Hoard's M A G I C DEVO TED SO LELY TO T HE VOL. XIX , Nos. 1 & 2
I N T ER ESTS O F M AG IC A N D M A G ICIANS
SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER, 1961
TWO-CARD REVERSE By HARRY LORAYNE Illustrations by FRANK PENNOCK, JR.
This effect, I believe, was originally done with a set-up deck. I have changed it so that it can be done at any time with anyone's deck, so long as you are seated at a table opposite the spectator. This is an off-beat type of effect, and if done smoothly will fool anyone not "in the know." Have a spectator shuffle any deck and cut it into two piles, face down on the table. Tell him to hand you one half and keep the other. Shuffle your packet and ask the spectator to do the same, saying, "Whenever you're satisfied the cards are thoroughly shuffled, place two cards face down in front of you, like this." Demonstrate what you want done —hold your half in your left hand as for dealing. Deal one card face down near the edge of the table with your right hand. Deal another to the right of the first, but don't release it. So far as the spectator is concerned, you've demonstrated what he should do. Replace the card your right hand is holding on top of your half of the pack. As you do this, lower your left hand almost to the edge of the table. Now —and this is important— the left hand moves slightly under the edge of the table, and your left thumb flips the entire packet face up. At the same instant, your right hand scoops the face-down card on the taHarry Lorayne has for many years contributed splendid card effects to HMM. The tnc\ above is a sample of the good things Mr. Lorayne is including in his boo\ "Close-Up Card Magic," which will be published by Lou Tannen toward the end of the year. EDITOR'S NOTE:
Fig. 1. The two chosen cards are placed below the natural bridge at the center of the dec\, among the facedown cards. The cards above the bridge are face up. ble onto the left-hand pile. The left hand comes up as if it went under merely to help pick up this card. Now the cards in the half you're holding are face up, except the top card, which is face down. Done smoothly, and with practice, this is a perfect move. I've had people standing behind me and they didn't see it. You're protected by the misdirection provided by the spectator as he places his two cards on the table; all your attention should be on him as is that of the spectators. Do the entire move nonchalantly, without making it look like a move, and don't look at your hands. You should be through and holding your half face-down (sic!) in your hand by the time he's put down his two cards. Have him place the rest of his half face down on the table. Off-handedly, place your half on top of his, at the same time turning over his two chosen cards as you say:
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"Now, you've had an absolutely free choice of these two cards—the two of clubs and the four of hearts." (Name the cards he's selected.) Ask him to remember the cards, and tell him you will now lose them in the deck. Pick up the deck and turn it face up. Take one of the chosen cards and place it face up near the top (that is, nearest the palm of the hand holding the face-up deck). Let this card protrude for half its length, slanted toward the left. The second card, also face up, is placed nearer the center. Make certain it also goes into the face-down portion of the deck. You will find a natural "bridge" where the face-up and face-down cards meet. The card is placed as near that bridge as you can put it quickly. This card protrudes, too, slanting toward the right. You have apparently placed two cards in the deck, facing the same way as the other cards (Fig. 1). Actually, they are face up in the facedown half of the deck. Pause here for a moment, repeating the names of the cards, tapping them for emphasis. "Here, the two of clubs... and here, the four of hearts." Turn your hand over, so the spectator can see the back of the deck. Everything looks exactly as it should. "I'll push the two of clubs and four of hearts flush into the deck," you say, "so they are completely lost." Turn the deck face up again and slowly push the two cards squarely into the pack, letting the audience see there is no "monkey business." Be careful not to spread the deck and expose the face-down cards. Turn the deck face down. "I will turn half the deck face up," you explain, "and place it face-to-face with the other half." Cut the lower half at the natural bridge and turn it face up. Allow these cards to spread a bit and place them back under the top half, but not flush. Pause for a second, letting the audi{Continued on page 11)
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