2012 John Guastaferro Ready Set Guastaferro.pdf

 

READY. SET. GuastaferrO.

www.MagicJohnG.com

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READY SET

GUASTAFERRO Written by John Guastaferro

Edited by Raj Madhok Photos by Jenny V. Title idea by Robert Strange

  ©  Copyright  2012    |    John  Guastaferro    |    www.MagicJohnG.com       All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known to be invented, without written permission.

 

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“Creativity  is  the  art  of  the  impossible.”     Ben  Okri,  Nigerian  poet  and  novelist  

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CONTENTS

Openers 1. Invisible Opener 2. RWB Mysteries 3. Mr. E. Returns 4. Spectral 5. Centerfold 6. Twist of Fate Triumphs 7. Bound to Triumph 8. Untouchable Multitudes 9. Inside and Out 10. Triple Pocket Discovery Four-Closures 11. Assembly Line 12. Pickpocket Aces

 

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“Excuse me, can I borrow your imagination for a moment?” What’s  your  opening  line  when  approaching  a  group  during  a  strolling  magic   performance?  Let’s  face  it;  it  can  be  quite  awkward  invading  a  group’s  current   experience  to  introduce  them  to  a  new  one.  The  strategy  is  to  make  them  curious,  not   defensive.  One  of  my  favorite  opening  lines  is:  “Excuse  me,  can  I  borrow  your   imagination  for  a  moment?”  I  find  it  polite,  non-­‐intrusive,  inviting,  slightly  unusual,   and  most  importantly,  it  raises  curiosity.  They  are  thinking,  “What  does  he  mean,   ‘borrow  my  imagination?’”     With  a  question  like  this,  it’s  important  to  follow  up  with  something  that  does  indeed   capture  their  imagination.  The  first  effect  in  this  book,  Invisible  Opener,  is  designed   to  deliver  on  this  opening  line  in  a  big  way.  A  mini-­‐routine  in  itself,  it  is  a  powerful   presentation  for  the  Invisible  Deck.  It  allows  you  to  make  all  your  props  magically   appear  and  engage  your  audiences  with  lines  like,  “Imagine  that  you  are  holding   hundreds  of  dollars  in  poker  chips”  and  “Imagine  that  instead  of  two  rubberbands,   you  are  holding  the  very  handcuffs  used  by  Houdini.”     You  might  think  that  using  an  opening  line  with  a  “yes/no”  question  could  risk  the   chance  of  a  “no”  response.  I  think  you’ll  find,  as  I  have,  that  people  don’t  answer  “no,”   and  instead  respond  with  a  look  of  interest  and  curiosity.  The  question  is  rhetorical   by  nature  and  doesn’t  demand  a  serious  answer.  Now,  if  I  should  get  a  “no”  response,   I  would  simply  reply,  “Too  late”  or  “Of  course  not;  you  wouldn’t  just  give  your   imagination  away  that  easily.  Let  me  introduce  myself...”  You  could  always  just  frame   the  opening  line  as  a  statement  rather  than  a  question,  such  as,  “Excuse  me,  I  just  need   to  borrow  your  imagination  for  a  moment.”  And,  depending  on  your  style,  this   opening  line  might  not  fit  your  personality  at  all,  and  that’s  okay.  The  key  is  to  get   thinking  about  the  opening  line  you  do  use—and  how  to  best  deliver  on  it.  

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READY. I  now  ask  you,  “Can  I  borrow  YOUR  imagination?”  Can  I  invite  you  into  my  repertoire?   Get  ready.  For  the  majority  of  these  effects,  you’ll  simply  need  a  deck  of  cards.  You’ll   also  discover  effects  and  variations  that  integrate  additional  props,  such  as  a  plain   notecard,  poker  chips,  rubberbands,  sticky  notes,  blank  cards,  odd-­‐backed  cards  and   the  card  box  itself.    

SET. You  can  build  a  strong  set  by  selecting  an  effect  from  each  of  the  five  chapters.  You’ll   find  a  collection  of  openers,  middle  effects,  and  closers.  You’ll  also  find  plenty  of   opportunities  for  continuity,  such  as  using  the  rubberbands  from  the  opening  effect   later  in  your  set  to  perform  Bound  To  Triumph  (Chapter  3);  or  showing  a  blank  deck   in  RWB  (Chapter  1),  then  closing  with  a  blank  deck  in  Assembly  Line  (Chapter  5);  or   highlighting  the  “hands  off”  approach  of  both  Spectral  (Chapter  2)  and  Untouchable   (Chapter  3).  You  can  find  continuity  in  many  forms,  including  these  five  “Ps”:  plot,   premise,  presentation,  props  and  patter.  It’s  all  about  connecting  the  dots  and   highlighting  these  connections  during  performance.  

GuastaferrO. As  David  Regal  writes,  “This  collection  has  the  Guastaferro  stamp  of  simplicity,   structure  and  surprise.”  This  is  my  brand  of  magic,  introduced  in  Brainstorm  (2003).   Those  of  you  familiar  with  my  work  will  see  both  brand  new  effects  and  some  new   variations  that  have  been  taken  to  another  level  with  little  extra  effort.  I  consider  this   booklet  a  continuation  of  the  “one  degree”  philosophy  I  introduced  in  my  book  One   Degree  (2010),  where  small  changes  can  yield  massive  impact.  Whether  you  perform   the  effects  exactly  as  described  or  use  them  as  a  launching  pad  for  other  ideas,  I  hope   you  find  the  material  strong,  practical  and  stimulating.  These  effects  are  no  longer   about  me.  They  are  now  about  you  and  where  you  take  them.  Get  ready,  get  set…      

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CHAPTER 1

Openers Make an amazing first impression

 

 

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QUICK TIP Just  as  important  as  hearing,     ‘They  loved  your  magic!’    is  hearing,  ‘They  loved  YOU!’     As  magicians,  these  are  inseparable  goals.     Let  your  audience  get  to  know  you,     not  just  your  props.    

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1. Invisible Opener EFFECT: In  a  game  of  pretend,  imaginary  items  appear  from  nowhere,  including  poker  chips,  a   deck  of  cards  and  rubberbands.     Virtually  all  of  my  strolling  performances  include  a  coin  production  and  vanish,  the   Penetrating  Rubberbands  (popularly  known  as  Crazy  Man's  Handcuffs),  and  the   classic  Invisible  Deck.  It  was  my  goal  to  create  one  cohesive  routine  that  would   seamlessly  link  these  effects.  The  result  is  Invisible  Opener.  It  allows  me  to  begin   with  my  hands  completely  empty  and  produce  all  the  props  I  need  “out  of  thin  air.”   It’s  fun,  visual,  interactive  and  memorable.  The  3-­‐minute  routine  features:     1. A  production  of  several  poker  chips     2. A  deck  production     3. A  production  of  two  rubberbands     4. A  “prequel”  to  the  classic  Invisible  Deck     5. A  built-­‐in  deck  switch  to  continue  with  more  card  effects     More  than  just  a  string  of  separate  effects,  the  routine’s  structure  and  premise  create   an  experience  for  your  audience.  While  Invisible  Opener  is  obviously  personalized  for   the  specific  props  I  use,  I’m  certain  you  will  have  fun  exploring  ways  to  integrate   your  own  props  and  personal  style.  

  “I’ve  always  thought  that  magicians,  who  routinely  demonstrate  that  they  can  make   things  appear,  disappear,  change,  and  so  on,  should  be  able  to  magically  make  their   props  appear  at  will.  Why  then  would  they  take  decks,  coins,  etc.  out  of  their  pockets   like  ordinary  mortals?  How  ordinary!  How  banal!  With  his  Invisible  Opener,  John  G.   effectively  addresses  this  long-­standing  paradox.”                           -­‐ Jon  Racherbaumer    

 

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SETUP: You’ll  need  an  Invisible  Deck,  two  rubberbands,   and  two  identical  poker  chips—the  higher  the   value  the  better.  I  use  two  $100  replica  chips.   Wrap  the  two  rubberbands  around  the   Invisible  Deck  case.  Place  the  deck  and  both   poker  chips  in  your  left  pants  pocket.  Also  have   a  regular  deck  in  any  other  pocket  if  you’d  like   to  continue  with  a  card  set  after  this  effect.  

METHOD & PRESENTATION: The  effect  is  structured  around  engaging  three  spectators.  Before  approaching  your   audience,  remove  one  of  the  two  poker  chips  from  your  left  pocket  and  secretly  place   it  up  your  right  sleeve.  If  not  wearing  a  coat  or  long  sleeve  shirt,  you  can  conceal  the   chip  your  right  hand.     Approach  your  audience  and  say,  “Excuse  me,  can  I  borrow  your  imagination  for  a   moment?”  As  this  curious  line  sinks  in,  introduce  yourself  and  ask  for  the  help  of   three  people.  Address  your  three  spectators  from  left  to  right,  saying,  “I’d  like  you  to   pretend  you  are  holding  a  stack  of  hundred  dollar  poker  chips;  and  that  you  are   holding  an  invisible  deck  of  cards;  and  that  you  are  holding  two  rubberbands.  It  will  all   make  sense  in  a  moment.”       As  in  the  common  Invisible  Deck  presentation,  ask  the  person  holding  the  imaginary   deck  to  mime  turning  any  card  upside  down.  Also  ask  the  spectator  who  is   pretending  to  hold  the  rubberbands,  to  mime  wrapping  the  rubberbands  around  the   imaginary  deck.  Say,  “In  your  mind,  there  is  only  one  card  upside  down  in  the  deck  now.   Too  make  sure  no  one  tampers  with  the  deck,  can  I  ask  you  to  place  your  two   rubberbands  around  the  box?  Perfect!  We  have  a  lot  riding  on  this,  hundreds  of  dollars   in  poker  chips  as  a  matter  of  fact.”     Continue,  “This  is  all  about  turning  imagination…into  reality.”  Now  the  fun  begins.        

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VEGAS PRODUCTION The  routine  begins  with  a  flurry  that  apparently  produces  a  handful  of  poker  chips,   yet  only  two  are  ever  in  play.  Remember,  your  first  spectator  is  holding  an  imaginary   stack  of  chips,  so  as  you  produce  them,  do  so  as  if  plucking  them  from  her  hands.   While  each  step  is  broken  down  below,  it’s  a  very  fluid  production  sequence.     Production     Invite  your  spectator  to  place  one  of  her  imaginary  poker  chips  on  your  outstretched   left  palm.  As  you  do  this,  drop  your  right  hand  to  your  side  and  let  the  sleeved  poker   chip  fall  into  finger  palm,  then  transfer  it  to  thumb  clip.  Close  your  left  fingers  into  a   loose  fist.  Invite  the  spectator  to  wave  her  hand  over  your  fist,  but  first  demonstrate   by  waving  your  right  hand.  During  this  casual  display,  slightly  open  your  left  fingers.   As  your  right  hand  waves  back  and  forth,  let  the  thumb-­‐clipped  chip  fly  in  a  forward   trajectory  into  your  cupped  left  hand.  After  the  spectator  waves  her  hand,  open  your   left  fingers  to  reveal  the  poker  chip.     Vanish     Take  the  chip  in  the  right  fingertips,  then  apparently  place  it  back  in  the  left  hand   using  a  Retention  Pass.  Extend  your  closed  left  hand  toward  the  spectator  as  if  to   hand  them  the  chip,  then  snap  your  fingers  and  show  that  the  chip  has  vanished.  Say,   “As  they  say,  what  happens  in  Vegas…stays  in  Vegas.”     Reproduction     With  the  poker  chip  concealed  in  right  finger  palm,  reproduce  it  by  reaching  forward   and  pushing  it  into  view  (you  can  produce  it  from  a  candle  flame,  under  the  table,   behind  someone’s  ear,  your  elbow,  etc.).       Production  2     False  transfer  the  chip  into  your  left  hand  and  apparently  place  the  chip  away  in  your   pocket.  Secretly  position  the  right  hand’s  chip  into  thumb  clip.  Reach  your  empty  left   hand  forward  and  mime  plucking  a  chip.  Hold  the  left  hand  still  with  your  fingers   pointing  upward.  Swipe  your  right  hand  horizontally  in  front  of  the  left  fingertips   (back  of  the  right  hand  toward  the  audience),  and  secretly  transfer  the  chip  from   thumb  clip  so  it  is  openly  held  at  the  left  fingertips.  It  should  look  as  if  the  chip   materializes  in  the  left  fingertips.  Briefly  take  the  chip  in  the  right  hand  and  false  

 

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transfer  it  to  the  left  hand.  Apparently  place  the  chip  into  your  pocket  as  your  left   hand  secretly  steals  the  extra  poker  chip  in  finger  palm.     Productions  3  &  4     Extend  your  right  hand  forward  and  push  its  chip  into  view.  Apparently  transfer  this   chip  to  left  hand  using  a  Shuttle  Pass.  Briefly:  Turn  your  right  hand  palm  down,   retaining  the  chip  in  finger  palm;  at  the  same  time,  turn  your  left  hand  palm  up   directly  under  the  right  hand;  pull  your  right  hand  away  to  expose  the  left  hand’s   chip.  Raise  your  left  hand  to  display  the  chip  at  the  fingertips.  You  will  now  make  a   second  chip  appear  in  a  visual  way.  With  the  other  chip  concealed  in  right  finger   palm,  begin  rotating  your  hands  around  each  other,  one  in  front  of  the  other.  During   this  movement,  your  right  fingers  push  its  chip  into  view.  Slow  your  hands  down  so   two  poker  chips  gradually  come  into  view.       Prepare  for  a  Click  Pass.  Display  both  chips  on  your  outstretched  right  hand:  one   chip  near  the  fingertips  and  the  other  on  your  palm.  Rotate  your  hand  so  the   fingertips  point  toward  you.  Retain  the  uppermost  chip  in  Classic  palm.  Apparently   toss  both  chips  into  your  left  hand,  but  only  let  the  palmed  chip  fall  into  your  left   hand  as  it  “clinks”  against  the  finger-­‐palmed  chip.  Your  left  hand  immediately  closes   as  if  holding  two  poker  chips.  The  sound  of  the  two  chips  is  a  great  convincer.  Dip   your  left  hand  into  your  pocket  to  apparently  place  both  chips  away;  really  just  one   chip.       Productions  5  &  6   As  you’ve  done  before,  extend  your  right  hand  forward  and  reveal  the  concealed  chip   as  if  plucking  it  from  thin  air.  Do  another  false  transfer  into  the  left  hand  and  pretend   to  place  it  in  your  left  pocket  (keep  your  left  hand  in  your  pocket  momentarily  as  you   prepare  to  steal  the  deck).  Meanwhile,  reveal  the  right  hand’s  chip  one  more  time,   but  instead  of  placing  this  away,  genuinely  hand  it  to  your  spectator.    

DECK PRODUCTION You  will  now  produce  the  deck  in  a  startling  fashion.  I’ve  tried  several  approaches   and  have  found  the  following  choreography  to  provide  the  most  cover  and  yield  the   most  cover  and  visual  impact.  Your  left  hand  is  justifiably  in  your  pocket  to  place  its   chip  away  from  the  previous  phase.  Secretly  take  hold  of  the  deck,  gripping  the  far   short  edge  in  your  curled  left  fingers.  As  you  do  this,  draw  attention  to  the  spectator   14

 

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holding  the  imaginary  deck.  Reach  your  right  hand  forward  and  mime  taking  the   deck,  then  turn  it  palm  up  as  if  holding  an  invisible  deck.       Bring  your  left  hand  (and  concealed  deck)  toward  the  right.  Extend  your  left  index   finger  and  tap  the  right  palm  in  a  gesture  that  shows  the  right  hand  empty  (photo  1).   To  provide  cover  for  the  deck,  align  the  right  long  edge  of  the  deck  against  your  right   wrist/forearm.  Your  right  palm  should  be  bent  downward  slightly  to  provide  the   best  angles  (photo  2).  I  suggest  looking  in  the  mirror  and  making  minor  tweaks,  such   as  tilting  the  left  side  of  the  deck  downward.                     1 2        

To  produce  the  deck,  slide  your  left  hand   forward  and  toward  the  right  until  it   covers  the  right  hand.  Take  hold  of  the   deck  in  the  right  fingertips,  then  swipe   your  left  hand  back  to  reveal  the  deck   (photo  3).  Open  your  left  fingers  as  you     do  this  for  an  open  and  visual  production     of  the  rubberbanded  deck.  

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PICTURE PERFECT MOMENT After  producing  the  deck,  also  draw  attention  to  the  rubberbands  that  encircle  it.   Hand  the  deck  to  the  spectator  in  front  of  you,  and  the  rubberbands  bands  to  your   third  spectator.  What  a  picture  perfect  moment!  While  you  began  a  minute  earlier   with  absolutely  nothing,  each  of  your  three  spectators  now  holds  a  tangible  item   (chip,  deck,  and  rubberbands).  Pause  for  a  moment  to  highlight  this  fact  and  let  the   change  from  “imagination  into  reality”  sink  in.    

 

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INVISIBLE DECK By  making  all  of  the  imaginary  props  appear  from  nowhere,  you  have  created  the   ideal  moment  to  reveal  the  thought-­‐of  card  in  your  Invisible  Deck.  Everything  has   built  up  to  this.  This  is  not  only  a  powerful  moment;  it  strengthens  the  premise  of  the   entire  routine.    

HOUDINI’S HANDCUFFS Since  rubberbands  were  used  around  the  card  case,  you  have  an  inherent  segue  into   a  rubberband  effect.  Place  the  chip  and  deck  away,  and  draw  attention  to  the   rubberbands.  I  like  to  say,  “Imagine  for  a  moment  that  instead  of  just  two   rubberbands,  you  are  actually  holding  the  very  handcuffs  used  by  the  great  Houdini.”  I   proceed  to  “escape”  from  the  bands  using  the  classic  Penetrating  Rubberbands   (known  to  many  as  Crazy  Man’s  Handcuffs).  You  can  certainly  continue  with  any   rubberband  effect  you  wish,  as  long  as  it  fits  the  presentation.  Also  note  that  the   rubberbands  can  be  used  again  later  in  your  set  to  perform  Bound  To  Triumph   (Chapter  3).    

DECK SWITCH Finally,  I’d  like  to  point  out  the  natural  opportunity  to  switch  decks.  You  merely  have   to  place  the  Invisible  Deck  away  as  your  perform  the  rubberband  effect,  then  remove   a  normal  deck  of  cards  when  you  are  done.  You  are  now  free  to  continue  with  your   set.  I  like  to  continue  with  the  following  effect,  RWB.   NOTES: Joe  Berg  created  the  Ultra  Mental  in  the  1930s.  It  was  Eddie  Fields  who  popularized   its  presentation  as  an  “invisible”  deck.    

Arthur  Setterington’s  (uncredited)  Uncanny  Penetrating  Rubberbands  can  be  found   in  Tarbell,  Vol.  7.    

You  don’t  have  to  do  the  entire  Invisible  Deck  presentation.  The  handling  works  just   as  well  to  simply  produce  poker  chips,  bands  and  your  normal  deck.  And  in  truly   impromptu  situations,  I’ve  had  fun  substituting  the  above  props  with  anything  on   hand,  such  as  two  quarters,  followed  by  producing  my  wallet  or  phone.  

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(Red, White, and Blue)

EFFECT: The  deck  changes  from  red  to  blue.  And  in  a  bit  of  American  patriotism,  even  the   faces  vanish  for  a  moment,  giving  you  a  complete  “red,  white,  and  blue”  change.     Ballet  Stunner  from  One  Degree  is  one  of  my  favorite  color-­‐changing  deck  effects.  In   exploring  the  effect  further,  I  found  that  the  two  most  powerful  moments  are  the   visual  color  change  using  the  Ballet  Cut  and  the  kicker  of  showing  that  the  selection   has  also  changed  color.  RWB  strips  away  everything  else  to  focus  on  these  two   primary  moments.  Compared  to  Ballet  Stunner,  RWB  does  away  with  the  Triumph   phase,  eliminates  the  force,  and  brings  the  color  change  front  row  center.       The  structure  of  the  effect  also  allows  for  an  optional  blank  deck  kicker.  

SETUP: Only  one  odd-­‐backed  card  (a  Joker)  is  used.  Place  a  red-­‐backed  Joker  on  top  of  a  blue   deck,  and  place  everything  inside  a  red  box.  If  you’d  like  to  do  the  optional  blank   deck  kicker,  use  a  red-­‐backed  blank  face  card  instead  of  the  Joker.  

METHOD & PRESENTATION: As  in  any  color-­‐changing  deck  effect,  it’s  important  that  your  audience  clearly   comprehends  the  color  of  the  deck  without  the  performer  overtly  stating  the   obvious.  Subtlety  works  best.  The  red  box  is  your  first  weapon,  so  make  sure  they  get   an  adequate  look.  (If  you  precede  this  with  Invisible  Opener,  you  have  a  head  start  in   having  already  had  a  red  deck  in  play).     Remove  the  cards  from  the  box,  ensuring  that  the  top  red  card  is  seen.  I  like  to  give   the  cards  a  very  wide  face-­‐down  bevel  by  pushing  the  cards  to  the  right  with  the  left   thumb  (an  idea  of  my  friend  Larry  Wilmore),  but  not  so  much  to  display  the  backs.  In   a  continuing  motion,  tilt  the  deck  upward  and  fully  spread  the  cards  to  show  all  the   faces.  

 

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Square  the  deck  and  carefully  turn  it  face  up.  Perform  a  series  of  swing  cuts  into  the   left  hand.  Casually  flash  the  red  back  of  the  right  packet  during  this  process.  Continue   cutting  until  the  red  card  is  about  four  or  five  cards  from  the  face.  As  you  square  the   deck,  keep  a  left  pinky  break  under  the  red-­‐backed  Joker.     Say,  “I’d  like  to  do  something  a  little  different  and  have  you  select  a  card  with  the  deck   face  UP.”  Spread  the  cards  and  cull  the  red-­‐backed  Joker  underneath  the  spread.   Have  the  spectator  touch  or  name  any  card  near  the  center.  Outjog  the  selection  as   you  load  the  culled  Joker  card  under  it.                   1 2                     4   3       With  the  selection  outjogged,  close  the  spread  and  maintain  a  left  pink  break  under   the  Joker.  Your  right  hand  re-­‐grips  the  block  above  the  selection  in  end  grip  (photo   1).  Lift  the  top  half  toward  you  as  your  left  index  finger  simultaneously  pulls  the   selection  flush  with  the  bottom  half  (photo  2).  This  leaves  you  with  a  double  above   your  break.     You  will  now  turn  the  double  (selection  and  Joker)  face  down.  With  the  upper  half  of   the  deck  still  in  the  right  hand,  grasp  the  double  from  above  in  end  grip  (photo  3).   Sidejog  the  double  and  clamp  your  left  thumb  down  to  hold  it  in  place.  Use  the  right   packet  to  lever  the  double  face  down  onto  the  bottom  half.  A  red  back  will  show.  Use   18

 

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the  tip  of  your  right  middle  finger  to  outjog  the  red-­‐backed  card  (photo  4).  Notice   how  during  these  actions,  the  top  half  becomes  square  with  the  bottom  half  and   automatically  covers  the  hidden  reversed  selection.       You  have  the  red-­‐backed  Joker  outjogged  from  the  center  of  the  face-­‐up  deck.  While   they  believe  this  is  the  selection,  the  actual  card  is  reversed  in  the  center  of  the  deck.     Ballet  Change   Say,  “I  thought  I  would  try  to  magically  change  the  back  of  your  card  from  red  to   blue...the  only  problem  is  that  I  haven’t  figured  out  a  way  to  do  it.  But,  I  do  know  how  to   do  something  even  better!”  Feint  trying  to  change  the  color  of  the  outjogged   “selection,”  then  remove  and  place  the  red-­‐backed  card  face  down  onto  the  face-­‐up   deck.  You  are  now  in  perfect  position  to  perform  my  Ballet  Cut  as  a  visual  color   change  of  the  deck  (see  One  Degree  for  details).  The  Ballet  Cut,  which  essentially  just   turns  the  deck  over,  will  bring  the  blue  cards  into  view.  Immediately  spread  through   the  deck  to  show  that  the  backs  have  all  changed  from  red  to  blue.  Say,  “I’ll  change   ALL  the  cards  from  red  to  blue,  except  for  your  card.”  When  you  arrive  at  the  face-­‐up   selection,  outjog  it.  Continue,  “Well,  let  me  see  if  I  can  make  good  on  my  original   promise  and  change  the  back  of  your  card  too.”  Pause  a  beat,  then  turn  the  selection   over  to  show  that  it  has  also  changed  to  blue.  Great  kicker  for  little  work.     Clean  up   The  core  effect  is  over.  You  simply  have  to  ditch  the  reversed  odd-­‐backed  card  that’s   on  the  bottom.  Since  it’s  a  Joker,  it’s  logical  to  remove  it,  however,  it  must  be   reversed  first.  To  do  this,  spread  through  half  the  cards,  turn  them  over  and  place   them  on  the  bottom.  Continue  spreading  the  remainder  of  the  face-­‐down  cards,  turn   them  over  and  place  them  on  the  bottom.  The  Joker  should  now  be  at  the  face.  Simply   place  it  on  your  pocket  as  if  it’s  not  needed,  and  you  are  now  clean.    

Red, WHITE, and Blue - A blank deck kicker If  using  a  blank  facer  instead  of  a  Joker,  you  can  conclude  with  this  blank  deck  kicker.   After  the  Ballet  Cut  color  change,  secretly  reverse  the  bottom  (blank)  card  with  a  Half   Pass.  Say,  “If  you  think  about  it,  this  trick  is  very  patriotic,  like  American  red,  white  and   blue.  The  cards  were  all  red,  now  they’re  all  blue.  The  only  color  we’re  missing  is  white.”   Turn  the  deck  face  up  and  give  it  a  reverse  fan.  It  will  look  as  if  all  the  faces  are   completely  blank.  This  is  startling,  especially  with  the  changes  that  just  preceded  it.    

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To  clean  up,  square  the  deck  and  turn  it  face  down.  Steal  the  blank-­‐faced  bottom  card   in  Gambler’s  Cop  as  you  hand  an  audience  member  the  deck.  Snap  your  fingers  and   have  them  turn  the  deck  over  to  show  that  they  now  are  all  printed.  This  gives  you   ample  cover  to  pocket  the  blank  card.  Since  they  are  holding  the  deck,  they  now  have   complete  freedom  to  examine  the  deck.     Alternative  Handing  for  Blank  Deck  Kicker:     With  a  little  extra  effort,  you  can  make  the  blank  transformation  even  more  visual.   After  the  Ballet  Cut,  do  not  use  a  Half  Pass  to  reverse  the  bottom  blank-­‐faced  card.   Instead,  use  the  actions  of  a  side  steal  to  palm  the  card  in  the  right  hand  (your  left   fingers  push  the  bottom  card  toward  the  right  as  your  right  hand  takes  it  in  full   Classic  palm).    Turn  the  deck  face  up.  Wave  your  right  hand  over  the  deck  and  let  the   palmed  card  fall  squarely  onto  the  face  of  the  deck—a  blank  face  will  show.  Perform   a  reverse  fan  to  show  that  all  the  cards  are  blank.  Square  the  deck  and  use  the   Erdnase  (Houdini)  Change  to  cause  the  blank  card  to  change  into  a  normal  card.  Push   off  a  small  block  to  hide  the  blank  card  (second  down)  and  continue  spreading  to   show  that  all  the  cards  are  now  printed  again.  Double  undercut  two  cards  to  the   bottom,  then  steal  the  blank-­‐faced  bottom  card  in  Gambler’s  Cop  as  you  hand  an   audience  member  the  deck.  Secretly  pocket  the  card  and  you  are  clean.  

NOTES: The  Ballet  Cut  can  be  found  on  my  Brainstorm  DVDs  (2003)  and  One  Degree  (2010).     Notice  how  during  the  core  of  the  routine,  the  face  of  the  red-­‐backed  card  is  not   seen—unless  you  want  it  to  be.  This  opens  the  door  to  many  possibilities.  I’ve   described  using  the  odd-­‐backed  card  as  a  Joker  and  as  a  blank  card.  Another  idea  is   to  use  a  red/blue  double-­‐backer,  which  would  allow  you  to  show  a  complete  spread   of  blue  cards  at  the  end.  There  are  certainly  other  applications.  Have  fun  exploring.     In  an  election  year,  you  may  want  to  let  the  colors  represent  the  republican  (red)  and   democrat  (blue)  parties.  The  presentation  could  be  about  changing  party  affiliation   or  mixing  ideologies.

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CHAPTER 2

Mysteries Curious Card Impossibilities

 

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QUICK TIP To  make  your  effects  shine  as  brightly  as  possible,    follow  this  advice  from  David  Regal:    

 COMMIT!      

Use  every  word  and  every  action  to  make  the  impact     as  clear,  compelling  and  entertaining  as  possible.    

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3. Mr. E. Returns EFFECT: A  card  that  is  used  as  a  magic  wand  throughout  the  effect  ends  up  being  the   spectator’s  signed  selection.     The  mystery  card  plot  has  fascinated  me  since  first  reading  Brother  John  Hamman’s   The  Signed  Card  in  the  mid-­‐80s.  My  effect  Mr.  E.  Takes  a  Stroll  from  One  Degree   (2010),  generated  quite  a  bit  of  interest  from  magicians  for  its  simplicity  and   structure.  Yet,  I  must  admit,  there  continued  to  be  an  issue  that  gnawed  at  me— namely  in  trying  to  answer  why  two  cards  were  placed  around  the  mystery  card  in   the  first  place.     With  Mr.  E.  Returns,  I  focus  the  presentation  on  answering  this  question.  By   characterizing  the  mystery  card  as  a  “magic  wand”  and  the  two  Jokers  as  the  “white   tips”  of  the  wand,  it  provides  clarity  that  I  find  very  satisfying—and  an  entertaining   hook  to  boot.  While  it  does  not  have  the  Ace  cutting  phase  or  transposition  of  the   original  Mr.  E.,  it  has  some  new  magical  moments,  all  structured  to  make  the  final   reveal  of  the  mystery  card  as  deceptive  and  surprising  as  possible.  

SETUP: You’ll  need  a  marker  and  two  identical  Jokers.  One  Joker  is  on  top  of  the  deck  and  the   other  is  in  your  right  pocket.  

METHOD AND PRESENTATION: Address  two  spectators,  “It’s  time  for  my  break.  Would  one  of  you  mind  taking  over  as   the  magician?  Perfect.  Wait,  you’ll  need  a  magic  wand.”  Remove  the  Joker  from  your   pocket  without  showing  its  face.  Instruct  your  spectator  to  pinch  it  face  down,  thumb   on  top.  Say,  “Yes,  I  know  it  looks  like  an  ordinary  playing  card,  but  it  is  in  fact  a  magic   wand.  It’s  very  important  that  you  hold  it  flat  and  do  not  turn  it  over.  The  power  is  now   in  your  hands.”  This  card  must  remain  unknown  until  the  end,  so  be  sure  not  to  show   its  face,  and  that  the  spectator  holds  it  flat  throughout  the  effect.    

 

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  Say  to  the  other  spectator,  “You  will  be  our  worthy  assistant.  Please  choose  any  card   and  sign  it  on  the  face.”  Have  any  card  selected  and  signed.  Do  not  look  at  the  card.       Meanwhile,  hold  the  deck  in  end  grip  and  secure  a  right  thumb  break  above  the   bottom  two  cards  in  preparation  for  a  J.K.  Hartman  control.  Swing  cut  half  the  deck   into  your  left  hand.  Extend  your  left  hand  to  have  the  selection  returned  squarely  on   top  (onto  the  Joker).  Bring  the  right  hand  over  the  left  packet  just  for  an  instant  and   secretly  unload  the  two  cards  below  your  break.  Immediately  separate  your  hands  as   if  a  thought  came  to  mind.  I  usually  say,  “You  signed  the  card,  right?”  or  “You  won’t   forget  the  card,  will  you?”  The  point  is  to  disguise  the  momentary  contact  of  the   halves.  To  complete  the  sequence,  your  left  thumb  pushes  the  top  card  of  its  half  onto   the  right  packet,  angle-­‐jogged  toward  the  left;  your  right  forefinger  holds  this  card  in   place.  Place  the  left-­‐hand  packet  squarely  onto  the  balance  of  the  deck,  leaving  the   decoy  card  protruding  from  the  center.  The  selection  is  actually  second  from  the  top;   the  Joker  is  third.       Ambitious  Revelation   Slowly  square  the  outjogged  card  with  the  deck.  Say,  “Clearly,  your  card  is  not  on  the   top  or  bottom.”    Fairly  show  the  top  and  bottom  cards.  Continue,  “Even  though  the   card  is  lost  in  the  middle,  this  is  no  match  for  our  magician.  Please  wave  your  magic   wand  over  the  deck.”  Perform  a  double  turnover  to  show  the  signed  card.  Repeat  the   double  and  deal  the  top  card  face  down  to  the  table.  I  like  to  place  the  marker  on  top   of  this  card  to  strengthen  the  thought  that  it  is  the  signed  selection.     Say,  “Very  impressive!  Let’s  try  something  even  better.  You’re  going  to  need  a  better   wand  though—you  know,  one  that  has  the  fancy  white  tips  and  all.  Let’s  find  the  two   Jokers  and  use  them  as  the  white  tips.”  Do  some  false  cuts,  then  a  double  turnover  to   show  a  Joker.  Turn  the  double  face  down  and  place  the  top  card  (actually  the   selection)  onto  the  mystery  card.  Double  undercut  the  top  card  to  the  bottom,  then   turn  the  deck  face  up  (or  do  my  Ballet  Cut)  to  show  “another”  Joker  on  the  face  of  the   deck.  Fairly  place  this  Joker  face  down  under  the  mystery  card.     Just  after  you’ve  done  this,  say,  “I  think  your  magic  wand  would  look  better  with  the   Jokers  face  up.  Ah,  that’s  better.”  As  you  say  this,  you  will  execute  a  devious  switch   based  on  Hamman’s  original  switch,  but  you’ll  use  one  hand  to  do  it.  Reach  toward   the  three  cards  with  your  right  hand.  Openly  take  the  bottom  card,  turn  it  face  up  and   24

 

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replace  it  on  top  of  the  remaining  two  cards;  take  the  new  bottom  card,  turn  it  face   up  and  replace  it  on  the  bottom.  This  not  only  shows  the  two  Jokers,  it  apparently   leaves  the  middle  card  untouched.  This  is  all  done  casually.  Since  it  is  an  incidental   gesture  rather  than  pinnacle  moment,  the  switch  easily  flies  under  the  radar.  Plus,  it   actually  makes  sense  in  the  presentation  to  surround  the  mystery  card  with  two   face-­‐up  Jokers,  since  they  resemble  white  tips  of  a  magic  wand.     The  Vanishing   Say,  “With  your  new  fancy  wand,  you  can  do  something  even  more  powerful—like   making  the  signed  card  disappear.”  Place  your  right  hand  flat  onto  the  tabled  card  and   have  the  spectator  wave  the  three  cards  over.  Raise  your  hand  to  show  the  card  still   there.  Say,  “Hmm,  I  think  you  need  to  say  some  magic  words.  Let’s  try  it  again,  this  time   with  feeling.”  Re-­‐position  the  tabled  card  side-­‐jogged  on  the  deck  in  preparation  for   the  Rub-­‐a-­‐Dub  Vanish.  Apparently  isolate  the  card  under  your  right  hand,  but  use     your  left  thumb  to  secretly  pull  the  card  flush  with  the  deck.  With  your  right  hand  flat   on  the  table,  ask  your  other  spectator  to  place  her  hand  on  top  of  yours.  After  your   “magician”  waves  the  three  cards  over,  lift  your  hands  to  show  that  the  card  is  gone!     Mr.  E.  Returns   Spread  the  deck  face  up  and  show  that  the  selection  is  nowhere  to  be  found.  Draw   attention  to  the  three  cards  held  by  your  “magician.”  Fairly  remove  the  two  Jokers   and  gesture  toward  the  face-­‐down  card  that  remains  held  in  her  fingertips.  Remind   everyone  that  this  card  has  been  there  from  the  very  start.  Say,  ”I  mentioned  earlier   that  the  power  is  in  your  hands—and  indeed  it  is.”  Invite  her  to  turn  the  card  over.  To   everyone’s  surprise,  it  will  be  the  signed  selection.  

NOTES:   Switching  a  card  under  the  pretext  of  sandwiching  it  between  two  others  can  be   found  in  Brother  John  Hamman’s  The  Signed  Card,  found  in  Richard  Kaufman’s   Almanac,  Issue  14  (1983),  and  later  in  The  Secrets  of  Brother  John  Hamman  (1989).     The  control  I  use  is  based  on  J.K  Hartman’s  R.S.  Bluff  Control  (second  variation),   published  in  Means  &  Ends  (1973),  and  later  in  Card  Craft  (1991).     The  Rub-­‐a-­‐Dub  Vanish  can  be  found  in  William  H.  McCaffrey’s  routine  Card  In  The   Pocket  II  from  Greater  Magic  (1938),  and  in  Expert  Card  Technique  (1940).    

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4. Spectral EFFECT: A  freely  selected  card  vanishes  and  reappears  in  a  most  mysterious  way.     My  friend  John  Carey  really  sparked  something  when  he  sent  me  a  gem  called   Impossible  Conclusion,  which  used  an  automatic  placement  to  control  a  card  from   within  three  tabled  packets.  The  principle  at  work  is  Gene  Finnell’s  Free  Cut   Principle,  used  similarly  in  Marlo’s  Third  Phase  of  Nouveau  21-­‐Card  Trick.  What   follows  is  my  take  on  the  effect,  which  focuses  on  making  the  reappearance  of  an   “invisible”  card  as  magical  and  hands  off  as  possible.  A  similar  approach  was  used  in   Invisible  21  by  Jack  Parker  and  David  Solomon.  I’ve  integrated  Nyquist’s   ribbonspread  hide-­‐out  and  some  other  touches  to  heighten  the  apparitional   appearance  of  the  card.  While  Spectral  is  inspired  by  the  21-­‐card  trick,  it  is  not   presented  as  such.  The  plot  is  focused  on  a  card  that  vanishes…and  reappears.  

SETUP: None.  

METHOD AND PRESENTATION: Invite  a  spectator  to  shuffle  the  deck.  You’ll  need  three  packets  of  five  cards  each   dealt  into  piles.  Rather  than  overtly  asking  the  spectator  to  count  three  packets  of   five  cards,  simply  ask  her  “to  deal  three  poker  hands.”  This  takes  the  math  out  of  it,   while  adding  a  relatable  hook.       Ask  the  spectator  to  pick  up  any  packet  and  to  further  mix  it.  Instruct  her  to  cut  off   any  amount  of  cards  from  her  packet  and  to  remember  the  card  at  the  face  of  the  cut   off  portion.  Have  her  drop  the  cut  portion  onto  either  of  the  remaining  two  tabled   packets.  Have  her  bury  her  selection  further  by  placing  the  other  tabled  packet  onto   the  newly  combined  packet.  Finally,  have  her  drop  the  cards  she  is  holding  onto  the   tabled  packet.  As  random  as  it  appears,  this  application  of  the  Finnell’s  Freecut   Principle  will  always  position  the  selection  10th  from  the  top.     26

 

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To  add  further  smoke  and  mirrors,  guide  your  spectator  through  the  actions  of  the   Jay  Ose  false  table  cut.  Briefly,  have  her  cut  a  third  of  the  cards  to  the  table,  another   third  to  the  right  of  that,  and  the  remaining  cards  to  her  far  right.  Have  her   reassemble  the  packets  from  left  to  right,  placing  the  far  left  packet  onto  the  center   packet,  then  this  combined  packet  onto  the  remaining  packet.  Since  this  is  a  false  cut,   the  order  of  the  cards  is  undisturbed  and  the  selection  remains  in  the  10th  position.     The  Vanish   You  will  now  cause  the  “thought  of”  card  to  vanish.  Pick  up  the  packet  and  mime   plucking  out  an  invisible  card  and  handing  it  to  your  spectator.  You  will  prove  the   card  is  gone  by  displaying  all  the  cards,  a  few  at  a  time.       Flip  the  top  three  cards  face  up,  spread  them  and  ask  if  selection  is  not  among  them,   then  place  them  underneath  the  packet.  Repeat  this  with  three  more  cards.  For  the   next  three  cards,  flip  them  face  up  as  before,  then  attain  a  break  below  the  next  face-­‐ down  card  (this  is  the  10th  card—the  selection).    Display  the  three  face-­‐up  cards  in  a   small  fan  as  you  align  the  selection  squarely  under  the  bottom  card  of  the  fan.  Pick   up  the  three  visible  cards  with  the  hidden  selection,  and  place  them  underneath  the   packet.  This  secretly  positions  the  selection  on  the  bottom.  Spread  off  the  remaining   five  cards,  flip  them  face  up  onto  the  packet,  and  again  ask  if  their  card  is  among   them.  The  selection  has  convincingly  vanished,  and  is  now  located  reversed  on  the   bottom  of  the  packet.  This  is  a  good  moment  to  casually  tilt  the  packet  and  glimpse   the  reversed  selection  underneath.  You  can  mime  looking  at  the  spectator’s  invisible   card  and  naming  it  aloud  as  if  you  can  actually  see  it.     The  Reappearance   You  will  use  Charles  Nyquist’s  ribbonspread  hide-­‐out  to  make  the  imaginary  card   reappear.  Begin  slowly  dealing  cards  face  up  in  an  overlapping  row  on  the  table.  Ask   the  spectator  to  call  out  stop  at  any  point  she  likes.  Have  her  mime  placing  her   imaginary  card  face  down  onto  the  tabled  spread  at  this  point.  Call  attention  to  the   card  on  the  face  of  the  tabled  row,  stressing  that  she  chose  to  place  her  card  on  top  of   the  (name  card).     Spread  your  held  cards  slightly  and  regrip  the  cards  from  above  in  end  grip  (photo  1).   Use  your  left  fingertips  to  secretly  side-­‐jog  the  bottom  selection  about  an  inch   toward  the  right,  but  still  hidden  beneath  the  spread  (photo  2).  Draw  attention  to   what  appears  to  be  the  bottom  card  of  your  held  packet  (the  leftmost  card  directly    

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above  the  sidejogged  selection).  With  your  cards  still  spread,  carefully  lay  them  onto   the  tabled  row  to  create  one  combined  spread  (photo  3).  Reiterate  that  their   imaginary  card  is  now  between  two  cards  of  their  choosing,  again  drawing  attention   to  the  two  face-­‐up  cards  that  trap  the  imaginary  card.    The  selection  will  remain   hidden  because  it  is  sidejogged.                     1 2                       3 4         You  will  not  touch  the  cards  from  this  point.  Invite  your  spectator  to  square  the   packet  herself,  but  to  ensure  that  the  selection  is  not  seen  during  these  actions,   instruct  her  to  first  place  each  hand  on  the  outer  ends  of  the  tabled  spread.  Gesture   with  your  own  hands  to  make  this  clear  by  placing  your  hands  on  the  table,  palms   facing  each  other  (photo  4).  Once  the  spectator  is  ready,  have  her  slowly  bring  her   hands  together.       Make  a  magical  gesture  as  if  causing  the  imaginary  card  to  materialize.  Have  the   spectator  re-­‐spread  the  cards  herself  to  discover  that  a  face-­‐down  card  now  appears.   This  is  a  very  powerful  moment!  Also  point  out  that  the  card  is  in  the  exact  position   they  determined,  noting  the  two  face  up  cards  that  surround  the  selection.  Finally,   have  her  turn  the  face-­‐down  card  over  to  reveal  the  selection.  

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DOWN TO BUSINESS - A variation using two business cards Instead  of  making  the  “invisible”  card  appear  between  two  adjacent  playing  cards,  I’ll   sometimes  use  two  business  cards  or  borrowed  credit  cards  (or  even  two  Jokers).   This  eliminates  the  need  for  the  audience  to  remember  two  playing  cards,  adds  some   visual  interest,  and  draws  more  focus  to  where  the  magic  takes  place.       After  the  vanish,  and  as  you  begin  dealing  cards  onto  the  table,  have  the  spectator   place  one  business  card  ono  the  tabled  row  whenever  she’d  like.  After  you  secretly   sidejog  the  selection,  place  the  other  business  card  under  your  held  packet,  but  above   the  selection.  Place  your  held  cards  onto  the  tabled  row  as  described  in  the  routine.   This  will  clearly  show  a  spread  of  face-­‐up  cards  with  two  adjacent  business  cards  in   the  center—  with  nothing  apparently  between  them.  Have  the  spectator  square  the   tabled  cards,  then  re-­‐spread.  A  face-­‐down  card  will  now  appear  between  the  two   business  cards.    

NOTES: The  Automatic  Placement  idea  can  be  found  in  Marlo’s  Third  Phase  of  Nouveau  21-­‐ Card  Trick  from  Marlo  Without  Tears  (Racherbaumer,  1983).  The  actual  principle  at   work  is  Gene  Finnell’s  Free  Cut  Principle.     Invisible  21  by  Jack  Parker  with  David  Solomon  can  be  found  in  52  Memories   (Gladwin,  2008).     Jay  Ose’s  False  Cut  appeared  in  Harry  Lorrayne’s  Close-­Up  Card  Magic  (1962). Paul   Harris  describes  the  idea  of  guiding  the  spectator  through  the  Ose  false  in  The  Art  of   Astonishment  (Harris,  1996)  as  a  Phootnote  to  Chad  Long’s  Shuffling  Lesson.  James   Swain  also  shares  the  idea  in  21st  Century  Card  Magic  (Swain,  1999).       Charles  Nyquist’s  ribbonspread  hide-­‐out  was  published  in  The  Ribbonspread   Reverse  in  Hugard’s  Magic  Monthly,  vol.  6,  no.  3  (1948).      

 

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5. Centerfold EFFECT: A  card  is  predicted,  then  travels  inside  a  folded  note  card.     This  effect  allows  you  to  deliver  all  the  wallop  of  a  signed  card  to  wallet,  using   nothing  more  than  a  single  note  card.  The  “rotating  fold”  described  below  makes  it   possible  to  produce  a  flat  physical  object  from  within  an  obviously  empty  space.    

SETUP: Use  a  5x8  unlined  index  card.  Fold  it  in  half  back  and  forth  to  get  a  good  crease  down   the  center.  Write  a  prediction  of  your  force  card  on  both  the  inner  flap  and  under  the   bottom  flap  (photos  1  &  2).  The  audience  will  only  be  aware  of  one  written   prediction.  Fold  the  notecard  with  the  writing  facing  downward,  and  attach  a  paper   clip  (photo  3).  

METHOD & PRESENTATION: Introduce  the  folded  index  card  as  you  state  that  there  is  a  prediction  inside.  Do  not   flash  the  underside.  Force  the  corresponding  selection  and  have  it  signed.  Steal  the   selection  in  Gambler’s  Cop  and  secretly  load  it  under  the  index  card  (photo  4).   Remove  the  paper  clip  and  open  the  flap  to  show  that  your  written  prediction   matches  the  selection  (photo  5).  This  is  also  a  motivated  and  natural  way  of  openly   showing  an  otherwise  ordinary  piece  of  paper,  yet  the  card  is  hidden  underneath.       Here  is  a  fun  discrepancy.  Act  as  if  the  effect  is  over  as  you  casually  fold  the  upper   flap  down  and  around  to  the  bottom  (photo  6).  This  positions  the  selected  card  inside   the  fold  (photo  7).  Replace  the  paper  clip  and  place  the  index  card  aside  as  if  the   effect  is  over.  You  could  even  place  it  in  your  spectator’s  pocket  as  a  souvenir.     After  some  time  misdirection,  re-­‐open  index  card  to  show  that  there  is  the  signed   card  inside  (photos  8  &  9).  The  duplicate  written  prediction  serves  as  a  nice  reference   point  of  the  empty  card  they  saw  just  moments  earlier.  

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OTHER IDEAS: My  buddy  Raj  Madhok  suggested  some  great  ideas  for  Centerfold:    

•

Instead  of  forcing  a  card,  write  a  prediction  that  simply  says,  “Your  Card.”  After   the  gag,  you  can  have  the  big  payoff  of  their  card  actually  being  inside.  

 

•

Use  a  FriXion  pen  to  write  the  original  inside  message.  At  the  end,  you  can  use  a   flame  from  a  lighter  to  create  the  magical  moment—and  deviously  cause  this   message  to  vanish,  leaving  the  notecard  clean  and  examinable!      

•

For  a  gift  or  special  event,  use  Centerfold  to  produce  your  business  card,  folded   paper  currency  or  a  gift  card.  These  smaller  items  are  also  easier  to  cop  and  load.  

  NOTES: Related  ideas  to  the  “rotating  fold”  can  be  found  in  John  Carney’s  effect  Wired  from   Carneycopia  (Minch,  1991)  and  Jeff  Pierce’s  effect  Remote  Viewing  from  The  King  Has   Left  The  Building…With  Amnesia  (2004).    

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6. Twist of Fate EFFECT: Using  three  cards,  the  future  is  predicted,  then  altered.       Specifically,  the  performer  removes  two  random  cards  to  represent  the  future,  and   the  spectator  is  invited  to  place  any  card  face  down  between  them.  It’s  pointed  out   that  the  top  card  represents  the  value  and  the  bottom  card  the  suit.  In  this  case,  the   Eight  of  Clubs  and  Jack  of  Hearts  together  represent  the  Eight  of  Hearts.  The   unknown  selection  is  turned  over  and  it  is  in  fact  the  Eight  of  Hearts.  But  that’s  just   the  start.  The  selection  is  replaced  between  the  two  “fate”  cards,  and  the  spectator  is   asked  to  reverse  the  order  of  the  cards  so  the  Jack  of  Hearts  is  on  top  and  the  Eight  of   Clubs  is  on  the  bottom.  The  selection  is  turned  over  to  show  that  it  has  changed  into   the  Jack  of  Clubs,  proving  it  is  possible  to  alter  the  future.     This  effect  is  a  result  of  experimenting  with  the  Kosky  Switch.  I’ve  always  found  it  to   be  very  deceptive.  It’s  used  here  as  a  force.  Followed  with  a  simple  Top  Change,  and   the  effect  transcends  into  something  more  powerful—not  just  predicting  one’s  fate,   but  altering  it  too.    

SETUP: None.  (However,  for  the  variation  at  the  end,  you’ll  need  two  Post-­‐it  Notes.)  

METHOD & PRESENTATION: Begin  by  saying,  “Do  you  believe  in  fate?  This  is  not  a  cheesy  pickup  line…I  really  want   to  know  if  you  believe  in  fate.  In  a  moment,  I  am  going  to  remove  two  cards  that  I   believe  represent  something  in  your  future.”     Predicting  the  Future   Hand  the  deck  out  to  be  thoroughly  shuffled.  Take  back  the  deck  and  secretly  note   the  top  two  cards.  They  must  be  of  different  value  and  suit;  if  not,  casually  spread   through  the  deck  and  cut  at  a  point  that  brings  two  contrasting  cards  to  the  top,  

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preferably  a  face  card  and  spot  card.  In  our  example,  the  Eight  of  Hearts  is  the  top   card  and  the  Jack  of  Clubs  is  second.  You  will  now  openly  outjog  two  “cards  of  fate”   based  on  the  identity  of  these  cards.  To  do  this,  mentally  switch  the  suits  around.  So,   you  will  openly  outjog  the  Eight  of  Clubs  and  the  Jack  of  Hearts.  As  you  do  this,  say,   “Something  about  you  is  drawing  me  to  the  Eight  of  Clubs  and  Jack  of  Hearts.  Do  these   cards  mean  anything  to  you?  Well,  they  will.”     Place  the  pair  face-­‐up  onto  the  face-­‐down  deck  with  the  Jack  of  Hearts  uppermost.   Spread  the  deck  and  have  any  card  removed—but  not  seen.  As  you  re-­‐square  the   deck,  get  a  pinky  break  below  the  third  card.  You  will  now  apparently  place  the   selection  between  the  two  “fate”  cards.  Pick  up  the  three  cards  above  your  break  in   end  grip  and  peel  the  Jack  onto  the  deck  so  it  is  outjogged;  have  the  selection  placed   onto  the  Jack,  but  perfectly  aligned  with  the  rest  of  the  deck;  then  place  your  double   onto  the  deck  so  it  is  injogged.  This  displays  three  stair-­‐stepped  cards  (an  extra  card   is  hidden  under  the  Eight)  (photo  1).     You  will  now  execute  the  Kosky  Switch:  Simply  push  the  top  double  forward  until  it   is  aligned  with  the  outjogged  card.  Give  them  a  small  fan  so  one  face-­‐down  card  can   clearly  be  seen  two  face-­‐up  cards  (photo  2).  Pinch  the  outjogged  sandwich  and  hand   it  to  your  helper.  You  have  imperceptibly  switched  the  selected  card.                   1 2         Explain,  “Here’s  how  the  two  fate  cards  work.  The  top  card  always  represents  value,  in   this  case,  EIGHT.  And  the  bottom  card  represents  suit,  in  this  case,  HEARTS.  Together,   the  Eight  and  Jack  create  the  Eight  of  Hearts.”  As  you  say  this,  take  the  opportunity  to   casually  displace  the  top  card  of  the  deck  (slip  it  to  the  center  or  double  undercut  it   to  the  bottom).  This  prepares  you  for  the  following  phase.  All  attention  is  now  on  the   three  cards  held  by  your  spectator.      

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Slowly  and  fairly  remove  the  center  card  of  the  sandwich,  gripped  in  preparation  for   a  Top  Change.  Hold  it  up  so  everyone  can  see  that  it  is  indeed  the  Eight  of  Hearts.   During  the  reaction,  execute  a  Top  Change,  and  replace  the  card  face  down  between   the  two  face-­‐up  “fate”  cards.       Altering  the  Future   Say,  “While  predicting  our  fate  is  a  very  cool  thing,  what  if  we  could  do  something  even   more  powerful,  like  ALTERING  our  fate?”  Instruct  the  spectator  to  place  the  Jack  on   the  top  and  the  Eight  on  the  bottom.  Continue,  “By  shifting  your  cards  around,  you   have  completely  altered  your  future!  Remember  how  the  top  card  represents  the  value,   and  the  bottom  card  represents  the  suit.  The  cards  you  hold  now  represent  a  completely   different  card…the  JACK  of  CLUBS.”     Invite  the  spectator  to  remove  the  center  card  to  discover  it  has  changed  into  the   Jack  of  Clubs!  

STICKY SITUATION - A variation using Post-It Notes For  added  visual  interest  and  to  help  make   things  crystal  clear,  try  performing  this   effect  using  two  small  sticky  notes.  During   the  presentation,  openly  remove  two  sticky   notes  and  write  “value”  and  “suit”  on  them.   After  displaying  the  two  principal  cards,   place  the  sticky  notes  on  the  face  of  the   appropriate  cards  (photo  3).  After  the  first   3   revelation,  have  your  spectator  switch  the   sticky  notes.  Point  out  how  the  “value”  and  “suit”  notes  now  refer  to  a  completely   different  card.  Show  that  the  center  card  has  changed.    

NOTES: Gerald  Kosky’s  Kosky  Switch  was  originally  published  in  the  1940s  by  Joe  Berg  as     Kosky’s  Invisible  Card  Exchange.  It  can  be  found  in  Card  College  4  (2000).  

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CHAPTER 3

Triumphs Mixing it up with the classic Triumph

 

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QUICK TIP Always  shoot  for  S.T.A.R.  moments     (Something  They'll  Always  Remember),     an  idea  found  in  Nancy  Duarte’s  book  Resonate.

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7. Bound to Triumph EFFECT:

A  topsy-­‐turvy  shuffled  deck  that  is  wrapped  with  a  rubberband  manages  to   unshuffle  itself,  even  while  in  a  spectator’s  hands.       I’ve  loved  the  effect  Bandorama  after  seeing  J.C.  Wagner  do  it  in  the  late  ’80s.   Since  then,  I’ve  always  thought  that  combining  Bandorama  with  Triumph  could   significantly  raise  the  drama  and  impact,  especially  if  done  in  slow  motion.  Here  is   the  result.    

SETUP:

Any  deck  and  a  rubberband.    

METHOD & PRESENTATION: Have  a  card  chosen  or  merely  named.  Talk  about  the  various  ways  to  shuffle  cards,   and  secretly  cull  the  selection  to  the  back  of  the  face-­‐up  deck.  Turn  the  deck  face   down  and  overhand  shuffle  to  send  the  selection  to  the  bottom.  Execute  a  Slop   Shuffle,  and  when  you  arrive  at  the  bottom  card  (selection),  place  it  face  down  on   top.  Position  check:  face-­‐down  selection,  face-­‐up  half,  face-­‐down  half.       Hold  the  deck  lightly  in  end  grip  and  give  it  a  slight  downward  toss  to  let  the  face-­‐ down  block  fall  into  your  left  hand.  Openly  lever  this  half  face  up  and  weave  the  two   halves  together,  with  the  face-­‐down  selection  on  top.  Turn  the  deck  over  end  so  the   reversed  selection  is  now  on  the  bottom  of  the  deck.     Introduce  the  rubberband  and  say  you  will  use  it  to  trap  the  deck  in  its  “topsy-­‐turvy”   condition.  As  in  Bandorama,  apparently  encircle  the  entire  deck,  but  actually  place   the  band  around  all  the  cards  except  for  the  bottom  card  (your  left  pinky  pulls  down   the  bottom  card  to  enable  this).  Hold  the  deck  tightly  in  dealer’s  grip.  Your  right  hand   pulls  the  top  half  of  the  deck  toward  the  right,  stretching  the  band  in  the  process.   Once  the  top  half  clears  the  width  of  the  deck,  rotate  it  end  for  end,  and  “fold”  it    

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under  the  bottom  of  the  deck.  This  adds  a  twist  in  the  band  and  centers  the  selection.   Depending  on  the  size  of  your  rubberband,  you  may  need  to  double  it  over  first.       Invite  your  spectator  to  cover  the  deck  with  two  hands.  Now,  rather  than  have  her   lift  her  hands  immediately  for  quick  revelation,  you  will  instruct  her  to  slowly  release   pressure.  As  she  does  this,  ask  this  important  question:  “Do  you  feel  the  cards   moving?”  She  will  have  no  choice  but  to  say  “yes.”  If  the  cards  are  not  moving,  have   her  release  a  little  more  pressure.  The  key  is  to  let  this  happen  slowly.     There  is  a  dual  reality  going  on  when  you  ask  the  spectator  if  they  feel  the  cards   “moving.”  Even  though  she  only  feels  the  top  half  turning,  in  the  minds  of  the  rest  of   the  audience,  the  cards  could  be  flipping  or  changing  position.  So,  play  this  up  and   remind  everyone  that  she  feels  the  cards  moving  under  her  hands.  The  key  is  to  have   the  rest  of  the  audience  believe  more  is  going  on.  The  payoff  at  the  end  with  the   cards  righting  themselves  will  heighten  the  premise  that  the  cards  have  indeed   unshuffled  themselves.       Continue  having  your  spectator  release  pressure  until  the  deck  and  rubberband  have   untwisted.  The  selection  will  now  be  protruding  from  the  center  of  the  encircled   deck.  This  is  always  a  powerful  moment.       For  the  kicker,  remove  the  rubberband  and  show  that  the  deck  has  straightened   itself  out  while  under  the  spectator’s  hands!    

NOTES: Dai  Vernon’s  Triumph  can  be  found  in  Stars  of  Magic  (Series  2,  No.  1,  1948).     Sid  Lorraine’s  Slop  Shuffle  was  published  in  Subtle  Problems  You  Will  Do  (1937)  and   can  also  be  found  in  Royal  Road  to  Card  Magic  (1948).     Bandorama  appeared  in  The  Commercial  Magic  of  J.C.  Wagner  (Maxwell,  1987).    

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8. Untouchable EFFECT: The  audience  openly  shuffles  and  cuts  the  deck  with  a  mixture  of  cards  face  up  and   face  down.  Without  intervention  from  the  performer,  the  cards  straighten   themselves.     This  version  of  Triumph  has  a  “hands  off”  premise  that  gives  you  the  freedom  to  step   away  from  the  deck  and  invite  audience  members  to  cut  and  turn  cards  upside  down.   This  Triumph  effect  works  especially  well  in  parlour  settings.  Those  familiar  with  my   effect  Behind-­‐the-­‐Back  Triumph  from  One  Degree  will  notice  a  similarity  in  handling.   This  effect  was  developed  in  partnership  with  Michael  Vincent,  utilizing  his   wonderful  observation  that  the  position  of  the  cards  in  Behind-­‐the-­‐Back  Triumph   lends  itself  naturally  to  the  Jennings/Goodwin  display.  In  addition  to  a  simple   handling  I  developed  to  get  into  the  Jennings/Goodwin  Display,  I  think  you  will  enjoy   the  devious  approach  of  having  your  audience  actually  do  a  Half  Pass  for  you.  

SETUP: None.  

METHOD & PRESENTATION: From  a  shuffled  deck  in  use,  have  a  card  touched  in  the  upper  half,  then  use  Marlo’s   Convincing  Control  to  bring  it  to  the  bottom.  Be  sure  several  people  note  the  card   and  remember  it.  Hand  your  spectator  the  upper  half  with  the  decoy  card  still   outjogged.  Have  her  push  the  card  flush  and  shuffle.  As  she  shuffles  her  packet,  cut   two  cards  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  of  your  packet,  then  Half  Pass  all  the  cards   below  the  top  two.  Get  a  break  under  one  card.  This  gives  you  a  big  head  start  for  the   upcoming  Jennings/Goodwin  Display.       Take  back  your  spectator’s  half,  and  bring  the  halves  near  each  other  as  if  to  begin   weaving  them,  then  pause  and  say,  “Wait,  let’s  make  things  more  interesting  by   turning  your  cards  upside  down.”  (I  like  to  stress  that  we  are  turning  her  cards  over).    

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Fairly  turn  her  half  face  up  and  let  it  fall  onto  your  half  momentarily.  Immediately   shift  her  half  forward  as  you  take  the  card  above  your  break  with  it  (photo  1).  Take   the  top  half  into  the  left  hand  and  the  bottom  half  into  the  right  hand  as  if  to  Faro   shuffle.  Begin  weaving  he  halves  together  (this  does  not  need  to  be  a  perfect  Faro)  so   the  top  face-­‐down  card  of  the  right  half  remains  on  top.  Once  the  cards  are  weaved   about  half  way,  openly  riffle  the  outjogged  packet  to  display  face-­‐up  cards  (photo  2).   Turn  the  telescoped  deck  over  end  for  end.  Again  riffle  the  outjogged  packet,  this  time   showing  face-­‐down  cards.  This  is  the  brilliant  Jennings/Goodwin  Display  at  work.  We   will  now  involve  the  audience  to  further  mix  the  cards.                   1 2         Place  the  telescoped  deck  on  the  table  and  slowly  square  the  deck  to  reinforce  the   “topsy-­‐turvy”  nature  of  the  deck  (you  can  also  have  an  audience  member  do  this  for   you).  Position  check:  face-­‐up  card  on  top,  followed  by  the  face-­‐down  deck,  with  the   face-­‐up  selection  on  the  bottom.     You  now  have  the  freedom  to  stand  back  and  get  the  audience  involved.  You  will   have  several  spectators  cut  and  turn  over  cards  in  an  action  similar  to  the  Balducci   (Cut  Deeper)  force:  1)  Invite  an  audience  member  to  cut  off  a  small  packet,  turn  it   over  and  place  it  back  on  top  of  the  deck;  2)  Invite  a  second  person  to  follow  similar   actions,  this  time  cutting  off  about  half  the  deck,  turning  it  over  and  placing  it  back  on   top;  3)  Invite  a  third  person  to  “cut  off  a  lot  of  cards,  but  not  all  of  them,”  turn  them   over  and  place  them  back  on  top.  Throughout  this  process,  be  sure  to  highlight  that   they  are  turning  cards  upside  down.  Since  you  are  standing  aside  and  giving  them   control,  it  really  sells  the  apparent  haphazard  condition  of  the  cards.  Despite  the   numerous  times  they’ve  turned  cards  over,  the  relative  position  of  the  cards  remains   unchanged.  You  will  always  have  a  face-­‐up  bank  of  cards,  followed  by  a  face-­‐down   bank,  with  the  selection  face  up  on  the  bottom.     40

 

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The Spectator Half Pass All  that  remains  to  be  done  is  to  reverse  all  the  cards  below  the  center  natural  break.   The  only  wrinkle  is  that  it  would  be  unnatural  and  unjustified  for  you  to  pick  up  the   deck  and  execute  a  Half  Pass  in  the  standard  manner.  Wait,  what  about  having  the   audience  do  the  move  for  you?  You  will  only  need  to  touch  the  cards  for  a  moment,   but  in  a  manner  that  makes  sense  with  the  “hands  off”  premise  of  the  effect.  You  will   casually  cut  the  deck  into  two  piles  and  ask  an  audience  member  which  packet  they   would  like  turned  over.  This  cut  must  be  done  at  the  natural  break.  You  can  easily  do   this  by  lifting  the  entire  deck  about  a  quarter-­‐inch  off  the  table,  then  giving  it  a  light   downward  motion,  which  causes  the  cards  below  the  natural  break  to  easily  fall  to   the  table.  Place  the  upper  half  next  to  it.  After  this  is  done,  ask  a  spectator  (who  can’t   reach  the  cards)  to  point  to  either  pile  they’d  like  turned  over.  It  truly  doesn’t  matter.   Have  a  nearby  spectator  turn  the  chosen  packet  over.  You  have  essentially  had  the   audience  do  a  Half  Pass  for  you.  (See  the  Notes  section  for  further  thoughts  on  this.)       Depending  on  which  half  was  turned  over,  you  will  now  direct  a  spectator  to   reassemble  the  deck  in  such  a  way  that  brings  the  selection  to  the  center  of  the  pack.   If  the  selection  is  still  on  the  bottom,  its  packet  goes  onto  of  the  other;  if  the  selection   is  on  top  of  its  packet,  the  other  packet  will  be  placed  onto  it.     Recap  how  the  audience  has  literally  controlled  every  turn  of  the  cards  in  this  mixed   up  deck.  Say,  “With  these  cards,  just  as  in  life,  sometimes  the  more  we  mix  things  up,   the  better  things  might  turn  out.”  Invite  an  audience  member  to  spread  the  cards  on   the  table.  It  doesn’t  matter  how  neat  it  is,  as  long  as  the  cards  can  be  seen.  Point  out   that  all  the  cards  are  now  facing  the  same  way—except  for  one.  Ask  what  card  was   selected,  then  have  the  card  turned  over  to  display  the  selection.  

NOTES: The  Goodwin/Jennings  Display  originally  appeared  in  the  effect  New  Outstanding   Triumph  from  Up  in  Smoke  and  Other  Tantalizing  Mysteries  (Parker,  1990).  It  can   also  be  found  in  John  Bannon’s  Dear  Mr.  Fantasy  (2004).     Ed  Balducci’s  Cut  Deeper  Force  (The  Balducci  Cut)  is  described  in  Hugard’s  Magic   Monthly,  Vol.  14,  No.  6  (November  1956)  under  the  trick  The  All  Fair  Coincidence  by   Ed  Balducci  and  Ken  Krenzel.  

 

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Steve  Reynolds  applied  the  Balducci  Cut  in  Spectator  Triumphs  in  his  S.R.O.  lecture   notes  (2007)  and  in  his  one-­‐man  parade  in  The  Linking  Ring  (May  2007).     More  thoughts  on  the  Spectator  Half  Pass   It’s  possible  to  execute  the  Spectator  Half  Pass  without  any  intervention  from  you  at   all.  It’s  not  sure  fire,  but  you’ll  have  a  backup  plan  to  ensure  the  right  outcome.  Let’s   fast-­‐forward  to  the  point  in  the  routine  when  you  are  ready  for  the  Spectator  Half   Pass.  Position  check:  Top  half  face  up,  bottom  half  face  down,  and  the  selection  face   up  on  the  bottom.       Do  not  divide  the  deck  into  two  piles  as  described  in  the  routine.  Instead,  ask  a   spectator  to  cut  off  about  half  the  deck,  turn  it  over  and  place  it  next  to  the  other  pile   (be  sure  it’s  next  to—not  on  top  of  the  other  pile).  Due  to  the  natural  break  near  the   center,  there  is  a  chance  the  spectator  will  cut  at  this  exact  position  for  you.  You  will   know  if  they  cut  at  the  natural  break  if  there  is  a  face-­‐down  card  on  the  bottom  half   and  a  face-­‐down  card  on  the  newly  turned  over  packet.       If  they  do  hit  the  natural  break,  simply  instruct  the  spectator  to  place  the  original   bottom  half  onto  the  newly  turned  over  packet  (without  turning  it  over).  The  deck   can  now  be  spread  to  show  all  the  cards  facing  the  same  way,  except  for  the   selection!     So,  what  happens  if  the  spectator  does  not  cut  at  the  natural  break?  After  they’ve   turned  over  the  top  half,  immediately  have  them  pick  up  the  remaining  cards,  turn   them  over  too,  and  place  them  onto  the  previously  turned  packet.  This  sequence   actually  does  nothing  to  disturb  the  order  of  the  deck—it  merely  results  in  the  entire   deck  being  turned  over  (the  selection  is  now  face  down  on  top).  From  this  point,  you   will  execute  the  Spectator  Half  Pass  as  described  in  the  main  routine  by  dividing  the   deck  into  two  piles  at  the  natural  break  yourself,  then  asking  a  spectator  to  turn  over   either  half.  Your  outcome  will  still  be  the  same,  and  you’ve  lost  nothing  in  the  routine   by  doing  it  this  way.    

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CHAPTER 4

Multitudes Effects with more than one selection

 

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QUICK TIP We  all  get  nerves  from  time  to  time.   The  key  is  to  accept  that  you  have  butterflies;   just  get  them  to  fly  in  formation.    

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9. Inside and Out EFFECT: One  selection  jumps  inside  the  box;  another  melts  through  the  box.     I  love  effects  that  utilize  the  card  box.  It’s  an  organic  prop  that  adds  visual  interest.  In   fooling  around  with  the  Marlo-­‐Schulien  Cardcase  Load,  I  found  that  you  can  load  two   cards  under  the  box  and  execute  the  standard  move,  and  it  will  automatically  leave   the  extra  card  under  the  box  (the  flap  and  natural  friction  help  keep  it  there   effortlessly).  This  idea  allows  you  to  apparently  produce  one  card  from  inside  the   box,  then  use  the  box  as  cover  to  later  produce  the  second  card.  The  effect  is  totally   impromptu  and  can  be  done  completely  in  the  hands.    

SETUP: None.  

METHOD & PRESENTATION: Have  two  spectators  determine  who  is  more  of  an  “inside  the  box”  thinker  and  who   is  more  “outside  the  box.”  Have  fun  with  this.  As  my  friend  Curtis  Kam  pointed  out,   be  sure  to  build  up  the  “inside  the  box”  characteristic  as  it  could  otherwise  be   considered  less  desirable  than  “outside  the  box.”  I  like  to  talk  about  “inside  the  box”   as  meaning  focused,  strategic,  going  110%,  and  akin  to  Houdini,  who  certainly  must   have  been  an  “inside  the  box”  thinker  during  his  escapes  (wink!).     Have  two  cards  selected  and  controlled  to  the  bottom  (the  “inside  the  box”  card   should  be  bottommost).  There  are  many  ways  to  accomplish  this.  You  can  simply   have  the  cards  chosen  and  returned  together,  followed  by  a  double  undercut  to  bring   them  to  the  bottom.  I  usually  have  the  two  cards  touched  and  outjogged,  then  use  a   multiple  shift  to  bring  them  together  to  the  bottom.  Once  the  cards  are  controlled  to   the  bottom,  secure  a  break  above  them  in  preparation  for  the  Gambler’s  Cop.    

 

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1  

Say,  “Please  check  inside  the  card  box  and  make   sure  it’s  completely  empty.”  Ask  a  spectator  to   examine  the  box  and  tuck  the  flap  closed.   Gambler’s  Cop  the  bottom  two  selections  as   your  right  hand  gives  out  the  deck  to  be   shuffled.  Choreograph  these  actions  so  your   right  hand  can  immediately  take  the  box  and   place  it  on  top  of  the  copped  selections  (thumb   notch  facing  upward)  (photo  1).    

  Inside  the  Box   You  will  now  produce  the  bottom  card  of  the  concealed  pair  from  “inside  the  box”   using  the  Marlo/Schulien  Cardcase  Load.  With  your  right  hand,  re-­‐grip  the  box  from   above  by  the  long  ends.  Open  the  flap  with  your  left  hand,  place  your  left  thumb   inside  (photo  2),  then  quickly  pull  the  card  out  from  underneath  (photo  3).  Done  at   the  proper  speed,  it  gives  the  perfect  illusion  of  the  card  being  withdrawn  from  inside   the  box.  The  other  selection  will  remain  intact  and  hidden  under  the  box.                     2 3         Outside  the  Box   Ask  an  audience  member  to  thoroughly  shuffle  the  deck  to  ensure  that  no  one  knows   where  the  remaining  selection  is.  As  they  do  this,  fold  the  box  flap  underneath  the   box.  It  will  help  to  jog  the  hidden  card  back  to  fully  fold  the  flap  under.  The  back  of   your  right  hand  will  hide  this  slightly  protruding  card  (photo  4).  Clearly  show  an   empty  box  and  place  the  deck  fairly  inside  the  box  (the  selection  remains  hidden   under  the  box).  Have  the  “outside  the  box”  spectator  cup  her  hands  under  the  box.   Say,  “We  will  cause  your  card  to  melt  from  the  box  and  appear  on  the  outside.”  Tap  the   top  of  the  box  and  let  the  hidden  card  simply  fall  into  her  hands.  Here’s  another  way   to  reveal  the  card:  Have  the  spectator  pinch  the  box  (and  hidden  card)  between  her   46

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thumb  and  fingertips,  then  knock  the  deck  out  of  the  hands.  This  classic  stunt  will   leave  the  selection  in  her  fingertips.    

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TRANSPOSITION VARIATION Here’s  a  very  effective  transposition.  After  producing  the  first  card,  casually  place  the   box  on  top  of  it  in  your  hand.  Unload  the  other  card,  and  take  the  two  cards  as  one   into  the  left  hand  as  your  right  hand  displays  the  empty  box.  Hold  the  box  from   above  in  end  grip.  Use  the  right  fingertip  to  push  the  top  card  of  the  double  forward   (photo  5).  This  action  also  aligns  the  box  on  top  of  the  first  selection.  Place  the   protruding  card  inside  the  box,  miscalling  it  as  the  first  selection.  To  find  the  second   selection,  have  someone  cut  the  deck  face  up  into  two  tabled  packets.  Place  the  box   (with  the  second  selection  hidden  underneath)  onto  either  half  of  the  deck,  then   place  the  other  packet  on  top  of  the  box.  You  will  now  do  a  stunt  I  learned  from  Aldo   Colombini.  With  the  box  sandwiched  in  the  center  of  the  deck,  give  it  a  sharp  flick   with  your  finger.  Done  with  the  right  pressure,  the  box  will  fly  free  from  the  deck,   leaving  the  rest  of  the  cards  intact  (akin  to  whisking  away  a  tablecloth).  Spread  the   deck  face  up  to  show  a  reversed  card  in  the  center—apparently  the  “outside  the  box”   selection.  Turn  it  over  the  show  it  is  actually  the  first  selection,  having  apparently   escaped  from  the  box.  Mention  that  “outside  the  box”  people  often  do  unexpected   things,  and  invite  someone  to  open  the  box  to  find  that  the  second  selection  has   surprisingly  flown  inside.   NOTES: The  Marlo-­‐Schulien  Cardcase  Load  can  be  found  in  The  Complete  Works  of  Derek   Dingle  (1982)  and  Giobbi’s  Card  College,  Volume  5  (2003).  

 

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10. Triple Pocket Discovery EFFECT: Everything  happens  in  threes.  In  this  case,  a  pocketed  card  melts  up  through  the   fabric;  another  card  melts  into  the  pocket;  and  the  last  card  is  found  using  the   penetrating  power  of  the  mind.  

SETUP: None.  

METHOD AND PRESENTATION: Have  three  cards  selected  and  controlled  to  the  top  (Ace,  Two  and  Three  in  this   example,  with  the  Three  on  top).     First  Card   After  some  false  shuffles/cuts,  get  a  break  under  three  cards.  Say,  “I  will  make  the   first  selection,  wherever  it  is  in  the  deck,  to  melt  up  to  the  top.”  Perform  a  triple   turnover  to  show  that  you’ve  found  the  first  card  (Ace  in  our  example).  Say,  “Let’s  try   that  again—using  my  pocket.”  Re-­‐gain  your  break  below  the  triple.  Here’s  an  easy   way:  Hold  the  deck  in  end  grip  and  give  it  a  light  downward  motion;  this  will  cause   all  the  cards  below  the  top  three  to  fall  into  your  waiting  left  hand,  effortlessly   leaving  a  triple  in  your  right  hand.  Sidejog  the  three-­‐card  block,  then  turn  it  face   down.  Using  the  actions  of  a  hit  double  lift,  immediately  pinch  two  cards  as  one  at  the   inner  right  corner.  Place  the  face-­‐down  double  into  your  right  pants  pocket— apparently  the  single  Ace.       Retake  the  deck  in  your  right  hand,  and  in  this  action,  palm  the  top  card.  Hand  a   spectator  the  deck  with  the  same  hand.  Come  away  with  the  palmed  card.  Curl  your   fingers  inward  and  point  to  the  pocket,  concealing  the  palmed  card  in  the  process.   Lay  the  hand  flat  against  the  outside  of  your  pants  pocket.  Say,  “We  will  cause  your   card  to  melt  up  again,  but  this  time  through  the  fabric  of  my  pocket.”  Rub  your  hand,   then  spread  your  fingers  so  the  card  becomes  visible.  Show  that  the  Ace  has  “melted”  

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to  the  outside  of  your  pocket!  This  is  a  great  moment.  You  are  also  far  ahead  for  the   next  two  revelations  since  both  remaining  selections  are  in  your  pocket.     Second  Card   Ask  an  audience  member  to  shuffle  the  deck.  Say,  “I  will  find  the  next  card  in  the   opposite  way—by  making  it  melt  into  my  pocket.  Whose  card  shall  we  use?”  Ask  which   card  they’d  like  to  use  (it  doesn’t  matter  since  both  are  in  your  pocket).  Suppose  the   third  spectator  would  like  you  to  find  her  card  (the  Three).  Take  the  shuffled  deck   and  do  a  fancy  cut  as  if  finding  the  card.  Hold  the  deck  near  the  outside  of  your   pocket  and  do  a  Rub-­‐a-­‐Dub  vanish  of  the  top  face-­‐down  card.  Reach  in  and  remove   the  corresponding  card—in  this  case,  the  top  card  of  the  pocketed  pair  (the  Three).     Third  Card   Have  the  deck  shuffled  again.  Say,  “To  find  the  final  card,  we  will  use  the  penetrating   power  of  the  mind.  I’ll  use  the  pocket  as  a  blindfold,  and  with  no  sleight  of  hand,  I  will   find  the  card  you  are  thinking  of.  It’s  all  about  mind  over  matter.”       Take  the  shuffled  deck  and  fairly  place  it  in  your  pocket  under  the  remaining   selection.  Sure,  you  could  simply  reach  in  and  merely  pluck  the  selection  out,  but  I   prefer  the  following  approach  much  better.  Reach  into  your  pocket,  claiming  the   power  of  your  mind  will  help  you  locate  the  card.  Stare  intently  at  the  spectator   throughout,  as  if  reading  her  mind.  With  the  hand  in  your  pocket,  place  the  selection   into  the  center  of  the  deck,  but  leave  it  protruding.  Remove  the  entire  deck  with  the   outjogged  card,  back  toward  the  audience.    There’s  something  about  this  picture  that   reinforces  that  you  really  did  extract  a  card  from  the  center  of  the  shuffled  deck.  For   the  first  time,  ask  for  the  name  of  the  card.  Let  the  tension  build,  then  reveal  the  card.  

NOTES: Do  no  underestimate  the  impact  of  the  third  revelation.  While  not  quite  a  “visual”   moment  like  the  previous  two  revelations,  it  usually  gets  the  most  powerful   reactions.  The  mind  over  matter  premise  is  strong  and  relatable.  Play  it  up.    

 

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C H A P TE R 5

Four-Closures Powerful closing effects with a four-of-a-kind

 

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QUICK TIP If  you  were  to  eavesdrop  on  your  audience     after  a  show,  what  would  they  be  saying?       Now,  what  would  you  WANT  to  hear?     If  they  are  the  same,  your  vision  is  on  track.       If  not,  take  the  time  to  retrace  your  steps  and    tweak  your  strategies  to  ensure  that  your     actions  are  aligned  with  your  desired  outcome.

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11. Assembly Line EFFECT: Four  audience  members  each  hold  a  quarter  of  the  deck  with  a  Jack  lost  in  the  middle   of  each,  yet  all  four  Jacks  assemble  on  top  of  one  packet.     This  is  an  extension  of  my  effect  Turning  the  Tables  (Second  Storm  lecture  notes,   2005  and  G  Notes,  2009).  While  the  original  effect  featured  four  Jacks  cleanly   appearing  on  top  of  the  deck,  this  effect  heightens  the  impact  by  having  the  Jacks   travel  across  four  different  packets.  And  without  any  additional  effort,  we  essentially   make  the  magic  four  times  as  strong.  It  gets  several  audience  members  involved  and   causes  four  separated  Jacks  to  assemble  in  the  hands  of  one  spectator.  It’s  a  powerful   way  to  present  an  assembly  that  is  interactive  and  perfect  for  standing  only   situations.  The  main  sleight  used  is  Daryl’s  Rising  Crime  Display.    

SETUP: None.  

METHOD & PRESENTATION: Openly  place  four  Jacks  on  the  face  of  the  deck.  Ensure  that  the  bottom  two  Jacks  are   of  opposite  color.  Casually  spread  the  cards  and  secure  a  break  under  seven  cards.   Take  the  seven-­‐card  packet  in  your  right  hand  and  turn  the  deck  face  down.  Replace   the  seven-­‐card  block  on  top  of  the  face-­‐down  deck,  keeping  a  break  underneath.   Carefully  spread  the  top  three  Jacks  to  the  right.  Injog  the  third  Jack  from  the  face,   then  lever  all  seven  cards  as  a  block  face  down  onto  the  deck.  Lift  up  on  the  injogged   card  with  your  right  thumb  and  pick  up  the  cards  in  end  grip.  You  should  be  holding   five  cards:  two  Jacks  and  three  indifferent  cards.     Ask  four  spectators  to  each  take  about  a  quarter  of  the  deck.  Keep  track  of  who  ends   up  holding  the  original  top  section,  with  the  two  remaining  Jacks  on  top.  For   explanation  purposes,  we’ll  assume  this  person  stands  on  your  far  right.  

 

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You  will  now  use  a  sequence  based  on  Daryl’s  Rising  Crime  Display  to  apparently   place  a  Jack  into  four  different  packets.  During  this  process,  two  Jacks  will   masquerade  as  four.     First  Jack   With  the  packet  held  in  end  grip,  take  the  bottom  card  into  the  left  hand,  then  peel   the  top  two  cards  onto  it  in  a  spread  fashion.  Lay  the  remaining  double  on  the  right   side  of  the  spread  to  show  what  appears  to  be  four  single  face-­‐down  cards.  Turn  your   right  hand  palm  down  and  pinch  the  right  edge  of  the  double  (photo  1).  Rotate  your   right  hand  palm  up  to  display  the  Jack.  As  your  left  hand  squares  its  three  cards,  lever   the  double  face  down  onto  them.  Immediately  take  the  top  card  into  the  right  hand.   You  will  insert  this  card  half  way  into  the  packet  held  by  the  spectator  on  your  far   left.  But  first,  here  is  a  nice  subtlety:  Turn  your  left  hand  palm  down  and  use  your   thumb  to  lift  up  on  the  front  edge  of  the  spectator’s  packet  (photo  2).  This  subtlety   shows  the  other  Jack  on  the  face  of  your  packet  (and  also  conditions  the  audience  for   a  move  coming  later  in  the  effect).  Your  right  hand  places  its  card  half  way  into  the   spectator’s  packet.       1               2       Second  Jack   Similar  to  the  above  actions,  peel  two  cards  into  the  left  hand  and  lay  the  remaining   double  right-­‐jogged  on  top.  Pinch  the  edge  of  the  double  with  your  right  hand  and   turn  it  face  up  to  show  another  Jack.  Turn  the  double  face  down  and  insert  a  single   card  half  way  in  the  second  person’s  packet,  using  the  same  actions  described  earlier.     Third  Jack   Turn  the  remaining  three  cards  face  up  and  hold  them  square.  Your  palm  up  right   hand  pinches  the  cards  along  the  right  edge.  With  your  right  thumb,  push  the  top  two   cards  squarely  toward  the  left.  Pinch  this  double  in  the  left  fingertips.  Separate  the   54

 

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hands  slightly  so  each  displays  a  Jack.  Flick  the  cards  up  and  down  against  each  other   a  few  times.  This  Paul  Harris  subtlety  emphasizes  the  singularity  of  the  cards  and   keeps  the  cards  in  motion.  Place  the  right  hand’s  card  on  top  of  the  double  and  turn   the  block  face  down.  Take  the  top  single  card  into  the  right  hand  and  insert  it  half   way  into  the  third  person’s  packet,  using  the  same  actions  described  earlier.     Fourth  Jack   Flash  the  remaining  double.  Now  is  where  the  previous  action  of  using  your  left  hand   really  comes  into  play.  Turn  your  empty  left  hand  palm  down  and  use  your  thumb  to   lift  up  exactly  two  cards  off  the  original  top  section  of  the  deck.  Insert  the  right   hand’s  double  half  way  into  the  opening.  This  double  must  stay  protruding  as  a   “single”  card,  so  be  sure  to  push  it  in  deep  enough  to  stay  tightly  squared.       The  four  spectators  apparently  have  a  Jack  protruding  each  of  their  packets.  Ask   them  to  push  the  Jacks  flush.  Not  only  does  this  get  your  audience  involved,  it   highlights  the  belief  that  the  Jacks  are  lost  and  separated  in  four  different  packets.  In   reality,  all  four  Jacks  are  together  on  the  original  top  section  of  the  deck.     Assembly  Line   To  cause  the  Jacks  to  assemble  on  your  target  pile  (the  original  top  of  the  deck),   guide  your  spectators  to  mime  removing  an  invisible  Jack  from  their  respective   packets.  Continue  this  imaginary  hook  to  mime  bringing  two  Jacks  together  on  the   target  pile,  followed  by  the  third,  then  the  fourth  Jack.  It’s  all  presentation,  so  have   fun  with  it.  If  you  are  familiar  Dean  Dill’s  equivoque  procedure,  it  works  great  here.     Say,  “In  our  imaginations,  you’ve  placed  all  the  Jacks  together,  but  of  course  we  know   this  is  impossible.  Or  is  it?  Somehow  you’ve  turned  the  impossible  into  reality!”  Have   the  person  holding  the  original  top  section  turn  over  the  top  four  cards  to  show  that   all  four  Jacks  have  come  together.       There  is  usually  heat  on  the  rest  of  the  cards,  with  the  assumption  that  extra  Jacks   must  be  in  play.  Of  course  you  have  nothing  to  hide,  so  invite  your  audience  to   examine  the  cards.  

 

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ERASING THE EVIDENCE - An alternate blank deck ending For  an  even  more  powerful  ending,  use  four  Jacks  and  a  blank  deck.  To  get  into  the   effect,  prepare  by  having  a  blank  deck  in  your  pocket.  With  a  normal  deck  in  play,   offer  to  perform  a  packet  effect  with  the  four  Jacks,  such  as  Dr.  Daley’s  Last  Trick.   This  gives  you  a  natural  reason  to  place  the  normal  deck  away.  When  you  are   finished  with  the  packet  effect,  simply  remove  the  blank  deck  as  you  apparently   retrieve  the  normal  deck.  Perform  the  effect  as  described.  After  the  four  Jacks   assemble,  mention  that  you  will  erase  all  evidence  of  how  this  feat  was  done.  Snap   your  fingers,  then  have  the  four  spectators  look  through  their  packets.  They  will  be   shocked  to  find  nothing  but  blank  cards.  

NOTES: Daryl’s  Rising  Crime  Display  can  be  found  in  For  Your  Entertainment  Pleasure   (Minch,  1982).     Dean  Dill’s  equivoque  procedure  to  verbally  guide  the  audience  to  bring  four  cards   together  can  be  found  in  Bob  Kohler’s  marketed  trick  Aces  In  Their  Faces  and  Aaron   Fisher's  Ace  Odyssey  from  The  Paper  Engine  (2001).     To  add  some  fun  to  the  effect,  you  can  ask  the  four  spectators  to  literally  do  a  few   jumping  jacks  before  the  final  the  assembly  of  the  Jacks.  It’s  an  amusing  way  to  cause   the  Jacks  to  assemble  (“jump”)  on  one  packet.    

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12. Pickpocket Aces EFFECT: After  the  Aces  are  lost  in  the  deck,  one  is  found  in  your  pocket,  two  are  found  in  your   spectator’s  pocket,  and  the  final  one  stands  alone  after  the  entire  deck  vanishes.     At  the  end  of  my  effect  Palm  Reader  Plus  in  One  Degree  (2010),  I  included  a  follow-­‐up   effect  called  Post  Production.  Since  then,  I  discovered  that  performing  the  initial   palm/load  in  the  spectator’s  pocket  instead  of  my  pocket  creates  two  powerful   moments.  This  “one  degree”  tweak  in  handling  takes  the  effect  in  a  different   direction,  focusing  the  magic  and  attention  on  your  audience.  Loading  a  palmed  card   into  your  spectator’s  pocket  in  the  action  of  removing  another  card  gets  you  way   ahead.  The  payoff  makes  the  boldness  worth  it.  Performed  at  the  end  of  your  set,   your  audience  is  relaxed,  having  fun,  and  by  this  time  believe  almost  anything  is   possible.  Pickpocket  Aces  seizes  this  opportunity  when  your  audience  is  at  the  height   of  openness.  And  with  a  vanishing  deck  ending,  it  offers  a  definitive  closing  to  any   card  set.    

SETUP: It  helps  if  both  you  and  an  audience  member  are  wearing  a  jacket  with  an  accessible   pocket.  

METHOD & PRESENTATION: Apparently  lose  four  Aces  in  the  deck,  but  control  them  to  the  top  with  any  method   you’d  like,  such  as  a  Multiple  Shift.  With  the  deck  face  down,  double  undercut  one   Ace  to  the  bottom.       First  Ace   Palm  the  top  two  cards  (this  will  get  you  way  ahead).  Drop  your  right  hand  to  your   side  with  the  palmed  cards  as  your  left  hand  moves  the  deck  up  and  down  as  if   weighing  it.  Say,  “Hmm,  the  deck  feels  lighter.  Did  one  of  you  steal  a  card?  I  think  it  was   you.”  Reach  your  right  hand  with  its  palmed  cards  into  your  spectator’s  jacket  pocket.  

 

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Leave  one  Ace  behind  and  come  out  with  the  other  palmed  Ace.  Have  him  hold  onto   it.  Say,  “Ah  ha,  I  knew  there  was  a  pickpocket  around  here.  I  didn’t  even  see  you  steal   that  Ace.”     Second  Ace   Say,  “Not  only  did  you  pickpocket  the  first  Ace,  you’re  trying  to  frame  me  for  it.   Somehow,  you  planted  the  second  Ace  in  MY  pocket.”  In  the  act  of  squaring  up  the   deck,  position  the  entire  deck  into  Gambler’s  Cop  position.  Your  right  hand  brings  the   top  card  forward  in  a  deep  overhand  grip  as  if  it  is  holding  the  entire  deck.  Gambler’s   Cop  the  rest  of  the  deck  and  dip  your  left  hand  to  your  coat  pocket;  leave  the  deck   behind  and  come  out  with  the  bottom  card—the  second  Ace.  Hand  this  to  your   spectator.       Third  Ace   Transfer  the  right  hand’s  card  to  the  left  hand  and  take  it  in  a  deep  dealer’s  grip,  as  if   you  are  still  holding  the  entire  deck.  Act  as  if  you  are  weighing  the  deck  again,  and   say,  “Yep,  it  feels  like  another  Ace  is  missing,  and  we  all  know  who’s  responsible  for   taking  it.  Go  ahead,  reach  in  your  pocket  and  show  us  what’s  inside.”  During  this  time,   continue  holding  your  one  card  as  if  it  is  the  entire  deck.       Fourth  Ace   You  will  now  cause  the  deck  to  vanish  using  an  Alfonso/Kosby  idea  from  The   Vanishing  Traveler.  Say,  “Even  bigger  than  the  mystery  of  how  you  stole  the  Aces  is   what  you  did  with  the  rest  of  the  deck!”  Cup  your  right  hand  over  the  left  hand’s  card   and  slowly  push  down  until  your  hands  are  flat  against  each  other.  Show  that  the   entire  deck  has  vanished  with  the  exception  of  the  last  Ace.

NOTES: The  Vanishing  Traveler  is  credited  to  Alfonso  and  Ray  Kosby,  and  appeared  in  the   Magical  Arts  Journal  (Volume  1,  Nos.  11  &  12,  June  &  July  1987).    

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    “It’s  not  the  magic    that  makes  it  work.       It’s  the  way  we  work     that  makes  it  magic.”       Former  Walt  Disney  World®  Executive  Vice  President  Lee  Cockerell  

 

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