steve davis - Posted - 08/22/2025:  07:27:23

I probably started enjoying well-done magic tricks by watching Johnny Carson's show.
A couple days ago I saw a "beaut" on the Ari Melber show "The Beat".
One of his guests was a magician given a spot at the end for a quick trick.
There were 3 of them at the table within a couple of feet of each other.

Magician takes a boxed deck of cards out of his inside jacket pocket and stands it up on the table a foot away from himself.
Ari straight across and unrelated witness directly to his right.
He asks Ari to name any card.
Ari says "Joker?"
Magician says "One of the 52 playing cards."

Ari says "10 of hearts" and the lid of the box is opened and the deck removed as quickly as you are reading the words.
Magician fans the entire deck in one clean sweep where 1 card is turned the other way;that card being the 10 of hearts.

Ari was shocked,witness was watching every movie right at the magician's elbow and saw nothing suspicious.Unedited camera footage of the entire piece.

Old Hickory - Posted - 08/22/2025:  07:58:58

Called "The Invisible Deck." A packaged trick. I've been doing it since I was 14 (1965) and it was old then.

In the full routine, the magician mimes taking the invisible deck out of the visible box, shows that the invisible cards are all different, has a spectator select a card and return it face down into the face-up deck. Or vice versa. Magician shuffles invisible deck and places it back into box. After some talk about the cards becoming visible, magician removes the cards proceeds as you described. 

But it presents powerfully as a rapid mentalism effect that emphasizes the card merely thought of. 

I performed close-up, table top, magic in two different restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, from 1980 to 1987. If I had time for only one trick at a table, this was often it. 

Owen - Posted - 08/22/2025:  09:20:10

I dunno ^^ ... I'm putting my money on if it wasn't magic, everybody could do it!!  

STUD figmo Al - Posted - 08/22/2025:  17:43:10

Video of the trick please.

mike gregory - Posted - 08/22/2025:  21:42:26

I was going to post a link to the video, but the only videos I fuond were videos showing the trick being DONE, but WITH a tutorial on HOW to DO it.

Not MY job to spoil the fun!

banjoT1 - Posted - 08/22/2025:  23:15:13

I was sort of watching Melber too in between not paying attention - but I perked up as the trick was within seconds of pulling the card.

The deck was rigged.

As a kid, like many pre-teen boys I suppose, I asked Santa for a magic kit and was a magician until the urge passed. But, the one most relevant thing I learned is to look at where the action ain't - in other words, as the magician points toward or shows a flurry of movement "here" .....then instead, look "over there" - or, if he's diverting your attention with the right hand - look at the left hand.

So, as you might replay that Melber show trick follow what the trickster does in the few seconds after the reveal. Your attention is drawn away by the above-table banter but notice closely that on his left side near his pocket area he took special care to close the box and secure it away from view.

Now I don't have the knowledge of Old Hickory (above) or the secrets of this card trick but all I know was I saw evidence that the viewers were scammed because the deck was rigged.

Old Hickory - Posted - 08/23/2025:  08:01:07

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjoT1

Now I don't have the knowledge of Old Hickory (above) or the secrets of this card trick but all I know was I saw evidence that the viewers were scammed because the deck was rigged.

---

Well, I said it was a "packaged trick," meaning something you can buy. Yes, the deck does all the work. Or maybe 99%. No sleight of hand involved. But it takes practice to get the handling.

The great thing about this trick is that everything happens in full view. It can be any card. Totally free choice.

There is not really the type of "look over here" misdirection that BanjoTone was describing. But there are different types of misdirection in magic, and one involves having to hide what you're doing in plain sight. I can't say any more.

The deck is not examinable. The secret is something that people outside of magic would not have heard of. Seeing as the trick was invented in the 1930s, it is not advanced technology. 

Here's a street performance without a tutorial or reveal.

Old Hickory - Posted - 08/23/2025:  08:20:27

Follow-up thought:

Spectators are not "scammed" by a magician's use of a "rigged" -- or "gimmicked" -- deck or cards. Yes, I'll break the magician's code and admit such things exist. I just won't describe what they are.

Why do you think these routines are called magic "tricks." Magicians at all levels depend on trickery and decpetion. ALL those big boxes -- every single one -- used by David Copperfield and other illusionists are rigged. They are not what they seem to be. Their secrets are well hidden. Our eyes deceive our brains because of what we're accustomed to seeing.

There's no contract between close-up magicians and audiences that all their tricks will be 100% skillful sleight-of-hand. Many tricks are that: totally plain, ordinary objects -- often cards and coins -- handled in such a way as to make magic appear to happen. But most close-up magicians are not averse to also using gimmicks. The combination of sleight of hand plus an unseen gimmick makes for powerful magical entertainment.

banjoT1 - Posted - 08/23/2025:  11:49:47

......nicely said Ken.

In a similar way as i mentioned to look opposite of where your attention is drawn - wherever that place is is not being obvious - I am also intrigued by magician assistants and how they glide and wisp about on stage or snap all the padlocks on the chains........like, do these folks get paid a premium not to blab about their boss's secrets at the hairdresser?..or like, do they easily spill the beans at their family's summer reunion?....or can they be dispatched for good cause? .....just wondering.