Ted Karmilovich - Food_For_Thought

fuonronhotlfitlT ITN KARMITOIJICI| 2011 Mentalism lecture notes

Copyright O 2011

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My Red / Black Test Most pcrfonners arc familiar with Paul Curry's Out Ot This World. In

fact, many fellow performcrs Welcome to my lirst lecture outside of the Psychic Entertainers Association! As my way of introducing myself to those performers who may be unfamiliar with my work, I've decided to share what many consider to be some of my signature effects. I've chosen effects that I believe will appeal to both close-up and stage performers. I've also included an effect that has served me well for many of my media appearances. All of these routines have been audience-tested hundreds of times over the years with a couple of the routines dating back decades.

All of

these routines have evolved

over the years and what is presented here is the curent handling for each of the efTects. I hope the ideas presented here serve you well and excite and inspire you with their simplicity and directness.

You'll find that the methods employed are simple and subtle and allow thc pcrlormcr to put all of his attention on their presentation.

As always, I would love to

hear

back from lolks who perform thcm and any other thoughts or handlings that may occur as a result of your performances. Enjoy the routines!

have conre up with their own hancllings and methods for this classic efTect. There

are even a numbeL of ef'fects on the market which employ gimmicked or gaffed cards to achieve this amazing effect.

Many years ago I came up with

an

idea of applying the effect whereby the performer, as opposed to the spectator, is able to separate the reds from the

blacks rvithout looking. This rvay, the pedormer would be able to display HIS

gut instinct or intuition to sense tlre color of each cnrd. Understood?" The spectator nods and begins to lay cards

face-down olte at a titne on the two guide cards.

The spectator can go at his own to reallY go with his gut instinct. Unlike the traditional Out Oi This World, there is no pace, but encourage him

stopping at mid-point.

The spectator simply continues to deal though all of the cards in his hand until the fifty cards are face-down on

the two guide cards. "OK. Let's see how well you've done," the performer says.

Picking up the pile of cards that have been placed on the red guide card, the performer turns the pile face-up and begins to count them one at a time out loud as he places them onto the table.

uncanny psychic ability and get the credit.

While it is possible to perform this effect with one's own deck, it really should only be presented when the performer has a chance to borrorv some-

The cards that are correct from this pile are placed face-up back onto the

one else's deck.

red guide catd as the performet'counts, "One, two three, etc." as each correct red card is acknowledged. The incorrect black cards ate placed facc-up in a pile ofT to the side as the performer comes to each.

The perfonner says that people often ask him how he 1:ractices his abilities. "I-et me show you one of the things I like to do," he says. He asks the spectator to thoroughly mix the cards. Aftcr thc spcctator is satisfied that his very own cleck is thornughly mixed, the perforrner asks him to lay down onc rcd card face-up to his left and one black card face-up to his right. The performer continues, "I'd likc you to go through the entire deck trying to get a sense if the face-down ciud is red or black. You'll go thtough the entire face-down deck, from top to boltom, trying to separate the rcds from the blacks. Il you think a card is red,

put

it

card.

The performer counts all of

ed from this pile. Thc pcrformer

you think

lect between both piles." At this point there should be three piles of cards on the table . The original black-card pile which has the face-up

black guide card and the face-down cards the spectator thought r,vere black. These have yet to be turned over and counted.

it is black, put it

face-down on this black guide card. You'll go through the entire deck' You can go fairly quickly, but use your

2

says

sornething along the lines of, "Foufteen correct. That's sliglttly above average' According to the laws of chance, you should get about twcnty-five cards cor-

face-down on this face-up red

If

the

cards in his hand. Let's say that a total of fourteen rctls cards lrave been count-

Then there's the pile of correct red cards from his guesses. These are face-

3

up on top of the lace-up lccl gr,ridc card.

Duling this time, and rvhile thc pcrtormer is talking with all o[ thc attention on his facc and not his hands, the 1:crlbrmer turns both piles lace-down giving the entire pile o1' rcd cards a good, but not too obvious, lcngth-wise

And {inally, a fircc-up pile of black

calds. Tlrcsc wcrc thc incorrect guesscs.

'l'hc pcrlbrrncr now picks up

the original black guide card and thc gucsscs that are ur top of it. He places the black guide card lace-up on the pile of all-black cards ort thc tablc. Thc performer is now going to count

downward crinrp. He continues his patter as he irnmcdiatcly lil e-shul'fles the two piles ol red ancl black cards togcthef.

thc nurnber of correct black cards that the spectator got in this pile (continuing his count from the fourteen cards thut the spectator has already gotten right).

The correct black cards

will

He hands the dcck to the spectator and asks him to mix them (pantclmiming an overhand shuflle) as he does. The spectator mixes the cards. It would be best if he used an over-

hand shuffle, but even a riffle-shuflle should not remove the length-wisc crimp from the red cards. The pcrformcr once again asks thc spcctator to lay out one face-up red guide card and one face-up black guidc card. The perforrner takes the rest of the deck back, and now HE will attcmpt to separate the reds lionr the blacks. Coing through the dcck from top to bottom, the performcr holds cach card in his hand and calls out if it is red or' black. And turns it facc-up placing it on the appropriate guicle. The pcrf