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:
“I met Jack Kennedy in November, 1946.... We went out on a double date and it turned out to be a fair evening for me. I seduced a girl who would have been bored by a diamond as big as the Ritz.”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)
“And then he would lift this finest
of furniture to his big left shoulder
and tuck it in and draw the bow
so carefully as to make the music
almost visible on the air.”
—Stanley Plumly (b. 1939)