I've noticed a few tricks where the magician deals the second card from the top, which is passed off as the top card. I suppose this is considered some mild sleight-of-hand. Is there a technical name for this? Also, do you have any tips on doing it?

On second thought, I'd like to change the subject of my post entirely... Unfortunately, there's no edit button. I may as well post my new question, though, rather than creating a new topic. I need a decent way to move a spectator's selected card to the top of deck, rather than just having them place it there and continuing on with the trick.

To answer your first question, the name of the sleight is "dealing seconds". This is no "mild" sleight. Martin Nash spent no less than 3000 hours to perfect this sleight. To watch Martin Nash deal seconds is to watch an Artist at work.
Your second question has many different answers. Doing a pass is only one way to get a chosen card to the top of the deck. Get a good book, video or better yet a living breathing Magician to teach you how to do this.
Iven

P.S. You have 30 minutes to edit a thread after you post it.

Hi Tenkai and welcome to the Café ! There are so many ways of controlling a card to the top that I suggest you pick up "Royal Road to Card Magic". It is a very good book that will teach you several ways,(overhand shuffle, double undercut, lateral palm etc.)

Maybe it is just me but the Second Deal or "dealing seconds" was the most difficult sleight for me to learn but I think I was a little over anxious and didn't get the basics first.

There are also variations on the sleights mentioned above, i.e. a riffle pass, a classic pass etc. Hundreds of ways to do it. Expert Card Technique is also a good book to get if you are through with Royal Road.
Good luck.

There's a TLC show with Martin Nash dealing seconds with the top card face up. We had the master air tape and even going frame by frame we couldn't see the move. Incredible!

As far as controlling a card to the top of the deck, there are too many ways to mention here. Royal Road is a great book. I picked a used copy of Mark Wilson's Greatest Card Tricks over the weekend. It's a short book but he does a great job of covering a lot in it.

Deerbourne