A double lift is a sleight of hand used by magicians in card magic. It is a method by which the magician can keep the identity of the top card secret by lifting the top two cards at once while making it seem as if only the top card is displayed. Hence, the audience is tricked into believing that they are shown the top card in the deck where in fact they are shown the second card. There are different ways to perform this sleight, many of which allow variations such as a triple lift or even a quadruple lift (turning over three or four cards over as one respectively).
Some versions of the Ambitious card routine rely almost entirely upon this sleight. In combination with a few other mechanics and good showmanship, entire acts can and have been made out of this single move.
Famous quotes containing the words double and/or lift:
“You spotted snakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen.
Newts and blindworms, do no wrong,
Come not near our Fairy Queen.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Lift up your hearts, my brothers, high, higher! And don’t forget about your legs either! Lift up your legs as well, you good dancers, and better yet—stand also on your heads!”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)