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TAP A LACK

A spectator and the performer each think of a card. The spectator is given thedeck and asked to read the performer’s mind by removing and tabling what shethinks may be the performer’s mental selection. The performer then takes the

deck and removes and tables a card that he thinks might be the spectator’sselection. Both are correct. While it is amazing enough that the performer hasread the spectator’s mind by divining a thought-of card; it is even more amazingto the spectator that she  has successfully determined the performer’s thought-ofselection.

I was first exposed to this effect while reading Allan Ackerman’s “An UngaffedTed” from his Classic Handling  lecture notes. Allan tells me he was inspired by aroutine outlined in the instructions to a deck of Ted Lesley marked cards that hehad purchased from a magic shop. My friend Rafael Vila pointed out the effect“Double Thought” from Al Koran’s Professional Presentations  as an even earlier

precursor. Clearly, the simplest and perhaps strongest method for the routine isto use a marked deck as in the instructions Mr. Ackerman received when hepurchased the Lesley deck and as Mr. Koran used in “Double Thought”. Mr.Ackerman wanted to use an ungaffed deck and resorted to a memorized stack –and his routine is exceptional. I, of course, wanted to do the effect from a shuffleddeck in use.

The effect requires that you know how to “clock” the deck. Clocking the deckmeans to remove one unknown card and then sum the values of the remainderof the deck to determine the name of the previously removed card. I know that itsounds time consuming and presentationally uncomfortable to count through the

entire deck during a performance but you will see that the clocking process needonly take up about 18 or 20 seconds and is constructed as part of thepresentation.

I’ll first explain how to clock the deck, and then I’ll outline the routine.

Clocking a Deck

This process has been around for many, many years. Stephen Minch hastracked it back to the 1700’s. In 1976 Harry Lorayne published a little bookletcalled The Epitome Location   and briefly re-popularized clocking. Mr. Lorayne’sbooklet was my first exposure to the clocking process and, fortunately, Mr.Lorayne halved the time it took to count the cards by counting only twenty-six ofthem – the reds or the blacks.

Here’s how it works: remove a black spot card from the deck and table it. Nowspread through the face-up deck and add together the values of the first twoblack cards that you come to. If their total exceeds 10, then drop 10 from thetotal. For instance, if the first two black cards you come to are the 7C and the 6S

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you would add seven and six for a sum of thirteen. Since thirteen is more thanten, you would drop ten from the thirteen and your running count for these twocards would be three . Always count Jacks as “one”. Jacks actually count foreleven, but since eleven is higher than ten you would drop the ten and arrive atthe number “one”, so you should always think of a Jack as a count of one.

Similarly, when you see a Queen, consider it as a number “two,” and a King isalways counted as a “three”.

So, with your running count of three (having added together the 7C and the 6S toget thirteen and having dropped the ten out), assume that the next five blackcards you see are:

Ace of Clubs

King of Spades

Nine of Spades

Four of Spades

Seven of Spades

To the right of each card below, I’ve shown the running count and the calculationused to arrive at the running count:

Ace of Clubs: Three (your running count from the first two cards) plus one (theace) is four.

King of Spades: Four plus three is seven.

Nine of Spades: Seven plus nine is sixteen, drop the ten for a running count ofsix.

Four of Spades: Six plus four is ten, but you drop the ten, so your running countis zero.

Seven of Clubs: Zero plus seven is seven.

After you’ve counted all 25 of the black cards, you’ll have a one-digit runningcount. Subtract that number from twelve to learn the value of the black card thatyou had placed aside earlier. Note though, that if your final number (aftersubtracting from twelve) is one, two, or three, then the card you placed asidemay be an ace or jack, or a two or a queen, or a three or a king, respectively.And, if your final number is zero, then the card placed aside earlier is either theten of spades or the ten of clubs.

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Now, it will seem like spreading through the cards and making all thesecalculations will be unwieldy and take a lot of time. Here are just four ways tospeed up the process.

1. When you see a nine, think “minus one” instead of thinking “add nine and

drop ten”. When you see an eight, think “minus two”. I learned thisstrategy from Harry Lorayne’s booklet, Epitome Location .

2. Spread about 10 cards at a time, which will usually display from three tosix black cards (the others in the spread are red), and look forcombinations that add up to ten; like ace/nine, eight/two, eight/queen,five/five, seven/king and so forth. When you see two (or three) cards thatadd up to ten, ignore them.

3. Identify other combinations of cards and their sum. For instance, when Isee a six, seven, and eight, I think “one” because the sum of those three

numbers is twenty-one and after dropping both tens I’m left with a runningcount of “one”.

4. Because the court cards initially locked up my mental processes, I made ita point, as I practiced, to identify the king/king, king/queen, king/jack,queen/queen, queen/jack, and jack/jack combinations (6, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2,respectively), to improve speed.

Using our earlier example:

7C

6S

AC

KS

9S

4S

7S

When I see a spread such as this I immediately ignore the 7C/KS, the 9S/AC,and the 6S/4S because each pair represents ten, which is zero. I only count the7S. So, rather than making eight or nine calculations, such as these:

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Seven plus six is thirteen, drop the ten for a total of three; plus one (AC) is four;plus three (KC) is seven; plus nine (9S) is sixteen, drop the ten for a total of six;plus four (4S) is ten, which is zero; plus seven (7S).

…I make just four calculations:

Seven/king drop; six/four drop; ace/nine drop; seven.

If you practice this for just an hour you will be amazed at how fast you can getthrough a whole deck counting just 25 cards of one color. With more and morepractice, you will be able to clock the black (or, of course, red) cards in less than20 seconds consistently – almost as fast as you can run through the deck.

Some randomly shuffled decks will have many combinations that you willrecognize immediately:

4S

6S

5C

5S

7C

KS

… and you’ll fly through such a deck, sometimes in as little as fifteen seconds.Note that each pair of cards, starting from the top of the list, adds to ten and maybe ignored.

Other times you’ll come upon, say, a block of ten black cards – which will startleyou for a moment until you just drop out the combinations of ten and count theothers up.

As I said earlier, once you have the deck clocked, always subtract your finalrunning count from twelve to identify the value of the card that has beenremoved. Remember too, that the number one may mean that the value is ace or

 jack; the number two may mean that the value is two or queen; and the numberthree may mean that the value is three or king; and that the number zero meansthe value of the isolated card is ten.

To determine the suit of the card, and to determine whether a final number ofone, two, or three is a spot or court card, you must backspread through the deckor square it and spread through it again. This spread through is much faster,

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however, because you are only looking for either three cards or one card. That is,if your final count (after subtracting your final running count from twelve), is three,then during the second run through (or while back-spreading through the deck),you will be looking for the either two kings and a three or both threes and a king,using the process of elimination to determine which three or king is missing. If

your final number is eight, for instance, then you will just be looking for a blackeight – and if you find the spade, then the card that had been removed is theclub, and visa-versa.

This is a quick description of deck clocking, but I believe gives you enoughinformation to successfully learn and perform the routine.

The Routine

Begin with a shuffled deck in use. The deck must have all 26 black cardspresent; so I usually just ensure that the deck is a full deck. Jokers have no

bearing on the routine so they may be present in the deck or not, although youshould check the Credits, References, and Remarks section for a note aboutJokers.

Spread through the face-up deck and note a card about three-quarters of the wayin from the face. Obtain a break below this card – it will act as your key. I always  set the four of diamonds in this position so that my key card for this routine isalways the same card. Clocking the deck involves enough mental activity, and I’drather not have to remember a different key card every time I perform the routine.Usually, I borrow a deck and spread through it quickly asking, “Is this a fulldeck?”  During the patter I establish a pinky break below the four of diamonds.Then, as the spectator answers my question, I cut the deck to bring the four ofdiamonds (and my break) to a position three-quarters from the face of the deck.So, for the purposes of this description hold the deck face up with a pinky breakbelow the four of diamonds, and patter that you will demonstrate for yourspectator how you want you’re her to select her thought-card.

Spread through the face-up deck, allowing the spectator to see the faces of thecards. Break the spread about midway such that a black spot card is at the faceof the left-hand half. Place this half-deck against your chest. You should still haveyour pinky break below the four of diamonds near the middle of this packet.While taking these actions, explain that you are demonstrating how you wantyour spectator to choose her card, “Run through the deck with the faces towardsyourself and when you see a card you like, take it and all those below it andplace them against your heart.”

“By the way,”  you say, “since we’ll both be thinking of a card, (indicate the card atthe face of the left-hand packet) I’ll think of a black card and you think of a redone. That way we cannot accidentally think of the same card, okay?”   It is very

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important that the spectator understands that she is to remember a red card, asyou will see in a moment.

Continuing, say, “Put the other cards on the table, take another good look at yourcard so you don’t forget it, and then cut this pack, burying your card. Finally,

place these with these.”  Again, as you patter, you are demonstrating the actionsthe spectator is to take, to wit: place the right-hand packet face down onto theperforming surface. Take another look at the card against your chest. Give the in-hand packet a straight cut at the pinky break (bringing the four of diamonds to thetop of that packet when it is face down), and then table the in-hand packet facedown onto the tabled packet. You are performing the mechanics of a Dai Vernonroutine here, called “Emotional Reaction.” Vernon’s wonderfully hidden use of akey card will allow you to determine the spectator’s thought-of card in a fewminutes.

You have thoroughly explained – and demonstrated – what the spectator is to do.

Also, you have managed the key card, the four of diamonds, surreptitiously to thetop of the tabled deck. You are ahead of the game.

The Spectator Chooses Her Card

Now walk the spectator through her selection process. One ruse I always usewhen doing this routine or the Vernon original is this: As the spectator begins torun through the deck to select a card, I use the back of my fingers of either handto tap the backs of the spread cards or the lowermost portion of the spectatorshands, pushing the spread closer to them and saying, “Hold them up, so I can’tsee!” This gives the impression that you want to be very fair, which is good; but italso puts the spectator slightly on the defensive, so that they are more inclined topay attention and follow your directions exactly. Also, just after you have thespectator hold the cards up, add, “And remember, you should think of a redcard.” This, of course, to ensure that the spectator does, in fact, choose a heartor diamond.

Watch the spectator closely. Once she has placed a packet against her chest,ask her this: “Your card is against you?”   She’ll either say yes, or will lookconfused. This, because every now and then, the spectator will leave theirchosen card atop the packet that is not against her chest. You must manage thespectator, and ensure that the card she is going to remember is at the face of thepacket that she holds against herself. This is easily done, but very, veryimportant. Have her place the balance of the deck face down on the table.

At this point you want to have the spectator take one more quick look at her cardto ensure that she remembers it. If not performing one-on-one, I will cover myeyes and have my helper give the other spectators a peek at the card as well. Ifyou do so, make sure that the packet is placed against her heart again beforeuncovering your eyes. Patter, “Just so there is no way that I can even get an

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accidental glimpse of your card, give those a cut.”  Here you should pantomime astraight cut with your hands up at your chest, again, directing the spectator’sactions. Her straight cut will place back of the four of diamonds against the faceof her thought-of card. Lift about half of the tabled packet and have the spectatorplace her packet onto the tabled quarter-deck, drop the cards you had lifted onto

the her packet, and the deck is once again complete. The spectator’s thought-card and the four of diamonds key card are together near the center of the deck.

Placement of the Spectator’s Thought-Card

“I will now think of one of the black cards,”   you say. Pick up the deck and runthrough its faces - close to your chest, so no one else may see. Spread three orfour cards past the four of diamonds (which, as I said, will be near the center ofthe deck) and table the right-hand packet. This tabled packet will hold the four ofdiamonds about fourth from the top, with the spectator’s selection right above it.For now do not identify the spectator’s card for yourself, just ignore it.

Take another quick peek at the face card of the packet against your chest as ifmaking sure to remember it. Of course, you ignore the name of this card. Just asthe spectator did, give this packet a straight cut. Lift about half of the tabledpacket with your right hand and then place the left-hand packet onto theremaining tabled quarter-deck. Place the right-hand cards onto the tabled deck,again, completing the procedure. Note that this procedure ensures that the keycard and the spectator’s thought-card are very near the top of the deck.

Pick up the deck and spread it face-up between your hands as you say, “Is thereany way that you could know what card I am thinking of?”   The spectator mustagree that there is no possible way. Continue, “Similarly then, there is no waythat I can know what card you have in your head, right?”   Get the spectator toagree – and they will because they correctly realize that they couldn’t give aguess as to which card is yours.

Reading One Another’s Minds

Hand the deck to the spectator and say, “I want you to read my mind and removemy card – remember that mine is a black card – and put it face down over here.”Indicate a spot on the table. When performing this routine for magicians, theyunderstand fairly quickly that they are to remove any black card and table it. Anon-magician, however, will sometimes need a little more instruction! She willask, “What do you mean?” Or she’ll say, “I can’t do that!” Simply encourage her,“Yes you can, just remember that my card is black. Read my mind, take out theblack card, and put it here,”  again, indicating a spot on the table. At this point thespectator will be game, and sometimes she’ll really act this up, which is fun. Justbe sure to watch her closely again to make sure that she doesn’t flash the face ofthe card as she tables it. And, of course, make sure the card is tabled face down.

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Retrieve the deck, saying, “Wow, that was fast! It’ll take me a few more secondsthan you…” Begin spreading the deck with the faces towards yourself and visibleonly to you. Clock the black cards as fast as you can and when you get to thefour of diamonds at the back of the spread, upjog the card to its left. This card isthe spectator’s thought-of selection. Be sure to include any black cards to the left

of the spectator’s selection in your count. “I think I have it,”  you say, “but let memake sure.”  Here, just quickly back-spread, to determine the suit of the card (orto determine whether it is a picture card or spot card and the suit). As soon asyou have determined the exact identity of the black card missing from the deck,square up and remove the upjogged card, placing it face down on the table.

As a side note here, notice that the selection procedure ensures that thespectator’s thought-card and the adjacent key card are near the top of the deck.This is so that you must run through the entire deck prior to upjogging thespectator’s selection and thus all the black cards may be clocked. If thespectator’s thought-card and the adjacent key card were in the middle of the

deck or near the face, then there would be no reason to spread past it whilecontinuing to clock the black cards.

The Denouement

“What,” you ask, “is the card you thought of that I could not possibly know?”  Thespectator will name her card. Flip up the spectator’s card and immediately say,”Nailed it! Mine was the four of spades, did you get it?”   You will see by thespectator’s reaction that she did indeed determine your thought-of card.

Needless to say, the key element of this presentation is to clock the deckextremely fast, hopefully as fast as it takes you to spread through it. Yourspectator will have absolutely no clue as to she was able to pick your card out ofthe deck.

References, Credits and Remarks

• Allan Ackerman’s terrific routine, “An Ungaffed Ted,” may be found in hisClassic Handlings  lecture notes (1999), on page 21.

• Ted Lesley’s marketed marked deck is a great utility device and probablythe most popular of the marketed mark decks in use for magical

performances – as opposed any employment at the card table!

• Al Koran’s routine, “Double Thought,” may be found in Al Koran’sProfessional Presentations , (undated), edited by Hugh Miller, on page 91.

• Harry Lorayne published his Epitome Location  booklet in 1976. The entirebooklet is devoted to clocking the deck; and, significantly, Loraynereduced the count to 26 cards by only clocking the reds or blacks.

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• Dai Vernon’s wonderful routine, “Emotional Reaction” may be found in DaiVernon's Inner Secrets of Card Magic , Lewis Ganson, (1959) on page 7.The pagination is the same as it is in the L&L Publishing reprint (1996).

•

Some years ago my friend Marty Kane pointed out that Lewis Jonesincluded some clocking information in "Speedcount" from his bookCounter Feats , (1996), on pages 22 – 26. Mr. Lewis describes someexcellent timesavers in this work.

• Stephen Minch has tracked card counting/deck clocking to theseventeenth century! He writes:

Jacques Ozanam, in his book Récréations Mathématiques etPhysiques of 1693 , mentioned an early system for adding thecards of a deck to discover the value of a missing card. ReinhardMüller found that system also in Natuerliches Zauberbuch of 1745 ,

p. 230. In Friedrich Wilhelm Conradi's Der moderneKartenkuenstler (1896) he found, on p. 100, "DerGedaechtniskuenstler" ("The Memory Man") which has thefollowing effect: A spectator takes one card from the deck, shufflesthe remaining cards and calls out the names of the cards, card bycard. The performer names at once the missing card! Method:card counting with casting out tens. In 1903 Conradi gives in hisbook Magisches Allerlei , p.102, an improvement. He adds up thevalue and the suit at the same time, in two columns of numbers.Then Conradi expands the effect, letting a spectator call out anynumber and the performer names the card at that number.

• J.K. Hartman became excited about the routine you have read here as hehad done very little work in the area of card counting and deck clocking.He subsequently came up, as is his usual way, with a couple ofoutstanding routines that employ clocking. He intends to publish a favorite,called, “Tri-Psychle” in his upcoming release: Card Dupery .

• Finally, Mr. Hartman also pointed out that Karl Fulves has published quitea few booklets on card counting and/or clocking. He writes: 

The Shamrock Code/The Parallel Principle   (2 in 1 booklet - thesecond section deals with Card Counting), 1979.

Parallel Lines , 1980.

Card Counting , 1982, reissued 2005. When Psychics Play Poker , 2004 - discusses a Speed Counting

technique at length.

In presenting the history of the technique, Fulves (in CardCounting ) cites Hooper's Rational Recreations , 1744 (!!!). He saysthat at least two methods were in print prior to 1900 but doesn't

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cite them. He does cite the March 1905 issue of Ellis Stanyon'sMagic  for an approach by an Indian magician Satya Ranjan Roy.

Along the way, he mentions a "truly new idea" by Ken Beale in"Half a Headache," Ibidem #2 , 1953. He also mentions CharlesHopkins' Outs, Precautions and Challenges , referring to "Hopkins'

220 System."

• Mr. Hartman also correctly pointed out to me that trying to create acomplete list of deck clocking references is futile as some reference willalways be missed. The above list, however, should provide some fodderfor the interested student. Fulves’ Card Counting  appears to be the mostcomplete work on the subject.

• It is extremely important to appear relaxed when clocking the deck. At first,you’ll be uptight – feeling the need to go both fast and not to make anymistakes. This stress will show on your face and in your body language.

As you become more confident with the clocking process, the stress willdissipate.

• If you end up with a running count of two and subtract it from twelve to geta final number of zero, then the isolated card is likely a ten. When youbackspread to determine which ten, you will sometimes find both blacktens. Either you have miscounted or the spectator removed a joker. Checkthe deck quickly to determine if either joker remains; if only one jokerremains, then the spectator removed the other joker. If both jokers arepresent, then you have mis-clocked the deck.

• Mis-clocking the deck is a massive drag on the effect because in order tosuccessfully complete the routine you must clock the deck again. Better togo a little slower during the initial clocking and be accurate than to go tooquickly, mis-count, and have to re-clock.

• I would like to thank Marty Kane, Stephen Minch, J.K. Hartman, andRafael Vila for helping me with the above references.

• The title? An acronym for Ted-Allan-Paul-Al---Lesley-Ackerman-Cummins-Koran.