Two card Fitch Cheney Rusduck (full deck as target)

In my original post using a clear clip that was a 16th inch wider than a deck of cards I thought that there was just three binary bits available to express the value of a target card.
The first (pointer) card oriented up is binary "1".
The second (pointer) card oriented up is binary "2"
In the holder if the two cards slid to the right 1/16 inch is binary "4".

This 3 bit assumption meant the restriction to eight different values (total values 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7) for a target card and thus the deck needed 2 halves (about 1/2 for the pointer cards and the other half for the potential target cards).

I had forgotten that there was an extra binary signal available based on whether the higher card of the two cards was first or second. This extra signal allows us to have it be the binary value "8".

This changes a lot of things and simplifies the algorithm because the total binary value can directly (1=Ace, 2=2, 3=3,...12=Queen, 13=King, 14=low joker, 15=high joker) represent the value of any card in the deck (including all the diamonds and all the pointer cards ie: the target card can be any of the 54 cards).

So here is the new better way:
We still need the pointer cards to be the only cards in the top 22 (or a few more if using the Jokers in the top half or if using some USPCC court cards as pointer cards).

The rest of the deck is after the pointer cards.

When doing the trick the magician spreads the deck in his hands face down (really just the top half) and says to the spectator "take any two cards, these will be our spies to take to my assistant".

After a spectator selects the two spy cards then the magician can spread the whole deck face up and tell the spectator to select any card as a target card and put it face down on the table. The magician also says that the assistant in another room will try to reveal that target card based on the two spy cards.

The clear clip is crucial for this full deck method.
3.5 x 5 Inch Acrylic Picture Frame:

https://a.co/d/hnvysC0

I use a hacksaw or band saw to cut off much of this so that I end up with a very flat two pieces of connected plastic at the bottom. The width is about a 16th inch wider than a playing card. The top back part is about an eighth of an inch higher than the front part. The total height is about 2 inches.

You could use a standard paper clip and just attach it on the bottom of the two spy cards and slide it a little bit to the right to indicate the binary value "8". But I like the clear clip because the 16th of an inch for the binary value "8" will be obvious to the assistant but nobody else.

The clear clip backside of the clear clip is about an eighth of an inch taller than the front. That way when the two cards are placed into the clip the assistant will know which is the front and which is the back of the two card group. This is not part of the binary signal itself but just a way to know the "front" and to know the suit (based on the two cards).

After a spectator selects the two spy cards a spectator selects a target card from anywhere in the deck.

The magician arranges the two cards in a special way and always puts the clear clip on the bottom of the two cards together and has the spectator take the two cards in the clip to the assistant from which the assistant reveals the target card.

How is this done:
Let's call the two signal cards (one way pointer cards) card A and card B.

The magician will orient card A up for the binary value of "1". The Magician will orient card B up for the binary value of "2". The magician will slide the two cards 1/16 of an inch to the right in the clip for the binary value of "4". The Magician will have the higher value card first to indicate the binary value "8". By adding these four signals this will allow the construction of 16 values (0 thru 15 note that total value of zero will not be utilized).

Interpreted total binary value to target card value:
Totals:
0 = never happens
1 = Ace
2 = 2
3 = 3
4 = 4
5 = 5
6 = 6
7 = 7
8 = 8
9 = 9
10 = 10
11 = Jack
12 = Queen
13 = King
14 = Low Joker
15 = High Joker

The magician arranges the two cards in the clip appropriately to express the target card value.

The assistant will also know the above scheme.

Target card suits:
If the target card is diamonds then the magician will have card A and card B face-to-face in the clip.

If the target card is hearts then the magician will have card A and card B back to back in the clip.

If the target card is clubs then the magician will have card A and card B both facing backwards in the clip.

If the target card is spades then the magician will have card A and card B both facing forwards in the clip.

Just to be clear, the top half will have (but will be pre-shuffled) the one-way facers (pointer cards) that you want to use. Usually 22 cards but could be 24 if the Jokers are in the top half. If you are using some USPCC court cards in the top half then there could be more than 24 cards in the top half.

The rest of the deck (pre-shuffled).
Total 30 cards (could be a little less than 30 cards depending on whether you moved some USPCC court cards to the top half before your show).

These 54 cards are assembled as one deck with the pointer cards in the top half.

Note that the use of Jokers is optional.

Actually if using USPCC standard cards then the court cards could go into the pointer card group (the top half of the deck) if you and your assistant have memorized the pointer characteristics of the court cards.

At the beginning of the trick the magician sends the assistant into another room and then using the deck of 54 cards: false shuffles and false cuts and has the spectator(s) do their thing as stated below.

Magician has a spectator select any two cards from the pointer half and then has a spectator select any card from the entire deck as the target card etc.

Note that this scheme does NOT place the cards sideways on the clip because that would be way too obvious. The clip always goes on the bottom of the two vertical cards. Turning one card sideways and one vertical is another approach but that seems very obvious.

If you do not have the pointer knowledge about the USPCC court cards then you can just keep all the court cards in the target half. Same is true If using a non USPCC court card deck.

I do not like to use the Jokers in the top half as pointer cards because they become very obvious to the spectators when they are upside down if used as one of the two spy cards. All the other pointer cards are not obvious when they are "upside down".

On the other hand you could just say up front that the two jokers are the spy cards and pull them out yourself and then have a spectator select the one target card. This would allow you to use a completely shuffled deck and just remove the two jokers and have the clip available and you're good to go.

Am switching the signal for binary 4 and 8.
IE: high card first will signify binary "4". The two cards slid 1/16th inch right will signify binary "8".

I believe we can eliminate the paper clip and or the clear holder by utilizing the spectator's thumb:
This can be done by making a spectator hold the two cards with their thumb at the bottom and slightly to their right to indicate binary "8" when necessary.

This can be done by the magician presenting the two cards with both hands in such a way that the spectator must place their thumb in between the magicians two hands when taking the cards with strict instructions from the magician not to change their grip. "Please take these two cards from me placing your thumb on top between my two hands and hold tightly".

This could be demonstrated before the trick ever starts with the magician stating "I want you to hold these cards exactly this way when presenting them to my assistant because that way you will not drop them and there is no way an extra signal is being given because you will always hold them this same way when we do the trick".

If using standard USPCC playing cards the magician at the beginning could just pull out the king and queen of hearts claiming they are spies (perhaps Maxwell Smheart and Agent 99 from the TV show Get Smart). And then the magician would have a spectator select any of the other cards as the target card.

Note that the queen of hearts on a standard USPCC playing card has a little white triangle pointing at the windup key on the downside but not on the upside thus making it a one-way pointer.

Note that the King of Hearts on a standard USPCC playing card has a plain hair curl near his eye on the downside but not on the upside thus making it a one-way pointer.

A benefit of this newer algorithm (where any card can be the target) is that you don't need an extra deck ie: you can use a Mnemonica Stack, Aronson Stack, Redford stack, Si Stebbins Stack, a shuffled deck etc. and just temporarily take out the two pointer cards you want to use as spy cards (with the appropriate patter) and proceed with the trick (having a spectator select any card as the target card).

After the trick is over you can put the two spy cards back in their appropriate places in the stack or better yet if you use the two Jokers as the spy cards then your stack can remain undisturbed.

As part of the trick the assistant can have a notepad about 3 in x 5 in and a pen to write the name of the target card and that sheet of paper torn off and sent back to the audience via the spectator who brought the two cards to the assistant. Of course somewhere on the notepad there can be some scribblings that are crib notes if the assistant needs them.

Crib notes:
Target card value (binary total starting with zero):
If first card under thumb is "up" then add 1.
If 2nd card under thumb is "up" then add 2.
If first card under thumb is higher then add 4.
If thumb is to the right then add 8.
Total is the target card value.
Note above that the term "up" is not referring to face up or face down but rather the pointer card's orientation "up".

Target card suit:
Two cards face to face (only backs showing) means the target card is a spade.
Two cards back to back (both faces easily seen) means the target card is a heart.
Both cards face down under the thumb means the target card is a club.
Both cards face up under the thumb means the target card is a diamond.

These crib notes can be simplified thusly:
Up add 1, Up add 2, High add 4, Right add 8.
Both backs S, both faces H, faces down C, faces up D.

Note: I'm switching the clubs and hearts signal because hearts will be named more often and there is less for the magician to do If both signal cards are to be face down.

After a spectator has selected a Target card the magician needs to mentally know which of the 1, 2, 4, 8 signals need to be given.

After a spectator has selected a Target card the magician needs to arrange the two spy cards (and let's say they are the two jokers) via the following steps (assume the two jokers are held slightly spread facing magician):

Magician steps:
A. Determine whether binary 4 is needed for the target card value calculation and if so then make the high Joker the first card otherwise make the low Joker be the first card. This is important to do this as the first step.

B. If binary 1 is needed for the calculation then orient the first Joker up otherwise orient the first Joker down.

C. If binary 2 is needed for the calculation then orient the second Joker up otherwise orient the second Joker down.

D. The magician waits to set the binary 8 signal for the very last step therefore the magician now sets the two cards to indicate the suit:

E. If Target card is spades then magician flips the last Joker horizontally.

F. If Target card is clubs then magician flips the first Joker horizontally.

G. If Target card is hearts then does nothing.

H. If Target card is diamonds then magician flips the first Joker horizontally in place and then flips the second Joker horizontally in place (careful here, do not flip both cards together horizontally because you will have changed the "high" versus "low" signal for the binary four. Do any flipping one at a time).

I. Binary 8: Square the two cards up and using two hands lower them horizontally and present them to the spectator to take with their thumb on top (the magician's hands are on the end of the two cards near the spectator but spread just enough that the spectator can place their thumb between the magician's two thumbs). If the binary value 8 is needed for the target card calculation then the magician's two thumbs are offset from the center on the two card packet to his left a little bit otherwise if the binary value 8 is not needed then the magician's two thumbs are offset to the right a little bit.

J. Instruct the spectator not to change their grip and take the two cards to the magician's assistant.