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A Simple Card Switch

Written by holavaguy on . Posted in Magic Tricks.

Effect: A spectator freely selects a card and is asked to sign it. The magician places the signed card in an envelope and hands it to the spectator to seal. The deck is put back in the card box and placed on the table. The magician states that the signed card has vanished from the envelope. The spectator opens the envelope and removes a blank card. Written on the cards is “look in the card box”. The cards are removed from the card box and spread to reveal the signed card.

Needed: Regular deck of cards, Blank card, Marking pen, and Envelopes (3-5/8 in x 6-1/5 in); shown in Fig 1.

Set up: Write on the blank card, “Look in the card box,” and place it in the envelope.

Procedure:

  1. Remove the deck from the card box and allow the spectator to freely select a card.
  2. Hand the spectator a marking pen to sign the card.
  3. Holding the deck of cards in your left hand, place the envelope on top of the deck as shown in Fig 1.
  4. Act as if you are placing the chosen card in the envelope. Instead, the card is placed on top of the envelope as shown in Fig 2.
  5. Remove the envelop leaving the chosen card on top of the deck in your hand.
  6. Give the envelope to the spectator to seal. The spectator sees a card in the envelope, thinking it’s his chosen card.
  7. While the spectator seals the envelope, give the deck a cut and place it in the card box and place it on the table.
  8. Tell the spectator that the card has vanished from the envelope. The spectator will have a puzzled look because he/she can feel there is a card in the envelope.
  9. Have the spectator open the envelope to reveal the card with writing on it. Have the spectator read out loud what is written on the card.
  10. Have the spectator pick up the deck from the table and remove the cards. Take the cards from the spectator and spread them face up to reveal the signed chosen card in the middle of the deck.

Note: This is a good routine for a card in a wallet. You can easily palm the signed card from the top of the deck as the spectator seals the envelope. The card in the envelope would read “look in a wallet.”