What’s Behind My Back?

Type: Card Magic Trick

Level: Intermediate

Props: A double-backer and a double-facer (see glossary).

Introduction: A very simple, yet clever trick.

The effect: The magician shows the spectator two cards and brings them behind his back and brings one back out. No matter how hard he tries, the spectator will always be wrong. As a kicker, at the end the magician can bring one card openly behind his back and it switches places with the one in the front… right before their very eyes!

Method: As explained in the Props section you will be needing a double-backer and a double-facer (see Glossary) in order to perform this trick. Hold them in a fan sort of a shape (kind of like a V). It will look as if you are holding two (ungimicked) cards, one with its face towards you and the other one with its back towards you. Turn your wrist, but as you do, the larger motion covers the smaller motion of moving your thumb and having the cards switch sides. This will cause the illusion that you are showing two cards face to face.

Now, simply bring the two cards behind your back (make sure to know which is the double-facer and which way is which face) and bring the double-backer to the front and ask which one remains behind your back, whichever card the spectator mentions, bring the opposite card (facing up) from behind your back.

For a kicker, bring the double-facer only behind your back and ask which one remains in the front. As the spectator answers, turn over the double facer behind your back and prove him/her wrong.

Glossary:

• Double-backer: A gimicked card with a back on both sides. For this presentation you may glue two cards together. The cards are not examinable.
• Double-facer: Just as a double-backer, a double-facer is a gimicked card with two (different, in this case) card faces on each side.

Criss-Cross Force

Type: Impromptu Card Magic Trick

Level: Beginner

Props: Deck of cards.

Introduction: Possibly the easiest card force around.

The effect: This card force has many applications. Here is one of them:

The magician asks the spectator to select a card. The card is returned to the deck and the deck is shuffled, thus losing it in the deck. Another spectator is tasked with cutting the deck. The position of the cut is marked and when they check, he has correctly located his fellow spectators card!

Method:

Spectator #1 can freely shuffle and select a card. Once he has done this, the magician will ask him to replace it to the deck and Control it to the top of the deck. When spectator #is asked to cut the deck, the original bottom half is placed on the deck in some sort of a cross-shape. At this point, the magician causes misdirection, such as asking: “did you feel influenced to cut at that point?” or “Was there any particular reason you cut at that point?” The magician then lifts the top pack and asks the spectator to look at the top card of the deck.

Glossary:

• Top Card Control: A card is position on the top of the deck, while the magician pretend to shuffle. There are many ways to achieve this, but here is a simple one: As the spectator returns his card to the deck, catch a Pinky Break above the card being replaced on the deck. The magician then starts cutting small packets unto the table. Once he hits the break (meaning every card above the break has been piled on the table) the magician grabs the remaining cards on his hands and places them on top of the pack on the table. The selected card will now be on top.

The Three Thieves

Type: Impromptu Card Magic Trick

Level: Beginner

Props: Deck of cards.

Introduction: Among beginners this is a classic.

The effect: The magician tells a story about 3 thieves that attempted to rob a bank, yet got apprehended.

Preparation: Although this trick is impromptu, it requires a little preparation, which a professional can do on the fly. To do this:

1. Remove all threes and Jacks from the deck,
2. Place a black Jack on the bottom of the deck,
3. Place a red 3 on the bottom of the deck,
4. Place a red Jack on top of the deck,
5. The rest of the cards are left outside for the trick.

Method:

Begin by pointing at the threes and explaining they are three thieves who plan to rob a bank (I recommend to leave the Jacks facing down, so people cannot memorize their suit). Explain the following: “The fist one, went in through the basement”. As you say this, place one of the black threes on the bottom of the deck. “the second one”, you continue, “goes in through the roof”. Place the other black three on top of the deck. “And the third one goes into a window”. As you say this, place the red three into the middle of the deck.

Now present the Jacks and explain they are the cops. “They go in through the front door”, you say, and you stick them into the middle of the deck. “Next, a chase begin”. Start giving the deck several single cuts. Explain this represents the cops running after the thieves. After a while stop and spread the deck to find the block of 3 threes trapped between two Jacks. Explain the cops have apprehended the criminals.

Double Reversed Card

Type: Impromptu Card Magic Trick

Level: Intermediate

Props: Deck of cards (the back of them need to have a white edge).

Introduction: I remember reading this one a while ago in Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic. A wonderful variation on the Reversed Card and one I personally perform a lot.

The effect: The deck is thoroughly shuffled. The pack is then divided into two. The magician urges the spectator to pick one for himself. The magician picks up the remaining pack. They both shuffle their packs, once again, for good measure. The magician now explains they will be both picking a card behind their backs. To do so, they must bring the deck behind their backs, cut and complete the cut, take the top card of the deck, and bring, both the card and the deck, face down, to the front. Both, the magician an the spectator, loose their respective cards in the opposite’s deck. The decks are then shuffled together. Yet, the magician promises he can find both cards, while holding the deck behind his back. He does so!

The method: The spectator shuffles the deck. He then is instructed to start dealing the deck into two piles (I have found from personal experience this serves as to further confuse the spectator). He is asked to select a pack and shuffle it again. The magician does the same with the remaining pack. The magician then Glimpses at the card on the bottom of his pack and memorizes it. As he brings the pack to his back in order to pretend to cut the deck and select a card, he turns the deck so its face is pointing upwards and turns over the top card of the pack (the one he memorized!). He then picks any other random card and brings it (face down) to the front, along with his pack. He proceeds to ask the spectator to push his card into the deck (and just as in the Reversed Card trick, s/he believes to be pushing it in the same orientation as the rest of the deck). Once the card is all in, the magician drops his hand (holding the deck) to his side and proceeds to push his card into the spectator’s pack. As the magician brings his hand back up in order to Faro Shuffle the packs, he turns his wrist around, having now reversed the pack. He can now Faro Shuffle and the rest of the trick is just good acting.

Glossary:

• Faro Shuffle: A shuffling technique where the short edges of two halves of the deck are pushed together to the point where the cards start “weaving” together.

The Reversed Card

Type: Impromptu Card Magic Trick

Level: Beginner

Props: Deck of cards (the back of them need to have a white edge).

Introduction: A classic of magic and a masterful piece if properly presented.

The effect: The magician (or spectator) shuffles the deck and has the spectator select a card and memorized (it can even be signed!). The card is returned to the deck at a random spot, and, yet the magician is able to find it… BEHIND HIS BACK.

The method: Once the spectator has selected his/her card and is busy memorizing or signing the card, take this misdirection to flip over the bottom card of the deck. Present the deck in a dealers grip, naturally (in reality, the entire deck is facing up, with the exception of the top card, which is facing down. When you ask your spectator to return their card to a random spot, they will naturally introduce it facing down, thinking it will be in the same direction as the rest of the cards. In reality he/she is placing it face down in a face up deck. As fo bring the deck behind your back, be careful not to flash the “bottom” of the deck. Once behind your back, just flip the “bottom” card (that is facing a different direction than the rest of the deck) and the rest is just acting.

Note: I came up with a better version of this trick. I plan to publish it further ahead, when this blog gets more subscribers.