n

Lucky Charms
Nick of Time
Standing Out
A Numbers Game
 To hire Jason for a lecture, please email Jason at: jason@cardmagicbyjason.com.

For more information and other products, please visit www.cardmagicbyjason.com.

A special thanks to:

Tony Cabral, Andrew Wimhurst, Jack Carpenter, Michael Vincent, Darwin Ortiz, and Stephen Orsini.

Copyright © 2015 by Jason Ladanye

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage
and retrieval system, now known or to be invented without the written permission of the author.
 Gaunm© GImaeg©]]?

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E ffect
Two cards are selected and initialed by the spectator, one for the performer and one for the spectator.
The spectator writes her name on one of the cards and writes the performer’s name on the other. Both
cards are then shuffled into the deck. The performer states he will deal the cards one at a time onto
the table. Whosever card is dealt to the table first wins a hundred dollars. When the dealing begins,
the spectator’s card lands on the table first. However, the performer provides evidence that he has still
won the bet.

Set-Up
You’ll need a regular deck of cards and a double facer with number cards on both sides. Let’s assume
for the explanation you’re using the Nine of Diamonds / Two of Clubs. Place the double facer under the
cellophane with a facedown joker above it. (It doesn’t matter which side of the gaffed card is facing up.
For explanation purposes, let’s assume the Nine of Diamonds side is face up. Leave the card box with
the extra cards facing up off to the left side of the table.

You will also need a marking pen in your right pants pocket.
Method
Spread through the faces of the cards. Cull the two cards that match the double facer. In this case, cull
the Two of Clubs and the Nine of Diamonds to the top of the deck. T\irn the deck face down. Palm the
top two cards into the right hand. With the right hand, reach for the pen in the right pocket. At the
same time, the left hand places the deck face down on top of the card box. Leave the two cards behind
as you take out the pen. Place the pen on the table. Explain that you’re about to play a simple game
with the spectator that uses only two cards.

Pick up the card box and the deck together with the left hand. With the right hand, pinch the deck and
the two cards under the shrink-wrap between the right index finger and thumb. Steal the two cards
from under the cellophane in the usual fashion. The double facer is now at the face of the deck. Place
the case off to the side of the table. Keep the face of the deck hidden as you transfer it to your left hand.
I hold the deck from above with the left palm facing down. Pinky count five cards and hold a break.
(You’ll be counting cards from the face of the deck.) Explain to the spectator that she will be selecting
two cards in a moment. Re-grip the deck for an overhand shuffle transferring the break to the right
thumb. As you talk, overhand shuffle to your break. Throw the last five cards slightly injogged. Lift on
the injog and catch a left-hand pinky break as you square up. After the shuffle, the double facer is fifth
from the top. Hold the deck face down in the left hand.

Ask her to pick a card for you first. I’m about to use the Mike Close Double Lift Force to force the Two
of Clubs side of the double facer. A nice touch here is that Mike’s force allows the spectator to touch the
back of a card.

Spread over the top three cards singly. Execute a block push-off of the double with the left thumb. With
the right fingers, pull the double facer underneath the spread. Continue spreading the cards above the
force card. Eventually, she will touch the back of a card. Align the card she touched and the double
facer. Flip the double end-for-end and leave it face up on top of the deck. The Two of Clubs will show.
Hand her the pen and ask her to write, “Jason’s Card” across the face. Ask her to initial the card as
well.

I’m going to use the LJ move to apparently deal the Two of Clubs to the table. I’m really going to take
the card behind the double. Pinky count two cards and hold a break. With the right fingers, pinch the
double along the right edge. Rotate both palms down. At the same time you rotate, the right hand pulls
out the face down indifferent card. The double facer stays square with the deck. Leave the facedown
card on the table right in front of you. The audience must believe this is the card the spectator just
wrote on.

Say to the spectator, “You picked that card for me. Now you’ll pick a cardfor you. But this time you
will write your name on the card.” Take the deck into a right-hand Biddle grip. Re-grip the face-up
deck into left-hand dealing grip. Be careful not to flash the Two of Clubs side of the double facer at the
bottom. Pinky count four cards and hold a break. Double undercut four cards to the bottom of the face­
up deck.

Turn the deck face down and pinky count five cards. You’re now in the same position you were a
moment ago. The double facer is fifth from the top. This time you will use the Mike Close Double Lift
Force to force the Nine of Diamonds side of the double facer.

Spread over three cards and then a double. Steal the double facer under the spread. Spread through
the deck until she touches the back of a card. Align the card she touches and the double facer. Take
out the double by flipping it end for end leaving it face up on top of the deck. On the face of the Nine of
Diamonds have her write, “Mary’s Card” (or whatever her name is) and her initials. Pinky count two
cards and hold a break. With the right hand, pick off the double from above in Biddle grip. Flash the
back of the double as you blow on the ink. As you do this, the left hand turns the deck face up.

Place the double on the face of the deck (maintaining the break) and rub the ink to show it’s dry. I’m
going to use the LJ move here again. It will appear as though I deal the selection to the table, but
I really deal the card behind the selection. With the right hand, pinch the right edge of the double.
Rotate both palms down and at the same time the right fingers pull out the indifferent card. Place the
facedown indifferent card on top of the other card on the table. The double facer stays square with the
deck.

Leave the deck face down on the table. Pick up the two facedown cards. The audience must believe that
these are the two cards the spectator selected. Mix the cards while keeping the faces hidden. Say, “I ’ll
bury the two cards in the deck and shuffle. I ’ll deal through the cards face up one at a time. Listen up.
Whosever card hits the table first wins a hundred dollars. I’ll say that again. Whosever card hits the
table first wins a hundred dollars.” You must have everyone’s attention during that line. It’s extremely
important to say, “listen up” and I also repeat the bet. The entire effect revolves around the wording
here so make sure you say this word for word. After they understand the rules of the game, say, “This is
a one-sided bet. I ’m risking a hundred dollars. If you lose, it won’t cost you anything.”
Insert both cards face down into the deck in two different places. Be careful not to flash either of the
two “selections” or the double facer at the bottom. Square the deck.

I need to reposition the double facer so it’s about ten to twelve cards from the face. I use a simple
shuffle to achieve this. Cut the top half of the deck to the right. Drop ten to twelve cards from the right
side first and then shuffle fairly from both halves. You must use a closed shuffle to prevent flashing the
double facer. Carefully square the deck.

Hold the deck face up in the left hand. Deal the cards face up one at a time in a row onto the table.
Each card must actually touch the table. (Don’t deal the cards in a pile or in an overlapping row.) After
you have a row of five cards, scoop them up into a pile and place them off to the left. You’ve created
quite a suspenseful moment here. The audience knows the cards are in a random order. They’ll be
watching each card as it’s dealt, hoping to see the spectator’s card first.

Deal a second row of five face-up cards. Again, each card must actually touch the tabletop. As you deal,
repeat the line, “Whosever card hits the table first wins one hundred d o lla r s Gather up this row of
cards and place them off the side with the others. Deal another row. Eventually the spectator’s card
with her name on it will land on the table. Pause when it does. Act as though you’re in trouble. In the
audience’s mind, you have lost. They know there is no possible way for you to get out of this bet.

Once the audience registers that there is no way for you to win, say, “Wait a second. I said whosever
card hits the table first wins a hundred dollars, right?” Pick up the double facer with your right hand.
Be careful not to flash the other side. I hold the card just a few inches above the surface of the table.
Point to the underside of the card and say, “Technically this side of the card hit the tablefirst” Hand
the card to the spectator and ask her to turn the card over and show the audience.
 L u ck y C h arm s

E ffect
The performer displays three lucky charms. The charms consist of a poker chip, a die, and a folded
blue-backed playing card. A spectator selects and initials a card from a red-backed deck. (The
spectator actually holds the red-backed card.) The card is lost back into the deck. The performer uses
the three charms to attempt to divine the selection. All three attempts fail. However, the blue-backed
folded card (that’s been in full view since the beginning) turns out to be the initialed selection.

Set-Up
You need a small box roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes. Any small case with a closable lid will
work. You’ll need two small trinkets that resemble lucky charms. I use a poker chip and a die. The
third charm is a blue-backed playing card folded into quarters. (Use any indifferent card. The face of
this card will never be seen.) Fold the dummy card neatly so no part of the face flashes. Use double­
sided tape or glue to secure it to the inside of the case. Place your other two charms inside the case
along side the playing card and close the lid.

You’ll need to use a red-backed deck for this effect. Under the cellophane of a red card box place a blue-
backed Seven of Hearts face down. Now place a red-backed Joker face down on top of the blue-backed
card. The card case now appears as it should.

You’ll also need a marking pen. Leave the pen on the table rather than in your pocket.

Place the lucky charms box in your jacket pocket. The card case should be on the table with the hidden
cards facing up. When you’re ready to perform this effect, reposition the regular red-backed Seven of
Hearts to fifth from the top. Place the deck face down on top of the card box for a moment. When you
pick up the deck with your left hand, grab the card box as well. Reach into the box with the right-hand
middle finger. Pinch the deck and the two cards between the right thumb and middle finger. The left
hand pulls away the empty box and places in on the table. The Joker and blue-backed Seven of Hearts
are now on the bottom of the deck.

Method
Once the red-backed Seven of Hearts is fifth from the top and the blue-backed Seven of Hearts is at
the face, you can begin your opening patter. Leave the deck facedown on the table. Say, “People often
ask how these tricks are done. The secret to how I do every single one of my tricks is right here in
this box. These are my lucky charms.” Take out the lucky charms box and open it up. Tilt the case so
everyone can get a good look inside. I leave the box at the inner right corner of my mat. You want all
three items to be in full view.

Take the die out of the box with your right hand. With your left hand, take out the poker chip. When
I pick up each charm, I tell a small joke to keep things interesting. Point to the folded card in the box
and say that this charm has brought you the most luck. (Holding a charm in each hand justifies why
you can’t pick up the card.) Place the die and the chip back in the box. Leave the lid open.

Pick up the deck. Hold it face down in left-hand dealing grip. Be careful not to flash the Seven of
Hearts at the face of the deck. Pinky count five cards and hold a break. Ask a spectator on your right
to touch the back of a card as you spread through the deck. Underspread force the red-backed Seven of
Hearts. After she touches the back of the card, switch in the force card and place it in her hand. This is
a great moment in this effect. Right now she’s handling a red-backed card. The blue-backed folded up
card is already in view. At this point, it’s impossible for the audience to see where the effect is going.

Ask her to show the card to the audience. As she does this, pull down on the bottom card with your
 pinky and hold a break. Take back the selection with your right hand. I hold the card face down just
a few inches above the table so everyone can see the back of the card. Ask her to take the cap off the
marker. Point to the pen with the facedown card in your right hand.

Explain that in a moment you want her to initial the card. I look directly at the back of the card to draw
the audience’s attention to it. Say, “I don’t want you to initial the back of the card.” Now hold the card
upright so the audience can see the face. Say, “I want you to initial the face of the card.” This is a nice
way to call attention to the red back without being too obvious.

Pull down with the left pinky, widening the break. As you turn to the right to face the spectator, insert
her selection into the break. Instantly square the deck and turn your head away. A moment after your
head is turned away, rotate the deck face up. To the audience, it looks like you placed her card at the
face of the deck and then turned everything over. The red-backed Seven of Hearts she was holding is
now second from the top of the face-up deck. The duplicate blue-backed Seven of Hearts is at the face.

Keep your head turned away for the next few actions. Ask the spectator that selected the card to initial
it. Once it’s initialed, pinky count two cards and hold a break. Execute a double turnover. Now you can
face the audience again. As you face the audience, two actions occur simultaneously. Do a Tamariz
hit-lift taking the red-backed Seven of Hearts into your right hand. And, at the same time, the left
hand instantly rotates palm down. Rotating the deck prevents flashing the reversed blue-backed at the
bottom of the deck. After the left hand rotates the deck, place the deck onto the table.

Use the left thumb to slowly riffle up the outer right edge of the deck. To prevent flashing the reversed
card, I drop a small block first and then riffle the cards singly. Riffle off about three quarters of the
deck. Insert the red-backed Seven of Hearts face down into the break. Leave it outjogged about three-
quarters of an inch. As I insert the card, say, “I ’ll leave your card about halfway down in the deck.” I
purposely leave the card well above the halfway point. This gives me a reason to spread through the
cards in a moment.

Carefully pick the deck up without flashing the reversed card at the face of the deck. Hold the deck face
down in left-hand dealing grip. Spread the top few cards. Steal any indifferent card under the spread.
It makes no difference what card you steal as long as you steal one before you reach the outjogged card.
Spread to her “selection” and say, “Actually it looks like your card is about a third of the way from the
top.” Allow the guide card to go to the bottom of the deck as you square the cards. The reversed blue-
backed Seven of Hearts is now hidden under one indifferent card at the bottom of the deck.

i
i
Hold the deck upright so everyone can see the index of the outjogged red-backed Seven of Hearts.
The audience will assume the initials are on the part of the card that’s buried. Ask them to remember
the card one more time because it will be a few moments before we get back to it. Lower the deck and
slowly square the outjogged card into the deck. I like to give them one more look at the red back as I
square up.

Turn to a spectator on the right and explain that you’ll attempt to find the selection without using your
lucky charms. Hold the deck in preparation for an overhand shuffle. Undercut about half of the deck
and at the same time, the left fingers hold back the face card of the deck. Simply squeeze the deck with
the left fingers as you undercut. Don’t expose the reversed blue-backed card now at the bottom of the
right-hand portion. Next, with the left thumb, cut off about half of the cards in your right hand. (This
will be about a quarter of the deck.) Throw the remaining cards in the right hand injogged onto the
cards in the left hand. Lift on the injog with your right thumb. As you square up into left-hand dealing
grip, use your left pinky to hold a break. The red Seven of Hearts is somewhere in the bottom half
of the deck. You’re now holding a break near the top quarter of the deck. Just above the break is the
reversed blue-backed Seven of Hearts.

Riffle force the card below the break. I don’t ask the spectator to say stop, I just riffle down and say,
“Don't tell me what card you picked. Just say yes or no, was this your card?” Once you split at the
break, use your left thumb to deal off the top card of the left-hand portion. Leave this indifferent card
face down on the table. Don’t flash the blue-backed card at the bottom of the right-hand cards. After
you deal the card to the table, place all the cards in your right hand under the cards in your left hand
and square up. The reversed blue-backed selection is now on the bottom of the deck.

Ask them to turn the tabled card face up. When they do, use the Mercury card fold to fold the bottom
card of the deck into quarters. Keep the folded card hidden under the deck in your left hand for a
moment. With your right hand, pick up the card on the table. Hold it face outward and say, “Well, of
course it's not! I didn't use my lucky charms.'' Place the card in your right hand face down on top of the
deck. Under the deck, the left hand re-grips the folded card into a finger palm.

The next two actions happen simultaneously. The right hand tables the deck off to the right and near
the outer edge of your mat. As you do this, the left hand drops to your left side and conceals the folded
card. With the right hand, pick up the box. I hold the case at about chest level. Now execute a shuttle
pass action as you dump the contents of the box into your left hand. As the hands meet, the left palm
will rotate face up as the right hand rotates palm down. The die and poker chip will fall free from the
case and land in the left hand. The dummy card will stay hidden inside the case. The folded selection
will appear in your hand at the same time the other charms do. The box must remain upside down
after the pass so you don’t flash the folded card that’s still inside. Use the right fingers that are outside
the box to shut the case. The moment the case is closed, the right hand places it back in your jacket
pocket. Place the three charms out onto the table in a right to left row. I place the folded up card on the
right, the die in the middle, and the poker chip on the left. Be sure to place the folded card on the table
in a way that doesn’t expose an index.

You’re about to cut three times into the deck to try to find her selection. I cut the cards with my right
hand in Biddle grip. Also, you must preview each of the three cards first before you show them to the
audience. (Before you show the audience the card you cut to, you need to make sure it’s not the red-
backed Seven of Hearts. See Comments.)

Hold the poker chip in your left hand. With the right hand, take about half of the deck into Biddle grip.
Look at the card at the face. Ask them if they selected the Five of Spades. (Name whatever card you
see.) They’ll of course say no. Replace the cards in your right hand back onto the deck. Put the poker
chip in your pocket. Hold the die in your left hand. Again, cut off a portion of cards in the right hand.
Call out this card as well. Again, you’ll be incorrect. Replace the cards in your right hand back onto
the deck. Put the die in your pocket. Pick up the folded card with your left hand. Say, “This charm has
neverfailed.” Cut off a group of cards again with the right hand. Say, “This time I don't have to ask.
You must have picked the King of Clubs.” (Name whatever card you see.) The spectator will of course
tell you you are wrong. Put the cards in your right hand back on the deck. Say, “You don’t understand.
This charm has never failed me.” As you deliver this line, open the folded card to reveal this lucky
charm is somehow their signed selection.

Comments:
Remember the red-backed Seven of Hearts is somewhere in the deck when you try three times to cut to
her selection. This means you have three chances to actually cut to the Seven of Hearts. I stated in the
explanation to preview the card first. If you see the Seven, just miscall it and don’t show it. Here are a
few more tips in case you do see the duplicate. You must remember the card you’re pretending to see.
Let’s say you lie and say it’s the Two of Hearts. On the second cut you could cut to the Two of Hearts.
Now you’ll have to miscall the Two of Hearts as well. It’s unlikely, but it’s happened to me before. Just
be aware of the cards you’re saying when you’re lying and remember not to repeat them.
 N ic k o f Tfimme

Effect
The performer boasts he can locate the four Aces and four selections in less than a minute. Four cards
are selected and then lost back into the deck. The performer is able to miraculously achieve his goal
while keeping the audience in suspense right up to the last second.

Set-Up
Start with the four Aces on top of the deck. You’ll need a stopwatch for this effect. You can use your
own smartphone, a spectator’s smartphone, or a spectator’s watch with a second hand. Let’s assume
for this explanation that you use a spectator’s smartphone.

Method
I like to start the effect by getting the spectator’s smartphone out and ready to go. Once the spectator
has their phone out, ask her to stand next to you on your right. Have her find the timer on her phone. (I
want the one that counts up from zero.)
Give the deck a false shuffle that retains the four Aces on top of the deck. While you’re shuffling,
address the entire audience and say, “Would you be impressed if I could find thefour Aces from a
shuffled deck in less than a minute?” The audience can clearly see the shuffle is legitimate. They will
agree that that would be impressive.

Then say, “Well you shouldn’t be. I practice locating the four Aces from a shuffled deck several times
a day.” Explain that, to give yourself a real challenge, you’ll locate four random selections rather than
the Aces. Begin spreading through the cards face down. I ask a spectator on my left to select a card.
Note that I spread the top four cards before asking her to take a card. They can select any cards except
the four Aces. After spectator number one selects a card, ask three more spectators (from my left to
right) to select cards. I always have the last card selected by the woman holding the phone. Remember
she’s directly to your right. The order in which the cards are selected is important. An easy way to
remember is to imagine you’re all at the card table. The first spectator is where the first player would
be. The cards were selected clockwise, like you deal in a game. Later in the effect I’ll be referring to the
spectators from left to right as spectator number one, two, three, and four respectively.

Ask each spectator to look at and remember their cards. Spread past the four Aces and then steal any
card under the spread. This will be your guide card. You’re going to use a spread cull to control the four
selections to the bottom of the deck. Have the cards replaced in the same order that they were selected
(from left to right.) Steal each selection under the spread after it’s been returned.

When you close up the spread, the four Aces will be on top and the four selections will be on the
bottom of the deck. The fourth spectator’s card will be at the face, the third spectator’s card is second
from the face, the second spectator’s card is third from the face, and the first spectator’s card is fourth
from the face.

T\irn to the right. This gives you cover for the overhand shuffle you’re about to do. Remember you can’t
flash the face of the deck. Undercut about half of the deck. Injog the first card you run, and then shuffle
off the remainder of the deck. You must run the last four cards singly. This will reverse the order of the
selections. Use the right thumb to lift at the injog. Take everything above the break into the right hand
in preparation for a faro shuffle.

Execute an in-faro. The order from top down is: an Ace, the fourth spectator’s selection, an Ace, the
third spectator’s selection, an Ace, the second spectator’s selection, an Ace, and the first spectator’s
selection. I do one more overhand shuffle. Undercut half of the deck. Injog the first card you run and
then shuffle off the remainder of the deck. With the right thumb, lift at the injog and hold a left-hand
pinky break. Hold the deck in left-hand dealing grip. The eight-card set-up is now in the middle of the
deck just below your break.

Explain that you’ll now attempt to locate the four selections. Say, Tm going to attempt to locate the
four cards that were just selected in less than a minute. As a matter of fact, I ’ll even find the four Aces
too. That’s eight cards in sixty seconds from a thoroughly shuffled deck.” These lines are delivered
with an overly cocky attitude.

Have the spectator with the smartphone hold it flat in her palm with the screen facing up. This way,
the people standing around her can see the timer as well. Say, “The moment you start timing, I ’ll begin
locating each of the selections and the Aces.” Tell her to her start the clock. The instant the clock starts,
cut to the break. Execute a double turnover and say, “Who picked the Five of Hearts?” (Say whatever
card you see.) The fourth spectator (the one holding the smartphone) will say it’s her card. l\irn the
double face down and take the top card into your right hand. Place the card (an Ace) face down under
the smartphone. This card will be pinched between her palm and the phone. \

I get rid of the top card of the deck using an overhand shuffle. Shuffle the cards as follows: Undercut
about half of the deck. Injog the first card you run. Shuffle off the remainder of the cards. Lift at the
injog for another shuffle. Shuffle off fairly to the break. Run one card (their selection) and then throw
the remainder of the deck. Because you undercut half the deck at the beginning of the shuffle, the
spectator’s selection you just showed will now be somewhere in the bottom half of the deck. You’ll be
repeating this shuffle sequence three more times.

As the effect continues, I’ll need to control each of the spectator selections using the same shuffle
sequence. Remember the spectator’s think their cards are going underneath the phone. I can’t have
their selections showing up again in the deck later in the effect. So, I control them to the bottom half of
the deck. Right now, there’s an Ace on top and the third spectator’s card is second from the top.

Address the third spectator and say, “Was this your card Jean?” Execute another double turnover to
show the third spectator her card. Turn the double face down and take the top card (an Ace) into the
right hand for a moment. Immediately pinky count three cards and hold a break.

I’m now going to glimpse the next spectator’s card. The glimpse happens as I put the card in my
right hand under the smartphone. Once you’re holding the pinky break with the left hand, rotate the

®
left hand palm down and use the left fingers to steady the smartphone. As the right hand slips the
“selection” under the phone the left pinky kicks the cards under the break to the right. This will cause
the index of the third card of the deck to be visible at the inner right-hand corner. Let’s assume you see
the Ten of Hearts. Remember this card.

Turn to spectator number two and say “To make the next card more of a challenge, Til not only try to
find your card Amy, Til tell you what it is before I find it.” Begin the overhand shuffle sequence to lose
the top card in the lower portion of the deck. During the shuffle, say, “I think Amy’s card is a red card,
a Ten—the Ten o f Hearts.” (Name whatever card you glimpsed earlier.) When the shuffle sequence is
complete, execute a double turnover and show the Ten of Hearts on top. Do another double turnover
and place the “selection” under the phone. Shuffle off the top card in the same fashion as the others.

After performing this effect for a few years, I’m used to how long the first three cards take to locate.
The stopwatch (for me) at this point should say around forty seconds. I remind them of the remaining
time. At this moment, someone in the audience will usually say something like, “You’d better hurry
up.”

Now, for the final selection, I use the magician-in-trouble ploy and a visual change. Say, “For the last
card, to make it even more of a challenge, I’ll find it with only one hand.” Right now, there can’t be any
of the previously shown selections in the top half of the deck. With the left thumb, riffle down the outer
left edge of the deck (as if executing a riffle force). Stop around a third of the way down. Hold the break
open for a moment. Ask the first spectator to name their card out loud. Insert the left thumb into the
break. This will allow you to drag out a single card above the break. Use the left thumb to flip the card
face up on top of the deck. Let’s assume you see the King of Diamonds. Sell the failure for a beat or
two. Pinky count three cards and hold a break. Execute a Shapeshifter change with all three cards to
turn the indifferent card into their selection.

After the Shapeshifter change, you’re holding three cards as one in your right hand. Their selection is
face up and just underneath that is a face-up Ace. Under the Ace is the facedown Kind of Diamonds.
Drop the triple on top of the deck. Pinky count two cards and hold a break. Turn the double face down
and take the top card (the final Ace) face down into your right hand. Place it face down with the other
three cards under the smartphone.

You should have about five to ten seconds left on the clock. The audience is now thinking, “He found
the four selections, but there’s no way he can still find the Aces.” Begin the overhand shuffle sequence

©
again. This time, I need to lose the top two cards. (Remember to undercut half the deck to begin the
shuffle. The top half of the deck is still free of all of all four of the spectator’s selections.)

After the shuffle, push over the top four cards of the deck into the right hand. l\irn these cards face up
all at once as if you expect to see the Aces. Four indifferent cards will show. If you time it just right,
the clock will be reaching exactly one minute exactly at this point. Pause and sell the failure for a few
beats. T\irn to the spectator holding the smartphone. Tell her to show the cards in her hand to the rest
of the audience. This will begin the “no way” moment for some spectator’s; other spectator’s may be
unaware of where the effect is going. Once she reveals that she’s now holding the Aces you’ll get a huge
reaction.

There is a lot is going on here. The audience is reacting because they think you’ve somehow switched
the selections for the Aces while the cards were in her hand. And, they’re also realizing that you
technically did find all four selections and the four Aces in less than sixty seconds—just not in the way
they imagined.
 S ta n d in g O u t

Effect
A card is selected from the deck and its identity is kept a secret. The performer then cuts out three of
a kind from the deck. Let’s assume he cuts to the three Fives. The performer claims the fourth Five
is in the spectator’s hand. When the spectator reveals her card, it turns out be Queen. The performer
visually turns his three Fives into Queens.

Set-Up
The order of the deck from the top down is: Five of Clubs, Five of Diamonds, Five of Spades, Queen of
Clubs, Queen of Hearts, Queen of Spades, Queen of Diamonds.

Note: This effect was designed to be performed entirely in the hands.

Method
Begin by giving the deck an overhand shuffle that retains the top seven cards. After the shuffle, hold
the deck face down in the left hand. Pinky count five cards and hold a break. Explain that you’re going
to have a card selected. Underspread force the fifth card from the top of the deck. You’ll be forcing the
Queen of Hearts. After she touches a card, ask her to hold out her hand palm up. Place the Queen of
Hearts in her hand face down. Tell the spectator not to look at it just yet. Place the cards in your right
hand on top of the cards in your left hand reassembling the deck.

Say, “Do you know what card is in your hand?” She’ll say no. Then say, “Well then, how can I?” As you
talk, give the deck an overhand shuffle as follows: Undercut about half of the deck. Injog the first card
you run. Continue shuffling the remainder of the deck fairly. Hold the deck face down in the left hand.
I use my right thumb to lift on the injog as I square the cards. Transfer the break to the left pinky. Say,
“If I want tofind out what card you picked, I ’vefound that all I have to do is give the cards a cut.”

With the right hand, take all the cards above the break in Biddle grip. Place them under the cards in
the left hand. Take the top card face up into the right hand. The Five of Clubs will show. Say, “This tells
me that there is a slight chance you may have picked a Five. Don’t look yet. We’llfind out if I’m right
in a second.” (This line prevents them from turning over their card early.) Place the Five of Clubs face
up in their hand on top of the facedown selection.

Now give the deck a false flourish cut. This cut must retain the set-up on top. (Don’t use your strongest,
most visual false cut though; you’ll need that one for last.) After the false flourish cut, turn over the
top card and show the Five of Diamonds. Say, “This tells me that I’m almost positive you must have
selected a Five.” Place the Five of Diamonds face up on top of the other cards in the spectator’s hand.

Execute another false flourish cut. (Use a fancier false cut than the last one.) Again, this cut needs to
retain the remaining four-card set-up on top of the deck. After the cut, take the top card (the Five of
Spades) in the right hand. Display its face to the audience. Say, “Now I ’m one hundred percent positive
that you’ve picked a Five.” As you deliver this line, pinky count three cards and hold a break.

Place the Five of Spades face up on top of the deck (while retaining the three-card break.) Immediately
after your right hand places the card on the deck, reach for the cards in the spectator’s hands. Take the
Five of Diamonds only. Place it face up on top the deck. Then, take the remaining face-up Five from
her. I hold the Five of Clubs face up in right-hand Biddle grip. She’ll be left holding only the facedown
selection she picked earlier. During this sequence, I say, “Notice I could only cut to one, two, three,
Fives.” I match patter with actions as I handle each Five. When you add the last Five to the top of the
deck, immediately take everything above the break into a right-hand Biddle grip. (This is why you take
last Five in Biddle grip. It eliminates unnecessary handling of the cards.)
You’re about to do a Braue add-on switch. You will be switching the Fives for the Queens. In a moment,
you’ll peel the Fives on at a time from the right hand onto the top of the deck. With the left thumb,
peel the Five of Clubs off the face of the right-hand packet onto the top of the deck. Use the right-hand
packet to turn the Five face down. Do the same with the next Five. The moment the Five of Diamonds
lands face down on top of the deck, the right hand drops all of its cards on top of the deck. My patter
during each peel is, “I was able to cut to the Five of Clubs, the Five of Diamonds, and the Five of
Spades.”

Take the top Five into the right hand. I do this by pushing it off the deck with the left thumb. Place
the right fingers at the face and the thumb underneath. Now you can display the face to the audience.
(Holding the card like this makes an upcoming sequence look more natural.) Pinky count three cards
and hold a break. During the pinky count, say, “But there’s one Five I could not cut to, the Five of
Hearts.”

Lower the face of the Five in your right hand. Push off a single off the top of the deck with the left
thumb. Take this card under the one in your right hand. Now the left hand executes a two-card push-
off. This is automatic due to the break. Take the two cards (as one) under the two cards in the right
hand. As I take the double, I square all four cards in the right hand against the top of the deck. This
squaring action will hide that you’re really holding four cards. Ask her to look at the card in her hand
and show it to the rest of the audience.

As she does this, casually drop the deck into your left pocket. I’m not trying to hide this. I just want
the deck out of the picture without calling attention to it. She’ll be showing the audience a Queen
of Hearts. I don’t look at her or the card. I keep eye contact with the rest of the audience as I say, “I
couldn’t cut to the Five of Hearts because Judy picked it before the trick even began.” As I talk, I take
the facedown packet into right-hand Biddle grip. Remember to keep the face of this packet hidden.
(There’s a Queen at the face.) The audience firmly believes you are holding three Fives. You are actually
holding three Queens and only one Five.

With the packet face down and square, peel the top card into your left hand. Peel the second card into
the left hand on top of the one already there. And then drop the double on top of that. The instant you
drop the double, turn the packet face up. A Five will show at the face. Don’t call attention to this. To the
audience though, everything is as it should be. Hold the packet in left-hand dealing grip.

Say to the spectator, “This was supposed to be a trick with the four Fives. You mistakenly picked
a Queen, so this is your fa u lt” This line gets a laugh but will also bring attention back to the “three
Fives” you’re holding. Take the Queen of Hearts from the spectator. Place it face up on top of the packet
in your left hand. Say, “But I ’m willing to compromise. I f you want Queens, we’ll use the four Queens
instead.” Give the packet a small shake to convey you did something. Execute Ken Krenzel’s pressure
hideout move to show you now hold four Queens. As the audience reacts, I retrieve the deck from my
pocket with my empty left hand. Faro the five-card packet face down into the center of the deck to
clean up.
 A N u m b e rs G a m e
(Ladanye’s A.C.A.A.N.)

Effect
The performer demonstrates two methods of cheating. First, he shows how it’s possible to track a card
during a spectator’s shuffle. Then he demonstrates that it’s possible to instantly and invisibly move any
card to any position in the deck.

Set-Up
You need a deck of cards in memorized order.

Method: Phase l
Begin by giving the deck a few false shuffles. Mention that you’d like to demonstrate two methods
of cheating. Say, “One method o f cheating involves mental calculation of the cards. The other
involves physical manipulation of the deck” Pinky count five cards and hold a break. You’re about to
underspread force the fifth card in your memorized deck. In my stack the Ace of Clubs is fifth.
Once the card is forced, ask her to show the card to the audience. Square the deck and place it face
down on the table in front of you. Tell the spectator that in a moment you want them to bury their card
back in the deck. I want her to cut off a portion of the cards and hand them to me. With my right hand,
I demonstrate by cutting at a few different positions around the middle. Say, “Cut the cards around the
middle because it will make what I’m about to do more impressive.” Hold your right hand palm down
over the deck. I need to take the group of cards she hands me in Biddle grip.

When she hands you the cards, ask her to place her card face down at the point she cut to. Point with
your right index finger to the remaining cards on the table. At the same time you point, glimpse the
card at the face of the packet you’re holding. Let’s assume you see the twenty-third card. Once her card
is replaced, drop all the cards in your right hand back on top burying her card. Ask her to square the
deck. This looks very fair and it seems you couldn’t know what or where the card is. (Of course, you
know both.)

Whatever card you glimpse will tell you the exact position of her selection. So, in this case, I know
her card is twenty-three cards from the top. This will work no matter where she cuts as long as the
spectator hands you more than five cards. Just glimpse the card and remember that cards numeric
position in your stack.

Pick up the deck and announce that her card is now twenty-third. (I say this with a slight arrogance to
induce her in thinking, “Yeah right!”) Hold the deck in front of her as if you were going to hand it to her
(but don’t let go just yet). Say, “The hard part is following the position of your card while you shuffle—
oh, you don’t believe that your card is twenty-third?” Pull the deck away from her as she reaches for it.
Hold it face down in left-hand dealing grip.

You’re about to count down to the twenty-third position to show her card is indeed there. Deal cards
one at a time and face down into your right hand. Take each card underneath the last so you retain
the order of the stack. Stop when you have five cards slightly spread out in your right hand. I address a
spectator on my right and ask, “That’s really five cards, correct?” They’ll agree that everything is fair.
Say, “If this is five cards...” Place the five-card spread on top of the deck sidejogged to the right. I clamp
down on the five spread-out cards with my left thumb. Your motivation to do this is to free the right
hand. Use the right index finger to point at the top card of the deck. Turn to a spectator on your left and
finish your sentence, "...then this must be the sixth card.” Re-grip the five-card spread with the right
hand. Keep taking cards from the deck one at a time and placing them under the cards in the right
hand while counting out loud. Count the cards until you reach the twenty-third card. I want to stress
the absolute fairness of my actions. (The pause on the fifth card and addressing the two spectators is
conditioning the audience. Later, you’ll recreate nearly the same actions.)

Once you arrive at the twenty-third card, take it into the right-hand portion outjogged about half its
length. Ask her what card she picked. After she announces the card, show the outjogged card is indeed
her card. Deal the card face up onto the table. Place the right-hand cards back on top of the deck. Your
memorized stack is back in sequence except for the fifth card.

Method: Phase 2
Pinky count four cards and hold a break. Say, “That wasn’t even the hard part The hard part is
following the card when you shuffle.” While you’re talking, set up for Vernon’s Tilt. Insert the Ace of
Clubs into the break. Allow the four-card break to fall flush with the deck. Say, “So this time the Ace
of Clubs starts twenty-seventh from the top.” Turn to a spectator and ask them to remember that the
card starts at the twenty-seventh position (or wherever it looks like it went.) Square the cards and place
them on the table face down in preparation for a tabled riffle shuffle.

You’re now going to use a brilliant concept of Darwin Ortiz’s known as The Spectator’s False Shuffle.
This is written up in full detail in his amazing book, Lessons in Card Mastery. It will appear as though
you allow the spectator to thoroughly shuffle the entire deck. In reality all the cards remain in the
same position. The first step is to show the audience how you want the cards mixed.

Cut the top half of the deck to the left. Give the cards a riffle shuffle but don’t square the cards. Pause
the shuffle and leave the halves telescoped together about an inch. Say, “This is how I want you to
shuffle that cards in a moment. Mix them together like this but don’t square them just yet.” Separate
the two halves and place the original top (on the left) back on top.

Ask the spectator cut the top half of the deck to their right (your left). You need to keep track of the
original top half. Have them shuffle the two halves together without squaring. Take back the two
interlaced halves and ribbonspread the cards to show how well (or poorly) the deck was mixed. Close
up the spread but leave the halves telescoped. From this point you execute a false shuffle. Push the left
half through the right half. Strip out the original top half from the right side and execute an up the
ladder cut. The deck is now back in the original order.
Here’s what the audience has seen. You lost the selection into the center of the deck. They shuffled the
cards. You cut the cards.

During their shuffles and my cuts I pretend to follow the position of their selection. Say, “Your card
started at the twenty-seventh position. I believe that after the shuffles and cuts, your card is now
fifth from the top.” One at a time, deal four face-up cards onto the table. I deal them in a left to right
overlapping row, one on top of another retaining their order. You’ll see the first four cards of your stack
in order. Take the fifth card from the top of the deck face down into your right hand. Show the Ace of
Clubs is now fifth. Deal the Ace of Clubs face up to the table on the right side of your row. This proves
the deck was legitimately shuffled by the spectator. If the card started twenty-seventh and ended up
fifth, the deck must have been mixed.

In the final phase, you’re going to count down to any card named at any position named by the
spectator. And in their minds, you’ll be doing this with a deck that they just shuffled.

Method: Phase 3
Explain that you’ll move any card the spectator names to any position he wants. Ask the spectator to
name any card in the deck. Notice that I intentionally left the top five cards of the stack face up on the
table from the last phase. This will prevent her from naming one of these. If she does, just say, “Name
one that I don't know the location off After she names a card, pick up the tabled cards and place them
back on top of the deck face down. Whatever card they name you must reposition to fifth from the top.
Here’s how I do this:

Let’s assume they name the Six of Clubs. The Six of Clubs in my stack is thirty-fourth. I subtract five
and get twenty-nine. My twenty-ninth card (The Queen of Diamonds) is now my key card. If I can get
the Queen of Diamonds to the top, the Six of Clubs will be fifth. With my right hand in Biddle grip,
I cut a few cards less than twenty-nine. Use the cards in your right hand to turn over the top card of
the left-hand half. Place the right-hand packet under the left-hand cards and square the deck. As you
cut the cards, say, “You could have named any random card in the deck." Let’s say you see the twenty-
fourth card in your stack. You now know that your key card is only a few cards away.

After you’ve shown the top card, deal it face up onto the table. Continue dealing cards face up and one
at a time in an overlapping left to right row (maintaining the stack order.) You’re simply going to deal
until you see your key card. As you show each card to the audience, say, “I just want to be sure your
card is nowhere near the top.” Stop dealing when your key card is on the table.

Say, “I also want to be sure your card is nowhere near the bottom.” Turn the deck face up and spread
over four or five cards. Once you’ve shown four or five cards at the face of the deck, square the cards.
Place the small group of cards on the table onto the face (bottom) of the deck. I\irn the deck face down
and hold it in left-hand dealing grip. The named selection, in this case the Six of Clubs, is now fifth
from the top.

Now ask the spectator to name any number. I guide her answer a little bit. I say, “Name any number
you want. But typically in poker we only deal through the top twenty cards. If you really want thirty-
something I can do that to. Name any number one through twenty or one through thirty. It’s up to
you The moment they say a number, give the deck a slight shake. Boldly claim that their named card
is now at the named position.

You can handle any number called. If they name a number less than five you can still do it. Although,
the effect plays better if the number is bigger. If they say a number from one to five, use a multiple
turnover to show the selection is now at the named position. For example, let’s say she says the number
three. Push over two singles and then do a triple turnover. (In hundreds of performances of this effect,
I’ve had this happen once.) If they name something higher than five, you’ll employ an underspread cull
to move the selection to the correct position. Here’s how:

Let’s assume they name twenty-three. Spread over the top five cards in the right hand. All five cards
must be visible and evenly spread. This mirrors back to when you did the same spread earlier in the
first phase. Earlier, all was honest. This time, I’ll be hiding a move. Lean over to the same spectator (on
the right) you asked last time. Say, “Is that really five cards?” They’ll say yes again.

Place the five-card spread in your right hand on the deck for just a moment. Your motivation is to point
to the sixth card with your right index finger. (Again, just like last time.) This time however, as the left
thumb clamps down on the five-card spread, align the bottom two cards. Now the right fingers can
pull the lowest card (the named selection) under the spread. The Six of Clubs is now flush with the top
card of the spread. During this nearly invisible move, turn your body to the left and say, “If this is five
cards...” Use the right forefinger to point at the top card of the deck in your left hand. Continue your
patter, “...so this must be the sixth card, right?” Your actions will appear identical to earlier.
After the selection is stolen under the spread, the right hand picks up the group of five cards again.
Continue to fairly count the cards from the deck into your right hand one by one. The cards must be
fed under the previous card but the above the guide card. Count the cards singly all the way to twenty-
three. When you get to the twenty-third card, take it into the right-hand cards but leave it sidejogged
to the left. You’ll feel the guide card pinching it in place. Leave it sidejogged and flick the left edge of
the card with your left fingers. Say, “I know that there's no way anyone believes that there are actually
twenty-three cards here. So, I ’ll count them again .''

With your left thumb, push the sidejogged card flush into the right hands cards. The Six of Clubs is
now at the face of the packet. Place the cards in your left hand aside. Ribbonspread the cards in your
right hand. Count the cards again from the top. This time count faster and with more excitement.
When you get to the last card on the count of twenty-three, pull the facedown card out of the spread.
Say, “If I needed to move the Six of Clubs to the twenty-third position, I'djust do the move and that's
all it takes.” Show the Six of Clubs to the entire audience.
Copyright © 2015 by Jason Ladanye