Now You See It! Card Trick

Effect

The magician turns his back to the audience. The spectator takes the pack from his hands, shuffles it, and gives it back to the magician. The magician asks the spectator to cut any portion of the cards from the pack. The magician turns to face the audience and shows them the card the spectator cut to. The magician then turns away from the audience again and has the spectator replace her packet back on top of the deck. While the magician's back is still turned, the spectator proceeds to shuffle the cards, burying hers in the deck. The magician then faces forward again and pulls out four cards from the deck, face down. The magician shows each of the four cards, one at a time, to the spectator, placing each face down on the table as he goes. None of the four cards happen to be the spectator's card. The magician then asks the spectator to point to any of the four cards on the table. The magician turns over the card the spectator pointed to, revealing her card!

Method

1. Before the trick, secretly peek at the bottom card, noting its value.
2. Perform an overhand shuffle, peeling the last cards of the shuffle on top of the deck one at a time so that the original bottom card ends up on top of the deck.
3. Bring both of your hands behind your back, explaining that you intend to perform the upcoming feat in the fairest conditions possible.
4. When your hands are out of view, secretly palm the top card of the deck.
5. Next, turn your back towards the audience. As you do this, turn your deck hand so that its palm is facing the ground, and then place your hand with the palmed card sideays across the back of your deck hand, concealing it. The audience shouldn't be able to see the palmed card from any angle, and your hands should look natural.
6. Ask the spectator to take the deck from your hand and shuffle it. As she shuffles, continue to hold your hands together, concealing the palmed card.
7. When the spectator is done shuffling, have her place the deck back in your hand.
8. Next, have the spectator cut any number of cards from the pack and hold them in her hand.
9. Now, turn around to face the audience. As you turn, separate your hands and secretly slip the palmed card on top of the pack. Now, the card you originally memorized should be on top of the pack in your hand, and you should be facing the spectator.
10. With your thumb, push the top card of the deck to the side and show it to the members of the audience. Tell them to memorize that card.
11. Replace the card back on top of the deck, and invite the spectator to place the packet that she cut off back on top of the deck.
12. Turn your back to the audience again, holding the pack in view for them as before.
13. Ask the spectator to shuffle the deck again so that you cannot find her card.
14. When the spectator is done shuffling and has given you the deck, turn around to face the audience again.
15. Spread through the cards so that only you can see the faces.
16. Pull out a card that different from the spectator's card in color and value. Number cards are preferred.
17. Place that card face down on the table.
18. Pull out two more cards that fit the same criteria, placing them face down on top of the first card you pulled out.
19. Finally, find the spectator's card (the card you memorized in the beginning of the trick), and place it face down on top of the other three cards.
20. Now, set the deck aside, and pick up the four cards in glide position.
21. Show the spectator the bottom card, asking her if it is her card.
22. When she says no, turn your hand down, pull the bottom card out, and place it face down near the spectator.
23. Next, place the bottom card of the three on top.
24. Show the new bottom card to the spectator, asking her if it is her card.
25. When she says no, turn your hand down and perform the glide, placing the spectator's card face down on the table near the previous card, but this time, a little bit closer to you.
26. Again, place the bottom card of the packet on top.
27. Show the new bottom card to the spectator, asking her if it is her card.
28. When she says no, place it face down on the table near the previous one, but again, place it a little closer to you.
29. Finally, turn the only card in your hand face up, asking the spectator if it is her card.
30. Before the spectator can say no, place it face down near the previous card but closer to you. The spectator should not notice that you showed her the last card twice since she is only concerned with her card, not the individual values of your guesses. The fact that the last card is a different color from the spectator's card should help her to dismiss it quickly.
31. At this point, your four guesses should be face down in a line on the table. The line should originate near the spectator and end near you. The spectator's card should be the second card closest to her.
32. Ask the spectator to point to any card.
33. If the spectator points to the second card closest to her, turn it over. Usually, the spectator points to her actual card.
34. If, however, the spectator does not point to her card, ask her to point to another card.
35. If the second card she points to is not her card, gather both and discard them. If the second card she points to is her card, gather the other two and discard them. This is essentially a magician's force.
36. Now, you are left with two card on the table, one of which is the spectator's. Perform the magician's force again so that the only card remaining on the table is the spectator's card.
37. Ask the spectator to turn over the card. It is her card!

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