gifted decks
If you’re like me and have accumulated a graveyard of poop decks, then this is a way to put those to use. You don’t need a ton (complete or incomplete), but having a decent collection is nice.
It’s an extension of the Gemini Twins card trick by Karl Fulves, which is based off Twin Souls by Al Baker. The original trick is everywhere on the internet and in public domain publications. You can learn Gemini Twins from Doug Conn here. Alex Pandrea also does a version here. It’s a great impromptu card trick.
My version is based off Lennart Green’s Stolen Cards. If you just watch the performance, you’ll probably know exactly what’s going on. His version is like 50 bucks, but I think that’s mostly for the fancy case and custom printed cards. You don’t really need either one of those. If you’ve been into card tricks for a year or two, you’re gonna own an unnecessary amount of cards to assemble this trick with.
Here’s my take. When your friends come over to hangout, they notice a basket filled with decks of playing cards near the door. Ideally, they’re like “what’s going on with this?” And you go “oh, I have way too many cards. Those are old, so gonna recycle them or something.” And they go “oh, can I have one?” And you go “yah, remember to take one on your way out.”
Later on, they’ll notice a deck of cards you have in a clear card box on some short of display in your living room (or however you have made it to catch their attention). “Oh, let me show you what I’ve been doing actually…” and instruct them to pick out a few decks from the basket. You go over to your shelf and remove the deck of cards on display.
Next, have them narrow down to one deck from the few they picked (equivoque or Phill Smith’s Quinta or something). Then force the two mates (that you’ve set up in all the poop decks) that you’ll be using for the rest of the process. I think forcing one card, then just removing the mate of the forced card is cool. Place these two cards face up in front of you next to the deck inside the clear cards box, and set their deck aside and out of sight. Want them to not really remember the back design.
Now you’re ready to do Gemini Twins. “The reason why I’m recycling all those cards is because collecting them was taking up too much space. So I decided to just keep one card from each deck. Here it is…” You take out the cards from the clear box (without flashing the faces) to show all the different backs, and proceed with the rest of the trick’s procedure. The two force cards will find the two cards with matching back designs from your collection. You first reveal that the backs match, then reveal their faces also match, and end with showing that all the other cards from your collections are the Ace of Spades.
Caveat: so they would’ve already seen the back design of the deck they chose. But I think that’s fine. And there will be two of the same backs from the deck. But they’re have no idea where you’re going anyways. What you could do to fix this is do this with two people and force one card from each of their decks. But then you’d have to force two decks.
When they leave, remove the Ace of Spades from your collection and give it to them so they have a complete deck.
Set up the next deck by removing the Ace of Spades and putting it in the collection. Then take any two cards and place on top and the other on the bottom of your collection deck. Then the mates of those two cards are placed where you need them to be in the force deck. Place this “new” deck in the basket on top and a little off center so they’ll pick it and a few others when time comes.
One additional thought- I wouldn’t ask them to pick their favorites or ones they like. Just tell them to grab a few off the top.
I think this is a fun one. Still pretty much self working and kinda has a little more to it than if was done in a formal show. Also, you get rid of your poop decks.