Here is a very easy, but effective trick you can do anytime!
What you need:
A pack of cards.
Know the CrissCross Force.
The ability to act.
To Perform: Take a pack of cards and shuffle them. Then, place them on the table. You must now perform the Crisscross Force. This will allow your spectator to choose a card from the pack, but it will be the card you want him to choose! (Practice the Crisscross Force until you get the timing right. It's so easy, you may overlook its effectiveness. I still use this force in my shows!) Before you go on, if you don't know the Crisscross Force, please read about it here. Let's say the card is the Four of Clubs (4C). The pack is on the table in "crisscross" fashion (Step 4). You must now break your friend's attention (Step 5). Talk about presidential elections and how no one trusts the contenders. Ask your friend to imagine that he (or she) is now vying for the President's office and he should lie his pants off! Now, continue with Step 6 of the Crisscross Force, allowing your friend to look at his "chosen" card. Tell him to remember his card, but now must start lying about it. Tell him he can either lie of tell the truth ? whatever, but you won't know what he is doing. Here's where your acting ability (or lack of) will come into play. Start asking questions about the card. Is it a number card? Is it red? Is it black? Is it a high card? Just ask a series of five or six questions. But throughout this interrogation, pause and reflect on each answer. "Is it a black card?" "No." "Hmmmm." [pause] "I detected a small change in your pupil size.... Is it a low-numbered card?" "Yes." [pause] "Hmmmm. You're very hard to read. You could be lying but I suspect you may not be." etc. Just keep asking questions. It doesn't matter what he says or you say ? you already know it's the 4C because you forced the card. Then, just stare into your friend's eyes and say, "You would never be able to become President; you're way too transparent. Your card is the Four of Clubs!"
It's a good trick. Learn the Crisscross force, too. It's a great tool to have.
