Card Warp is an impressive 2 card trick, published by Roy Walton, in 1973. It was originally a 2 card trick but Card Warp has been reworked by numerous people over the years. As amazing as the trick is, I just never really got into it. Being only 2 cards is a major draw for most performers, but to me it was too simplified. When you bring out 2 cards and do such a visually stunning trick – you know the cards are gaffed. That was my thinking, anyway.
Then I saw a full deck presentation that really impressed me. The deck is spread, 2 cards are chosen in what looks, and feels, like a free choice. Then the 2 cards are used for Card Warp. Adding the deck really made the trick for me. Maybe it is over-complicating a perfect trick… but I immediately liked it when I saw it.
The Effect
The effect is that 2 cards are folded in half, one on the short side, one on the long side. The cards are inserted into each other and when you slide the inner card back and forth, the cards warps between the front and back of the card.
The Secret
The secret is deceptively simple, as many magic secrets are. The card folded longways is prepared in advance, with a tear. The handling will reverse half the card to make it “warp”.
Rip the card along the long side, in the middle of the card, into the center of the card. On a bicycle deck there is a heart on the back and the dot in the center that you use as your guides. You use one gimmicked card, and one ungimmicked card.
The Handling
I will explain the trick as the 2 card trick, then show the extra step for the full deck routine.
This is the front and back of the same 2 cards. The red backed queen is ungimmicked. The blue backed nine is gimmicked.
When displaying the cards keep the gimmicked card in the back, and use your finger and thumb hide the tear in the card. Have an audience member fold the ungimmicked card in half along the short side. While they do that, you fold the gimmicked card lengthwise.
Tip – When folding the gimmicked card, you will want to hold the torn portion very tightly, so the card does not shift. If you are not careful the card can spread and one end will be straight, one end may show the corner too low. Also, make sure to let some of the untorn side hang over the torn side, to hide the tear.
After the cards are folded you insert the thick (ungimmicked) card into the thin (gimmicked) card. It will look like you are just sliding the card in, but this where the tricky part happens. Kick open the top of the torn card to allow the ungimmicked card to slide inside the top of the torn card, but outside the bottom of the torn card.
Bring the ungimmicked card almost to the bottom of the gimmicked card. Stop about 1/8 of an inch from the bottom of the gimmicked card. If you pull the card too far down you may expose the double corner of the gimmicked card.
Start opening the cards, with the faces pointed to you. Keep your hand covering the exposed back of the cards as you open the cards. While opening the cards, slide the ungimmicked card down to hide the torn card.
Reverse the fold of the cards, leaving the face of the cards exposed. Hold the opening of the ungimmicked card (queen in this example), to form a channel for the inner card to slide in.
Move the gimmicked card through the ungimmicked card and as the front facing portion of the card goes in… the back facing portion of the card will come out. The card appears to have warped. You can watch the video below to see my patter for the routine. I say the magic has gone wonky in some older cards and the magic causes weird warps on the cards. You can use any patter than fits your routine.
After pushing the card through a couple times, you stop the card halfway through to “trap” it midwarp. Move your thumb and finger to the lower corner and begin to rotate the warped card out. The corner of the card, and your grip will block the torn portion. You can bring the card out surprisingly far.
You can turn your hand over to show both sides of the cards. Your thumb and forefinger should block all the gaffiness.
Bring the warped card back to the middle to “trap” it again. Now feel for the tear in the card, and fold both cards along the tear. Fold back and forth a few times and rip both cards in half. If you rip the cards along the already torn piece you will get a great presentation.
You can show the 2 pieces fairly and they will see one side is the face of the card, the other side shows the back of the card. Remove the ungimmicked card and set the 2 pieces back together. Then unfold the warped card to show the front of one, and back of the other.
After showing that the warped card almost fits back together, turn one piece over and show that it fits perfectly, and is the same card.
Full Deck Handling
The basic 2 card routine is very impressive, but I prefer to do it with a full deck and a “free” choice of cards by the assistant (I think of the volunteer as my scene partner).
To set up the full deck you will be making a two-way force deck. Half the deck will be ungimmicked and half the deck will be torn. I like to use different decks so there are numerous backs. You can watch the video below to see my patter fits this routine and deck setup.
Rip about 26 cards, leave about 26 ungimmicked. The exact number really does not matter, and it does not really matter if there are duplicates. The aces do not display well, so after filming the video (and making that mistake) I removed the aces from the deck completely.
Deck Setup
To set up the card warp deck put the ungimmicked cards on the table. On top of them add a marker card. I use a joker with pencil dots on the back. That way I can spot the card from either direction and know which portion of the deck I am in. Above the joker add the torn cards. Place one untorn card on top, to hide the ripped cards.
Hold the deck in a mechanics grip, backs up, with the tear towards your right. Spread the cards to show the backs – be aware that the top portion has the tear so do not spread them too far. Square up the deck and rotate the deck end over end. You want the deck to be face up and the torn portion to your right.
Now you can spread the cards to give a free choice in the top half (ungimmicked) of the deck. Outjog the selected card and begin spreading to the lower half of the deck (gimmicked). Again, they get a free choice of that portion of the deck. Outjog that selection, but not as far. You want to keep the torn bit out of sight.
Set the 2 cards on the table, ungimmicked card on top, and put the deck away. You are now in the original 2 card position.
I really like the full deck presentation more because it feels so much fairer. They do not know it is a two-way force deck, and they do get a free choice… in each half of the deck… It looks and feels very fair. I think coming from a full deck and what appears to be a free choice really makes the magic of the trick stronger.
To watch the video of the presentation, handling, and patter, please go to our YouTube channel at FreeMagicFun.
