WYSIWYG
by Werner Miller

Werner Miller is a retired teacher of mathematics, whose hobbies are recreational mathematics and magic. A magical inventor and writer, Werner has produced a prolific volume of work, mostly what he calls “semi-automatic” card tricks based on mathematical principles. He is the author of "Fast von selbst", "Alles Miller oder was", "Ratatouille", more than 300 trick contributions to various magazines and web sites and more than 30 related computer programs. In addition, Werner is also a staff member of the German magazine "Magische Welt", a columnist for the British magazine "The Magician", and regular contributor here at Visions. Werner's first English-language book, Ear-Marked, is available here.

The letter "S" in the acronym "WYSIWYG" is not for the word "see" as you might expect but for "spell": "What You SPELL Is What You Get", and this is exactly the plot in the following application of the "Josephus Problem". When spelling e.g. "R-E-D" or "B-L-A-C-K" (as in "J. O'Seph", two issues ago) it would add to the effect, when you can prove that the card falling on the last letter is indeed of the color just spelled before the card is eliminated and the spelling is repeated.

To accomplish this, you may proceed as follows.

Openly deal two 16-card packets, one consisting of red cards only, the other one consisting of black cards only.
Turn away. Ask the spectator to decide on either packet, shuffle it, and deal the cards face down into two equal piles. Then the spectator is instructed to select a card from the other packet, the remaining cards of that color are discarded. Have the odd-colored card placed on either pile, and the other pile dropped on top to bury it (see figure).

Turn back. Take the combined packet, and give the cards two Reverse Forward Faros thus positioning the odd-colored card 11th from the top.

Then deal the cards singly side by side into a row. Recap that there are red cards and black cards there, either a majority of red cards and a single black card or a majority of black cards and a single red card. Announce that you are going to eliminate all the cards of the dominant color so that the odd-colored single card would be left.

Ask for the dominant color, and spell it from left to right, tapping a card with each letter. The card that falls on the last letter is turned face up - it is indeed a card of the spelled color - and removed. Repeat this procedure (wrap around if necessary) until only one card is left; it will be automatically the odd-colored card.

Particularization
a) 16 red cards + 1 black card

b) 16 black cards + 1 red card

Note
There is no need to deal the cards into a row. Probably you will find it more comfortable to have them all in a packet shifting a single card from top to bottom with each letter. Try it!

Werner Miller