Royal Road to Card Magic The

Byplay
    Incidental bits of business that are done offhand are sometimes remembered when more pretentious effects are forgotten. For this reason, minor byplay should be used whenever possible. You should always give the impression that you do these things on the spur of the moment.
    The following is a good trick of this type.
    1. Double-lift the two cards at the top of the pack and show them as one. Replace them on the pack, take the top indifferent card and, without showing its face, thrust it quickly into the centre of the pack.
    2. Hold the deck in the left hand in readiness for the colour change. Tap the card at its face. Pass the hand over the pack once or twice, and finally make the colour change, depositing at the face of the pack the card that should be at the middle.
    A trick of this type should be played down. In other words, such occurrences are so common with you that you do not even think this one important enough to comment upon.
    Charlier Cut
    The Charlier cut (also known, improperly we think, as the Charlier pass) is often treated as a fancy flourish, for it has an undoubted fascination for the layman. It is of far greater value, however, when used as a method of openly controlling cards, and we shall discuss it in that light.
    1. Hold the pack in the left hand at the sides, between the tips of the thumb and the ring and middle fingers, with the tips of the index and little fingers pressing up against the face card (figure 101).

    2. Allow the lower half to fall from the thumb on to the palm of the hand (figure 102). Press upwards against this packet with the tips of the index and little fingers, moving the pack into the position shown in figure 103.

    3. Allow the other portion to sink down on to the palm by slightly extending the middle and ring fingers, with the index finger at first supporting it but moving out of the way as the packet nears the palm and the original lower portion folds downwards on top of it.
    4. Square the cards by moving the index finger beyond the outer end.
    Acrobatic Aces
    The Charlier cut is put to good use in this surprising feat with cards.
    1. Place the ace of hearts at the bottom and the ace of diamonds at the top of the pack, then spread the pack face upwards, showing that there are only the two red aces in the pack.
    2. Gather the cards, turn them face downwards, and in squaring them bend them rather sharply downwards; or you can spring them into your left hand if you prefer. Seize the pack between the right fingers and thumb at the ends and riffle the upper half upwards at the outer end, commenting that the cards are well mixed and showing them. What you have done is bend the lower portion downwards, the upper portion upwards, for a reason which will be apparent in a moment.
    3. Hold the pack in position for the Charlier cut and with the right fingers draw away the bottom ace and hold it up for all to see, but as you do this make the Charlier cut without completing it, holding the original bottom packet up a little with the left thumb. You will do this unnoticed, because you have misdirected the attention of everyone to the ace which you show. Drop this ace face downwards on the top of the original upper portion, and allow the original lower portion to fall on it, squaring the cards.
    If you glance at the pack at this point (as you practise) you will see that there is a crosswise bridge in the deck, which you placed there when you bent and riffled the cards at the start. If you now make a second Charlier cut, the pack will split at this bridge.
    4. Now take whatever card is at the top of the pack and hold it up with its back to the audience, miscalling it the ace of diamonds. As you do this make another Charlier cut, splitting the pack at the bridge. Prevent the lower packet from dropping on the upper packet as you did before. Saying, 'The ace of diamonds also goes somewhere in the middle,' drop the indifferent card on the lower packet, and allow the other packet to drop off your thumb and on to it, squaring the pack.
    'Now my trick is this,' you continue. 'The aces have been placed somewhere in the middle of the pack, but they are acrobatic aces and if you give the pack a little shake like this [here you take the cards by a corner and give them a shake] they somersault back to their original positions.'
    5. Lift the top card and show that it is the ace of diamonds, then turn the pack and show the ace of hearts back at the bottom.
    Once the Charlier cut has been