Card Tricks | La Carte Generale

THE VALUE OF CARD TRICKS-THE CARDS-WHERE TO PROCURE THEM-THE DOUBLE-HANDED PASS-SINGLE-HANDED PASSES - THE DIAGONAL PASS - THE FALSE SHUFFLETRICKS WITH PASS AND FALSE SHUFFLE- TO CAUSE A CARD TO SHOW ITSELF - THE ATTACHED CARD - THE CONGENIAL ACES-THE REYERSED CARD- THE TRAVELLING CARD-THE LADY'S OWN TRICK-A RAPID CHANGE PASS -METHODS FOR USING SAME-THE CHANGE- ITS USESTHE PALMI-ON PALMING A SINGLE CARD-ON PALMING MANY CARDS-ON VANISHING A PACK- METHODS FOR USING THE PALM-TRICKS COMBINING PALM AND CHANGE PASS - THE SLIDE- ITS USES-THE FORCE- ON FORCING PACKS-LA CARTE GENERALE-SYMPATHETIC CARDS, OR "HOLD THEM TIGHT!"- HOW TO PASS A CARD THROUGH A PERSON-TO DIVINE A CARD THOUGHT OF- METHOD OF MAKING A CHOOSER THINK OF A CERTAIN CARD-A CARD MADE TO APPEAR ANYWHERE IN THE PACK- CARD BOXES-TRICKS WITH SAME-HOW TO THROW CARDS-THE REVOLUTlON-PREPARED CARDS-CUT PACKS- LONG AND BROAD CARDS PRICKED CARDS-CHAMELEON CARDS-METHODS AFFECTED BY BUATIER AND HOUDIN-HOUDIN'S SUPERIORITY- THE TRAVELLING CARDS-THE ASSEMBLY: METHODS FOR PALM, PASS AND CHANGE- THOUGHT-READING EXTRAORDINARY-GAME AT NAPOLEON-LIGHTNING CHANGE-CONCLUSION

La Carte Generale.-This is, perhaps, as pretty a trick as can well be conceived. Force a card, say the eight of hearts, have it replaced in the pack, and re-force it on someone else so far removed from the first chooser that the possibility of their seeing that they have both selected the same card is avoided. Have the card replaced in the pack and re-force, repeating the operation four, five, or six, or even more times, according to the size of the room and number of the audience. Now and then it is as well to pass the card to the top, palm it, and then have the pack shuffled by one of the audience, or, at least, to shuffle it yourself. When you have forced the card a sufficient number of times, bring it finally to the top of the pack, from which select haphazard a card. Show this card to one of the choosers, and ask if it was the one selected. A negative will of course be given. Look neither surprised nor satisfied, merely exclaiming ÀNo?" inquiringly. Show the card in turn to each of the persons who selected, asking if it belongs to them. When you have completed the round, turn to the first chooser, changing the card unperceived for the one (the eight of hearts) on the top of the pack, and holding it in front of the person, face downwards, so that no one can see what it is, say, ÀWell, since this card belongs to nobody, will you kindly tell it to go away?" As the words "go away" are uttered, run the thumb sharply along the edges of the cards held in the left hand, and "flip" the eight of hearts with a finger of the right hand, so leading the audience to believe that some miraculous change had taken place. Now hold the eight of hearts to the person whom you addressed, saying, ÀIs not that your card?” On receiving, as you will, a reply in the affirmative, turn the card face downwards and proceed to the next chooser of a card, and so on, until all are satisfied. As all are supposed to have chosen different cards it is imagined that each card is invisibly changed for the next one required. Commence another trick immediately, or otherwise divert the attention of the audience, or the drawers of cards will begin to "compare notes," and so discover that they all drew the same card. Although this discovery does not actually spoil the trick, it diminishes the effect immensely. It adds to the effect of the trick if the performer pretends to place each card, as chosen, upon a table, or other prominent place. Upon each occasion, however, he must change the forced card for an indifferent one. The last time the eight of hearts is actually placed with the rest. The supposed chosen cards are then held up, fanwise, together, and the choosers asked if they do not see their cards amongst them. As they all see the eight of hearts, they reply in the affirmative, and thus the idea that only one card has been selected is very unlikely to be entertained. To effect this valuable addition to the trick, great facility with the change is absolutely necessary, as it has to be so frequently executed.

The Sympathetic Cards.-Palm a few (say, four) cards, and ask one of the audience to take any number, without any reference to their specification, from the pack. Suppose eight are taken: how many is quite immaterial. Borrow a handkerchief; and after satisfying all that there is nothing whatever in it, ask for the eight cards, to which number add, unperceived, those you have palmed, and place the whole in the handkerchief with great deliberation. Fold the handkerchief up, and ask someone to hold it very firmly. Now have some cards drawn from the pack. "Any number you please," you will say carelessly, taking particular care that neither more nor less than four are chosen, the "force" being here brought into play. You now ask the person who selected the first batch how many are in the handkerchief, and the answer in this instance will be eight. "Eight, and four I have here, will make twelve, will they not? Now, sir," addressing the party holding the handkerchief containing the cards, "please to keep a firm hold whilst I pass these four cards into the handkerchief to join the other eight." Make a movement as though you threw the cards towards the handkerchief, palming them, and then have the handkerchief opened and the cards counted. The beauty of the trick is that the audience apparently selects the number of cards in each instance, the idea of any previous calculation on your part taking place being thereby precluded. Be careful to call attention to the number of cards in the handkerchief, and to the number to be passed into it, or the effect of the trick will be lost. This trick is sometimes performed without a handkerchief, the cards being given to be held in the hand only. Which method is the better is purely a matter of opinion, and the learner may follow which he pleases. Do not allow the drawer of the second batch of cards to examine the faces of them, or it will be noticed that they did not pass into the handkerchief, should anyone be cute enough to look for them. This possible contretemps can be avoided by having duplicate cards palmed in the first instance, in which case the faces of the cards should be shown to the audience, who will be asked to remember them. This is decidedly an additional feature to the trick, but it entails far more trouble. It is for the learner to try these little things, and then retain or relinquish their use as he finds it assist or trouble him.

Another way of performing this trick is to ask one of the company to count thirty cards from the pack, and then to cut them roughly into two parts. Taking one of the parts, ask a spectator to count them. Suppose the number is sixteen. Taking them momentarily in the hands, for the implied purpose of describing exactly what you wish done, you place the four palmed cards upon the sixteen, and then instruct the spectator to hold them very securely. Now Count the other heap. There will be fourteen cards, which number you announce to be quite correct, sixteen and fourteen together making thirty. Pick the cards from the table, and, in giving them to someone to hold, palm off four, taking the wand in the hand to cover the constrained position of it. Now you command four cards to pass from the heap last picked up to the one first given to be held, and, when the cards are counted, this will be found to have taken place. The trick may be reversed with success; the ten heap having the palmed cards secretly put back, and given to be held again, the twenty cards heap having four abstracted before being finally parted with. The cards are then commanded to go back to their original places. This method will possibly be found more difficult than the first one, in which a handkerchief is used.

The Permeating Card.-Have a card chosen, and, bringing it to the top, palm it. Ask someone who is seated to hold the cards in two hands, over the head, holding the pack in the desired position, and about six inches beyond the person's reach. This will cause him to rise slightly from his seat, when you instantly slip the card beneath him, saying at the same, ÀNo, don't stand up : pray be seated," and allow the pack to reach his hands. The attention of the audience must be directed to the pack, or the action of placing the card beneath the holder will, perhaps, be perceived. The manoeuvre requires a little care in execution, and it will be necessary to be as close as possible to the person operated upon, and at his side. Ask for the name of the card, and then command it to pass through the holder of the pack, who, on rising at your request, will find that he hag been seated upon it. This trick usually causes much hilarity.