Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

You now have the seven of diamonds at the top of the pack, with the remaining three aces immediately following it. You must not show this seven of diamonds a second time, and it is therefore necessary to get it out of the way. The neatest way of doing this is as follows:--You remark, “To show you that I take the cards just as they come, I will give them a shuffle,” which you do as indicated for the first of the “false shuffles” (see page 23), subject to the modification following. Pass into the right hand first the top card (the seven of diamonds) alone, and upon this card pass the next three, which are the three aces, then the rest of the cards indifferently. When all the cards are thus passed into the right hand, shuffle them again anyhow, but take care to conclude by bringing the four lowest cards to the top; you will now have the three aces uppermost, and the seven of diamonds in the fourth place. Taking off the top card, and drawing it sharply over the hand of the person assisting, you show that it also is an ace, and in like manner with the next card, making, if you choose, a false shuffle between. After the third ace has been shown, make a false shuffle, and finally leave at the top the last ace, with one card above it. This may be effected by bringing up from the bottom in concluding the shuffle the two bottom cards, instead of the last (the ace) only. Taking the top card between the thumb and first finger of the right hand, and showing it with apparent carelessness, so as to give the company the opportunity of remarking that it is not an ace, you replace it on the pack for an instant, saying, “We have had three aces, I think. Which is it that is wanting?” Here you glance down at the aces on the table. “Oh! the ace of diamonds. Then the card that I hold must change to the ace of diamonds.” You have meanwhile effected the change, and turning up the card you hold, you show that it is the ace of diamonds.