Ambitious card

The Ambitious Card is a magic effect in which a playing card seems to return to the top of the deck after being placed elsewhere in the deck. This is a classic effect in card magic and serves as a study subject for students of the craft of magic. Most performing card magicians will have developed their own personal Ambitious Card routine. In some, the basic effect is repeated many times, increasing in 'fairness', until any possible explanation has been blown away.

Related Topics:
Magic - Playing card

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The effect is often credited to French magician Gustav Alberti, in the mid-1800s. However, there is a related idea in Ponsin's Nouvelle Magie Blanch Devoilee, published in 1854, that might precede that.

Related Topics:
Gustav Alberti - 1800s - 1854

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The magician lifts the top card and shows it to the audience. The magician places the card into the middle of the deck. He or she then lifts the top card to show that it has "risen" to the top.

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In another variation, the magician has a spectator sign a card. After placing this card into the middle of the deck the card will then mysteriously appear at the top of the deck. The spectator is so amazed by this that the magician again puts the card into the middle of the deck, but this time the magician first bends the card so that it looks different from all the other cards. After the signed card is placed in the middle of the deck, the magician snaps his fingers and the spectator's card is seen to pop up to the top of the deck. This card it turned over to reveal the signed card.

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The secret is that the selected card is actually the second card from the top. The magician lifts the two top cards, showing the signed card but concealing the other card behind it. The top (indifferent) card is placed into the deck; the audience is led to believe that the signed card was placed in the middle.

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This is the basic method. Many variants have been devised, including those using 'gimmicks', props or trick cards which help to accomplish the effect.

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