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Colour Changing Pack card trick

Take a red backed pack containing the Joker and reverse this card in a position two or three cards from the bottom. An extra Joker with a blue back is added to the top of the pack which is placed in a blue card case, after the bottom card of the pack has been noted. Have the pack in a convenient pocket.

After performing a few tricks with a blue backed pack, return the cards to the case, taking care to ensure that the bottom card is the same as the one on the bottom of the red backed pack. It appears that the performance is over, but as the pack is placed in a pocket, seem to change your mind and offer to show one more trick. It is the other pack which is now brought into play, but as the case is identical to the one seen a moment before, and as the duplicate bottom card is in position when the pack is taken from the case, the spectators believe they see the same blue backed pack.

Do not refer to the colour of the backs of the cards at this stage.

Patter can be on the theme of printer's ink having the same peculiarities as litmus paper—a fact which you proceed to demonstrate.

Turning the pack face up in the right hand, hold it in position for executing the Hindu Shuffle. Pull off the top five or six cards with the Left Hand, in the manner of the shuffle, and continue to do this two or three times, then say, "You may stop me at any time you wish and take the card stopped at". As this is said, turn the right hand packet (the blue back of the Joker will be seen again) and with it tap the left hand packet to indicate the card stopped at. Continue the shuffle until the spectator tells you to stop, place the card stopped at face up on the table, then continue to shuffle off three more packets in time with the patter, "You realize you could have stopped me here, here or here?". Each time you say "here", indicate the card on top of the left hand packet by tapping it with the right hand packet. Because you turn the right hand packet on each occasion, the blue back of the Joker is seen each time. There should be only four or five cards in the right hand the last time the packet is turned, and these should be dropped onto the face of the pack.

Spread the cards between your hands until you see the face of the blue backed Joker (this will be only four or five cards away from the face card of the pack), and hand it to a spectator, requesting him to thrust it, face down, anywhere in the pack which you fan face up between your hands. Ask him if he would like the card above or below the Joker. Whichever card is chosen, take it from the pack and place it face up alongside the first card on the table. Take the fanned pack into the left hand (the blue back of the Joker is still showing), then pick up one of the cards from the table and insert it, face up, above the blue backed Joker. Swivel the card round in the pack—this is merely by-play, but it rubs the back of the selected card over the back of the Joker and is in keeping with the patter theme of printers' ink having the same peculiarities as litmus paper. Remove the card from the pack, turn it over slowly to reveal the red back, then place it face down on the table. Repeat the same procedure with the other selected card.

Square the pack and in doing so secure a break with the left little finger above the card immediately above the blue backed card. Transfer the break to the right thumb as the right hand is placed in position for cutting the face up pack. Instead of actually cutting with the right hand, take away approximately half of the cards below the break with the left hand and slide them onto the top of the pack, then cut to the break with the right hand and complete the cut. This brings the blue backed Joker to position one below the face card of the pack. Wave the pack over the two cards on the table, turn the pack face down then spread the cards between the hands, taking care not to spread the last few bottom cards for obvious reasons. All the cards will have red backs, but in the centre of the spread is a face up Joker (this is the red backed Joker, reversed before the trick commenced). Swivel this Joker round in the pack with the same by-play as you used to apparently cause the backs of the two selected cards to change colour. Remove the Joker and turn it over slowly to show that it too has a red back.

The climax has been reached and should you wish to end with a clean pack, then the blue backed card (second from the bottom) can be palmed out with the Side Slip, and left in a pocket as you reach in for a cigarette case, matches, etc.

About the Author

David Hertz is a magic tricks enthusiast.
Want to learn more magic with cards? Visit
www.magictrickscenter.com.

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