xx Marvin teaches Miracle Magic Cards xx

How to Read the Secret Markings

To identify any playing card, you need two pieces of information: the suit and the value. The suit of a card is the pip type (Clubs, Hearts, Spades or Diamonds). The value of a card is its number (Ace through to King). To make the markings as easy to read as possible, the suits and values have been separated into different parts of the back design.

Reading the Suit Markings

Take out any Heart card from your marked pack and look at the top left corner of the back design. Just above the round flower design, you will see two triangles. Notice that the triangle on the left is blanked out. This means that the card is a Heart. Have a look at all the other Hearts in the pack, and you will see that they all have the left triangle blanked out. If you take any Diamond card and have a look at the two triangles, you will see that this time the right triangle is blank. This tells you that the card is a Diamond. Clubs can be identified because both triangles are blank, while Spades have neither triangle blanked out (both triangles are normal).

Reading the value markings

Pick up any number card and look at the top left flower design (just below the triangles). If you study the petals, you will notice that they all overlap each other except one. It is this ‘top’ petal that indicates the value.

Imagine that the flower design is a clock face and note where the ‘top’ petal is. If it is at one o’clock the card will be an Ace. If the petal is at two o’clock, then the card will be a Two. If it is at three o’clock, it will be a Three and so on all the way up to Jack (at eleven o’clock) and Queen (at twelve o’clock).

The only cards that do not follow this pattern are the four Kings, which do not have a ‘top’ petal. Pick up a King and have a look. Each petal overlaps the next so that no single petal is on top.

Naming a Spectator’s Card

Here is a simple trick using the secret markings. Spread the cards face-down and ask a spectator to select one by pulling it from the spread and placing it face-down on the table.

Explain that you want to ensure that only the spectator sees the selected card. Ask him or her to lift up the card carefully and peek at the face, before replacing it face-down on the table. This procedure should give you plenty of time to read the back of the selected card.

Ask the spectator to concentrate on the name of the chosen card. After a dramatic pause, you can name the card and take your well deserved bow!

Note that in this trick, you give yourself enough time to read the secret marking by asking the spectator to keep the chosen card face-down so no-one else can see it. This is a good ploy that will direct attention away from you reading the back design.

Wizard Magic Cards

The Wizard Magic Cards is an incredible magic pack that will make you look like a master magician in no time at all.

These very special cards appear normal and can be handed out for examination, but they contain a very clever and subtle secret. The cards are not cut straight. The entire pack is tapered at one end.

The Wizard Principle

If one card is turned end-for-end and placed into the pack, it can be easily located because its thick end will protrude slightly from the thin end of the pack.

This reversed card is hard to see, but do not worry. In nearly every trick you do not have to look for the reversed card. You actually feel for it! This is called ‘stripping’ and will be explained later.

The ‘Start’ Position

Unless otherwise stated, at the start of each trick you should make sure that all the cards are the same way round. This means all the thin ends at one end and all the thick ends at the other. Hold the pack in your left hand with all the thick ends of the cards away from you. This is the ‘start’ position.

Having a Card Selected

The most common theme in card magic is that of a card selected by a volunteer being magically located by a magician. There are many ways of having a card selected by a spectator, but the simplest is to spread the cards face-down and say, “Take a card!”

The Ribbon Spread

A more elegant way of having a card selected is to spread the cards face-down in a line on the table. Hold the cards face-down in your right hand with your index finger pressing on the back of the pack and your thumb and remaining fingers holding the short edges. Gently press the pack to the table and drag the cards to the right, creating a neat spread of cards. You can now allow a spectator to select one.

By increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the pack, you can vary the size of the spread.

Reversing the Chosen Card

Once the card has been selected, you will need to have it reversed before it is returned to the pack. To do this, turn the pack end-for-end while the spectator looks at the selected card.

No one should notice you turning the pack, so don’t draw attention to yourself by trying to be ‘sneaky’.

‘Stripping’ the Cards

Once a card has been chosen and returned to the pack, it is now up to you to ‘magically’ locate the card. Hold the pack in the ‘start’ position. With the right index finger and thumb, gently grip the bottom of the pack along the edge.

Pull your right index finger and thumb downward and the reversed card will ‘strip’ out of the pack. Casually place it on top of the pack.

This may be tricky at first, but in no time at all you will be able to ‘strip’ one or more reversed cards every time.

Shuffling the Wizard Magic Cards

Every card in the pack should be the same way round (i.e. all the thin ends at one end). Therefore it is essential when shuffling the pack that the cards are not accidentally turned end-for-end.

Fortunately, most legitimate shuffles do not turn cards end-for-end. If you simply perform a normal overhand shuffle, the tapering of the cards will not be mixed up.

A Basic Wizard Routine

Display the cards to your audience and explain that you are about to perform a ‘classic of magic’. Ribbon Spread the cards face-down on the table, then have a spectator select one and remember it.

As the spectator looks at the chosen card, secretly turn the pack end-for-end and then spread it face-down again.

Have the card returned to the spread and give the pack a quick shuffle. Square up the cards and secretly ‘strip’ out the reversed (chosen) card. Place it face-down on top of the pack. Make a magical gesture over the pack and then dramatically turn over the top card to reveal the chosen card!