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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
p. 3
INTER-CHANGELING
p. 4
HOF THE CASE
p. 8
P' WAVE
p. 10
RE-TWIXT & BETWEEN
p. 12
COLLISION
p. 14
TWISTED LIMO SERVICE REVISITED
p. 17
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INTRODUCTION Well, here we are again. Upon its release, the first “Moment's Notice” ebook was a huge hit and I immediately began receiving more than a few emails asking me if a follow-up was in the works. It actually wasn't. But because demand seemed to be high, I once again dug into the files and culled out a few more tricks. For consistency's sake, and because I want this material to be TRULY impromptu, the conditions from the first book still stand: 1. All of the effects are 100% impromptu. No set-ups whatsoever. 2. All of the effects are strong. No filler. 3. No other props are used in conjunction with the cards. This includes markers or pens. Hence, no signed card tricks. So roll up your sleeves, grab a deck of cards and let's go! Cameron Francis January, 2010
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INTER-CHANGELING Based on Jerry Sadowitz's “The More Things Change” (aka “Interchange”) this routine is a lot of fun and very easy to do. Perfect for stand up as you do not need a table. Effect: The magician removes four cards from the deck which he claims are excellent at impersonating other cards: the four Jacks. Three of the Jacks are very fairly placed into three empty pockets. The last Jack is held by the spectator. A card is selected. We'll say it's the Eight of Hearts. The card is lost in the deck. The remaining Jack is waved over the deck whereupon it visually transforms into the selection! The other three Jacks are removed from the magician's pockets. They are now the mates of the Eight! Performance: 1. Run through the deck with the faces toward you and cut any Jack to the face of the deck. Note the card just behind the Jack, in this case we'll say it's the Eight of Hearts. 2. Ask the spectators if they have any idea which cards are the best impersonators. As you ask this, run through the deck and out-jog the mates to the Eight and one Jack with a contrasting color to the Jack at the face. In other words, if the Jack at the face of the deck is red, up-jog a black Jack. if the Jack at the face of the deck is black, up jog a red Jack. 3. Spin the four cards out of the pack and place them on the face. As you do this, position the cards so that the contrasting Jack is at the face of the packet. 4. Without showing the faces to the spectators, spread over the five cards at the face and then square them up, lifting them off the pack. The order from the face of the packet is: Jack, Eight, Eight, Eight, Jack. The Eight of Hearts should still be at the face of the deck. Turn the deck face down and place it on the table or a spectator's hand. 5. Holding the face down packet from above in right hand Biddle Grip, rotate your right hand palm up, flashing the Jack at the face of the packet, as you say, “It's actually the Jacks. They are excellent impressionists.”
5 6. Turn the packet face down. Say, “I'll put three of them in my pockets for now and leave one out.” 7. Have a spectator check your pockets to make sure they are totally empty. 8. You will now perform Daryl's Diminishing Count to show four Jacks. Here's how it's done: Holding the packet from above with your right hand, slip the top three cards one at a time into your left hand, reversing their order. Turn over the final two cards as one on top of the packet to show a Jack. Turn the double face down, slip the top card off the packet and in your right back pocket. Peel the next two cards into your left hand and turn over the last two cards as one to show another Jack. Turn the double face down and use your left thumb to slip the top card into your left hand. Place this card, back out, into your left front pocket. Use your left thumb to slip the top card of the packet into your left hand. Your right hand is now holding two cards as one. Rotate your left hand palm down and your right hand palm up to show the last two Jacks. Rotate your left hand palm up and your right hand palm down and drop the face down right hand card(s) on top of the left hand card. Take the top card with your right hand and slip it into your right front pocket. 9. Drop the last two face down cards (held as one) on top of the deck. You have just apparently shown four Jacks and placed three of them into different pockets. What you have actually done is shown two Jacks twice and placed three Eights into three different pockets. You are way ahead of the game. 10. Turn the top Jack face up and hand it to a spectator, asking her to hold onto it. 11. Cut the deck, keeping a break between the two halves. You will now perform the Gary Oullett's Touch Force as follows: Spread through the top half of the deck and ask the spectator to touch a card. Whatever card is touched, out-jog it from the spread and square up the deck, maintaining the break (Fig. 1). Holding the deck in your left hand, square the outjogging card into the upper half of the deck as your right hand moves forward and lifts all of the cards above the break (Figs. 2 & 3). Lift your right hand up to allow the spectator to see the bottom card of the top half (Fig. 4). 12. Replace the half in your right hand on top of the half in your left hand, maintaining the break. Riffle off the bottom card of the top portion (the selection) and then double undercut to the break. The selection is now on top of the pack.
6 13. Secure a pinky break under the top card of the deck as you take the face up Jack from the spectator. Place it on top of the deck and then immediately lift up both cards above the break in readiness for the Noel Stanton Pivot Change (aka The Twirl Change).
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
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Fig. 4 The Pivot Change: Hold the two cards as one with your right second finger on the outer left corner and your right thumb on the lower right corner. Your right index finger is curled on the middle of the card. Wave your hand back and forth. As you do this, your right first fingers contacts the left long side of the double and pulls it to the right, causing the cards to pivot between the thumb and second finger. Once the double has turned completely over, stop waving the cards. Drop the double on top of the deck. It will look as if the Jack visually transformed into the Eight of Hearts. Leave the selection face up on top of the face down deck. Note: If you aren't comfortable with the Pivot Change, the J.K. Hartman Blow Away Change works well here also. 14. Say, “Now that was impressive. But this Jack isn't even the most talented impersonator. Because the other three have been in the dark since before the card was selected. And yet in spite of these impossible condition, they managed to impersonate the three mates of the Eight!” Remove the three cards from your pockets to show that they have indeed turned into the mates of the Eight of Hearts. 15. Place the three face up mates on top of the deck. Spread over the top five cards; the four face up Eights and one face down Jack. Square up the cards, catching a break under the fifth card. As you do this, say, “Alas, these cards may be good impressionists, but they can't keep up this charade forever. They are, after all...” Pick up the cards above the break and perform Marc DeSouza's Shapeshifter Change to apparently transform the Eights back into Jacks. If you don't know the Shape Shifter Change, then another Pivot Change or Blow Away Change will work as well.
8 “Just Jacks!” 16. Allow the effect to register. Flip the Jack face down and give the deck a cut to clean up. This is actually quite discrepant as there should be four face up Jacks on top of the deck. However, if you move the conversation along (you can even start the patter for your next effect) and then casually turn the Jack face down and give the deck a cut, no one will notice.
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HOF THE CASE This trick was inspired by the Hofsinzer Ace Problem and Roy Walton's “The Collectors”. Liam Montier's very cool variation of this effect, “Playing Favorites”, appeared in our joint ebook, “Released”. Effect: Two cards are selected and lost in the deck. The four Aces are removed and the magician asks one of the spectators which is his favorite Ace. Let's say he says the Ace of Diamonds. The Aces are then placed inside the card case. The magician claims that in spite of these seemingly impossible circumstances, the Ace of Diamonds will escape from the card case and find the selected cards... all within two point five seconds. The spectator shakes the card case over the deck. When the deck is spread, one Ace is seen reversed in the middle. Not just any Ace but the Ace of Diamonds! The two cards on either side of the Ace are turned face up... they are not the selections. The magician points to the card case. He asks the spectator to open it and remove the cards. Between the three Aces are two face down cards. They are revealed to be the selections! Performance: 1. Have two cards selected, noted and returned to the deck. Control them both to the top. 2. Run through the deck and remove the four Aces (If one of the spectators selected an Ace, remove the four Kings) 3. Ask one of the spectators which is his favorite Ace. Arrange the Aces face up on top of the face down deck so that the Ace which matches the spectator's choice is at the face. Spread the Aces and the three face down cards under them. Square up and get a break under the top seven cards. Lift them off the deck. As you do this, say, “That's interesting. My personal favorite Ace is...” 4. You will now perform a variation of Marlo's ATFUS. Riffle off the bottom card and hold a break between it and the rest of the packet with your right thumb. Peel the first Ace onto the deck. Release the card below the break on top of it. Now peel the next Ace onto the deck, keeping a break below it. Peel the next Ace on top of this one. Place the last Ace, and the face down selections under it, on top of all. Point to the final Ace and, no matter which Ace it is, say that it is your favorite Ace
10 (This justifies why you just went through all of the Aces). 5. Pick up all five cards above the break and turn them face down. Put the deck down on the table. Buckle the bottom two cards of the packet and get a break above them. Lift off the top card of the packet with your right hand and gesture to the card case with it, saying, “We'll isolate the Aces inside the card case for now...” Slip the card in your right hand into the break and square up the packet. 6. Put the packet inside the card case and close the flaps. Hand the box to the spectator. 7. Say, “Now in spite of these seemingly impossible conditions, the Ace of ____ (whichever Ace the spectator named) will escape from this box, dive down into the deck, doing four flips in the process and finally land right between the two selected cards.” As you say, “dive down into the deck,” give the deck a cut for emphasis. 8. Have the spectator give the box a shake over the deck. Ask him if he saw the Ace leave the box, perform four flips and land in the deck... The answer will most likely be no. 9. Spread the deck and show that indeed, the selected Ace is face up in the middle of the deck. 10. Remove the cards on either side of the Ace and turn them over asking if they are the selections. Of course, they are not. 11. Say, “Huh. That's strange. The Aces never usually miss. Unless... Wait a minute. Now, I haven't touched that card case since we started, have I?... Do me a favor and open it.” 12. Have her remove the Aces. Ask her to spread them, remove the two reversed cards, and turn them over to reveal the selections.
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P' WAVE It would not at all surprise me if someone else had come up with this exact same effect (And if this is the case, please let me know!) as the effect and method employed here is simple, straight forward and powerful. Not much more you could ask for in an impromptu mentalism effect! Effect: The magician removes five cards from the deck and places them face down on the table. “These cards,” he says, “represent a poker hand. A good poker hand. What I want you to do is use your intuition and tell me which card you think is the lowest card of the hand.” The spectator selects a card. The card is turned face up and seen to be the Four of Diamonds. The other four cards are turned face up. They are the four Aces! Performance: 1. Run through the deck with the faces toward you and up-jog the four Aces and one indifferent card. The indifferent card should be behind the Aces. Strip out the cards and place them onto the face of the deck. 2. Spread over the nine cards at the face. Square them up, getting a break below them and then immediately lift them off the face of the pack. Transfer them to the back of the deck, keeping them in jogged. 3. Flip the deck over book-wise. Secure a pinky break under the in jogged nine cards as you square them up. So the situation is this from the top of the deck down: Five indifferent cards Four Aces Rest of the deck 4. Deal the top five cards onto the table in a row. You are now holding a break under four cards on top of the deck. Explain that you just removed a good poker hand from the deck. Ask the spectator to point to the card which she thinks might be the lowest card in the hand. 5. With your right hand, gather up the cards she didn't select and slide them in a pile. Have her turn her selection face up, say the Four of Diamonds, and put it on top of the four face down cards. Pick up this five card packet from above with your right hand.
12 6. Perform a J.K. Hartman Block Switch to switch out the four cards below the selection for the four Aces on top of the deck. Here's how it's done: You are holding the five card packet by the short ends, your right second finger on the outer short end, your right thumb on the inner short end. Bring the right hand over the deck, placing the left long edge of the packet into your left thumb crotch (Fig. 1). Now, grip the short ends of the four Aces above the break between your right third finger and thumb. Clamp down on the five card packet with your left thumb as your right hand pulls the four Aces above the break to the right (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1
Fig. 2 Done at speed, it should look as if you merely peeled the face up indifferent card onto the top of the deck. 7. Place the deck on the table. Deal the four cards face up onto the table to reveal the four Aces.
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RE-TWIXT & BETWEEN This is an impromptu version of Peter Duffie's excellent gaffed effect “Betwixt & Between”. Effect: The two black Jacks are removed from the deck and placed aside. A card is selected, noted and placed back into the deck. The two Jacks are then cut face up into the deck. A number is chosen by a spectator. The deck is cut and when it is spread, a number of cards are seen trapped between the two reversed Jacks. It is the exact number that the spectator selected. The spectator then checks to see if her card is among the trapped cards. It is not. The deck is squared. The magician snaps his fingers and spreads the deck. The Jacks are now seen to have only one card between them: the selection! Performance: 1. Run through the deck and remove the two black Jacks. As you display them, get a break under the card at the face of the deck. 2. Turn the Jacks face down on top of the face up deck and then immediately lift up all three cards above the break. As you lift up the cards, be sure to immediately rotate your left hand palm down as you don't want anyone noticing that there is a new card at the face of the deck. Place the squared packet of three cards to your right. 3. Spread the face down deck between your hands. Have a spectator select a card and take a look at it. Place it back on top of the deck and then double undercut it to the bottom. 4. Pick up the face down packet of cards on the table and place it on top of the deck. Turn the top Jack face up but act as if you are turning over both Jacks. Say, “We'll turn the Jacks face up and cut them somewhere into the face down deck.” 5. Double undercut the top face up Jack to the bottom of the deck. On top of the deck is is a face down Jack followed by a face up indifferent card. Say that you will now test the magical powers of the Jacks by using a magic number. 6. Ask the spectator to cut a small portion of cards off the top of the deck, turn them face up and them place them back on top of the deck. 7. Count the face up cards into your right hand. Let's say there are eleven cards. Say, “Okay, so the magic number is eleven.” Be careful not to spread past the face down
14 card on top of the deck as there is a reversed Jack under it. 8. Turn the face up cards face down on top of the deck. Slip cut the top card into the middle of the deck and then ask the spectator to give the deck a straight cut. 9. Once she has done this, pick up the deck and turn it face up. Holding the deck so that the backs face the spectators, spread through displaying the two reversed Jacks with a bunch of cards between them. Ask the spectator count the cards. She will find that the Jacks did indeed trap exactly eleven cards (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1 10. You will now close up the spread, but as you do, get a break under the card just below the second Jack. This will be the selection. 11. Square up the cards, maintaining the break and lower your hands so the spectators can see the face of the deck. Say, “Now the Jacks trapped the magic number. But did they trap your selected card? Let's find out...” 12. Spread through the deck and stop when you arrive at the first face down Jack. Place the face up cards above the Jack onto the table. 13. Say, “Let me know if you see your card between the Jacks.” Lift off all the cards above the break in right hand Biddle Grip. With your left thumb, peel the first face down Jack onto the remainder of the deck, keeping a break under it. As you go to peel the first face up card, steal the reversed Jack back underneath the packet. 14. Continue peeling the cards onto the deck until you come to the second face down Jack. Drop this card and the two cards under it on top of the deck as one. The spectator will not have seen her card. 15. Pick up the tabled portion of the deck and drop it on top of the half in your left hand. Turn the deck face down. Snap your fingers and spread the pack. Two face up Jacks will be seen in the middle with only one card between them. Turn this card over to reveal the selection.
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COLLISION This highly visual variation of my effect “New Addition” (from the “Forrest/Francis Project” dvd) was inspired by a Yannick Chretien move from his effect “Reflipped”. The inspiration for both “Collision” and “New Addition” was David Acer's “Changes”. Effect: A card is selected and lost in the pack. We'll say it is the Eight of Diamonds. The magician tries to find it but is unsuccessful. The spectator then cuts the deck. She doesn't find it either but does manage to find the Five of Diamonds and the Three of Diamonds. Close but not quite. The magician says he can fix the problem. He throws the two cards at each other. They collide and visually fuse into the Eight of Diamonds! Performance: 1. Note the top card of the deck and remember it. The only stipulation is that the card must be a spot card but not an Ace or a Two. If there is an Ace, Two or court card on top of the deck, just openly cut a spot card to the top. We'll stick with the Eight of Diamonds for this example. 2. Riffle force the Eight on the spectator and then control it back to the top. 3. You will now run through the deck and remove two cards of the same suit which add up to your force card. Here's how I do it: Run through the deck with the faces toward you. Say you will attempt to find the card. Keeping running through until you come to the Three of Diamonds. Up-jog it and then miscall it as another card (I just call it one of the cards that is directly next to it). The spectator will say it's not her card. Remove the card and place it to the back of the deck. Keep running through the deck until you spot the Five of Diamonds. Up-jog it and miscall it. Once again the spectator will say it's not her card. Remove the card and place it on top of the deck. 4. Give the deck a few false cuts. Say, “Well, obviously I'm not very good at finding your card. Perhaps you'll have better luck.” 5. Turn the deck face down and have the spectator perform the Balducci Cut Deeper Force. For those of you who do not know the Balducci Cut Deeper force, here's how it works: Have the spectator cut a small amount of cards off the top of the deck, turn
16 them face up and place them back on top. Now ask her to cut a little deeper into the deck, turn over the cards and place them on top of the deck. Now, when you spread through the face up deck, you will eventually come to a face down portion. This is actually the portion that was just on top of the deck before the cutting procedure. Flip the face up cards face down and place them on the table. Do not square the cards. Keep the pile haphazard. 6. Pick up the face down half and turn over the top card. This will be the Five of Diamonds. Ask if it is the selection. The answer will, of course, be no. Place this card on the table. 7. Turn over the next card. This will be the Three. Lift it off the deck and ask if this is the selection. As you ask this, get a break under the top face down card. This is the selection. Place the face up Three on top of the packet. Pick up the face up Five and place it on top of the three. Lift up all three cards above the break as you place the face down talon in your hand on top of the cards already on the table. Again, do not square the packets. You want the cards to be a little messy. 8. Ask the spectator what her card was. When she says it's the Eight of Diamonds, say, “Well, you did pretty well because Five plus Three is Eight! But perhaps we can use a little magic to make it even more perfect.” 9. You will now perform the Yannick Chretien “Reflipped” variation. Pinch the packets along their long sides between your hands, your thumbs on top and your fingers below. Separate the cards by taking the Three with your left fingers. Hold the Five with the face down Eight under it as one with your right fingers (Fig. 1). 10. The follow happens very quickly: The left fingers toss the card to the right, allowing it to flip face down on top of the deck. Just after the left hand starts moving, the right hand moves to the left, allowing its two cards to flip over on top of the deck. The two cards in your right hand should land a fraction of a second after the left hand's card has landed. It should look as if the Three and the Five hit each other and visually turn into the Eight (Fig. 2).
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Fig. 1
Fig. 2 Note: The three cards will slide around a bit. They might even slide right off the deck. This is why you must leave the deck a little messy; to help camouflage the disheveled state of the two face down cards under the selection.
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TWISTED LIMO SERVICE REVISITED This is a streamlined handling of my effect Twisted Limo Service which was originally published in the “Fresh Mint” booklet. The effect is based on Dai Vernon's “Twisting The Aces” and Paul Harris' “Limo Service”. Although I wasn't aware of it when the first version of the effect was published, the plot bears some similarity to Roy Walton's “Smokescreen” from “The Complete Walton vol. 1”. Effect: The four Kings are removed from the deck and placed aside. A card is selected and placed inside the card case. A second card is selected and lost in the deck. The four Kings perform an impressive twisting sequence and then instantly transpose with the selection inside the card case! For the grand finale, the Kings are tapped against the deck and instantly trap the second selection! Performance: 1. Run through the deck and remove the four Kings. Arrange the Kings in red, red, black, black order from the face. Place them face down on top of the deck. Spread over the top four cards and lift them off the deck to display their faces to the spectators. Lower the spread and as you go to square them up against the base of the left thumb, release the bottom card on top of the deck and lift up the top three cards. Table the three face down Kings to your right. 2. Cut the deck and hold a break between the halves. Riffle force to the break and cut the bottom portion back to the top (the King is now back on top of the deck). Double turnover showing an indifferent card. We'll say it's the Eight of Hearts. Have one of the spectators note the card. Turn the double face down and then pick up the top card (King) and slip it inside the card case. Be sure to put it in so that the face of the King is toward the half-moon cut-out. 3. Place the card case down on the table, half moon side up, flap end furthest away from you. 4. Pick up the deck and riffle down the side, asking the second spectator to call stop wherever he wants. Legitimately cut the deck at the stop point and thumb the selection onto the table or onto his hand. 5. After the spectator has noted the selection, take it back from him and put it on top of the deck. (Both selections are now on top). Give the deck a false cut.
19 6. Secure a break under the top two cards as your right hand picks up the Kings and flips them face up on top of the deck. Immediately lift off all five cards above the break and set the deck aside. 7. Spin the packet and then perform an Elmsley Count, placing the last card to the bottom of the packet, to show one King has turned face down. Give the packet another spin and another Elmsley Count to show two face down Kings. 8. Spin and Elmsley Count a third time to show three face down Kings. Say, “One more King to go...” 9. Perform a Vernon Through The Fist Flourish to reverse the packet. Slip the top card to the bottom of the packet to show that the last King has turned face down. Elmsley Count to show all four cards are now face down. 10. Buckle the bottom card of the packet and secure a pinky break above it. 11. Now turn your left hand palm down and pick up the card case, loading the packet on top of the case (Fig. 1). 12. Rotate your left hand palm up and grip the card case and the four cards under it with your right hand (Fig. 2 exposed for clarity). Your left hand then immediately turns palm down again, taking the single card above the break with it (Fig. 3).
Fig.1
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Fig. 2
Fig. 3 13. So your are now holding the card case with four cards under it in your right hand. Your left hand is holding one face down card (the first selection) but the spectators should think you are holding the packet of Kings. 14. Tap the single card against the card case and snap it over, revealing the first selection. Drop this card onto the table. 15. Reposition the card case so you are holding it from above with your right hand and your left fingers can open the flap. A face down card will clearly been seen inside the box. 16. With your left fingers and thumb, pull the single card in the box and the four cards under the box to the left. It should look as if all of the cards came from inside the box. 17. Set the box down on the table. Holding the packet in left hand dealer's grip, take the top two cards in your right hand. Use your left thumb to slide the top card in your left hand to the right and hold the last two as one to show four cards. 18. Place the cards in your right hand under the left hand cards. Flip the packet face up and give it an Ascanio Spread to show four Kings.
21 19. Square up the packet and tap it against the deck. Spread the cards to show one face down card between the Kings. 20. Remove the card and snap it over to reveal the second selection.
Cover art by James Howells: www.magicpackagingdesign.co.uk
[email protected] www.cameron-francis.com © Cameron Francis 2010
