First the question, then if you want, why I'm asking as the reason for the question is a bit long.

Is there a way to mark/bend/crimp a card or packet of cards so that when a spectator shuffles the deck the selected card is more likely to end up on the bottom?

Thanks.

Matt

P.S. Here's what led to this question. I perform the slop shuffle from Royal Road. The premise is a story about doing a card trick in Arkansas and how a big hillbilly mixed the cards up for me but I still found the card. I got to thinking what I could do if someone wanted to see it again, not immediately again, but another day again. My thought was to have them select a card and return it, then, since they've seen the trick before, have them shuffle the cards and return deck. I would then reverse the bottom card and cut, spread the cards and oops it's not their card. That's because that's not my Arkansas deck. What was your card? Because this is my Arkansas deck - invisible deck. But then I thought it would be cool to try to get it right the first time so what would increase the odds of a known card ending up at the right place after someone else shuffles.

Anyone else have problems with their mind wandering and then having to go around the neighborhood looking for it?

No offense, but this sounds like a BAD idea to me. There are more ways of controlling a selected card than I know of, but hoping that the spec is going to unknowingly shuffle their card to the bottom, the top, or some other specific location, is just a bit too much!

Generally speaking, if the magician lets the spec shuffle, then the card to be controlled is no longer in the deck anyway, if you know what I mean.

If you keep on studying and reading about card magic, you'll realize that the effect you are doing is a variation on the
'triumph' routine. There are quite a few different handlings for this effect of cards being mixed face up and face down, and then righting themselves. The very first trick in the 'Royal Road...' has a quickie way of doing this, with two halves of the deck going face to face. So you could do this instead, and bypass the need for a selection altogether. Just as a quick, off hand demonstration of course, not a full blown routine.

Also, if you like the idea of having spectators handle and shuffle the cards, and I do like this idea, then you will find a really excellent routine in the keycards chapter of 'Royal Road...'

I'm not too keen on the idea of introducing an Invisible deck as a 'Arkansa's deck or whatever. The implication is that you need a special deck in order to do this. And that is an implication that is a little too close to the truth for comfort. Invisible deck is a great routine in and of itself anyway. It is not really improved by having a card selected from another deck. The strength of ID is that a card is freely named, etc.

If it is any consolation, I have to admit that I have had some pretty bad ideas. I'm not going to tell you about these though.

good luck, Paul S.

You can try working this miracle with the infinity crimp, I get people to cut to their cards all the time.. I'm sure you can work it so they shuffle their card to the bottom somehow....

But why??? All the work!!! Geeeezzzz!

A nice Kelly bottom placement will work fine....

Here's an idea. Force a card that has been prepared a la Gary Ouellet's "ProControl."

That way, you can find their card without even looking no matter where it is in the deck.

Then, with only the bare MINIMUM of handling, you can control their card to wherever you like while you chat with them.

Ha!

you can use a short card. riffle force or do a standard spec peak force and it will be an easy matter to cut their card to the top or bottom for your palming pleasure.