If, while performing the "Lazy Man's Card Trick", the spectator chooses one of the bottom 13 cards, the trick is over and you will have to perform this trick instead. I call this, "Plan B." But this trick is no less impressive than "Plan A."
While the selected card is being shown around, avert your eyes. (While you're averting your eyes, take a discreet glance at the bottom cards of the deck and note which of the clubs is missing.) Now, you know the identity of the chosen card. That card may now be freely returned to the pack and freely shuffled. The shuffling will destroy any evidence of your "stack," so see to it that the deck is shuffled thoroughly.
Spread the pack face up on a flat surface. Pretend to memorize the order of the pack in exactly 60 seconds. Have someone time you. Be convincing here. Unleash the inner drama kid. Look at the cards. Mumble to yourself. Get stuck. Go back a few cards. (Secretly take note of the cards surrounding the selected card.) Take note of long runs of black cards or red cards, and mention them out loud. You are acting, but you should still try to notice things. Break a sweat. Crying would probably be too much.
Turn your back and instruct the spectator to move the selected card to a different part of the spread. Further instruct the spectator to "wiggle all of the cards around a little bit" so that no trace will be left. Turn around again.
Begin studying the cards. Squint. Sigh. Mumble. Notice the missing card. Notice something is not quite right. Notice the additional card in the new location. Put it all together. Hesitate. Calculate. Mention the Pythagorean Theorem. Call out the identity of the chosen card and remove it from the pack. Toss the card gingerly aside. Accept your well earned applause.
Next: "Plan C."
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