A card is selected by the company. The performer places it on the table to the right. Another card is selected and performer places it on table to the left. The first drawn card is now placed on top of the deck, which was Lying on the table, and the two selected cards are commanded to change places and found to have done so.
Top Change and Palm Change.
Stand behind the table facing the company. Have a card selected by a spectator to the right, hold deck in left hand, take back drawn card in right hand, show it first to the company on the right, then to company on the left, then exchange it for top card of deck when making half turn again to the right and deposit card with same movement on the table at the tight side. Now have the second card selected by some spectator to the left, palm the top card in right hand when closing the deck, and hold deck in right hand by ends, face down. Take back second drawn card in left hand, showing it to company on left. Now drop deck on middle of table, and take second selected card from the left hand into the right, seizing it by the ends, and depositing palmed card on top of it. Hold closely together and show as one card to company on the right. The right hand now contains the two selected cards. Make “Palm Change,” taking first selected card in left hand, and deposit it on left side of table. Immediately pick up card on right side of table by ends, with the right hand, and drop it openly from several inches above, on top of deck. Pick up deck by drawing it with sliding movement to edge of table, depositing palmed card on top, and place the pack on the table to the right. As the exchange is now made finish the trick as desired.
The first exchange is made by employing the “Top Change,” and the tacit excuse for bringing the hands together for the instant is obtained by showing the card first to the company on the right, then to the left, and then depositing the card on right side of table. The second exchange is made very slowly, or at least in the usual time required to pass a card from one hand to the other. The entire company should be permitted to see the card about to be palmed; then the hand is naturally turned down as the left fingers apparently carry away to the left the card just shown. When the table card is dropped on the deck, it may be permitted to fall unevenly, giving one reason for picking up the deck, i. e., to square up. Transferring the deck from the middle of the table to the right side is the second tacit excuse.
This trick is usually performed by having one duplicate card, and forcing it, in which case the assistance of the deck for the third exchange is not required. But as we confine our list to those that may be performed with an ordinary deck, the foregoing method will be found satisfactory.