exploring out of this world part 3

Rounding out this ootw series (pt1, pt2) here. Let’s get right into it.

Here’s what happens. You give the deck a quick shuffle, and have the spectator remove a group of cards from the middle of the spread. You have them remove a random card from the middle- let’s say it’s a red card- and place it face up on the table. Then from the same packet, they will remove all the cards they think are definitely red and place them face down on top of the face up red card then discard the rest. They remove another group of cards from the middle of the spread, and take out another random card from the middle. Let’s say this time is a black card. They repeat until you’re down to two cards. And they get a super fair choice- either one goes to each pile or both can go to one of the piles. With zero moves, the red pile is revealed to have all red cards, and the other all black cards.

A quick heads up - you’ll need to mark 2 cards. No biggie. I just take scissors and make tiny scratches in the non-pip corners of two cards. This makes it not completely impromptu but you only need to do it once, and you’ll always have 2 marked cards for other tricks. I mark them slightly different for this reason. So, I think very worth it.

SET UP - from top of face down deck- super easy:
13-ish black cards // marked card // all red cards // marked card // rest of black cards.
Or the inverse- 13-ish red // marked // all black // marked // rest of red.

TO PERFORM - let’s assume we’re using the first set up.

To shuffle, I do an Ireland shuffle type of thing except by pushing cards off the top from one hand to the other instead of overhand. So, start by pushing off small groups of cards off the top into the other hand. When you see the first marked card, make sure to take all the cards above it first then just the marked card, then continue with groups of cards after. Keep pushing off groups of cards until you see the 2nd marked card, and do the same thing. You can do this shuffling overhand too.

Spread the cards in your hand and have them remove a group of cards from the middle. Just make sure it comes from between the two marked cards- which should be super easy. When you coalesce the cards you’re holding, execute a cut. This will inverse the set up so now you have:

Group of reds // marked card // all black cards // marked card, rest of reds

They can give their cards a quick mix, then randomly remove one from the middle, and place it face up on the table. It’s a red card- so you ask them “of the rest, which ones do you think are definitely red?’ They place those on top of the tabled red card, and start a discard pile with the rest.

Repeat that same process- except this time they’ll be removing a group of black cards, then adding the remaining cards to the discard pile.

You don’t always have to cut- you can play this by feel to break up the pattern. Unlike the version in part 2, this is so much easier to track because of the marked cards. No counting or remembering anything about how you set up. But for the sake of clarity, we’ll alternate between the two colors for this explanation.

Basically you can easily alternate between removing red and black cards with a cut after they remove from the middle.

When your remaining cards get small, you can just up jog what’s in between the two marked cards for them to remove. By this point, they get it- and the choice of the groups of cards that are being removed from the deck isn’t too important.

You’ll get to: marked card // rest of cards // marked card. Up jog everything in between the two marked cards to give them, “take these, and leave two for last.”

“For these last two, there are a few choices. Either both of them couple be red, or both of them could be black, or one is red and one is black. Here, take them, do a quick mix, and decide where they go. They could both go in either pile, or one each. Up to you.”

And whatever they choose, they will ALWAYS get it right.
With a caveat. But a cool caveat.

For those of you who made it this far- I purposely left this out of the set up before.

SET UP PART 2 - multiple outs.

Before you perform, remove the mates of the two marked cards and place them face to face inside the card box. Remember which card is facing which way (e.i. the larger value is on top and face down). Their choice is revealed with multiple outs.

TO PERFORM (Con’t) - Their choice doesn’t matter.

*If they put both cards in either pile, either the red pile has 1 black card or the black pile has 1 red card.

• Orient the box so the correct card is on top, which will be face down. Take out both cards as one from the box, with the matching mate facing down. Ditch the face up one on the face up cards on top of the face up spread that the odd card is in- it should be the same color. Here’s one way:

*If they put one card in each pile.

1. They’re both correct colors, and match each pile.
   Do nothing, ignore the box, everything went according to plan.

2. They’re both odd colors.
   You can do something like this so both come out face down:

One last step- to center the odd card in the middle. I pick up one of the piles and have them pick up the other, and we both turn them face up. Then we take cards one at a time from the face and move them to the back of the packet. And do this for a bit, and then spread the cards on the table. The odd card (if there is one) will be repositioned to the middle.

Clean up. I don’t think you need to worry about it much. But if you want, since they are in groups of alternating color, just give them a couple riffle shuffles.

And there you have it. The “worst case” scenarios are actually the best case scenarios. You get the extra kicker that they missed one. And it’s super easy to do.

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Personally, I like this version, but the part 2 version doesn’t need marked cards. While you can practice tracking the groups of cards smoothly, the method itself doesn’t lend as naturally to that. But if you like that version, the ending is the exact same.

If you tried out the stack (14r/14b 8r/8b, 2r/2b, 1r/1b), you would have found that you’re left with two extra cards. While you’re setting up, make sure these 2 leftover cards are mates to the last two cards. These cards are the predictions, and will live inside the card box face to face. Again, remember which one is which.

But if they’re not marked, how do you know which out it will be? You don’t. And you don’t need to. All you do is just go into the reveal as if they got all of them correct, and you’ll know what to do once you see the outcome.