Aldo Colombini - Pre-Deckability.pdf

PRE-DECKABILITY

finds a Jumbo duplicate of the 6 of Spades. Above this card is written "Except the ......

REQUIREMENTS EFFECT Three different predictions are taken from a pad of paper and given out, one to each of three spectators. A deck of cards is shuffled and cut into two halves. A spectator cuts a portion from one half, turns it face up, and shuffles it together with the other face down half creating a topsy-turvy condition (a packet of face up and face down cards.) The spectator cuts any amount of cards from this face up and face down portion, turns it over, and shuffles it with the remainder of the deck which is still face down on the table. The spectator now cuts a portion from this assembled packet, turns it over, and shuffles it together with the other packet. This cutting and shuffling procedure continues until the spectator feels it is enough and he can continue as long as he wants.

At the end, the first prediction is read and it says, "There will be 23 face down cards." The spectator counts the face down cards while separating them from the face up cards and finds 231 The second prediction is read and it says, "There will be 15 red cards." From the 23 card packet, the spectator separates the red cards from the black ones, and counts 15 red cardsl Then the third prediction is read and it says, "All the black cards are Clubs." But alas, among the black cards which turn out to be Clubs, is found one lone Spade, say the 6 of Spades. Apparently the magician has goofed! But, he picks up the pad of paper from which he removed the original three predictions, opens it and, on the last page,

A). Any deck of cards will do, even if it is not complete. B. A pad of paper large enough to accommodate a Jumbo card on the back cover.

C. A pen (or felt pen). D. A Jumbo card (say the 64). SET-UP Glue the Jumbo card on the inside back cover of the pad and write "EXCEPT THE" on the last page of the pad above the card. Separate 15 red cards, 7 Clubs and the 6 Spades from the deck. (See Note 1). Shuffle these 23 cards together, remember the top card of this packet when it is face down (say the JIV) and place this packet face down below the other face down cards (See Note 2.) , Keep the pen, the deck and the pad handy.

PERFORMANCE 0

Take out the pad and the pen. Write on the first sheet the words, "THERE WILL BE 23 FACE DOWN CARDS." Tear out the sheet, fold it and give it to a spectator to hold asking him/her not to look at it until he/she is told to do so. .Write on another sheet the words, "THERE WILL BE 15 RED CARDS." Tear out this second sheet, fold it and 3

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give it to another spectator to hold, giving him/her the same instructions. Write on a third sheet the words, "ALL THE BLACK CARDS ARE CLUBS." Tear out the sheet, fold it up and give it to a third spectator. Leave the pad on the table in view all the time. (While giving out these predictions, avoid flashing the presence of the Jumbo card, of course.) Remove the deck from its case and spread it between the hands or on the table, showing all the cards mixed. Take the deck up and give it any shuffle that leaves the cards in place. You can mix the two blocks of cards among them, but do not switch the positions of the cards of the two groups. In other words, you can, for example, perform a face up and then a face down Hindu Shuffle. To do this, take the deck face up in the left hand. The right hand strips out cards apparently from the middle, but only really taking the original 23 card set-up and shuffles these cards off. Turn the deck face down and repeat the Hindu Shuffle, taking cards from the upper half (don't go beyond the middle.) (See Note 3.) If you want, give the deck a couple of False Cuts.

Spread the deck face up between the hands and split the deck at the remembered card taking the whole 23 card group with the right hand and placing these cards face down on the table to your right (Group B). Leave the other cards face down at the left (Group A). (See Note 4.) If you want (and sometimes I do) ask two spectators to- shuffle the two halves and to replace them in their places. Imagine that on the table you have three positions as in diagram below, A, B and C. At position A you have indifferent cards, at position B the 23 card group that contains the predictions. Position C has nothing at this time but you will use it in a moment. The spectator is on your 4

right.

C A

B

Ask a spectator to cut any amount of cards either from group A or from group B (he/she can start from either packet, it does not matter) and to place these cards face down at C. The spectator does so. Say something about the (obvious) fact that there is no way to know exactly the amount of cards cut or the actual cards cut and placed at position C (true). Ask him/her to turn the cards (at C) over face up, and to shuffle these cards with the face down packet on the opposite side. In other words, if the spectator cuts cards from packet A to C, after he/she turns them over face up, he/she shuffles these cards with the (face down) packet B. Ask him/her to cut any amount of cards from the assembled packet at B, turn it over (at C) and shuffle these cards with the remaining packet at A. He/she now must cut any amount of cards from A, turn it over and shuffle these cards with the bunch of cards at B. Control the shuffle so that he/she does not turn the cards in the wrong way. (See Note 6.) He/she can continue doing this as long as he/she wants. The only rule is: always alternate the cut and the shuffle, first from one packet, then from another, no matter where you start. 5

When he/she is satisfied, ask him/her to turn over one of the two packets on the table and here is the only move (if you want to call it a move) that you need to remember. If he/she turns over the packet at A (indifferent cards), ask him/her to shuffle these cards with the other cards at B which will assemble the deck and you do nothing. If he/she turns over the cards at B (special group), ask him/her to shuffle the cards together and assemble the deck. Then, casually spread the cards showing the face upface down condition, then turn the deck over and square. Remember, if he/she turns over the packet at B, you need to turn over the deck before proceeding with the predictions. (See Note 6.)

Ask the first spectator to read the first prediction, "THERE WILL BE 23 FACE DOWN CARDS." Ask the spectator who shuffled the deck to separate the face down cards from the face up cards, counting the face down cards aloud. There will be 23. Your first prediction is amazingly correct. Keep the face down cards and place the face up cards aside. Ask the second spectator to read the second prediction. "THERE WILL BE 15 RED CARDS." The spectator counts the red cards separating them from the black and, sure enough, there are 15. Ask the third spectator to read the third prediction, "ALL THE BLACK CARDS ARE CLUBS."Alas, the spectator checks and among the Clubs he/she will find the 6 Spades. After some by-play, flip open the pad to reveal your fourth prediction: "EXCEPT THE 6 Spades" for a true killer! You cannot follow this with anything else!

NOTES 1. You will realize right away that any amount of cards can be predicted. The set-up of the special group can be composed of any amount and any suit/color combination. 2. The set-up can be placed on top, over the other indifferent cards. 3. You can use an Overhand Shuffle to maintain the set-up, giving the illusion that the deck is shuffled. Overhand Shuffle the cards in bunches, then singly while approaching the middle and then in packets until the end. Repeat and the set-up remains intact. 4. To cut to the glimpsed card, you may use any key card (for example, a short card, and then riffle down to it) or you may have a Joker. Under the pretence of removing the Joker that is not needed, cut the deck as required. 5. 1 shuffle the cards after each cut of the spectator, for two reasons, First, there is no margin for mistake if I shuffle, and second (and more important), if the spectator does everything, the audience may think that the trick is automatic and no credit goes to me! I do not like it! So I prefer to shuffle the cards, very clearly, but giving the impression that I may have done something. 6. At the end (Men the spectator is satisfied and stops shuffling the cards and one packet needs to be turned over) I simply turn it over myself, turning over the cards at A and shuffling them with the cards at B. Do without worrying; it will pass unnoticed. 7. At the beginning you may have the predictions already written on the pad and then just tear them off and hand

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sometimes I don't. If I have to decide which is better, I would prefer to write the predictions in front of the audience. It looks like it is not too obvious and 'too predictable.' CONCLUSION You have on your hands an incredible effect, thanks to Simon Aronson for his ingenuity. Please, if any of you know, let me know the originator of the final kicker (a tremendous applause getter) and we'll give him/her the proper credit.

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