Petit Pinetti
This is an unusual packet trick I developed when writing an article on Professor Pinetti, one of the most colourful conjurers from the late eighteenth century. For this reason, “Petit Pinetti” is an excellent way to educate your audiences about the long and rich history of magic in an entertaining manner.
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On This Page
Effect
Background & Credits
Requirements & Preparation
Method & Presentation
Performance Tips & Additional Ideas
Afterthoughts
Effect
A small packet of cards is shuffled thoroughly. Then, a single card is picked randomly by dealing a card to the table for each letter in the name of Professor Pinetti. The interesting part is that a member of the audience is free to spell the eighteenth-century conjurer’s name in one of seven different ways!
Once the spelling is complete, the top card is turned face up, revealing the King of Hearts. You congratulate your participant on successfully locating “Petit Pinetti”. You further explain that the King of Hearts represents Professor Pinetti, and if the audience member had chosen a different spelling, then the top card would have been different.
You hope your audience will suspect that all the cards in the packet are the same. You admit that this is, indeed, the case. The cards are spread face up to reveal fourteen identical Jokers!
Background & Credits
This trick uses Paul Curry’s Swindle Shuffle, first published as part of a trick called “A Swindle of Sorts” in Paul Curry Presents (1975).
Requirements & Preparation
You’ll need one King of Hearts and fourteen identical Jokers with matching back designs to perform this trick. Arrange the cards so that the King is on top of the packet.
Get a piece of paper and write down the following list of names on it:
- Pinetti
- Professor Pinetti
- Chevalier Pinetti
- Giovanni Pinetti
- Giuseppe Pinetti
- Giovanni Giuseppe Pinetti
- Professor Giovanni Giuseppe Pinetti
Method & Presentation
Keeping the cards face down, shuffle the King to the bottom of the packet, then run seven cards and drop the remainder on top. This shuffling sequence positions the King eighth from the top/bottom of the packet and gives the impression that the cards have been randomly mixed.
Continue by saying, “Now that the cards have been thoroughly mixed, I want you to randomly choose one by spelling the flamboyant Italian conjurer’s name. He went by many different names and held several esteemed titles. In France, the self-styled professor was known as Chevalier Pinetti. Some sources state his first name was Giovanni, while others say it was Giuseppe. How do you want to spell his name?”
Give your participant the choice between the seven different names written on the piece of paper:
- Pinetti
- Professor Pinetti
- Chevalier Pinetti
- Giovanni Pinetti
- Giuseppe Pinetti
- Giovanni Giuseppe Pinetti
- Professor Giovanni Giuseppe Pinetti
Once they’ve decided on one, deal one card for each letter in the name into a single pile on the table. When you reach the end of a word, drop any cards remaining in your hand on top of the ones on the table. Amazingly, no matter which spelling your participant selects, the King will always end up on top of the pile!
Turn the pile’s top card over to display the King of Hearts and say, “Look, you’ve managed to locate Petit Pinetti! If you had chosen a different spelling, a different card would have ended up on top. He had another name. He was also known as the King of Cards.”
Turn over the list to display the “KING OF HEARTS” prediction as you deliver that last line. Wait for your audience to become sceptical, then say, “I know what you’re thinking. Maybe all of these cards are the same. Well, you’re right. They’re all Jokers!”
Spread the cards on the table to display the fourteen duplicate Jokers.
Performance Tips & Additional Ideas
The list on paper plays a vital role. It helps you remember the correct spellings and emphasises that the names on the list have different lengths. This creates an illusion that choosing a different name would lead to a different outcome, which is false.
If you want to perform this trick using a standard deck of cards, you may do so by utilising fourteen black spot cards. Simply replace the duplicate Jokers with these cards.
One way to involve your volunteers more in your magic is to let them perform most of the actions themselves. It is possible to do this with “Petit Pinetti”.
Start with the King of Hearts on top of the packet and hand the cards to your assistant. Instruct them to deal a card onto the table, then shuffle and cut the remaining cards in their hand. Ask them to repeat the process by dealing another card to the pile on the table and shuffling and cutting again. Ask them to keep doing this until all the cards are on the table. This action moves the King to the bottom of the pile while still giving the impression that the participant has thoroughly shuffled the cards.
You must now transfer seven cards from the top to the bottom of the packet. To do this, take the cards back and demonstrate how to deal the cards using the word “Pinetti” as an example. Your participant can spell any of the seven names (including “Pinetti”) to arrive at the King of Hearts.
If you have a particularly compliant participant, you can let them do all the work. First, shuffle the cards so the King is at the eighth position from the top (or bottom) of the packet, then hand the cards to a spectator. From this point on, you should not touch the cards. Guide them through the Swindle Shuffle and let them repeat the shuffle as many times as they want. Then, explain how to spell/deal to "randomly select a card." This approach gives the trick a more hands-off feel. However, I prefer to retain more control, and, in most situations, I perform the Swindle Shuffle and dealing myself, highlighting the randomness of the handling.
Afterthoughts
Even though this is a simple self-working card trick, the presentation makes it a very unique piece of magic. It gives you the opportunity to tell your audience about one of the most colourful characters from conjuring’s rich history.
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