this point, lift the top portion of the deck up so they can see the bottom-most card (the one you previously
memorized). Now, replace this portion back on top of the tabled one except, this time, square up the deck.
Everything looks normal and she feels that she had a free choice, but in truth you just forced the Queen of Hearts.
The Criss Cross Force works because you got her mind off the cards during your little monologue and she has
forgotten which half is which.
Lean forward now and say, “Come close and let me take a look in your eyes. Yes! I see an image of a card...its a
face card...and its red! It’s a Heart isn’t it? Okay! Now, let me get the letter...its so tiny and there’s a curve to the
letter, so it’s either a Jack or a Queen...I’m going to go with the Queen. Is that it?” She'll be amazed.
Please don’t just blurt out the name of the card. Pretend to struggle as if you really are looking at a tiny image of a
playing card in her eyes. Act this out as well as you can and you’ll have a small miracle that both of you will enjoy.
THAT'S YOUR CARD!
If you have an old deck of cards, a black marker and about five minutes, you can make up this fun, puzzling piece of
mentalism in no time.
Remove the two black aces from the deck along with twenty-four random cards. On the back of each of these
cards, write the word YOURS so it runs up and down the length of the card. Try to keep the word in the center of
the card. Assemble these marked cards with one black ace on top of the stack and one ace on the bottom. Finally,
put thirteen unmarked cards above and below these marked ones. Recase the deck and you're ready to begin.
To perform, bring out the cards and begin spreading them face down in a casual manner. You'll be able to handle
the first thirteen cards freely but as you reach the middle of the deck, keep the spread a little tighter so you don't
expose any of the markings (this is why you kept the word YOURS in the center of the back). Say, "This old deck of
cards is mine, of course, and obviously it's been around the block a few times." Turn the deck face up and spread
the cards again showing them as freely as you wish this time. "I mean, if these cards could talk about the miracles
they've seen...". Close the spread and smile. "...There's no telling what they'd say--but you probably wouldn't
believe it anyway."
Spread the cards face up again, but this time keep the upper thirteen cards and lower thirteen cards in a tight block
and just fan out the middle twenty-six cards (the black aces indicate the boundaries and make this quite easy to
do). Say, "Although these cards are mine, I'd like one of them to be yours." Turn your head aside and continue by
saying, "Please look at any one of these cards and remember it...just don't choose the bottom card because finding
that one is too easy...Got one? Good!" Close the spread and hold the deck face down.
Say, "Please continue to think about your selection while I make a mark on one of the cards." Cut about ten cards
from the top of the deck and table them. Uncap the marker and, holding the balance of the deck so they can't see,
pretend to write on the back of the card. Recap the marker and then put the tabled cards back on top of the deck.
Turn the deck face up and ask the spectator to name his selection. Simply spread the cards, remove the named
card and say, "I knew that card would be yours!" Now, turn the card face down. "See? It even says so!"
THE FIVE-DOLLAR CARD TRICK
You boast that your talent with a deck of cards is so good that you’ll give the spectator five bucks if you can’t pull off
the next trick. Putting some money where your mouth is, you remove five one-dollar bills from your wallet and place
the stack on the table. A card is now chosen under the fairest of conditions and then is lost in the deck. Despite
your best efforts however, the card remains lost. However, while paying off your bet, the chosen card is cleverly
revealed at the last second.
Essentially, this is a self-working trick in which a card is forced in a very clean manner and then revealed in an off-
beat fashion. You’ll need five one-dollar bills, a marker and a deck of cards. Using the marker, write the word YOU
across the back of one bill. On another one one, write the word HAVE. Continuing along these lines, write the
words SELECTED, THE and JACK OF DIAMONDS across the backs of the last three bills. Let the ink dry,
assemble the bills in order writing side down and place the bills in your wallet. Put the Jack of diamonds on top of
the deck, put it in your pocket and you are ready to begin.
Ask a young lady to come up and stand next to you. Remove the deck from the case and give it a shuffle, being
careful to retain the top card. Leave the deck on the table for a moment and say, “Would you like a chance to win
some money? Sure you would! Well, I’ve been doing card tricks so long that I’m willing to place a little wager on the
game, so to speak. You get to choose a card under fair conditions and then lose it anywhere you like in the deck.”
Take out your wallet and remove the five ones. Show them freely, just don’t flash the writing on the back. “Now, I’m
willing to bet that I can find it...in fact, I’ve got five bucks right here that says I can identify your card. If I can’t do it,
then you get the five dollars. But if I name your card, you have to give me a standing ovation. Hey, you’re already
halfway there, so are you ready to play? Great!”
At this point, you will force the jack of diamonds using a hands-off technique. Say, “Pick up the deck and deal as
many cards as you like to the table.” After she has finished dealing, take the balance of the deck from her and
table it off to one side. Now say, “Good. Now square up those cards and deal them out into two piles.”
Watch carefully to see which pile gets the last card because that is the jack of diamonds. Say, “You’re doing
great. Now, pick up any pile...”. As you say this, reach over and pick up the portion of the deck you set to one
side earlier. Now the situation can go one of two ways.
If she picks up the pile without the force card on it, immediately say, “...and hand it to me.” Take this packet of
cards from her and add it to the deck in your hands. Point to the pile left on the table and say, “Please look at the
top card of the remaining pile and remember it. Don’t show it to anyone else.”
However, if she picks up the packet with the force card, just drop the balance of the deck from your hands onto the
remaining pile. Have her memorize the top card of the pile she is holding. Either way, she feels that every decision
was hers and that you couldn’t possibly know what card she has selected.
Now, push the deck towards her and ask her to bury her selection somewhere near the middle of the deck and
shuffle it. At this time, your acting ability comes into play. Attempt to reveal her card through a variety of
unsuccessful techniques. Pretend to read her mind, or remove a card from the deck and display it, or give the deck
a fancy cut and reveal the top card...or maybe its on the bottom. Nothing seems to work. Finally, you realize you
have to pay off the bet.
As you count the five bills aloud one at a time into her outstretched palm, flip each one over so she can read the
words as they come to her. She’ll probably start to laugh as she realizes where this is going. Look surprised and
as soon as she reads JACK OF DIAMONDS on the last bill, snatch them away with a big smile and say, “Whoa!
That was too close for comfort!”
SKINNER'S 21st CENTURY MIRACLE
Before his untimely passing, Michael Skinner published a simple, yet brilliant mindreading effect in his book Classic
Sampler that was unfortunately rendered useless by the passage of time—truly, performing it after the turn of the
century made the method obvious. But, with a few adjustments to the presentation and handling, the effect is
rescued from the discard pile and is once again available to modern-day tricksters.
You’ll need a deck of cards with at least one Joker in it, a pad of paper and a pen. To begin, ask a friend to shuffle
the deck. While she is doing so, ask if she has already had her birthday this year. If no, say, “I’d like to give you an
early birthday present,” and proceed as described above. If her answer is yes, say, “Then I’d like to give you a late
birthday present.” This is an important question so do not fail to ask it.
Take the deck and remove the Joker stating that it has no value in this experiment. As you do this, note the
combined value of the top two cards (remember: Aces = 1; Jacks = 11; Queens = 12 and Kings = 13). Hand the
deck back to her and say, “If you are willing, I’d like to ask you a few personal questions during this experiment.
Now, these questions will deal some private matters, but I promise no one will see anything you write down. The
answers you give will be in the form of numbers, some of them with four digits. I’d like you to write your answers in a
column so you can add them together later. Okay?” Once she agrees, ask her to complete the following requests:
“To begin, please deal as many cards as you wish to the table.”
“Next, write down the year you were born.
“Now deal a few more cards onto the pile…or take some away.
“Next, think about the most significant event that ever happened in your life and write down the year it happened.
“Pick up the packet of cards and deal them into two equal piles.
“Next, write down your present age.
“Pick up the top card of either pile and write down its value.
“Next, think about how many years have passed since that significant event happened in your life, and write that
number down.
“Turn over the top card of the remaining pile and write down it's value as well.
“Finally, add everything together. Remember… don’t let anyone see anything you’ve written.”
While she is adding up the numbers, you work out an easy math equation in your head as well: Multiply the current
year by 2, then add the combined value of the two noted cards…that will be the final number reached by the
spectator. This is much easier than it sounds, especially in the beginning of the new century. For example, if the
top cards were an eight and a five—you currently add: 2004 + 2004 + 13 = 4021. Bear in mind that it works this
way if she has not celebrated her birthday yet. However, if she said ‘yes’ to your earlier question, then you simply
add 1 to the final number to get the correct answer.
The revelation of this final number is up to you, of course. I close the presentation by saying, “This final number is
actually a combination of several numbers to which you have an emotional attachment. Since the emotions are
centered in your heart and your heart is on the left side of your body, take your left fingertip and touch it to the
leftmost digit.” With a few pregnant pauses and a little acting, revealing each digit one at a time helps build tension
and drama slowly—making her birthday present the baffling revelation of a personal number that you nail flawlessly.
SURPRISE PARTY!
In celebration of a spectator's birthday, a playing card is selected, memorized and lost in the deck. The entire
audience begins to sing 'Happy Birthday' to the spectator while you keep rhythm by dealing a card for each beat of
the song. Of course, the last card dealt is the spectator's selection! But wait...some dancing girls make a surprise
appearance, too! Okay...it's just the four Queens, but how often do dancing girls show up on your birthday?
This trick is a lot of entertainment for very little effort, particularly if you preset the deck. However, I will explain the
impromptu version of this effect here for the curious (don't worry...it's quick and easy, too). For those that are
interested, this effect was inspired by The Yankee Doodle Card discussed in the Tarbell Course In Magic, Volume 4.
Borrow a deck and, while examining it for jokers, cull the four queens to the top. Turn the deck on its side in
preparation for an overhand shuffle. Run twenty cards and injog the twentieth card slightly. Throw the balance of
the deck onto the face of these twenty cards and position the deck face down without squaring it.
Spread the pack between your hands rapidly and allow the spectator to choose a card from the lower half of the
deck. While the card is being memorized, square the deck and use your right thumb to lift up on the jogged card.
Cut the deck at the jogged card and have the spectator return his selection to the top of the lower half. Place the
upper half on top and square the deck. The selected card is now the twenty-first card in the deck and is followed by
the four queens.
Now, use all the charm you can to entice the audience to sing 'Happy Birthday' to the spectator. Say, "If you folks
will sing along with me while I deal out the confetti, we'll give Joe Schmoe the best...uh, only birthday trick he's ever
had." It helps if you lead off and sing as boisterously as you can...trust me, if you have even an ounce of
personality, everyone will join in. As you sing, deal one card face down on the table in a loose pile for each beat of
the age-old song:
1 2 3 4 5
Happy Birth-day to you,
1 2 3 4 5
Happy Birth-day to you,
1 2 3 4 5 6
Happy Birth-day, dear Joe Schmoe
1 2 3 4 5
Happy Birth-day to you!
As you sing the last note...deal this card face up on top of the pile. Pause for just a second as people enjoy this
clever revelation of the spectator's card...and then, by yourself, sing the tag-line:
1 2 3 4
...and man-y moooore!
On these four beats, deal the four queens face up in a matrix square around the loose pile of cards. This makes a
nice display as you quip, "The dancing girls are on me." Take a well-deserved bow.
Often, I will perform this trick using a jumbo deck of cards. To do the trick in this manner, preset the deck by pencil-
dotting the twentieth card from the top of the deck (put a pencil dot in the upper left and lower right corner on the
back of the card) and arrange the four queens below the marked card. During performance, as the spectator
returns his card to the deck, simply split the pack directly below the pencil-dotted card and continue from there.
It's a piece of cake (pun intended).
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, E-MAIL: mick@cardworker.com
