The surprise climax of a Card(s) to Pocket routine in which the entire deck, less one card, travels magically to the pocket, was popularized by David Williamson, who incorporated it into his “51 Cards to Pocket” in Williamson's Wonders, 1989, p. 77, written by Richard Kaufman. Because of this, the effect is often credited to him. However, there are several predecessors.

The basic plot belongs to Tommy Vanderschmidt. He published “The Repeat Card in Hat” in Come a Little Closer, 1953, p. 9. In it, the magician places a top hat mouth up on the table and magically causes a selection to travel to the hat twice. On attempting to repeat the effect a third time, the deck travels to the hat, leaving only the selection in the magician's hand. Don England brought the now-common deck-ditch finale for Card to Pocket to his “Phase 51”, in John Mendoza's Don England's T.K.O.'s: Technical Knock Outs, 1981, p. ♣ 15. Gordon Bruce of Scotland later published an application of the surprise deck-flight in his sensibly titled Gordon Bruce's Lecture Notes, 1985, np. Bruce used it as the climax to a Homing Card routine called “The Travel Sick Card”.

See: Cards Up the Sleeve or to the Pocket.

• Deck to Pocket in the Conjuring Archive