This is a card sleight by which you can keep the identity of the top card of the pack secret by apparently showing it to your audience – when in fact you are really showing them the second card.

How to perform the double lift sleight of hand:

Square the pack up well in the left-hand – it being in the face down position. Next bring the right-hand over the pack with the thumb of the back of the pack and fingers at the far end. Go through the motions of squaring the end of the pack and at the same time make the ends of the pack a little wedge shaped by pressing back with the right-hand fingers. Using the ball of the thumb at the back end of the pack, lever up the ends of the two top cards and slip the left little finger tip underneath.

Now you have the cards in readiness and the audience should not able to see the slightly raised edge of the top two cards at the back of the pack. Using the right-hand thumb on the face of the second card down and the first finger on the back of the top card nearest to you, raise the back end of the top two cards and turn them over revealing the face of the second card down.