How to Perform the Magician's Force

How to Perform the Magician's Force

This classic magician's force is one of the most impressive in all of magic. Somehow, the magi allows the spectator to select pile after pile, and card after card, only to end up with one card on the table... the spectators selected card. All the work is performed by the spectator, seemingly outside of the control of the magi.

How is this accomplished?

Let the spectator pick a card. Perform a false cut or two, keeping the spectators card in a position known to you. If he/she places their card on top of the deck, for example, perform a couple of false cuts, leaving the selected card on top. From this point, the magician is prepared to perform the Magicians Force.

Divide the deck into three or four piles on the table. Quietly keep track of which pack has the selected card on top. Ask the spectator to choose two piles. If he selects two piles, neither of which contains the selected card, then quickly scoop those two up and set them to one side, saying " Good, you have eliminated two piles and that leaves us with two piles." If they pick two piles and one contains the chosen card, then quickly scoop up the two piles NOT picked and say " Good, we'll keep the two you selected and eliminate the others".

Now, you can divide the two piles into four piles and repeat the above. At this point you are down to about a dozen cards or so, and can spread them all on the table, keeping your eye on the selected card and always keeping it 'in play'.

Once you are down to three or four cards, lets say three, ask the spectator to pick two. If one of them happens to be the selected card, eliminate the card not chosen. If the selected card is the one not chosen, then eliminate the two picked cards and say.. " and we are left with only one.." Either way, you have eliminated all the cards except the chosen card, and when it's turned over... wow...