Easy magic with cards
REPEAT “DO AS I DO”
The “Do as I Do” theme is a popular one in card magic. Although this method is basically the same as most other versions, his routine has two distinct advantages—the performer does not exchange packs with the spectator, and at the conclusion of the effect it can be repeated immediately, still without having to touch the spectator’s pack, or having to know the position of any card in it.
Assume that a red backed pack and a blue backed pack are to be used. It is necessary to have a card from one pack in the other. If the packs are the performer’s property, then obviously this can be arranged previously, otherwise it is a simple matter to slip a card from the bottom of one pack onto the bottom of the other when the packs are held face up, side by side. The pack containing the extra card is the one used by the performer, and again we will assume that this is the red backed pack containing the blue backed Six of Hearts. The only other requirement is that the three top cards of the pack are set up so that the top card (when the pack is face down) is the red backed Six of Hearts; the second card is an indifferent one and the third card is the blue backed Six of Hearts. In other words, if it has been necessary to slip a card from one pack to the other as described, then it is only necessary to spread the cards between the hands, sight the bottom (stranger) card of the face up pack, slip any card below it, then find the duplicate of the stranger card and slip this to the bottom.
To perform the effect, hand the blue backed pack to the spectator and ask him to shuffle and cut it. You false shuffle the red pack to leave the top three cards in position, then cut the pack, but hold a break above the original top card. Now tell the spectator to run his face down pack between his hands, take out any card and place it face down on the
table. Spread your cards to the break, place the next card (red backed Six of Hearts) face down on the table, then place the bottom half of the pack (in the left hand) on top of those in the right hand – the blue backed Six of Hearts is now second from top.
Pick up the red backed card from the table and place it on top of the spectator’s blue pack, telling him to pick up his card and place it on top of your pack. Instruct the spectator to cut his pack, then spread his cards across the table. Appear to do likewise, but when you complete the cut, hold a break with the tip of the left little finger above the top card; transfer the break to the right thumb, then with the tips of the left fingers curled between the two halves, push the original top card to the right. When you spread the cards from left to right across the table, the unwanted blue backed card, placed on your pack by the spectator, will remain out of sight under the spread cards, but the back of the blue backed card stolen in the first place will be revealed.
The position now is that both the spectator and yourself have a card with a different coloured back showing near the centre of the two spread packs of cards. Take the precaution of pushing together all the cards to the right of the visible blue backed card in your spread.
This appears as a neat way of separating the visible blue backed card, but it ensures that the other blue backed card is out of harms way. Ask the spectator to turn over the red backed card in his spread as you turn over the blue backed card in your spread. Both cards are the same.
As you have another blue backed card in your pack, the existence of which the spectator is unaware, by sighting the card and arranging a three card set-up on top of the pack as before, all is in readiness for the trick to be repeated.
