ImPULSEable Card Trick

Effect

The magician shuffles that deck and then has the spectator choose a card. The spectator remembers her card and places it back into the deck. The magician then shuffles the deck and spreads it out across the table face up. He then asks for the spectator to extend her hand and stick out her pointer. Next, he gently holds her by the wrist, getting her pulse. As he is reading her pulse, he begins guiding her hand over the face up cards on the table. After a pass or two over the cards, he singles out one card: the spectator's card!

Method

1. Begin by riffle shuffling the deck. As you perform the riffle shuffle, peek at the bottom card of the deck and memorize it.
2. Now spread the cards in your hand, and allow the spectator to take one and memorize it. Just after the spectator removes a card, split the deck into two halves at the location where the spectator removed her card.
3. When the spectator has memorized her selection, extend the original top half of the deck out, and ask the spectator to place her card on top.
4. Next, place the original bottom half of the deck on top of the spectator's card. In effect, this places the key card you memorized from earlier on top of the spectator's card.
5. Now, perform a few loose overhand shuffles. A quick overhand shuffle shouldn't separate the key card from the spectator's card.
6. After shuffling, ribbon spread the cards face up on the table from left to right. Make sure that every card's value is visible.
7. Now ask the spectator to point at the cards with her first finger.
8. Take her by the wrist, explaining that you will use her pulse to find her card.
9. After getting her pulse, slowly moves her hand along the cards. Make a few passes for effect.
10. Then, move her hand back towards the ten or so cards surrounding the key card.
11. Gently lower her hand until her pointer rests on the card to the right of the key card. It should be her card!