Contents Subtle Scam Variant (Reversed order) Variant (Key Card control) Variant (Key Card Control: 1 to 1) Variation (Almost Perfect 90%) Mind Scam GAME OVER Bonus Effect OPARN
Subtle Scam (The ultimate scam around the ACAAN and Think-A-Card's world)
Introduction: I wrote this routine in order to add to my collection another idea for ACAAN. The idea is to perform an ACAAN without ever touching the deck and to be as direct as possible. From the audience's view point it will seem impossible; a borrowed deck of cards is shuffled, a card and number are freely named. Combined with the Think-A-Card procedure without any force, and you have a double climax effect where you start clean, end clean, no setups, and best of all, it can be done impromptu with a borrowed deck . I hope you enjoy this!
Effect: The magician asks for the cooperation of the two spectators, let's call them John and Bob.
"I want try two very strong effects. The Holy Grail of Mentalism: A perfect ACAAN and a think of a card effect." Now the magician asks to borrow a deck of cards.
"In Any Card At Any Number a spectator names a card and a number without any restrictions whatsoever. Please John name any card and any number." John: "3 of Diamonds and 23" Magician: "Thank you so much John. Bob, with you, I want to try this effect: please shuffle the deck." - Bob shuffles the deck - "Please deal the cards face up, one at a time
onto the table and merely THINK of a card that you see. Don't pause, or give me any clue at all that might tell me what card you are think" Bob performs the assigned task and after some seconds the magician says:
"OK, Bob, do you have a card in your mind?" Bob: "Yes". Magician: "Please square the deck and cut it." Bob cuts the deck and squares it. Magician: "The magician's dream has been to be able to perform the 'Holy Grail' of
ACAAN. Tonight night I will attempt to perform it. John please take the deck from the table."
John takes the deck.
Magician: "I want to recap what has happened. A deck of cards was shuffled by Bob then handed to John. I never touched it. He named a card and a number, a free choice. It would be unbelievable if the freely named card would be at the named number wouldn't it?" Everyone agrees. John counts to the selected number and card named........is there! The audience goes mad with applause! To continue.......
"Bob you still have a card in your mind correct?" The deck is spread face-up on the table “Bob, have a look for your card when I turn away" Bob looks for his card: "OK" The magician: "Please move your hand over the deck slowly" Bob starts to move from right to the left and after a few seconds the magician claims:
"I have a sensation that your card is a red card... " Bob: "mmmh... " Magician: "Please don't help me... Yes... I made a mistake... I sense that your card is Jack of Spades... Correct?" Bob: "Yes! Excellent".
Explanation: The idea behind this effect is a new concept: “Perform more than one effect at same time in order to set-up deck for one or more of them”. In this case I use two effects: ACAAN and a think of a card effect. I use the think of a card effect to set-up the deck for ACAAN. Now, let’s go through the procedure step by step. Ask the first spectator 'A' to name any card and any number, so for example, let's say 'A' names the 5H and chooses 21 as the number. As A does this have B shuffle the deck. When 'B' is finished have him stud deal through the deck and remember one of the face up cards.
As 'B' begins to deal, note and remember the first card, this will be you key card later on!
1. B deals the cards face-up. 10 of Clubs will be your key card.
Instruct B to continue the deal all the way through the deck. As B is shuffling you look out for the 5H, this is when you begin your count, silently of course, starting with the 5H as 21 (21=named number) continue the mental count until you reach 52.
2. After the 5 of Hearts, start to count 31 cards.
When you reach 52, stop the spectator by asking if he has thought of a card if he has, great, if not just spread the dealt portion and ask him to think of one. The vast majority of the time they will have a thought of card in mind by the time you have reached the end of your mental count.
3. When the spectator deals the 31st card, stop him and ask if he has thought of a card.
Note: What happens if the spectator deals the entire deck before you finish counting 52? In this case just I ask the spectator to deal the cards face-up again pretending to have difficulty reading his thoughts. “Please, concentrate on your card and look at cards.” Secretly continue to count and when you arrive at 52 stop him saying: “Just a little test... Is this your card? Please tell me yes or no only!” If he says yes, you have found correctly his card. Now, if he turns face-down the pile dealt onto to table, and then he puts the other pile on it, you have the setup for ACAAN! If he says no continue saying: “Okay, this was just a little test. I will continue with you after...” and continue as already described. Now, ask the spectator to turn the dealt cards face down and then place the balance of the deck on top.
4. Ask the spectator to turn the dealt cards face down
5. ...placing the remainder on top.
Drop the talon on top. The deck is now set for the ACAAN sequence but in order to lead them down the garden path a little more at this point I execute the Ose false cut. This is pretty much a standard nowadays, but in case you are not familiar with it, it can be found in Harry Lorayne's Close-Up Card Magic. Harry Lorayne's classic book has been rewritten, revised, and updated and is now included The Classic Collection: Volume One.
Ask A to pick up the deck and deal to the freely chosen number where he will find the freely called out card!........A brilliant hands off handling.
6. Triple false cut sequence: Ask the spectator to cut a pile on table.
7. Have spectator cut a second pile near the first pile.
8. And a third one
9. Ask the spectator to put the first pile on the second one.
10. …and to put the first and second pile on the third one
- Think of a card part (This effect is similar to “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” by Dai Vernon.) The idea behind this part is when, in the first part I asked B to think of a card during the dealing of the cards onto the table, I need him to think of one of the first 13 cards, so although this may share some similarities with the psychological stop force, there is actually much more leeway. Add this to the fact that you didn't ask them to stop but carry on the deal all the way through and this makes for a marriage of convenience. Now take back the deck and spread it onto table. (Look for the Key Card glimpsed, in this example the 10C, in the first part).
11. Look for the key card: 10 of Clubs
Pretending to make a better spread of the deck on the table, take back the cards and cut 6 cards after the key card so that the Key Card is 7th card from the bottom. Now spread the deck again onto the table keeping the top 6 cards tightly spread so as to hide them when the hand is placed on that end.
12. Now you have the first 7 card at bottom in full view and the indices of the cards at the opposite end are not visible.
Turn to face away and ask the spectator to look for his card. If the spectator touches the deck in order for a clearer view, you will know that his card is within the bottom 6, otherwise it will be within the 6 cards you are covering. Now, with a minimal amount of fishing it is a simple procedure to discern the correct card. To do this look for the common quality of these cards and ask the question like a sentence saying: "I have a sensation that your card is black" I assume the common quality is black cards example (6 cards black and 1 red) if the spectator will answer with a No you will know that his card is the only card red. Continue asking impromptu questions in order to discover a little bit at a time the correct card. Note: If you don’t like the fishing technique, I will explain a method in order to reduce or to remove it. Pretending to spread the deck better on the table, square it and with a false shuffle split the group (6 cards) within there is the thought of card putting 3 cards on the top and 3 cards at bottom of the deck and repeat the same procedure. After this step you have to perform the fishing with only 3 cards and in many cases you have to ask only one question. If you want to remove the fishing part, perform the following: imagine you have this group of cards: A of Hearts, 3 of Clubs and King of Hearts. Now take the two cards together in a double lift technique (Ace of Hearts is on the top of the King of Hearts) and, pretending to reveal his card, show only the back and say: “Your card is the 3 of clubs”. From the audience's viewpoint this appears like you just reveal the card that you have in your hand. If the spectator says “Yes” put these cards in the middle without show anything and you are done. If he says “No” then ask him to name his thought of card: -
If the card is the King of Hearts turn over the double and show the King of Hearts and then put the double on top of the deck in order to hide that this card is double.
-
If the thought of card is the Ace of Hearts, put the double cards on the top of the deck and then remove the top one (The Ace of hearts) and put it face-down onto the table. Spread the deck pretending to find the Ace of Hearts and after failing to find it in the deck, have the spectator turnover the only card on the table in order to reveal its identity.
- Variant - Reversed Order – (Think of a card and ACAAN) Ask the first spectator to shuffle the deck and to name any card and any number: 5H and 21. Now, ask the second spectator to shuffle the deck (Secretly glimpse the bottom card of the deck. This card will be your key card). Ask him to remove one card from the middle of the deck and to remember it. Ask him to put his card on the top of the deck and cut the deck as often as he wishes. Now ask him to deal the cards face-up onto the table asking him to concentrate on his card. Pretending to find his card look for 5H and when you see it start to count the cards as described in the first version and when you arrive at 52 ask the spectator to stop the dealing pretending you have the sensation that his card is already dealt. To do this, ask the spectator the turn face-down the packet on the table and put the packet he has in his hand on top. (After this step you have set-up the deck for ACAAN part). Now ask the spectator to again deal all the cards face-up onto the table and look for the next card near your key card glimpsed during the shuffle phase. Now perform a perfect ACAAN asking to name again card and number.
- Variant – Key Card Control – In order to remove any suspicion, when you ask the second spectator to deal the cards face-up in order for him to think of a card, perform this variant. Ask the first spectator to shuffle the deck and, at the same time, to name any number between 1 and 52, for example, let's say he names 31. When he finishes, ask him to check the deck’s regularity counting the cards and to make sure there are no duplicates. In order to do this, ask the spectator to run the cards face-up one at a time from one hand to the other one.
13. The spectator looks through the deck running one card at a time from hand to hand.
14. Showing how the spectator should be looking at the cards
Ask him to stop on any card he wants and to remember this card, for example, the Queen of Hearts.
15. The spectator stops on Queen of Hearts and this card will be his thought of card.
In order to avoid arousing suspicion that you know the position of this card, ask the spectator to cut the pile so as to lose the card in the middle of the deck.
16. The spectator cuts the deck…
17. …and completes the cut.
Then ask the spectator to continue checking the deck for duplicates.
18. The spectator continues to check the deck.
19
Note: The above pictures are in exposed view mode for instruction purposes. In actual performance the spectator looks through the cards with their backs toward you. When he finishes ask him to cut and to complete the cut a few more times and then give the deck to a second spectator. After this check for duplicates, you know that his card is on the top of a particular card key card first card face-up: 9 of clubs (Look at picture 13).
Now perform the same steps of the original version but without the second spectator shuffling the deck. When he deals the ‘key card’ face-up, start to count each card dealt as described in the first version (From 32 due to the fact that the thought of card is the previous card: 32, 33…52), but paying attention to count the key card as named number + 1. Continue the effect as the original one.
Variant – Key Card Control 1 to 1 Sometimes it happens that you want perform this effect, but you have only one spectator available. Using the ‘Key Card Control’ idea, you can perform an ACAAN effect that is very strong using the following method. Give the spectator a deck of playing cards and ask him to perform a shuffle and at same time ask him also to name any number between 1 and 52: 14 for example. Now, ask him to think of this number and instruct him to select a card as described in the previous method. Ask him to cut as many times as he wishes then say: “Now, your card is
lost in the deck and nobody knows where it is located. I want try to find it. Please, deal all cards face-up onto the table and look at cards dealt.” The spectator starts to deal all cards face-up. Secretly, when you see the key card - look at the previous method for details start to count the cards as already described above (15,16,…52) and when you arrive at 52, stop him saying that this is his card. Obviously the answer will be negative. Then ask him to reassemble the deck as already described above. Take the deck and perform a triple false cut. (Now the selected card is at the 14th position). Say: “Ok, I tried to find your card, but, as you see, for me it's very hard due to the fact that I never touched the deck.” The spectator agrees with you. Continue: “If with these conditions the effect is already hard,
what I want perform now is totally impossible. You have a number and card in your mind and I never touched the deck. Please, for the first time, can you name your card and your number?” Spectator: “14 and Jack of Spades” continue: “14 and Jack of Spades. Okay… Now I ask you: Would it be amazing if the Jack of Spades is the 14th card in the deck?” the spectator confirms and you say: “Please count!” The 14th card is the Jack of Spades!
Variant - Almost Perfect 90% (This is just an idea to try to perform a perfect version)
Effect: Give the spectator a deck of cards, asking him to shuffle it. As he shuffles it, ask him to name any number between 1 and 52. When he has finished, ask him to deal the cards one by one onto the table and to think of one of them. Ask the spectator to reassemble the deck and recap what happened. Ask him to count to the named number and the named card will be there!
Explanation: This effect uses the same idea used to place the card at the correct position explained in the previous handlings combined with the Psychological Stop force (effect) as the cards are dealt face up into a pile with the cards face-up. Assume the spectator names the number 37; when he has finished shuffling the deck ask him to deal the cards face-up, as he deals the 4th card ask him to think of any card he can see.
Secretly remember the 7th and 8th cards... In most cases the spectator will think of the 7th card but sometimes will remember the 8th card. When he deals the 7th card, count each card dealt starting to count from 37 and when you arrive at 52 stop him asking if he has thought of a card. Now ask him to name his thought of a card and if he names the 7th or 8th card you have the perfect ACAAN. Unfortunately there is no out if they do not think of the 7th or 8th cards, but the pay-off is excellent and well worth the practice to pull this handling off.
Ed Note: I would recommend remembering cards 7-8-9-10, this only need to be done via the numbers as you would a telephone number or a pin number, then if need be you can adjust using a palm off of the extra cards or at worst a double under cut (maybe combined with a false shuffle, I know this changes the effect from a hands off ACAAN to a card in position via your skill but needs must sometimes)
Mind Scam Effect: The magician shows a deck of cards then asks a spectator to shuffle it. Now the magician asks the spectator to name any number between 1 and 52, then he asks the spectator to deal the cards face-up onto the table and to remember one card they can see. After many cards have been dealt, the magician stops the spectator and tries to divine the thought of card but fails. Now he asks the spectator to square and to count to the named number. The thought of card will be there.
Method: The idea behind this effect is if you ask someone to think of a card as they deal the cards face-up onto the table, 99% of the time they will think a card before they have dealt to the 14th card. Now the problem is this: If the spectator thinks of one of the first 13 cards how can I can discover this card and put it at named number? What I will describe now is one of the possible solutions. Remove from the deck the following cards: KH, AH, 5D, 2D, 3C, QS, 10S, JC. Remove another 5 indifferent cards and place these 13 cards on the top of the deck with the following order: (X = Indifferent card. ) X, X, X, X, X, KH, AH, 5D, 2D, 3C, JC, 10S, QS, X X X… X
20: Remove these cards from the deck.
21: Put 5 indifferent cards onto 8 cards
22: Put this little stack on the top and you are ready.
With this little setup on top of the deck you are ready to perform this ACAAN.
Start spreading the deck face-down, and at same time secretly count 13 cards (Pic 23). Square the deck and catch a pinkie break under the 13th cards (Pic. 24).
23: Pretending to show the deck face-down, count 13 cards.
24: Exposed view – Square the deck and perform a pinkie break under the 13th card.
Now execute the Braue Reverse with the usual double cutting action. (Pic 25, 26,27)
25: Cut the packet you have under the break
27: Turn the bottom packet face-up and place it on the top of the deck
26: Exposed view
Now, remove the entire packet under the break and put it face-up on the deck.
28: Remove the packet under the break and put it face-up on the top of the deck.
It appears to the audience that you have just turned the deck face up to show them the mixed nature of the cards. However this puts you in position to execute what will appear to be a very fair shuffle sequence involving the spectators.
Ed Note: this shuffle sequence has been used many times by various magicians including Frank Garcia and Fr Cyprian.
29: Spread the deck face-up.
Now square the deck and put in on the table.
30: Exposed view
31: Square the deck and put in on the table.
Cut a small packet and ask the spectator to shuffle it.
33: Give a small packet the spectator in order to shuffle it
34: The spectator shuffles this packet.
When the spectator gives you back the packet put it on table (face down) and put the remainder of the deck (still face-up) on top of it.
35: Put the entire deck face-up on the shuffled packet.
Repeat the entire sequence until you have the entire packet face-down. (See the pics 36-41)
36: Give another packet to the spectator
37: The spectator shuffle this packet too
38: Again you place the rest of the deck on top
39:
40: You give the spectator the last packet
41: After the last shuffle you have the entire deck facedown.
The entire sequence will appear as if you shuffled the entire deck. In realty you shuffled all the cards leaving the 13 card stack in place. Hand the deck the spectator and ask him to name any number between 1 and 52: 24. To have the ideal situation for this ACAAN the number named will be in the range between 13 and 40. If the spectator names a number between 1 and 13 or 40 and 52 just ask him to change number in order to avoid someone believing that this is a psychological trick. If the spectator doesn’t name the number in the correct range ask to continue, again and again until you have a number between 13 and 40.
Ed Note: From a presentational view you could imply that a small number would hold no suspense and too large a number would have us counting cards all night!....... After the number part, ask the spectator to take the deck (face down) and to deal the cards (stud deal) face-up onto the table. When the spectator deals the 5th card ask him to think of a card he can see. Secretly, from 5th card start to count each card starting by 24 until you reach 52. When you arrive on 52 stop him asking if he remembers a card. Pay attention, have the spectator turn the dealt cards face-down then put the un-dealt cards on it. You now have the King of Hearts at named number. Now, with a devilish procedure we will move the correct card at correct position. The idea of this part is to put the thought of card at the correct position by pretending to read the mind of the spectator. In order to do this we will use the following scheme: Note: (Yes) and (No) are the answers of the spectator. - Fishing Schema "I have seen from your expression when you dealt the cards that your card is a red card...." (Yes) "And I see that your card is a low card" (NO) The card thought of is the King of Hearts. Stop fishing and move on....... (Yes) "Please deal another card and look at the card" (wait until the spectator deals the card) ".... and I see that your
card is a Diamonds card" (No) The card thought of is the Ace of Hearts. Stop the fishing and move on......... (Yes) "Please deal another card and look at card" (wait until the spectator deals the card)….“I see an even
card". (No) The card thought of is the 5 of Diamonds. Stop the fishing and move on..... (Yes) "Please deal another card and look at it" (wait until the spectator deals the card) "...and your card is the 4 of Diamonds" The spectator will say no. The correct card is the 2 of Diamonds Stop the fishing and move on......... (No) "Please deal some more cards" The spectator starts to deal the cards again. Secretly count 4 cards and stop him again saying: "I see that your card is a high card" (No) The card thought of is the 3 of Clubs. Stop the fishing and move on....... (Yes) "Please deal another card and look at it" (wait until the spectator deals the card ) "…I see a Spades card" (No) The card thought of is the Jack of Clubs. Stop the fishing and move on...... (Yes) "Please deal another card and look at it" (wait until the spectator deals the card) ".... I see a picture
card". (No) The card thought of is the 10 of Spades. Stop the fishing here. (Yes) "Please deal another card and look at it" (wait until the spectator deals the card) "...and your card is the King of Spades?" The thought of card is Queen of Spades. The spectator will says no. Stop the fishing and move on........
−
End Fishing and moving on towards the climax! -
(The idea behind this fishing style is already used by other magicians like John Kennedy or Richard Osterlind etc.). Continue saying: "Can you see how hard it is to read facial expressions in order to divine your card. Anyway let’s try a different experiment. Please turn few cards face-down and drop the deck on top”. Now the deck is ready to perform ACAAN. Have the spectator recall the random number and the thought of card. Now just to add another layer of deception to the overall effect, have them go through the actions for the Ose cut described in Subtle Scam. Have them count to the chosen number and show that the thought of card is there! If you want perform this effect impromptu you have to change it a little bit. When the spectator deals the 5 cards ask him to remember a card he can see: in 90% of the cases he will think the card at position 7 8 9 10. So when the spectator deals the 7th card you start your secret count. When you stop him, spread the cards dealt and try to find an impromptu sequence of sentences in order to find out what is the thought of card is and for each question you ask have the spectator deal a card in order to move the thought of card at correct position. Ed Note: See the works of Harry Lorayne of Moe for methods in remembering the 4 target cards.
GAME OVER (A diabolical ACAAN with impossible conditions)
Effect: Ask the spectator to shuffle a borrowed deck and, at the same time, to name any number between 1 and 52. (For example, let's say he names 31). As he finishes, ask him to check the deck’s regularity making sure there are no duplicates or gaffed cards etc. In order to do this, ask the spectator to run (slowly) the cards face-up one at a time from one hand to the other one.
42. The spectator looks through the deck running one card at a time from hand to hand.
43. Showing how the spectator should be looking at the cards
As he checks through the deck, ask him to select any card he wants and to remember it, for example, the Queen of Hearts.
44. The spectator stops on Queen of Hearts and this card will be his thought of card.
Then ask the spectator to continue checking the deck for anomalies.
45. The spectator continues to check the deck.
Note: The above pictures are in exposed view mode for instruction purposes. In actual performance the spectator looks through the cards with their backs toward you. When he finishes ask him to perform a triple cut and to complete the cut and to place the deck onto the table. Now ask the spectator to name his card and to count at named number: his card will be at named number.
Method: The secret of this effect is in your instructions: When you ask the spectator to remember a card as he checks the deck, ask him “TO SELECT” and not just “TO REMEMBER” one of them. With this command, the spectator will stop on the selection thinking (maybe) that they are to remove it. When this will happen block him saying: ”No no… Don’t remove the card,
just remember it. Please continue checking the deck!” Secretly, from this card, start to count each card starting by his named number until you reach 52. When you arrive on 52 stop him asking if the deck is regular and then ask to put back the dealt cards on the other ones. Now his card is at named number, just to make hard to back track on the secret, ask him to perform a triple false cut as described already above in Subtle Scam and move his attention on the fact that it is impossible for you to know the “THOUGHT OF” card (Saying THOUGHT OF card and do not SELECTED card you will make the spectator to remember, after your performance, that he has just thought of a card). Continue by asking to count to the chosen number to reveal the climax! Ed Note: What happens if the spectator deals the entire deck before you finish counting 52? Use the same tips explored in Subtle Scam. In order to avoid this particular case I suggest:
1. Make the spectator to select a number between 13 and 40: Use the same tips used in Mind Scam.
2. Make the spectator to select a card between the first 13 cards: In order to do this explain before he tries to check the deck that he must select a card. 99% he will select a card in the first 13 cards. Last suggestion: In order to hide well and to remove any suspicious about the secret count, you can ask the spectator to name each next card after the selection explaining you will try to understand his card by his voice. Count the cards as already described and try to guess his card saying: “I see that your card is black” do not pay attention if you make a mistake… When you reach 52, just stop him explaining that you just wanted show that is very hard for you divine correctly his card.
OPARN (Open Prediction at Any Random Number) Effect: The performer asks the spectator to shuffle a deck of cards and he explains he will try to make a prediction. This will be an OPEN Prediction for all to see and this prediction will be done before the effect starts. After everyone knows the prediction, the performer explains that now the spectator will be selecting a number between 1 and 52 and then he must deal the entire deck face up with only one exception: the card at the named position will be dealt facedown. To avoid any funny business on the part of the magician, this number will be selected through a random process. The process is this: The spectator deals the card face up from the top of the deck, counting out loud going backwards from 13 down to 0 (zero) anytime a number matches a card, this card is placed to one side and the count starts again (from 13-----) this process is repeated until there are four (sometimes three, if they hit 0, have them just deal a card for that then start again.) face down cards the deck is reassembled and turned face down. After the explanation, the magician writes a prediction on a piece of paper and places it in full view onto the table face-down. When the spectator finishes the assigned task the magician shows everyone the prediction and asks the spectator to add all the values of the four cards selected together in order to arrive at the random number. Now the spectator starts to deal the cards face-up as explained above and the only card face-down will be the Open Prediction.
Ed Note: sometimes you will end up with just one random card, sometimes two, three or four, but if none, shuffle and start again..
Explanation: When the spectator goes through the random selection process for the 4 random cards as described above, the magician looks the 4th card dealt (without the selections: if a card between the first 4 cards is selected you have to exclude it from the counting) from the top and writes its name on a piece of paper. This is your prediction card. This method works on a mathematical principle. The performer has to hide this simple mathematical method by explaining the process described is necessary to select from 1 to 4 random cards. If in some case the spectator selects a random number > 48 or = 0 you ask to repeat the random process.
Simple and to the point, a different approach to the OP card plot.
Other Books by Tommy
Destiny Destiny 2 Open Prediction Magicians Dream Beyond Reloaded all available at
http://sites.google.com/site/m2mmagictrick or
http://www.lybrary.com/tommaso-guglielmi-m-52570.html
Tommaso Guglielmi 22/05/2010 Contact info:
[email protected]
