Looking for a well-balanced card routine? Don't forget the devastating 
self-working tricks!  By: Kelly McMurtrey


If you have ever frequented any magic forums on the net, then you are all too 
familiar with the posts asking for assistance with the latest and 
greatest sleights and technical card trick handling techniques.



Many beginners become so obsessed with increasing their technical skill 
that they loose sight of the effect that the card technique is supposed to create. 



For example, they often overlook the fact that in many instances pure 
simplicity is the answer. Now don't get me wrong, I do agree that it is 
extremely important to be well versed with many different sleights in order 
to be an accomplished card trick magician. However, I also believe that while 
striving to raise your technical proficiency you should not forget about the 
really stunning self-working gems that can add so much variety and amazement 
to an established repertoire.



I have heard many argue that simplistic, self-working card tricks are childish and 
have no place in any skilled performer's arsenal. I disagree. I am going to 
share with you one of my personal favorite self-working gems, and then let 
you be the judge. I think you will be surprised at the impact 
this card trick will have upon your audience.



Effect: A sealed envelope is placed on the table or given to an audience 
member to hold. A spectator is then given a BRAND NEW deck of cards with the 
seal STILL ATTACHED. 



The spectator is instructed to open the pack and remove 
the jokers or advertisements if any. The performer then 
directs the spectator to shuffle the deck for as long as he wants. 



The cards can be riffle shuffled, overhand shuffled, Hindu shuffled, or strip shuffled-it doesn't 
matter. 



Once the spectator is done shuffling the deck, he is asked to deal 
five cards facedown on the table side by side. The spectator is then asked 
to deal the remainder of the deck from left to right on top of the 
initial five cards making five more or less even packets. (The first four 
packets will have ten cards and the fifth packet will have twelve.) 



From these five packets, the spectator is asked to choose one. This chosen packet 
is shuffled and then dealt face down on the table into two rows with five (or 
six) cards in each row. The spectator is now asked to choose one of these 
rows, and then from the selected row a single card. 



The performer calls attention to the fact that throughout the entire time he has never - not even 
once - touched the cards. The sealed envelope is then opened and a prediction 
is read from inside. The spectator is asked to turn over the single card, and 
is left utterly speechless when the prediction proves to be correct.



Secret: Believe it or not this card trick is extremely simple. It merely involves 
the use of a deck of cards with one-way backs! (For those of you who don't 
know, a one-way back is simply a card with a design that can be distinguished from the other cards in 
the deck if it is the only card facing in the opposite direction. ) 



The best one-way backs for this trick are bicycle cards that have been printed 
slightly off center so that the white border is thicker on one side. You may 
have to look through several packs before you find a suitable deck; however 
for this effect alone it is well worth the effort. 



Once you have found an appropriate deck, simple open a new pack of cards very carefully at the 
bottom of the box using a razor blade. Remove the cards and place your deck 
of one-way backs in the box with the card you want to predict REVERSED in the 
deck. 



Be careful to ensure that the cards remain in new deck order and that 
the jokers, advertisements, and instruction cards all remain in their normal 
positions. 



Remember you are trying to create the impression that the deck has 
NEVER been opened. You can now reseal the box with a little rubber cement. 



Once the spectator opens the deck, and shuffles the cards, watch very 
carefully as he is distributing the cards throughout the five packets. 
Since the prediction card is turned in the opposite direction of all the 
other cards you will be able to spot it quite easily. Make a mental note of 
the pile in which the card resides. (Tip: Once you know the pile of the 
prediction card, don't pay much attention as the spectator places the 
remainder of the cards. Act like it really doesn't matter. This adds greatly 
to the effect.) 



Once the cards have all been laid down, you will need to 
FORCE the appropriate pile on your spectator. This is done quite easily 
using a technique commonly referred to as the "magician's choice".



The magician's choice is a very subtle force in which the spectator APPEARS 
to be making all the choices when in fact you are "leading" him to choose the 
exact card that you want him to select. It may seem obvious, but it is 
actually quite subtle and most people never realize that they aren't really 
making any "real" selections at all.




For example, suppose you have a row of packets laid out like this:


1 2 3 4 5


And while the spectator was distributing the deck, you noticed that the 
reversed card was placed in packet number three. Ask the spectator to select 
one of the five packets. If he chooses packet number three you're all set; 
however, let's suppose he chooses packet number two. Immediately take away 
this packet as you remark, "Good, now that just leaves us with four."



1 3 4 5




"There are two packets on the outside and two on the inside. What do you 
want to select inside or outside?" 



Let us suppose that the spectator chooses the inside packets. Immediately 
take away packets one and five as you say, "Ok, we are now left with these 
two."



3 4




To finish the force, simply ask your spectator to select one of the 
remaining packets. If the spectator chooses packet three, once again you are 
all set. However, if the spectator chooses packet number four, then simply 
remove it and say, "Good, now that just leaves us with this one." Either way 
you have just forced packet number three. 




This may sound a little confusing, but it basically involves taking or 
leaving the cards until the only one left is the one you want the spectator 
to choose. If the packet(s) selected by the spectator do not contain the 
force card, then take those cards away. If the packet(s) selected by the 
spectator contain the force card, leave those cards and take EVERYTHING ELSE 
away. 




Once you have forced the appropriate packet, have the spectator thoroughly 
shuffle that pile then deal the cards face down into two even rows. Once 
again keep an eye out for your prediction card. Using the magician's choice, 
force the row that contains the reversed card, and finally force the reversed 
card from within the selected row. Have an audience member open the sealed 
envelope and read the prediction from inside, and finally have your spectator 
turn over his chosen card. 




It stuns!




Here are a few tips regarding the magician's choice: Be very careful how you word your instructions. 
Instead of saying, "Choose two packets," say something like, "Select two packets." 

The word "choose" implies that the spectator is picking a packet to keep. He may get confused if you 
need to take that packet away.




If the spectator selects a packet that needs to be taken away, say something 
like, "Great, we won't be needing this anymore, now select two more." 
Also, try varying the way you ask the spectator to select the cards. For 
example, let's say you have two rows of five cards, and you need the 
spectator to select one of the rows. Instead of saying, "Please select a 
row," try something simple and ambiguous like, "Top or Bottom." Use your 
imagination and try to come up with other clever selection questions. The 
magician's choice usually works very, very well. Because you have your 
spectator so involved in selecting the card, by the time the force card is 
revealed, he swears that he actually picked the card himself. However, DO 
NOT over use it, and never do it twice for the same audience. I have found 
that a few people are vaguely familiar with this force, but that is why I 
like this particular trick. With a sealed deck, even if they are familiar 
with the magician's choice, it still seems utterly impossible.




A few final thoughts: As you continue your pursuit of more complicated 
sleights and flourishes, never forget that the real purpose of any card 
techniques is to create a sense of wonder and amazement in the minds of your 
audiences. I believe that a really good performer uses all available means 
at his disposal to create a desired effect-even if the technique is 
simplistic and self-working in nature. When I am performing a really great 
effect that I've literally worked hours to perfect I expect a great response 
from my audience. However, I often hear comments like, "Man! You sure know 
how to shuffle those cards; I never saw you do anything." This, of course, 
is somewhat bothersome because it is not the exact response that I am looking 
for.




I want my audience to believe that I am creating real magic not a trick 
that solely depends upon skillful card manipulation. Nonetheless, when I pull 
out this incredible self-working card prediction, the response is ALWAYS 
incredible. It defies explanation. I leave my audience with no other choice 
than to believe, if only for a moment, in the miracle of magic. 




I originally read about this effect in the book "The Art of Magic" by T. 
Nelson Downs. Practice it, play with it, shape it, and make it your own. I 
think you will find that it will serve you well. Enjoy!





Kelly McMurtrey - ellusionist writer
(Kelly is currently serving in the United States Army in Germany)