You will learn the 10 best card forces plus tricks to go with. Some are easy, some will take practice. Every card force here is excellent.

• CLASSIC FORCE
• DRIBBLE FORCE
• RIFFLE FORCE
• HINDU FORCE
• CUT DEEPER FORCE
• GLIDE FORCE
• CULL FORCE
• CRISS CUT FORCE
• PILES FORCE
• COUNT FORCE

10 WAYS TO FORCE A CARD

CLASSIC CARD FORCE

The cards are spread and your spectator takes one. That’s it! This is the mother of all card forces, the absolute best one. Click here for the ultimate classic force resource – a $10 video download teaching you everything you need to know to master the classic force.

TECHNIQUE

FORCE CARD IN CENTER, PINKY BREAK ABOVE: Start with your force card on top. Overhand shuffle injogging the first card. I like to set the force card about 20 down in the deck. Pick up at the injog and get a pinky break above your force card as you square up. Keep the deck squared up tightly so there are no openings.

THE SPREAD: Open your left pinky kicking the top packet over a tiny bit. Let go of your break. You should see a small step on the left side of the deck. That is your force card. Spread the cards and keep your eye on your force card.

THE SELECTION: “Please grab a card.” Spread the cards lightly, slowly, and casually. This is a timing thing. Move the cards slightly toward your spectator. As their hand gets close situate the force card conveniently right in front of them, spread a tiny bit more than the others. Spread the rest of the deck yet don’t move the position of your force card.

NO-NOs

• Don’t cut the deck immediately before you do the classic force.
• Don’t have a huge break or step above your force card.
• Don’t push the card out or be obvious.
• Don’t go fast.
• Don’t lean forward or be aggressive or pushy.

PRO TIPS

The classic force is not 100%. If they are NOT going to take your force card, accept it. Don’t use the classic force in a high-pressure situation where you are dependent on forcing a card. The classic force is an advanced card technique that takes practice and guts. Take the time to learn the classic force and it will serve you well.

If you have passed your force card and your spectator hasn’t taken it, do this to get one more try- Turn your head and close up the deck. Act as if you thought they already took a card. Realizing they haven’t yet taken a card, apologize and try again.

When getting into card magic and performing card tricks you should learn to shuffle cards. Check out How To Shuffle Cards – A Complete Guide.

CLASSIC FORCE TRICK

EFFECT: Write down a card on a piece of paper. Deck is shuffled, card is picked. Your prediction matches. You explain the trick is easy, all the cards are the same. The cards are flipped and they are all the same, yet different than the selected card.

NEED: A deck of all the same card and one different card.

HOW TO DO IT

Start with the different card on top of the deck. Write down the card on a business card or piece of paper. Classic force the card. Show your prediction matches. Tell them it is easy, all the cards are the same. Flip over the cards for the kicker ending.

DRIBBLE FORCE

The cards are dropped one at a time and your spectator says stop. First, you must learn to dribble the cards correctly.

DRIBBLING THE CARDS

Pick up the cards from above with your right thumb at the inner edge, your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers at the outer edge, and your 1st finger curled on top. Press down with your curled 1st finger creating tension. Let the cards fall off your thumb one at a time. With practice, you can dribble very smoothly.

TECHNIQUE

FORCE CARD IN CENTER, PINKY BREAK BELOW: Start with your force card on top. Slip cut it to the center with your left thumb as you lift up the top half of the deck with your right hand from above. Get a pinky break below the force card. Place the top half on top.

THE SELECTION: Lift up and dribble some cards in the top packet. Maintain your break. Doing this is a great convincer. “I’m going to drop cards, when you want please say stop.”

THE GRIP: Pick up the break with your right thumb and hold the deck the same way you would normally when dribbling cards. You can dribble them into your other hand or onto the table.

Have your spectator say stop as you dribble the cards. Time it so you only dribble the cards below the break. The secret to this move is to watch their lips.

PRO TIPS: Keep the break as small as possible, while still feeling in control. In real-time, spectators won’t see a small break in the deck. Practice until you feel comfortable dribbling cards while holding a break. Tilt the break away from their eyes when performing the force. A softer more worked in deck of cards is easier for dribbling smoothly.

DRIBBLE FORCE TRICK

NEED: Standard deck

EFFECT: Cards are dribbled on the table. Your spectator says stop, and you magically produce the four aces.

HOW TO DO IT

ACE ON THE TOP AND FACE OF EACH PACKET: Start with the aces on top of the deck. Cut one to the bottom. Lift the top half of the deck with your right hand and slip cut the top card onto the bottom packet. Place the top half back on top, hold a break. Repeat the slip cut, this time get a break below the card. When you put the packet on top the ace will now be in the correct position at the bottom of the top packet.

Dribble force the cards on the table. Grip the top packet with your left thumb on top, 1st and 2nd below. Pick up the bottom packet with your right thumb on top, 1st and 2nd below.

TOSS PRODUCTION: Slightly squeeze the packets and toss them onto the table. Hold onto the top and bottom cards. Friction will keep the cards in your hands.

Flip the aces over and display.

RIFFLE FORCE

Run your left thumb along the corner of the deck until your spectator says stop.

TECHNIQUE

FORCE CARD IN CENTER, PINKY BREAK ABOVE: Start with your force card on top. Overhand shuffle injogging the first card. I like to set the force card about halfway down in the deck. Pick up at the injog and get a pinky break above your force card as you square up. Hold the deck in left-hand dealer’s grip. Keep the deck squared up tightly so there are no openings.

THE SELECTION: Tell your spectator to say stop as you run your left thumb down the upper left corner. Maintain your pinky break. When they say stop bring your right hand over to lift the top packet from above. Grip it with your thumb at the inner edge, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at the outer edge, 1st curled on top. Drop the break with your left thumb and lift up at the pinky break in the back.

PRO TIPS: This should be done in a casual way. Don’t make a big deal of it. Don’t ever ask your spectator if you should go a few more cards. When they say stop, cut the deck, that is it.

HINDU FORCE

You take small packets off the deck until your spectator says stop.

TECHNIQUE

FORCE CARD ON THE BOTTOM: Execute the Hindu shuffle taking small packets into your left hand. Tell your spectator to say stop. When they say stop tap the right-hand packet on the back of the cards in your left hand. Lift up the right packet and show the bottom card, your “force card.” Place the packet back onto the cards in your left hand.

PRO TIPS: This is a strong force and a real fooler. Go slow, don’t rush it.

HINDU FORCE TRICK

NEED: A deck plus an extra card with a different colored back.

EFFECT: A card is picked, and changes color.

HOW TO DO IT

Start with the different colored card 2nd from the bottom. Center Hindu Shuffle the cards 1 or 2 times.

CENTER HINDU SHUFFLE: Instead of doing the Hindu shuffle with the whole deck, pick up half the deck and do the shuffle. This leaves your cards on the bottom untouched.

Bury the top and bottom cards. You have done a very convincing sequence. Hindu force the bottom card. Show it. Place it back in the center. The rest is presentation. Wave over the deck. Spread the cards showing one has changed color. Show it is their card.

CUT DEEPER FORCE

Your spectator lifts off a small group of cards and flips them face up, and repeats. You spread to the first face down card. It is your force card.

TECHNIQUE

Start with your force card on top. Have your spectator lift off a small group of cards, about 10 or so, flip them face up, and place them back onto the deck. Tell them to do this again, yet this time lift off a larger group of cards, more than 10. There will be a group of face up cards on top of the deck.

Spread the face up cards until you get to the first face down card. Tell them to look at this card and remember it. This is your force card. Turn all the face up cards face down on top of their card so their card is buried in the deck.

PRO TIPS: Be very clear with your instructions here. Spectators have no idea what you mean. Usually when you tell them to lift a small packet of cards they will lift half the deck. You really have to stress “10 cards or less please.”

CUT DEEPER FORCE TRICK

NEED: Standard deck of cards.

EFFECT: A random card is cut to. You had it’s mate in the card box.

HOW TO DO IT

Start with the card in the card box and its mate on top of the deck. Do the cut deeper force.

GLIDE FORCE

Cards are taken off the bottom of the deck one at a time until your spectator says stop.

TECHNIQUE

Start with the card on the bottom of the deck. Hold the deck from above with your right hand. Peel cards one at a time off the bottom of the deck with your left 2nd finger. As you peel the first card push back the bottom card and take the 2nd from bottom card. Keep taking the 2nd from bottom card until they say stop. Then take the bottom card.

GLIDE FORCE TRICK

NEED: Standard deck of cards.

EFFECT: This is basically a stop trick, a very good one.

HOW TO DO IT

A card is selected and controlled to the bottom of the deck. I use a cull (see details below). Start taking cards and tell your spectator to say stop. They stop on their card.

CULL FORCE

A card is touched, and squared with the deck.

TECHNIQUE

Force card is 5th from the top of the deck. Spread the top 4 cards and hold them as a unit with your right thumb on top, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers below. Push over the top card (5th card) with your left thumb. Move the 4 cards as a unit back to completely cover the top card. With your left thumb clamp down on the left edge of the 4th card. Pull the hidden card beneath the spread with the pads of your right 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers.

Move everything in your right hand to the right. When you feel your force card clear the deck and become loose underneath, spread the cards for a selection. Tell your spectator to touch one. When they do, break the deck and square up the one they touched against the other packet. Show the force card.

CULL FORCE TRICK

NEED: A standard deck.

EFFECT: A card is touched, and you instantly find it’s mate.

HOW TO DO IT

Start with two mates, let’s say the KC and KS. Place one on the bottom of the deck and one on 5th from the top. Do the cull force. Place the packet on the table. Flip over the rest of the deck showing the mate.

CRISS CUT FORCE

“Lift off about half the cards, place them down, and I’ll mark the spot you cut to.” Place the deck on the table. Have your spectator lift off about half and place the packet down on the table. Pick up the remaining half and place it on top of the packet at an angle. You need a brief time delay. Draw their attention away from the cards. Explain something quickly. Come back to the cards, lift up the top packet, and show the top card of the bottom half.

PRO TIPS: This is another casual force. If used sparingly it can be very strong.

PILES FORCE

You lift off small packets of cards until your spectator says stop.

TECHNIQUE

FORCE CARD IN CENTER, PINKY BREAK ABOVE: Start with your force card on top. Overhand shuffle injogging the first card. I like to set the force card about halfway down in the deck. Pick up at the injog and get a pinky break above your force card as you square up. Keep the deck squared up tightly so there are no openings.

PILES

You will slowly lift off a total of 4 piles. Make 3 piles as you say-

“I’ll make piles, and when you’re ready, please say stop.”

Don’t stop and don’t say anything, lift off your next pile and place it down. Your force card is at the top of the remaining deck. Lift off your next pile and place it down.

Your spectator will say stop either as you place down the 4th packet or the 5th packet. Either way pick up the force card and show it.

If they don’t say stop, place the rest of the deck down, side jogged on the tabled packet. Act as if they waited too long. Lift up the cards, get a new break, and repeat.

PRO TIP: This is a great way to have your spectator either find their card or find one of a four of a kind.

COUNT FORCE

Your spectator gives a number between 1 and 10. You tell them to count down to their number and remember the card.

TECHNIQUE

Your force card is on top. Ask for your spectator’s number. As you explain what you want them to do, count to their number, and mime the actions. While doing this you are setting your force card to the correct position. Hand them the deck and they will count to their number, your force card.

BEST CARD FORCES

If I had to choose the 3 best card forces I would say the classic force, the dribble force, and the riffle force. If you master these forces you will always be prepared to perform a card miracle. Vary your forces when performing card magic.

HOW TO FORCE A CARD ON SOMEONE

The key is to be casual and nonchalant about it. Don’t make a big deal about the selection process. Make sure your technique is smooth and flawless. Go right into your force and your spectator will do what they are told. Your spectator should not know a card was forced on them.