Royal Road to Card Magic The

knowing it is a five, I placed that very card fifth from the top. Deal four cards face down please. Now turn up the fifth card. The five of spades! Thank you; I have never worked with anyone possessing greater powers of concentration.'
    Take back the pack, gather up the cards just dealt face downwards and shuffle the pack. In tricks of this nature it is always advisable to carry on at once with another that depends on an entirely different principle.
    Thought Stealer
    This trick follows naturally after the preceding feat, since it duplicates the effect of the other by an entirely different means. This course should be followed wherever possible when you are requested to repeat a trick.
1. Turn to one of the spectators and say, 'There are sceptics in every group, and it may well be that in your secret thoughts you believe that by some hocus-pocus the feat you have just witnessed was not genuine mind reading. If I can divine your thought will you agree that there is more to this than meets the eye? You will? Very well, let's see if you are as admirable a concentrator as I think you are.'
2. As you say this, idly run through the pack and remove these cards:
(2 clubs) (6 spades) (5 hearts) (7 spades) (4 diamonds) (Q diamonds)
one at a time in this order, placing the six of spades slightly overlapping the two of clubs, the five of hearts overlapping the six of spades and so on with the others (figure 11).

    3. 'Now,' you continue, 'while I turn my back, I shall ask you to think of one of these cards. Will you do that?' Turn away. When the spectator says he is ready, turn around. 'You are the only person in this room who knows the name of the card you have mentally selected. That's right, isn't it? Good. Then be sure to keep your mind fixed on it.'
    Gather up the six cards by sliding them together, retaining their order and place them on top of the pack. Thus the top card is the two of clubs and the sixth card the queen of diamonds.
    4. Continue, 'Once again I shall offer proof that I can actually read minds.' As you say this, begin an overhand shuffle by lifting the lower half of the deck, run nine cards, injog the next card and shuffle off. Undercut at the injog and throw on top. Your sequence of cards now runs from the tenth card to the sixteenth card from the top of the pack.
    5. Hand the pack to the spectator, saying, 'I shall now offer my proof. I want you to spell the name of your card mentally and for each letter in its name I want you to deal a single card. For example, if you thought of the ace of diamonds, you will spell
a-c-e o-f d-i-a-m-o-n-d-s
. Is that clear? Don't forget the "
of
".'
    When the spectator says that he understands, have him make the deal and then say, 'Now I want you to pick up the last card you dealt, hold it face downwards and think intently of the card you chose mentally, which is unknown to the rest of us. You've done that? Now, for the first time, please name your card.' The spectator does so. 'Thank you. Will you be so good as to look at the card which you hold?'
    He does so and finds that he is holding the very card which he selected mentally.
    The explanation is a simple one. Each card, after the first, spells with one letter more than the preceding card, thus: two of clubs (10 letters), six of spades (11 letters), five of hearts (12 letters), and so on. Since there are several cards in the deck that will fit into each position, you will be able to pick them out quickly and apparently at random. This subtle principle should be borne in mind, for there are many effective feats which can be performed with it.
    Pinkie Does It
    A spectator having freely selected a card, noted it and returned it to the deck, the cards are thoroughly shuffled. Holding the deck upright in your left hand, the bottom card facing the spectators, place your index finger on the upper end. The chosen card is named and as you lift your index finger that very card is seen to rise from the deck clinging to it. The card is shown to have risen from the middle of the deck and the spectator may remove it from that position himself.
    1. Hand the deck to a spectator to shuffle, then have him remove one card and hand the pack to you. Have him show the card to others as you turn away.
    2. Have the card replaced. Use the overhand shuffle control to bring the card to the top, then shuffle it to the bottom and back to the top.
    3. Stand with your left side to the audience holding the deck upright in your left hand, the bottom