WORLD’S FASTEST This is a killer close-up/parlor effect that ends with a complete

deck switch -ready for whatever you now need a new deck for!
CARD TRICK (Stacked deck, gaffed deck, etc.) I created this effect because
Eugene Burger already came up with The Greatest Card Effect of
by Bill Abbott the 21st Century! Eugene doesn’t have a specific effect for The
Greatest Card Effect of the 21st Century. The title alone for the effect is there to create interest. Which it
does. Of course, if you were to state that you will now be performing The Greatest Card Effect of the
21st Century and proceeded to do the 21 card trick (you know, the one with 3 rows of seven), then you
will have wasted all that interest on something that clearly is not The Greatest Card Effect of the 21st
Century. Inspired by Eugene’s ingenious concept, I came up with The World’s Fastest Card Trick to
create interest, perform an impressive effect and to switch a deck
of cards (that had been previously inspected and shuffled by an
audience member) for a gaffed/stacked deck for my next effect.
This is not something I personally use for walk-around but it’s a
great opener for a formal close-up, parlor or house party show.
Anytime audience members shuffle a deck of cards you need to
allow the necessary time for that to happen. When a spectator
has to handle a deck of cards for any length of time it should be
saved for occasions when you have the full attention of the
audience, unlike most walk-around or strolling gigs.

Basic Effect: You hand the spectator a deck to inspect and

shuffle. They choose a card and shuffle it back into the deck
themselves. You hand them the card box to place the deck into
and two thick elastic bands to wrap around the card case to seal
the deck inside. The card case is placed into your empty jacket
pocket. Instantly you reach into your pocket and pull out their
selected card! You then pull out the deck, in its case, still sealed
with the elastic bands.

Props Needed & Pre-Show Set-Up:

Two thick elastic bands in your outside right hand jacket pocket.
Regular deck of cards with corner shorted card in it. (See photo 1
of corner shorted card.)
Same brand and colour deck that is gaffed/stacked for another
trick, inside the card box with one elastic wrapped once vertically
around the middle of the case and another wrapped horizontally
around the middle of the case. (See photo 2 of elastic wrapped deck)
Slip a duplicate of the corner shorted card under one of the
elastic bands of the gaffed/stacked deck. (See photo 3)
Place this deck in your rear right trouser pocket.

Creating & Handling A Corner Shorted Card:

You will need to create a corner shorted card for my handling of
this effect. I use a corner rounder found at art and craft supply
shops and is used for scrapbooking. (See photo 4 of the one I use.)
Finger nail clippers can also be used to create your corner short.
Cut a rounded slice off the card on the two corners opposite to
the pip corners. (see photo 5 of the corner shorted card). Now by
simply riffling your left thumb down the top left corner of the deck
held in dealing position, it will naturally stop at the break created
by the corner short. If you cut the cards and complete the cut at
that point the corner short will end up on the bottom of the deck.
Performing The World’s Fastest Card Trick:
“I would like to start by performing the World’s Fastest Card Trick. I think it’s important to note that the
deck used is not only normal, but it’s downright boring. Here, take it, look at it, inspect it, be one with the
deck. When you’re happy it’s unremarkable in every way, please shuffle it well.” Remove the deck from
the case and hand it to the spectator. “It’s also important to note that my sleeves will be pulled up for the
duration of the World’s Fastest Card Trick as many people have been led to believe that my sleeves had
something to do with the trick. They don’t.” Roll up your sleeves and take the deck back again. Run your
left thumb down the top left corner to locate the corner short. When you do, simply swing cut the deck and
complete the cut, placing the corner short at the bottom of the pack. As you are doing this ask the
assisting spectator, “Did you notice how dreary and mundane this deck of cards was? Before we
commence I need you to commit a random card to memory. As I run through the cards say stop and
remember the card we stop at.”

[I use the Hindu Shuffle force at this point, as cutting to the corner short puts the force card at the
bottom of the deck in perfect position for this force. Please feel free to use any force you wish. I will not
be explaining the Hindu Shuffle Force so please refer you to any of the basic card magic texts for
excellent explanations of the force. The Royal Road To Card Magic and the Card College Book #1
Chapter 11, are excellent texts to learn this shuffle force from and should be on your shelf anyways.]

Run through the cards in classic Hindu Shuffle manner and when they say stop, do so, showing the
bottom card (the corner shorted-force card), which they commit to memory. “Please remember everything
about this card, the colour, suit and value. If you forget this card, it will become The World’s Longest Card
Trick, okay?” As soon as they have committed the card to memory place the top half of the deck in your
right hand (with the corner short on the bottom), on top of the lower half still in your left hand, burying the
force card in the middle of the pack. Instantly hand them the whole pack and ask them to shuffle the
cards completely. As they do this hand them the card case asking them to place the cards inside when
they are done shuffling. “Now you have a card locked in your memory, you shuffled the deck losing it
somewhere in there and now it’s all back in this case your holding. All right we’re going to place it inside
my jacket pocket but before you do I need you put your hand inside and see that it’s empty.”

You're going to turn toward the spectator so the right outside jacket pocket holding the two elastic
bands is facing them. As you turn and push the jacket pocket towards them you will place your right
hand into your back pocket where the second gaffed/stacked deck resides. They will place their hand
inside your jacket pocket and feel the two elastic bands you placed there previously and will do one of
two things. 1. They will say to you, “I feel something in there.” And will take their hand out. 2. Or they will
say to you, “I feel something in there.” And will take out the rubber bands to show them to you.
Whatever they do you should act surprised and say something to the effect of, “What is it?” or “What is
that?” At which point you turn to your right, remove the gaffed/stacked deck from your back pocket (the
duplicate card under one of the bands should be against your palm) with your right hand and place it
immediately into your outside right jacket pocket. This is done in one motion, smoothly, directly and
without haste. Just do it. Now depending on the current situation, you will do one of two things;
1. If the elastics were left in the pocket you will remove them and hand to the spectator saying, “Right, I
forgot about these. Please wrap one this way...”
2. If the spectator has already taken them out, remove your hand and say, “Right, I forgot about those.
Please wrap one this way...”
Show the spectator in pantomime that you would like them to wrap the elastic vertically around the
centre of the card case. Once they have done that say, “Now wrap the other elastic around the case like
this...” Demonstrate again in pantomime how you would like them to wrap the elastic horizontally
around the centre of the card case. This is to make sure that the elastics are wrapped in the same
manner you wrapped the other gaffed/stacked deck. Take the deck and hold it high above your head in
your right hand and say, “Are you ready for The World’s Fastest Card Trick?” Let the audience respond.
“If you blink, you will miss it. Name your card out loud please!” Wait until the spectator has done that
then bring the case down to your right side and directly into your right hand jacket pocket placing it
behind the gaffed/stacked deck, instantly pull the duplicate card free from the elastic band on the
gaffed/stacked pack and pull it out of your pocket - display it proudly. “The 3 of Clubs!” Toss the card to
the spectator or onto a nearby table and dive right back into your jacket pocket with your right hand and
remove the gaffed/stacked pack wrapped in elastics saying, “And look the deck is still signed, sealed
and...delivered!” It’s fun to take the deck out at the precise moment you say the word, “delivered.” (the
expression ‘Signed, Sealed and Delivered’ is taken from the song of the same name made famous by
Stevie Wonder)

The End.

Clean Up
The World’s Greatest Card Trick is done and you now have a gaffed/stacked deck ready for another
serious miracle (or miracles). The only ‘clean up’ I do is to take back the duplicate card holding in my left
hand in dealing position and after unwrapping the elastic bands from the gaffed/stacked deck, I place
the cased deck onto the duplicate card. Then I remove the deck from case leaving the duplicate card
underneath and immediate place the card case into my empty left jacket pocket along with the duplicate
card.

Afterthoughts: This is really a dynamite effect that is ALL build up. The key is to get everyone’s
undivided attention when you’re holding that deck high in the air, before you perform the revelation of the
remembered card. Resist the temptation to remove the duplicate card with it’s back towards the audience
and then ask the spectator their thought-of card. This is incredibly anti-climatic and kills the momentum of
the revelation.

Oh and about that deck ditch in the pocket you’re stressing over...don’t. Practice the move a hundred
times in front of mirror to see how it looks and create the best cover you can using your right hand. Then
do it another hundred times without the mirror. Get comfortable with it. Then go out and do it. You’ll be so
glad you did. Enjoy!