EFFECT.--A five-spot card is passed for examination, a two spot of the
same suit is then placed face down on the five; after rubbing the cards
slightly and separating them a spot is found to have passed from the
centre of the five on to the two spot, making a four spot and a three
spot. The pack is afterwards shown to be quite an ordinary one without
any apparent preparation.
PREPARATION.--Remove from the pack the five, four, three, and two of any
suit. Place the remainder of pack face down on the table. Now place the
five spot face up on the back of the pack, the two spot face down on the
five, the four face up on the back of the two, and the three spot face
down on the four. Then remove the three top cards, without in any way
altering their order, and place them on the face of the pack so that the
two spot is showing, and turn the five spot face down, so that the pack
appears to be without preparation.
PRESENTATION.--Show pack held in left hand and call special attention to
the two spot on the bottom of the pack, then lift off the five-spot card
and pass it to a spectator with the remark that the centre spot is loose
and can be transferred at will to any other card; while the card is
being examined you secretly count off the three other prepared cards at
the bottom of the pack and keep them separated from the rest with the
index finger of left hand. Now take back the five-spot card and place it
on the back of the pack, with its face side toward audience. Then with
the first two fingers and thumb of right hand take the three other cards
from bottom of pack and show them as one card only: namely, the two
spot. This movement is best executed by slightly pushing down the three
cards with the index finger of left hand until a sufficient amount of
projection is obtained for the fingers and thumb of right hand to grip.
Now place the apparent two-spot card face toward, and on to the five
spot; proceed by gently rubbing the back card with the index finger of
right hand, and lift the top card and show it to be a three spot, while
the card facing is found to be a four spot, which you also remove. The
back of the two-spot card will then be seen and the pack appear to be an
unprepared one.