by David Kenney

Effect: A red card (for example, the Four of Hearts) and a black card (for example, the Seven of Spades) are chosen by a spectator. The spectator selects which card to hold onto and the performer the other. The performer stabs the Four of Hearts with a pencil, clearly making a hole through the card. The card is turned face down, the hole rubbed, and it's seen to be restored. When the card is turned over, it's seen to be the Seven of Spades, the card the spectator was holding. The spectator lifts their hand and reveals the Four of Hearts, complete with the hole in the center. This card is then restored, leaving both the Seven and the Four undamaged.

For the sake of consistency, this write up will use the cards listed above, but this could be done
with any cards of your choosing, however when choosing a card to “stab” I recommend picking a card with a “white” or “non-pipped” center.

Needed: This effect uses no gaffed cards, but it will require three duplicates – say the four of hearts. Take two of those cards and “pre-stab” them in the center with a sharpened pencil. For a clean punch, I recommend making a smaller hole first with a sharp object and then following through with the pencil. Make sure your pencil creates the hole from the face of the card to the back of the card. After making the holes – do your best to seal them back by rubbing the card between your fingers – getting the card as “flat” and as “clean” as possible.

Set up: From the top of the face down deck, your set up should be: both pre-stabbed red cards, followed by the Seven of Spades (any random black card will do) the rest of the deck in any order and then the bottom card should be the non-stabbed four of hearts “reversed” (or rolled over).

Presentation: Removing the deck from the box, swing cut and hold a break and perform a riffle force asking the spectator to say “stop” at any time. Cut the deck to the break and reassemble your set up. As you close the deck up – be sure to keep the “hole” under your dealer’s thumb. It should not be too visible, but keep an eye on it.

Holding the deck in a dealer’s grip, “Let’s use the card that you stopped me at, and the random card underneath it.” As you say this push the top card of the deck aside with the thumb and reach over with the free hand and with your free first finger and thumb, catch a double lift on the next two cards and pick up the entire packet of three. From an exposed view, both sides should look as though you are flashing only two cards.

“So we have the four of hearts and the seven of spades.” Lay the packet of three back onto the deck briefly to deposit the bottommost card (the 7S). “So let’s put the rest of the deck aside.” Lay the deck on the table as you keep the other two cards (both facedown 4H’s) slightly jogged apart. After the deck is tabled, place one card in the opposite hand, keeping your thumbs on the “holes” and perhaps “spin” the cards for fun. “Now, I want you to pick either the card in my left hand, or the card in my right.” At this point it does not matter which hand they pick, but make sure you let them know it is their choice.

Once they chose, have them lay one hand out palm up – and place the card face down onto that hand keeping one finger on the hole still to supposedly hold it in place. “I want you to feel this card on your hand,” push it up and down with your finger. “All the way until I remove my finger. Take your other hand and sandwich my finger and the card together.” Now, undercover of the spectator’s hands push down on the card once more. “Do you still feel the card in your hand?” They do. Remove just your single finger slowly – showing your hand empty.

Turn over the card in the other hand still keeping half the card hidden and comment, “Well, I seem to have got the four of hearts – here – watch this.” Pick up the pencil and raise the card to
slightly face you – just enough to shield the initial penetration – and push the pencil through.
At this point, you have nothing to hide so show the effect from all sides. You want to milk this,
allow the spectator to really see that this is a real event they have just seen.

Pull the pencil free and show the hole in the card with the card facing the spectator. “I bet it would be a neat trick if I could make this hole heal itself. I am a Magician, so let’s try.”
Proceed to rub the card from the front and back with your finger tips, again trying to close the hole as best as possible. Pretend like you were successful and show the spectator your lame attempt.

“Not that good, huh?” You frown. “Well tell you what, it was the pencil that ruined the card, maybe it should be the pencil that fixes it.” As you say this pick up the tabled deck and lay the punctured card on top of the face down deck. Retrieve the pencil with the free hand end emphasize with the eraser end when talking about “fixing” the card. Proceed to try to erase the hole with the eraser end of the pencil, feel free to kick up a lot of eraser residue on the back. “That should do it, let’s just brush all of this off.” Make a few brushing motions and execute an erdnase color change allowing the topmost two cards to exchange places under the motion. Blow on the back of the card to simulate cleaning off the last remaining eraser bits.

Lift the topmost card from the deck (now the 7S, back facing the audience) “How does THAT look?” Drop the hand holding the deck to your side and casually roll the deck over. The spectator looks at the card and they nod that it looks healed. “Well it should look healed because actually I didn’t heal it at all, this is YOUR card.” Turn the card and reveal. “Go ahead – open your hands.”

Drop the 7S to the table face up and motion to the spectator with your outstretched hand. “All right, let’s heal that card for real,” Take back the card and lay it on top of the rolled over deck.

Now you are again going to pick up the pencil, erase the hole, and execute the erdnase color change to switch the two top cards. Push the newly restored card off the deck with the dealer’s thumb, hand the card to the spectator for examination and lay the pencil on the table.