Odds and Evens Airmail / Also known as Piano Card Trick Adapted by Doc Yoder
Effect: A card flies unseen from one pile that has an odd number of cards to another pile that has an even number of cards.
Materials: at least 15 cards (can be note cards, playing cards, etc)
Patter:
I’m going to need a volunteer for this trick that is called Odds and Evens Airmail.
Please put your hands flat on the table like you are playing an invisible piano.
I’m going to put an even number of cards between each of your fingers. Pinch the cards tightly with your fingers.
Put the cards by twos in between all of the fingers. Say, “Even” each time At the end, only put one card between the last two fingers and say, “Odd.” Be careful not to cut the skin in the webbing between the fingers with the edge of the card.
I’m going to make two even piles. Take two cards at a time from between the pairs of fingers and put them separately in two different piles. Each time say, “Even.” Continue making the two piles until only the single card is left between the last two fingers.
Now we have two even piles. Which pile would you like to put the odd card on to make that pile odd?
The person puts the odd card on top of one of the piles.
You have now made that pile the odd pile. I don't want to touch it! Pick up the odd pile.
Tell the person to shuffle the cards while aiming it at the “Even” pile. Say that if the person pays attention, the person might see one card jump through the air from the odd pile to the even pile to make that pile the odd pile. The person shuffles. Wait a bit and then say, Did you see that? It jumped across just now!
Take the pile of cards that the person was shuffling. Deal the cards to the table two at a time saying, “Even, even, even, even.” Crosshatch the cards as you put them down on the table.
11. Take the other pile and count by two’s saying, “Even, even, even, odd.”
12. Congratulate the person on doing the magic.
The Secret: This effect uses the word “even” in two different ways. The two piles are even with each other, but the number of cards in each pile before placing the last card is actually odd since there are seven cards in each pile. The performer calls the last card the “odd” card. When it is placed on one of the two piles, the number of the cards in that pile actually becomes even since it is eight cards. The job of performer is to make it seem like a card really did jump across from one pile to the other. Emphasize the word “even” rather than how many cards are in each pile.
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This effect is also called the Piano Card Trick. We know that a magician named Imro Fox is the person who named it in the late 1800s because he told the volunteer to spread their hands on the table as if to play a piano. We know the trick is at least 150 years old because it was published as "The Odd Card" in 'What Shall We Do To-Night?' by Leger D. Mayne in 1873.