Short For Sorcery

By Richard Robinson

The magician shuffles the deck, or someone else can. He riffles the ends of the cards, asking a spectator to tell him when to stop. At that point he cuts away the top cards and extends the rest of the cards towards the spectator, asking that the selected card be taken, looked at and returned.
A quick shuffle, then the magician declares the card gone, existing only in the spectator's imagination. He riffles slowly through the deck. The spectator does not see his card.

The magician informs the spectator the card was never in the deck to start with. He says the reason he knows that is because it is in the card box. The spectator opens the card box and discovers a single card inside, the one he selected.
Short For Sorcery is based on an effect briefly described by U.F. Grant and essentially uses the Svengali deck principle without needing a Svengali deck. Despite the method being reliable, it requires the proper handling, especially when slowly riffling the cards to show the selected one is missing. This takes some practice to ensure the cards are riffled slowly so that every card in the deck is briefly seen.
Setup
A deck of cards, one of which has been trimmed down at one narrow end to make a short card. A duplicate of this card which is left in the card box.
Handling

The right hand holds the narrow ends with fingers and thumb, pulls up on the cards and lets them escape slowly as the spectator is asked to say 'Stop.'
Lift off the cards above the short card and extend the left hand, asking the spectator to take the card he stopped at.

Above left: side view: Slowly riffle through the cards. The short card will not be seen.
Above right: spectator's view: Each card is momentarily visible, but the selected card is not among them.
Performance
Shuffle the cards, then cut the deck at the short card and complete the cut. This puts the short card somewhere near the center of the deck.
Hold the deck in the left hand, backs up in dealing position. The right hand moves over, takes hold of the narrow ends with fingers and thumb, pulls up on the cards and lets them escape slowly as the spectator is asked to say 'Stop.'
When the spectator indicates enough is enough, lift off the cards above the short card and extend the left hand, asking the spectator to take the card he stopped at, look at it, and return it to the deck.
Replace the top stock, shuffle the cards and again cut the short card to the center of the deck.
Take the ends of the deck in the right hand, turn the deck face up and with the left hand providing some support, slowly riffle through the cards. The short card will not be seen, and the spectator will admit that his card is no longer in the deck.
Ask the spectator to pick up the card box and look inside where he will discover his selected card. This provides enough activity to palm off the short card. Or it can remain in the deck for further use.