Four-Cast Card Trick
by Aldo Colombini (inspired by Peter Duffie)Effect
The magician takes out four cards from the deck and places them face down on the table. Then, the spectator chooses a card, and it is lost in the deck. The magician then takes the four cards from the table and asks if the spectator's card is red or black. The magician then shows that the bottom card of the four was the same color. Next, the magician asks if the card was even or odd (where Ace = odd, Jack = odd, Queen = even, and King = odd). The magician then shows that the bottom card of the remaining three has the same parity. After that, the magician asks if the spectator's card was a spot card or a face card. The magician then shows that the bottom card of the remaining two is of the same type. Finally, the magician states that the next card will point out where the selected card is. The magician turns over the last card, and it is the spectator's card!
Method
- At the start of the trick, openly remove four cards, whose faces you hide from the audience. Place each card, one at a time, face down onto the table in a pile. For the first card, remove any odd, red spot card (e.g., the Five of Hearts). For the second card, remove any odd, black spot card (e.g., the Seven of Clubs). For the third card, remove any even spot card (e.g., the Four of Diamonds). For the fourth card, remove any face card (e.g., the Jack of Spades).
- Now, shuffle the cards, and have a spectator choose any one.
- Split the deck into two halves at the location where the spectator removed his card.
- If you want, allow the spectator to sign his card.
- After the spectator has memorized and signed his card, have him replace it on top of the bottom packet.
- Place the top packet on top, catching a pinky break above his card.
- Control the spectator's card to the top of the deck.
- Perform a few false riffle shuffles.
- Palm the top card of the deck (the spectator's card). As you are palming the card, tell the audience that the four cards you placed on the table are four predictions that will help find the selected card.
- Drop the palmed card onto the four cards on the table as you reach to pick them up.
- Slide the five cards off the table, and grab them in your hand. The audience should still think you're holding four cards.
- Set the deck of cards face down on the table, and then take the packet of cards in your deck hand.
- Buckle the bottom card of the packet.
- Ask the spectator if his card is red or black. If his card is red, release the buckle, peel off the bottom card, show the audience that it matches in color, and place it face down on top of the deck. If his card is black, peel off the card above the buckle from the bottom of the packet, show the audience that it matches in color, and place it face down on top of the deck.
- Next, ask the spectator if his card is even or odd. Make it understood that Aces, Jacks, and Kings are odd and that Queens are even.
- As you are asking the spectator, buckle the bottom card of the packet of four cards (which the audience thinks is a packet of three cards).
- If the spectator's card is odd, release the buckle, peel off the bottom card, show the audience that it matches in parity, and place it face down on top of the deck. If the spectator's card is even, peel off the card above the buckle from the bottom of the packet, show the audience that it matches in parity, and place it face down on top of the deck.
- Next, ask the spectator if his card is a spot card or a face card. Make it understood that face cards are the Jacks, Queens, and Kings.
- Hold the packet of cards in your deck hand in mechanic's grip and in your non-deck hand in Biddle grip.
- Deal the top card of the packet into your deck hand as you pull the other two cards away as one.
- If the spectator's card is a spot card, turn the two cards over as in a double lift, announcing that the "card" matches in type. Then, place the two cards as one face down on top of the deck. If the spectator's card is a face card, place the two cards face down on top of the card in your deck hand, turn over the top card only, turn it face down again, and deal the two top cards as one face down onto the deck.
- At this point, you should be holding the spectator's card face down in your hand.
- Explain to the audience that the fourth prediction card in your hand will reveal where the selected card is.
- Ask for the name of the selected card, and then turn over the card in your hand!