FACE OFF
By Richard Robinson

The freely selected card is returned to the center of the deck. The magician places the deck in a wine glass, then covers the glass with a handkerchief. After suitable incantations, the handkerchief is removed. On looking at the glass the selected card is seen to have mysteriously moved through the cards to become the face card of the deck.

Karl Germain's Appearing Cards was the first example I remember encountering of the effect where one or more selected cards appears on the face of the deck at the command of the magician while the deck is inside of a glass container. Whether the effect was Germain's or not, I don't know. During the same period magic manufacturer Floyd Thayer was turning out a special glass and pedestal combination to semi-automate the effect.

This current version varies from the traditional methods in that it is impromptu and doesn't required specially gaffed cards.

Props

A deck of cards. A wine glass or clear tumbler into which a deck of cards can be placed. An opaque handkerchief large enough to cover the glass used.

The manner in which the cards rest inside the glass is important. The diameter of the container should be just larger than the width of a playing card so that the cards are held upright inside the glass. The face card of the deck must be clearly visible to the audience.

Setup

Glass, folded handkerchief and deck of cards on your table, positioned so that you must turn slightly to the left to reach them with your right hand.

Performance & Handling

Pick up the deck of cards, remove them from the card case and hand them to a spectator with a request that they be thoroughly shuffled or mixed.

Take back the deck, fan out the cards and request that the spectator take one card. Tell the spectator to show the card to those near him and if he likes to write his name on the face of the card.

The deck is held face down in the left hand. The right hand cuts off about half the deck and the left hand is extended forward toward the spectator with the request that the spectator return the card by placing it on top of the cards. In the photographs this is the Jack of Diamonds.

When the spectator complies, the right hand brings its top stock of cards over the stock in the left hand and places the top stock on the cards in the left hand. As this happens, the left fourth finger tip is curled over the lower card stock so that as the top stock comes to rest on the lower stock a break is secretly held by the finger.

Approach the table surface and cut the deck by first lifting about half of the top stock off the top of the deck and placing it on the table top. Without pause lift the what remains of the top stock off the deck and place it on the pile of cards on the table. This second cut is to the break held by the fourth finger. Again without pause take the remainder of the cards from the left hand and place them on the stock on the table.

The selected card is now the top card of the deck. There are more sophisticated methods of getting the selected card to the top of the deck which the advanced card worker can employ, but the triple cut described above will do.

Pick up the glass and handkerchief, briefly and lightly wipe out the interior of the glass with the handkerchief, explaining that you are going to isolate the cards.

Step back from the table, taking hold of the cards in the left hand. Ask the spectator to concentrate on his card. Now reach for the glass with your right hand.

As the right hand reaches for the glass, the left hand is allowed to relax against your left side which should be upstage away from the audience view.

The deck is held on the left palm, the left finger tips curled up against the far long edge, the left thumb resting across the top card. The left thumb now pulls back a bit then pushes the top card forward is that a portion of its right edge protrudes over the rest of the deck.

The left hand is raised slightly, the long edge of the protruding card brought in contact with the body, then the deck pushed down slightly. This action causes the top card to flip over on the top of the deck. Once the card is turned over, bring the left hand up with the back of the hand toward the audience.

At the same time, the right hand brings the glass into position in front of the body. The left hand now places the deck into the glass so that the side of the deck with the one reversed card is upstage, towards the performer.

The glass in put down on the table in front of the performer. The performer reaches for the handkerchief, picks it up and opens it out.

The handkerchief is now draped over the glass. In the act of adjusting the handkerchief and glass the glass is turned back to front.

The performer explains that the selected card will now exhibit very unusual behavior by making itself visible despite the isolation of the deck inside of the glass.

Carefully pulling the handkerchief away from the glass the performer reveals that the selected card has mysteriously found its way to the front of the deck where it can be seen by one and all through the glass.

Turning Upstage

Working a sleight or switch when turning upstage to pick up or put down on object was a favorite dodge of Victorian conjurers as they traveled between addressing the spectators at the edge of the stage and their table. Among the maneuvers this facilitated was a one hand pass done against the leg, which I've adapted to reverse the selected card. Currently only stage manipulators take advantage of this type of blocking, but it should be kept in mind for any situation in which it is necessary to get a step ahead of those watching.

Performance Notes

Having the card signed will improve its immediate recognition factor during the climax of the effect.

The removal of the selected card and the remainder of the deck from the glass at the finish requires some thought and choreography to avoid revealing the setup.

Do this by wrapping the left hand around the glass, lifting and turning the glass so that the long edges of the cards are toward the audience.

From that position it is fairly simple to fish out first the selected card and then the remainder of the deck while obscuring their current state long enough to set them right again.