Effect: A spectator picks a card. You dial a number on the phone, ask for Nureyev the Great, and hand the phone to your victim, and Nureyev tells him his card.

Fifi tells you how:

Glimpse and remember the bottom card of the deck. Have victim pick a card, memorize it, and place it on top of deck. Cut the deck and place the bottom half on top. Flip over deck so cards are face up. Search the deck. The card you see before the one you memorized is the selected card.

Pick up the phone and call a friend that you have told about the trick. Make sure he is the one to answer the phone. When he picks up, say, "Is Nureyev the Great home?" Your friend then starts to count down the suits of cards, "Clubs, hearts, spades, diamonds." When he has said the right suit, stop him by saying, "Yes, I'll hold." Then friend starts counting down the cards, "Ace, king, queen....." Stop him by saying, "Yes, he has chosen a card." Your friend then repeats the name of the card to double-check. If he's correct, say, "O.K.,Nureyev , tell him his card" and hand the phone to your victim. "Nureyev " recites the card to him and hangs up. (If when double-checking, "Nureyev " says the wrong card, hang up and restart.)

Back to Fifi's Magic Garden