Card Between the Jokers

This might be the best magic trick on all of TrickMagic.com. It's been featured on magic.about.com, and even in magic classes by other magicians. This is a twist on a classic card trick that I've created, so you won't find it anywhere else. Take some time and learn this trick.

Effect:

The cards are spread out between the magician's hands and the spectator is instructed to touch one card somewhere in the middle of the pack. The touched card is turned face up. The deck is squared up, and the spectator cuts the deck several times. The jokers found the card! One joker is on top of the card, and one joker is right below the selected card. Truly a card masterpiece!

Secret:

First, get the jokers on the top and bottom of the deck as you shuffle the cards (you can pretend to count the cards to "make sure they are all there" or something.) Don't make it obvious. Once the jokers are on the top and bottom of the pack, do a couple fake shuffles. You can do a quick overhand shuffle and just leave the two cards in their place. Every good card trick becomes much better with a good shuffle.

Now, spread the cards out between your hands (like you would if you were fanning the cards in your two hands). Ask the spectator to TOUCH one card.

Then you just outjog it about an inch. (This means move their card toward them, but it still remains in the deck). Now if they touched a card near the middle, you should have about half the cards held in the left hand, and half in the right - but still in the fanned/spread out position. This is the hard part.

Use the cards in your right hand to push down on the right side of the selected card and the left hand's cards to push up on the left side of it.

This should flip the selected card face up.

Square up the cards, have the spectator cut the deck as many times as they want (single cuts only).

Now spread the the cards out again and set them on the table. Pause. Say something like "Ohhhhhh the seven of diamonds!" Right now you should have their card sandwiched between the jokers, and the hard work is done.

Now it's time for the fun. Wave your hands over the deck and do something that looks a little magical. Have a member of the audience speak to the deck and say "Jokers...Find the Card!!"

Now build up the drama...
If you're using a table, move the three cards forward away from the rest of the deck. Turn all the other cards face up to show that there are no jokers in either pile. "No Jokers Here. No Jokers in this pile either!" Have them turn over the card right above and the card right below the face up card. Yes, the jokers have found the card!

Extra tip on making this magic trick even more successful... give all the credit to the jokers. A round of applause for the jokers. Thank the jokers personally. Not only will this make it a more memorable magic trick, your audience will give you more credit for not being a self-centered magician, and they'll like you even more. I promise.

I've done my best to explain this trick, but if you wish you can purchase a video explanation at MagicTrickVideos.com for a just few dollars. If you haven't already visited MagicTrickVideos.com, and you want to learn magic tricks - you better check them out.