Scott F. Guinn - The Magic of Scott F. Guinn Vol.1 (Card Magic)

GREAT SCOTT! IT’S

CARD MAGIC! The M agic of Scott F. Guinn VOLUME ONE

Written By Scott F. Guinn

Dedication I remember a number of years ago when I was feeling despondent because I thought I’d never come up with anything good of my own in magic. You said, “Don’t worry! In a few years, you’ll be writing books on your routines!” And I knew you meant it. Well, you were right! So I dedicate this series of books to you, my biggest fan, my best friend, my encourager and supporter. These books are dedicated to my sweetheart and wife, Kristi Guinn

©Copyright 2003 by Scott F. Guinn All rights reserved, including manufacturing of original items for resale. Performance rights are granted to the purchaser. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical now known or to be invented, without express permission in writing. Layout, cover and book design by Scott F. Guinn SECOND EDITION

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Scott F. Guinn

Table of Contents

Blind-Sighted 74 B-S Poker Demo 77

Dedication 2 Introduction by Aldo Colombini 4

Band-It’s Prophecy 81

First Word 5

Passing the Pyramid 84

Preface 6 Prologue: Card Techniques 7 The Guinn Utility Backslip (GUB)

A Triumph in Plastic 86 The Hand is Quicker than the Eye 89 Part 2: Magic with Cards & Secret Stuff 93

Spread Turnover Switch

Chapter 6: A Card of a Different Color 95

Automatic Bottom Palm Part 1: Sans Gaffs

Chapter 5: Magic with Cards & Stuff 79

21

Chapter 1: Selected Tricks 23 Backspell 25 Back at Any Number 26 Great Scott’s Ambitious Card Routine 27 Downs Home 37 Card Thru Pad 39 Chapter 2: Coincidentally with Sympathies 21 A Great Deal 43 Low Profile 45 Coincidental 48 Chapter 3: Transportations and Teleportations 53 1, 2, 3, 4...Aces? 55 Four Hofzinser 58 The Idaho Travelers 63 Sun Valley Travelers 67 Chapter 4: Mind Games 69 What in the World? 71

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Red Hot Mama’s Lips 97 The Joker’s on You 100 Red & Blue for LJ 103 Dark Shellshock 106 Olympic Champion 107 Chapter 7: Are You Mental? 109 Clairvoyant Joker 111 Memorex 113 Open Clipped Prediction 115 Chapter 8: Cavorting Cards 117 Two-Faced Travelers 119 Kings’ Nite Out 121 Parallel Universe 123 Transpofusion 125 My Invisible Friend 128 Epilogue 130 Last Word 132 Sleight Index 133

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INTRODUCTION (ALDO COLOMBINI)

M

agic is a fun thing. Besides being fun to do, it has also allowed me to meet some very wonderful people; some very good performers; some creative individuals. My friend Scott Guinn is a combination of all the above. Besides being good at performing our art, he is also very talented, especially when doing the finest impression of Aldo Colombini I have ever seen! So, if someday you answer the phone and you hear, “Hi, this is Aldo”... be careful because it might be Scott! Scott has the uncanny ability to jump from card magic to parlor magic with the same ease that most of us use to sing a song. And, by the way, he is also extremely versatile. In case some of you don’t know, music is another thing that he likes to study. Contrary to myself, Scott has an ear for music while I simply have an ear for pencils. I am very glad and proud to be able to say that I inspired some of his work, as you will see in his credits throughout the books. Scott takes the matter of credits seriously and is very precise about it, for which he receives my admiration. He lives in the quiet town of Star, Idaho (near Boise), population 463 if you count the cemetery. Boise’s name derives from a French word that means ‘made of wood,’ but please do not hold this against the lovely people of Idaho. Scott makes a living out of working for them on a regular basis, doing close-up, restaurant magic, stand up and kid shows. And, he does them well! Sometimes he even uses his Italian accent.... Scott creates magic that inspires enjoyment in the hearts and minds of the onlookers that share his performances. He is able to ‘touch’ people’s hearts with a sense of wonder, happiness and humor. These routines have been worked on and refined over many years of presentations to the ‘real’ people (as in ‘lay audience.’) Try them out, every single one, and see for yourself which ones will fit your personality and way of performing. I am sure it will be most, if not all, found in his books. Thanks Scott, for the fun you gave me during our much too rare conversations. And, I’m sure I speak for all who have been lucky enough to witness your performances when I say, “Thanks for all the great magic!” As we say in Italy, “Continua in questo modo che vai forte!” And I think that everyone will agree with this! Aldo Colombini

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Scott F. Guinn

FIRST WORD

R

ick Johnsson put it perfectly in Practical Impossibilities when he said, “The monumental gall necessary to write a book is staggering. The would-be author must pre-assume that he has something of value to communicate, and that his readers will accept the ‘wealth’ he has so magnanimously decided to share.” I believe the material in this book is good. I use it to earn my living. I do over 400 shows per year, all of which are for “real people” in the “real world.” My magic has to mystify and entertain or I don’t get more work. I feel my strengths are the ability to pick strong material, to routine it so that it flows and to present it so the audience has fun and is amazed. The effects in this book meet those criteria in my experience. Most of these effects are based on the work of others (if Earl Nelson hadn’t already used it, I would have called this book Variations). However, I have modified, adapted and routined all of this material, and every item has been performed many times under fire in paid performances to excellent response. I hope you enjoy your journey to the back cover and find many effects you can use.

ABOUT CREDITS Believe it or not, on a recent lecture tour, I was actually criticized for crediting too much! However, I believe crediting is proper and a sign of respect and gratitude to the giants on whose shoulders we stand. I have tried to give due credit throughout this tome. In some instances, it isn’t clear or even possible to find out where a routine came from originally or who came up with what variation. What I have done is credited the source where I found or learned a routine and given the credits from that source where available. Enjoy your journey to the back cover! Scott

Second Edition Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

This edition contains the same routines as the first edition, but many photos have been added to aid you in the learning process. Further, some of the routines have been expanded or rewritten (some extensively) to make the explanations more clear. In addition, the material has been reorganized into chapters. I have always felt this trilogy contained good material. Now I feel it has a format worthy of the material. Enjoy!

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PREFACE The Filthy Lie There is a filthy lie circulating throughout magicdom (I used to believe it myself):

“Most people hate card tricks!” Then one day, I saw a good Card Trick performed by an accomplished and entertaining magician. It was one of the most magical things I’d ever seen (a version of Curry’s “Out of this World”)! I decided I wanted to perform that sort of magic. I began sifting through the vast literature of card magic, learning principles, finding gems and making them my own. I discovered that there are a lot of bad card tricks out there, and quite a few people had been forced to sit and watch them. I came to a conclusion:

“Most people hate BAD card tricks!” I thought that was the answer. Just weed out the bad tricks and you’re fine. Then one day I witnessed a young man with incredible skill perform some mind-boggling card effects beautifully. It was one of the worst things I’d ever seen. He was such a jerk! He was a braggart and a show-off, and seemed to get a thrill out of making his audience feel stupid and inferior. I heard one lady say as she walked off, “I hope I never see another magician again!” Oh, my poor, sweet, wonderful magic! What a beating you took that day! I came to another conclusion:

“Most people hate GOOD card tricks performed by a jerk or a hack!” So I decided that this must never happen to me. I wanted people who saw me perform to walk away saying, “That was great! You just can’t see enough good magic! That’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time!” I worked long and hard on my technique, and equally long and hard on routining, patter, misdirection and presentation. When I’m performing in one of my restaurants and I pull out a deck of cards, invariably someone will say something like, “You thought that other stuff was good, wait until you see what this guy does with a deck of cards! This stuff is great!” And I have come to yet another conclusion:

“Most people LOVE good card tricks performed by someone who cares about magic as an art and his audience as people!” This is, in my opinion, the ultimate truth in card magic; the “anti-lie,” to coin a term. If you aren’t willing to work as hard on your presentation and people skills as you are on your technique, or if you have a wonderful persona but hate to practice and you show people tricks you really haven’t learned properly, please return this book to me for a full refund. Because this material deserves better. I deserve better. Your audiences deserve better. And MAGIC deserves better!

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Scott F. Guinn

Prologue

Card Techniques •

The Guinn Utility Backslip (GUB) • Spread Turnover Switch • Automatic Bottom Palm

I

n this chapter are three utility techniques that I will be referring to many times during the course of the book. The first is a multi-purpose technique that you find has many, many uses. The second is a smooth and convincing switch that can be used for any small number of cards. The third is a method of palming a card that is so effortless and well covered, even those who fear palming will be using it in no time!

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Scott F. Guinn

THE GUINN UTILITY BACKSLIP INTRODUCTION The Guinn Utility Backslip (GUB) is something I came up with by accident. I was at the home of my best friend, Vic Brisbin, working on Marlo’s Diagonal Insertion, and I got the card injogged WAY too far! I laughed and said something like, “That’s it, Guinn! Slip the thing back where the whole world can see it!” To my astonishment, Vic commented that he couldn’t see anything “backslipped” anywhere. I spent the next couple of hours tinkering with the angles and the next several months tinkering with applications. What you are about to read is the result. Your first instinct will be to dismiss this. You will assume that it won’t fool anyone or that it requires extra large hands, etc. Let me assure this is not the case. Philippine magician Roberto Dureza, after he received this book, sent me an email saying, “When I first read the GUB, I thought it would never work for me. I assumed you were a large man, over six feet tall with very big hands. But with my small hands, I knew I could never get away with it. I decided just to give it a try in front of the mirror—wow! I fooled myself! This is truly an innovative breakthrough. If Marlo had thought of it, I’m sure it would have been a chapter of the Revolutionary Card Magic series!” In an all-night card session in my home a couple of years ago, no less an expert than Allan Ackerman said he thought the GUB Top Change and GUB Reverse were both “completely invisible.” The GUB bears similarities to the following techniques: Jerry Andrus’ Panorama Shift (and other techniques by Mr. Andrus), Juan Tamariz’ Perpendicular Control, Meir Yedid’s Pendulum Control, Aldo Colombini’s Odla Control and Steve Draun’s New Thumb Slide. All of these techniques use Ed Marlo’s Diagonal Insertion and involve having the card jogged. It is the manner in which it is applied and the extent to which it is used that sets the GUB apart. The GUB is an extremely versatile and surprisingly simple technique, which can be used to accomplish or replace all of the following sleights: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Control card to top Control card to second from top Control card to bottom Control card to second from bottom Multiple Shift (all of the above done with two or more cards) Sidesteal The Pass Secret Reversal Top Change Multiple Top Change Bottom Change Multiple Bottom Change Color Change Lap Gambler’s Cop Tenkai Palm False Deals

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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The most exciting feature of the GUB is that all of these applications are carried out from the same basic move in the same basic position. Therefore, your handling always looks the same. It appears that a card is simply returned to the deck and the deck is squared. There are no changes of grip or any contortions or movements that are drastically different from everything that has come before. In a word, the GUB will give your card handling consistency. And you have the added advantage that you can perform all the above sleights with relative ease once you learn the basic move. In much less time than it would take you to learn the pass, you will be able to perform every function listed above! This is a powerful multipurpose weapon! In performance, a spectator has a free selection of a card (really!). You riffle down the deck until he stops you, and then fairly place the card into the deck at that location (really!), leaving it halfway outjogged. You then turn your wrist so the deck faces the spectator (we’ll call him Walt), giving him a last look at his card. You now push the card in flush with the deck and square up (not really!). Notice the fairness of this procedure. Walt takes any card he wants and returns it to the deck anywhere he wants. Then you apparently push the card in flush and square up. But in reality, the card is under your complete control. Follow along with a deck in hand. I. THE BASIC POSITION AND BASIC MOVE The basic move is a minor variation of Ed Marlo’s Diagonal Insertion. This move gets the card or cards into the basic position, from which you execute the desired application. Once you get this down, you will have little or no difficulty learning every application explained later. Remove a card to represent the selection. Hold the deck in left dealer’s grip. Riffle down the outer left corner of the deck with your left thumb, stopping around the middle of the pack (in performance, you would stop wherever Walt told you to). Place the selection into the break, inserting it about halfway. When performing, you would now turn your wrist such that the deck was facing Walt, so he could see his card protruding up from the deck. Bring the deck back down to dealing position. Move your palm down right hand over the deck. Your right forefinger contacts the outer left corner of the card. Your remaining right fingers shield the front edge of the deck and your right thumb touches the inner left corner of the deck. This position is shown in photo 1.

Photo 1

Begin to push the card into the deck. However, push only with your forefinger. The other fingers just “go along for the ride,” although it should appear that all four fingers are pushing on the end of the card. Aim your right hand so the right second finger meets the outer left corner of the deck when the front edge of the card comes flush (photo 2). The left corner of the card, though, is left angle jogged, with the forefinger’s tip still contacting it. The forefinger continues to slide the angle jogged card down the side of the deck an inch. Page 10

Photo 2

Scott F. Guinn

Your left ring and little fingers will have to extend slightly to allow the inner right corner of the card to extend from the right side of the deck. The card ends up in the position shown in photo 3, where the right hand has been removed for clarity.

Photo 3

Remember to cover the entire front edge of the deck with the right middle, ring and little fingers—this is essential. Keep the right fingers stationary and bend your right wrist so the heel of the hand touches the deck and the palm touches the left fingers (photo 4). This needs to be a continuing, flowing motion from the insertion of the card. The right hand will cover the movement the left fingers are about to make. Reach out with your left little finger to take the card by its right side, just above the inner right corner (photo 5). This finger pulls the card in a clockwise semicircle until the sides are flush with the deck. The card is injogged for almost half of its length (photo 6). We will refer to this as the basic position or as “backslipped.”

Photo 4

Practice the basic move until you can do it in one smooth, fluid, continuous motion. Use the mirror or a camcorder to check for a “flailing pinky.” Also, be sure not to reach for the card with the little finger until after the right wrist breaks. You may be able to see yourself moving the card, or see the card when it is backslipped from some angles. We’ll address that later but for now, work on smoothness. Do the basic move a couple hundred times before moving on to the next section. II. Controls So, you’ve got a card stickin’ way out the back of the deck—even the method of getting it there is nothing new. So far, so what? Have you made a bad decision and spent your hard earned cash just so you could injog a card? What good can possibly come of this? Read on, you magical skeptic, read on!

Photo 5

Photo 6

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

You should be in basic position. If you’re not, get there now, darn it! You can now get that card to a surprising number of locations in the deck (as well as do other stuff with it), and you can do it quickly, smoothly, easily and invisibly. GUB Control to Top “Bring the card to the top by your favorite method.” This is one of the most common directions in books and videos on card magic. Maybe you don’t have a favorite method. Maybe you couldn’t choose from or don’t have access to the myriad of sleights, from the simple Double Undercut to the excruciatingly difficult Classic Pass and the thousands of moves in between. Well, here is my favorite method (and maybe soon to be yours!). Page 11

In the basic position, the right fingers are covering the front edge of the deck. Turn your right wrist so your palm faces you, sliding your thumb over the top card to its outer left corner. Simultaneously slide your right fingers over the front edge of the deck so they touch the outer end of the face of the bottom card (photo 7). Meanwhile, grip the backslipped card by its edges between your left pinky and the base of the left thumb. The right hand, holding the front end of the deck, pulls the deck forward until it is free of the backslipped card (photo 8) and then immediately reverses, sliding the deck back under the card as in photo 9.

Photo 7

As soon as the card is flush with the deck, slide your right fingers (along the front edge of the deck and your right thumb (along the rear edge of the deck) sideways along the edges of the deck two or three times (photo 10). The whole sequence should look like you squared the deck’s sides along the left heel and fingertips and then the ends with the right fingers and thumb. When standing, pin your left forearm against your torso and use your stomach as a “backstop” to keep everything in control. If seated, rest the left wrist and pinky side of the hand on the edge of the table. These positions stabilize the backslipped card, making the move easier to execute.

Photo 8

Now that you’ve learned how to use the GUB to bring a card to the top of the deck, controlling the card to other positions is easily mastered because the technique is very similar. GUB Control to Bottom To bring a card to the bottom (of the deck, not your bottom or her bottom—watch a bar magic video or talk to Chuck Fayne for that info…), proceed exactly as you did in the top control until you’ve pulled the deck free of the backslipped card (photos 7, 8). When you move the deck back, instead of sliding it under the card, slide it above the card as in photo 11.

Photo 9

Easy, huh? GUB Control to Second from Top

Photo 10

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Photo 11

Scott F. Guinn

You can use the GUB as an alternative to the Vernon Depth Illusion, a.k.a. Tilt. (A perfect time for this is in an Ambitious Card sequence). The procedure is almost identical to the GUB Top Control (photos 7-10) with one exception. With your right thumb, slightly injog the top card of the deck before pulling the deck forward (photo 12). When the backslipped card comes free, allow it to contact the bottom of the injogged card (photo 13). As the deck is moved back, the selection will automatically slide under the top card (photo 14). Photo 12

Photo 13

Photo 14

Photo 16

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

GUB Control to Second from Bottom Just like the control to the bottom, but injog the bottom card with the right middle finger as you pull the deck forward (photo 15) and then proceed as in the bottom control, letting the selection contact the injogged card before sliding the deck back. The card will slide into the deck above the bottom card as in photo 16. It doesn’t get much easier, kids! GUB Multiple Shift What can be done with one card can almost as easily be done with several.Try this: Insert the four aces into different parts of the deck, leaving them outjogged halfway.Do the basic move with all four aces at once, so they are backslipped. Pull the deck forward until it clears the aces, but before sliding it back, allow the aces to “nest” together (photo 17). Then slide the deck under them and you’ve controlled the four aces to the top! To bring them to the bottom, second from bottom or second from Photo 15 top, follow the respective directions for a single card. In other words, treat multiple cards exactly like a single card with the one exception of allowing them to come together before sliding the deck back. You may experience some difficulty freeing Photo 17 multiple cards from Page 13

the deck.Use a firmer grip with the left hand on the injogged cards and a looser grip on the deck with the right hand. Thirty minutes of practice from now, you should have no trouble. III. OTHER APPLICATIONS You can do much more than simply move a card to a desired position with the GUB. Following are instructions for reversing a card, various switches and changes, lapping, palming and false dealing, all simplified by applying the GUB. If you’ve learned the preceding controls, these sleights will come to you almost immediately. Enjoy!

Photo 18

GUB Reversal Secretly reversing a card with the Guinn Utility Backslip is probably the easiest application of the technique. Start with the basic move. From the basic position, slide the deck forward, just as in the controls. However, as soon as the deck clears the backslipped card, the right hand turns the deck end for end (photo 18) and sets it on the backslipped card (photo 19). Assuming you began with the deck face down, you now have a face up deck atop one face down card. Cut the deck near the center and complete the cut to place the reversed card near the middle of the deck and you’re done.

Photo 19

Do I need to mention that this can also be done easily with multiple cards? Give it a try! GUB Top Change Technically, this isn’t a top change. But it serves the same purpose and uses the same techniques and if I’d called it a “center change,” you probably wouldn’t know what I was talking about! Here’s the scoop: a selected card is returned to the deck via the basic move. Leave it backslipped. Tap the deck and say, “Your card has magically risen to the top!”

Photo 20

Pull off the top card, tuning its face toward the audience. They will react and someone will point out that you are a failure as a person. Respond, “That’s really not your card?” When the spectators look at you, sweep your right hand back past your left. As you do, bring the card over the deck. Lift your left thumb slightly to allow the card to ride under it (photo 20). When the card is flush, the left thumb pins it to the deck (photo 21). The right hand continues moving back and immediately takes the Page 14

Photo 21

Scott F. Guinn

backslipped card between the middle finger and forefinger (photo 22). This entire change is one motion in one second. Do the change as you slump forward dejectedly. You now hold the selection face down in your right hand. Set the deck aside.Rub the card on your sleeve, and then turn it over the card, not your sleeve) to reveal that you may be a failure as a person, but not as a magician! Photo 22

Again, you can use multiple cards with almost the same procedure. For example, place the aces, widely separated, halfway into the deck and backslip them. Tap the deck, pull off the top four cards and display your “failure.” Move the indifferent cards across the deck, leave them, and take the backslipped aces instead. Reveal the change as you see fit. The GUB top change is virtually invisible, even to other magicians! Learn it well!

Photo 23

Photo 24

GUB Bottom Change This is similar to the procedure for the top change with three differences: 1. Hold the indifferent card between your forefinger and middle finger (photo 23). 2. The indifferent card is swept across the bottom of the deck rather than the top (photo 24). 3. Finally, when you do the switch, take the backslipped card between your right thumb and forefinger (photo 25). GUB Color Change A color change is the term used any time one card is visibly changed into another (as opposed to a switch or top change, where the card is changed secretly). It is very magical and a favorite with laymen. You have to be very aware of your angles with this move. It is worth the extra effort, because it is exceptionally clean and visual, similar to the Erdnase Color Change. Have a card selected and returned to the deck, backslipping it. Remove and display the top card with your right hand as you say, “It’s not on top.”

Photo 25

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Replace the card. Here is where you need to pay particular attention to your angles. Grip the deck as in photo 26, so the right thumb rests on the Page 15

center of the inner edge of the top card. The right fingers completely cover the face of the backslipped card (photo 27, bottom view). Turn the deck over sideways into the left hand, keeping the front end pointed at the audience’s eye level. Once the deck is face up, remove the right hand for a moment. Bring the right hand over the deck again, covering the back-slipped card as in photo 28. Turn slightly to your left, tilting the deck down and to the right. Grip the backslipped card in a modified Tenkai Palm (page 99, but here the card is higher in the hand, because it is partially inserted in the deck—photo 29).

Photo 26

Under cover of lightly rubbing the face card with the right fingers, slowly draw the deck forward with your left hand (the right hand continues to hold the selection in modified Tenkai), and then slide the deck back under the palmed card. The instant the card is aligned with the deck spread your right fingers wide, making a waving motion over the deck as the left hand pulls the deck forward again to reveal the change (photo 30). Photo 27

GUB Lap Okay, I lied. I said the reversal was the easiest application of the GUB. Lapping is probably the easiest. Assume you’re seated at a table (kinda hard to lap without being seated!) and a card ahs been selected by our old buddy, the Waltmeister. Hold the deck with your left hand at the edge of the table as shown in photo 31. Replace the chosen card and do the basic move. When the right hand slides the deck free, it continues forward, handing the deck to someone to shuffle. Page 16

Photo 28

Photo 29

Photo 30

Photo 31

Scott F. Guinn

As soon as the deck clears the selection, drop the card into your lap. Don’t toss it, don’t flick it, just relax the left hand’s grip and let it fall! Pretty stinkin’ easy!

Photo 32

Photo 33

GUB Gambler’s Cop Okay, I lied again! But hey, I’m a professional magician! I lie for a living! This is the absolute easiest application of this little rascal! Get a card into basic position. Slide the deck away from the card, handing the deck to someone so they can mix the cards. The backslipped card will automatically be in Gambler’s Cop (photo 32). If you are seated at a table, the left hand does nothing! If you’re standing, either rest the hand against your stomach or let it drop to your side. Proceed as called for in the particular effect. Try not to wear yourself out with this one. GUB False Deal Some incredibly amazing effects can be accomplished with a second deal, bottom deal or center deal. For those unfamiliar with these terms, you deal the second card, bottom card or a card from the middle of the deck in such a way that it appears you dealt the top card. Unfortunately, the second deal is difficult, the bottom deal is extremely difficult and the center deal is nearly impossible! Using the GUB to accomplish a false deal is definitely its most challenging application. In comparison to the standard false deals, however, it is remarkably easy and can be learned in a fraction of the time. Anyone willing to put in a few hours of practice will be able to do it. If you’ve done your homework and learned the preceding applications, particularly the GUB top change, you’ll be surprised at how fast this will come to you. You must be seated at a table. Get a card into basic position. Your left wrist should be resting at the edge of the table as in photo 33.

Photo 34

Deal a few cards off the top of the deck, but in the following way: Push the top card to the right with your left thumb, moving it over more at the outer end than the near end and also slightly downward. When the thumb stops, the card should be angled as in photo 34. Notice that the outer left corner of the card is at about the center of and flush with the front edge of the deck. The inner right corner is to the right of and behind the deck about ¼ inch. Contact the card with your right thumb tip near the center. The thumb lies diagonally across the card from center to inner right corner (photo 35).

Photo 35

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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Slide the card off the deck moving slightly back and to the right (photo 36). This is the fair deal. For the false deal, you only pretend to take the top card—your right thumb slides across the back of the card without taking it. The hand moves back and to the right. When your thumb contacts the top of the backslipped card, the left thumb draws the top card back flush with the deck (photo 37). In a continuing motion, the right hand draws out the backslipped card and deals it onto the table. Try to make this look exactly like the fair deal. The motion of the false deal is almost identical to the GUB top change without the extra card. Done in a smooth flowing motion, the illusion of the top card being dealt is excellent.

Photo 36

IV. ANGLES ON THE GUB As I mentioned earlier, you do need to be aware of the angles of vision with this technique. However, the angles are not as unforgiving as you might think. When seated with people across from you, there are no bad angles as long as your left hand rests at the edge of the table. Your left hand and arm provide cover to the left (photo 38). If someone is to your extreme right, keep your right hand in a loose Biddle Grip on the deck when a card is backslipped (photo 39).

Photo 37

If you are standing and your audience is seated, hold the deck nearly parallel with the floor. If your audience is also standing, tilt the rear of the deck down about thirty degrees. Basically, keep the front edge of the deck aimed directly at the eye level of the audience. An easy way to remember this is what I call the “rule of thumb”: if your left thumb is along the side of the deck, just point the thumb tip at the audience’s eyes, and you’ll automatically have the right angle! The best way to determine how to compensate for angles of vision is to have a spouse or friend move to different positions and tell you if the backslipped card can be seen, then adjusting the deck until it can’t be. Then commit the respective positions of the person and deck to memory!

Photo 38

The worst angles are from directly below and over your shoulder. For the latter, hold the deck in tight toward your body and lean forward slightly. As for the former, don’t use the GUB when standing while performing for small children, midgets or people lying on the floor! Photo 39

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Scott F. Guinn

SPREAD TURNOVER SWITCH

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won’t claim credit for this move because, although I’ve never seen it elsewhere, it seems so obvious that someone else has probably thought of it. Assume you want to switch four indifferent cards for the four aces. The aces are on top of the face down deck. Spread through the deck and remove four random cards. As you square the deck, get a break under the aces with your left little finger. Turn the indifferent cards face up on the deck. Spread them and take them from underneath in your right hand. The thumb is at the inner end, middle finger at the far end (photo 1).

Turn your wrist so the spread faces the audience, your thumb at the bottom. Rotate your wrist back and bring the spread back to the deck again as in photo 1. Turn the spread perpendicular to the deck and tap it on the deck, squaring the cards as in photo 2. Begin to turn the packet face down. As it nears being squared with the deck, several things happen almost simultaneously. You’re still holding a left little finger break under the four aces. Grip them between your right thumb and ring finger, still holding the indifferent packet between right thumb and middle finger (similar to the hype move position in three card monte). See photo 3.

Photo 1

Release the middle finger’s grip on the indifferent packet and pin the packet onto the deck with your left thumb (photo 4). In a continuing motion, slide the aces off the deck, leaving the indifferent cards behind (photo 5). The entire maneuver, from turning the indifferent cards over to pulling the aces off the deck, should take less than one second.

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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AUTOMATIC BOTTOM PALM

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f you’ve been afraid of palming, this move is for you! I claim no credit for this, as I’m sure someone somewhere has come up with something similar, if not identical.

Hold the deck in right hand Biddle Grip. Hold the left hand about six inches below and parallel to the deck. Begin to dribble cards into your left hand as in photo 1. After you’ve dribbled the entire deck, pause and hold the left hand flat to display the deck very openly and fairly (photo 2).

Photo 1

Bring your right hand over the deck in Biddle Grip and begin to pivot the deck into left hand dealer’s grip. Due to the friction of your skin on the bottom card, it will stay put as shown in photo 3. Continue turning the deck until it is in dealer’s grip with the palmed card hidden underneath as in photo 4.

Photo 2

Photo 3

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Photo 4

Scott F. Guinn

Part One

Sans Gaffs

Chapter One

Selected Tricks Backspell • Back at Any Number Great Scott’s Ambitious Card Routine • Downs Home • Card Through Pad •

•

E

ffects where you reveal a spectator’s selected card seem trite to magicians, but are still among the most impressive you can do for laymen, as evidenced by their requests for you to do one as soon as they find out you are a magician.

In this chapter are routines that do just that with a regular deck. Any of these can be done with a borrowed deck or your own.

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Scott F. Guinn

BACKSPELL

T

his effect is accomplished by the Guinn Utility Backslip False Deal (page 17). It is very simple but very strong. This trick makes a great follow-up to Aldo Colombini’s “Spell the Name,” from his book, What’s Up Deck? Do “Spell the Name” with Walt, having him give you any woman’s name. Now do Backspell with Walt’s wife (who we’ll call Vandella), having her give you any man’s name. Effect: Vandella selects a card that is then returned to the deck and lost. You ask her to give you any woman’s name. You spell this name, dealing one card for each letter. She turns over the top card of the dealt packet. It is her selection!

Method and performance: Have Vandella choose a card and remember it (she can sign it if you wish). Replace the card to the center of the deck and execute the Guinn Utility Backslip. Leave the card backslipped. Ask Vandella to give you any man’s name. Spell this name, removing one card for each letter and dealing the cards in a pile on the table. Make sure to deal the cards as described under GUB False Deal on page 17. On the last letter, do the GUB False Deal with the backslipped card and drop it onto the tabled pile. Let Vandella turn her card over to find her selection. That’s it! I know it doesn’t look like much on the printed page, but try it, just once, and you’ll see that it

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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BACK AT ANY NUMBER

H

ere is another effect that relies solely on the GUB False Deal. Again, it doesn’t “read” particularly well—it may seem “flat” to you on a read-through. But again, if you’ve mastered the GUB, this is exceptionally easy and clean of execution and it really packs a wallop with the audience.

Effect: A spectator (her name’s Rowena) chooses a card and remembers it. You replace it in the deck wherever she wants. She gives you a number between five and twenty. You deal that many cards in a pile. Her card is at the number she chose! Method and Performance: The method is exactly the same as the previous effect, but here you count instead of spell. Just make sure the card is replaced at least halfway down in the deck, so there is no danger of coming to it before you reach the selected number. This makes a great opening effect, as it is fairly quick and proves that you are just someone’s uncle who knows a couple of card tricks!

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Scott F. Guinn

GREAT SCOTT’S AMBITIOUS CARD ROUTINE

M

y Ambitious Card routine was specifically constructed so that it can end after any phase and play strongly and seem complete. I developed it in my restaurant work, where the food can arrive at any time and I have to stop.

Effect: Per the classic Ambitious Card plot, a signed selection keeps rising to the top of the deck, even though it is buried in the deck each time. Method and performance: Phase One: Have Rowena select a card and sign her first name on it. As she does, everyone’s attention will be drawn to her. During this misdirection, push over the top two cards of the deck and turn them over against your leg as shown in photo 1. The top two cards are now face up on top of the face down deck. Do a “wrist kill,” (sometimes called “necktie”) so the spectators can’t see the top of the deck (photo 2).

Photo 1

Place Rowena’s card face up on top of the deck as in photo 3 and blow on it to help the ink dry quickly. Triple turnover by gripping the three face up cards by the edge as in photo 4 and, keeping them aligned, flip them face down onto the deck as one card.

Photo 2

Photo 3

Insert the top card into the middle of the deck from the front (far end), pushing it flush. With your left thumb, push over the top card, letting the second card ride over slightly as well (photo 5).

Photo 4

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 5

Turn over the top card with your right hand as your left hand gets a pinky break under the second card. Page 27

(Pinky break: The flesh at the tip of the pinky wedges between the corner of the second card and the rest of the deck, as in photo 6). Turn the top card face down and snap your fingers. Double Turnover (just like a triple turnover, but with two cards instead of three) to show that Rowena’s card has jumped to the top. Phase Two: This is Gary Ouellet’s “On the Count of Three,” from Close-up Illusions. The top two cards are still face up. Execute a double turnover, turning them face down on top of the deck.

Photo 6

Place the top card into the bottom half of the deck leaving it outjogged for half its length. Extend your left forefinger to the outer end of the card (photo 7). Pick up the top third of the deck in right hand Biddle Grip (palm down, fingers at far end of deck, thumb at near end—photo 8). Say, “This time I’ll do it on the count of three.” Push the outjogged card flush with your left forefinger (photo 9). “One!”

Photo 7

Drop the right hand packet onto the left, retaining the top card (photo 10) as you say, “Two!” Snap the card in the right hand face up (photo 11) as you say, “Three!”

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Photo 8

Photo 9

Photo 10

Photo 11

Scott F. Guinn

Phase three: Do a Top Change: As you continue to display the selection by the lower right corner in your right hand, push the top card of the deck back slightly with your left thumb as in photo 12. Look at a spectator to your right as you say, “It’s actually not that difficult. Anyone can do it.

Photo 12

As you speak, turn the card face down, parallel to the floor. Turn to someone on your right (Walt), saying that you’ll prove it. During this action, your right hand relaxes and comes over the deck (photo 13). Bring the left hand forward to point at Walt. Under cover of this larger motion, you drop the card onto the deck and take the injogged card at the tips of the right thumb and forefinger (photo 14) as the deck moves past and you point at Walt with the hand holding the deck (photo 15). Insert the right hand ‘s card (indifferent) into the center of the deck from the front. Double turnover to show an indifferent card, then turn the double face down. Ask Walt to snap his fingers then let him turn over the top card. It's Rowena’s!

Photo 13

Phase four: Push the selection into the middle of the deck from the front. Hold the deck up, so Rowena can see it really is her card and it really is in the middle of the deck. Perform the GUB basic move, leaving the card in basic position. Say, "I don't even have to snap. I can just say go!" Pick up the top card with your right hand and turn your wrist so the face of an indifferent card shows. Slump forward in disappointment, doing the Guinn Utility Backslip Top Change. Photo 14

Drop the card face down on the table. Say, "I guess I do have to snap!" Snap your fingers then turn over the tabled the card to show it has changed into Rowena's signed card! Phase five: Pick up the selection and insert it face down, near the center, from the front. Do the GUB Control to Second from Top, catching a left pinky break under the top two cards as you square the deck.

Photo 15

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Snap your fingers and turn over the top card—it is the wrong card. Page 29

Pick up a double (the face up top card and the face down selection) with your right hand at the inner end. Your right thumb is on the left side near the inner corner, your right middle finger on the right side and your right forefinger rests lightly on top of the double (photo 16). Say, "Sometimes I have to snap the card!" Do a snap change by letting the double snap off your middle finger, causing it to flip over, gripped at the inner right corner between your thumb, on top and forefinger below (photo 17). Drop the double on the deck then thumb off the selection.

Photo 16

Phase six: This move is from Dan Fleshman's book, Encounters of the Close-Up Kind. Place the selection face up on top of the deck. Spread the deck between your hands as you say, "Rowena’s card keeps coming to the top of the face down deck." Square the deck, getting a left pinky break under the face up selection. Half pass the deck under the selection: A half pass secretly reverses a card or cards (in this case, 51 cards) on the bottom of the deck. Hold the deck in right hand Biddle Grip, the right thumb holding a break under the top card (photo 18). The left hand comes over to take the deck in dealer’s grip. The left fingers curl around the right side of the deck (photo 19) and pull down the cards below the right thumb break, causing the deck to Photo 18 pivot until it is perpendicular with the top card (photo 20).

Photo 17

Photo 19

The right hand tips slightly downward to the left as the left fingers straighten, bringing the reversed cards flush underneath the top card (photo 21). Photo 20

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Photo 21

Scott F. Guinn

Remark, "It could just as easily come to the top of the face up deck!" Spread the deck, showing Rowena's card is now at the top of the face up pack. Phase seven: Jack Merlin’s “Tip-Over Change”

Photo 22

Square the deck, pull off the selection and turn the deck face down. Hand the selection to Rowena, asking her to sign her last name on it. As she does, take the deck in right hand Biddle Grip and get a right thumb break above the bottom two cards (photo 22). Swing cut (sometimes called a “kick cut”) about half the deck into left-hand dealers grip by pulling up part of the deck from the front with the right forefinger and swiveling it to the left (photo 23), where the packet is taken in the fork of the left thumb (photo 24). Extend the left packet to Rowena, asking her to place her card face down on top of this packet. Push this card forward about halfway with your right fingertips and drop the two cards below the right thumb break when the packet is square with the left hand’s packet (photo 25).

Photo 23

Photo 24

Photo 26

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Immediately pivot your left hand palm down (under cover of the right hand and its packet, so as not to expose the top of the left-hand packet), displaying the face of the outjogged selection (photo 26). The unloading of the two cards from the right packet to the left and the turning of the left packet happens in Photo 25 a second during and immediately after the packets "kiss."

Photo 27

Extend your left forefinger to the edge of the selection and push it flush as your right hand turns palm up (photo 27), so the card is flush just before the top of the deck comes into view. Page 31

Dribble about half of the right-hand packet onto the table (photo 28). Drop the top card of the left-hand packet onto the tabled pile (photo 29), and then dribble the remainder of the right hand's cards on top. Take the cards from your left hand into right hand Biddle Grip. Dribble about half of these cards to the right of the tabled packet (photo 30). Place the packet on the left onto the cards on the right (photo 31) and then dribble the cards in your right hand on top.

Photo 28

The selection has apparently been very fairly buried in the deck. Take the deck in left hand dealers grip, getting a left pinky break under the top two cards as you square up. Turn the top card face up and then face down. Snap and do a double turnover. The selection has again come to the top. Phase eight: Here is another move of Dan Fleshman's from the aforementioned book.

Photo 29

Double turnover, flipping the two face up cards atop the deck face down. Insert the top card face down into the center of the deck from the front, leaving it outjogged halfway. Spread the deck between the hands to show that the outjogged “selection” is at about the halfway point of the deck. As you square the deck, get a left pinky break under the top two cards. Double turnover, showing an indifferent card. You will now cause the selected card to visibly appear face up on the top of the deck.

Photo 30

Perform the Erdnase Color Change as follows: Bring your right hand, palm down with fingers extended, over the deck. Your right pinky touches the top card at the outer right corner (photo 32). Photo 31

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Photo 32

Scott F. Guinn

Under cover of rubbing the back of the outjogged card, push the top card forward about ½ an inch (photo 33). The heel of your right hand now lowers onto the exposed part of the selection (photo 34).

Photo 33

Slide that hand back, keeping the top card stationery, but with the heel of your hand lightly contacting the selection. The card moves back with the hand. There will be a "click" when the selection clears the top card (photo 35). When it does, reverse direction, sliding the selection over the top card under cover of your hand. When the selection is flush with the deck, extend your right fingers to the front edge of the outjogged card and push it flush. This automatically pushes the former top card flush as well (photo 36). Spread your fingers and wave your hand over the deck it as you bring it back toward yourself to reveal that the selection has appeared face up on top of the deck (photo 37). Phase nine: Roy Walton’s "Ambitious Movie."

Photo 34

Photo 35

You have a face up double on top of the deck. Turn the double face down. Drop the top card on the table then drop the deck on the card. Bevel the deck widely toward you. Grasp the sides of the deck with your right thumb and middle finger.

Photo 36

Riffle up the deck (photo 38) and when you get to the top card, lift it and snap it face up. The sound plus the fact that the audience sees the front end of the deck moving as you riffle creates a wonderful illusion of the bottom card visually moving to the top of the deck. Take the deck in lefthand dealer’s grip.

Photo 37

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 38

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Phase ten: Fred Braue’s "Pop-up Card." Give the selection to Rowena, asking her to date it. As she does, secretly turn the top card face up and hold a break under it. Drop her card face up on top and again blow on the ink. Curl your right fingers into your palm, leaving the forefinger extended. Touch the middle of the selection with your right forefinger and the back edge of the double with your right thumb (photo 39). Push the two cards forward with your thumb (it appears that your finger is pushing a single card) until the double is outjogged an inch or so.

Photo 39

Take the outer end of the double with your palm down right hand. Bend the double back towards you until the ends touch (photo 40). Turn the double face down and openly slip cut the top card to the middle of the deck: Your right forefinger tip holds the center of the selection flat on the deck, which is held in left dealers grip as well as right Biddle grip (photo 41). Lift up about half the deck with the right thumb and slide this packet to the right as the left thumb holds back the top card (photo 42). When the top card clears and lands on the left packet, let it bow upward while your right forefinger holds the other bent card flat atop the right packet (photo 43). Display the bent card atop the left packet then place the right half on top of the left one, burying the bent card.

Photo 40

Photo 41

Photo 42

Photo 43

Photo 44

Take the deck at your left fingertips, the left thumb and middle finger holding the bent selection flat from the side edges (photo 44). Snap your right fingers and relax your left hand's grip. The top card will “pop Page 34

Scott F. Guinn

up” (photo 45). Let Rowena turn it over to reveal her selection. This incredible revelation always elicits a tremendous reaction. Phase eleven: Straighten the selected card and do the GUB Color Change (page 15).

Photo 45

Photo 46

Finale David Williamson’s “51 Cards to Pocket” Place the selection face down on top of the deck, holding a left pinky break below it. Execute a Double Undercut to secretly bring the card to the bottom of the deck: Take the deck in right Biddle grip, the right thumb taking over the break. With your left hand, remove about half the cards from the bottom of the deck and replace them on top of the deck, maintaining the thumb break (photo 46). Now take all the cards below the break with the left hand and move them to the top of the deck. The selection is now at the face of the deck. Do the Automatic Bottom Palm (page 20). After the deck is squared with the selection palmed underneath it, explain that you can tell everyone exactly where the card is at this moment. Some of them will venture guesses—most will say on top. Regardless, say that it’s not on top and remove the top card with your right hand and display it. Replace the card. Say that the selection isn’t on the bottom of the deck either, as you pick up the deck in right Biddle grip and display the face card. Move your left hand into your left pants pocket as you explain the card isn’t in the deck at all. Once in the pocket, push the card to the fingertips and remove it from the pocket.

Display the card freely and then fairly and openly drop it on top of the deck, catching a break below it. Remark that no one was ready for the card to be in the pocket, so you’ll repeat it. Double Undercut the selection to the face. Spread the deck between the hands, commenting that the card is still somewhere in the deck Photo 47 and you haven’t done anything yet. As you square up the deck, get a left pinky break above the bottom card. State that the card has just magically transported into your right front pants pocket. Explain that if you reach for it, they might accuse you of cheating, so you’ll let Vandella reach into the pocket and remove the card (this is good for some laughs). Turn your body to the left, moving your right hand toward your left hand, apparently to make room for Vandella to reach into your pocket. Actually, you bring your right hand over the deck and top palm all 51 cards above the break (photo 47). The moment Vandella reaches for your pocket, quickly whirl your body to the right and reach into your pocket yourself (taking the 51 cards along for the ride) as you say, “Hey! C’mon, this isn’t THAT kind of show!” The large movement of the body turn and the natural misdirection of the laugh at the line (and the situation) covers the move. Once the hand is in the pocket, release all the cards but one. Bring this one out Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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and act surprised that it’s the wrong card. (during all of this, the left hand stays in the same position, holding the selection as if it were the entire deck. Pay it absolutely NO attention—all your focus is on the right hand.) Drop the right-hand card on the table and reach back into the pocket. Remove the rest of the cards and drop them on the table as you say, “Oh, I forgot! The second time, the WHOLE DECK goes into my pocket!” Pause a beat and then look at your right hand. “Except for one card.” Dramatically turn it over to reveal Rowena’s signed selection to end. Notes: Unlike most effects, The Ambitious Card becomes stronger with each repetition, provided you do a variety of revelations. The preceding routine has played wonderfully for me over the years—it’s been one of my “bread and butter” routines. However, there is no reason why you should feel compelled to do it exactly as written. Find the phases that you like and incorporate them into your routine. The literature is filled with sources for the Ambitious Card. Two of the best are by Daryl: His book, The Ambitious Card Omnibus, and his video/DVD on The Ambitious Card. Both are available from virtually any magic dealer. Finally, I often add one more phase as a kicker to the above routine. I use John Kennedy’s “Mystery Box.” Those of you who have this already know how to use it, but let give just a couple quick tips. First, I like to wrap a rubber band around the box, securing the lid to the box. This makes it seem even more unlikely that you could have sneaked a card into the box. Second, I bring the box out at the beginning of the set, remarking that it might come into play later. Then I ignore it and do several effects. I close with the Ambitious Card as above. After the 51 cards to pocket, I pick up the deck and replace the selection in the middle, casually controlling it to the top as the audience is still reacting to the finish. While I talk to the audience, paying no attention to the deck or my hands (apparently the show is over), I turn the deck face up and do the Mercury card fold (explained later in this book. I place the deck into the case, holding the folded card in left finger palm, and put the cased deck in my pocket. Then I “notice” the “Box o’ Mystery” is still on the table. I pick it up, remove the band and lid with my left hand and display the card in the box with my right hand. Then I “dump it out” and toss it to Rowena, who unfolds it to reveal her signed selection, for a “kick in the head” closer!

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Scott F. Guinn

DOWNS HOME

D

eceptive, easy and practical, this routine is a "worker." It is a combination of T. Nelson Downs' handling of the card to pocket from The Art of Magic, with Francis Carlyle' s repeat from "Homing Card" in Stars of Magic.

Effect: Walt mentally chooses a number. With your back turned, he takes the deck and remembers the card at his number in the deck. You take the deck, put it behind your back and remove one card, sight unseen, which you then place in your pocket. You deal down to Walt’s number, only to discover that his card is no longer there. You remove the card you placed in your pocket—it is Walt’s! You replace the card in the deck, but it magically jumps back to your pocket again! Method and performance: Ask Walt to think of a number, "not too high or too low; somewhere in the teens." Explain that you will turn your back in a moment. When you do, he is to count down to the number he is thinking of in the deck. He should not deal the cards, as you may be able to hear him. Rather, he should spread them over one at a time, each going under the one before. When he arrives at his mentally selected number, he should turn over the spread packet, look at and remember the card on the face, then replace the packet back on the deck. This procedure will leave the card he remembers at his mentally selected number. Demonstrate these actions as you explain them. Give the deck a couple of quick shuffles and cuts and hand it to Walt. Turn away as he counts down to his number and remembers a card. Remind him to replace the cards onto the packet so that his card is still at his number. When he's done, turn to face him. Pull your right pants pocket out, showing it empty. Take the deck from him and put it behind your back. State that you will remove a card from the deck without looking and place it into your pocket. Actually, when the deck is behind your back, you move the bottom card to the top. You then remove the new bottom card. It is this card that you bring forward (back of the card towards the audience) and insert into your right pants pocket without looking. This procedure places Walt's card one position deeper than his number. Ask Walt to hold both of his hands out together and palm up. Ask him to tell you his number. Begin dealing cards singly onto his hands, counting them as you do. Deal them very sloppily and haphazardly all over his hands, as if to emphasize their singularity. When you arrive at the selected number, drop that card sideways onto the center of the pile in his hands (photo 1). Tell Walt to turn over that card. Because of the messy pile in his hands, this is somewhat awkward, and he'll have just a little difficulty doing it. This gives you plenty of misdirection to top Photo 1 palm (see notes) the top card of the deck, which is his selection. Ask him if the card that he turned over is his. He'll declare that it is not. Place your right hand with its palmed card into your pants pocket. Push the card from the palm to the fingertips and remove it as if it were the card you placed in the pocket earlier. Ask Walt to name his card, then dramatically turn the card you hold face toward him to reveal the selection. This will cause a strong reaction. As you say, "Your card in my pocket!" dip the card back into the pocket and leave it, coming back out with the indifferent card you placed there previously. Remove this card as if Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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it were the selection—being careful not to flash the face of this card, glance at it and miscall it as Walt’s. Insert it into the center of the deck. Let Walt shuffle and cut. Ask him to give you a number between one and ten. Assume he says seven. Deal six cards into a pile on the table and then deal the seventh card face down in front of this pile. Drop the deck onto the six cards (photo 2). Slide the separate card across the table toward Walt. Ask, "Would it be a good trick if this is your card?" He will have to admit that would be a great trick. Pause a beat. "What would be an even better trick?"

Photo 2

Usually, someone will eventually blurt out, "If it was back in your pocket!" If no one does, nod toward your pocket and wiggle your right leg until someone gets the idea. Show your right hand unmistakably empty, reach into your pocket and remove the chosen card. Toss it face up onto the table. Pull your pocket inside out to prove it is empty. The deck and selection may be examined. They are, as the Professor would say, "free from guile!" Notes: If you'd like, you can have the selection signed, although I don't feel this is necessary. This is a perfect trick to learn, practice and gain confidence with the top palm, because it happens at a moment when the misdirection is so strong, nobody is even watching you. Here is how to do it: Hold the deck in left dealers grip with a pinky break beneath the top card. Bring the right hand over the deck. The thumb is at the near end and the fingers over the far end, except the pinky—it rests on the back of the top card at the outer right corner (photo 3). With your left thumb, push the top card slightly to the right. It will anglejog, pivoting at the pinky, as shown in photo 4. Push down on the corner of the card with the pinky, causing the card to spring up into the right palm (photo 5).

Photo 3

Photo 4

The card is gripped at diagonally opposite corners between the pinky and the heel of the hand, as shown in an exposed view in photo 6.

Photo 5

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Photo 6

Scott F. Guinn

CARD THROUGH PAD

O

ne night after my restaurant gig, my friend Vic Brisbin came in to have a Coke and session with me. We were fiddling with some cards and I said, “Let’s make up a trick!” He thought for a moment and said, “What if you had a card selected, rubbed it on the close up pad and it disappeared? Then you lift the pad, and the card is under it!” I said, “Good trick, and easy enough—duplicate card!” Vic said, “Yeah, but it would be better if the card were signed, Great One!” (Vic is about the only person in the world who calls me “Great One!” Which probably explains why I hang out with him so much!) Here is my solution to Vic’s problem (well, to this particular card problem… Vic has way too many problems for even the Great One to solve!). Effect: As described above. Requirements: A deck of cards and a close up pad.

Photo 1

Method and performance: Have Abe select and sign a card. Hold the face up deck in left hand dealer’s grip and place the selection face up on the face of the deck, so it’s now the face card of the deck (this is in your face magic!). You are going to make the card vanish with a version of the Rub-a-Dub Vanish. This is actually a variation of Jay Sankey’s “Face Up Rub-a-Dub,” which I call “Wraparound Face Up Rub-a-Dub.” First, bevel the deck so the top protrudes to the right (photo 1). Now push the selection about halfway to the right with your left thumb (photo 2). Bring your palm down right hand over the card and slide the card off the deck and onto the pad, covering the card completely with your hand (photo 3—exposed). Rub the card around on the pad a bit and then pretend that something is wrong. Lift your hand, revealing that the card is still there. Pick it up and replace it at the face of the beveled deck.

Photo 2

Photo 3

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Fuss with the surface of the pad a moment, as if that was what caused the problem with the trick. Offer to try again. Push the card to the right with the left thumb. Bring your right hand over the card, allowing the right outer corner to barely protrude past the right pinky (photo 4). Slide the hand to the right, keeping the card Photo 4 in place on the deck. As Page 39

soon as the right pinky clears the right edge of the card, the left middle and ring fingers extend and grasp the right edge of the card under cover of the right hand (photo 5). The left fingers pull downward, causing the card to rotate around the side of the deck (photo 6) so that it ends up face down at the bottom of the face up deck. All of this is done under cover of the right hand, which continues moving to the right as if it were bringing the card onto the pad as before. Once again, rub the right palm around on the pad a bit and then slowly lift the hand, keeping it palm down. There will be a reaction here, but the “wise ones” will assume you have the card palmed. Wait a beat before turning the hand palm up.

Photo 5

The left hand should be holding the deck in a deep dealers grip at the edge of the table. The right hand picks up the deck in Biddle grip, leaving the face down selection in Gambler’s Cop (photo 7—easy due to the selection being back-to-back with the card above it). Hand the deck to Abe and ask him to look for his card. After he runs through the deck, take the inner right corner of the pad at the fingertips of the palm down right hand. Begin to lift the pad diagonally. As the portion of the pad in front of the left hand is lifted, turn the left hand palm down, allowing the pad to shield the card from view (photo 8). The left thumb immediately flicks the card forward under the pad (photo 9) as both hands peel the pad off the table on a diagonal (forward and to the left—photo 10). The signed selection will come into view, face up, and the Photo 7 illusion that it penetrated through the pad is excellent!

Photo 9

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Photo 6

Photo 8

Photo 10

Scott F. Guinn

Chapter Two Coincidentally with Sympathies • • •

A Great Deal Low Profile Coincidental

S

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ympathetic reactions and coincidence effects can be powerful weapons in your arsenal. Part of the appeal of these effects is that it often seems as if the spectator did them himself! This makes you look like a good guy, in addition to making your assistant even more befuddled!

Scott F. Guinn

A GREAT DEAL

H

ere is my solution to problem number four, "A Lucky Deal," from the Connoisseur Conjuring Website. It is very easy to do, gets a strong reaction from laymen as well as some pretty well informed magicians, and is open to a number of variations.

Effect: The deck is shuffled and cut and Walt selects a card (say the three of hearts). This card is tabled face down. He begins to deal cards in a pile onto the table next to his selection, stopping any time he wishes. He is given the choice to add or subtract some cards from this pile. When he is satisfied, the remainder of the deck is set aside. His selection is now turned over. "Since your card is a three," you say, "take the cards you just dealt and deal them into three piles." He does this and then turns over the top card of each pile, revealing the three of clubs, three of diamonds and three of spades! Method and performance: Get the four threes to the top of the deck, keeping a break below them. Top palm the cards above the break as you hand the deck to Walt for shuffling. Alternatively, you can remove the threes ahead of time, keeping them in a pocket until you're ready to do this trick, and as Walt is shuffling, procure the packet in right hand classic palm. Make sure that Walt shuffles thoroughly and cuts the deck a few times. Photo 1 Take the deck back in left dealers grip, replacing the palmed packet on top as the right hand comes over the deck (photo 1) so you can square it with both hands. Slip Force (see notes) the top card (say, the three of hearts) on Walt. Table this card face down at the center of your surface. Give the deck to Walt, asking him to begin dealing the cards in a pile. After he's dealt ten or so, tell him he can stop at any time. When he stops, allow him to add or subtract a few cards if he'd like. When he’s satisfied, set aside the rest of the deck. Have him turn over the selection (3H) and then pick up the pile he dealt. "Since the card you picked is a three, please deal that pile into three piles, just as if you were dealing in a game of cards." Because the three mates of his selection started at the top of the deck, and due to the fact that he dealt the cards one at a time in a pile, they are now at the bottom of the packet he holds. Therefore, when he deals them into three piles, the mates will always end up on top of the three piles. Have Walt turn over the top card of each packet, revealing the three mates to his selection. Variations: You could have the four aces with any four above them on top of the deck. Palm them and return them as above. Force the four and then have four piles dealt after following the procedure above. The top card of each pile is turned over revealing the four aces! Or, have a royal flush palmed with the ace at the top. This time, after you force the ace, set it on the table face down without showing its face. Again, have Walt deal as many cards as he would like, then deal that packet into four piles. Turn over the top card of each pile revealing the ten, jack, queen and king. Finally, turn over the "selection" to reveal the ace for a perfect royal flush. Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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Notes: The principle of reversing the order of the cards by dealing a pile and then dealing multiple piles to bring them to the top is a very old one. What’s nice about this routine is that you are holding out the force cards, which you add on after the spectator shuffles the deck, making it very difficult for him to backtrack. The Slip Force: Hold the deck in left-hand dealers grip. Riffle down the outer left corner with the thumb, asking a spectator to stop you somewhere. When he does, perform a slip cut at the break as follows: Bring the right hand over the deck in Biddle Grip, the left middle, ring and pinky fingers curl over the right side of the deck onto the top card (photo 2). As the right hand pivots the top portion away from the bottom portion, the left fingers hold the top card back (photo 3, exposed) and both hands turn palm up, the left forefinger pointing to the face card of the right packet (photo 4). Explain that, had he stopped you one card earlier, this exposed card would have been the selection. Turn the hands palm down and give him the top card of the left-hand packet as his “freely chosen card.” This is the original top card— the force card.

Photo 2

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Scott F. Guinn

LOW PROFILE

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his is my solution to a problem posed in Profile magazine. I didn’t meet all the conditions of the problem, but this handling has been very effective in real-world performance.

Effect: A borrowed deck is shuffled by Abe, who then cuts off about half the cards and replaces them face up on the face down lower half. The deck is spread and Abe selects a card from the face up half. He then selects a card from the face down half. This second selection is the mate of the first selection! Method and performance: Give the deck to Abe for shuffling. When he is done, ask him to table the deck, cut off about half the cards and turn them face up, replacing them up on the tabled face down half (photo 1). Ribbon spread the deck on the table as you begin to verbally review with Abe the procedures he has just followed. Meanwhile, look for any mates in the face up half (for example, the red queens—photo 2).

Photo 1

Square the deck, pick it up and spread it again between your hands as you patter that the cards that are face up were determined by his random shuffles and cuts. Cull the top queen under the spread to the right and as you patter: Your left thumb comes down on the card above it (photo 3).

Photo 2

Photo 3

The thumb slides the indifferent card to the left, past the edge of the card you want to cull (photo 4). This provides cover for your right fingers to slide the desired card to the right until it comes free of the card below it (photo 5, bottom view).

Photo 4

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 5

The right fingers begin to move this card to the left under the spread, as you extend your left fingers to the right under the Page 45

spread, to contact the surface of the card (photo 6, bottom view). Once the left fingers can reach the card, they take over for the right fingers and slide it under the spread to the left to the bottom of the deck (photo 7, bottom view). Then close the spread, getting a left little finger break above the other red queen (photo 8). Explain to Abe that he will make two more random choices. "I'm going to spread through the cards and have you touch a face up card and then a face down card. Don't consciously choose a card; rather, just touch a card at random each time."

Photo 6

Spread through the face up cards, classic forcing the red queen. The classic force is more a matter of timing than anything else. Basically, you spread through the cards, timing your speed so that the spectator’s hand arrives at the force card as it reaches the deck. This is easier to do when you have them simply touch a card as opposed to take one. It is also easier to do face up, as they assume you couldn't possibly force a card on them while they are looking at the faces. Gary Ouellet has some excellent advice on the classic force in his book, Close-up Illusions, and I highly recommend Paul Green’s video on the classic force. Photo 7

Set the queen on the table near Abe. Remove all the face up cards, placing them aside. "Now I want you to touch a face down card." Bring your right hand over the left hand's packet and half pass (page 30) the queen on the bottom, turning it face down. Tell Abe that you now want him to touch a card in the face down packet. Though he apparently has a free selection, you actually execute the Hofsinzer Spread Force: Holding the packet in your left hand, bring the right hand to the edge of the packet to begin spreading it between the hands. The thumb goes on top of the packet and the fingers at the edge of the bottom card (photo 9). The left thumb pushes a couple of cards to the right as the right fingers “pinch” the bottom card of the deck and under the spread as displayed in photo 10.

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Photo 9

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Scott F. Guinn

The spread rides above the force card (photo 11). As the left thumb continues to spread the last few cards, the right fingers covertly move the force card under the fan to the right, almost even with the top card (photo 12). When Abe touches a card, separate the spread by removing all the cards below the touched card with the left hand, such that the selection is the bottom card of the right packet (photo 13). Turn the right-hand packet sideways and tap it against the table to square it (photo 14), as you ribbon spread the cards in the left hand. "You could have chosen any one of these cards. But you chose this one." Slowly and dramatically turn the right-hand packet face up, tabling it next to the face up red queen (photo 15). Abe apparently intuitively chose the mate to his first selection!

Photo 11

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Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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COINCIDENTAL

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n his book, Sonata, the incredible Juan Tamariz has a wonderful effect called, "Total Coincidence." It uses two decks. I wanted to adapt it to one deck, to make it shorter and less cumbersome to carry. The first phase of my routine is from "Jumbo Coincidence" by my good friend, Aldo Colombini. The set up seems very extensive, but once you understand it, you can do it in less than one minute. Effect: A series of unbelievable coincidences, where Vandella and Walt seem to have ESP and the cards seem to have a life of their own, changing in sympathetic reaction! Set-up: Separate the deck into suits. Shuffle the hearts, then ribbon spread them face up. Arrange the diamonds into the same sequence as the hearts. For example if the hearts run 4, 9, 6, 8, J, 5, 3, A, 7, Q, 2, K, 10, then the diamonds should be arranged: 4, 9, 6, 8, J, 5, 3, A, 7, Q, 2, K, 10. Follow the same procedure with the spades and clubs. So the hearts and diamonds are separated and the two suits are in the same value order, and the black suits are separated with matching value-order as well (photo 1).

Now switch five or six cards between the two red packets and five or six cards between the two black packets, replacing them so that the values between their respective packets are still in the same sequence but each packet has a mix of two suits (photo 2).

Photo 1

Straight cut one red packet and one black packet. Assemble the packets in red, black, red, black order. Method and performance: Pick up the deck and spread through it, facing you. Use caution not to allow the audience to see the faces of the cards. Separate the deck where the colors meet at the center (photo 3). Set one half down. Separate the other half where the colors meet (photo 4). Place these two packets in front of Walt, asking him to riffle shuffle them (mime doing a riffle shuffle to help explain what you mean). Pick up the other half, separate the colors, and ask Vandella to riffle shuffle them. It is absolutely imperative that the cards are shuffled only once and it must be a riffle shuffle! Photo 3 Page 48

Photo 2

Photo 4

Scott F. Guinn

Allow them both to give their packets as many straight cuts as they'd like. Pick up Walt's packet, turning it face up. Spread through it, openly outjogging all the red cards (photo 5). Strip out the red cards (photo 6) and set the black cards down. Give the red cards a Charlier Shuffle (see notes) and then set them face down in front of Walt. Have him give them a straight cut or two. Photo 5

Pick up the packet and as you square it, glimpse the bottom card (say, the ten of diamonds) and then table this packet to your far left. Turn your attention to Vandella and point out that she, like Walt, has shuffled and cut her cards as much as she wanted.

Photo 6

Notice this wording! "... shuffled and cut as much as you wanted." In fact, she cut as much as she wanted, but only shuffled once. You don't actually say, "... shuffled as much as you wanted." The latter would be a lie and she would recognize it as such. The former wording is ambiguous, and in its ambiguity lays truth. Because of this wording, a seed is planted which may cause her to later remember that she did shuffle as much as she wanted. Most of the time, that's exactly how she does remember it! Pick up Vandella's cards and separate the reds as you did with Walt’s packet a moment ago. Table the black cards face up. Spread through the reds to show that there are no blacks among them and casually cut the ten of hearts to the face. Set the red packet face down to your far right.

Photo 7

Have Vandella give her face up black packet a few straight cuts. When she is finished, remember the card at the face (say, the eight of spades). Turn this packet face down and table it in front of you, just to your right. Pick up Walt's black packet and spread it face up, pointing out that the cards have been thoroughly shuffled and cut, and casually cut the eight of clubs to third from the face (photo 7).

Photo 8

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Turn this packet face down and spread it between your hands. Ask Vandella to just touch, but not remove, a card. When she touches one, outjog it. Close the spread (leaving the selection outjogged), getting a left pinky break two cards below the selection (photo 8). Page 49

Take all the cards above the break with your palm up right hand (photo 9). It appears that you’re holding the selection at the bottom of this packet, when actually, there are two cards below the selection. Turn the packet counterclockwise 90 degrees and clamp the outjogged card down on the left packet with your left thumb (photo 10). Place the right hand cards on top of the packet, leaving the selection protruding sideways near the center of the packet (photo 11). Place this packet on the table just to the left of the other black packet. Using both hands, simultaneously begin dealing the cards face up from both packets into two piles in front of their respective packets (photo 12). None will be mates. When you reach the selection (photo 13), set it aside with the corresponding card from the other packet (photo 14).

Photo 9

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Photo 15

Finish dealing the rest of the two packets face up simultaneously onto their respective piles. Point out that none of the pairs matched and pick up the left packet. Spread it face up and casually double undercut (page 35) two cards from the face to the rear. Table this packet face down. Pick up the two cards you set aside and show that they are mates! Drop the selection face down on the face down packet (photo 15).

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Scott F. Guinn

Drop the mate face up on the face up packet (photo 16). Pick up the face up packet and double undercut the top card to the bottom. Riffle shuffle the face up packet into the face down packet (photo 17), then ribbon spread the cards (photo 18). Ask Walt to touch any face up card. Beginning at the end of the spread nearest the selection, mentally count the face up cards to the selection. Photo 16

For example, assume Walt touched the two of spades, and that it is the fifth face up card from the right end of the spread (photo 19). Slide out the two of spades as you mentally count to the fifth face down card from the left end of the spread (photo 20). Get a break above this card as you pick up and square the packet, leaving the 2S face up on the table. Classic force the card below the break as you ask Walt to touch any of the face down cards. Everyone will be amazed that he chose the two of clubs, the perfect match to the two of spades!

Photo 17

Photo 18

Spread the cards between your hands, outjogging all the face up cards. Strip them out and set them face down to your right. Set the packet in your left hand face down to the left.

Photo 19

Pick up of the two of spades and two of clubs. Place them face up in front of the two piles. Deal the cards from both packets simultaneously with both hands into two spreads to show that every pair is now a perfect match (photo 21)! Wait quietly while everyone is reacting. Usually, someone will eventually say, "Can you do that with the red cards?"

Photo 20

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 21

If someone does, Page 51

respond, "Well, I doubt it! The black cards weren't good enough? But, since you asked so nicely..." (If nobody says anything, I sometimes remark that they may be wondering about the red cards, or sometimes I just end the effect without going to the red cards. For explanation purposes, we’ll continue.) Slide the two red packets beside the black packets. Deal the red packets face up into two spread piles, simultaneously with both hands as before. Indeed, every red pair is also a perfect match (photo 22)! The response from the audience will be everything you could hope for! Just one quick a piece of advice: Only use this trick as a closer or encore—it simply cannot be followed! Notes: For those of you who don’t do the classic force, you can alter the handling slightly to eliminate it. To refresh your memory, the classic force is used in the phase where the black packets are shuffled together, face up into face down. Instead of forcing a face down card on Walt, after he chooses a face up card, just say, “And I’ll choose a face down card.” Remove the card at the appropriate position in the spread. This is slightly less impressive than having Walt “choose” both cards, but it still a strong effect. The Charlier Shuffle is a very effective method for apparently thoroughly shuffling the cards. Actually, it ends up having the same effect as a straight cut. Hold the packet in left hand dealer’s grip. Push several cards on the top to the right with your left thumb. Take these cards in your palm up right hand at the fork of the thumb (photo 23) and move them away to the right. Now, with your left fingers, push some cards from the bottom to the right (photo 24). The right hand takes these cards above the ones it holds (photo 25) and moves away to the right. The left thumb pushes over some more cards from the top, which the right hand takes under its cards (photo 26). Keep alternating, taking cards from the top and then the bottom of the left hand’s packet until all the cards are in the right hand. Just remember, cards from the top in the left hand go on the bottom in the right hand, and cards from the bottom of the left hand go on top in the right hand! Photo 25

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Photo 22

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Scott F. Guinn

Chapter Three Transportations & Teleportations •

One, Two, Three, Four...Aces? • Four Hofsinzer • Idaho Travelers • Sun Valley Travelers

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Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

C

ards magically flying all over the place, either mysteriously transposing with each other or miraculously transporting from the deck to some other location—these are fun effects to perform and fun effects for the audience to watch.

One caveat: Make sure that you convey what is happening—keep the effect clear. If you over-explain or get too verbose in your presentation, the effect becomes muddled and you lose the audience. Maintain clarity of effect by pointing up the important aspects of the effect and disregarding the rest.

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Scott F. Guinn

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR...ACES?

T

he Close-Up Magic Of Aldo Colombini contains an effect with the above title. Aldo mentions that it is based on an effect by Larry Jennings. While I felt the effect was good, I thought the dealing procedure might tip the method. I have modified that handling to overcome this, and the following is humbly offered as an improvement. Effect: The aces are shown and then turn into other cards, which locate the aces!

Photo 1

Set up: Remove the four aces from the deck. Arrange them in CHaSeD order with the ace of diamonds at the face. Table the aces face up in a squared packet. On top of the face down deck place the two of hearts, three of spades and four of diamonds face down, with the two of hearts on top. Method and performance: Spread the deck between your hands facing the audience, so they can see there are no more aces. As you square the deck into face down dealer’s grip, get a break below the four of diamonds (third from the top of the deck). Pick up the aces with your right hand and set them face up on the deck for a moment. Then pick up all the cards above the break (four face up aces and the face down to of hearts, three of spades and four of diamonds) in right hand Biddle grip (photo 1). Perform the Braue Addition as follows: Holding the packet over the deck, place your left thumb onto the ace of diamonds. Your right hand moves the packet to the right away from the ace of diamonds (photo 2). When the package is almost clear of the ace of diamonds, lift the packet straight up, causing the ace to flip face down onto your left thumb (photo 3). Slide your thumb out from under the card, allowing it to fall flush onto the deck. Repeat this procedure with the ace of spades and ace of hearts and then drop the rest of the packet as one card on to the deck. Turn the ace of clubs face down. You have secretly switched the ace of hearts, ace of spades, and ace of diamonds for the two of hearts, three of spades and four of diamonds.

Photo 2

Photo 3

Deal the top four cards left to right in a face down row on the table as you count aloud, "One, two, three, four aces." Turn the cards face up one at the time saying, "One, two, three, four... aces?" As you deal and count from one to four, instead of the aces you reveal the ace thru four (photo 4). Act surprised at the appearance of the two, three and four. Take the deck in right hand Biddle grip. Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 4

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Your left hand does a slip cut, taking the bottom third of the deck with the top card (ace of hearts—photo 5). Set this packet face down behind the two of hearts. Do another slip cut, taking half of the remaining cards from the bottom of the right-hand packet with the ace of spades off the top. Set this packet face down behind the three of spades. Place the remaining cards in your right hand behind the four of diamonds. Pick up the packet behind the two of hearts in your palm up right hand. Do an overhand jog shuffle: Take about half the cards into the left hand on the first “chop” (photo 6). Run one card from the right packet on top of the left. Run one more card, injogging it about 1/4-inch (photo 7) and then shuffle off the rest of the cards from the right hand onto the left-hand packet. Take the packet back into the right hand for another shuffle, getting a thumb break under the injogged card (photo 8). Shuffle to the break and throw the remainder on top of the left-hand portion. Replace this packet behind the two of hearts. Take the packet behind the three of spades and do the same jog shuffle with one difference: Run two cards singly before you injog one. Complete the shuffles as above and replace this packet behind the three of spades.

Photo 5

Photo 6

Take the last packet and injog shuffle it, too, but this time run three cards singly before you injog one. Continue the shuffle as before and replace this packet behind the four of diamonds.

Photo 7

Photo 8

Explain that you will use the face up cards to locate the aces. Pick up the packet behind the 2H in left dealers grip. "The two." Deal the top card face down behind the ace of clubs (photo 9), “One.” Deal the next card face down behind the 2H (photo 10). “Two.”

Photo 9

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Scott F. Guinn

Drop the packet face down onto the card behind the ace of clubs (photo 11). Pick up the next packet. Say, "The three." Deal the first two cards onto the pile behind the ace of clubs, then the third one face down behind the 3S. Drop the left-hand cards onto the pile behind the ace of clubs.

Photo 11

Pick up the last packet from behind the 4D. "The four." Deal the first three cards onto the pile in back of the ace of clubs and deal the fourth card face down behind the 4D. Drop the packet onto the rest of the deck behind the ace of clubs. Point to the ace of clubs. Say, "That's one.” Turn over the card behind the 2H, revealing the AH. "Two." Flip over the AS behind the 3S. "Three." Finally, turn over the AD behind the 4D as you say, "Four aces!" (Photo 12)

Photo 12

Notes: The Slip Cut is really very easy to do. Here's how. You should have the deck in right Biddle Grip. Maintaining your right hand's grip, take the deck in left-hand dealers grip. Your left thumb should be across the top card (photo 13). Slide the packet above the break to the right with your right hand, your left thumb holding the top card in place (photo 14). As the top packet is removed from the deck, this card drops on to the bottom packet (photo 15).

Photo 13

Photo 14

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 15

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FOUR HOFZINSER

J

.N. Hofzinser was one of the founding fathers of modern card magic (he’s even credited as the inventor of double-face cards!). One of his most famous effects was his four-ace trick. So if you were wondering about the title, now you know the “Hofzinser” part—this trick is based on the Hofzinser Four Ace Trick. The “Four part of the title is because the routine uses two four-of–a-kind and it has four climaxes. Effect: The deck is handed to Vandella, who picks a number from one to ten (for example, seven). She then removes the four sevens from the deck. You take the deck back and have Rowena select a card (say, the king of spades). This card is lost in the deck. You pick up the four sevens and turn them face down one at the time. You then spread them and count them to verify there are only four face down cards. You turn the packet face up and wave your hand over it and then spread the cards to reveal one card has turned face down. Its suit matches the card Rowena chose! This card is tabled face down. When Rowena turns it over, it’s the king of spades! Not only that, but the other three sevens change into the other three kings! You spread the deck to show there are no extra kings, then square it and table it face down.

Photo 1

"What about the sevens?" you ask. You snap your fingers and ribbon spread the deck. The four sevens are face up in the middle of the face down deck! Only a regular 52-card deck is used. Set up: Remove the four kings from a shuffled deck. Place the king of spades on top of the face down deck, the other three kings in your lap or pocket. If you prefer, you can do other tricks first, then just cut the king of spades to the top when you're ready to do this one. Method and performance: Hand the deck to Vandella. Tell her to pick a number from one to ten (this assures she won't choose the face cards). Tell her to remove the four cards that match her number (the sevens in our example) and to set them in a face up row on the table. As she does this, get the KH, KC and KD in gambler' s cop in your left hand (photo 1). Take the deck from her, placing it directly onto the copped kings (photo 2), and then move it into left-hand dealers grip in a squaring motion. Use the slip force (page 44) to make Rowena pick the KS. Control it to the top (I use the GUB). Pick up the sevens, making sure the 7S is at the face. Set them face up on the deck and spread them, getting a break under the KS (photo 3). Page 58

Photo 2

Photo 3

Scott F. Guinn

Square the cards and pick up all the cards above the break (four face up sevens and the face down KS) in right hand Biddle grip. You're going to do a modified Braue Addition to swap the 7S for the KS.

Photo 4

The deck is still in left dealers grip, your left thumb across the center of the top card. Your right hand brings its packet about halfway onto the deck so your left thumb can come onto the face of the 7S (photo 4). Your right hand moves away, leaving the seven of spades sidejogged on the deck (photo 5). Use the left edge of the right-hand packet to pivot the 7S face down on the left thumb (photo 6). Pull the thumb out from under the card to on top of it, leaving it sidejogged to the right (photo 7).

Photo 5

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Photo 8

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

The right-hand packet will come over the card, apparently taking it face down under the face up cards and then squaring the packet against the base of the left thumb. Actually, you just leave it on top of the deck as the packet comes square with the deck when the left edge of the packet contacts the left thumb (photo 8).

Photo 7

Photo 9

You can spread the packet if you want to, showing a face down card (the KS, although the audience will think it’s the 7S) below three face up sevens, but I don't think it's necessary. Turn over the next two sevens one at a time in the same way as you did the 7S, but now each time you really do take the seven under the packet as it’s squared (photo 9). Page 59

Set the packet on the deck, outjogged by at least half its length (photo 10), and fairly turn the last seven face down on top of the outjogged packet. Retake the packet in right hand Biddle grip so the left hand can table the deck to your left. Spread the packet and take the top two cards in your right hand. Do John Bannon’s “X” display by curling the fingers of both hands in while pushing the thumbs forward, causing each pair to form half of an “x” (photo 11). Hold this display for a moment, and then replace the right pair under the two cards in the left hand. As you square the packet, half pass the bottom card (KS).

Photo 10

Jordan Count (see notes) to show four face down cards. Turn the packet face up and take it in right hand Biddle grip. Use your left fingers to slide out the bottom card, then the third card, then the second (face down) card in a fan (photo 12). The seven (?) of the suit matching Rowena’s selection has magically reversed itself—1st climax. "The spade has magically turned over. Rowena, was your card a spade?" Table the face down card at the center of your performing surface and then turn the three sevens face down, squaring them, and table them near you.

Photo 11

Pick up the deck and spread it as you say, "After Vandella removed the sevens, there were forty-eight cards left. You could have chosen any one of them." Close the spread, getting a break above the bottom three cards (kings). Pick up the three sevens in right hand Biddle grip, flashing the face of the packet. Remark, "I had a one in four chance of getting the spade. Now I have a one in thirteen chance of getting the correct spade." Pause, then nod at the tabled card. "Turn that card over!"

Photo 12

Rowena turns over the card to reveal it is her selection—2nd climax. As all attention is on Rowena turning over the king of spades, do the Jinx Switch: Bring your right hand, still holding the sevens, over the deck and pick up all the cards above the break (photo 13). Immediately table the deck, leaving the three kings in your left hand. This is a very bold move, but the misdirection of the king of spades being revealed is very strong. If you do the move casually and smoothly, you'll never get caught. Your left hand spreads its three cards and tables them face down at center. Ask Rowena to wave the king over the three cards on Page 60

Photo 13

Scott F. Guinn

the table. As she complies, take the deck in left-hand dealers grip. "Turn those cards over one at the time." She turns the cards over, revealing the three kings—3rd climax.

Photo 14

Under cover of the kings being revealed, top palm (page 38) the top four cards of the deck (the sevens). After the audience’s reaction to the change, spread the deck between your hands, the cards facing the spectators to show there are no extra kings (photo 14). The spread provides natural cover for the palmed sevens (photo 15, audience view. Paul LePaul created this subtlety. I call it the LePaul Spread Palm Cover.). As you start to close the spread, push inward with your right pinky, secretly feeding the corner of the palmed packet into the center of the deck (photo 16). As you close the spread, the reversed cards are fed all the way into the center of the deck under cover of the deck and your hands (photo 17). Square the deck and table it.

Photo 15

Photo 16

Photo 18

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Take the four kings in a spread in the left hand. As if you just thought of it, say, "What about the sevens?" Snap your fingers over the deck and ribbon spread it, revealing the missing sevens face up in the center of the face down deck (photo 18). This is the fourth and final climax. Notes: This trick may appear a little tough but it’s within the reach of anyone. There is built-in misdirection for the palm and the switches.

Photo 17

Photo 19

The Jordan Count apparently shows four cards fairly, but only three cards are shown; one is shown twice. The original bottom card is never seen. You have the four cards with one face up at the bottom. Hold the packet squared in left dealers grip and grip the right long edge between the tips of the thumb and first two fingers of the palm up right hand, as shown in photo 19. Page 61

Remove the top card with your left hand, which then moves forward and to the left, allowing the card to drop onto the palm (photo 20). Bring your left hand back to the packet to take the next card off the top of the packet. The card on the left palm goes under the right packet during this action. The left hand then moves forward and to the left with both of its cards. Refer to photo 21. It is as the third card is taken that the switch takes place. Bring the left hand back to the right packet. Both of the left-hand cards go under those in the right hand, and the left thumb stretches across the packet as if to pull the top card off onto the two lefthand cards. Actually, as soon as the left-hand cards are flush with the right-hand cards, the right fingertips curl in, slightly side-jogging the bottom card to the right (photo 22), and the left hand moves away with the top three cards. This action appears identical to the taking of the first two cards—it seems that you are simply reversing the order of the cards as you count them into the left hand.

Photo 20

Finally, bring the left hand back to the right hand and take the last card on top of the packet. Photo 21

Photo 22

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THE IDAHO TRAVELERS

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ards magically and instantly fly from the deck to different pockets on the performer’s person. Dai Vernon’s “The Travelers” is a wonderful premise that is hugely popular with lay-audiences. I wanted to created a version with all of the impact of the original, but without all the moves and without resorting to any gaffs. I think I’ve succeeded. The routine you’re about to read is clean as a whistle and convincing as a patriot orator! Effect: You display the four queens and then place them into four different parts of the deck. They instantly travel to four different pockets. No extra queens, no false counts, no double lifts, no gaffs. Set up: Place the queen of spades in your right side coat pocket and the queen of hearts in your left side coat pocket. If you don’t want to wear a coat, it’s not a problem; put the cards in your back pants pockets instead. The queen of diamonds and queen of clubs are about fifth and tenth from the face of the deck. Make sure that at least one black nine and one red nine are farther up in the deck than the QC.

Photo 1

Method and performance: “Gamblers, card players and magicians have names for many of the cards in the deck. Some are very familiar, while you may not have heard of others. For example, almost everyone knows that the twos are called ‘deuces’ or the threes, ‘treys.’ Fewer people are aware that the kings are often referred to as ‘cowboys’ or that the aces are called ‘bullets.’ You may have heard the queens referred to as ‘the ladies’—and I AM the ladies’ man—but have you ever heard them called ‘the travelers?’ I’ll show you why they got that name.” This opening patter immediately creates interest. You are about to reveal “inside information,” and everyone will be paying rapt attention at this point. Even folks who know about the other cards’ names will be intrigued by the queens as “the travelers.”

Photo 2

Photo 3

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Begin to spread through the face up deck, holding it so the spectators can see the faces. Outjog the queen of diamonds and queen of clubs as you come to them, pushing the queen of clubs up so that its index extends just past the top of the queen of diamonds (photo 1). As you continue to spread through the deck, tilt it up so it faces you, out of the line of sight of the audience. Outjog the first nine you come to, extending it to the point where just the top oval of the “9” on the index shows above the index on the QC (photo 2). When you arrive at a nine of opposing color, extend it so that the top of the oval shows above the other nine (photo 3) and square the deck, leaving the four cards outjogged with the back of the deck toward the audience. Take the deck at the inner (lower) end with your palm out right Page 63

hand, thumb at the left side, and first two fingers at the right. Grip the four outjogged cards at the sides where they meet the end of the deck, with your left thumb on the left and your middle finger on the right. The left ring finger helps hold the deck while the left forefinger pushes up on the packet from below (photo 4). With your right hand, pull the deck away from the packet, and set the deck on the table. Turn your left wrist so the packet faces the audience as in photo 5. The portion of the oval of the nines that is showing will be perceived as the tops of the indices of the other two queens. I call this the "99-Queen Display." I hesitate to claim credit for it because it seems so obvious. However, I developed it independently, and have been unable to find it anywhere in the literature.

Photo 4

Extend your left forefinger to the top edge of the packet (photo 6) and push down, squaring the packet. Table the packet face down. Ribbon Spread the deck face up across the table, explaining that you removed the queens so that you could show them there are no extra queens anywhere in the deck. Square the deck and turn it face down on the table. Pick up the queen packet in left dealer' s grip. Thumb off the top card into your right hand, which inserts it into the tabled deck near the bottom. Take the next card and begin to push it into the deck near the center, pushing off the top half of the deck as if by accident (photo 7). In an attempt to overcome this "mishap," drop the two queens face up on the table (photo 8) and use your left hand to square up and steady the deck as the right hand pushes its card flush into the center. Done properly, this "mistake" seems unrehearsed, subtly convincing and reinforcing in the spectator' s minds that all the cards are queens and everything is as it should be. Pick up the deck in left dealers grip. I want to stop here for a moment, because this is a very important principle at work. The first two cards could go fairly anywhere into the deck, because they weren’t even really queens. However, you have to control the next two cards. If you were to put the first two cards in fairly while the deck was tabled and the suddenly pick up the Photo 7 deck to insert last two, Page 64

Photo 5

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Scott F. Guinn

Photo 9

Photo 10

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Photo 12

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

the audience would become suspicious. On the other hand, you could have just started with the packet on the table and the deck in your hands, but then the audience might suspect you of controlling the cards. However, by keeping the deck out of your hands and fairly inserting the first two cards, they know you aren’t controlling anything (and you’re not!). And by “accidentally” knocking the top half of the deck off, you have motivated picking it up to insert the last two queens. You tried to be extra-special fair, but it was too awkward, and tossing the remaining two queens face up on the table adds an additional (albeit very subtle) convincer of your pure motives. This concept of using an apparent mistake is an exceptionally powerful ploy to create a believable justification for a change in actions required by the method. As proof of just how strong it is, every time I have explained this part of the routine after having performed it in a lecture, every magician in the room admitted he was taken in by it and had no idea it was part of the method! OK, the deck is in left-hand dealer's grip and two queens are face up on the table. With your right hand, pick up the QC, inserting it face down near the center of the deck. Do the GUB Top Control. Insert the QD face down into the top quarter of the pack and do the GUB Bottom Control. (If you are not yet proficient or comfortable with the GUB, here is a very easy alternative. Place the first queen on top of the deck. Cut the deck and complete the cut, holding a break between the halves. Double undercut (page 35) to the break. Place the second queen on top of the deck, holding a break beneath it. Double undercut to the break.) From the spectator' s viewpoint, the queens are lost in four different parts of the deck. Of course, they're not at all. Two are in your pockets, one is on top of the deck, the other on the bottom of the deck. Execute the Automatic Bottom Palm. Pause a beat, take the deck in right Biddle grip, and then with the QD palmed in your left hand (watch your angles here!), reach into your left pants pocket, push the palmed queen of diamonds to the fingertips, and produce it from the pocket. Toss it face up onto the table. Perform the False Pocket Removal by Bill Malone: Your left thumb slightly injogs the top card of the deck, which is facing you (photo 9). Turn your head to the right. With your right hand, reach into your right side coat pocket. Pretend to become a bit frustrated as you fish around for the next card. Meanwhile, pat the outer left breast pocket with the left hand and then hook it with the left thumb (photo 10). Turn your head, focusing your attention to the breast pocket (photo 11). Bring the right hand over and grip the corner of the top card where it extends from the deck (photo 12). Page 65

Pull straight up swiftly—the card will pivot around the left thumb to a vertical position and look for all the world as if you removed it from the pocket (photo 13). In the photo, a different card is shown. In performance of this routine, the card would be the QC. You're home free! Display your empty right hand, and remove the QS from your right pocket. Toss it onto the table. Finally, after showing your left hand empty, remove the QH from your left pocket, placing it with the other three queens on the table. Spread the deck face up so your audience can see there are no extra queens and bask in the astonishment.

Photo 13

Notes: Trust me, this trick kills! The 99-Queen Display is very convincing and eliminates extra cards, double lifts, false counts and "over-proving." The bit where you apparently make a mistake and drop the two queens face up seems natural and off-the-cuff, therefore, it is completely disarming. It is a "proving" move without seeming to be so, making it that much more effective. In addition, it justifies picking up the deck to make the insertion of the last two queens easier. Of course, your audience doesn't know you must pick up the deck to control the last two queens. The Automatic Bottom Palm is done to show that there are no breaks and you're being completely fair (ha!). The Malone ploy is done under perfectly natural actions, and is shielded by both hands. The routine is structured so that the first two queens are done before the spectators even know what's going to happen. The only palm is perfectly covered and happens before anyone knows the trick has even started. The last two queens are so clean, they cancel out any ideas of palming for the "wise ones." I spent a great deal of time and energy developing this routine, trying to make every move justified and natural. I'm happy with the results. This is clean, powerful magic!

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Scott F. Guinn

SUN VALLEY TRAVELERS

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ere is a version of "The Idaho Travelers" for those of you who were scared of the Automatic Bottom Palm (although it is so motivated, it should cause no concern at all). This routine is not quite as convincing as the previous one, but it is easier, requiring no palming at all! You should be familiar with the "Idaho Travelers" before attempting this routine. Set up: Have the queen of clubs, queen of spades and queen of hearts loaded in three different pockets and the queen of diamonds third from the face of the deck. Method and performance: Outjog the queen of diamonds in full view, and then tilt the deck toward yourself as you continue to spread. Outjog two black nines and one red nine as described in the previous routine (except here you have the "999-Queen Display"—photo 1).

Photo 1

Strip these cards out and square them with the forefinger after the display as taught in “The Idaho Travelers." Fairly insert the top card, a nine, without flashing its face, near the bottom of the tabled deck. Place the next card about fifteen cards higher than the first. As you start to put the third card in near center, push the top half of the deck off as if by accident. Drop the queen of diamonds face up on the table and square the deck as you pick it up.

Pick up the queen of diamonds, turn it face down and place it into the top quarter of the deck. Execute the GUB control to the top. Immediately dribble the deck onto your left hand and square the deck in left dealers grip, slightly injogging the top card. Do the fake removal from the breast pocket described in “The Idaho Travelers.” Fairly remove the other queens from their pockets, then spread the deck face up to prove no duplicates were used.

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Scott F. Guinn

Chapter Four Mind Games •

What in the World? • Blind-Sighted • BS Poker Demo

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Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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magine being able to read minds or predict/control the outcome of games of chance. Heady stuff, indeed, and exactly the sort of thing that almost everyone has wished he could do at some point in time—which means that virtually everyone can RELATE to it.

In chapter four, you’ll find: 1. A routine that displays the powers of intuition (both your own as well as your audiences assistants’). 2. an effect where you receive someone’s thought, telling him his mentally selected choices of both a card and a number, in spite of the fact that your eyes are closed the entire time (you can even be blindfolded)! 3. A routine that allows you to demonstrate you ability to control cards, cheat and win in a poker game, should you choose to do so. I think you’ll enjoy these routines.

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WHAT IN THE WORLD?

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aul Curry’s "Out of this World," is a classic that many magicians consider to be the best card trick ever. It has spawned hundreds of variations. Here is mine, based on ideas by J.K. Hartman and J.C. Wagner.

Effect: You thoroughly shuffle and cut the deck, then fan it toward yourself and remove two cards. These are set aside face down in full view. You hand the deck to Vandella and promise not to touch the cards again until the experiment is over. You ask Vandella to remove cards face down, one at a time off the top of the deck. You explain that this is a test of her intuition. If she thinks the card is red, she is to place it on the bottom of the deck. If she senses it is black, she should deal it to the table in a pile. When she has gone through about half the deck, she hands it to Rowena, who goes through the same procedure. When Rowena is finished, the cards are turned face up. Except for three mistakes—two blacks and one red—the two ladies have correctly separated all the cards. "Your intuition is excellent!" you tell them. "You only missed two black and one red! Now let's check my intuition." You turn over your prediction cards; a black two and a red ace—two black and one red!

Photo 1

Set up: The bad news is this trick requires a full deck set up. The good news is it's easy and takes just a moment. The best news is this effect is self-working and quite possibly the most stunning thing you will ever do with a deck of cards. To prepare the deck, separate the reds and blacks. Place one red card into the center of black half (photo 1) and two black cards into the center of the red half, separated by three or four cards (photo 2). Now place the red half onto the black half. You're all set.

Photo 2

Method and performance: Introduce the deck as you ask Vandella and Rowena if they believe in intuition. Regardless of their responses, say, "I had a feeling you were going to say that! We're going to conduct a little test of your intuitive powers." Give the deck a few false shuffles. (If you can, use a false riffle like the Zarrow, Vernon Pull-through or Archer shuffles. Otherwise, use the Ireland Shuffle, explained below in the comments). After shuffling, turn the deck face up and double undercut (page 35) the face card to the top (rear) of the deck. Now spread through the deck with the cards facing you and remove a black two and a red ace. (Photo 3—Don't let anyone see the faces of these two cards or the rest of the deck.) Explain that you sensed something about these cards as you table them face down off to one side in full view.

Photo 3

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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Give the deck to Vandella. Remark that you won't touch the cards again until the experiment is over. Have her turn the top card (black) face up. Tell her to place that card on the bottom of the deck, leaving it face up (photo 4). Instruct her to turn over the next card (red) and set it face up on the table near herself (photo 5, where the black card at the bottom of the deck has been left partially exposed). “I want you to try to use your intuition to separate the colors. One at a time, pull cards off the top of the deck. But don't turn them over—that makes it a little easier to 'intuit' what color they are! If you think they're black, move them to the bottom, remembering not to turn them over. If you sense they're red, deal them face down on the table onto that red card. Please don't deal ten or fifteen cards in a row in the same place. Just deal randomly, some underneath the deck and some on the table, as your intuition guides you. Also, don't spend a lot of time lingering and contemplating on each card. Always go with your first instinct. Begin." As Vandella deals the cards, silently count them. When she deals the 24th card, stop her. Request that she give the deck to Rowena. Instruct Rowena to turn the top card face up (it will be red) and place it at the bottom of the deck, still face up. Have her deal the next card (black) face up on the table near herself. Tell her to do exactly what Vandella did, but the cards she senses are black go on the table and the cards she feels are red go on the bottom of the deck. Eventually, she'll arrive at a face up black card. Have her move that card, face up, to the bottom and then set the deck on the table. "Let's see how good your intuition is. Vandella, the cards in front of you are the ones you thought were red. Turn them over and spread them." The cards will all be red, or there will be one or two black cards among them. If they are all red, say, "Wow! All red!" Otherwise comment, "Wow! You only missed one (or two, as the case may be)!"

Photo 4

Photo 5

Photo 6

Turn to Rowena and point to the packet she dealt onto the table. "You sensed those cards were black. Take a look." They will either be all black or have one red among them. Comment appropriately. Spread the remaining assembled half of the deck from right to left. A face up red card is near center and a face up black card is on the bottom. Separate the spread, pushing the face up red card and all the cards above it to the left (photo 6). Address Rowena. "These are the cards you felt were red. Let's see how you did." She turns the cards over and you comment accordingly (depending on whether there are any "misses"). Direct Vandella to turn over the remaining packet, "which you sensed were black." Depending on where the odd cards were dealt, you will have one of three situations: 1. Vandella will have one miss and Rowena two. Page 72

Scott F. Guinn

2. Rowena will have one miss and Vandella two. 3. One of them will have three misses. Regardless, congratulate them. "Both of you have incredible intuition! Only three errors, two black and one red! Now let's check my intuition." Pick up the two face down cards you set aside at the beginning. "Two black!" Set the black two face up on the table. "One red!" Place the red ace face up next to the two for a mind-blowing finish! Notes: As with "Coincidental," I strongly urge you to use this routine only as a closer or an encore. Here is a brief description of the Ireland Shuffle: Simply overhand shuffle fairly, taking the cards in "clumps" until you're near the center. Then run several cards singly until you’re past the center. Shuffle off in clumps. Repeat if desired. That's it!

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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BLIND-SIGHTED

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ere is a mentalism routine you can do anytime, anywhere, with any deck. There is no “pumping” or “fishing” and it doesn’t require any sleight of hand! It is based on a mathematical principle that I don’t recall ever seeing in any books, videos or lectures, but I have to believe that someone has discovered it before me. At any rate, I am as proud of the following routine as any in this book. Effect: Rowena thinks of a number from one to ten. We’ll assume she thinks of seven. She then shuffles a deck of cards to her heart’s content. You turn your back and close your eyes (if there is a suitable hanky, scarf or towel handy, you can even be blindfolded!). Rowena spreads through the cards, remembers the one that falls on her number (say, the QC), squares the deck and gives it to you. You hold the deck under the table, so no one can accuse you of peeking. Asking her to concentrate on her card, you begin to go through the deck, trying to receive an “impression.” After struggling for a few moments, you bring the deck out and give it a couple of cuts before handing it to Rowena. Explaining that you’re having some difficulty, you ask her to spread through the deck and to cut it so that her card is once again at her number. You take the deck back under the table, and ask her to concentrate on her number. With your eyes still closed, you bring the deck back into view and shuffle it a couple of times. You begin to deal cards off the top of the deck, counting them as you do. Rowena is to think, “stop” when you reach her number. On the seventh card, you say, “I felt something there, like that was it. Was your number seven?” She admits it was. Keeping your eyes closed, you pass your hand over the last card dealt. “I sense that your card was a face card. It was a black card. Was it the queen of clubs?” Stunned, Rowena answers in the affirmative. You turn over the card. It is, indeed, the queen of clubs! Method and performance: Introduce a deck or borrow one (the only stipulation is that it must be a full, 52-card deck). Ask Rowena to think of a number from one to ten. Hand her the deck, turn your back to her and either allow her to blindfold you or just close your eyes. Ask her to shuffle the deck thoroughly. Then ask her to quietly spread over cards from the top of the face down deck equal to her mentally selected number. She is to turn these cards over and remember the one at the face, and then replace the cards and square the deck. Mime these actions over your shoulder to help her better understand. With your eyes still closed, turn to face Rowena. Ask her to give you the deck face down, taking it in left hand dealer’s grip. Bring the deck under the table and tell Rowena to concentrate. Once it is out of sight, take the top card between your right thumb and forefinger (photo 1). Take the bottom card under it (photo 2). Take the new top card under these two.

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Continue taking cards, alternating from the top and bottom of the deck, counting them silently as you do. Be sure to always take the cards under the growing packet. Stop when you have twenty cards in the right hand and drop the packet on top of the deck. Put a Nail Crimp (see notes) into the bottom card of the deck and then move it to the top. Bring the deck into view, remarking that you’re experiencing some difficulty. Give the deck four or five straight cuts and hand it to Rowena. (Remember to keep your eyes closed the entire time!) Photo 3

Ask her to spread through the deck with the cards facing her. She is to cut the cards so her card is on top of the deck when it is turned face down. Tell her to mentally count “one.” Now, very quietly, she is to move cards one a time from the bottom of the deck, counting them (starting with “two” until she reaches her mentally selected number. This procedure again places her card at its original position in the deck—she may spread the cards and look to verify that this is the case if she wants. Once accomplished, take the deck from her and immediately bring it under the table again. Again, ask Rowena to concentrate.

Photo 4

Photo 5

Turn the deck face up. Rub your right fingertips across the center of the face card (photo 3). You’re feeling for the crimp. If you don’t feel it, take the card in the crotch of the right hand (photo 4) as you mentally count, “One.” Continue this procedure until you feel the crimped card. In our example, it would be the seventh card. Whatever the number is, it is Rowena’s mentally selected number! It is also the position from the top of the deck where her card now lies! Replace the right hand cards on the face of the deck and turn the deck face down. Spread down to the seventh card (photo 5) and bring it to the top (photo 6). (It’s important that you spread the cards rather than deal them. If you dealt them, Rowena could hear, and she’d realize that you know her number, which would spoil the climax.) Here is the only time you open your eyes during the entire effect, and it is only for a moment. You need to get a glimpse of the card. Tilt your head forward slightly. Open only one eye just enough that you can see downward (if blindfolded, do the well-known peek down the side of the nose). As you bring the deck into view, do a bubble peek (see notes) to ascertain the identity of the card. As soon as you glimpse the card, close your eye and relax your grip.

Photo 6

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

“I asked you to concentrate, but I just realized I wasn’t specific enough. Were you concentrating on your number or on your card?” Whatever her answer, say you were trying to “receive the Page 75

other. If she says she was concentrating on both, explain that this is what caused the problem—her attention was split. “Let’s start over. I’ll mix the cards and ask you to concentrate only on your chosen number.” With your eyes still closed bring the deck above the table and do the following overhand jog shuffle (page 56) sequence: run six singly on top of the QC, injog one and shuffle off. As you grasp the deck for a second shuffle, get a right thumb break below the jogged card. Shuffle fairly to the break and then throw the remainder on top. The QC is now the seventh card from the top.

Photo 7

Tell Rowena that you are going to deal cards one at a time, and she is to think, “Stop!” when you reach her number. Begin dealing off the top of the deck, counting aloud as you do. Start to take the eighth card. Pause as if uncertain and then put the eighth card back on the deck. “I felt something there, like I was supposed to stop. Was your number seven?” She admits it was. “Great! Now, I want you to concentrate on your card!” Keeping your eyes closed, you pass your hand over the top of the deck. “I sense that your card was a face card. It was a black card. Was it the queen of clubs?” Stunned, Rowena answers in the affirmative. Reach over to the tabled pile and turn over the top card. It is, indeed, the queen of clubs!

Photo 8

Notes: The Nail Crimp: Hold the deck in right hand Biddle Grip. Slide the bottom card off the deck with your left hand. Using the nail of your right forefinger, press down on the center of the card (photo 7). Then turn your finger and press the nail on the card again to create an “x” (photo 8). This will cause an x-shaped bump or protrusion on the card, which you will be able to feel on the face. Photo 9

Bubble Peek: With the deck in left dealers grip, curl the fingertips onto the top card, holding it firmly in place. Bring the thumb to the upper left corner and push to the right. Since the card can’t move, it buckles, creating a “bubble” at the upper right corner, where you can see the index and identify the card (photo 9). Credit Update: After sending a number of copies of this routine to friends of mine, I have been told that Bob Hummer put out a routine with this exact principle and very similar handling. However, he scratched a card with a pin for the key instead of using the Nail Crimp, and he did not divine the card. He simply stopped at the number and had the person turn over their card. In the aspect of practicality (you don’t have to carry a pin around) and the added divination of the card, I feel mine is a superior routine. However, although I came up with the concept independently, Mr. Hummer’s routine pre-dates mine by several decades, and he deserves to be credited for it—the man was a genius and very prolific!

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B-S POKER DEMO

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based this routine on two effects by Martin Nash. Thanks to the Guinn Utility Backslip, the handling is much easier. After performing this, people will be convinced you’re a card sharp. It’s totally impromptu and can be done with a borrowed deck. This is the perfect routine to do when someone says, “I’d hate to play cards with you!” I do need to mention that this routine is not for the beginner. You must be able to do a faro shuffle, which I will explain very briefly in the notes following the explanation of the routine. Effect: You offer to demonstrate what you could do with a marked deck in a poker game. “I could read the backs of the cards as easily as you read the faces. I’ll turn the aces face up in the deck so you can see how this would work.” You place the face up aces into the deck, making sure they’re widely separated. You cut, shuffle twice, and cut again. You deal four hands of poker. All four aces come to you! You replace the aces in the deck, this time face down. “If I were dealing in a real game and I got four aces, I’d probably get shot! So I’d use a partner. I’d deal him the aces and we’d split the pot later.” You ask Walt to designate which hand in a six-hand game he would like to represent your partner. We’ll assume he picked the third hand. This time you make absolutely no adjustments; no shuffling or cutting or anything. You deal out six hands and sure enough, the third has the four aces! Setup: The only preparation is to put a Nail Crimp (page 76) into the bottom card of the deck.

Method and Performance: Remove the four aces as you explain that gamblers don’t have to mark all the cards in a deck to gain an advantage; having just the aces marked provides a tremendous advantage. “If these were marked, I could read them as easily from the back as you can from the front.” To give them a chance to follow along, you reinsert the aces face up into four different parts of the deck, letting them protrude halfway from the front. Do the GUB Multiple Control to 2nd from Top with the four aces. Afterwards, you’ll have four face up aces under the top card of the face down deck. Undercut a small packet of five to eight cards from the bottom of the deck to the top. Do two faro shuffles. It doesn’t matter if they’re ‘in,” “out” or “straddle,” and they needn’t be perfect. The only part where the halves must weave perfectly is from the crimped card to the bottom ace. (Also, you must be sure the aces and crimped card are in the same half each time you cut for the faro.) After the second faro, cut the crimped card to the bottom. Deal out four hands of poker. Your first card will be a face down indifferent card. The remaining four will be the face up aces (photo 1)! For the second phase, explain the need for a partner as mentioned in the effect description above. As you talk, gather all the dealt cards except the aces and shuffle them into the deck. Turn the aces face down and place them, widely separated, halfway into the deck. Do the GUB Basic Move, leaving the aces backslipped. Let Walt dictate which of the five hands will be your partner. Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 1

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Assume he chooses the third hand. Deal six hands, performing the GUB False Deal to the third hand on the first four rounds. The last round is dealt fairly. Set the deck aside. Turn over all the hands (including yours) except the third. Ask Walt to turn the cards in the third hand over, one at a time. The first card will be indifferent, followed by the four aces. Everyone will be convinced that you can do anything you want to with a deck of cards. Notes: Briefly, a faro shuffle is one where the cards are placed end to end and caused to weave together (photo 2). Unless otherwise specified, typically a faro shuffle is assumed to be a “perfect faro”—the deck is cut exactly in half and the two halves are perfectly interwoven, alternating every card from each packet (photo 3). An “in” faro means that the top and bottom cards are “in” the shuffle—the top card becomes second from top and the bottom card becomes second from bottom. An “out” faro is just the opposite— the top and bottom cards are “out” of the shuffle. The top card goes on top again and the bottom on bottom again as the rest of the deck weaves together. The faro shuffle is difficult and can take years to learn to do consistently. But there are many incredible things you can do with a faro that you can’t accomplish any other way. It is well worth learning. Roberto Giobbi’s Card College 3 is a great reference for a more detailed explanation.

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Chapter Five

Magic with Cards & Stuff Band-It’s Prophecy • Passing the Pyramid • A Triumph in Plastic The Hand is Quicker than the Eye •

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A

dding an unusual or different item to a card routine can help build interest. People will wonder what the item has to do with the trick and what will happen. It is also highly unlikely that “Uncle Charlie” performs anything except those mundane effects where you are constantly counting the cards into several piles, so you will not be associated with him. In addition, using an “accessory” with the deck is novel and helps to break up a card act. Following are effects that use a deck along with items like rubber bands, a plastic bag or a coin purse.

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BAND-IT’S PROPHECY

W

hile playing around with J C Wagner's "Bandorama" (which is based on routines by Bert Fenn and Derek Dingle), I discovered that when the selected card is revealed, the card above it is the original bottom card of the deck, while the original top card is immediately below the selection. In other words, the deck kind of automatically does Bill Simon's “Prophecy Move” (hence the title). I will tell you this: the trick gets a much better response for me with three selections than with one. Try it for yourself and you be the judge. Effect: Rowena, Vandella and Walt each select a card. The three cards are lost in the deck and the deck is wrapped with a rubber band. Rowena pushes on the deck with her finger. Her card shoots face up and sideways, halfway out of the deck! The cards on either side of it are Vandella’s and Walt's! Requirements: A deck of cards and a rubber band. Size 19 seems to work well. Method and performance: Have Rowena, Vandella and Walt each select a card. For the sake of this explanation, we'll assume they're the ace of clubs, two of hearts and three of spades respectively. Take the cards back starting with Walt. Insert his card halfway into the deck about a quarter up from the bottom. Take Rowena’s card and insert it halfway at the center of the deck. Finally, put Vandella’s card in the deck about a quarter from the top, leaving it protruding even with the other selections (photo 1).

Photo 1

Do the GUB Multiple Shift to the Top. Double Undercut (page 35) the top two cards to the bottom, then half pass (page 30) the bottom card. Position check: The 3S is on top of the deck, the AC is reversed at the bottom and the 2H is above the reversed AC. Your right hand lifts the deck above the reversed card about a quarter of an inch into a 51-Card Tilt: The deck’s front end is left flush with the front end of the bottom card, but the near end is raised about 1/4-inch by the right hand. The left thumb and fingers shield the gap at the sides (photo 2).

Photo 2

Wrap the deck with the rubber band, making sure it goes above the reversed AC (photo 3). Riffle down the outer left corner of the deck with your left thumb, asking Rowena to stop you somewhere in the middle. When she does, openly and fairly hold the break there. Photo 3

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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Take the portion above the break in right hand Biddle grip and move this packet to the right so it is sidejogged about a half inch (photo 4). Hold it there with your left thumb so your palm down right hand can take the packet by the right side, thumb below and fingers on top (photo 5). Pull the packet to the right until it clears the lower half (photo 6), then rotate the right hand's portion end for end away from you (photo 7) until it’s face up beside the face down left-hand packet (photo 8). The rubber band forms a figure eight around the two packets. Ask Rowena if the card showing on the right packet is hers. She will deny it. Tip the right packet down under the left packet (photo 9), reassembling the deck around the reversed selection. Your left hand must now hold the entire deck firmly in dealers grip. With your right fingers, pull up the outer end of the top card Photo 5 to show its index to Rowena (photo 10). "How about this one?"

Photo 4

Photo 6

Again, she'll respond in the negative. “Well, why did you stop me there?" Pause a beat. "I'm just teasing you." Take the deck in right hand Biddle grip (firmly, so the band won't untwist!) and set it on the table. Ask Rowena to push down firmly on the center of the pack.

Photo 7

Photo 8

Photo 9

Photo 10

Don't let go of the deck until she is pushing down! Tell her to concentrate on her card for a moment and then lift Page 82

Scott F. Guinn

her finger. When she does, the band untwists, causing the top half of the deck to spin, shooting her face up card halfway out of the deck, as shown in photo 11. Pick up the deck and remove the rubber band. Spread through the cards until you come to Rowena’s. Remove it, along with the cards immediately above and below it (photo 12). Tell Vandella and Walt to name their selections. Turn over the two face down cards—they are the chosen cards (photo 13)!

Photo 11

Photo 12

Photo 13

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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PASSING THE PYRAMID

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ass it? I don’t even think I could SWALLOW it! This is my handling of Aldo Colombini’s "No Crimp Pyramid" from his book, Impact. Aldo based his routine on an effect in the first "Australian Magic Magazine.” Paul Harris and Jay Sankey also have published effects along similar lines.

Effect: You spread the face down deck between your hands and Abe touches a card. Your right hand holds up its spread portion to display Abe’s card at the face. The cards in the right hand are replaced on the packet in the left. The deck is now wrapped lengthwise with a rubber band and cut into three packets. Suddenly the deck springs into a pyramid! You tip the pyramid back to reveal the selected card! Requirements: In addition to a deck, you need a size sixteen rubber band. Method and performance: Shuffle the deck a few times and then spread the cards between your hands. Tell Abe to touch a card. When he does, your right fingers contact the face of that card and you lift your right hand to show him his selection at the face of the spread (photo 1). Flick the corner of the card with your left forefinger. Bring both hands back down. As you apparently square the right hand's cards onto the left hand's packet, perform the spread pass (a creation of Paul LePaul): About half the deck is in a spread in your right hand, the remainder is in left dealers grip. Bring the spread over the left packet (photo 2). As soon as it is out of view (covered by the spread), the left fingers squeeze the right side of the left packet, turning Photo 2 it perpendicular to the spread (photo 3). As the spread is closed, the left packet is pushed against the right palm, which is at a ninety-degree angle to the closing spread (photo 4). As the right hand comes over the deck, it brings the original left packet with it (photo 5). Photo 4

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Photo 1

Photo 3

Photo 5

Scott F. Guinn

The packet is left on top as the right hand squares the deck (photo 6). This brings the selection to the bottom, while convincing the audience that it is in the middle. Place the rubber band lengthwise around the center of the deck and table it face down (photo 7). (Take care not to flash the face card!) The deck should be in front of you in riffle shuffle position, as in photo 8.

Photo 6

Photo 7

With your right hand, cut off about one third of the deck, sliding it halfway to the right, as your left thumb and second finger grip the deck proper, holding everything in position (photo 9).

Photo 8

With your left hand, lift another third from the deck proper. Slide this about halfway to the left, until it clears the right hand's packet and the two packets butt together on top of the bottom packet (photo 10). Turn the whole configuration 90 degrees, so that the jogged packets run perpendicular to you (photo 11).

Photo 9

Photo 10

Have Abe push down on the center and concentrate on his card. Wait a moment, then tell him to let go—the deck will spring into a pyramid (photo 12). Ask Walt to name his card and then tip the pyramid back towards you, leaving Abe' s card staring him in the face!

Photo 11

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 12

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A TRIUMPH IN PLASTIC

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n Dean Dill's videotape Intimate Close-up Miracles, he has a killer effect called, "Plastrick." This is my embellishment. I highly recommend Dean’s book, videos and tricks, and he makes the world's best close-up pads!

Effect: Rowena chooses a card, which is lost in the deck. The cards are mixed up, jumbled hopelessly in a face up and face down mess. The deck is inserted into a plastic bag, which is inflated. Eerily, the deck cuts itself and one card penetrates through the inflated bag—it is, of course, the selection. Rowena removes the deck from the bag and spreads it. The entire deck is now facing the same way. Requirements and preparation: Get a deck of cards and a transparent plastic bag, such as in is found in supermarkets in the produce department. Roll the end of the bag up about halfway as in photo 1.This facilitates getting your hand in and out of the bag with the deck, an idea shown to me by Allan Ackerman. Method and performance: Rowena selects a card. Have it returned to the deck and secretly bring it to the bottom with the GUB, a double undercut, or any other method you prefer. Do Sid Lorraine’s Slop Shuffle: The selection is at the bottom of the face down deck, which is in left dealer’s grip. The left thumb pushes off several cards from the top, which are taken in the thumb fork of the palm up right hand (photo 2). The left thumb pushes off another clump and the right hand turns palm down and takes these cards under the first group (photo 3). As the left thumb again pushes over some more cards, the right hand turns palm up and then takes them under its cards (photo 4). Alternate taking the cards with the right hand palm up and palm down, always taking the new batch under the cards in your right hand. Continue until only one card (selection) remains in the left hand. This card is placed, face down, on top of the deck in the palm up right hand.

Photo 1

Photo 2

The final position is, from the top down, face down selection, about half of the deck face up, about half of the deck face down. Do Daryl’s Display: Set the packet on the table. With your right hand, cut the deck about two or three cards above Page 86

Photo 3

Photo 4

Scott F. Guinn

where the back to back cards meet near the center and place this packet next to the bottom half on the table (photo 5). Now both hands grasp their respective packets and work simultaneously, cutting off about a 2/3 of the packets and moving forward about six inches to set the packets on the table (photo 6). Without pausing, both hands cut off about half of these packets and move inward, tabling these portions between the other tabled packets as in photo 7. This “shows” the mixed up condition of the deck very convincingly. Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 7

Reassemble the deck by reversing your actions: Pick up the middle packets, set them on the far packets and then pick them up and set them on the near packets. Finally, put the right packet onto the left one and take the deck in left dealers grip. Cut into the top half, showing a face up card and replace the cutoff packet on the deck. Cut into the bottom half to show a card face down and replace the packet. Cut at the spot where the halves meet back to back (easy, as there is a natural break there). As you turn your right hand palm up to show a face down card on the bottom of its packet, turn the packet in your left hand face up into dealer’s grip (photo 8). Turn the right hand palm down and drop its cards onto the left packet. You now have the face down selection on top of the face up deck. Double undercut the selection to the bottom.

Photo 8

Slide the deck back into gambler's cop position (page 40) and do a 51card tilt (page 81). Pick up the bag with your right hand so your left hand can insert the deck into it. Grasp the deck through the bag in right hand Biddle grip, and remove your left hand, retaining the selection in gambler’s cop (photo 9). Immediately bring the left hand under the bag and set the bagged deck directly onto the copped card (photo 10).

Photo 9

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 10

Unroll the bag completely. Page 87

Take about half of the cards through the bag in your right hand and cut them to the bottom (photo 11). This sandwiches the selection in the middle of the deck between two layers of plastic. Although the chosen card is actually outside the bag, everything appears exactly as it should. Set the enclosed deck on the table and inflate the bag. Hold the opening tightly closed with your left hand as your right hand pushes gently on the rear top portion of the bag, gradually increasing pressure. The deck will seem to cut itself and one card will push itself out of the deck and right through the bag (photo 12)! The illusion is superlative. Turn the card face up, revealing the selection. Allow Rowena to remove the deck from the bag and spread it to find it has righted itself.

Photo 11

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Photo 12

Scott F. Guinn

THE HAND IS QUICKER THAN THE EYE

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ased on a routine by Gary Ouellet from Close-up Illusions, this is a formal sit-down routine. I use the GUB to lap the card, and a presentation, which, I feel, makes the appearance of the card in the purse more logical. I'll explain.

Gary had a small pencil in the purse, which is used to sign the card. While I'm sure this worked for Gary, it seems illogical to me. People carry coins in coin purses. In my routine, the purse contains a silver dollar, offered as a guarantee if I can't prove that the hand is quicker than the eye. Now the spectator has a reason to open the purse at the end of the routine. She believes she has won the dollar when I have apparently failed. I think that this presentation sparks interest, lends meaning and enhances the impact of the effect. Requirements and preparation: You need two identical clasptop coin purses (photo 1), a silver dollar, a Sharpie marker and a deck o' cards. One purse is in the lap, open. The other, containing a silver dollar, is closed and is on the table near the deck. The Sharpie is wherever you like to put your Sharpie (I don't even want to know!).

Photo 1

Method and performance: "I'd like to show you a card trick. Not just any card trick. This one comes with a guarantee... a silver dollar." Open the purse and dump out the dollar. "Have you ever heard that the hand is quicker than the eye? I'm about to prove that. If I don't, you get this dollar. We'll come back to that a little later." Replace the coin in the purse. Close the purse and set it aside. Ribbon spread the deck face down and have Vandella remove a card and sign it with the Sharpie. Meanwhile, take the deck face down into left hand dealer’s grip. Take the card from Vandella and insert it into the center of the deck, executing the GUB Lap.

Photo 2

Photo 3

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Immediately hand the deck to Vandella. Turn to the right in your chair, allowing your right hand to drop naturally into your lap and cover your eyes with your left hand (photo 2). Tell Vandella to shuffle and cut the deck. As she does, with as little motion as possible, quickly fold the lapped card into quarters with your right hand (photo 3). Put the card in the open purse in your lap and quietly close the purse. When Vandella is ready, turn back to face her, bringing your right hand back onto the table. "The hand really is quicker than the eye... just ask anyone with a black eye! In fact, I'm so sure that my hand is quicker than your eye that I'm betting my dollar..." Open the purse and tilt it forward so the coin is visible to the audience. "... that I can grab your card quicker with my hand than you can with your eye!" Close the Page 89

purse and replace it just to the right of the deck (photo 4). "I'm just kidding. Here's the deal: I will close my eyes, spread the cards face up and give you a three second head start. Grab your card before I do and win a buck. Ready? Go!" Close your eyes and spread the cards as you count to three. While spreading the cards you will run into the purse (photo 5). Pick it up with your right hand. On three, open your eyes and use the purse to spread the cards a little more (photo 6). Photo 4

You: “Did you get your card?" Vandella: "No." You: "Did you see it?" Vandella: "No!" Continue spreading the cards around with the purse as your left hand drops to your lap and gets the other purse, holding it just below the table edge (photo 7). You: "You signed it, right?" Vandella: "Yes!" Move your right hand back so you can see the deck better. As soon as it clears the table, it grabs the left hand's purse, automatically lapping the other one (photo 8). Don't think about dropping the right hand purse. Just open the hand to take the other purse and you can't help but drop the first one into your lap. (This is Gary Ouellet's Purse Switch and when properly executed, it is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.) Immediately set this purse on the table between the deck and Vandella.

Photo 5

"I don't see it either!" (Crestfallen) "Technically, I guess I didn't prove the hand is quicker than the eye. I am a man of my word." Nod at the purse. "You get the dollar." Photo 6

When she opens it and removes the folded card, act surprised. You: "Hey! Is that a card?" Vandella: "Yes!" You: "Is that your signed card?" Vandella: "Yes!" You: "Was that card in the purse?" Vandella: "Yes!" Page 90

Photo 7

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Scott F. Guinn

You: "Did you see me put that card in the purse?" Vandella: "No!" You: "See? The hand is quicker than the eye!" Notes: This routine is extremely entertaining and commercial. I know that lapping has fallen out of favor, but that doesn't mean we should never use it. I won a close-up competition with this routine. I think you will have fun with it.

Part Two

Magic with Cards & Secret Stuff

Chapter Six

A Card of a Different Color •

Red Hot Mama’s Lips • The Joker’s on You • Red & Blue for LJ • Dark Shellshock • Olympic Champion

D

ai Vernon, “The Professor,” said that he believed the strongest card effect you could do for a lay audience was one where the cards changed. It is hard to argue with such a luminary of the art, particularly after my own years of practical experience that bear this out—people FREAK OUT when an indifferent card changes into their selections, or when one spectator’s card magically changes into another’s chosen card. This chapter contains five of my favorite “changing” effects. The first, “Red Hot Mama’s Lips” is the card routine I perform more than any other—it is my favorite! In some of these routines, the face changes, and in all of them the back changes. Although, technically, “Red & Blue for LJ” is more of a transposition effect, I included it in this chapter because of the different colored back aspect of the routine.

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RED HOT MAMA’S LIPS

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ed Hot Mama," a k a "Chicago Opener" has been variously credited to Jim Ryan, Frank Everhart and Al Leech. It is actually Leech’s routine—the other two popularized it. Dan Fleshman added the idea of having the first selection ending up in a wallet as a kicker. I have taken Fleshman’s idea (but to a pocket instead of the wallet) and combined the routine with "Lips," an effect by Gary Ouellet and Tony Binarelli. The result is all one could hope for from a card trick. Effect: You spread a blue deck, first face up and then face down. Walt removes a card and signs it, then replaces it in the deck. He taps the deck and says, "I love my card." You spread through the deck and in the center is a card that is "blushing" (red back). You turn it over. It' s Walt's signed card! This card is placed aside, as you turn your attention to Vandella. "I'll do an even better trick for you. In fact, I'll guarantee it!" You remove some money from your pocket as a “guarantee.” "You won't even have to touch a card." You go through the deck until Vandella tells you to stop, show her that card and then square the deck. "A card you are thinking of is now lost somewhere in the deck. Please blow a kiss at the deck. Your card will be blushing, just like Walt’s. If it isn’t, I will give you the money!" She blows a kiss at the deck but when you spread it, there's no red card. Embarrassed, you say, "I don't get it! It worked with Walt's card!" You turn over Walt's card... but it' s not Walt's card! It' s Vandella's card with lips on the face! You look at Walt and say, "I know what you are thinking. If that's her card, where is your card? Well, sometimes when they get embarrassed like that they hide until they've stopped blushing." You reach into your pocket and remove a blue-backed card. It's Walt signed card! You thank Walt and Vandella for their time and give the lips card to Vandella to keep as a magical souvenir. Requirements and preparation: You need one blue deck, a "lips" card from the Camirand Academy (sold by most dealers— or draw lips with a red sharpie on a red-backed card), a Sharpie and some cash. Assume that the "lips" card is the 4H. This card is at the face of the deck, with the blue four of hearts right above it (photo 1). The bills are folded in half in your left front pants pocket. Photo 1

Photo 2

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Method and performance: Spread the deck face down in your hands, taking care not to reveal the red card at the bottom. Tilt your hands up so the spread faces the audience, covering the "lips" card with your left hand (photo 2). My patter here is, “Do you play cards at all? Do you play enough to know the backs are all the same and the faces are all different?” Bring your hands back down and ask Walt to remove a card and sign it. Begin to Hindu Shuffle (see notes) until Walt says to stop. Have him replace his card on the left-hand packet and then drop the right hand packet on top. This places the red "lips" card above the selection. Square the deck.

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Have Walt tap the deck and say, "I love my card!" Spread through the deck until you come to the red card (photo 3) and cut it to the top (this brings the blue 4H to the face). Spread the deck between your hands to show that there is only one red card and then square up, catching a left pinky break below the top two cards. Double turnover (page 28), showing Walt's signed card. Turn the double face down, then slide the single red card onto the table. Walt's card is now on top of the deck. Turn to Vandella, top palming (page 38) Walt's card as you say, "You're thinking, 'Sure, you can fool him, but let's see you try that on the superior female intellect.' Well, I'll make you a wager.”

Photo 3

Reach into your RIGHT pocket as if going for the money, secretly loading the palmed card. Act confused. Remove your hand, show it empty (photo 4) and take the deck in the right hand. Show the left hand empty (photo 5), reach into the left pocket, and remove the dough. This subtlety by Juan Tamariz is surprisingly convincing. Even though you show the right hand empty AFTER it goes into your pocket, people will later swear that you showed both hands empty before reaching into your pockets! “If I can’t do the same thing for you, I’ll give you that money. If I succeed, I keep my money. Is it a bet?” Shake her hand. Overhand Shuffle, drawing off the last few cards singly so that the 4H is on top. Slip Force (page 61) the 4H and show it by pushing it over with the left thumb and holding the packet facing the audience (photo 6). Square the deck with the 4H obviously lost in the middle.

Photo 4

Address Vandella. "A card you are merely thinking of is lost somewhere in the middle of the deck. I'd like you to blow a kiss at the deck. Thanks, but this time not at me—at the DECK! Your card will blush just like Walt’s. If it isn't, I'll give you the money." Wait until she blows a kiss at the deck. Spread through the cards, getting more and more concerned as you go through the deck. In desperation, ribbon spread the deck face down on the table. No red card! “Looks like I did the trick that makes the magician blush!”

Photo 5

"I don't get it! It worked with Walt's card!" Turn over the red card on the table. It’s the 4H with lips on its face! Wait for a few moments. Usually, Walt will ask what happened to his card. That is the ideal scenario. If no one says anything after about ten or fifteen seconds look at Walt and say, "I know what you're thinking. 'If that's her card, where's my card?' Well, sometimes when they get embarrassed like that, they hide until Page 98

Photo 6

Scott F. Guinn

they’ve stopped blushing." Look into your breast pocket as if you really expect the card to be there. Then, a little anxious, pat down your pockets, starting with the coat, then the back pants pockets and finally the front pockets. Slowly remove the blue- backed card from your right front pants pocket. Turn it over to show Walt’s signed selection. Everyone is astounded.

Photo 7

Pause a beat before turning to Vandella. "But your card has a kiss permanently stuck to its face. It's never going to stop blushing. I can’t go around with a red card in a blue deck, so I'll let you keep that as a reminder of our time together, kind of a little souvenir." Notes: For sheer impact and entertainment value on a layaudience, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better card trick. It has an incredible affect on the spectators. Learn it and use it. You won't be sorry.

Photo 8

The Hindu Shuffle is very similar to the overhand shuffle; it just uses a different grip. Hold the deck in left dealers grip. Now grip it near the end in the palm down right hand with the forefinger curled on top and the pinky at the end of the deck near the right corner (photo 7). Pull off a small block of cards from the top of the deck with the left hand, between the thumb and middle finger (photo 8). The right hand holds still as the left pulls its cards completely off the packet, where the cards are allowed to drop onto the left palm as in photo 9. Bring the left hand back to the deck and remove another packet at the tips of the thumb and middle finger (photo 10). In the context of the preceding routine, you would continue this process until Walt told you to stop. Then you would extend your left hand to him so he could place his card on top of the packet. After that, you would continue the shuffle until all the cards are in the left hand.

Photo 9

Photo 10

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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THE JOKER’S ON YOU

T

ranspositions have a powerful impact on laymen. If you break the effect down, it is actually more than a change of location. It' s a double vanish and a double reappearance. In this routine, the face of a red card transposes with the face of a blue card, a bewildering event to say the least! This effect is very easy to do. As far as the technique goes, all that is required are a couple of Elmsley counts, one Jordan count and a couple double lifts. All you need to do is sell the effect and your audience will be absolutely stunned. Effect: You introduce a red deck and four blue-backed jokers. Rowena selects a card from the deck. Assume she takes the 4S. You drop her card face up onto the jokers, which are in a face up packet on the table. The deck is put away. You display the remaining five cards front and back, reminding everyone that the 4S has a red back and the four jokers are blue-backed. The selection is tabled face down and the four jokers are dealt in a face down row. Rowena chooses a joker. The other three jokers are turned face up and set aside. The joker that Rowena chose is turned over to reveal that is now the 4S! She turns over the red 4S to find it has turned into a joker!

Photo 1

Photo 2

Requirements and preparation: You need three blue jokers, one red joker, a blue 4S and a red deck with the 4S removed. Place the blue 4S face down on top of the face down red deck, then place the red joker face down on top of that. Have the three blue jokers in a pocket or envelope ready to go.

R

Method and performance: Remove the deck from the case face up. Spread, being careful not to expose the joker. Square up, flip the deck over and spread it face down, being careful not to expose the blue back. Photo 3

"In just a minute, I’ll have you select a card from this deck." Square the deck and leave it face down on the table. Remove the blue jokers in a squared face down pile. "I’ll also need these four blue cards." Elmsley Count (see notes) the three jokers, apparently showing four cards. Flip them face up and Elmsley Count again. "Four blue jokers." Table the jokers, squared and face up. Pick up the deck and undercut half the cards, holding a left pinky break between the halves. Riffle force (see notes) at the break. Do a double turnover, revealing the 4S. Double lift (pick up the two cards above the break as one, keeping them aligned) and drop the double face up on the jokers. Spread the tabled packet, displaying four jokers and the four of spades (photo 1). Set the deck aside. Pick up the spread packet, getting a break below the top two cards (4S and red joker). Double lift and replace the double at the bottom of the packet (photo 2). Turn the packet over and spread it, showing one red card on top of four blue cards (photo 3). Square and double turnover, showing the 4S. Page 100

Scott F. Guinn

"Remember, your card is the four of spades. Don't forget it!" Double turnover and drop the red card face down about a foot in front of you. Turn the packet face up and casually Jordan Count (explained on page 62) to display four jokers as you say, "I'm sure you are aware that jokers are wild."

Photo 4

Turn the packet over and deal the cards face down in a row from left to right. The 4S is second from your left. Force the 4S using Equivoque (also explained in the notes). Turn the other three cards (jokers) face up. Pick up the 4S, being careful not to flash its face, and make a magical gesture. "A joker can be any card you want it to be, even the four of spades!" Place the card in your hand face up in its former position on the table—it’s the four of spades (photo 4)! "But when the joker assumes another identity, its own has to go somewhere." Nod at the red card on the table. Let Rowena turn it over to reveal a joker (photo 5) and watch the shock waves roll over your audience.

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 8

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Notes: Named after its inventor, Alex Elmsley (and also known as the “Ghost Count”), the Elmsley Count is generally used to show four cards as four while hiding the third one. In the context of this routine, it shows three cards as four. Hold the cards in dealing position in your left hand. Your right thumb and forefinger pinch the edge of the packet on the long right side (exactly like the Jordan Count, explained on page 62). See photo 6. Peel the top card off Photo 7 with your left thumb as your left hand moves to the left (photo 7). As the left hand returns to the packet, your right thumb pushes the top card to the left (photo 8). The left hand takes this card while secretly leaving the first card under the packet (photo 9). The left hand returns Photo 9 twice, each time taking a Page 101

card normally on top of its card/s. The count is exactly the same with four or more cards, except that you do a block pushoff of all but the bottom card after taking the first card. The Riffle Force is one of the easiest and most versatile forces in card magic. Start by having the force card (or cards) at the center of the deck (which is held in left dealers grip) with a left pinky break above it (photo 9). Tell the participant that you want him to stop you somewhere in the deck as you riffle through it. Riffle down the outer left corner with your left thumb, stopping where told and maintaining a fairly wide break as depicted in photo 10.Bring your right hand over the deck in Biddle Grip, all four fingers coming down over the far end. As soon as the end of the deck is shielded from the audience’s view by your fingers, release the left thumb’s break and immediately pick up all the cards above the pinky break (photo 11). Done smoothly and confidently, this will fly by anyone—even a lot of magicians. It appears that you simply lifted all the cards above the thumb break. Equivoque is perhaps more commonly known as Magician’s Choice and less commonly called Hobson’s Choice. In essence, it is a tactic that makes it appear as if you are giving the spectator a free choice when you are making her do exactly what you want her to do! In this case, you are forcing one of four cards, the second from your left. Here’s how to do it.

Photo 9

Photo 10

Ask Rowena to choose left or right. Assume she chose left. You then ask her to place one hand on each of the two cards on your left. Pause a beat and then tell her to lift one hand. Assume her hand remains on the force card. You then turn over the other three cards. That is the ideal scenario. OK, what if she lifts the other hand? You would then slide that Photo 11 card back toward you and ask her to turn over the other three. But what if she chose right at the beginning? Simple—you just ask her put one hand on each of the cards to HER right and proceed as above. The most important thing is that you act as if this is the way you do it every time and that her choices are absolutely free and could have resulted in an entirely different outcome.

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Scott F. Guinn

RED & BLUE FOR LJ

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his routine combines my ungaffed version of the marketed effect, "Red and Blue" by Loftus with "Larry' s Favorite" from Larry Jennings the Cardwright.

Effect: Two decks, one red and one blue, are introduced. Abe chooses one, which is placed in his pocket (we'll say the red one). You remove the blue deck from its case and take out the four aces. You then shuffle the deck, after which Abe selects a card (for example, the 5C). This card is placed in the center of the four aces. You make a magic pass and the 5C vanishes. You toss the aces to Abe to examine. There are only four aces; the 5C is really gone! You ask Abe to pick a number from one to ten. Assume he says eight. He removes the red deck from his pocket and hands it to you. As you take the deck out of the case, you mention that different people count cards in different ways. You offer to demonstrate how magicians count cards. You quickly and effortlessly cut off a small packet of cards and hand it to Abe. “There are eight cards. Count them." He does, to find that there are exactly eight and the eighth card has a blue back! He turns it over. It’s the 5C! Requirements and preparation: Required are blue deck with a duplicate card, in this case the 5C. You also need a red deck. Have the 5C on top of the blue deck in its case. Remove nine cards from the red deck and place them on top of the duplicate blue 5C. Crimp this packet by bending one narrow end down while holding the other end flat (photo 1). Now place this packet on top of the red deck and insert the deck, crimped end first, into its case. Method and performance: Bring out the two decks. Ask Abe if he prefers, red or blue. If he says red, tell him to put the red deck in his pocket. If he says blue, say, "OK, will use the blue deck. Please put the red deck in your pocket." (This is another example of the Magician's Choice). Remove the blue deck from its case. Spread through it and remove the four aces, tabling them face up. Turn the deck face down and do a jog shuffle (page 56), taking about half the cards on the first chop, then injog one card and shuffle off. Lift up on the injogged card as you square the deck, holding a break. Classic force (page 46) the card below the break (5C). Table the deck to your left. Pick up the four aces and spread them face up. Take Abe’s card face down and place it between the two center aces and square the packet. Give the packet a spin. You will now cause the 5C to disappear from the packet using Brother John Hamman’s version of Arturo de Ascanio’s Ascanio Spread as follows. Photo 1

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

You hold the packet in right Biddle Grip. The left hand Page 103

approaches the packet palm up. The left fingers drag the bottom card to the left about a half-inch (photo 2). Then they drag the next card up to the left in a spread with the bottom card (photo 3). Finally, the left thumb draws the top card to the left as well, leaving the right hand holding the double at the right of the spread but still under the top card (photo 4). Separate the spread, taking the face card and the double, still spread as two cards, in your right hand. The remaining aces are spread in your left hand (photo 5). Return the right hand cards under the left and close the spread.

Photo 2

Let the bottom card riffle off your right thumb and hold a break above it. Under cover of squaring the packet, gambler's cop (page 40) the 5C and move the aces forward into dealing grip. Toss the aces one at a time in front of Abe, then rest your left forearm on the table. Gambler's cop allows you to spread your fingers at this point, making your hand look very open, natural and empty (photo 6). As Abe examines the aces, your left hand moves to the deck, drops its card on top and picks up the deck, turning it face up into dealers grip. Take the aces from Abe and place them on the face of the deck. Place the deck in its case. As you ask Abe to give you a number from one to ten, put the deck away (out of sight, out of mind!).

Photo 3

Ask Abe to give you the red deck. Open the case and let the deck slide out into left-hand dealers grip, so the crimped end is toward you. What you do now depends on Abe’s number. If he chose ten, cut off at the crimp and hand him the packet. Otherwise, you need to subtract his number from ten. Pretend he said six. You must eliminate four cards. So you say, "There are many different ways to count cards from a deck. Some people count them off the top, like this."

Photo 4

Deal four cards from the top of the deck. Don't count them out loud! Just casually deal them, apparently at random. Then say, "Some people would count them off the face, like this."

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Photo 5

Photo 6

Scott F. Guinn

Turn the deck face up sideways, and deal three or four cards face up next to the first pile. Turn the deck face down sideways. "Magicians count cards a little differently." Quickly and smoothly cut off the remaining crimped cards and hand them to Abraham. "Exactly six cards! Count them. Just deal them into a pile one at a time." He will find there are exactly six cards and the last one is blue. Ask him what his card was. Let him turn over the blue card to find it is his selection!

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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DARK SHELLSHOCK

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f you’d like to know how well this routine plays, listen to this. I performed "Dark Shellshock" recently at my restaurant gig. The lady screamed, then held up the selected card and asked if she could keep it. I nodded. She took out her wallet, opened the photo holder, and inserted the card - on top of her only son's kindergarten picture! She came back about two months later, smiled and showed me it was still there! Does that sound like it plays well? Effect: You spread a blue deck face up and then face down. From your inner left breast pocket, you remove and display another blue deck – your “prediction deck.” This is replaced in your pocket. Vandella removes a card from the first deck and signs it. This card is returned to the deck, which is cased. You remove your prediction deck and spread it on the table. In the middle of the deck is one red card. On the back of this card are the words, "You picked this card!" "Would you be amazed if my prediction was correct?" you ask Vandella. She admits she would be. She removes the red card and turns it over. It is her signed card! Requirements and preparation: In addition to a blue deck with its case, an extra blue case and a Sharpie, you’ll need "The Dark Card" from the Camirand Academy of Magic and a blue "Deck Shell" from Chazpro. You will also need one red backed card. For explanation purposes, we will use the 4D. (The methods of "the Dark Card" and the "Deck Shell" will, obviously, not be explained. Both of these are readily available and worth far more than what you pay for them. Buy them as soon as possible!) On the back of the red 4D, write, "You picked this card!" Attach this to the face of a blue Dark Card. Place this on top of the deck and put the deck in its case. Then cover the case with the Deck Shell. Put the extra blue case in the inner left breast pocket of your coat. You're ready to "shellshock" them! Method and performance: Bring out the shelled deck and set it on the table. Tell Vandella you are going to have her pick a card in a moment, but first you need to show her you have a "prediction deck" in your pocket. Remove, display and replace the empty case. Remove the cards from the shelled case. Spread them face up and face down. Either Classic Force or Slip Force the "Dark Card." Have Vandella sign it on the face, then return it to the deck as per the "Dark Card" instructions. Put the deck into the shelled case and close it. Pretend to remove the prediction deck while actually doing the lapel deck switch (explained on the Deck Shell Video and in the booklet), bringing out the deck that was previously in the shell. Set the empty Deck Shell off to your left as if it were the deck that has been in view the whole time. Your right hand holds the deck that apparently came out of your pocket (but was actually in the shell). Remove the cards from the case and ribbon spread them face down. In the middle is the red card with the words, "You picked this card!" "Would you be amazed if my prediction was correct?" Everyone will have to admit that they would be. Tell Vandella to turn over the red card. She does so and is astounded to see her signed card! She is totally "shellshocked!" Let her keep that card forever and ever, amen. Page 106

Scott F. Guinn

OLYMPIC CHAMPION

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his is my embellishment to “Olympic Challenge” by Gary Ouellet in Close Up Illusions. I feel that my routine is more convincing and makes an already great trick superb!

Effect: Abe and Walt participate in the Card Olympics. Two decks, one red and one blue, are brought forth along with two matching permanent markers. Abe is the red team, Walt the blue. You explain that each of them will select a card from his respective deck, and the one with the highest card wins. The red deck is spread, front and back, and then, after it is shuffled, Abe selects a card (say the 3C). He signs the card with the red marker. The card is lost in the deck. Now Walt selects a card from the blue deck. Remarkably, his card also turns out to be the 3C! He signs it with the blue marker and it is replaced in the blue deck. Befuddled, you remark that you’ve never had a tie score before. “Tell you what,” you say. “How about a magic trick instead?” You spread both decks face up and remove the signed selections. A little magic, and the signatures transpose—Walt’s is on the red card, Abe’s on the blue! Requirements and preparation: You’ll require two Sharpies, one red and one blue. In addition, you’ll need a red deck, a blue deck and a roll of double stick scotch tape. (For the strongest effect, instead of the tape, purchase “the Dark Card” from the Camirand Academy. Since this is a marketed effect, I’m not at liberty to divulge its secret, so the explanation will assume you’re using the tape.) Place double stick tape on the faces of a joker from each deck. Remove the 3C from each deck and place the prepared jokers on the back of the 3C of the opposite color. In other words, the blue joker is attached to the red 3C, and vice versa. Place each double at the face of the decks so that, when you spread them face down, the decks will appear normal. Case the decks. Method and performance: Remove the decks and markers. Explain that you are going to have a little competition between the red team, represented by the red deck, and the blue team, represented by the blue deck. Remark that Abe and Walt have been appointed captains of the teams, and give each his respective marker. Remove the decks from their cases. Table the blue deck and overhand shuffle the red, bringing the double to the top. Thumb fan the cards, casually exposing all red backs. Close the fan and slip force (page 61) the double on Walt. Turn it face up on the table and ask him to sign it. Meanwhile, ribbon spread the deck face up on the table. Say, “Well, you could have done better than three points, but not much worse!” Gather the deck and turn it face down in left hand dealer’s grip. Pick up the double, turn it face down, and insert it into the center of the deck from the near end. This separates the double (photo 1), and the joker adheres to another card. Table the deck face up.

Photo 1

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Pick up the blue deck and repeat the above sequence of actions with it. Pretend not to notice that it is the same card as Abe signs it. When you pick it up, “notice” that it is the same card. Act befuddled as you insert the card into the deck, separating the Page 107

double. Table the deck face up as you pretend to be gathering your thoughts. “I know!” you say, as if it just came to you. Spread out the red deck, remove Abe’s card and set it face down on the table. Turn the spread face down. Repeat with the blue deck and Walt’s card. You now have the signed selections face up in front of the face down spread decks (photo 2).

Photo 2

Photo 4

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Pick up the cards between the thumb and forefinger, one in each hand. Perform the Ouellet Switch from Gary’s routine: The righthand card is brought under the left (photo 3). Turn both hands in at the wrists and separate them, each hand taking the other’s card (photo 4). Do not look at your hands as you do this. Look at the audience and say, “When there’s a tie, the ref does a trick!” Each hand now holds a face down card that matches the deck behind it (photo 5). Tap the cards on the decks and then turn them over to reveal that the signatures have transposed!

Photo 3

Photo 5

Scott F. Guinn

Chapter Seven

Are You Mental? Clairvoyant Joker • Memorex Open Clipped Prediction •

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n this chapter are three effects that make it seem as if you can read or control the spectator’s mind. While different in application, the basic method for all three is the same: You secretly have extra cards and you perform a switch or a load.

The first effect is exceptionally easy—no sleights are required. The second two are only “sleightly” more difficult.

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Scott F. Guinn

CLAIRVOYANT JOKER

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lease, please don’t pass this by due to its simplicity. Try it on a real live lay-audience. You’ll use it the rest of your life!

Effect: You ask Walt to think of a number from one to five. He may change his mind if he wants. You deal five cards in a face down row from left to right, designating them 1-5. You turn your back and Walt picks up the card at his number. He looks at it, memorizes it and shows it to everyone else (except you, of course!). Then he returns it face down to its former position and tells you he is done. You pick up the cards, leaving them face down, and shuffle them and then put them into your pocket. You concentrate a moment and remove a card, placing it face down on the table. This is repeated until four cards are on the table. You ask him what number he thought of (ex: 3). You arrange the face down cards so that the 3rd position is empty. “I knew that! That’s the number that’s missing!” This should get a chuckle and Walt will most likely be somewhat skeptical. You remove the last card from your pocket and set it face down at the third position on the table. “Seriously, what was the card you looked at?” (Ex: 8D) “Well, this trick doesn’t always work…but it did this time!” Walt turns over the third card. It is the eight of diamonds! “What amazes me is that you read my mind—that’s the very card I wanted you to pick!” This will receive more chuckles and disbelief. “No, really, I didn’t want you to think I was just any clairvoyant joker!” You turn over the other cards--all jokers! Requirements: You need four jokers and any five random cards (of course, the backs of all nine cards must match!). You’ll also need a shirt with a pocket and a blazer or suit jacket. Set up: The four jokers are in your shirt pocket. The five indifferent cards are in your left side coat pocket. Method and performance: Ask Walt to think of a number from one to five. Give him an opportunity to change his mind. hen he is decided, introduce the five indifferent cards and mix them, then deal them in a horizontal row on the table from left to right. Count them aloud as you deal. Explain that you will turn your back or even leave the room if he wants. When you do, he is to pick up the card that fell on his mentally selected number, show it around, remember it and replace it. Ask him to tell you when he has complied. At that point, you collect the cards from left to right and mix them face down. Actually, you simply reverse them twice by overhand shuffling twice, running the cards singly. When you’re done, the cards are still in order, the first one on the bottom and the fifth on top. Say that you will put the cards in your shirt pocket. Take them in the right hand and duck the hand behind the coat, where you secretly place the packet in your left inner breast pocket rather than the shirt pocket. From the front, this is indiscernible. State that you will now remove cards one at a time from your pocket without looking at them, and you will attempt to leave the selected card for last. Remove the outer joker from your shirt pocket. Set it on the table at center. Remove the next joker and place it to the left of the first. The third joker goes to the right of these two, and the last one goes to the left end of the row. Make a big deal of the fact that Walt merely thought of a number so there is no way you could have

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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known it. Ask what it was. “I knew that!” you say as you spread the tabled cards so that his selected position is vacant. “That’s the only number I didn’t deal onto the table!” Act hurt that they don’t believe you. Then smile. “Hey, you’d be surprised how many people fall for that! Seriously though, what was your card?” As you say, “Hey, you’d be surprised…” you reach into your coat pocket. You know the number, so you simply remove the appropriate card from the packet. This is quick and easy because you only have five cards. If the number is one, remove the inside card. If it’s five, remove the outside card. For two or four, you move the appropriate end card aside and take the next one, and for three, just move two cards from either end aside and take the next one. The most you’ll ever have to move to get to the selection is two cards. By the time you say, “…fall for that,” you are holding the selected card with its back toward the audience. As you ask what his card was, place the card face down at the open position in the row on the table. After Walt answers, look at him in horror. “Well, this trick doesn’t always work…” This will get a laugh. “It did this time, though!” Allow Walt to turn over the card to find his selection! “What amazes me is that you read my mind! That’s the very card I wanted you to pick!” Another laugh. “No, really, I didn’t want you to think I was just any clairvoyant joker!” Turn the four jokers face up and watch the reaction! If someone asks to see it, show your shirt pocket is empty.

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Scott F. Guinn

MEMOREX

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his is my solution to the card problem, “Curried Away” from the Connoisseur Conjuring Website. The basic effect is Paul Curry’s “Open Prediction.” This handling won’t appeal to everyone, but those who go to the effort required will be rewarded with a feature showpiece.

Effect: You bring out a deck, shuffle it a few times, and give it a cut. You hand the deck to Walt and have him deal the cards, one at a time, face up into a pile. At any time he wishes, he deals one card aside face down, without looking at its face. He finishes dealing the rest of the deck face up. As he deals, you remove your wallet and set it on the table. When he finishes dealing, he opens the wallet to find one card inside, which he removes. He turns over the card he previously dealt face down—it matches the card from the wallet!

Photo 1

Photo 2

Requirements and preparation: You’ll require a Balducci Wallet (or equivalent) and two decks of cards. One deck is set up Harry Lorayne’s Self-Index in the following manner: Take the ace through ten of each suit and put them in order, with the ace at the face of each packet. Hold the heart packet face down in Biddle Grip and bow it strongly, as if you were about to do the Spring Flourish (photo 1). Remove the 6-10 and turn them around, replacing them back-to-back with the A-5, such that the backs of the 5 and 10 are touching with a wide crimp break between them (photo 2). Place the un-crimped jack into the break (photo 3). Repeat this procedure with the remaining three suits.You can now quickly find any card by starting at either end (the A or the 10) and counting inward, or by sticking your finger in at the crimp (between the jack and the appropriate half) and counting outward. The most cards you’ll ever need to count will be three. Of course, if you need the jack, you just pull the straight card from out of the break. The hearts go in your right front pants pocket, the diamonds in your right side coat pocket, the spades in your left pants pocket and the clubs in your left side coat pocket. The aces are nearest your body. Finally, place the queen of each respective suit sideways between the packet and your body and the king sideways between the packet and the outside of your clothing. The other deck is stacked in a known order. I use Martin Joyal’s Memorized Stack, but you could use another, such as Richard Osterlind’s Breakthrough Card System. You’re probably better served not to use a stack where the pattern is obvious, like Si Stebbins or Eight Kings. Also, I use Mike Close’s idea of giving the deck six perfect out faros ahead of time, so that you can do two perfect out faros in performance to apparently mix the deck while actually putting it into your stacked order.

Photo 3

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Place the wallet in load position in your left inner breast pocket and you’re ready to go. Page 113

Method and performance: Take out the deck and give it two perfect out faros to restore it to your stacked order. Then give it a cut and hand it to Walt. Ask him to begin dealing the cards one at a time, face up, onto the table. But whenever he wishes he is to deal one card aside face down, without anyone seeing what it is. He is then to finish dealing the rest of the deck face up. When he deals the card face down, you know what it is, thanks to the stack. You have all the time in the world to remove the appropriate card from your pocket and load it into the wallet as he continues dealing. (If it’s a black card, you need to do a palm-to-palm transfer first. If this makes you nervous, you can do it behind your back.) You’ll have the wallet loaded and set on the table before he’s done dealing. Let him remove the card from the wallet and then turn over the face down card to reveal that they are duplicates. Notes: I use a mini or “Playtime” deck and index. It’s much less noticeable in the pockets and it makes the palm, the transfer and the load a breeze! It does make the faro shuffle significantly more difficult, so I just forego that and start with the deck stacked.

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Scott F. Guinn

OPENLY CLIPPED PREDICTION

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his combines Paul Curry’s “Open Prediction” plot with Bob Ostin’s “Bulldog Clip” effect. This effect actually elicits shrieks and screams of amazement every time I perform it!

Effect: A folded card in a bulldog clip is set on the table. You ask Rowena to help you with an experiment. “I’ve been working on a system of beating the odds. There are 52 cards, excluding the jokers, in a deck. I’ve placed one on the table, held securely by a clip. I can’t beat 1-in-52 odds yet, but I have been able to beat 1-in-26 pretty consistently. That’s half of a deck, so we need to eliminate half. You decide, red or black.” She chooses red. “Fine, the red cards it is. Think of any heart or diamond, but not an obvious card like an ace or a king; everyone always picks those. Do you have a card in mind? What is it? The four of hearts?” You remove the card from the clip and give it to Rowena. She unfolds it. Of course, it’s the 4H (wouldn’t be much of a trick otherwise)!

Photo 1

Requirements and preparation: Take the queen of hearts out of a deck. With a pair of scissors, trim the card lengthwise, removing one long border as in photo 1. Fold the card into quarters, somewhat sloppily. Put the rubber band around the bulldog clip and thread the prepared card onto the rubber band, such that the card is gripped in the clip. See photo 2. When you open the clip, the card will be pulled inside the jaws by the rubber band (photo 3). (This “gimmicked” clip is the brainchild of Bob Ostin.) Remove the two through jack of hearts from a deck. Fold each into fourths like the clipped card. Do the same with the two through queen of diamonds. You’ll also need to make two pocket indexes.

Photo 2

Get a manila file folder at your local art or office supply store. Cut two strips about 2.5 inches wide. Unfold the strips and draw a line 5.5 inches out from the center fold on one side. Refold with the mark on the outside and trim off at the line.

Photo 3

Unfold the strips, and with an exacta knife or razor blade, cut three slits slightly wider than a folded card at the positions shown in photo 4 (the distance between the slits is a bit more than the height of a folded card—the first slit on each side is this same distance from the

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Photo 4

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fold at the center). Now each strip again and staple the long sides of each together as in photo 5. Place the folded heart cards in one index: The 3 goes in the bottom slit on one side with the 4 and 5 going in the slits above it and the 6 going over the top edge (photo 6). Place the 7-10 on the other side of this index, the 7 in the bottom slit and the ten over the top edge. This index goes in your right pants pocket, the low cards toward your body. Place the folded 2H between the index and your body and the folded JH on the other side of the index. The folded diamonds go into the other index in the same sequence. Put this one in your left pants pocket, low cards toward your body and place the 2D and JD on the inside and outside of the index. So, both sides of both indexes run from low card at the bottom to high card on the top. Place the folded QD in your left side jacket pocket and the clipped QH and extra clip in your right side jacket pocket. The patter eliminates the aces and kings. Method and presentation: Using the Magician’s Choice, force the red cards on Rowena. Casually place both hands into your jacket pockets as if you forgot which one held the clip. Now ask her to name any red card. When Rowena names a card, remove the hands from the pockets, bringing the Clipped QH into view. If she named the QH, just bring out the clip and remove the card by pushing it through the rubber band. Hand it to her and let her unfold it—you’ve got a miracle! If she should name the QD, finger palm it in the left hand and remove both hands from the pockets. Display the clipped card for a moment and then bring the left hand in front of the clip, completely obscuring the card from view (photo 7). Squeeze the handles of the clip, causing the card to shoot into the clip (photo 8) and bring the finger palmed card into view while simultaneously showing an empty clip (photo 9). Let Rowena unfold the card. If any other card is chosen, bring both hands out of the pockets, the right carrying the clipped QH. Set it on the table a moment and casually place both hands in your pants pockets as you patter about the odds being 1 in 26, etc. Meanwhile, get the appropriate card from the index in finger palm as the hands come out of the pockets. If she names a diamond, pick up the clipped card with your right hand; if a heart take the clipped card in your left hand. “Remove” the card from the clip as explained above. Toss the folded card to Rowena and tell her to unfold it. As all eyes are on her and the card, ditch the clip in the right jacket pocket. Photo 8 Page 116

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 7

Photo 9

Scott F. Guinn

Chapter Eight

Cavorting Cards •

Two-Faced Travelers • Kings’ Nite Out • Parallel Universe • Transpofusion • My Invisible Friend

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ll of the effects that use extra cards or gaffs that I couldn’t fit into another category are gathered in this last chapter. Here, you will find two more effects on “The Travelers” theme, an effect that is kind of a combination of a transposition and “Sympathetic Cards,” a transposition where the two card in play meld into one card, and my presentation for “The Haunted Deck” or the rising cards.

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Scott F. Guinn

TWO-FACED TRAVELERS

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ere is a virtually sleight-free, gaffed card version of "Sun Valley Travelers." You should be familiar with that routine and "the Idaho Travelers" before attempting to learn this routine.

Requirements and preparation: You will need a double facer (D/F) with the queen of spades on one side and the nine of hearts on the other. This is a standard card in a D/F deck available from magic dealers. Remove the four queens from the deck and put them into four different pockets. Have the D/F near the face of the deck, three to five cards deep. The queen of spades side is face up in the face up deck. Ten or so cards deeper place the nine of hearts and ten or so cards behind that the nine of clubs. Finally, have the nine of diamonds about ten or twelve cards from the back of the deck.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Method and performance: Begin to spread through the deck until you come to the QS. Openly remove it, using care not to flash the 9H on the other side. Place this card on the face of the deck. Again, spread through the deck, tilting it up so the spectators can no longer see the faces. Don't spread the first few cards or you will expose the D/F. When you come to the 9H, outjog it halfway. Continue spreading to the 9C, which you outjog past the 9H until just the top of the oval shows. This is explained in detail in "The Idaho Travelers." Follow the same procedure for the 9D. Close the spread. Slide the D/F up until it covers all but the top of the oval of the 9H. Grip the four outjogged cards firmly by their long sides in the left hand as the right hand pulls the deck away. The three staggered cards and your left hand hide the face on the back of the QS from the audience (photo 1, audience view). Turn your left wrist to show the cards as four queens in the 999-Q display, as the right hand tables the deck face down. Extend your left forefinger to the top of the packet and push down, squaring the cards. Flip the packet face down in dealer' s grip. Remove the top "queen" and place it into the deck near the bottom. Take the next card and insert it into the deck in near center. For the third card, bring your right hand over the packet in Biddle grip. The left hand turns palm down and moves away with the D/F (photo 2), dropping it on the table. This shows the QS without flashing the other side of the D/F, and leaves the 9H face down in right hand

Biddle grip. Pick up the face down deck in left dealer s grip. Riffle down about fifteen cards with your left thumb and insert the right hand's card into the break. Do the GUB Bottom Control and immediately turn the deck face up. The 9H shows on the face. If someone is trying to deduce the method and is suspicious that you were controlling a queen to the face, he is now completely disarmed. Of course, he doesn’t have a chance, since you’re only really using one queen, and that is going to very cleanly secretly become a nine in just a moment! Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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With your right hand, pick up the D/F. Meanwhile, with your left thumb, push the nine of hearts over and then slide it back, obtaining a pinky break under it. Drop the D/F on the deck. Double turnover and push off the face down card into the right hand. The 9H side of the D/F shows on the face of the deck, so everything looks as it should. Your left hand turns the deck face down and your right hand fairly inserts its card flush in the center. Snap your fingers and ribbon spread the deck face up on the table. There are no queens! The fact that there are two 9H will not be noticed, as they are widely separated and everyone is looking for queens. Remove the queens from your pockets to end.

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Scott F. Guinn

KINGS’ NITE OUT

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ere is a routine that is similar to "The Idaho Travelers" in effect, but is significantly different in the handling. This routine also includes an instant repeat vanish and reproduction. You will need to be familiar with the Guinn Utility Backslip and the Spread Turnover Switch. I've kept this one to myself for quite some time (it did appear in the very limited publication of the original GUB manuscript). Effect: The four kings are placed into different parts of the deck. One by one, they literally fly out of the deck! They're placed in a face down row and mixed, but when they're turned face up, it' s revealed they've turned into the queens! The first three kings are removed from three different pockets, the fourth from a zippered compartment of your wallet! "This last king is my lucky card." You replace it in the wallet, while the other three kings are very obviously and fairly replaced in different parts of the deck. Walt shuffles the deck and then spreads it face up. The kings are gone again! All four are removed from the zippered compartment of the wallet! Requirements and preparation: In addition to a deck of cards, get duplicates of the KS, KC and KH, and a Kaps/Balducci wallet. The wallet is in the inside left breast pocket of your jacket with the slide up. The extra KC is in the left front pants pocket, the extra KH is in the right front pants pocket and the extra KS is in your outer left breast pocket. The other four kings are dispersed throughout the deck and the four queens are on top of the deck. Method and performance: Spread through the deck with the faces in view of the audience, removing the kings as you come to them, being careful not to reveal that the four queens are on top of the deck. Place the kings in a face up row on the table as they are removed. Patter to the effect that the kings are four brothers who love to travel every chance they get.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

One at a time, pick up the kings and insert them halfway into different parts of the deck. Perform the GUB Multiple Shift to the Top, as explained in the prologue of this book. Do the LePaul Production: Cut off the top third of the deck and weave these cards into the larger portion as in a faro shuffle (page 78), pushing them in about halfway. This weave needn’t be perfect, just so long as the kings are separated by at least one card between each of them, and the top king has at least one card above it (photo 1, exposed—in performance, don’t spread the cards). Hold the deck with the smaller packet pointing away from you. Bevel this packet from top to bottom, the top card protruding the farthest. Grip the inner end of the deck (the larger packet) between your right thumb, above, and forefinger, below (photo 2). Flick your right wrist down quickly, and the first king will shoot out of the deck! With just a little practice, you will be able to "fire" out one card consistently. "Shoot" out the other three kings using the same method, then strip out the outjogged packet and place it on top of the remainder of the deck (the queens are once again on top of the deck). Turn over any of the kings that Page 121

may have landed face down. You really cannot appreciate the impact this revelation has until you do it for a lay-audience. Get a break under the four queens as you square up the deck. Put the kings in a face up spread onto the deck—be sure that the KD is at the face. Execute the Spread Turnover Switch (also explained in prologue), maintaining a break under the kings after the switch. Spread the four queens ("kings") in a face down row on the table. Ask Walt to mix the four cards thoroughly, by sliding them around on the table. As he does this, top palm (page 38) the kings off the deck and reach into your jacket for the wallet, loading the Photo 3 kings into the wallet as you remove it. Tell Walt you'll pay him a dollar for each king he correctly identifies without looking. Ask him to point to each card and name a suit. After he guesses, turn the cards over, revealing the queens. Apologize, explaining that the kings must have run off again. Set the deck down. Show your right hand empty, then remove the KH from your right pants pocket. Display your empty left hand, then retrieve the KC from the left pants pocket. Remove the KS from the outer breast pocket. Finally, open the wallet and unzip it. Reach in and remove only the top card, the KD. Spread the deck face up to dispel any notions of extra kings. This really "sells" the trick. Remark, "The king of diamonds is my lucky card." Place it back into the wallet, which you then zip up and close. Set the wallet off to the side but away from you, closer to the spectators. Return the other three kings to the deck, performing the GUB Multiple Cop as you hand the deck to Walt so he can shuffle. When he is done, turn to the left, dropping your left hand to your side as your right hand ribbon spreads the deck face up on the table (photo 3) to show that the kings have vanished. Under cover of this misdirection, ditch the kings in your left side jacket pocket. Say, "Look! They've done it again! They just can't stand to let one of their brothers be gone by himself!" Smile, open and unzip the wallet, and remove the four kings to end clean and with a complete deck!

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PARALLEL UNIVERSE

I

originally developed this as an ending for David Acer’s "Reverse Logic" (from his book, Natural Selections II, published by the Camirand Academy). However, it is also a very fine trick all by itself. If you know the Acer trick, you should have no trouble incorporating this at the end.

Effect: You count a packet of eight cards and place them face down on the table. Walt selects a card from the rest of the deck (for example, the KS). This card is returned and lost in the deck, and the deck is set aside. Walt picks up the packet of eight cards and counts them, dealing them one at the time into a face down pile. There are now nine cards! He turns over the top card to find the KS! This card is placed face up on the table. You pick up the other eight cards and fan them face down. You insert the KS face up in the center, pushing it in halfway. You close the spread and push the KS flush and you hand the packet to Walt. He counts the cards to find there are only eight, and the KS is not among them! Finally, you ribbon spread the face down deck. Face up in the center is the KS! The deck may be examined, as you end clean. Requirements and preparation: All you need is a deck and a duplicate (for explanation purposes, the KS). From the top of the deck down, the order is as follows: KS, any seven cards, duplicate KS, rest of the deck. Photo 1

Photo 2

Method and performance: Hold the deck in right hand Biddle grip. Your thumb holds a break above the bottom card. Begin taking cards off the top of the deck with your left hand, counting them as you do. As you peel off the fourth card, Biddle Steal the card below your right thumb break onto the left-hand packet: As you have been peeling the cards off, you let them drop onto the left palm. The cards go under the deck as the left thumb stretches to take the next card (photo 1). On the fourth card, the left fingers reach around to the right edge of the bottom card (photo 2) and secretly take it as the thumb slides off the top card (photo 3). Continue taking cards off the top of the deck onto the left-hand packet until you reach eight. (Of course, due to the fact that you added the card below the break, you actually have nine cards in the packet.) Set the packet face down on the table. There is a KS at the face of the packet and the other KS is on top of the deck. Pick up the deck in right hand Biddle Grip. Slip force (page 44) the KS on Walt. Take the card back, insert the KS into the center of the deck, and push it flush performing the GUB Basic Move. Do the GUB Reverse and cut the deck centering the selection. Set the deck face down on the table.

Photo 3

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Explain to Walt that the deck is the parallel universe to the packet—whatever happens to one affects the other. Have him pick up the packet and count the cards by dealing them, face Page 123

down, one at a time into a pile. There are nine. Ask him to name his card, and tell him to turn over the top card of the pile. It's the KS, his selection! Leave the KS face up on the table and pick up the remaining eight cards. Fan them face down in your left hand. With your right hand, pick up the KS and insert it face up into the center of the face down fan, leaving it outjogged halfway (photo 4). Close the fan and perform the GUB Cop, handing the packet to Walt. Tell Walt to count the cards one at a time into a pile on the table. As he does this, ditch the king of spades in your left jacket pocket, or if you’re seated, lap it.

Photo 4

Walt will find there are now only eight cards in the packet. Allow him to turn the cards face up to prove the king is really gone. "Remember, I told you the packet was a parallel universe to the deck." Ribbon spread the deck revealing the king of spades face up at the center! Let him look at the cards all he wants; there’s nothing to find!

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TRANSPOFUSION

B

oy, am I proud of this one! While it uses standard principles and a common gaff, the routining and subtleties make for, in my opinion, an incredible trick! This is one of the “gems” of this book. The best part is, it’s very easy to do – if you can do a double lift, you can perform this effect.

Effect: Vandella shuffles the deck to her heart’s content. You take the deck and dribble cards onto the table until she says stop. You turn the remainder of the deck face up, and Vandella signs the card at the face (let’s say it’s the 4S). You take this card, show its face again, the put it in your shirt pocket. You sign the card now at the face of the packet (example: AH). You remove this card and wave it and it visibly transforms into Vandella’s 4S! You set this card on the packet and pull your coat back so Vandella can remove the card in you shirt pocket—the signed AH! There are no other cards in your pocket.

Photo 1

You now pick up the two signed cards and place them on Vandella’s palm. She places her other hand on top of the cards and presses them between both hands. When she lifts her top hand, she is stunned to find only her card – yours has disappeared! Or so she thinks, for when she turns the card over, there is your signed AH, magically fused to the back of her signed 4S! You let her keep the card to remember “this magic moment” that happened in her own hands! Requirements and preparation: In addition to a deck of cards, you need a double-faced card (D/F). You will also need a permanent marker. You should be wearing a shirt with a pocket and a blazer or suit jacket.

Photo 2

For explanation purposes, we’ll say the D/F is the 4S/AH. Remove the 4S, AH and AD from your deck. Scrawl a small fake signature across the face of the 4S and put your signature across the AH. Put the signed AH in your shirt pocket, back outward (photo 1). On the face of the deck, put the AD, then the 4S, then the D/F, 4S side up (photo 2). Method & performance: You can riffle shuffle, making sure the bottom three cards fall first. I prefer to let Vandella shuffle, so I hold out the bottom three cards in gambler’s cop and give her the deck, putting it back onto the copped cards when she’s done.

Photo 3

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Do Harry Lorayne’s False Cut: With the deck in right Biddle Grip, swing cut the top 3rd into your left hand (photo 3). Page 125

Swing another 3rd onto the left hand, holding a left pinky break between the packets (photo 4). Place the right hand’s packet on the table. Pick up all the cards above the break (photo 5) and put them on the tabled packet. Finally, take the remaining cards from the left hand and drop them on top of the deck (photo 6). You need to force the face card (D/F) on Vandella. I cut the deck, hold a break and do the Dribble Force (explained in the notes), but you could also use the Riffle Force (page 102), Hindu Shuffle Force, or Crosscut Force (also explained below in the notes). After the force, turn the packet with the D/F face up and ask Vandella to sign the card in between the four pips. Then do a double turnover and push off the face down card. As you start the turnover, she sees a flash of the AD (photo 7). When you slide the card off, she sees the AH side of the D/F (photo 8), still a red ace, so nothing seems amiss.

Photo 4

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 7

Photo 8

Photo 9

Photo 10

Take the face down card in your palm down right hand, your thumb stretched across the face, obscuring the signature (photo 9). Move the card toward your body as you say, “I’ll put this in my shirt pocket.” Turn your wrist to flash the face of the card quickly. Vandella sees the 4S and some writing she assumes is her partially covered signature (photo 10). Turn the wrist back and duck your hand behind your coat. Pretend to put the card in your shirt Page 126

Scott F. Guinn

pocket, but actually place it in the inner breast pocket of the jacket (photo 11).

Photo 11

Take the pen and sign your name across the AH (D/F)—the new face card on the deck—exactly how you signed the AH in your pocket. Take the D/F in your right hand, thumb at the left inner corner, middle finger at the right inner corner and forefinger resting on the card (photo 12). Slowly wave the card back and forth and do a snap change (page 30). The card very visibly changes into Vandella's selection, which she saw you fairly (?) put into your pocket! Drop the card onto the face of the deck and take the deck in right hand Biddle Grip (photo 13). Grasp your left lapel with your left hand and pull it back (photo 14) so Vandella can reach into your shirt pocket and remove the only card in it—your signed AH! Remember, she shuffled, she decided what part of the deck the two selections came from (?) and she saw you put her signed card in your pocket! She is understandably stunned.

Photo 12

Photo 13

Photo 15

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

Take the AH from Vandella and drop it, face up, onto the face of the deck. Say, “I’d like to try one more thing with our signed cards. Hold out your hand please.” Demonstrate by holding out your left hand, palm up and flat (photo 15). This provides the motivation for having dropped the AH on the deck, and also shows her exactly what to do. Pull the AH off the deck onto your left palm. As your left hand comes back to take the D/F, allow the AH to go under the deck and leave it there (the Biddle Steal—page 123), as the left hand takes the Photo 14 D/F, apparently on top of the AH and moves away to the left. Set the rest of the deck aside.

Photo 16

You are now going to pass off one card as two with a wonderful false count of Paul Harris: Your right hand comes over the D/F in Biddle Position (photo 16).

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Your left pinky pulls down on the inner right corner of the card (photo 17). Let the card snap off the pinky, then immediately let it snap off the right thumb. The auditory illusion of counting two cards is perfect. Pretend to “square” the “two“ cards and then carefully lay “them” on Vandella’s palm. Have her place her other hand flat on top and lightly press the “cards.” Ask Vandella to lift her upper hand. Take the card from her and flick it a few times, emphasizing its singularity. “It looks like my card disappeared...or did it? I think you pressed too hard. Look!” Turn the D/F over and hand it to her. Watch her try to peel it apart! Let her keep it to show her friends, and believe me, she will! Notes: The Crosscut Force (aka the Crisscross Force): This may be the simplest force there is as far as technical ability goes. However, it requires some time misdirection to pull it off successfully. The force card can be either on top or bottom of the deck (in the case of the preceding routine, it’s on the bottom). Set the deck face down on the table and ask a spectator to cut the cards near the center. When he lifts a packet off the deck, ask him to set his packet on the table. Pick up the remaining packet and place it on top of the other at an angle (photo 18), commenting that you will mark the spot where he cut. Patter for a few moments and then lift the upper packet to force the necessary card. If the force card was on top of the deck, it will be the top card of the lower portion. If the force card started at the face of the deck, as in “Transpofusion,” it will be the face card of the upper portion. Proceed as required by the routine. The Dribble Force: This is similar in many ways to the Riffle Force. Hold the deck in right Biddle Grip. The force card is on the bottom of the deck. Undercut about 1/3 of the deck and move it to the top, your right thumb holding a break between the packets (photo 19). Tell the spectator that you will allow the cards to begin falling from the deck, and she is to say stop somewhere before you get to the top. Begin to dribble the cards (either onto your left hand or the table—photo 20). As soon as she says stop, let all the cards below the break drop. Turn the packet in your hand face up to show the force card as the “freely selected card.”

Photo 17

Photo 18

Photo 19

Instead of using the pockets to switch the cards, you can use a Himber Wallet or other switching wallet/device.

Photo 20

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MY INVISIBLE FRIEND

T

his is the patter I use for either the "Rising Cards" or "Haunted Pack." Feel free to appropriate it if it suits you. We will pick up where the card has been selected and returned to the deck.

Performance: "I have a five year old nephew who is just as cute has he can be. He has an imaginary friend named Roger. It’s adorable! Did you ever have an imaginary friend? I did. His name was Elmer. Only, unlike most imaginary friends, Elmer didn't go away as I got older. Oh, no! Elmer stuck around and became incredibly competitive. He just wasn't happy unless he was better than me. So, of course, when I got into magic, Elmer did, too. As a matter of fact, he fancies himself quite the expert in card magic, and he... Oh, no! I don't believe this!" (Now speaking off to the side, to thin air.) "What do you want?"

(Pause, then to audience) "Elmer is here and he wants to do this trick for you. Do you folks mind?" To Elmer: "All right, but just this one." Perform the rising cards or haunted pack. To audience: "OK folks, give Elmer a big hand!" To Elmer: "Now go away and let me do my job." Pause a beat. "What?... a ride home?!? (sigh) I suppose, but leave me alone until then!" To audience: "Sheesh! Some imaginary people!"

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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EPILOGUE

A

s you probably know if you bought this book, I write a regular column, “Pro-Files,” for the online magazine Visions (www.online-visions.com). Usually my articles address the business side of magic, such as booking gigs, contracts, etc. However, on January 13th, 2003, something happened that moved me so deeply that I had to write about it in my column. The result was overwhelming—I got literally hundreds of emails, messages and phone calls from my readers, telling me how touched they were by this story. Many of them asked me to include it in one of my books, so I am doing so here. I believe this is an important story that needs to be told.

A Reminder The call had caught me a bit off-guard. It started off sweetly enough—turns out one of my readers all the way down in Sunny Florida had recommended me for a show in the Boise area to a family member. The lady on the phone told me how much my reader (her step-brother) had appreciated my columns and said that I would do an excellent job for her son’s 10th birthday party. Then she hit me with a shot out of left field: “We really want to make this special for him, because it looks like this birthday will be his last.” Ouch. “How much will you charge us to do this? My brother said you’re the guy to have, so we aren’t interested in talking with anyone else.” I had the day free, and I couldn’t see putting this family through any more financial hardship, so I told her I’d be happy to donate the show. You would have thought I had just given her a million dollars—she was unbelievably excited and appreciative. She explained that it probably wouldn’t be a very big party, just a few friends and their parents. It would be at the clubhouse of their subdivision. I arrived at the venue, and I have to tell you, it was heart wrenching. It’s even difficult for me to write about it now. At the center of the room was a cute little boy. His name was Ian. He was in a wheelchair and had a couple of tubes running into him. He had no hair. He was pale as a ghost. He was obviously very ill, and yet he had a life and a joy in his eyes and a smile that lit up the room. Surrounding him were 40-50 people, ranging in age from babies to octogenarians. Everyone there knew Ian, but many of them did not know each other. They were taking turns telling everyone how they had met Ian and what their favorite memory of him was. Many of them started crying as they related their anecdotes. I noticed a common thread: In spite of his pain and illness, every person mentioned how much joy and caring and love Ian had brought into their lives. Nurses from the Mountain States Tumor Institute, members of a Harley Davison Motorcycle Club (which had made Ian an honorary member), schoolmates, relatives, friends, church members—all were inspired by this little guy’s courage and spirit. It was truly moving. When the sharing was over, mom told Ian that he had a special guest there. Ian said, “I know!” And he pointed to everyone in the room. I just about lost it. Mom got a little misty (grandma broke down), and she said, “Yes, honey, they are ALL special. But there is someone else here that you haven’t met yet. He’s a friend of your uncle Rick and he is a magician. His name is Great Scott, and he’s standing over there in the corner.”

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Ian’s eyes went wide and he turned to look at me, his face the very image of joy and excitement. He asked me if I was REALLY a magician and if I could do part of my magic just for him. I said I’d be happy to, and went into my show. I’ve been entertaining for most of my life, since I was a little kid myself. This was by far the most difficult show I’ve ever done, while at the same time being the best. I wanted to drop to my knees and just take that little boy in my arms and cry with him and pray for him. But I had a job to do—I was there to bring some joy and magic into his life on his last birthday party on this earth. So for the next 40 minutes, I fought my impulse to cry and I laughed and “magished,” putting every ounce of energy I had into making that little fellow amazed and astonished and happy. When he laughed, he laughed with everything he had, and it was contagious. The whole room was soon filled with laughter and applause. And when I finished my last trick, Ian looked up at me, his eyes shining and a smile spread all the way across his face, and he said, “Thank you, Great Scott! That was the best birthday party I ever had!” In that moment, every big-paying show I’d ever had faded into meaninglessness. For a dying little boy, I had, for however brief a time, become the best magician in the world. I was his hero—and he was mine. I thanked him for having me and told him I hoped to see him again and I’d do some more magic for him then. He said that would be awesome. As I left, mom, dad and grandma all offered to pay me. I told them I couldn’t take their money. It wouldn’t be right, because Ian had already given me more than any amount of money ever could. A couple of weeks later, I got an email from Paul Preston (Rick), Ian’s uncle who had referred me for the show. He told me that he had picked up his mom (Ian’s grandma) at the airport, and she had told him that I had done a great job. He also informed me that, after battling leukemia for eight long years, Ian had passed away peacefully at home. He died exactly two weeks after his birthday party. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I broke down and cried. I had known him only very briefly, but he had made a great impact on my life, and I will never forget him. Ian reminded me why I got into magic in the first place. And that is worth far more to me than any amount of money ever could be. Warm regards, Scott F. Guinn

Great Scott! It's Card Magic!

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LAST WORD Well, there you have it, a revised, expanded and updated version of the first book on magic I ever wrote. I think that the material holds up well—I KNOW it does, because I still use most of it all the time in my paid performances, and people keep re-booking me! Originally, this book was only 75 pages, so you can see that it has been GREATLY expanded. Thanks to the development of digital photography, the explanations are now significantly clearer, making the material more accessible. It is the hope of every author and creator that people will like (even love) his work. The fact that hundreds of people bought the first, crude edition of this book has been very gratifying to me. As I said in the First Word, I have always felt this was solid material. I now feel it has a solid format to present it. Now it’s up to you. This book is like my child: I birthed it, I raised it and I brought it to maturity and now I am sending it out to the world. All I can do is hope the people who come in contact with it find it worthwhile and treat it well. I would love to hear from you regarding how you use the routines and how they “play” for you. Feel free to write me or shoot off an email to me anytime—my contact information is below. I truly do appreciate my readers. I’ve already got a couple more irons in the fire: My DVD will be released in the very near future, as well as a couple more books—one on the magic of a wonderful magician from Belgium that you haven’t heard of YET, and another called With a Little Help from My Friends that will contain routines from magic friends around the world as well as some new stuff from me. Keep checking my website for these releases. Warm Regards, Scott F. Guinn 7458 HWY 44 Star, ID 83669 208-286-9504 [email protected] www.greatscott-itsmagic.com

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Sleight Index 99-Queen Display 64 999-Queen Display 67 A Ascanio Spread 103 Automatic Bottom Palm 20 B Biddle Grip 28 Biddle Steal 123 Braue Addition 55 Bubble Peek 76 C Charlier Shuffle 52 Classic Force 46 Crosscut (Crisscross) Force 128 Cull 45 D Daryl’s Display 86 Double Lift 100 Double Turnover 28 Double Undercut 35 Dribble Force 128 E Elmsley Count 101 Equivoque (Magician’s Choice) 102 Erdnase Color Change 32 F Faro Shuffle 78 Fifty-One Card Tilt 81 G Gamblers Cop 40 GUB (Guinn) 9 H Half Pass 30 Harris False Count 127 Hindu Shuffle 99 Hofzinser Spread Force 46 I Ireland Shuffle 72 J Jinx Switch 60 Jog Shuffle 56 Jordan Count 61 K Kick Cut (Swing Cut) 31 L LePaul Production 121 LePaul Spread Palm Cover 61 Lorayne False Cut 125 M Modified Braue Addition 59

Magician’s Choice (Equivoque) 102 N Nail Crimp 76 Necktie (Wrist Kill) 27 O Ouellet Purse Switch 90 Ouellet Switch 108 P Pinky Break 28 Pop-up Card 34 R Riffle Force 102 S Slip Cut 57 Slip Force 44 Slop Shuffle 86 Snap Change 30 Spread Pass 84 Spread Turnover Switch 19 Swing Cut (Kick Cut) 31 T Tamariz Subtlety 98 Thumb Break 31 Tip-over Change 29 Top Change 29 Top Palm 38 Triple Turnover 27 W Wraparound Face Up Rub-a-Dub Vanish 39 Wrist Kill/Necktie 27

Notes