Card Spelling De Luxe

By George G. Kaplan

The performer fans a deck of cards permitting the audience to see that they are all different, and, after allowing the pack to be cut several times, requests a spectator to cut the deck at any point while the performer's back is turned, remove the top card and, after remembering its name, to insert the card in the center of the deck. Then he is told to place the entire pack in the outside pocket of his coat.

Although this is done while the performer's back is turned, he nevertheless takes the spectator's wrist and requests him to mentally spell out his card, using one letter for each card removed from his pocket. When the last letter of the card being spelled mentally is reached, the spectator is told to think “Stop.”

In spite of the fact that not a single question is asked, the performer, after removing a number of cards from the spectator's pocket, suddenly calls out:

“You just thought of the word 'stop,' did you not? Well, strange to say. I not only received the mental impulse to stop, but the card I am now holding is the one you are thinking of. Will you please name it for the benefit of the audience?”

When the card is named the performer displays the card he is holding. It proves to be the thought-of card.

The clean-cut manner in which this effect may be performed from beginning to end will leave a profound effect upon the spectators and, at the same time, should commend itself to the up-to-date performer.