Unique Deck
You take out two of the cards and set them aside face-up on the table. As you deal cards from the special deck, two spectators select two different cards. From here, it’s all revelations. In the first phase, the two cards that spectators have selected match the backs of the cards that you set aside. In the second revelation, the faces of the cards are shown to be the same value. In the final revelation, spectators may suspect that you have an entire deck that matches the recently revealed face values, but to their surprise, the deck is a one-way that consists of a single value, but it’s different from that of the chosen cards.
Considerations
You’ll need a table to perform the effect since you have to deal cards. angles aren’t an issue and the trick can be quickly reset, right in front of spectators and as you put away the deck. A plus, at the end, you’re completely clean. The deck isn’t gimmickedin any way - all of the cards are real - and spectators are free to examine everything (please read my “post review note” below). For ease of use and power of effect, this one is good. It should prove to be a close-up crowd pleaser.
Additional Thoughts
The effect is based on Karl Fulve’s “Gemini Twins,” a venerable and reliable self-working method that is a great and easy effect in itself but lends itself to other applications. Normally when employing the “Gemini Twins” method, the backs of the cards are all the same. However, with “The Stolen Cards,” the backs are different. The end result is that to a sharp-eyed spectator, a switch has occurred. In particular, this is noticeable when an easily distinguished card, such as one with a brand name (“Coca Cola” or “Harley Davidson” to identify a couple of backs in the deck) is stopped on. What occurred was that the spectator noticed that the card back that was “selected” was different from the one that was “stopped on.”
This is something that never occurred to me prior to performing the effect. It can be remedied by removing the highly identifiable cards and not using them, or positioning them in a spot in the deck where they would likely be dealt and not stopped on. Another consideration is that regular spectators at my restaurants have become savvy magic watchers. These groups have watched me dozens of times and are getting an education in magic that’s based on their own considerable discussions after I perform an effect. They definitely keep me on my toes. -WK
