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SELECTED CARDS
Another one of my all-time favorites. This routine is very easy to do, has comedy in it and builds up to a strong climax. It is a good piece of impromptu magic. It was published in my SAND CASTLE lecture notes (my fourth lecture at the MAGIC CASTLE in Hollywood) and it appeared in one of my videotapes.
EFFECT
A card is selected and lost in the deck. A spectator is asked to think of a name. The magician spells the name and the selected card appears at the end of the spell with a further surprise!
PERFORMANCE
Have a card selected and controlled on the top or on the bottom. Glimpse the card so that you know its identity (or you may force it.)
Spread the cards between the hands, faces toward you. Locate the selected card (say the 7T) and then spread FOUR more cards to the left of the selection. Place these five cards face down on the table with the left hand while asking, “Is your card a black one?” (say the opposite color of the selected card.) “Oh, then it must be red! “
Locate another Seven and take ONE card behind it with the left hand. Place these two cards face down onto the tabled packet. Say, “Is your card a Diamond?” (name the opposite suit.) “Then it must be a Heart!”
Locate another Seven and spread THREE more cards behind it. Place these four cards onto the tabled pile. Ask, “Is your card an even number?” (opposite of the real value of the card.) “Then it must be odd!” Finally, locate the last Seven, spread TWO more cards behind it and place these three cards onto the tabled packet. Ask, “Is your card a face card” (always the opposite.) “Then it must be a spot card!” Pick up the tabled pile and drop it onto the deck., Say, “See, just by asking a few simple questions I have narrowed it down to the selected card!”
Ask a MALE spectator to think of a woman’s name. Spell the word ‘THE’ (counting singly so that you reverse the order of the three cards) and place these three cards in a pile on the table. Spell the word ‘NAME’ by dealing singly four cards, forming a new pile next to the other one. Spell the word ‘IS’ by dealing two more cards and forming a third pile on the table. On top of each packet you have a Seven. The selected Seven is now FIFTH from the top of the deck.
Ask the spectator to reveal the name. Most American/English female names are spelled with four or five letters. With a FOUR letter name, spell it by dealing a card for each letter from the top of the deck and then turn over the NEXT (fifth) card to reveal the selection. With a FIVE letter name, spell the name and turn over the LAST card to reveal the selected card.
Then turn over the top card of each packet revealing the other three Sevens.
If the name has more than five letters, use the Fred G. Taylor Count. Let’s say the name is BARBARA. Spell the first four letters “BARB” taking four cards into the right hand WITHOUT reversing their order. Drop these cards onto the table. Spell “ARA” taking three more cards WITHOUT reversing the order and drop these cards onto the tabled packet. Finish as above.
NOTES
In the Fred G-Taylor Count, ALWAYS take the top four cards first in the right hand without reversing their order and then the remaining amount to complete the spelling of the name. It works like a beauty!
It may be a good idea after you have spelled the name (in case you have to use the special count) to spread the cards face down on the table and spell the name out again for the spectators, starting from the BOTTOM card and counting up (to check if the spelling is correct.)
American magicians are lucky because most of the female names in this country are spelled with four or five letters. In Italy, my country, we have several names with 10 and even 15 letters!
Instead of placing the cards on the table when finding the cards of the same value, you may place them at the rear of the deck.
During the search for the cards, if you find a card of the same value within the portion that must be removed, leave it behind without including it in the count.
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