James Randi: Performing a Magic Trick
- 6 years ago
http://bigthink.com
Close-up card magic by the master.
Question: Would you perform a feat of conjuring?James Randi: I'm a bit of
an amateur at shuffling cards. Ho, ho, ho. But when a deck is as
thoroughly mixed up as this one is, many people think that there'll be a
red, black, red, black. I'm not talking about suits, now just the
color, you see. Red, black, but it doesn't happen that way. For
example here, we've got three reds; we don't need the joker in there.James Randi: Yes. And we've got oh, there's another three reds.
No, this is pretty good, the colors -- I'm just looking at the colors
now. The colors are pretty well mixed in here other than here's another
joker that we won't use in there. All right. Now. What I'm going to
do is, first of all. We suspect that the colors would be pretty well
sorted, or alternated all the way through the deck. But I'm going to
show you something rather remarkable. Here we have a well shuffled
deck, very well shuffled deck. And I want you to come over here and
just give me your hand, if you'd be so kind. Step over and join me on
the set. Okay? Now just hold, like that with the palm up, a little
closer—I see you have a rich future. Yes, well in any case. I want you
to hold half of the cards for me, would you please. And I'll hold the
other half. And I'm going to show you something rather remarkable.
Look at this.
When I turn the back over, watch this. One black card on the top and
then all of the rest of them red. Every last one. Wow! And taking a
look. Hold those for me, please. One black card on the top just to
disguise it, but in this case, each and every one of them black.Recorded April 16, 2010Interviewed by Austin Allen
Question: Would you perform a feat of conjuring?James Randi: I'm a bit of
an amateur at shuffling cards. Ho, ho, ho. But when a deck is as
thoroughly mixed up as this one is, many people think that there'll be a
red, black, red, black. I'm not talking about suits, now just the
color, you see. Red, black, but it doesn't happen that way. For
example here, we've got three reds; we don't need the joker in there.James Randi: Yes. And we've got oh, there's another three reds.
No, this is pretty good, the colors -- I'm just looking at the colors
now. The colors are pretty well mixed in here other than here's another
joker that we won't use in there. All right. Now. What I'm going to
do is, first of all. We suspect that the colors would be pretty well
sorted, or alternated all the way through the deck. But I'm going to
show you something rather remarkable. Here we have a well shuffled
deck, very well shuffled deck. And I want you to come over here and
just give me your hand, if you'd be so kind. Step over and join me on
the set. Okay? Now just hold, like that with the palm up, a little
closer—I see you have a rich future. Yes, well in any case. I want you
to hold half of the cards for me, would you please. And I'll hold the
other half. And I'm going to show you something rather remarkable.
Look at this.
When I turn the back over, watch this. One black card on the top and
then all of the rest of them red. Every last one. Wow! And taking a
look. Hold those for me, please. One black card on the top just to
disguise it, but in this case, each and every one of them black.Recorded April 16, 2010Interviewed by Austin Allen
Close-up card magic by the master.
Question: Would you perform a feat of conjuring?James Randi: I'm a bit of
an amateur at shuffling cards. Ho, ho, ho. But when a deck is as
thoroughly mixed up as this one is, many people think that there'll be a
red, black, red, black. I'm not talking about suits, now just the
color, you see. Red, black, but it doesn't happen that way. For
example here, we've got three reds; we don't need the joker in there.James Randi: Yes. And we've got oh, there's another three reds.
No, this is pretty good, the colors -- I'm just looking at the colors
now. The colors are pretty well mixed in here other than here's another
joker that we won't use in there. All right. Now. What I'm going to
do is, first of all. We suspect that the colors would be pretty well
sorted, or alternated all the way through the deck. But I'm going to
show you something rather remarkable. Here we have a well shuffled
deck, very well shuffled deck. And I want you to come over here and
just give me your hand, if you'd be so kind. Step over and join me on
the set. Okay? Now just hold, like that with the palm up, a little
closer—I see you have a rich future. Yes, well in any case. I want you
to hold half of the cards for me, would you please. And I'll hold the
other half. And I'm going to show you something rather remarkable.
Look at this.
When I turn the back over, watch this. One black card on the top and
then all of the rest of them red. Every last one. Wow! And taking a
look. Hold those for me, please. One black card on the top just to
disguise it, but in this case, each and every one of them black.Recorded April 16, 2010Interviewed by Austin Allen
Question: Would you perform a feat of conjuring?James Randi: I'm a bit of
an amateur at shuffling cards. Ho, ho, ho. But when a deck is as
thoroughly mixed up as this one is, many people think that there'll be a
red, black, red, black. I'm not talking about suits, now just the
color, you see. Red, black, but it doesn't happen that way. For
example here, we've got three reds; we don't need the joker in there.James Randi: Yes. And we've got oh, there's another three reds.
No, this is pretty good, the colors -- I'm just looking at the colors
now. The colors are pretty well mixed in here other than here's another
joker that we won't use in there. All right. Now. What I'm going to
do is, first of all. We suspect that the colors would be pretty well
sorted, or alternated all the way through the deck. But I'm going to
show you something rather remarkable. Here we have a well shuffled
deck, very well shuffled deck. And I want you to come over here and
just give me your hand, if you'd be so kind. Step over and join me on
the set. Okay? Now just hold, like that with the palm up, a little
closer—I see you have a rich future. Yes, well in any case. I want you
to hold half of the cards for me, would you please. And I'll hold the
other half. And I'm going to show you something rather remarkable.
Look at this.
When I turn the back over, watch this. One black card on the top and
then all of the rest of them red. Every last one. Wow! And taking a
look. Hold those for me, please. One black card on the top just to
disguise it, but in this case, each and every one of them black.Recorded April 16, 2010Interviewed by Austin Allen