In this seemingly impossible trick a chosen card is replaced in the center of one half of the deck. Each half of the deck then has rubber bands snapped around it. The banded packets allow of no tampering yet, on command, the chosen card invisibly flies from one banded packet to the other.
Method: Jordan's original handling will be given first. Following this a simpler handling will be described.
Any borrowed deck is used. There is no preparation but you will have to have four rubber bands on hand. Hand out half the cards for shuffling. While the spectator does this, secretly snap a rubber band around your packet, but the band is ma~e to go around just two cards,
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Fig. 23
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Figure 23. Shuffle or cut the packet so the banded cards end up in the center, Figure 24. Jordan advises that this be done secretly. One way is toturn your back while the spectator shuffles his cards. Your excuse is that you do not want to see the faces of any cards. As soon as your back is turned, perform the secret action described above.
Now remark that, while he picks a card and showsit around. you will remove a rubber band from your pocket and snap it around your cards. The subtle angle figures in right at this point. Pretend to remove a rubber band from your pocket. At the same time, the left hand fans its cards as shown in Figure 24A. The right hand approaches the packet as if to snap a rubber band around the cards.
The right thumb and forefinger grasp the visible portion of the band already circling the two cards and stretch it out and over the left thumb, Figure 25, thentothe right, Figure 26, then over the packet, Figure 27, to the situation shown in Figure 28.
Fig. 25 Fig. 26
Fig. 28
Fig. 29
Fig. 30
Fig. 31
The left thumb is withdrawn. An end view of the packet is as indicated in Figure 29. Properly done, it will appear to the spectator that you merely brought out a rubber band and snapped it around the packet.
The packet is held face down in the left hand. The right fingers lift the outer end of the packet, breaking the packet between the two rubber-banded cards. The chosen card is then replaced into this packet between the banded cards, Figure 30.
The right hand now grasps the packet from above. The left hand picks up the other half of the deck. In swinging to the left to place the un banded packet on the table, the right hand releases pressure on the banded packet. The result is that the three banded cards are propelled to the left and onto the top ofthe unhanded packet, Figure 31.
The left-hand packet is placed on the table. The right hand transfers its packet to the left hand. Then the right hand goes to the pocket, removes a rubber band and snaps it lengthwise around the left-hand packet. This packet is given to the spectator to hold.
Rubber bands are snapped lengthwise and widthwise around the other half of the deck. Command the chosen card to leave the other half and enter this packet. Have the rubber bands removed and show that the chosen card has invisiblyflown from one packettothe other.
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Fig. 3221. "Escape" Notes
Jordan's "Escape" can be made simpler if the basic elements are juggled around a bit. The effect is more or less the same, but the handling becomes easier. The idea is to remove two jokers (or two deuces) from the deck before the trick begins, and to snap a rubber band around them widthwise. Place the banded jokers in the shin pocket.
To perform the trick, let the spectator shuffle the complete pack.
Then have him give you half the deck. He keeps half for himself. Turn your back and have him shuffle his packet and remove a card. Remark that while he does this, you will snap a rubber band around your half of the deck.
Reach into the shirt pocket. as if for a rubber band, but remove the banded jokers and place them in the center of your packet. Holding the packet firmly with the left hand, grasp the portion of the rubber band that protrudes from the left side of the deck with the right hand and pull it up and around the deck as shown in Figure 32. The left hand must maintain a firm grip on the packet to keep the jokers in place.
After the rubber band is in place, turn and face the spectator. Take the chosen card from him with the right hand. Insert it face up into the front end of the face-down packet. but make sure it goes between the two jokers. The handling is the same as depicted in Figure 30.
Grasp the banded packet from above with the right hand. The left hand then picks up the spectator's packet. In the act of transferring his packet over to the left on the table, allow the jokers and the chosen card to be propelled to the top of the left-hand packet as shown in Figure 31.
Place the left-hand packet on the table. The spectator will not suspect that his card has been secretly transferred because his card is face up and no face-up cards show at this point. The reason why his
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face-downjokers.
Snap a rubber band lengthwise around the right-hand packet and give this packet to the spectator. Then cut the other packet and complete the cut to bring the chosen card to the center. Snap rubber bands lengthwise and widthwise around this packet. Command the chosen card to leave the spectator's packet.
He removes the rubber bands and finds his card gone. Hand him your packet. He removes the rubber bands and finds his card face up between two jokers in the center of the packet.