This is one of my several methods for the open prediction that I am glad to offer all magicians who I hope find this effect useful. It should be noted that this effect does not respect all of the conditions set by Stewart James for his “51 Faces North”. I believe this is a good impromptu solution. It relies on sleight of hand to reach the 100% successful ending, but I tried to design the method to hide the “dirty work” and have included 6 different techniques to hopefully meet the needs/styles of everyone. This method will require some practice before the performer can swiftly and confidently present the effect. It is my opinion that in the right hands, this method for the open prediction can seem like a small miracle to the audience.
Effect: The magician begins by placing a face up card (for example the King of Diamonds) onto the table for all to see and claims that it is a prediction. Next the magician introduces a deck of cards, which can be shuffled, and asks the spectator to deal out, one by one, the cards face up onto the table with the deck held face down. The magician then instructs that at any point in the dealing process, the spectator is to stop and deal a card face down onto the pile. Once the rest of the cards are dealt face up on top of the face down card, the King of Diamonds has not been seen yet, and the card dealt face down is shown to match the prediction.
Explanation: Here are 6 methods for accomplishing the above effect:
1. Pocket solution Before you begin the effect remove from the deck your prediction card (in this case the king of diamonds) and put it in the back pocket of your trousers. Declare your prediction, either by introducing a duplicate card or by simply writing the card's identity on a piece of paper. Instruct your spectator to shuffle the cards, and (with the cards held face down) to deal them onto the table face up. Follow the description of the effect by telling the participant to stop whenever he/she wants, and
to deal the next card face down onto the pile. Conclude the spectator's assignment by having him/her deal the rest of the cards face up on top of the face down card, looking for the prediction card to show up. While you guide the spectator to perform these actions, you have plenty of time to grab the card in your pocket and hold it in the Gambler Cop palm position (I hold it in the left hand with the back facing out).
Normal view
Exposed view
---[Main Procedure]--(This point will be referred to in further explanations) Take the deck from the table and spread the cards in your hand, being careful to hide the palmed card behind the deck with the back edge against your body.
Cards are being picked up with card in left hand.
As you spread the palmed card is easier to hide.
Push the face-down card against your body (exposed view)
Normal view
As you spread the deck (from right to left using your right thumb) make sure the palmed card is held firmly in place and run all of the cards over it. When you arrive at the reversed card you are to push out this card (toward the spectator) and slide the prediction card into the correct position, under the random card (see pictures).
Cards are being spread.
Exposed view: The KD is being positioned under the selected card.
Normal view
After this is completed, spread through the rest of the cards (for fairness) and then square the deck with the selected card out-jogged. The prediction card is under the out-jogged card, in the same position as the rest of the deck.
Next you are going to perform a procedure to get rid of the out-jogged card as you turn over the deck. As you push the face down card back in you are going to push it back in diagonally so that the bottom right part of the card is sticking out of the right side of the deck, being hidden by the right hand.
To finish the “dirty work” you are to flip the out-jogged card so that it is reversed on the bottom of the deck as you turn the deck clockwise. The card will be hidden the entire time behind your right hand, and your left hand fingers will help pivot it.
Conclude the effect by spreading to reveal the face down card in the middle of the deck, or let the spectator do it himself. (It should be noted that this is probably not the best solution in this ebook. More fairer revelations are to come.)
2. Impromptu version This is a slightly different handling then in the first version. Give the spectator the deck to examine, shuffle, or the spectator could even bring his/her own deck. Take the deck back to make the prediction and to make sure the prediction card is indeed in the deck. View the bottom card and make it the prediction by writing it down or simply naming it. As you give the deck back to the spectator secretly take the bottom card via the Gambler Cop technique.
Ask the spectator to shuffle and to deal the cards as described above. Continue as in “Main Procedure” of the first method.
3. Second deck support This method is another small variation that uses another deck of cards so that you can show your hands free throughout most of the effect. Give the main deck to the spectator for shuffling/examination and when it is returned, as in the previous method, palm the bottom card via the Gambler Cop technique.
Place the deck onto the table and pick up a second deck that you plan to take the prediction card out of. Place the palmed card onto the bottom of the deck, and search for the card in the second deck you wish to predict (Obviously it is the same as the one you palmed). Once you have found it, place your prediction card face up onto the table and announce it.
Exposed view
Magician view
Note: the second deck should be set down onto the table to the left (the same side as the hand you palmed with), and the card you wish to reveal at the end is on the bottom, face down. Give the spectator the deck for further shuffling and instruct him to deal as previously described. Once they are finished, you are going to pick up the pile of cards and attempt to spread the cards onto the table. Since the second deck is in your way to do so there is a good excuse to pick up the second deck once more: to get it out of the way.
Once you have set the first deck onto the table pick up the second deck to apparently move it, and when you do so re-cop the bottom card.
Now you are ready to go back to “Main Procedure” and reveal the face down card. This small alternation gives the performer free hands and gives the spectator the clear memory that you had nothing in your hands.
4. Show directly
This method may not be for everyone. Basically, it involves you sticking two cards together in order to hide the face down card that matches the prediction. I encourage you to give this method a try. Remember, you can use the Gambler Cop technique instead of the “saliva card” for any of the following methods. To begin, give the spectator the deck for shuffling/examination and during this process lick your palm. The licked palm should be the same hand you perform dealer's grip in.
When you receive the deck back, hold the deck face up in dealer's grip and try to get your saliva spread out on the back of the top card of the deck (the bottom card when the deck is face up). Once this is accomplished you are going to flip over the entire deck except for the saliva card, which secretly remains in your palm face up (see pictures). Do this by holding the far end of the deck with your right hand and flip it so it is resting on the saliva card once again. Commit to memory the saliva card; it will be your prediction.
Once the saliva card is reversed on the bottom, pick up the entire deck and over-hand shuffle 3 cards to the bottom. Return to dealer's grip.
Now apply pressure to the top of the deck so the saliva card sticks to the card underneath it.
Perform a riffle shuffle, making sure the bottom four cards are undisturbed, and announce your prediction.
The instruction for the dealing process in this method has a slight variation, since they are handling a deck with a reversed card already in it. Instruct them to begin dealing, and at any time they can stop and deal a card face down onto the pile.
Once they have put a card face down encourage them to deal the rest of the cards face up on top, one by one, looking for the predicted card.
After they have dealt six or seven cards instruct them to shorten the dealing process by simply putting all of the cards face up on top and have him scan to see if the prediction card is within. This lowers the probability that they will discover the secretly reversed card. If it makes you more comfortable you can simply end the dealing process and not have them scan through.
Your current situation should be as follows: 3 face up cards the face down saliva card that is attached to card above it X amount of face up cards face down card dealt by spectator X amount of face up cards
Pick up the deck and start spreading the cards from right to left using your right thumb. When you get to the third card you are going to detach the face down card and cull it under the spread (see pictures).
Continue to run through the cards from right to left until you find the spectator's reversed card.
[Revelation] (This point will be referred to further in the ebook) Push the hidden card (King of Diamonds) under the face down card.
The next move is a quick revelation that is clean and appears that you are simply showing the face down card and placing it onto the table. With the KD under the spectator's chosen card place your right thumb onto the top face down card as you square the cards in the right hand. When you rotate the hands to show the face of the KD, pull the second face down card to the right with your thumb, hiding it from view (see pictures),
Push the reversed card on the face-up pile
Now the real reversed card is hidden
When you reassemble the deck make sure the reversed card is positioned at the bottom of the deck with the rest of the deck face down above it.
Next you are going to spread the deck face up onto the table, but as you turn the deck clockwise leave the bottom card in your fingers. Drop the deck on top of the card in your hand and spread the cards face up on the table.
5. Spectator turns over the card - #1
This is a different take on the revelation of the last method. Perform the steps of the last method up to the “Revelation” bookmark and continue here: Insert the hidden card in the correct position, under the selected card.
Square the deck and push back the face down card so it is in-jogged towards you.
Now move the reversed card from the current position to the side steal and keep it out-jogged (see pictures below). You are now ready to immediately spread the cards onto the table.
When you spread the cards face up onto the table the card above the KD is hidden from view.
The spectator can now be asked to remove the card.
The prediction has now been proven true, and all the magician has to do now is reverse the face down card that is hidden from view.
Exposed view
To complete the effect divide the cards as you see below (The face down card is under the 8 of Clubs). Take the pile that is missing the face down card (the right pile with the 3 of Clubs in the picture) and place it on the other pile. Now you can reverse the bottom card as previously described: “as you turn the deck clockwise leave the bottom card in your fingers. Drop the deck on top of the card in your hand and spread the cards face up on the table.”
Now the real reversed card is hidden
6. Spectator turns over the card - # 2
This is another way to have the spectator turn over the card at the end. Continue from “Revelation” in the “Show Directly” method. Slide the hidden card (the King of Diamonds) and place it next to the face down random card. It is not necessary to slide it directly underneath this time.
Now lengthen the spread in your left hand as much as possible. Under the spread you are going to perform a hidden top change between the two face down cards. Be careful not to expose both cards. It is easily accomplished during your patter.
Exposed view
Exposed view
Once the cards have been switched you are free to ask the spectator to remove the out-jogged King of Diamonds. I ask the spectator to put it face down onto the table before the reveal because it gives me a better opportunity to flip the reversed card in the deck.
Make sure the left over face down card gets transferred to the bottom of the deck. Square the deck and flip the bottom card as you rotate the deck (as in previous methods) to end cleanly.
Now is when I ask the spectator to reveal the card, showing that the prediction is correct.
NOTE: In every method where the saliva strategy is utilized you can just as easily use the gambler's cop to reach a successful conclusion.
Tommaso Guglielmi, 06/07/2009 Info :
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