How to Do a Card Trick

There are many "teleporting card" magic tricks out there. The effect is usually something like this: you see the card(s), the magician puts them in the deck / behind his or her back / in his or her pocket / in your hand etc. Then, he/she reveals the card, which has now switched with another card, or appeared from somewhere totally unexpected. These tricks can work in many ways. The cards might be gimmicked, the magician might have moved a different card than the one you saw... There are endless possibilities. I will be teaching one of the simplest, yet probably one of the most effective tricks around.

You'll need four cards from the same deck that you can ruin. I use two random cards, the Jack of Clubs, and the Ace of Diamonds for this one, but it can be done with any two easily distinguishable cards (use a red and a black). Put some pieces of double-sided tape (this can be found in any supply store), on the face side of one of the two random cards. Then, stick the other random card against it, face-to-face. You should now have double-backed card. Take your Jack of Clubs or Ace of Diamonds. This time, tape the back of the card, not the front, and follow the same procedure. You should end up with one double-backed card, and one double-faced card, the Ace on one side, and the Jack on the other. Voila! Your gimmick!

There is one move you have to learn before you can do this trick, but it's fairly simple. Put your dominant hand palm-up. Place the two gimmicked cards in your hand. The double-backed card should be on top, and the double-faced on the bottom. Hold the cards between your thumb and index, middle, and (optional) ring finger. The Ace should be face up, and shifted to the left, for right-handed people. Left-handers, just do the opposite when I say "left" or "right". You should be able to see the small Ace of Diamonds marking on the top left of the card, at least. Your thumb should be a near the middle of the bottom edge of the double-backed card.

Now, as you turn your hand over to show the other sides of the cards, slide the double-backed card to the left. This should occur naturally with the turning motion. This move makes your audience believe that you hold two normal cards, the Ace of Diamonds and the Jack of Clubs. Practice this. The trick relies on this one move (and on the gimmicked cards, of course). A common mistake is sliding the card too early. Practice until you're perfect.

When performing, your audience should be beside or behind you, so they get the same view of the cards as you. Hold up the cards in the practiced position. Say something along the lines of "I will prove that the hand is quicker than the eye." Show the audience members standing next to you the cards. Perform the flip-over move, sliding the card as you do it. Say "here we have a Jack of Clubs and an Ace of Diamonds." Flip the cards back over to the Ace side, just reversing the motion.

Tell the audience to watch carefully. Slowly place the double-backed card under a hand, in a box, under your foot, on the ground, wherever it is safe. This is the comedy bit. Taking the double-faced card, careful not to show the Jack, move it close to the secure place. Make some fast jerks near the other card, as if you're trying to exchange them at lightning speed. Quickly cover the Ace with your other hand.

Now you have several options. You either flipped the card over during the fast movements, or you can do it behind your back, in your pocket, etc. Ask the person holding the double-backed card down on the table to slide it over to you. If you covered it yourself, show it for everyone to see. Point to the face down card and ask "now which card do I still have on the table?" They will say it is the Jack of Clubs. Say something like "uhh, no, that's impossible." They will ask you why. Say "because the Jack of Clubs is here" slowly, and slowly reveal the double-faced card with the Jack facing upwards to them. Place it behind the double-backed card, and you're ready to do the trick again!

Make sure not to do this too many times, or the audience will become suspicious of the flip-over move. Make sure to never let a curious or skeptical person cover the double-backed cards, because they might check the other side. There is a great way to annoy skeptics at the end: have an actual Jack of Clubs and an Ace of Diamonds in your pocket. After the trick, place the gimmicked cards in that same pocket, and if someone asks to see the cards, simply pull out the others.

Now that you know how to do it, make your gimmicks, if you haven't already, and go and practice to amaze your friends and family!