Notes de Conference - Lee Asher - Sex Sells

Why is Lee Asher letting this girl play with his deck? Because…

Sex Sells

(All these tricks can be done with strippers)

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

SEX SELLS

Copyright  1998 by Lee Asher

DEDICATION I dedicate these notes to all the girls I’ve loved before… …Both of them.

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

INTRODUCTION Well here we are again and this time I’ve decided to make it a bit more interesting! Instead of seeing pictures of me with some famous magician, I’m pictured with the girls of PornDex! This is the pornography convention that frequents Vegas on an annual basis. Along with Stanley J and Joey Burton, we attended this wonderful meeting of adult cinema artists. All the girls loved magic and I have to say that they were extremely receptive! PornDex is similar to the FFFF convention in that both are invitation only. (The performers at PornDex are much better looking though.) Joey ‘The Sneak-in King’ Burton found a way to slip into the Sands Convention Center where this wonderful even was held. Anyway, here is some material hat you might find useful or at least it’s some wonderful toilet reading. Have fun and Enjoy!

Lee Asher January 1998

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

YO This is a neat flourish for all of you guys out there who like ‘exotic’ stuff. I can picture myself standing with one foot against the wall on a street corner doing this flourish. It’s as cool as flipping a coin or twirling a wallet chain. It’s a bit ‘knacky’ so keep with it. Effect: It’s just a display of skill. There is no magical effect….It just looks cool. Method: Hold the deck in dealing position in your left hand. Loosen your grip a bit so the cards are movable in your hand, but keep the pack square. While holding the deck in dealers position in your left hand, tip the wrist down toward the floor and then back up with some thrust causing the deck to slide forward (away from your body) across your fingertips. Your second finger bends inward toward your palm and curls slightly and acts as a ‘ramp’ for the deck to launch from. This causes the deck to whip straight up into the air then back down again like a Chinese yo-yo (Photo 1). Remember that when bending your wrist to snap it with some force, make sure 2/3 of the deck become air-borne. Basically that is it and you should be able to get the hang of it with just a bit of practice. It feels real nice and has a great look to it. The biggest fear with it is that you do want to let most of the deck fly up and out of your hand. Just relax and remember to practice over a bed. Bonus 1: If you hold a break under the top two cards and execute YO, the double will fly up into the air and flop down onto the table. With a little practice, you can make the double land perfectly square. Then you can go into any trick that uses a double on the table (Open Prediction, etc.) Bonus 2: I usually use YO as a moment of magic like a snap of the fingers or a wave of the hands. Try this neat ambitious card plot sequence…Execute a double lift and show the selection. Now turn the double back face down on top of the deck and take the first card of the deck and place it somewhere into the pack. Execute YO as your moment of magic and then turn the top card of the deck over to show the selection is back on top. This never fails to get a great reaction! Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

Lee performing for Kobi Tai.

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

TREY SHEIK Here is a nice blend of both Asher and Fisher. Both styles actually compliment each other in this effect. For those of you who know Aaron Fisher, you can probably guess where his influences are in the routine….You guessed it, the half pass. Aaron’s idea of using the half pass to accomplish what is needed was influenced by Larry Jennings in his effect ‘The Purloined Thought’. It can be found in the Larry Jennings issue of Richard’s Almanac (Jan/Feb ’84). If you have never seen Aaron’s half pass, chances are you probably won’t…. even if he shows you! If you would like to see a live demonstration of Trey Sheik, click here. Effect: A packet of Threes and Kings transpose in the cleanest manner possible. Simple yet effective…. Method: The method is about as cut and dried as the effect. Get the Threes and place them face up on top of the face down Kings. Do a half pass underneath the top card with all the cards except the top card. That is used for cover. Your packet of cards is now in this order . State that you will place the Kings on the table while you hold the Threes in your hand. Using the natural bow of the cards, let the three face down cards drop to the table while you retain the rest of the packet. Please don’t forget to emphasize which packet is which to ensure the maximum possible effect. (If they don’t remember where the packets start there is no effect.) Now turn the packet in your hands face down and get a break on the bottom card with the your left fourth finger. Stick your right first finger into the break while your thumb rests on the lower right corner of the card. Now reverse spread all the cards above the fourth finger break by pulling the cards to the right with your first finger (Photo 2). What this basically does is use the spread as cover for the hidden bottom card.(*The uses of the reverse spread are limitless.) You are now going to deposit the bottom card onto the packet of three cards on the table by using a brushing action. Just drop off the card while spreading the packet (Photo 3). You are now technically finished and very clean. Snap your fingers or say some magical words and reveal that the packets have transposed. Tremendous!

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

If you are interested in more ideas with the reverse spread…… click here.

She liked my pass…. Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

LEE ASHER’S MAMMARIZED DECK

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

B.S. CONTROL (B.S. stands for B.luff S.pacing or just fill in your own words…) What you are about to read, I feel, is a very interesting idea. I have to mention that about a week after I thought of this, I showed it to Allan Hayden (a childhood friend), fooling him. I explained how I did it and he told me he had it in print in 1983. His idea is called Sneak-ease and it can be found on pages 38-39 of Card Sharp on Duty. It just so happened that he had a copy on hand, so I looked it up. To make a long story short, he finally agreed that there was a major difference between our ideas and I agreed to mention his name here and tell the magic community that Allan Hayden is alive and well. I think the grandfather of this idea though is Edward Victor with his Depth Illusion. It has also occurred to me that Marlo probably thought of something similar and stuck it in one of his ‘Marlo Magazines’. Don’t you hate when these dead guys come from the grave and bite you in the ass!?! Effect: Four Aces randomly stuck in the deck (See Photo 4). The deck is then squared, given a cut and all four of the Aces are back on top. Method: Fan the four Aces in your right hand, showing them in all their splendor. Hold the remainder of the pack in your left hand. Your angles are crucial now. You want everyone who is watching to be either directly in front of you looking down on your hands or off to your right looking down on the hands. With your left thumb, riffle down about one-third of the deck and stick the first Ace in leaving it out jogged about half its length. Continue to pull your thumb down but don’t let any cards go off of it. This creates a space and angle necessary to make it look as if the next ace you are about to stick in is really going a few cards deeper than the Ace above it. You actually stick the second Ace directly underneath the first one but turn it a bit so it doesn’t quite lie straight with the first Ace. The more random it looks…the better. Repeat your actions twice more with the other two Aces. Here is a helpful hint…the looser you stick the Aces in the deck, the more it looks as if they are spaced. From the ‘bad’ view you can see what is really happening in (Photo 5). Now push the Aces in the deck at an angle so you can get a fourth finger break above them. Now you can do a myriad of things with the controlled aces ranging from bringing them to the top or the bottom. Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

Bonus: You could give the deck a quadruple undercut bringing the Aces to the top on the last cut or you could pass the Aces to the top. You can also crimp the top Ace and let the spectator cut the deck so they hit the crimp. Do what you like…

Marlo’s Favorite Card…The Three of Clubs

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

VARIOUS IDEAS Here are a few ideas that can be used as throw-away items or they can be expanded upon for full routines. Idea #1 A bridge sized deck of cards will fit into a hard pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Now here is what I did with this idea. I had to work a 50’s party so I got myself a pack of cigs and a bridge sized deck and emptied out the cigs and put in the deck. I then rolled the pack into my right sleeve and walked around the party. When I was ready to do a set, I would approach the group and unroll the pack from my sleeve. I then tapped the deck against my hand as if I were packing the tobacco. I would then look at someone and gesture if they would like a cigarette. Remember that I haven’t said a whole word up to this point. They will either respond with a “Yes, I would like one….” or a “No…that is a horrible habit”. I usually get the “No” answer in which case I remove the deck from the Marlboro box and reply, “Good, smoking is a bad habit anyway”. If they say “Yes”, take the deck from the cigarette box and reply, “I ran out so I’ll show you some card miracles instead.” I think this is a cool icebreaker and a clever idea. The only down side is that you must use a bridge sized deck of cards. Idea #2 If someone comes up to you at a party and asks you what you do for a living, you can reply, “I am a producer”. Hopefully their eyes light up and they will ask you what you produce. You reply, “I produce cards, coins, rings, ropes etc” and then start into one of your effects. It’s great when the spectator asks for the magic. Idea#3 The biggest ‘tell’ for a top card slip cut or anything of that nature is the pointer finger. It is always extended. Instead of extending your pointer finger, keep it bent at the first knuckle on top of the deck (Photo 7). By pressing down with the first knuckle of the first fingers, it creates the same friction as if you were to use the pad of your fingers. Now execute a slip cut and see how natural it looks and how comfortable it is (Photo 8).

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

I don’t take credit for this for the simple fact that it probably was thought of in Erdnase’s day. It is a beautiful refinement to a glaring ‘tell’.

I told you these tricks could be done with strippers!! Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

No? Then it must be in my pocket!

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

THE OLD GAMBLER VS. THE YOUNG CARD PUNK Here is a fine piece of magic with a pleasant story. I am fond of the theme because it isn’t the same old Magician vs. Gambler thing. The story here is loosely based on a true experience. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Effect: A story is told about an old gambler and a young card punk who are discussing “artifice, ruse and subterfuge at the card table.” Although both were knowledgeable and qualified to argue on the subject, the old gambler refused to believe the credentials of the young card punk. He claimed, without any reason other then youth, the punk “didn’t know his shit’’. A battle of skill was proposed, a match to see who could out do the other. The old gambler began the contest by giving his deck a few cuts and shuffles. He then proceeded to find the four Aces. (It should be mentioned here that the old gambler used gaffed cards to find the Aces.) It was now the young punks turn and he didn’t seem to worry even though the gambler had found the Aces. Instead, he took the deck and shuffled it a few times, set it back down then graciously got up and quietly walked away. Had the old gambler triumphed? You’ll have to read the method to find out… Method: Arrange the deck from the top down so it reads: . Begin by giving the deck a few false cuts and shuffles then produce the four Aces in any fashion you like. Since there are a billion ways to produce four Aces, I wont explain any particular method. Don’t forget to mention that the way you found the Aces was exactly how the old gambler found them. Square the four Aces, dropping them face up on the table in front of you. Table the deck as well. Some devilish misdirection needs to happen at this moment. I use the ruse of stopping the story to explain that because you were a mere spectator at this event, you could see the old gambler cheating with the gaffed deck.

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

Stop to explain what kind of gaff they were (Make something up). This is when you secretly switch the aces for the Royal Flush. Actually, three Aces are being swapped for four Royal cards using the last Ace as cover. The Switch: I refer to it as the FRANK 3-4-4 switch. It is a variant of a Frank Thompson packet switch that can be found in a set of Cy Keller Lecture Notes. It is also very similar to “Le Temps four Aces” switch in Expert Card Technique on page # 248. Pick up the Aces, holding them face down in your right hand in biddle grip. With the left hand, get a fourth finger break under the top four cards (four Royals). Now you are going to switch the Aces for the cards above the break by pushing the whole Ace packet into the crotch of the thumb until the right third finger and thumb contact the packet of Royals. Act as if you are peeling off one Ace but peel off the whole pack, square on to the deck. The Royals get taken into the right hand at the exact same moment as the initial packet gets peeled on top. Now immediately peel off the next card from the top of the packet in the right hand on to the deck, side jogged half its width to the right (Photo 9). (They think you are counting the aces on top of the deck but you have actually switched them for the four Royals.) This is repeated once more, taking the next card off the right packet. You are now left with a double in your right hand so handle it as a single card and hold it on top of the spread jogged half its width to the right (Photo 10). Pose for a second or two and call attention to the sides of the Aces. Explain to them and point to a spot on the card and tell them that is how the old gambler found the four aces. Now nonchalantly push the actual top card (AS) off the pack and add it to the four card spread, thought to be the aces. Now you square up the small pack of Royals and drop them face up square on the table off to the right. The (AS) should be showing. The switch is now complete. Now go back into the story where the young card punk takes the deck, shuffles them then gets up and walks off. Shuffle the deck a bit while telling the story. Try to emulate what took place the day you saw this match-up. Then explain that soon after in a moment of glory, while trying to recreate the whole scene for a passer bye, the old gambler refers to the four Aces he cut to by spreading them revealing not the four Aces but the Royal Flush in sequential order Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

(thanks Lew)! Surprised himself, the old gambler realizes the young one somehow switched the Aces for the Royal Flush and just waited for the old gambler to catch himself in a trap. Now that’s class!

-The moral of the story is never dismiss someone because of their age!

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

THANK YOU’S

I’d like to thank an array of people. In no particular orderSteve Fearson Stanley J. Inferno Joey Burton Aaron Fisher Lew Brooks CES and the girls of PornDex Al Cardpone T.H.U.S. Always the Esteemed members of the Magic Mafia And of course…. The Folks

Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

Ricky Jay Eat Your Heart Out…

THE END Copyright  Lee Asher 2000

NOT FOR RESALE Thanks for downloading this Authorized and Digitally Numbered copy of SEX SELLS the PDF by Lee Asher. This is your personal copy so please refrain from sending it to others. It cheapens the value of the material if the secrets aren’t paid for in some manner. If you want to learn more about Lee Asher please go to his web page at:

www.LeeAsher.com

Click the links to see Lee Asher’s magic, product and Real Media videos plus other fantastic downloadable PDF’s 24HOURS A DAY - 365 DAY A YEAR - 7 DAYS A WEEK

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Copyright  Lee Asher 2000