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the first prediction card.
A second spectator is told to take the balance of the second pile, and mix it together with the first pile. Again, a
card is withdrawn from the shuffled group. Before that card is looked at, it is explained that the name of this random
card will be used to spell to a card in the third pile, which will become the second selection. The card thus arrived at
is placed aside with the second prediction card.
Each selection is now compared with its respective prediction. Despite the fairness of the procedures, both sets
comprise pairs which match in color and value.
* * *
A stack is required, involving three groups as follows: the first fourteen cards from the top of the pack are the
fours, fives, kings, QC and QD, in any order. This set is followed by the J D (i.e., the jack is fifteenth from the top of
the pack).
The next seventeen cards consist of the AS, AH, 2S, 2H, 3C, 3D ,6S,6H, 7C,, 7D ,8C,8D , 9H,9C,
9D, 10S, and 10 H. These may be in any order, but the nine of clubs must be in the thirteenth position in the set (i.e.,
twenty-eighth from the top of the pack). This set is followed by the JH (i.e., it is thirty-third from the top of the
pack).
The third set is made up of the remaining nineteen cards, with the nine of spades in fifth position (i.e., thirty-eighth
from the top of the pack).
With the deck thus arranged, you are ready to begin. If you like, you can false shuffle the pack as you explain that
you will use two cards as predictions. Hold the pack with the faces toward yourself. Run through the cards until you
come to the 9S. The card just before the nine is down-jogged as it is thumbed into the right hand. Break the pack at
this point, so that the jogged card is at the back of the right-hand stock, and 9S is on the face of the left-hand stock.
The left hand turns palm-down, and thumbs the 9S to the table, face-down, as you state that this will be your first
prediction.
Bring the hands together, and continue running through the cards until your reach the jack of hearts. The card
just before the jack is down-jogged, and the above handling is used to deal the JH face-down to the table as your
second prediction.
Bring the hands together, and turn the pack face-down. The pack is turned over book-fashion into the left hand,
thus retaining the two jogged cards at the inner end. The right hand now cuts off the top fourteen cards, by pressing
the right thumb on the first in-jogged card and cutting off all of the cards above it. This cut-off stock is tabled.
The next seventeen cards are cut off, using the second in-jogged card as a guide. This cut-off stock is tabled next
to the first. The balance of the pack is placed at the end of the row.
These cuts should be made quickly and casually. There must, of course, be no indication that you are cutting to
specific locations; it should appear as if you are simply cutting the pack into approximate thirds.
Instead of using jogged cards, crimps or other tactile locators can be used; however, the jogging is efficient, and
leaves no "work" in the deck at the conclusion of the routine.
The first spectator is told to pick up the first pile, mix it, and remove a card. State that whatever card is taken, its
value will be used to deal to a position in the second pile. Explain that aces have a value of one, jacks are eleven,
queens are twelve, and kings are thirteen. (It is important to clarify this in advance, as there is a reasonable chance
that the withdrawn card will be a queen or king.)
The withdrawn card is turned up, and its value used to count to a card in the second pile. However, the procedure
will vary slightly, depending on the value to be used.
If the card is a king, the second spectator is told to count down to the thirteenth card in the pile, which is turned
face-up and placed on top of the first prediction card. If it is a queen, twelve cards are dealt off, and the next card is
designated as the selection. If the card is a five, the counting is done from the face of the pile. If it is a four, four cards
are dealt from the face, and the next card taken. In any event, the card arrived at will be the nine of clubs. The second
spectator is asked to mix the first two piles together, and remove one card. State that whatever card is taken, its name
will be used to spell to a position in the third pile.
Unlike the previous procedure, this time the dealing will always be done from the face. If the first dealing was done
from the face, there is no discrepancy. If the first dealing was done from the top, comment during the procedural ex-
planation, This time, to make it even more fair, we'll deal from the face of the pile."
No matter what card is withdrawn from the combined first and second piles, it will spell with fourteen or fifteen
letters. (In some cases the word "the" will be used in the spell to reach the desired total; e.g., T-H-E-A-C-E-O-F-S-
P-A-D-E-S".) Obviously, if the withdrawn card is a fifteen-speller, the last card of the deal is used as the second selec-
tion; if it is a fourteen-speller, the next card is used.
Regarding this last point, there may be a procedural discrepancy. The counting used for the first selection may
have used the last card of the deal, while the spelling used for the second may have used the next, or vice versa. There
is no reason for this to be problematic, as the two procedures are clearly not identical, anyway. So long as you do not
telegraph guilt over the discrepancy, and attitudinally convey the idea that this is the way it is always done for each
respective procedure, it will not raise doubts on the part of the spectators.
The card thus arrived at will be the jack of diamonds. It remains only to turn over the two prediction cards, show-
ing the matching results.
DISKETTE
The mystic explains, "From the dawn of history, humans have been developing systems which attempt to divine the
future. These tend to fall into two categories: those which rely on interpretations of existing natural information, and
those which examine patterns determined at least partially by chance.
"Examples of the former would include astrology and palmistry. Those systems of the latter type usually involve
physical materials such as bones, pebbles or cards. One of the most well established methods of this type is the an-
cient Chinese / Ching, which originally determined information based upon the patterns formed by tossed yarrow
stalks. In modern times it is more common to use coins. Random combinations of heads and tails are used to generate
the indications of the future.
"Today I would like to demonstrate a related system which is rather more arcane. It's a relatively simple process,
employing eight coins. Despite its simplicity, with proper interpretation the results can be quite profound.
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