Find out how this Mickael Chatelain Card On Ribbon magic trick is done.
How the selected playing card could avoid the ribbon which threaded through the deck of cards inside the box.
I am going to reveal this closeup magic card trick step-by-step, with supporting pictures and video snippets.
Welcome to another post from the Info Ruckus Magic Trick Secrets Revealed series.
Where I answer the popular question: how are magic tricks done?
How magic tricks work, or what is the secret behind magic tricks?
The magicians refer to it as the method; the secret technique uses to create the illusion of a magical effect.
As a magic enthusiast, I love to seek out how magic tricks and stage illusions work.
Not so much on the mechanics of the tricks, but more to the psychology behind magic.
How magic tricks play with our perceptions and expectations; thus creating a sense of wonder and mystery.
In fact there are various similar versions of this classic magic trick already available in the market.
That include, “Hollow Hole” by Marcello Contento, “Loop Hole Deck” by Rob Bromley, and “Houdini Card (Escape) Mystery” by Charles Gauci.
Card On Ribbon by Mickael Chatelain is promoted as the classic card magic in a completely new version that baffles even those who perform the original effect.
According to the French magician Mickael Chatelain, his gimmick is different from the others.
READ ALSO: Super Hole By Mickael Chatelain Secret Exposed And Explained
Effect:
A playing cards box has a hole at the front and the back side.
Inside it is a deck of cards also with holes aligned with the two holes of the box.
Spread out the deck of playing cards and ask your spectator to freely choose a card.
If you want you can have the chosen/selected card signed by the spectator.
Insert the selected card back into the deck, and then slot them into the box.
Next slip a short length of ribbon right through the case of playing cards.
The ribbon should thread through the full deck of cards inside the box.
Now apparently, it is impossible to free any card without damaging it or by cutting the ribbon.
Magically, with your thumb and forefinger, you pull out one card from the deck with the hole still intact.
Furthermore, it is the card chosen or selected by your spectator.
To end the amazing penetration trick, the ribbon still binds the rest of the cards inside the case.
Watch Card On Ribbon by Mickael Chatelain below:
Mickael Chatelain Card On Ribbon Explained
The way Mickael Chatelain inserts the selected card into the deck in the video, I guess he places it on top of the deck.
He never clearly shows the chosen card is truly lost among the deck.
In addition, at the end of the trick, you can see his fingers are right behind the case lid flap, when he pulls out the chosen card.
Obviously, it must be the very first card in the deck.
Here are two two close-up views of Mickael Chatelain’s fingers right behind the tuck-in flap of the case.
You can see the others from the images below.
Furthermore, you notice they have a difficulty of pulling out the selected card from the box.
It is because of the method of the trick, which I am going to explain soon.
Secret Seen Through The Hole
To further confirm the chosen card is indeed the first one of the deck, I observed the front hole in the box.
Evidently, I could see the pulled-out card movement through the hole from the videos.
Watch the hole closely from 1:42, you can see the white border of the card being pushed downward before it is pulled up.
Similarly you can see the white border of the selected card movement through the hole in this video at 1:39.
So is this video clip, where you can clearly see the movement of the first card through the hole in the case at 1:45.
Knowing that it will reveal the trick secret, this video tries to block the hole by covering it up with the French word “INCROYABLE!” (incredible!).
Finding Selected Card Magic Trick Secret
Now let’s explore together how the close up trick Card On Ribbon by Mickael Chatelain is done.
How the first card or the selected card could avoid being threaded by the ribbon.
The obvious solution is to bypass the ribbon, the selected card has to be placed slightly higher than the rest of the cards in the box.
To do that, then the top part of the card would be at the top fold flap of the box, as illustrated below.
Then the face of the card would be visible, as shown below.
Then, how does Mickael Chatelain manage to hide the card from being seen?
After the Mickael has threaded the ribbon through the box, from the side view I could see there is an extra piece of card on the top fold flap.
In Mickael Chatelain’s demo video, you cannot see the front view of this white card clearly, is because the video was shot in the harsh sunlight.
But you can see this extra white color piece in all the other video clips.
From this video at 3:36, you can clearly see it behind the cover flap.
Here are two more images captured from the other Card On Ribbon video clips in YouTube.
This picture is taken from a website.
I reckon this white color card must be the one hiding the raised spectator’s selected card.
Blank Face Gaff Card
One possibility is, this white color card is a blank face gaff card which is popularly used in card tricks.
It can use to camouflage the white color of the inner face top fold flap.
Before the trick is performed, it is placed as the FIRST card of the deck inside the case.
So how does this blank gaff card hide the selected card, and it is higher then the rest of the playing cards?
Like many other gimmicked card tricks, I suspected it either uses magnets and/or double-sided tape.
For this trick, I think Mickael Chatelain uses both magnets and double-sided tape.
To hide the selected card behind the gaff card, it is most likely it uses the double-sided tape.
It is because the selected card can be any one from the deck, so concealing a magnet in each card is out of question.
A small strip of double-sided tape is stick onto the back of this blank face gaff card.
As I have mentioned above, the selected card is placed as the FIRST one in the deck.
It means the selected card is attached to the back of the blank face gaff card by the tiny strip of double sided tape.
Card On Ribbon Trick Uses Magnets
The next trick is how to have this set of cards (the selected card together with gaff card) tacks onto the top fold of the flap.
Obviously it uses magnets to hold up these two cards.
There must be a piece of magnet concealed inside the blank face gaff card.
Then there must also have another magnet hidden inside the top fold flap of the case, as seen below.
Remember, in the beginning of this post, I highlighted they have trouble pulling out the selected card?
If my guess of trick is correct, it is likely because the selected card is stick behind the blank face gaff card, which is magnetized to the front flap of the case.
Moreover, they have to act as if the selected card is somewhere among the deck, and not the first card.
Another thing which rouses my suspicion how the trick is done, is the way they slot in the cards into the deck.
Besides Mickael Chatelain himself in the demo video, the rest of them struggle to slip in the deck of cards into the box.
Most probably it is because they have difficulty attaching the gaff card together with the selected card to the magnetized top flap of the case.
Now, with the selected card has been raised higher than the rest of the cards, the ribbon would miss its hole.
The selected card is not threaded by the ribbon, hence it can be freely pull out.
So, this is the trick behind the Card On Ribbon by Mickael Chatelain.
Finding Selected Card Tricks Books
Here are some magic tricks about finding the selected card by various methods and with different props.
The list of books below are from the Info Ruckus Free Books Google Search Results Page series.
I have included a book for each of the trick, so you can learn how it actually works.
NOTE: I just show you how to find them online, and which websites to look for these copyrighted books from Google search results pages (SERPs).
I do not linked them to the third-party websites which hosted these books, to avoid copyright infringement, except those in the public domain.
From the book below, it is called Cleopatra’s Needle: Selected card hangs at the ribbon’.
Magic For Beginners By Harry Baron
To get this free online, type: Magic For Beginners by Harry Baron pdf in Google search.
The Card, Ribbon And Envelope: Selection in deck, other selection pierced an threaded on ribbon, ribbon-card changes to first selection, second selection travels to envelope
New Era Card Tricks By August Roterberg (Public Domain)
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
The Card Angler by Stuart Robson: Selected card attaches itself on end of ribbon in hat.
The Jinx Issue No. 35, August 1937
To get this book free online, type: The Jinx Issue 035 pdfcoffee in Google search.
The trick is also found in this Ted Annemann‘s own book.
Annemann’s Card Magic: An Unabridged Republication Of The Two Volumes Edited by John J. Crimmins, Jr. Ted Annemann’s Full deck Of Impromptu Card Tricks, With 48 Illustrations By Nelson Hahne
To download this book free online, type: Annemann’s Card Magic pdfcoffee in Google search. It is also found in: Z-Library.
Card And Ribbon Effect: Ribbon with gummed sticker in pocket, selection vanishes from deck and is found attached on ribbon
Half -A -Dozen Hummers By Bob Hummer
To find this book free online, type: Half A Dozen Hummers by Bob Hummer kupdf or Half A Dozen Hummers by Bob Hummer pdfcoffee in Google search. It is also available in: Z-Library.
This trick is also found in this book on page 11.
Bob Hummer’s Collected Secrets By Karl Fulves
To get this book online, type: Bob Hummer’s Collected Secrets By Karl Fulves pdfcoffee or Bob Hummer’s Collected Secrets By Karl Fulves pdf in Google search. It is also found in: vdoc.pub and Z-Library.
The Cardboard Prisoner by Peter Warlock: deck put in paper bag with ribbon through it, selection penetrates onto ribbon
Unconventional Magic By Lewis Ganson
To download this book, type: Unconventional Magic By Lewis Ganson pdfcoffee or Unconventional Magic By Lewis Ganson kupdf in Google search. It is also found in: Z-Library.
Similar Ribbon Through Card Trick
This is a simple, but an effective penetration trick with a card, an envelope, and a length of ribbon or cord.
The secret is there is a concealed slit at the bottom of the envelope.
First show the spectators the card with a hole in the middle.
Then bring out the gimmick envelope and hold it in the palm of your hand.
Slip the card with a hole into the envelope, but secretly push it in until the hole is not aligned with the envelope holes in the middle.
Now the part of the card which slipped out through the envelope bottom slit is hidden in your palm.
Seal the envelope and thread the ribbon or cord through the holes of the envelope.
Then secretly slip the whole card back into the envelope.
With your thumb and fingers hold onto the bottom of the envelope.
Ask two spectators to each hold one end of the ribbon or cord.
Use a pair of scissors to cut the bottom of the envelope, where the hidden slit is and pull out the card.
It appears the card has passes through the ribbon or cord.
This ribbon penetrates card magic trick is taken from the book by below:
110 Amazing Magic Tricks With Everyday Objects Compiled And Edited By Marvin Berglas
To get this book free online, type: 110 Amazing Magic Tricks With Everyday Objects epdf or 110 Amazing Magic Tricks With Everyday Objects pdf in Google search. It is also found in: Z-Library, libgen.li, slideshare.net and studocu.com.
DISCLAIMER: This post is only for informational purposes. All books, images and video clips are copyrighted to their respective owners. All content cited is derived from their respective sources.