Oops control

Oops control is an informal name for a card control, in which, after having a card selected and returned to the middle of the deck, the performer spreads the cards face-down between his hands, and sees one card accidentally turned face-up. "Oops," he says, and flips the card face-down. In this action, the selected card has been brought to the top of the deck.

History

U. F. Grant described a similar procedure in "Reverse Card Location," in his Tricks With a Short Card (1932). But there, he used it as a trick, in which the reversed card was anything but accidental. In fact, the reversed card WAS the trick--it was found to be directly next to the selected card! The trick was reprinted in Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks (1937, p. 314).

The idea was first described as a covert procedure to control a card in Hilliard's Greater Magic in 1938, with credit to Grant.

Publications

• U. F. Grant's Reversed key card, Greater Magic by John Northern Hilliard (1938, p. 81)
  • Three Methods of Eliminating the Pass, Third Method, The Eliminators: Three Non-Sleight Methods of Working the Pass, Force, Palm, and Switch by U. F. Grant (circa 1943, p. 20)
  • Three Methods of Eliminating the Pass, Third Method, The Eliminators: Three Non-Sleight Methods of Working the Pass, Force, Palm, and Switch revised by Don O'Neal (circa 1975)
• Frank Garcia's Reversed Card Idea, Super Subtle Card Miracles by Frank Garcia (1973, p. 108)
• The "Whoops" Control, Card College, Vol. 1 by Roberto Giobbi (1995, pp. 68-69)