Royal Road to Card Magic The

hand must not move away to the right
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    The hands should be held well away from the body, and the actions should be easy and natural and should be explained by a subsequent action. For instance, you show the card held by the right hand and lower it so that it is about 30 cm (12 in) away from the left hand and the pack, but on the same level. Glance to the left, at a table or a chair; look back at your audience, saying, 'I will put the card on the chair.'
    Turn your body to the left towards the chair and as you do this move the right hand towards the left a little faster than the left hand moves. The two hands meet at the middle of the turn and exchange the cards without the least hesitation. Move the left hand with the pack backwards and away, perhaps grasping the rail of the chair, as you face left and drop the card the right hand now holds on to the chair seat.
    Again, you may hold the hands about 30 cm (12 in) apart and speak to someone on your right, turning a little towards him. 'I shall ask this gentleman on my left to blow on the card,' you say, at the same time turning towards your left, executing the change as the hands meet. Hold the right hand motionless, and move the left hand with the pack outwards to the left, gesturing to the person to whom you refer.
    Or again, when you are doing close-up card magic, you may show a card in your right hand, then lower it so that it is horizontal. Say to someone, 'Will you hold your hand palm upwards?' and, when he raises his right hand, move the right hand to it as though to place the card on his palm. Apparently change your mind, saying, 'We'd better use your other hand,' and at this moment glance up to meet his gaze. Bring the right hand to the left, exchange the cards and move the left hand away a little. A moment later, when you place the changed card on the spectator's palm, he is unaware that it is not the card you showed the moment before.
    The entire process of the top change is a smooth and natural blending of actions, and we need not tell you that to look at your hands would be fatal. You must look at the audience or at the object on which you will place the card.
    The Changing Card
    Here is a feat so simple that you will not realise how much laughter it can evoke until you use it. Because the best way to learn a sleight is to do it, we urge you to perform this excellent trick as often as you can.
    1. Go to someone on your left and have him choose a card, show it to everyone (this is important if all are to enjoy the trick) and replace it in the pack. Control the card to the top by means of the Hindu shuffle.
    2. Turn and walk to someone on your right. Spread the cards in a wide fan, saying, ' I shall ask you to point to a card, and I promise you that whatever card you point to will be the card chosen by the gentleman across the room. Kindly make a careful choice.'
    3. When a card has been indicated, do not let the spectator draw it from the fan of cards, but remove it yourself, making sure that its face cannot be seen.
    4. Return to the centre of the platform, holding the card in your right hand well away from the body, its back to the audience. Turn to the first spectator, saying, 'Ladies and gentlemen, here is the card!'
    Turn the card to show its face and glance from right to left, bowing a little as if to acknowledge applause but at the same time turning the card into a horizontal position on a level with the pack in the left hand.
    5. Next turn to the spectator on your left; as you do so, bring the right hand to the left so that it overtakes the left hand, and make the top change. Immediately the change is made, hold the right hand motionless, with its card slanting downwards so that its face cannot be seen. Move the left hand, with the pack, on to the left in a gesture towards the first spectator. 'Is this your card?'
    6. Someone (and usually several people) will tell you that it is not. Turn to the right again, moving the right hand and the card away from the body with its back to the audience. Look at the card, then glance back at the spectator on your left. Now, for the first time, ask him the name of his card. He says, 'The seven of diamonds,' or whatever his card was. 'Well, this is the seven of diamonds, isn't it?' you say, turning the card face outwards as you mention the name of the card.
Hold the card in this manner for about five seconds, and
do not move until the laughter has subsided
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    When you have performed this trick as we have