Virtual Magic ~ Learn the ways of The Force!

"The Force"

What's better than finding a card that has been lost in the deck?
Knowing what card they are going to pick BEFORE they even pick it!
Here I will teach you the easiest way to "force" a card on your victim.

The Cross Cut Force:

Allow the spectator to give the cards a shuffle.
When they hand the cards back- you tap the edge of the cards on the table to "tidy them up" during which,
you secretly look at the bottom card. (In this case the Jack of Spades.) (Fig:1)
Ask the spectator to cut the pack into two piles (Fig:2) and to place the half that they have cut,
face down on the table. (Fig:3)

(Fig: 1)

(Fig: 2)

(Fig: 3)

(Fig: 4)

Take the other half of the pack (Fig:4) and place it on top of their half at a 90 degree angle to form
a cross. (Fig:5)
Say: "We are going to mark the spot that you FREELY cut the cards at..."

Now for the most important part of the trick: DISTRACTION!

(Fig: 5)

Use a little patter or make a funny comment to distract the spectator from the set up of the cards.
Say something like:
"Look me deeply in the eyes and I will peer into your soul and know your deepest darkest secrets!"
As they start to get uncomfortable you remark:
"Oh wait- I forgot... Did you look at your card yet?"

Now ask them to pick up the top half of the cards (Fig:6) look at the bottom one of that pile (Fig:7)
and to memorize this as their "freely" chosen card.
They can then replace the two half packs together and shuffle the cards. (Fig:8)

(Fig: 6)

(Fig: 7)

(Fig: 8)

All that is left is for you to tell them the card they are thinking of or to show them the prediction you made
previously etc...
The distraction "sells" the whole trick because it makes them forget which half was what and
they will have NO IDEA that they simply looked at the bottom card!
The best part is that they shuffled the cards themselves and cut them anywhere they wanted...
Yet somehow you were able to read their mind!