Make a Card Fall Through a Table

Card tricks are a simple entry way into the world of magic. Lucky for you, some magicians do tell their secrets. Wow your audience by making their card fall through a table and then reappear before their very eyes!

Steps

Slapping the Card Through to the Other Deck

  1. Ask a friend to pick a card. Fan the cards out in front of him dramatically.
    • You can joke with him by saying, “Oh, I wouldn’t choose that one if I were you,” or pulling the deck away from him just as he’s supposed to pick one.
  2. Have him place it face down in front of him without looking at it yet. You want to make sure he doesn’t see it so that when you ask him to memorize it later, he will be distracted from what you’re doing.[1]
  3. Separate most of the deck into three piles. Place the piles face down in front of you. Keep a couple of cards in your left hand.
  4. Tell your friend to look at his card and memorize it. While he is doing this, sneak a card from your left hand into your right hand. Keep your palm down so the card is hidden.[1]
    • It will take practice to get this move down. Start by practicing on your own. Then, invite a family member or friend to practice with you and point out what’s working and what’s not.
  5. Have your friend put his card face down on the middle pile. Tell him to take one last look at it before it goes through to the other side of the table.
  6. Ask your friend if he wants you to slap the deck or pound the deck. Slap it to demonstrate, then pound it to demonstrate. When you slap it, let go of the card you have hidden in your right hand and leave it on top of the middle deck.[1]
    • Slapping the deck is just a decoy to get the hidden card from your right hand onto the middle deck. Tell your friend it is part of the magic.
  7. Pick up the top card from the middle deck. Your friend will think this is his card, but it is the card you had hidden in your right hand. Move this card to the top of the pile on your right.
  8. Pick up the deck on your left. Add the middle deck to the top of the deck you just picked up.
    • Your friend’s card will now be on the top of the deck you are holding.
  9. Tell your friend that you are going to slap his card through the table. Put the deck in your hand under the table with your left hand. Simultaneously slap the deck on the table with your right hand.[1]
  10. Bring the deck back up from below the table. Have you friend lift card from the top of your deck to reveal his card.
    • You can blow on the card before you extend the deck to your friend, and say to be careful because the card can get hot because of the speed it needs to reach to get through to the other side of the table.

Sneaking the Card to the Middle of the Deck

  1. Set up the trick. Take the card from the bottom of the deck and flip it over so that it is facing up. Place it back on the bottom of the deck.[2]
    • Be sure not to do this while anyone else is around or you will reveal your secret.
  2. Ask a friend to pick a card. Put the card face down on the bottom of the deck, so it’s underneath the card you turned over.
    • The card you turned over will serve as a marker so you know where your friend’s card is.
  3. Put the deck face down on the table. Push down on it with one finger and blow on it, pretending you are pushing the card through to the other side of the table.[2]
    • The card has now, presumably, fallen through the table.
    • You can make it seem strenuous, as though it takes a lot of effort to push it through to the other side.
    • Ask your friend to help you blow on the deck to gain more momentum.
  4. Fan out the cards one section at a time. Show your friend that his card is not in the deck. Add each section to the bottom of the deck, facing up.
    • When you reach the card you turned over at the beginning, stop. You know your friend’s card is right below it.[2]
    • Now, all the cards, except your friend’s card, are facing up. It looks like you’ve gone through the entire deck and his card isn’t there.
  5. Cut the deck in half. Place the deck on the table. Knock on the table to pretend like you’re getting the card back from the other side of the table.[2]
    • Play up this moment by acting nervous, like you hope it will come back from the other side.
  6. Do the big reveal. Fan out the deck, face up on the table. There will be one card face down.
    • Tell your friend to pick up the card that is face down. He’ll flip it over and see that it’s his card!

Tips

  • Make the trick more dramatic by adding your own flair. You can add sounds to make it seem more complicated.
  • For the first method, practice sneaking the card from your left hand to your right hand before demonstrating the trick to a friend.
  • Narrate the trick. Tell your friend what you want him to think you’re doing. For instance, when you demonstrate slapping and pounding the deck, tell him that you will be slapping the card through to the other side of the table. This adds an element of distraction.
  • Make as much eye contact as possible. If you are looking directly at your friend while performing the trick, he’ll be more likely to look at your face than at your hands, giving you more leeway to perform your magic.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikFv5hlMeS4
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDpj1dt_4jg
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