THE ADVANCED OUT
By Richard Robinson

The magician gives the spectator the deck to shuffle, then asks her to remove one card without looking at it and return the rest of the deck. The magician steps away, telling the spectator to look at the selected card, he then gives her the deck, asking her to return her card and again shuffle the deck.

Explaining that determining the suit of a card someone is just thinking of is rarely a problem, but mentally diving the value can sometimes be troublesome. For that reason, the magician asks the spectator to remove the three cards of the same value but other suits that match her selected card, look at each one for a moment to reinforce the value, then place the three cards face down on the table.

The magician takes the deck, picks up the face down cards one at a time without looking them and shuffles each one into the deck. Asking the spectator to picture the card's value and suit, the magician fans the cards towards himself, looks at the spectator and tells her to think, but not say, Stop when she sees her card.

Removing cards one at a time and placing them face up on the table, the magician suddenly pauses as he is about to remove yet another card, looks at the spectator, points at the last face up card on the table, and asks her if she is thinking Stop. The spectator admits she is, that being the card she selected from the deck.

The Advanced Out principle is based on the work of W. A. Flaig who published it as Think! Stop!! in the early years of the the 20th century. Flaig's handling included using a one handed pass against his leg each time the one of the three value cards where added back to the deck. As a card trick it is interesting, although rather involved. However as a out it is ingenious should the magician run into trouble either because control of the selected card has been lost or the spectator has returned the card to the deck contrary to the magician's instructions.

Handling

Presentation

The three matching value but different suit cards are returned to the deck one at a time, the performer cutting the deck and completing the cut as each card is returned. This is done using the pass or other control so the three matching value cards wind up next to each other in the deck. In fanning the deck towards himself, the performer simply looks for this run of three cards and immediately knows the suit and value of the selected card.

The easiest way to assemble the run of three is to hold the deck in the left hand.

Cut off about a third of the deck with the right hand and holding the stock in the right hand pick up the first of the three cards with the right hand, put it on the top of the bottom stock in the left hand and immediately take hold of the bottom stock with the right fingers, pull it out and put it on top of the remaining stock. This puts the first card on top of the deck.

Pick of the second card with the right hand and place it on top of the deck. Cut the deck, placing the top stock under the bottom stock but instead of completing the cut, hold the top stock in the right hand.

Use the right hand to pick up the last of the three cards, put it on the top of the bottom stock in the left hand and place the stock in the right hand on top of it. Now cut the deck one more time and complete the cut. The three cards are now together in the deck.

Performance Notes

The process of returning the three cards to the deck should be done in a haphazard fashion, since to the spectators you are only cleaning up before the actual effect can proceed. In using Flaig's presentation, once the deck is fanned facing you, do not pay any attention to the spectator at all. Remove cards from here and there in the deck in a preoccupied and drop them on the table face up so that a small pile collects, then drop the selected card so it lands face up on the top center of the other cards. Start to pull up another card, pause, look up at the spectator as if you've just woken from a trance, and confirm the selected card is face up on the table.