Royal Road to Card Magic The

the first card has been taken, place the cards in your right hand under those in your left, and simply repeat the procedure with a second and third spectator.
    Spread and Break
    A modern and inartistic way of controlling a card after its replacement in the pack is to cut off half the cards with the right hand and thrust out the left hand for the spectator to place his card on the left-hand packet. The cut replaced, the tip of the left little finger is inserted secretly between the two packets, that is, above the chosen card. This method is bad, first, because the spectator is given no choice as to position in the placing of his card, and, second, because the bending of the little finger is generally noticeable.
    Instead, spread the cards fanwise with both hands, in the same way as when offering the pack for selection of a card. Move your hands towards the spectator as you ask him to replace his card. At the moment he is about to do this, make an opening in the middle of the spread (figure 72), reach forwards and take his card as with forceps, by closing the cards on it and immediately drawing your hands back. The insertion of the left little finger between the packets will be completely covered by the action.

    Holding a Break
    When a break is made by the insertion of the tip of the little finger, a common error is to hold the break in the same way, that is, by keeping the little fingertip inserted between the two portions of the pack. The correct procedure is this.
    When the break has been formed by the insertion of the little fingertip, square the deck with the right hand, the fingers at the outer end and the thumb at the inner end. Grip the pack momentarily with the right thumb and fingers, holding the break with the thumb, and withdraw the little finger. Immediately press it against the side of the deck (figure 73).

    It will be found that the break can be held quite securely in this way, and the right-hand side of the deck can be shown freely as well as the outer end. The holding of the deck, therefore, appears to be perfectly regular. This is most important, since the break is of great use in card conjuring and to hold it correctly is essential to clean manipulation.
    Spread and Break Control
    When a chosen card has been returned to the pack and a break above it has been secured by the left little finger, it can be brought to the top of the deck easily and quickly.
    1. Square the ends of the pack with the right hand, then grip it firmly between the right thumb at the inner end and the fingers at the outer end, the thumb holding the break (figure 74).

    2. Change the grip of the left hand by seizing the left side of the deck at the middle, near the edge between the tip of the left thumb on the back and the tips of the fingers on the face.
    3. Maintain the pressure of the right thumb and fingers on the ends of the pack, and with the left hand turn the left side of the deck downwards to the regular position for an overhand shuffle (figure 75).

    4. The break will be retained by the pressure of the right thumb, and you go at once into an overhand shuffle. Shuffle freely until the break is reached, then throw the remainder of the deck on top, bringing the chosen card to the top of the pack.
    TRICKS WITH THE OVERHAND SHUFFLE
    The Sevens
    The following trick makes use of the overhand shuffle to force a card and to bring a number of required cards to the top of the pack so that they can be used in the course of a so-called coincidence trick. Four cards are selected, apparently by purest chance, and the cards prove to be the four seven-spots, a remarkable violation of the laws of probability.
    1. To prepare for the trick place the four sevens secretly on the top of the pack, then force the top card (the first seven) on a spectator by means of the lift shuffle force. Have the spectator place that card face downwards on the table, without looking at it, and place his hand on it. As he does this, place the packet in your right hand under those in your left, so that the remaining three sevens are on the top of the pack. Shuffle by running off two cards into the left hand, drop the pack on them and pick up the whole pack. One seven will now be on the top and two at the bottom.
    At once continue the shuffle as in step 2, retaining the top and bottom cards in position, thus keeping the sevens in the same position, two at the bottom and one at the top.
    2. Spread the entire deck face downwards on the table in a neat row and