The Long Card Trick

A commercial card trick inspired this home-made prop, which delivers laughs as big as the card is long.

The Effect
The magician, smartly dressed in shirt and jacket, spreads cards and lets the spectator take one of them. After the card is returned to the deck, the magician puts the deck in his jacket pocket and announces he will now do the rest of the trick without using his hands, only magic. He declares he will make the card travel from the deck to his shirt pocket and makes the appropriate gestures.

When he says it is done, he pulls aside his jacket lapel and shows a two of diamonds poking out of his pocket. The chosen card, however, was the ten of diamonds. Smiling, the magician pulls the card from his pocket and it keeps on coming. The card, nearly a foot long ends as the ten of diamonds and ten diamonds are displayed on the card.

The Secret
Knowing how to force the ten of diamonds on the spectator is the key to making this trick work. The rest is showmanship.

Materials
A home-made long card is required and a shirt with a pocket and a jacket to hide the long card.

Preparation
Creating the long card is described below.

Performing the Trick

The long card is simply the punch line to this trick, but the real sleight of hand comes in forcing the ten of diamonds. The magician can use any method, one of which is described below:

The Force

1. The magician fans through the deck and cuts it right to the left of the ten of diamonds, which brings the card to the top.

2. Cutting the cards once more the magician puts the ten about in the middle of the pack, but catches a break above it with the tip of the little finger.

3. The magician riffles the top left corner with the left thumb while holding the deck in both hands. He asks the spectator to say “stop” and when he does, he cuts the deck at the break. The next card is the ten of diamonds, which the spectator takes as his card.

Making a Long Card

1. Three cards are required - a ten of diamonds (from an unused deck of cards), a three of diamonds and a two of diamonds.

2. Glue is applied to half of the ten of diamonds and the three of diamonds is glued in place. Under the bottom edge of the three of diamonds should show five diamonds and the “10”.
3. Glue is placed on the two of diamonds, just above the “2” and to the top of the card. This glued portion is pressed underneath the top of the three of diamonds, leaving the two showing.
4. When dried the magician is left with one long card showing ten diamonds.

Once the card is in the pocket and the ten is forced, the magician allows it to be placed anywhere in the deck and the rest is showmanship. He puts the deck in his pocket, in a drawer - anywhere he wishes, and mimes willing an invisible card from the deck to his shirt pocket.

Magical Tip

The magician may be tempted to move through this trick quickly, but should enjoy the opportunity to ham it up, showing indignation when the spectator dares to suggest he messed up when he shows the two.