How to Do the Ambitious Card Routine
Spread through the deck and have a spectator select a card., Perform a Marlo Tilt while you are distracting them with the story., Ask them to snap their fingers, and perform a double-lift.,Ask them to snap their fingers once more, and simply reveal...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Spread through the deck and have a spectator select a card.
If you've got a lot of decks, have them sign it. Anyway, tell them that the card they chose is a ruthlessly ambitious card that will always jump to the top, but only when he/she snaps his/her fingers. , When you finish the story, take their card, poke around the middle, and then insert their card above the third card.
The angle of the first card makes it appear as if you have inserted their card into the middle of the deck.
This is how to perform a Marlo Tilt:
Take the top card and lift up one end, the end closer to you They shouldn't be able to see it. , (A double is a sleight in which you lift two cards instead of one, giving the impression that the second card from the top is actually the top card).
You will of course be revealing their card.
Then, flip the two cards that seems as one over, and slide the top card into the middle of the deck.
This top card is not their card, since their card was second from the top.,, Cut the deck where they tell you to stop, but keep a pinkie break on their card.
As soon as they look at you, perform the pass and tell them to snap your fingers, followed by the reveal., Cut half the deck over to your left hand using the right index finger.
Using the deck in your right hand, flip over the top card of the deck in the left, which is of course, their card.
As you flip their card face-down, casually drop the bottom card of the right pile-the card you were holding separate- onto their card., Now, there should be a card sticking out from the deck, which is not their card, but they think it is.
Push the card in, and have them snap their fingers.
You them reveal the top card, which is once again their card., An easy way to do this is:
Say "It only works when you do it." and ask a nearby person to snap their fingers.
Double-lift, so their card is hidden behind the second card, which is what the spectator will see.
Hold the packet of two cards in your right hand, and the deck in your left.
Snap your own fingers, and use the packet to turn over what would be the third card from the top.
Say something like "See?"
and flip the packet of three back onto the deck.
Their card is now second from the top once more. , Flip the two cards over, and place the top card on a surface like a table.
If you are outside, place it on the ground and step on it.
Ask them to snap their fingers as you dribble the deck on top of the card you just placed on the ground/table.
As you get to the top, refrain from dribbling that card, and snap it face up to reveal that their card, even though it was buried beneath a deck/stepped on, has returned to the top., Then, you say something like "You might be skeptical because I was the one doing everything, so I'm going to let you push the card in this time." This time, slide the top card in the left deck into the middle of the right deck, with about one inch protruding.
Then, push the right packet as far away from you as possible (preferably past them, so they have to half-turn) and tell them to go ahead and push it in.
This is crucial, because it allows you to bring the left deck up to your mouth, and stick the top card in the corner of your lips, letting it hand there.
This card is their card.
Tell them to snap their fingers, but to be careful about it, because sometimes the card jumps higher than you want it to., It's even better if they don't look at you right away.
You flip over the top card of the deck, which is not their's, and they are confused.
You then repeat that the card must have jumped too high, and make a sort of gesture that gets them to look at your face.
This creates an even better affect., Then, take the card in your mouth from your right hand, and casually slide it face-up, on the top of the deck.
Now, you have two face-up cards on the top of the deck., Not so much that it creases the card, but enough that it bends.
They think that you are just folding their card, but you are folding both their card and the top card on the deck.
Once you are done folding it, flip the cards over, and cut half the deck from the bottom and slide it into your left hand.
Take the top bent card (which is not their card) and put in on the left deck, and hold it at eye level so everyone can see the bend.
Then, place the right deck on top of the left and hold the top card (their card) flat with pressure from your thumb and middle finger., Timing is everything for this part.
As the snap, relieve the pressure from your fingers on the top card so it snaps up, showing the bend to everyone.
This is extremely stunning, as they can "visually" see the card rising to the top., For this step, you need to have previously folded a card into quarters, and paper clipped it together.
Place this card in your pocket.
Distract them by re-affirming that they chose the card among 52, and how you didn't force them to take it, etc.
While doing this, slide the top card to the bottom, and using the fold you've already made on it, fold it in half, and then in half again, until it looks like the card you folded into quarters before the trick., Say that you had already predicted what card that they would pick, and had already paper-clipped that card into a packet before the trick even began.
Hold their card, now folded up nicely, in your left hand loosely.
Pass the packet into the left hand, and hold against your palm with your thumb so that the paperclip protrudes above your hand, so the audience can see it.
Then, with your right hand, slide your fingers between the card with the paperclip and your left hand, and remove it upwards, now with your right hand hiding the card and with the paperclip still showing.
You still have their folded card in your left hand.
Place the card with the paperclip in your right pocket.
You did absolutely nothing with the folded card and the paperclip, but it will seem as if you removed the paperclip from the folded card and you now hold the folded card which was in your pocket in your left hand.
Of course, you do have a folded card in your left hand, but it's not the one that was in your pocket- it's their card.
You then unfold the card agonizingly slowly, with the back towards them the whole time, then flip the card over and show to them.
Sure enough, you had guessed exactly what card the spectator would choose, folded one up from another deck, and paper clipped it, to be revealed at the end of the trick. -
Step 2: Perform a Marlo Tilt while you are distracting them with the story.
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Step 3: Ask them to snap their fingers
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Step 4: and perform a double-lift.
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Step 5: Ask them to snap their fingers once more
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Step 6: and simply reveal the top card.
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Step 7: (Optional Step) If you can perform the pass
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Step 8: riffle your thumb down the side of the deck and tell them to tell you when to stop.
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Step 9: Catch a thumb break (hold your hand palm down with the deck between your fingers
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Step 10: and have the bottom card separated from the one above it by your thumb).
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Step 11: Place the top card of the left deck on top of the right deck
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Step 12: but off center
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Step 13: and place the left deck on top of the right deck.
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Step 14: Get their card to be the second one from the top again.
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Step 15: Ask them to snap their fingers
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Step 16: and you double-lift the top two cards
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Step 17: revealing that their card "is on the top".
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Step 18: Repeat step 6.
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Step 19: Wait for them to snap their fingers
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Step 20: and if they see you with the card in your mouth
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Step 21: they laugh.
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Step 22: While they are surprised at the whole card-in-the-mouth thing
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Step 23: bring the deck (which should be in your left hand) down to your left thing
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Step 24: and use your thumb to push the top card against your thigh and flip it over
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Step 25: so it's face-up.
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Step 26: Grab one end of both cards
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Step 27: and fold the cards gently.
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Step 28: Ask them to snap their fingers again.
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Step 29: End the trick with something astonishing
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Step 30: something that demonstrates your prowess as a magician.
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Step 31: Take this packet out
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Step 32: and set it on the table.
Detailed Guide
If you've got a lot of decks, have them sign it. Anyway, tell them that the card they chose is a ruthlessly ambitious card that will always jump to the top, but only when he/she snaps his/her fingers. , When you finish the story, take their card, poke around the middle, and then insert their card above the third card.
The angle of the first card makes it appear as if you have inserted their card into the middle of the deck.
This is how to perform a Marlo Tilt:
Take the top card and lift up one end, the end closer to you They shouldn't be able to see it. , (A double is a sleight in which you lift two cards instead of one, giving the impression that the second card from the top is actually the top card).
You will of course be revealing their card.
Then, flip the two cards that seems as one over, and slide the top card into the middle of the deck.
This top card is not their card, since their card was second from the top.,, Cut the deck where they tell you to stop, but keep a pinkie break on their card.
As soon as they look at you, perform the pass and tell them to snap your fingers, followed by the reveal., Cut half the deck over to your left hand using the right index finger.
Using the deck in your right hand, flip over the top card of the deck in the left, which is of course, their card.
As you flip their card face-down, casually drop the bottom card of the right pile-the card you were holding separate- onto their card., Now, there should be a card sticking out from the deck, which is not their card, but they think it is.
Push the card in, and have them snap their fingers.
You them reveal the top card, which is once again their card., An easy way to do this is:
Say "It only works when you do it." and ask a nearby person to snap their fingers.
Double-lift, so their card is hidden behind the second card, which is what the spectator will see.
Hold the packet of two cards in your right hand, and the deck in your left.
Snap your own fingers, and use the packet to turn over what would be the third card from the top.
Say something like "See?"
and flip the packet of three back onto the deck.
Their card is now second from the top once more. , Flip the two cards over, and place the top card on a surface like a table.
If you are outside, place it on the ground and step on it.
Ask them to snap their fingers as you dribble the deck on top of the card you just placed on the ground/table.
As you get to the top, refrain from dribbling that card, and snap it face up to reveal that their card, even though it was buried beneath a deck/stepped on, has returned to the top., Then, you say something like "You might be skeptical because I was the one doing everything, so I'm going to let you push the card in this time." This time, slide the top card in the left deck into the middle of the right deck, with about one inch protruding.
Then, push the right packet as far away from you as possible (preferably past them, so they have to half-turn) and tell them to go ahead and push it in.
This is crucial, because it allows you to bring the left deck up to your mouth, and stick the top card in the corner of your lips, letting it hand there.
This card is their card.
Tell them to snap their fingers, but to be careful about it, because sometimes the card jumps higher than you want it to., It's even better if they don't look at you right away.
You flip over the top card of the deck, which is not their's, and they are confused.
You then repeat that the card must have jumped too high, and make a sort of gesture that gets them to look at your face.
This creates an even better affect., Then, take the card in your mouth from your right hand, and casually slide it face-up, on the top of the deck.
Now, you have two face-up cards on the top of the deck., Not so much that it creases the card, but enough that it bends.
They think that you are just folding their card, but you are folding both their card and the top card on the deck.
Once you are done folding it, flip the cards over, and cut half the deck from the bottom and slide it into your left hand.
Take the top bent card (which is not their card) and put in on the left deck, and hold it at eye level so everyone can see the bend.
Then, place the right deck on top of the left and hold the top card (their card) flat with pressure from your thumb and middle finger., Timing is everything for this part.
As the snap, relieve the pressure from your fingers on the top card so it snaps up, showing the bend to everyone.
This is extremely stunning, as they can "visually" see the card rising to the top., For this step, you need to have previously folded a card into quarters, and paper clipped it together.
Place this card in your pocket.
Distract them by re-affirming that they chose the card among 52, and how you didn't force them to take it, etc.
While doing this, slide the top card to the bottom, and using the fold you've already made on it, fold it in half, and then in half again, until it looks like the card you folded into quarters before the trick., Say that you had already predicted what card that they would pick, and had already paper-clipped that card into a packet before the trick even began.
Hold their card, now folded up nicely, in your left hand loosely.
Pass the packet into the left hand, and hold against your palm with your thumb so that the paperclip protrudes above your hand, so the audience can see it.
Then, with your right hand, slide your fingers between the card with the paperclip and your left hand, and remove it upwards, now with your right hand hiding the card and with the paperclip still showing.
You still have their folded card in your left hand.
Place the card with the paperclip in your right pocket.
You did absolutely nothing with the folded card and the paperclip, but it will seem as if you removed the paperclip from the folded card and you now hold the folded card which was in your pocket in your left hand.
Of course, you do have a folded card in your left hand, but it's not the one that was in your pocket- it's their card.
You then unfold the card agonizingly slowly, with the back towards them the whole time, then flip the card over and show to them.
Sure enough, you had guessed exactly what card the spectator would choose, folded one up from another deck, and paper clipped it, to be revealed at the end of the trick.
About the Author
Sandra Bell
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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