How to Set up a Fantasma Blank Deck

All of the backs of the Svengalli deck will look exactly the same.

Fantasma is a company that produces specialty magic trick items like trick card decks. A blank deck, or "Svengali" deck, contains 52 cards like any other deck, except 26 of them are completely blank; these cards are also slightly shorter than the others. The other 26 cards are normal height and have faces printed on them. When set up correctly, you can riffle the deck in one direction and see normal cards; when riffled in the opposite direction, the faces will disappear.

Instructions

1. Separate the card deck into two piles -- one with all of the cards that have faces and the other with all of the blank cards.

2. Shuffle the cards with faces so they will not appear in order when you riffle through them later.

3. Combine a new pile of cards by alternating from the two different piles. The cards will now alternate between normal and blank depending on which direction you riffle the top of the deck.

Tips & Warnings

• Never allow a spectator to examine your Svengali deck as it will give away the trick.

References

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Street Magic; Tom Ogden; Oct. 2, 2007