Assistant Editor David Walsh

18 Contributors offering 26 Great Routines!

Contributions from:

Roy Walton Gordon Bruce

Dave Robertson Gavin Ross Dave Walsh

Peter McLanachan Steve Hamilton Richard James Gary Middleton

R. Paul Wilson George McBride

Peter Duffie Iain Girdwood

Scotty Johnston David Forrest

Euan Bingham Jim Boyd Val Le-Val

20 of these tricks have never been in print before! And, the ones that have may still be new to you!

CLICK to START - or simply Scroll Down

Roy Walton Autograph Hunter Scotty Johnston Big bank Hunt

Gordon Bruce The Hands of a Surgeon Richard James Stranger

Gavin Ross The ESP Shuffle Iain Girdwood Total Recall

Hot Flush Jim Boyd Justice is Mine Val Le-Val New Wave Oil & Water

Peter McLanachan Hofzinser 2001 David Walsh Walkaround

Euan Bingham A Hobbit's Tale David Forrest Eight of Two Kings

Phantom Aces Skinned

Gary Middleton Diamond Snatch Peter Duffie Finishing Touch

King for a Day 52 Minus 1

George McBride Captives of the Cranium R. Paul Wilson Thinking Cap

Stebbins Prediction ConCam Cards

Veeser Meets Steranko Steve Hamilton Thanks to Collins Dave Robertson L.K.D. Monte

Copyright © Peter Duffie October 2005

Roy Walton

Autograph Hunter

Roy Walton (9 July 2005)

The performer designates a card from the pack as a magic one. It demonstrates its magical ability by turning over in the pack and then catching a spectator's autograph which has been signed on the back of another card.

Working

Start with the pack face up and a card secretly reversed underneath the pack. Also remember the name of the card next to the reversed one. Lets say it's the Three of Clubs.

1. Run through the face up pack and remove a prominent card as your Magic One. Place your Magic Card on the face of the pack and keep a left little finger break below it. As an example we will assume this card is the Queen of Hearts (Fig.1). Take care when you spread to remove the card that you do not expose the reversed card under the pack.

Fig.1

2. Cut the pack to take the Magic Card to the centre, retaking the break below it. Turn the pack face down, doing a Turnover Pass at the break point.

3. Riffle up the near short end of the pack with the right thumb as if looking for the top card of the pack. As soon as you see the Three of Clubs (the card next to the reversed one that you remembered at the beginning of the trick) take a left little finger break below it.

As you riffle up the pack and appear to see the top card say, "We will use the Three of Clubs for the next part of the trick."

Give a spectator a felt marker pen and have him write his signature on the back of the top card of the pack. You are holding the pack face down in the left hand whilst he does this. Triple turnover the top three cards face up onto the pack and immediately deal the Three of Clubs face up onto the table. Ask the spectator to place his hand on top of it and under cover of this misdirection, give the pack a Classic Pass at the approximate centre point.

Roy Walton

4. Say, "The Magic Card is going to do two tricks, the first being to turn itself face up." Spread through the face down pack to reveal the Queen of Hearts face up at the centre (Fig.2). Remove it from the pack and hold it face up in the right hand.

Fig.2

Say, "The second trick is much more amazing than the first." Slowly turn the card face down to reveal the signature on the back.

Without prompting, the assisting spectator will normally turn the tabled Three of Clubs over to see if it is still signed on the back.

Gordon Bruce

The Hands of a Surgeon

Gordon Bruce

This is one of Gordon's methods for Spectator Cuts to the Aces - an effect created by Bob Veeser. It includes an excellent packet reversal, which a trial in front of a mirror will prove just how deceptive it is. See End Notes for history.

To begin, you place the four Aces face down on top of the deck - the 4th Ace down has a bridge at its inner end only. The other three Aces remain flat on top of the bridged Ace. This was difficult to show in a photograph so the following graphic shows an exaggerated view of the current position - this is a view of the inner end of the deck. In reality the bridge is much smaller!

Fig.1

Working

1. After a Jog Shuffle, place the deck face down on the table - the bridge should be at the inner end of the deck, facing you. Invite a spectator to cut the deck into four piles. The Ace pile (original top section) should finish at the left end of the row - from your perspective. To enable you to follow this, we will number the piles 1, 2, 3, & 4 from your left to right. Aces are on top of pile 1.

2. Reach forward and pick off the top card from pile 4 - fingers at the front and thumb at the inner end (Biddle style grip - fingers cover front end - Gordon bends his 1st finger on top of the card with his other three fingers masking the front end. If your hand is small, place all four fingers at the front) and place this card into your waiting left hand - but don't let go of it. Instead, lift the card at the inner end and openly peek at the face, saying, "That's interesting," then leave the card in the left hand.

3. Pick off the top card of pile 3 in the same manner and hold it so it is directly over the card that's in your left hand. Raise the card at its inner end, looking/peeking at it as you did before. At this moment, the card you have raised should mask the first card that lies in the left hand. Say, "That's unusual," then drop the card onto the first card in the left hand.

NOTE: After looking at this 2nd card, Gordon then lifts the first card again, as if to check. At this point, laymen do not know the effect to come. Magicians will anticipate a cutting the Aces, but laymen are seeing it here for the first time.

Gordon Bruce

4. Repeat step 3 with the next card from pile 2, this time saying, "Now that's surprising." This third card is dropped onto the other two. You now hold three cards in your left hand.

5. Reach forward to lift off the top card from pile 1, but pick up all four cards as a unit using the Bridge (see End Notes). Bring the cards back to the left hand as before and raise the inner end of the packet to peek at the card as you have been doing. However, during the brief moment that the packet is raised, the three cards remaining in your left hand (and monetarily hidden by the right hand and it's packet) are secretly flipped face up, as follows:

a) Clip the three-card packet between your right 3rd and 4th fingers (4th finger - pinkie - is on top of the card as shown in Fig.2a)

b) Immediately press downwards with the pinkie - this will cause the packet in your hand to begin to rotate in a clockwise direction (Fig.2b), finishing face up (Fig.2c). A trial will show that the packet revolves in an instant.

c) Finally lower the raised packet onto the face up cards (Fig.2d). As you do the above, say, "Now, that's amazing."

Fig.2a Fig.2b

Fig.2c Fig.2d

NOTE: The clip in the above move is near the centre of the outer short end. While it may appear that I am clipping the packet at the corner, my 3rd finger is under the packet at the midpoint and the tip of my little finger is exerting a downward pressure directly above the 3rd finger. This causes the packet in hand to revolve on the centre axis. It does not flip over on its edge.

Gordon Bruce

6. You now carry out a casual display/convincer to show four face down cards - this was suggested to Gordon by Jay Marshall at a convention in Scotland. Mr. Marshall demonstrated it in the context of J.C Wagner's Torn & Restored Card. Deal off two cards into your right hand, then using the thumbs of both hands, move the top cards forward and back - the left hand card slides over the block, which remains square (Fig.3). This display hides the block.

Fig.3

Conclude this brief display by placing the right hand pair of cards below those in the left hand and square the packet, then flip the packet face up, turning it sideways. This shows an Ace at the face. There is no hesitation in what follows.

a) Buckle the bottom card with your left fingers and insert your left fingers into the break and grip the edge of the upper 5 cards between the fingers and thumb (Fig.3a). Immediately pull the the block of 5 cards below the upper card to the right - your left thumb retains the upper card (Ace of Spades in the photos) in place (Fig.3b).

Fig.3a Fig.3b

b) Both hands now move towards the four tabled piles simultaneously. The right thumb pushes over a block (all 4 cards above the lowermost Ace) - while your left thumb pushes off it's top Ace (Fig.4a). The Aces are dropped onto the middle piles (Piles 2 & 3). The hands then move outwards and deposit the remaining Aces onto the outer two piles - piles 1 & 4 (Fig.4b), as you conclude, saying, "Astonishing...you have the hands of a surgeon!"

Gordon Bruce

Fig.4a Fig.4b

End Notes

i) The reversal move in Step 5 is based on a packet reverse shown to Gordon by Dai Vernon at the Magic Castle around 1982. In turn, Vernon told Gordon that his move was based on one that Gordon had shown to Vernon on a previous occasion!

ii) If you happen to miss the bridge when lifting off the 4th card and you take more cards than the four Aces, you will still be able to continue as any extra cards will not affect the outcome.

Gavin Ross-1

The E.S.P. Shuffle

Gavin Ross

You require a full set of 25 ESP cards. If you have double sided ESP cards then fine and well, If not then it makes no real difference to the working of the effect.

Arrange your set of ESP cards in strict rotational order as shown below (Fig.1).

Fig.1

Circle, Cross, Waves, Square, Star.

This order is repeated 5 times to make the 25 card stack.

Working

1. Remove the top five cards of the stack and place them face up on the table as in Fig.1 above. These remain as a reminder of the ESP symbols. Spread off the top ten cards of the remaining packet, being careful not to disturb the order, and hand them to a spectator for safe keeping as you explain what you wish them to do.

2. Explain that you are now going to mix your cards in a face up and face down condition and that you want the spectator to watch you closely and follow your actions with their packet later.

Begin to deal down cards one at a time from the top of your packet into a face down pile on the table (Fig.2).

Fig.2

Gavin Ross-1

Once you have dealt a few cards stop dealing. Turn all of the remaining un-dealt cards you hold face up and drop them onto those you have dealt (Fig.3).

Fig.3

Pick up this tabled packet and give it a complete cut. Repeat this sequence a further three times, making four times in total. Place your packet off to one side.

3. Have the spectator carry out the same procedure of dealing then turning the un-dealt cards face up and dropping them onto the dealt ones. If they forget to cut the packet it makes no difference. The spectator can repeat this as often as they wish. The only thing you have to do is observe whether they complete the procedure an even or odd number of times. When they have finished have them place their packet aside and pick yours up. If they dealt an odd number of times then because you dealt an even time you must turn your whole packet over once. If they dealt even and you did also then you need do nothing.

4. You now ask the spectator to cut their packet to bring any face up symbol to the top of the packet. You do likewise, cutting the same symbol to the top of your packet. If you have no matching face up symbol then follow the symbols in sequence and cut the appropriate face down one to the top.

5. All that remains to be done is to reveal that each card in both packets match each other by removing cards from the top of the packet one at a time. You will find that sometimes some of the cards are face up on one packet and face down on the other. These will also match but you could leave these as a surprise at the end and just match the face up cards first.. Real ESP……... Well, maybe not!!!

Gavin Ross-2

Hot Flush

Gavin Ross

The production of a Royal Flush, particularly in Spades, has always been a popular plot with magicians. The effect always seems to register well with lay people. The effect that follows is a simple but effective production of a Royal Flush by making use of the Ed Balducci “Cut-deeper” Force."

You require to set the top five cards of the deck as follows :-

4D - 10S - JS - QS - KS - rest of deck.

The Four of Diamonds is the top card of the face down deck. The rest of the deck, other than the stack, is random and the Ace of Spades should be somewhere in the centre of the deck. You are now ready to perform.

Working

1. Bring out the deck and jog shuffle to retain the order of the top five cards. You explain that you sometimes play cards and that your favourite card in the deck is the Ace of Spades. With the faces of the deck towards you, run through the cards, remove the Ace of Spades and place it face up to one side.

2. Hand the remainder of the deck to the spectator and have them cut off half of the deck. Now have them turn this half face up and place it onto the lower portion of the deck which is face down. Now tell them to cut deeper and to turn this portion over onto the remainder of the deck also. Provided they cut deeper than the face up section then this will work. The procedure described is the Balducci “cut deeper” force.

3. Spread off all the face up cards on top of the deck as you say that the first face down card you come to is a random card (Fig.1). Unbeknownst to the spectators this is actually the Four of Diamonds. When you have reached the first face down card remove all the cards above it, turn them face down and place them onto the bottom of the deck. Turn over the top card to reveal the Four of Diamonds. Explain that this card represents the number of hands you will deal in a game of Poker.

Fig.1

Gavin Ross-2

4. Remove the face up Four of Diamonds and place it face down on the bottom of the deck. Deal out four hands with five cards in each, dealing left to right as in normal play. Lay the Ace of Spades you earlier removed next to the left most pile on the table.

5. Turn over the top cards of each of the piles to reveal random cards and point out that they don’t make a good hand of cards for the spectator to play with (Fig.2).

Fig.2

Finally, point out that due to the procedure carried out, the face cards of the packets are also random cards. Turn these piles face up from left to right to reveal the royal flush in spades (Fig.3) and take the applause that will be coming your way– as I say, nice display with no skill required.

Fig.3

Jim Boyd

Justice is Mine

Jim Boyd

Jim hails from Glenrothes in Fife. A prize-winning close-up magician, Jim is also the originator of the trick "Hopping Halves" which was put out in 1967 by Harry Stanley's Unique Magic Studio as "Confusing Coins"

The origin of this effect is slightly tongue in cheek, perhaps even influenced by my association with the late Tommy Frederick (Fredrica). I notice all the current finger flingers and whilst admire their skills, I question their dependence on cards and the ensuing entertainment value. This effect was dreamed up to demonstrate I could also handle cards but the final twist was created to leave the impression of perhaps greater skill than I truly possessed. I have found it very acceptable to the layman who thinks they are getting an insight into the nefarious world of gamblers but are still left without a true understanding of shady dealing etc.

Effect

A demonstration of dealing does not give the answer expected by the unwitting spectators. Four normal card suddenly become the four Kings. The subsequent explanation of bottom dealing of the four Kings, leaves the spectator non the wiser because the Kings are revealed as four ACES!

Set-Up

Remove the four Aces & Kings plus one indifferent card from the deck. Remaining cards are face up. Place one indifferent card face down on to the deck, followed by four face down Aces, then four face up Kings. Turn the entire deck face down.

Working

1. False shuffle the deck, retaining the bottom nine-card stack. An overhand Shuffle seems the easiest way, but you use your favourite method.

"Most gamblers when stacking cards, don't allow the cards to be shuffled like this because it destroys any preset sequence. Even if I deal off a number of cards from the top of the deck, you will see that in a card game, they seem to have little value."

Deal off the top four cards, face down onto the table. Then with the right hand turn them face up to reveal their random values (Fig.1).

Jim Boyd

Fig.1

2. "So you can follow the gambler's methods I'll stack these four cards in an easy sequence for you." Re-arrange the four cards to suit the above. "I'll put these cards face-down on the top of the deck, so you will be able to follow what happens."

The left hand fan-spreads these four top cards of the deck, right-hand removes them, again shows the spectator the sequence; and then replaces them face down on top of the face down deck in the left-hand. Get set for dealing, remembering to hold the cards in the same grip for all future dealing!

3. "Just as a reminder, you can name the four cards I've just shown you because you have to follow the gambler's methods carefully?" Bottom Deal the four Kings face down onto the table as the spectator is about to name the previously shown cards and pre-empt his reply, saying, "Now I told you to be careful because these four cards are in fact the four Kings." Your right hand turns over the four tabled cards to reveal the four Kings (Fig.2).

Fig.2

4. "The four cards you were thinking of are still on top of the deck." Your left hand fan-spreads the top four cards of the deck, which are taken by the right-hand and turned face up to show their values, before being replaced face down on the deck.

5. Draw attention to the four tabled face up Kings on the table. "In fact I cheated, I dealt these four cards from the bottom of the deck, that's called bottom dealing." As you explain the above, there is sufficient misdirection for you to turn the

Jim Boyd

deck completely over in your left-hand, effectively bringing the main cards face up but this is not evident because you now have on top of the deck the the four face down Aces, followed by the one indifferent card, also face down.

6. "Let me show you that again, I'll put the four Kings to the bottom of the deck and you can try and catch me out at bottom dealing." Action follows words - but - you genuinely deal the four Aces from the top of the deck onto the table. A bit of play acting might enhance the ultimate denouement. Once the Aces have been dealt, the remaining single face down indifferent card maintains the appearance of a normal deck.

7. "Did you catch me out this time? Well if you did perhaps you could explain where these cards came from." Your right hand turns over tabled face down cards to reveal the four Aces (Fig.3). "The moral of this demonstration is that you should not play cards with strangers."

Fig.3

_________________________

The above was published on a web site and in a book dedicated to the late Dr Peter Moffat, called Magic on Prescription published by Adrian Harris of Perth. Since then, Jim has added a clean-up to the end.

End Notes

The clean up is quite simple.

As you replace the four Kings on the bottom of the deck, prior to moving on to the four Ace sequence, you hold a pinkie break above the four Kings. Having revealed the four Aces, with the pack still in your hand, you slip the top face down extra card onto the four Kings as you turn the balance of the deck face down on top of the indifferent card and four Kings. Naturally you do not draw any attention to these moves but the misdirection of revealing the four Aces should be adequate.

Peter McLanachan

Hofzinser 2001

Peter McLanachan

A handling of the Hofzinser Ace Problem that eliminates the deck. This came about after reading Aldo Colombini's effect "Jump And Pass" in Peter Duffie's eBook Virtual Miracles. By the way, the title refers to the number of variations of the Hofzinser Ace Problem that have probably been created over the years! Even at that, it's probably under by a good couple of thousand!

[ This effect is taken from Peter's excellent recent card booklet, Driver 88. For more information on that, and other publications, email Peter at : the.cardman@btopenworld.com ]

Arrange all the Clubs together at the top of the deck.

Working

1. Introduce this effect as an experiment of sympathy between a selected card and the Queen of the same suit. Openly remove the 4 Queens from the deck and arrange them in Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades order (from the back, so that Clubs is at the back - Fig.1.).

Fig.1

Place these cards face down on the table. Cut the deck, centralising your set up, but keep a break. Have a card selected and noted by a spectator, in fact forcing one of your set up in "Classic Force” style. This is made easier by the fact that you are trying to force one of a block of 12 cards. Place the deck to one side as it is no longer required.

2. Pick up the Queens and place a gentle length wise bend in the cards. This should not be a 3 Card Monte crimp, but a gentle bend in the cards. The reason for this will become apparent later. You now, apparently turn them face up. In fact you reverse the Queen of Clubs as you turn the packet face up. This is done by tilting your left hand back slightly thus 'neck tying' the packet then sliding the top card back for about 1/2 an inch with your left thumb (Fig.2a). Grasp the packet at the front left corner with your right hand, thumb on top and fingers underneath (Fig.2b). Turn the packet end for end around the injogged Queen (Fig.2c). This turns the packet face up and causes the Queen of Clubs to end up reversed at the bottom of the face up packet.

Peter McLanachan

Fig.2a Fig.2b Fig.2c

3. Place the packet square on top of the selection. Pick up the packet and turn it over so that the selection is now face up on top. Turn the two face up cards on top face down (as one) and deal the top card (a Queen) to the table - ask a spectator to place their hand on top of it. The Double Turnover is made easier by the fact that there is a natural break under the top two cards (this is the reason why you put the slight bend in the Queens earlier). Repeat the reversal procedure from Step 2 to apparently turn the packet face up.

4. Carry out a Jordan Count to apparently show four face up Queens. A Jordan Count is done in a similar fashion to an Elmsley Count (a.k.a. "Ghost Count"), but in this case, unlike an Elmsley Count where the 3rd card from the top is hidden from view, during a Jordan Count the bottom card is hidden from view. This false count is carried out as follows:

a) Hold the cards by the left long side at your left fingertips with your thumb on top and first and second fingers underneath. This position is called a "Pinch Grip". This grip is similar to that used in an Elmsley Count.

b) With your right thumb, pull the top card of the packet into your right hand. Repeat this, pulling the second card on top of the first. When you pull this card off, the card in the right hand goes directly under the packet in your right hand.

c) When you go to take the third card, the cards in your right hand go back under the 2 in your left hand, but this time they are held under the cards in your left by your left fingers. In the same action, pinch the left side of the packet so that the top 3 cards of the packet are pushed into your right hand, leaving the last card to go on top of all.

On this occasion, do not call attention to the suits of the cards; just say that there are 4 cards in your hand and that they are all face up.

The reversed card (the selection) is now 3rd from the top of the packet and the card that the audience thinks is the selection that is sitting under the spectator's hand is really a Queen. All that is required now is to build up the effect of the apparent coincidence and then to show that the cards have transposed.

Euan Bingham-1

A Hobbit's Tale

Euan Bingham

In The Card Booklet - issue 5 (2003) I published an interesting effect called 'Ally Opps'. The basic plot was a novel take on the standard transposition effect. What I offer here is two slightly smoother handlings. The initial inspiration for this came from Larry Jennings' 'The Visitor' (Classic Magic of Larry Jennings) and Roy Walton's 'Mission Accomplished' (Devil's Playthings) but as you will see, the overall result and handling is markedly different.

First Handling

1. Run through the face up deck and openly remove the two black Aces. As you do this, secretly cull the two red Queens to the back of the spread. Close up the spread and turn the deck face down. You need to displace one of the Queens to the bottom of the deck, there are various ways you can do this; I use either a Double-cut or an Overhand Shuffle.

2. Pick up one of the Aces and apparently place it on the bottom of the deck. What really happens is your left pinkie pulls down on the bottom card allowing the ace to be inserted face down second from the bottom (Fig.1).

Fig.1

Pick up the second ace at the same time catching a break below the top two cards of the pack. Openly flip the ace face down on top of the deck. You now have a break under the top three cards.

3. Execute a Riffle Pass at the break point secretly transferring the top three cards to the bottom. Casually flip the top card face up to show an indifferent card and the apparent vanish of the first ace. Pick the deck up in right hand Biddle grip and pivot the hand at the wrist to expose the bottom card to the spectators showing another indifferent card and the apparent vanish of the second ace (Fig.2). Replace the deck in the left and flip the top card face down again.

Euan Bingham-1

Fig.2

4. Tell the spectators that it's an easy matter to make the Aces vanish, but finding them again is a different story altogether.

Catch a break above the bottom three cards and casually Double-cut them to the top of the deck. Double-turnover to show the first Queen, and your evident failure to locate the ace. Flip the double face down and deal the top card to the table.

Double-cut the bottom two cards to the top of the deck. Again, Double-turnover to show the second Queen and your now somewhat embarrassing inability to find the Aces. Flip the double face down and deal the top card onto the table with the other face down card.

5. Catch a break below the top two cards and turn the deck face up executing Ken Krenzel's Mechanical Reverse as you do so. This results in the two Queens being face down at the bottom of the now face up pack. Alternatively you could use a standard Braue Reversal to arrive at the same situation.

Tell the spectators that as you were unable to find the Aces the hard way, you might as well try the easy way instead.

As you are saying this, catch a break above the bottom three cards of the pack. Spread through the deck in mock search of the two black Aces holding the bottom three cards as one so as not to expose the face down Queens. Obviously no Aces will show up as they are face down on the table. Close up the spread and immediately turn the deck face down executing a turnover pass at the approximate centre point (or just cut the deck and turn it over, if you're feeling lazy) before setting it down on the table.

Say you might as well show them a trick with the two Queens instead. Pick up the two tabled cards and glance at their faces, double take before you turn the cards face up to show the two black Aces have returned.

Act confused and say, "But where did the Queens go?"

Pause a beat before ribbon spreading the deck widely across the table to reveal the two Queens face up in the centre of the spread (Fig.3). Thus completing the effect.

Euan Bingham-1

Fig.3

Second Handling

Rather than displacing one Queen to the bottom, you must place both Queens on the bottom of the deck. As you square up the pack, quietly half pass the bottom two cards so they are now face up. Now handle the placing of the two Aces in the same way as used in handling one but leave the Aces face up.

Catch a break below the top two cards. Now go through the rest of the effect in the same manner as used for handling one.

Note that the vanish of the two Aces is more visual in this handling.

Euan Bingham-2

Phantom Aces

Euan Bingham

This effect was first published in Euan's booklet Quirky Card Magic (2004). Four aces magically pass from inside a wallet to a deck of cards; you then repeat the effect in reverse. I.e. four aces are placed in the deck only to appear back inside the wallet. The aces can be signed throughout!

This is a very simple effect using a Himber wallet. You can purchase a standard Himber wallet from most magic supply shops. To my knowledge there are no card to wallet effects which follow this plot line however the basic premise is very similar to the Carlyle Homing card (Stars of Magic) plot with the exception that you are using a wallet instead of a pocket.

Working

1. Bring out the wallet as you tell the spectators you are going to show them something very strange with a wallet and some cards. It's a good idea to have some credit cards or money inside the wallet so as not to appear suspicious. Remove the cards/money from the wallet and put them/it away in your pocket. You say you are going to use four Aces for this effect. You have to switch out the Aces for four indifferent cards, any switch will do but I prefer to use an Alex Elmsley switch as follows (Pp, 213 - 216. "1002nd Aces" - The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley volume one - Steven Minch(1991). 1002nd Aces was first published in Ibidem, No. 12, Dec. 1957 pp. 13-14).

2. Turn the deck face up and as you begin to spread through the pack, push the top four cards over as a roughly squared block, this is clipped below the right thumb so that as you continue to spread through the cards the four card block remains slightly separate from the spread (Fig.1). Each time you come to an Ace, break the spread and slide the ace onto the face of the deck, under the right thumb (Fig.2). When you have located the four aces, square the deck and lift up the top eight cards as a block with the right hand. There will be no hesitation here due to the blocking of the first four cards as you began the spread.

Fig.1 Fig.2

Hook the left thumb beneath the deck and flip it face down in the left hand (Fig.3). Drop the right hand block on top of the deck, holding a break beneath the packet as it falls on top. Thumb over the top three cards to display the four aces (Fig.4). Square up and flip all the cards above the break face down.

Euan Bingham-2

Immediately thumb the top four cards over into the right hand, place the deck aside and pick up the wallet. Flip the wallet open (right to left) and place the four apparent Aces into the wallet. Snap the wallet shut (right to left), thus subtly turning it over as you do so.

Fig.3 Fig.4

Hit the wallet on top of the deck and slowly open the wallet showing it to be empty. Apparently the four Aces have vanished. Keep the wallet open and drop it to one side as you show the four Aces are now back on top of the deck.

3. You now have four indifferent cards loaded into the lower side of the wallet. Offer to show the trick again but so that everything is totally fair, have the spectators sign the four Aces. Take the Aces back from the spectators and place them face down inside the wallet, this is done as you say, "The last time, I placed the four Aces into the wallet and they passed through onto the deck. This time I'll place the Aces into the deck and while you're holding the wallet, the Aces will travel from the deck, through your hands and back into the wallet!"

While you are saying this, casually close the wallet right to left as if to emphasise the statement, "I placed the four Aces into the wallet." Open the wallet right to left and remove the four face-down cards, apparently these are the four Aces, but really the four indifferent cards. Leave the wallet open and place it on the table. Pick up the deck and lose the four indifferent cards within, by placing them in different parts of the deck. This is a very bold switch, but it is also very deceptive.

Place the deck aside and, showing your hands empty, slowly close the wallet from right to left. Leave it on the table as you do this. Now have a spectator place his/her hand over the wallet so that there can be no cheating. Pick up the deck and tap it on the back of the spectator's hand. Have him/her lift their hand away from the wallet. Slowly open the wallet right to left to show the reappearance of the four cards.

Remove the cards and show them to be the four signed Aces. You can now put your money/credit cards back into the wallet.

Gary Middleton-1

Diamond Snatch

Gary Middleton

The four Kings magically rise to the top of the pack, one by one, in search of a Diamond haul - the last King finds it!

Before you start, set the Ace through Queen of Diamonds in numerical order with the Queen at the face of the packet. Put this stack on the face of the pack and cut approx ten cards from top to bottom to cover them.

The patter is given prior to each series of actions.

Working

1. "Let me show you a trick using the four kings, who are in fact a gang of four bank robbers. They have planned a daring robbery and the pack here represents the multi-storey bank they are about to rob."

Spread through the pack removing the four Kings as you patter about them being bank robbers. Once you have removed them, set them face up on the table in Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs and Spades order, Diamonds being on top.

2. Pressure fan the pack with faces towards yourself.

"They set off and all enter the bank as planned."

Pick up the King of Diamonds and insert if reversed below the Queen of Diamonds.

Take the King of Hearts and insert it reversed above the Ace of Diamonds.

Take the King of Clubs and insert it reversed midway between the Ace of Diamonds and top of pack.

Take the King of Spades and place it reversed at the rear (top) of the fan. Fig.1 shows the current position.

Fig.1

Close the fan leaving the Kings outjogged and turn the pack face down.

Gary Middleton-1

Position check: The pack is face down in dealing grip with the King of Spades face up on top. The King of Clubs is face up approximately 12 cards down, then the King of Hearts approximately a further 12 cards down, above the Ace of Diamonds, then the King of Diamonds face up below Queen of Diamonds.

3. "Mr Diamonds goes to raid the vaults, Mr Hearts and Mr Clubs go to the middle floors to keep check on the security guards and Mr Spades goes to the roof as the lookout man."

Starting with the King of Diamonds square the Kings into the pack nice and slowly showing no controls. When you reach the King of Clubs, catch a break below it as you push it flush. Finally, square the King of Spades on top of the pack.

4. "Everything goes to plan until Mr Spades the lookout hears a police siren. He uses the prearranged signal, a whistle, (Get the spectator to whistle here) to alert the other robbers to get out. Mr Clubs hears this first, passes the signal on, then rushes to the roof to join Mr Spades (spread and deal the King of Spades and King of Clubs on top) where they both make a quick getaway."

As you begin saying the above, you execute a Top Card Cover Side Steal (Bill Simon, Effective Card Magic) under the King of Spades, bringing the King of Clubs to second from top. To do this, your left fingers push the KC to the right so it becomes sidejogged. Your right hand now grips the King of Spades from above and moves it to the right as you gesture - while your right fingers and thumb also maintain a grip on the KC which remains concealed. Both cards are now moved further to the right until the concealed KC clears the pack, at which point both cards are moved back onto the pack. This is a quick/casual right & left motion and appears to be a completely innocent gesture.

Figs 2a, 2b & 2c show this move.

Fig.2a Fig.2b Fig.2c

Now, deal the top two cards to the table - the King of Clubs has joined the King of Spades at the top of the pack.

5. "Mr Hearts also hears the signal, and takes the express elevator to the rooftop (spread and fast pass the face up King of Hearts to the top of the deck) where he too makes his sharp getaway."

Spread through the pack to show the King of Hearts and King of Diamonds still face up, getting a break above the King of Hearts as you do.

Gary Middleton-1

Square up the pack and do your fastest Pass to make the King of Hearts visibly appear on top of the pack.

Deal him also onto the table.

6. "So that leaves Mr Diamonds in the vaults on his own. On hearing the signal he starts to make his getaway. He finds the elevator is still at the top floor and decides it will be quicker to climb the 12 flights of stairs to the rooftop."

Now just deal the next 12 cards off of the top of the deck into a face down spread on the table. On the number 13 the King of diamonds will appear face up.

"He makes his escape and meets the rest of the gang a few blocks away and speeds away in the getaway car....What took you so long?' they all asked. He said 'I was carrying this big bag of diamonds"

All that is left to do is to show all the cards in the face down spread to be all the remaining Diamonds in order.

Gary Middleton-2

King for a Day

Gary Middleton

I love the Hofzinser Ace problem; especially when the rest of the aces change to the mates of the selection.

A small set-up is required:

Take the King of Hearts, King of Spades and King of Diamonds and place them face up under the top card of the pack.

Place the King of Clubs on the bottom of the pack.

Working

1. Remove the four Aces and have them face up in any order as long as the Ace of Clubs is the bottom one. Get a break under the top four cards of the pack. This is quite easy due to the back-to-back situation of the reversed cards. You perform a switch of Alex Elmlsey's - also independently devised by Ken Krenzel, as follows:

a) Place the Aces face up on top of the pack, then spread them over to display all four Aces (Fig.1).

Fig.1

b) Your left thumb now pushes over all four cards above the break as a block (Fig.2) then immediately retracts the top face down card of the block. This leaves the three face up Kings sidejogged. Fig.3 shows an exposed view of this position with the Aces removed.

Fig.2 Fig.3 Fig.4

Gary Middleton-2

c) Without pause, your right hand closes the spread of Aces until they align with the sidejogged Kings, then you grip all (Aces plus Kings) by their right edge and pull all 7 cards to the right (Fig.4) - finally flipping them face down onto the pack.

This has secretly added the three Kings on top of the Four Aces.

2. Now push off the top four cards, without reversing their order, and drop them onto the table - you can flash the face card if you want as it is an Ace.

The cards on the table are the King of Hearts, King of Diamonds, King of Spades and the Ace of Clubs.

3. Force the bottom card. I use a John Bannon Force, which is, in turn, based on a Trevor Lewis force, as follows;.

Riffle down the long edge telling a spectator to say stop. When they do, swing-cut the top half into your opposite hand then immediately tap the edge of the remaining right hand section against the left hand section (Figs 5a & 5b).

Fig.5a Fig.5b

Continue, by raising the right hand section so the spectator can see the bottom card, and ask him to remember it.

This is a nice force to use now and again.

4. Reassemble the two halves, placing the right section onto the left section - but as you do, side jog the selection which is in the middle in readiness for the Vernon Transfer, as follows:

Your left hand places the pack on the table; as it does so, the right hand retains the selection and simultaneously moves towards the tabled packet - which is believed to be the four Aces.

Without pause, pick up this packet in a Biddle grip, adding the selection to the top, as you transfer the complete packet into your left hand. Immediately Half Pass the bottom card, which will be the Ace of Clubs.

I use a Kelly bottom action to half pass which was published by Gene Maze. Basically, your right fingers begin the actions for a Kelly Bottom Placement - as the card pivots downwards, your left fingers clip the card at its left long edge and pull inwards causing the card to flip over.

Gary Middleton-2

5. Spread the five cards as four, keeping the last two squared as one. This is just a spread with no reverse counting.

Casually take the top two cards in your right hand and transfer them to the bottom.

6. Give the packet an end-for-end spin (purely for effect) and then spread. The Ace of Clubs has turned face up. Hold the bottom two cards as one again as you spread.

Transfer the top two cards underneath again bringing the Ace of Clubs face up on top. Now lift it off and make a comment as you get a break under the top card (King of Clubs).

Replace the Ace of Clubs on top then do the DeSouza "Shapeshifter Change" so it changes into the King of Clubs. If you don't know this excellent colour change, a standard Snap-over Change can be used in its place. Either way, you finish by placing the double card back on top of the packet.

7. Peel the King of Clubs into your other hand and use it to flip the other cards face up. Spread the cards, keeping the last two held as one, to show that they have now changed into the other Kings.

George McBride-1

Captives of the Cranium

George McBride

The following was inspired by a Stewart James effect, the method for which was never published. For a description of the James effect see `Captives of the Brain` page 2536 of Volume 2 of The James file.

Set the deck in the following order, reading from top to face:

8C-KS-3D-AH-6C-9S-7D-2H-4C-QS-5D-JH-AC-10S

8D-KH-3C-AS-6D-9H-7C-2S-4D-QH-5C-JS-AD-10H

KD-2C-QC-3S-JD-4H-10D-5H-9D-6H-8H-7S

7H-8S-6S-9C-5S-10C-4S-JC-3H-QD-2D-KC

Working

1. You can either hold a break between the 10H and KD before you begin or simply spread the deck face up between your hands and split the deck between these two cards. Either way, place the top half (28 cards) face down in front of X, and the bottom half (24 cards) face down in front of Y.

2. Ask Y to pick up his cards and to cut them and complete the cut. Instruct him to look at the top two cards and add their values together. (Jack=11-Queen=12-king=13). Ask him to cut the cards again to loose his cards in the middle and place the cards face down on to the table in front of him.

3. Ask X to pick up his cards to cut them as often as he pleases. When he's happy tell him to take the top card and to place it out of sight into his pocket. Then instruct him to drop the remainder of his packet on top of Y`s packet.

4. Pick up the combined deck and false overhand shuffle as follows:

a) Under cut less than half the deck, run one card, injog the next and shuffle off.

b) Under cut at the injog and throw the balance on top. False cut if you wish.

5. Ask Y for his number and count down to it from the top of the deck, dealing

George McBride-1

one card on top of the other, face down onto the table. If the number is 14 deal 14 cards and turn up the next card (15th). This reveals the Value of X`s card!

6. Explain, to find the suit we simply add together 1 & 4 which gives us 5. Continue the count onto the tabled cards, turning up the next card (6th). This card reveals the suit of X`s card!

End Notes

If Y`s number is 15 simply count down to the 15th card and turn it up. Again, when continuing the count after adding the 1 & 5 together, turn up the 6th card.

George McBride-2

Stebbins Prediction

George McBride

The necessary preparation for the following routine is as follows.

Your deck must be set in Si-Stebbins order. On the underside of your business card write the following words

YOUR CARD IS AT THE 30th POSITION!

Place this in any convenient pocket.

Working

1. Begin by asking for the assistance of two spectators. Sit X to your left and Y to your right. Ask X to cut the deck as often as he wishes. Retrieve the deck and spread it across the table in front of X. Remove your business card and hand it to X, writing side down. Do not mention anything about the business card. Just hand it to X asking him to place it into the spread anywhere he wishes.

2. After he has done this, scoop up the deck and re-spread it in your hands, remove the business card and the cards on either side of it as a single unit (Fig.1).

Fig.1

Drop all three onto the table in front of X. The deck is now given a complete cut at this removal point. Explain to X that he has just selected two cards that will predict a future event. Incidentally, the business card remains in place between the chosen cards.

3. Immediately begin a short Overhand Shuffle, as follows:

a) Run the top 7 cards then throw the balance of the deck on top.

George McBride-2

b) Run 7 more and throw the balance on top.

Drop the deck onto the table in front of Y.

4. Ask Y to cut off a good chunk of cards and hand them to you, leaving a small packet on the table. Ask Y to pick up the small packet from the table and secretly count the cards, he may do this behind his back or under the table.

5. As he does this you must cut and Faro Shuffle the larger portion together. This shuffle must be exact, also you must start your Faro from the face of the packets up. An Out Faro is required, that is the original bottom card stays on the bottom.

6. As soon as you have completed the Faro, explain to Y that you will remove cards from the top of the deck, one at a time, and he must remember the card that falls on this secret number. Show him exactly 20 cards (one at a time without reversing their order) by which time he should be remembering a card.

7. Place these 20 cards under the deck and ask Y to place his small packet back on the table. The deck is now dropped on top of Y`s packet.

8. Ask Y to concentrate on the suit of his card. Tell X to turn over the card above the business card. It will be the correct suit. Y now concentrates on the value of his card. Ask X to turn over the card below the business card. It will be the correct value. X has successfully predicted Y`s card.

9. Finally turn over the business card and read out the prediction. Have Y count down to his card.

Credits

Alex Elmsley's "Penelope's Principle" - The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley, Vol. 2 page 313.

George McBride-3

Veeser Meets Steranko

George McBride

This is a handling for the classic effect `Spectator Cuts to the Aces`. This handling should be performed whilst seated at a table. Beforehand, the 4 Aces must be Palmed in the right hand. The Steranko Palm is used - I have heard this Palm being referred to as the lateral Palm but I`ve always known it as Jim Steranko`s Palm.

In any case the Aces are held between the right second finger and the base of the right third and pinkie fingers. (Second finger contacting the front left hand corner of the Aces and front right hand corner at the base of the third and Pinkie fingers) - see Fig.1

Fig.1

____________________________________________________

Working

1. With The Aces palmed, hand out the deck for shuffling and ask the spectator to place the deck onto the table and to cut it into four fairly equal piles.

While the spectator is shuffling the cards both your hands should be resting naturally on the table top.

2. Watch the spectator closely as he cuts the deck into four piles. As soon as he has finished cutting the cards your left hand reaches forward and takes the top card of the left hand tabled packet. This top card is removed in a specific way. It is taken from the short-side nearest to you - left hand fingers on top thumb below (Fig.2). The card is removed face towards you, it is immediately placed into the right hand. It is held in the right hand between the first/second fingers and the thumb at the lower right hand corner with the face towards you (Fig.3).

George McBride-3

Fig.2 Fig.3

3. The top card of the next packet (the top cards are removed working from left to right) is removed in exactly the same way and placed into the right hand in front of the card already there. All four top cards are taken in this manner and held faces towards the performer.

4. You should have four cards in your right hand slightly spread, faces towards you (four Aces Steranko Palmed in same hand) - see Fig.4. You are now going to transfer these four cards face down to the left hand dealing grip. This is done in a specific way.

Fig.4

The right hand remains motionless as the left hand revolves around the 4 right hand cards with the left hand palm towards the spectator, left thumb going to the right edge of the 4 card packet and the left fingers going to the left hand edge of the 4 card packet. The left hand now revolves to the left - Palm up. The action is akin to an all-round square up type of movement (Figs. 5a, 5b, 5c & 5d).

Fig.5a Fig.5b

George McBride-3

Fig.5c Fig.5d

The right hand remaining motionless throughout the whole action ensures that the Steranko Palmed cards remain parallel to the table top at all times.

5. As soon as the left hand has revolved Palm up and with the cards now held face down in the left hand dealing position, the right hand comes over and apparently removes the top card in the right hand Biddle grip. What actually happens is the Steranko Palmed cards are added to the top of the left hand packet and the top card of the Palmed packet is immediately taken in Biddle grip.

6. This card is immediately placed on top of the left hand tabled packet and the whole packet is slid forward and then spread downwards, towards the performer. As the cards are spread downwards the top card is turned over and replaced face up on top of the packet.

7. The second card of the left hand packet is picked off and handled the same way. Repeat the same handling with the third card.

The last card/cards are taken as one, again in Biddle grip, right hand fingers covering the front edge of the packet and placed on top of the remaining right hand packet, again the whole packet being moved forward a little before being spread downwards towards the performer and the top card finally being turned face up and replaced on top of the packet. The spectator having cut to all four Aces.

Steve Hamilton

Thanks to Collins

Steve Hamilton (Feb 2004)

The following superb routine was sent to me in February 2004 by my good friend Steve Hamilton. It was to be a part of a joint web-project that, sadly, was never to be because Steve took ill and passed away later that year. I have left the text entirely in Steve’s words, the content of which is both humorous, and educational.

Effect

A selected card is torn into quarters by you or the spectator and they select one quarter as a keepsake, something to remember their card by. The remaining ¾ quarters are openly destroyed (or vanished) by the spectator or yourself.

A sealed envelope is removed from your pocket and from it you remove the restored ¾ of the spectators card, the piece they hold fits perfectly.

Having spent some time searching for the ultimate Bill in Lemon routine and messing around with U.F. Grant’s “Million Dollar Mystery,” I cannot describe to you my great pride and happiness at creating the following routine.

A breakthrough (I thought) a proud contribution to the world of card magic (I thought) an original and never before seen method (I thought).

Having run the routine past a few close friends all of whom enthused over the clever method and the stunning effect, I ran one final check with my good friend Peter Duffie.

Having proudly described the effect and method to Peter he almost without pause said, “Yeah great, its Stanley Collins at his best - hold on,” he says (we’re on the phone), "you can find it in Original Magical Creations page 46.” Peter’s knowledge is incredible and frankly damned annoying at times (only joking Peter).

Stunned, deflated and deeply saddened I checked out the above book and low and behold there it was titled “Le Dernier Cri Mutilated Card Experiment.”

What you hold is a professional routine that is not only easy to do, but creates a devastating effect on your audience. The handling has been streamlined from the original “Collins” effect and will amaze an audience of magicians or laymen alike.

Steve Hamilton

The genius of Stanley Collins is evident through his writings and with the more recent publication of Stanley Collins – Conjurer, Collector and Iconoclast (Kaufman & Co) should bring his name back to the attention of many magicians.

I sincerely hope this spurs you on to seek out more Stanley Collins material and enjoy the talents of this fine magical creator. Among his other publications are; A Conjuring Mélange, Collins' Card Conceits and Original Magical Creations, although these are fairly hard to find, your efforts will be well spent seeking them out.

Please take the time to perfect the method and handling of this routine, it will serve you well under any circumstances.

Before we continue it must be said that the restored card can be produced from anywhere, inside a lemon, from an envelope held by the spectator, in effect from anywhere you desire.

Preparation

The method also uses multiple outs (2) so you must work out two ending scenarios, although a sealed nest of envelopes (as Collins did) in your pocket works very well, which contains the trick to one pocket.

Now the preparation. You’re going to need 3 duplicate cards to match the one in your pack (now don’t go away, if you’ve seen the trick performed it’s all worth it). I’ll use the 4C in these instructions.

Step 1:

Position the 4C in your pack, 5th from the top of the face down pack. Step 2: (See how easy step 1 was).

Take one of your duplicate Four of Clubs, tear it into quarters, and then place it to one side.

Step 3:

We’ll deal with the final two duplicates together. Tear off ¼ index corner from each, see Fig.1 for clarity. Place a small pencil dot on the back of one ¼, this is for identification purposes later and will indicate where to produce the card from.

Steve Hamilton

Fig.1

These two ¼ pieces will make up 2/4 of the switched in card in a minute.

Take the two ¾ pieces and place them into two locations from where you wish the selected card to reappear. For this example we will stick with a pocket nest of envelopes (as Collins used in his original). Place the two pieces into two separate pay size envelopes, and place another pencil dot on the envelope with the ¾ card that matches the ¼ with the pencil dot.

Enclose each of these envelopes again into two separate slightly bigger envelopes, and pencil dot again. Finally place both envelopes into one large envelope, keeping the envelope with the dot on it uppermost. In other words; if you opened the large envelope, flap towards yourself, and put your hand inside, your thumb nearest your body would be on the dotted envelope and your fingers furthest away would be against the other envelope.

The bulk of your preparation is complete.

Earlier you tore another 4C into quarters. You are now going to remove the two indexed corners (Fig.2), and replace them with the 1/4s left over from your production cards (Fig.3), one with a dot, and one without.

Fig.2 Fig.3

When these pieces are added back in, your 4C is complete again. The torn edges will not match but as you will see that does not matter.

To summarize, what we have is a Four of Clubs in quarters, made up from

Steve Hamilton

three other Fours of Clubs cards.

The non index corners belong to the same card, and each piece of index corner card, matches one of your two location cards, which are hidden inside your nest of envelopes, which one of these you produce depends on whether the spectator select the dotted ¼ or the unmarked ¼ .

Assemble the four quarters of the mis-made 4C and place them somewhere you can easily reach and finger palm them in your left hand when you are ready to perform the routine (your left hand jacket pocket would be a good place).

Note: The original Collins routine had four outs, one for each corner of the card. This obviously required the use of further locations and extra cards. The presentation that follows guides the spectator to select an index corner to work as a memory aid for them.

Working

When you are ready to perform the routine, palm the torn Four of Clubs in left hand finger palm. Place the pack on top of your left hand thereby hiding the pieces.

1. We begin with the only move in the routine – you need to force the 4C that is in the 5th position from the top of the pack. The way I do this is by using Fred Robinson’s Ultimate Force (so named by Ken Brooke), but any other Force can be used here.

Spread off the top four cards into your right hand, and perform a Hofzinser Cull of the fifth (4C) under the pack, the cards are continued to be spread over, but are now spread above the culled, force card. The spectator is asked to touch the back of any card and having done so, you square up the spread cards into your right hand. It looks as though his card will be the face card of this packet but in fact your culled (force) card becomes the face card when the packet is squared.

The right hand packet is now raised up so the spectator can see the card, then tell them to take the card but not to let you see it. The right hand cards are now placed back on top of the left hand half. All the above does not affect the concealed quarters finger-palmed in your left hand.

2. You will now perform the old gag of having the spectator hold the card face towards himself (or herself), positioned so that they can tear it in half, this is instructed as you face away from them in case you catch a glimpse of their card. You now boldly say, “Tear the card in half,” then pause for a second and add, “...in your mind.” The timing on this is very important because they will have torn the card by the time you add the second part of the phrase. Trust me this is a huge laugh but it must be delivered at the right pace with the correct timing.

3. In your pretence at being upset, take the torn card back from the spectator

Steve Hamilton

giving them light verbal abuse (light). As you align the torn pieces casually to tear them into quarters, ask the spectator, “Do you know what we do now?” He’ll say, “No”, to which you reply; “Well now we do the rope trick, because you’ve just ruined the card trick.”

As you say this, the pieces are torn into quarters ending up in your right hand on top of your fingers. The pack is transferred to your right hand, covering the just torn pieces and the left hand casually exposes it’s originally finger palmed quarters.

The above switch is very bold and open, but it all happens as the line, “Now we do the rope trick,” is delivered, this line gets another huge laugh and completely covers the switch. As far as the spectators are concerned the quarters never left their sight, the quarters appear the same because it is still the 4C. Hand the spectator back the pieces as a souvenir.

As a second thought you say that perhaps you can redeem the trick and ask them to select a piece with the card value on it to help them remember the card.

Take the remaining ¾ back and by quickly looking at the backs you can determine which quarter they have and where you have to produce the matching card from.

The three quarters they hand you can be burnt or vanished (vanishing means you can use the pieces again). Then conclude the trick with the miracle production of the matching card from your envelope nest.

Scotty Johnston

Big Bank Hunt

Scotty Johnston

A video demonstration of this trick can be seen on www.magicvideodepot.com under Scotty's username of "Bucky." I have to say that I couldn't work out how the trick was done. Perhaps you should check it out before reading any further. The effect is the classic sandwich - two Queens trap a selection.

Working

1. Start by openly removing the two black queens and placing them on the table, then shuffle and cut the cards. Fan the cards and allow the spectator to have a free selection. Have the selection returned and control it to the top using a classic pass, if you are uncomfortable using the pass just use your favourite method to get the selection back to the top. Place the deck on the table and ask the spectator to cut two thirds of the pack and place it to their left (your right) Then you instruct them to cut the two thirds pack in half and place the cards to the left again (your far right). You will end up with three semi equal piles of cards, the selection being on the top of the far right pile from your perspective.

2. You now pick up the face up queens and place one of them face up on the left hand pile of cards and one of them face up on the centre pile (Fig.1).

Fig.1

It should be noted that during the next part of the effect the cards should be handled slightly tilted downwards. Pick up the left hand pile in the right hand in a one handed fan grip. Give the cards a one-handed fan as you say, "We have some random cards and a face up queen." Close the fan and place the cards in to a left hand dealing grip, as mentioned earlier slightly tilted downwards. You now pick up the centre pile and do exactly the same apart from when you fan the cards you say, "Some more random cards and a face up queen." As you say this, you cover the cards in the left hand with the right hand fanned cards for just a second (Fig.2).

Scotty Johnston

Fig.2

Close the fan of cards and place them on top of the cards in the left hand, obtaining a fourth finger break between the packs. The reason for the fanning of the cards will soon become apparent.

3. Pick up the final pack of cards and fan them. As they momentarily cover the cards in the left hand two things happen. Your left thumb applies pressure to the outer left corner of the face up queen this action slightly kicks out the block of cards between the two face up queens (Fig.3 exposed view). The right hand fourth and third fingers clip this block of cards and strip them out undercover of the fan (Fig.4 exposed view). As the fan is stripped out you maintain a fourth finger break between the 2 queens.

Fig.3 Fig.4

This fan of cards with the block hidden underneath is now closed as follows, you close the fan towards yourself and aligning the stolen block with the cards in the left hand. You can use the heal of the left thumb to assist you pivoting the block around whilst closing the fan. These cards are dropped on to the left hand cards whilst maintaining the fourth finger tip break between the queens. The cover you have from the fan is perfect. The fanning of the cards during this part of the effect should look the same. It will take some practice to quickly steal the block between the face up queens, but it can be done in a second. It also helps to pull down with the fourth finger of the left hand whilst stealing the block.

Position check: selection on top of the deck, midway down the deck you have a fourth finger break between the two face up queens.

5. Now as you patter you get the selection between the queens as follows. Your left thumb takes over the fourth finger break at the left side of the deck, you now basically backslip the top card between the queens (Figs 5a 5b & 5c) as you ribbon spread the cards on to the table. This reveals a face down card between the face up queens, You

Scotty Johnston

can either get the spectator to remove the selection or do Daryl's Ribbon Spread Turn-over Revelation to finish.

Fig.5a Fig.5b Fig.5c

End notes

This routine may sound complicated but its actually relatively simple, the main part of the effect to perfect is the Fan Block Steal and Block Steal Placement, once you nail this your pretty much done, all that's left is the backslip which shouldn't cause any problems.

The title of the effect comes from the patter I use in which the two queens (or kings) break into a bank and try to find a safe. The safe obviously being the selection. The patter I use for the fanning of the cards is along the lines of 'The first queen checks floors 1 to 15 (gesturing toward the fan) etc etc but as with most effects the patter is entirely up to yourself.

The idea for this effect came about after many years of trying to perfect a sandwich that did not use any of the standard loading techniques.

Richard James

Stranger

Richard James

This is my handling of, "Color Sandwich" by Jean-Jacques Sanvert. You can find Mr. Sanvert's original handling in an early issue of Apocalypse. Personally, I didn't like the card selection procedure, or either of the endings that were offered by Harry Lorayne or Mr. Sanvert. My own handling, below, simplifies the card selection and has what I feel is a better, more logical ending. Thanks go to George McBride for his help in improving the end sequence.

Effect

The two red Kings are removed from the deck and tabled. The deck is then spread, face-up, between the hands and a spectator is invited to touch any face-up card he likes. They are asked to remember their selection, and the deck is closed and turned face-down.

The Red Kings are brought into play, and somehow manage to cause a card to appear between them. This card is shown to have a different coloured back to the rest of the deck. When it is turned face-up, it proves to be the very card the spectator touched moments before!

To prevent this 'odd' card ruining the deck, the red Kings are now used to change the odd card to match the rest of the deck, leaving the entire deck as a normal deck, which can now be used in any other routines.

You will need a Blue backed deck, and a Red backed King of Diamonds. Place the Blue backed King of Diamonds on top of the deck (to keep it out of the way for now). Place the Red backed King of Diamonds about 10 cards from the face of the deck, and the Blue backed King of Hearts about 20 cards from the face of the deck. You are now ready to perform. (If you don't want to perform this as opening effect, simply Gambler's Cop the Red Backed King when you are ready, and add it to the face of the deck. It is now a simple matter to move the required cards into position ready for the effect).

Working

1. Turn the deck face-up and spread through it, out-jogging the two Red Kings as you come to them. Be careful not to expose the back of the King of Diamonds as you do this. Strip out the out-jogged Kings and flash the back of them before placing them face-up on the table. Again, be careful that the cards are fairly square so as to avoid showing the odd backed King.

2. Spread the remainder of the deck face-up between your hands and have a spectator touch any card they like, have them remember this card. Close the spread, but hold a little finger break below their face-up selection. Turn the deck face-down, performing a Turnover Pass at the break. The spectators selected card is now on top

Richard James

of the face-down deck.

3. Pick up the Red Kings, and flip them face-down on top of the deck. Riffle the cards, and spread off the top three cards into your right hand. This will display a Red Backed Card in between two Blue backed cards. Place the deck face-down onto the table and transfer the three card spread into your left hand, out-jogging the odd backed card in the process. This frees up your right hand, which now Ribbon-spreads the deck face-down across the table - showing that there is only ONE odd backed card in the deck.

4. Take the fan of cards back into your right hand. Your right hand holds a fan of three cards; the centre (odd backed) card of the fan is out-jogged (Fig.1).

Fig.1

You will now perform Ken Krenzel's modified handling of Trevor Lewis's Monte switch as follows:

Your left hand grips the bottom two cards of the fan, fingers on top, thumb underneath (Fig.2a). Turn your left hand palm up, which will turn the cards it holds face-up - end over end away from you. At the same time, push your left thumb towards the right and pull your left fingers towards the left. This will switch the positions of the two cards, but still leave one of them out-jogged. As this is being done, your right hand simply turns palm down and places its card face up on top of the cards in your left hand (Fig.2b).

Fig.2a Fig.2b

Your left hand now holds all three cards face-up, and the spectators selected card is out-jogged in the centre of the fan. You have apparently shown that the odd backed card is the one that the spectator touched.

5. Of course, having an odd backed card in the deck isn't of much use to you. So, you offer to change it so that it matches the rest of the deck. As you mention this, you

Richard James

briefly flash the back of the spectator's selection as follows. Take the fan of cards into your right hand. Your left hand grips the bottom two cards of the fan, fingers on top, thumb underneath (Fig.3a). Turn your left hand palm up, which will turn the cards it holds face-down - end over end away from you. At the same time, pull your left fingers towards the left and push your left thumb towards the right. You have again switched the positions of the two cards, and the odd-backed card is out-jogged (Fig.3b). Use the King in your right hand to tap the back of the odd backed card before reversing the above sequence to return all cards face-up into your right hand with the selection out-jogged as before (Fig.3c).

Fig.3a Fig.3b Fig.3c

6. You will now change the back of the 'selected' card to match the rest of the deck. Let the selected card slide out of the fan, face-up onto the table. Switch the positions of the Kings by placing the King of Diamonds onto the King of Hearts and flip both cards face-down into your left hand. Pick up the selected card and slide it face-up in between the two face-down Kings, being careful not to flash the odd coloured back.

You now perform the Ellis Stanyon Three-as-Three Count to display the selected card between two face-down Blue backed Kings, as follows:

a) Hold the left edge of the cards between your left thumb and fingers as if you were about to perform an Elmsley Count. On the count of one, peel off the top face-down king into your right hand.

b) On the count of two, the King is returned to the bottom of the cards in the left hand, and the top two cards are immediately pushed off (just as in a Jordan count).

c) Finally, on the count of three, the single king in your left hand is placed on top of the cards in your right hand.

7. Make some kind of magical gesture. Now, flip all three cards over into your left hand and immediately spread them, showing two face-up Red Kings with a face-down Blue backed card between them. The spectators selected card now has a Blue back just like the rest of the deck.

To clean up, let the selected card slide out face-down onto the table. Square up the two Kings and flip them face-down into your left hand (A blue back will show). Finally, add the two Kings to the bottom of the deck as you scoop it up from the table. The odd backed King is now the bottom card of the face-down deck in your left hand.

At this point most spectators will want to turn over the face-down card on the table to make sure that it is indeed their selected card. As they do this, you have all the time in

Richard James

the world to Gambler's Cop the odd backed King into your left hand and ditch it into your pocket as you place the deck on the table.

I normally like to give the deck a quick shuffle at this point, as the two Red Kings are not together on the bottom of the deck as they should be. Now, if the spectator wants to examine the deck he can. He will find nothing more than a standard 52-card deck, and you are ready to move on to your next miracle.

Iain Girdwood

Total Recall

Iain Girdwood

A spectator cuts and shuffles the deck. You take the cards and spread through them once, stating that you will endeavour to memorise the colour order of the cards. You hand the deck back to the spectator, face down. You now call out the colours one by one, while the spectator verified each by dealing the cards face up into a pile, "Red, Black, Black, Red...etc..." until the complete deck is dealt. You are 100% correct!

This combines the Gilbraith Principle with binary and allows you to genuinely memorise the order of a shuffled 48 card deck, while only needing to remember one six-digit number! Once you learn this, you can easily extend it to include the additional 4 cards required for a full 52-card deck.

I was with Iain the night he worked this out - about 12 years ago. He did it for me then explained the arithmetic behind it. I then tried it and was able to remember all 48 cards on my first attempt. This is coming from someone who has difficulty remembering a couple of key cards in location tricks! I tell you this to demonstrate that this is nowhere near as complicated to do as it might read.

Working

Remove the four Aces from your deck - or any two blacks and two reds - then arrange the remaining 48 cards in alternating colour order: red / black / red / black - etc.

1. Invite a spectator to give a deck a few straight cuts, then take the deck face down and split it into two roughly equal halves - ensuring that the bottom card of each half is a different colour (See end notes).

The spectator now Riffle Shuffles both halves together and squares the deck.

2. Explaining that you will now try to memorise the cards, you take the deck and hold it face up in dealing position. You will now deal/count the cards into your right hand, reversing their order, and "think" as follows:

First we use basic binary: 1 - 2 - 4 - 8. For those not familiar with binary, using these four numbers we can make any number from 1 to 15, without having to use any number twice. In this trick, we only need to make the numbers 1 to 9. Anything more than 9 will be represented by letters, a, b, c, d, e, f where:

a = 10 b=11 c=12 d=13 e=14 f=15 (more later).

Because we are using Gilbraith, every pair of cards counted from the face of the deck will consist of one red and one black. That much is definite. The only unknown factor is the order of any given pair. A pair can either be red/black -

Iain Girdwood

or black/red.

If you remember this simple rule: RED is ON. In the following description I will refer to BLACK as OFF. But in actual performance, you will automatically ignore black cards. An automatic filter kicks in and you only see REDs as you will find out once you understand the procedure.

Although you count the cards from hand to hand in a steady tempo, you think of the cards as pairs while you count. Once you have counted 4 pairs (8 cards) you will have a final number (or letter) for this group and this single number/letter will tell you the colour order of all eight cards! Here's what you do:

FIRST PAIR

With the deck face up in left dealing grip, note the colour of the first card, then count two cards singly into your right hand - RED is ON. So, if the first card of this pair is RED (on), remember the number "1" (first number in binary sequence 1-2-4-8). If the first card is black (off), don't remember anything. Let's assume the first card was red and you are now remembering the number 1.

2ND PAIR

Immediately note the colour of the new face card (first card of next pair), then count off another two cards singly onto the first. If first card is ON (red) - you remember the next binary number 2 (1-2-4-8) and add the previous number 1 to give you a running total of 3. If the first card in the pair is OFF (black), add nothing more. We will assume that this 2nd front card was red. So you are now remembering the running total of 3.

3RD PAIR

Again you note the colour of the new face card, then count off another two cards singly onto the others. If it's ON (red) you remember the number 4 (third number in binary sequence 1-2-4-8) - then instantly add that to your running total. In this case you would add 4 to 3 = 7. If the first card in the pair is OFF (black), add nothing more and just remember 3. We will assume that this 3rd front card was black. So you ignore that pair and add nothing to your running total - you still remember 3.

4TH PAIR

Note the colour of the new face card and count off two more cards singly to complete your first 8-card group. Following the same rules as before, note if the first card is ON. If it is you immediately assign the 4th binary number 8 (1-2-4-8) and add this to your running total = 11. If it's OFF add nothing. Let's assume it's off, so you finish with the number 3.

OK - let's pause right here. If you understand how this eight-card packet works, you will understand everything, because all you do is continue counting through the deck doing the exact same for each ensuing group of 8 cards. So,

Iain Girdwood

what does the number 3 tell us?

1 - 2 - 4 - 8

The number 3 is represened in the above binary as 1 + 2. 1 and 2 are the first two numbers in the binary sequence. Therefore - that tells us that the first two pairs were both ON. Meaning.....the first cards in each of these pairs were RED. WE, therefore, also know from that that the first cards in each of the other pairs must have been BLACK. From that we must conclude that the order of the first 8 cards must be:

RED/black - RED/black - BLACK/red - BLACK/red.

_________________________________________-

In the end, you will remember 6 single digits - these obviously represent the 6 x 8-card groups that make up your deck. This is simply stored in your memory like a phone number.

WHAT if your running total for any 8-card group finishes NOT with a single digit? WE don't recommend that you try to remember two-digit numbers mixed with single-digit numbers. That's too much like real memory work! So, if your running total finishes higher than 9, you assign the first 6 letters of the alphabet to the numbers, as follows:

If your final total is 10. Assign the letter A to that and remember that as part of your 6-digit number.

11 is remembered as B. 12 is remembered as C. 13 is remembered as D. 14 is remembered as E. 15 is remembered as F.

Finally, if every pair is OFF (no reds on face of pair), remember this is the number 0 (zero).

___________________________________________

Once you get the hang of this and can remember the cards with confidence and without any undue thinking, you can try it with a full deck of 52 cards. To do this, you count 48 cards as above, then simply remember the order of the final four. I find it quite difficult to remember the final 4 cards on top of the 6-digit number.

End Notes

If you would prefer to allow the spectator to divide the deck for the Riffle Shuffle, you can use the following Tom Ransom ploy. The only negative aspect here is that you need to look at the faces and cut the deck after the

Iain Girdwood

shuffle. While this trick is all about you looking at the faces of the cards, a cut might give the impression that you are rearranging the cards to help you in your task (though there is a chance you may not need to do anything).

a) Give the deck to a spectator and invite him to give it a few straight cuts.

b) Now tell him to give the deck one Riffle Shuffle.

c) Pick up the deck and hold it face up. Casually glimpse the rear card. If this card is the same colour as the face card, you don't need to do anything further. You can proceed with Instant Recall. If it's not the same colour, you need to casually spread the cards and look for any pair of cards of the same colour together - then cut the deck between them, so one ends up on the face and the other at the rear. This sets the deck and you can proceed.

Val Le-Val

New Wave Oil & Water

Val Le-Val

This routine comes straight out of Val's popular lecture. It is different to the normal 'Oil and Water" presentation in as much that it uses cards with the letters "O" and "W" printed on them as opposed to ordinary playing cards (you cannot use playing cards for this unless you openly employ duplicates), and the separation occurs one card at a time.

Showing four "W" cards and four "O" cards, you place three Oil cards face down on the table, and the last Oil card face up on top. Spreading the four Water cards face down in your hand, you pick up one of the Oil cards place it face down into the centre of the fan then close it. You give the cards a wobble and the Oil card floats to the top of the Water. This card is placed on the table face up, then you count the Water cards face-up in your hand to prove you still have four cards.

You now repeat this effect with the remaining two face down Oil cards, each time the cards mysteriously float to the top of the Water and you clearly show that you only have four Water cards throughout.

Requirements

Eight blank faced cards. Either use a marker pen, or letter stickers, place a large letter O on the faces of four of the cards, and a large letter W on the faces of the other four cards.

Working

1. To begin: turn the cards face up and place the four Oil cards on top of the four Water cards.

Spread the packet to show four OIL and four WATER cards, as you square up the fan hold a pinkie break under the first WATER card (5th card from face of spread). Close the spread picking up the first WATER card under the OIL cards, move your hands slightly apart so it can be seen that you have two packets of cards, one in your left hand and one in your right. Using the packet in your right hand flip over the WATER cards, then flip over the OIL cards on

Val Le-Val

top.

At this point you should have from top to bottom face down - 1 WATER / 4 OIL / 3 WATER.

2. Deal the first three cards, one at a time, onto the table face down without flashing the first one, and deal the last card face up as shown below.

Keep the other four cards in your hand, (which should be face down from the top 1 OIL, and 3 WATER).

Main Sequence

1. Fan the four face down cards in your hand then pick up the top face up OIL card from the table. Turn it face down and place this card in the centre of the fan in the hand, then close the fan. Give a little wobble of the hand then flip over the top card - Oil floats to the top.

Deal the top card onto the table face up beside the other face up OIL card. Turn the remaining cards in your hand face up and Elmsley Count to show you still only have four water cards.

2. Repeat step 1 with the next card.

3. Pick up the last card (be careful not to flash this one as it is a WATER card, ) and repeat the same sequence, including the Elmsley Count to maintain uniformity.

Finally deal the four WATER cards face up on the table to finish.

David Walsh

Walkaround

David Walsh

This four-minute routine requires a normal deck of cards, a marker pen, a card to wallet and a jacket with a left inside and a right outside pocket. At the end I'll add some notes about how I do this without a jacket on.

The wallet is in the left inside jacket pocket and set in position to be loaded from the right palm, the pen is also in the same pocket. Easy access is needed to the pen, so it's nice if it is clipped on where you know exactly where to find it when need be. The cards are in hand.

Working

If I'm working a banquet, or party, I tend to have enough (plus more) red spot cards in my breast jacket pocket to do the night. This way when I go to a table, or group, I can give one out to be signed for use and have a full deck to work with all night. I picked up this useful tip from Paul Green.

1. On approaching the table, or group, the person to your immediate left is given a card from the breast pocket (if not they can choose a card from the deck), before anyone can make any comment about it not coming from the deck they are handed the pen to sign the face of the card. They are asked to sign as big as they can so as the people at the other side of the table can see it. They are also told that it comes from a different pack and that there is another in the deck exactly the same. This justifies them signing for you and them signing justifies that the card from the pocket is being fairly used.

The next action should be carried out depending on the person's signing actions. Sometimes they go straight into signing and have it done by the time you have said it, sometimes they give you every attention and wait the few seconds for you to finish explaining first. If they wait, you don't want any dead time, as they start to sign it spread through the cards and show the matching card from the deck (to everyone else) illustrating what you just told them. It is played by ear depending on the time taken, if it's really quick it's still nice to spread the cards to offer a bit of action to illustrate the point, it adds in making sure it is clear from the start that it isn't an issue.

The pen is retrieved and replaced in the inside pocket. As this is done the person who signed is asked to show the card to everyone, if there is anyone in conversation at the other side of the table I always ask them to show these people in particular, it completes the beginning of gaining attention that is about to be reinforced.

2. The card is retrieved and an action of multiple purpose is used. The card is taken back as you announce that you are about to tell the audience what you mean to do before you do it, additions such as doing something no other magician has done before can also be added if character permits. Whatever is said should be enough to ensure full attention from everyone, care was taken to get it, this ensures keeping it.

They are told that you are going to put the card deep down into the deck, the deck is held up at shoulder height, the card in the right hand is pushed in from the top (front short end) for half its length. The right hand now mimes pushing the card down square to illustrate. It then points to the right jacket pocket (don't show it empty just yet) as you

David Walsh

continue to tell that you will then pull it from the pocket, signature and all.

People's eyes light up here, they get alert and comprehensive. You ask them if they will be impressed, then build their expectations up a little by telling them they have to promise that they will be impressed. When they are satisfied (don't push it for heavy confirmation or anything) that they would be impressed by this feat make it clear you are about to do it - turn around facing away from them, then take the card out and place it under the top two cards of the deck and get a little finger break under it as you do.

Mimicking the action of possibly being up to a different piece of foolery; let your hand move down to your right jacket pocket; place it inside as you start to turn around to face them, removing it as you face the front.

Some may prefer to act up the sneakiness of this action, some could stand up straight and casual as they turn around pleasantly smug and cheekily with an air of "and I got you to promise you'd be impressed with this." It's catching them out, or fooling them if you like - it's used light heartedly and if it's played right they find it funny.

I've used both, and other ruses, I tend to play it as I feel at the time.

3. Turn the top three cards over as one showing the signed card. Tell them you never did it and laugh along with them, telling them it was a bad joke - adding that your mother warned you to stick to the magic.

Turn the triple face down and pull out the right hand pocket showing it to be empty. This offers time misdirection between turning the triple face down and removing the single card from the top to be placed in the middle in a second. It also lets you show the pocket empty for more of what is to come soon.

The pocket is tucked back in and the top card is removed and placed in the middle of the front short end of the deck for half its length. Narrate this action pointing out that you will do as promised, push the card in flush so that everyone can see the fairness (don't flash the face of course). Pause curiously; ask if anyone counted how far down in the deck it went. As you speak, spread over the top few cards of the deck as if to illustrate the counting, then catch a break under the top two cards as you square up. Upon a negative response, turn a double face up showing it to be on top, then turn it face down again.

Tell them you will do it again with a request that someone estimates the position this time. Remove the top card again, as before place it in the middle of the deck at the outer end. To their amusement, ask how many cards down they counted. Whatever the response turn a single card face up and show it on top.

4. Under the reaction get a left little finger break above the bottom card; take the deck from above in the right hand and take over the break with the right thumb. You now carry out a Tom Ellis sequence called 'Super Rise' (Pallbearer's Review, April 1974).

Swing-cut the top half of the deck into the left hand and then thumb off the top, face-up, card to the right as though dealing. The right hand packet is placed under this side-jogged card and it is used to flip it face down on the left hand portion (Fig.1). As a continuing action the right half rests on top of the left half but in-jogged for half its length (Fig.2), the right hand pushes forward bringing its half square with the left hand

David Walsh

portion below, the tip of the right second finger presses on the top card of the left half causing it to slide forward until positioned out-jogged for half its length (Fig.3).

Fig.1 Fig.2 Fig.3

The right thumb still holds its break at the rear; it holds position above the card above the out-jogged card (signed selection). The left little finger moves into this break pulling everything below it down as the left hand turns palm down showing the face of the signed selection, the left first finger reaches out and pulls the card square with the deck (Figs.4a & 4b) - it goes secretly to the second position from the top of the packet. As it squares the card, the hand returns palm up and instantly pushes the top card off to the right as though dealing.

Fig.4a Fig.4b

The right half is still held from above. The right first finger lifts up the top half of this portion at the outer end which is brought towards the side-jogged card on the left portion. It takes it into the gap from its inner right corner (Fig.5). The right hand moves forward until the card sits square at the front and rear but is side-jogged for half its width (Fig.6).

Fig.5 Fig6

The right hand continues the motion as it extends to the person on the left who is asked to push the card square.

David Walsh

As they do this, the left hand raises to the mouth, the left thumb pushes the top card between the lips where it hangs face out with their signature on show. Immediately the left hand is again lowered, it is brought below the level of the other portion. Very openly the right hand portion is dropped onto the left portion. A pause is made and then the right finger is slowly pointed up towards the mouth, their attention is drawn with it and the reaction is big when they see the card.

NOTE: By working to the person on your left, you will cover all other angles thus enhancing the probability that the rest of your audience will not see the card being placed in your mouth as all attention is being directed towards the deck.

5. The next move is to switch the card in the mouth for the one on top of the deck, I use a move based on Roy Walton's "Seconds In." I call it Seconds in and Over, if you know this move I think you may like to use it here. If not, and to save on additional long descriptions you can use a standard Top Change, which works perfectly well and the natural misdirection is more than ample.

As the audience react and you react with them, the card is removed from the lips by the right hand. It is casually lowered to be level with the deck and the Top Change is done.

6. The person on the right is asked to be of assistance. The top card is held face down in the right hand, the person is asked to cut the deck in the left. As soon as they cut turn directly back to the person on the left creating distance between the supposed signed selection in the right hand and the half that actually has the card on top that the person cut from the deck.

The top card of the portion in the hand is pushed off for half its width. The card in the right hand is placed in the middle from the front end for half its length. As you slowly push it square point out that if you were to do it this way it would be impossible to make it jump to the top. As they agree turn the top card face up showing an indifferent card and pointing out that it would be impossible because, "This is the bottom half!"

I find it aids the flow of the routine to offer a bit of direction to the person holding the top half; if left to their own devices they often turn the portion face up and look at the bottom card. Their mind has, by now, been manipulated more than it likely has been in their entire life, it can't really be expected to function correctly on its own. I believe if something goes wrong, or isn't as good as it could be then it's the performers fault anyway. Proper direction takes care of it, it's simply a matter of while pointing out that this person holds the top half you add that on top of this half is the actual top card.

I find it gets the desired result and doesn't cause you any need to break the flow (which is normally aided by others) explaining that it's the bottom of their half they are looking at. This can make them feel a little stupid anyway, so even with flow reasoning aside it is good to eliminate the possibility.

This gets a massive response, and you must wait till it settles before offering the next direction, with their head in the state it is left in here they wont function properly, timing is crucial.

7. As they begin to relax, tell them you will do it again. Ask them to keep the half they cut but to return the signed card. By now they will have started to recover from the previous surprise. Care was taken to time the previous direction to be understandable,

David Walsh

but they still won't be functioning at full awareness yet; this is taken advantage of here. The signed card is shown around to all in the right hand, it is lowered face down and the person is asked to make sure it isn't on top of their half, as they look you do a Top Change and state that of course it can't be as you have it here.

As you tell them this, push it again face down into the front of the portion you hold.

The full action is very convincing; in their mind it is definitely the signed card going into the deck. As it goes in square spread the top of the deck a little saying that there is no point in counting how many cards down it is, as the spread is closed get a break below the top three cards. Tell them there is no point in even looking at the top one as it is only the top of the bottom half, illustrate this by turning the top three cards over as one showing a different card. Also point out that they just checked the top of their half, this is usually enough (or close to enough) of a cue for them to look again, if not tell them to check again. Either way, as they look in anticipation you turn the triple face down above the deck and simply place them into the right hand palm position. Let the hand travel towards the right jacket pocket as you tell them you know it isn't there, you also remind them that at the start you promised to make it go to your pocket. As you are saying this, the hand should have entered the pocket. It is timed so as when you finish speaking they will look down and see your hand coming back out, leaving the two lowest cards of the triple behind and bringing out only the top card, the signed selection.

This is of course shown around to all.

8. This is another moment when you have to wait a little for the audience to settle down, once they do you tell them to watch real close. You move the right hand up the left arm with the card in view, you move it across the shoulders, then down the right side of the body and slowly place it in the pocket (it is important to remember where you put it, I always make it the card closest to my body). Completely remove your hand telling them to watch closer as you will again do it at full speed. Take the portion of the deck back form the person holding it and place it on your half, again place the hand in the pocket removing an indifferent card (back out) and place it in the middle of the deck from the front end. Push it square then repeat the previous hand movements without a card in hand, reach into the pocket and again remove the signed card showing it face out to all.

Push the signed card into the centre of the deck as before, leaving it outjogged for half its length. Start to push the card into the deck, catching a break below it. As you do so, begin to turn to the person on your left - take this excellent opportunity to execute a Classic Pass - while you ask the spectator to reach into your pocket and remove the card that has travelled in an instant. As they do you turn further to your left to give easier access to the right hand pocket. As they reach in they feel a card and remove it in great anticipation. As they do this you have your right hand over the deck in your left hand, two cards are riffled off from the bottom of the deck and the right thumb is inserted deep into the break that has been created at the inner short end. The full deck (minus the two cards below the thumb and of course the indifferent card being removed from the pocket) is held in the right palm by aid of the right thumb.

The second they remove the card, and their hand becomes free from your pocket, smooth and casually swing back round to face full front letting the right hand take the palmed deck to the right jacket pocket, it enters the pocket leaving all the cards in there except for one that it comes back out with. This is done as you are offering your full attention (as is everyone else) to the card that they just removed, you point out that it isn't the right one, the timing should be good so as when you say this you are bringing

David Walsh

out that other card ready to say that it isn't that one either. They are handed this card to hold, your right hand returns to the pocket removing a pile of around half a dozen cards while pointing out that it isn't one of them, these are handed over too. A bigger pile of fifteen to twenty cards are then removed as before, finally the rest of the deck comes from the pocket.

All this time the double in the left hand is being held square, it is tilted down to hide the sides that aren't there and the first finger aids in shielding the front edge too.

After all the cards have been removed from the pocket you gather everyone's attention as soon as possible, tell them you know what happened, tell them that their card was the only one that stayed. On this turn the double face up in the left hand as one card.

9. The reaction at this point is usually massive, through this reaction an Erdnase Palm Change is done to steal the signed card in the right palm. There is plenty of misdirection for this, the idea is that the left hand holds the double card in the normal position for the change, and the right hand steals the face card as it adjusts the position of the other one in the left hand. It tilts its rear short end up so as the left thumb can adjust to hold its face as the fingers adjust to hold the back that is on view to the audience.

The left hand that holds this card then also holds open the left side of the jacket, the right hand reaches in and starts to load the card in the wallet, it comes out with the pen which is held up as a point of focus as you wait for the reaction to settle. Say that you will tell them how you did it. Pause as though preparing for rotten tomato's. Pantomiming, "cautiously" tell them you used a magic marker. Accept any groans, as you replace the pen, if you went the "my mother told me to stick to the magic" route at the start use it again reminding them that you told them she did.

As the pen is replaced the card may be loaded a little further, tell them there was reason for your bad joke, tell them that you are about to do your big finish and that in contrast to the lame joke it becomes even better than it already is.

It does actually do this, it also gets a giggle in telling them, but more importantly it lets them know you are about to be finished and you are going out with a bang.

I always found leaving a group harder than joining one; I find preparing them for it makes this a whole lot easier on me.

Place the indifferent card, that you hold in your hand, in among the others being held by the person holding them. As you do this begin to square them up as you take them back. Point out that you don't need their card any more as it is being lost among the others. This combined with the full thing about it being the only card to have stayed previously is very convincing in that it is their card. Go on to mention that you don't actually need any of the cards and put them away in your pocket. With both hands out free and openly in view tell them that the big finish doesn't use the cards, it uses your wallet. Reach in with an obviously empty right hand and finish the loading of the card as you remove the wallet. Tell them that it doesn't really use the wallet, just something you keep inside, slowly open the wallet revealing the signed card sealed inside, the card is of course left with the person who signed it as a souvenir.

End Notes

David Walsh

I use Steve Draun's 'Real Man's Wallet,' - if you have a zipped compartment, a sealed envelope, both or whatever, you know what to do here. Just do whatever is necessary for the wallet in question. With the wallet I use, and many others, it is very easy to reset as it is replaced in the pocket for the next showing. The cards are of course in a different pocket and just need removed ready for the next group, so there isn't any real re-set work needing done between groups or tables. At the end of the routine you finish with your hands empty, so if you like to approach a table with empty hands it is good, as is if you like to do a visual introduction effect as you approach a table.

Without a jacket I just use the right trouser pocket for the Homing Card phase (original version of which was created by Francis Carlyle and can be found in Stars of Magic) and the left trouser pocket for the wallet and pen. Instead of doing the Erdnase Palm Change I return the double face down on the left hand, it's all through a reaction anyway, I tilt the top card of the double upright with the back on view and leave the signed card in a left hand gamblers cop position. It loads to the wallet in the left trouser pocket as the pen is removed as normal.

David Forrest-1

Eight of Two Kinds

David Forrest

This is a somewhat flashy production of Four Kings and Four Aces. A shuffled deck is cut into four packets. The top card of each pile is turned over to reveal a King. The new top cards of each pile are turned over to reveal the Aces.

I recently watched Harry Lorayne on a recent TV appearance. He performed a trick whereby he cut to four Kings, gathered up the deck, shuffled it again and then produced the four Aces with a series of ‘flourishy’ moves. I thought it was a great trick and it got me thinking that it would be nice if you didn’t have to gather up the packets again, the effect being that you cut directly to the four Kings and the four Aces at the same time. The end result is in fact an entirely different effect but Harry’s routine was my inspiration so credit must go to Mr. Lorayne.

There is a set up so it may be most suitable as an opener but you could have the eight card stack latent in the deck as you perform other effects that don’t require the Kings or Aces and when you wish to perform this effect, cut it into position. Either way, the set up from the top of the deck down is as follows:

King, King, Ace, Ace, King, King, Ace, Ace

I don’t bother with any particular order but I’m sure it would be a simple matter to arrange it so that each Ace appears on the same pile as its counterpart King. If you ask me, this is the sort of thing you’d have to point out to an audience and I don’t think it would be worth the extra effort. Apart from anything else, it may suggest to an astute audience that the cards had been set up to bring about this result.

Working

1. Introduce the effect as you patter about the game of Poker. (Interest in Poker within the UK has risen significantly in recent times so the topic is far more relevant now than it has been in the past.)

“Anyone here play Poker? Obviously you know that some cards are more desirable than others and what’s even more desirable is to be able to control such cards to known positions in the deck. This type of activity is practised by some fairly unscrupulous characters, the likes of which may be found in your typical ‘back room’ game. I don’t cheat when I play cards, (pause and smile)…honestly! But, let me demonstrate the type of thing that the ‘back room’ card sharp would never reveal to you.”

While I say this I’m continuously false shuffling the cards. I use a simple overhand jog shuffle retaining the stack on top followed by some tabled riffle shuffles, again leaving the stack on top. Any fancy false cuts may also be used as they fit the patter theme nicely.

2. When you are ready to begin, gain a left pinkie break under the top four cards. The right hand grasps the deck from above (Biddle Grip) and the break is transferred to

David Forrest-1

the right thumb. Every move to follow should flow together elegantly. The palm up left hand will come under the deck and the left fingers break off about a quarter of the cards from the bottom of the deck and move the packet off to the left. As it does, the left thumb drags the top card of the deck onto this packet, as in a slip cut Figs. 1 & 2.

Fig.1 Fig.2

Immediately, the left hand comes back under the deck and breaks off another quarter. The left pinkie holds a break between this packet and the first packet that was taken by the left hand. Now the left thumb contacts the inner left corner of the three card packet above the right thumb break (there were four cards above this break originally but you slipped one onto the first packet) and swivels them onto the left hands cards, the small packet pivoting around the right middle finger at the front of the deck. See Figs 3a, 3b & 3c below for this series of actions.

Fig.3a Fig.3b Fig.3c

3. At this moment each hand holds approximately half the deck. The right hand comes over to a spot on the table at your left and performs a one handed slip cut, forming packets A & B. Packet A comprises the upper half of the right hands cards minus the top card which has been slipped to the top of packet B during the cut.

Now the right hand comes over to the left hand and lifts off all the cards above the pinkie break. This packet is deposited by the right hand at position C. The right hand now comes back and takes the remaining cards from the left hand and deposits this packet at position D.

If you now look at the top cards of each packet you will see that they are the four Kings. You must reveal them in a specific way in order to cover a discrepancy that will occur when you come to reveal the Aces. The left hand lifts off the top card of packet A as the right hand lifts off the top card of packet C. Both cards are snapped face up simultaneously and placed face up in front of their respective packets. The left hand now lifts off the top card of packet B as the right hand lifts off the top card of packet D. Again, they are snapped face up and placed in front of their respective packets, both at the same time.

David Forrest-1

During the above, you have continued saying:

“So, if I were to take a thoroughly shuffled deck like this and cut it into one, two, three, four packets (as you deposit the packets in their positions on the table) nothing would immediately strike you as being untoward. Everything so far appears fair and above board. But, if I were then to show you that I have actually controlled the one, two, three four Kings (as you display the Kings atop each packet) to the exact positions I required you may very well take your money and leave then and there…”

4. This will appear to be the end of the trick but in fact you have set up a kicker that is yet to be kicked. I first came across the following Ace revelation procedure in The Magic of Paul Harris in an effect called 'Silver and Aces'. Mr. Harris credits Neil Elias as the creator but other sources in which the move has appeared cite Frank Thompson as the originator.

There are two Aces atop packet A and two Aces atop packet C. The display that follows is a discrepant one, but it flies by everyone.

The left hand lifts off the top card of packet A as the right hand lifts off the top card of packet C as shown below (Fig.4).

Fig.4

Both cards are raised to eye level, backs towards your spectators and then snapped over, revealing the faces. The left hand places its Ace face up on top of packet B and the right hand places its Ace face up on top of packet D (Fig.5).

Fig.5

The left hand picks up the top card of packet A again as the right hand again picks up

David Forrest-1

the top card of packet C.

These cards are snapped face up and placed on top of their respective packets. There is now a face up Ace on top of each packet suggesting that this is where they actually came from.

The discrepancy is covered by lifting the first two cards up to eye level, taking attention away from the packets momentarily. Also it appears that you followed the same procedure as you did for the Kings. As you are displaying the Aces you have continued:

“…but if you did take your money and run you’d miss the round of applause I receive when I reveal that from the very same shuffled deck, I also controlled the one, two, three and four Aces! Now, anyone fancy a game of Poker?”

David Forrest-2

Skinned

David Forrest

This is a startling appearance of a signed card in an impossible location. The impossible location is a packet of cigarette papers. The papers disappear in a burst of flame, and a selected card appears in their place folded neatly inside the packet.

John Bannon has a burned and restored cigarette paper routine called 'Shriek of the Mutilated' in his book Impossibilia (page 128). In this effect, a piece of flash paper is introduced as a cigarette paper which I thought was a brilliant idea. I’ve always had a problem with flash paper in that it doesn’t seem to have any good reason for being introduced into a routine. “I will now wrap your coin inside this piece of paper!” Why? What is this mysterious paper? Of course the spectators questions are answered when the paper is ignited: “Oh, I see, it’s some kind of ‘magician’s paper’ that causes a flash when it is burned!” I don’t like ‘proppy’ things and flash paper, without proper context, is exactly that to my mind. John Bannon solved this issue for me with the cigarette paper idea. Now, you can introduce the flash paper without bringing any strange props into play. “I’ll wrap this coin up in…let’s see, one of these cigarette papers will do.” I think you see my point. Anyway, it is especially useful to me as I do actually ‘roll my own’. (I know it’s a disgusting habit, and I will stop soon, I promise.)

So, get yourself a packet of cigarette papers. You’ll be able to pull the packet apart very easily (see End Note). There is no glue or anything; it is simply folded together with ‘tuck in’ flaps (Fig.1). Take a duplicate of a card you will later force and fold it, concertina style, starting from one narrow end so that it ends up the right size to fit inside a cigarette paper packet (Fig.2). Make the folds firmly so that the card does not want to spring open quite so much. Now get a long strip of flash paper the same width as a cigarette paper and fold it concertina style too until it resembles a small packet of interlocked cigarette papers.

Fig.1 Fig.2

Reassemble the packet around the folded card allowing one end to protrude from the slit that dispenses the papers (Fig.3). Slip the flash packet into the slit of the reassembled cig paper packet. It does not go right inside the packet but is just tucked under one side of the slit.

David Forrest-2

Fig.3

When it comes time to reveal the card, open up the packet and hold it between thumb and middle finger on the narrow ends. Apply pressure between these two points and the packet will flair open a little. This will ensure that all the flash paper ignites. Light the flash paper and it will burst into flames. When the paper has burned out a card will be visible in the slit. Pull it out and reveal that it is the selected card.

I won’t describe an entire routine, I’m sure you’ll come up with your own ideas but I will make a few points:

You may choose to use the packet as an impromptu wand so that the cigarette papers are involved in the routine somehow.

The card in the packet can have a corner torn off which is then switched during the routine as added proof that it is the same card the spectator selected.

If you are a non smoker this revelation can lend itself to an anti-smoking theme because smoking paraphernalia is actually destroyed during the routine.

Finally, if you use a popular brand of papers you may come across an opportunity to switch your gimmicked packet for a genuine packet. This will obviously increase the impact significantly.

There you have it. I know it’s not the most practical of things, you have to make a new gimmick for every performance, but if you try it, I think you’ll be genuinely pleased by the appearance of the card in the packet. It looks very magical and gets big reactions.

End Notes

Some of the cheaper cigarette papers do not open from a pre-fold, but are glued together. Make sure you buy a well-known brand - RIZLA & Swann papers are ideal.

Peter Duffie-1

Finishing Touch

Peter Duffie

You invite a spectator to try his luck at finding four-of-a-kind, but he isn't allowed to see the faces of the cards! You spread the deck from hand to hand and the spectator touches any four cards - you outjog each card as it is touched. The four cards are cleanly removed and shown - they might be 10C, 3S, 7D & AC. "Not very good," you comment, woefully. But, with the cards remaining face up, you deal them onto the table, whereupon they are seen to have suddenly transformed into the four Aces, "Well, maybe you did better than we first thought!"

This is an improved handling for a previous effect of mine that was published as an additional phase (kicker) to a routine called "Collector's Seminar," that appeared in Pabular, Vol.5 - no.9 (Sept 1979). The almost visual change was created using Roy Walton's Snap Change from Some Late Extra Card Tricks. As a point of interest, Bro. John Hamman reinvented the same thing six years later, calling it, "Flash Poker," Richard's Almanac (Summer 1985). He also used it for a final phase!

In my original handling, you had to force one of the Aces. I did this by simply outjogging it first as if to demonstrate, saying, "I want you to touch some cards...when you do, I will push them out...like this." I would then leave it outjogged and have the spectator touch three more cards to make four in total. It worked fine for most of the time, but I did run into the occasional spectator who would question this ruse. That apart, it did irritate me that I couldn't offer a free selection of all four cards. I failed to solve the puzzle and so I moved on. It wasn't until Martin Breese released the Digital Pabular and I started perusing the magazine again that I was reminded of the problem! Luckily, a solution presented itself this time around. Plus, I was also able to add an improvement to the final stage. Rather than snapping a card to cause the packet to change, the cards appear to change as they are dealt to the table, without any apparent moves.

Working

1. Begin by secretly culling the four Aces to the top of the deck.

2. Spread the deck from hand to hand and invite a spectator to touch any four cards - outjog each card as it is touched. However, you leave the fourth card injogged slightly less than the others. (fig.1).

Fig.1

Peter Duffie-1

3. Close the spread. You now pivot the outjogged cards out of the deck, but as you do so, your left forefinger extends and pulls the fourth outjogged card flush with the deck (Figs 2a - 2b shows underview).

Fig.2a Fig.2b

Without hesitation, your left hand pivots the remaining three cards clockwise (Fig.3) and out of the deck. As you do this, secure a left little finger break under the top card of the deck (an Ace).

Fig.3

Place the pivoted packet on top of the deck (only for an instant) then flip over all four cards above the break (Figs 4a, 4b & 4c).

Fig.4a Fig.4b Fig.4c

4. Spread the four cards and pretend to be disappointed that the spectator failed to locate four-of-a-kind. As you make your comments, casually spread over three more cards (Fig.5).

Peter Duffie-1

Fig.5

Close the spread, catching a break below all seven cards. Then, immediately slide the packet to the right - the packet is held in right pinch-grip (Fig.6).

Fig.6

You will now finish by dealing the four face up cards to the table one by one. But, as you deal the top Ace, you will flip over all the other cards below it.

Look the spectator in the eye, saying your final line, "Well, maybe you did better than we first thought!" As you say this, do the following - a sort of Slow-mo Covered Walton Snap Change!:

Tilt the packet up so it becomes at right angles to the deck - while at the same time your right thumb pulls the lowermost card of the packet upwards (Fig.7a). In one fluent action, the block below the top Ace is flipped over onto the deck - this action is hidden by your right hand and the card it holds (Fig.7b & 7c) - the hand continues forward and deals the first Ace to the table. You then deal the remaining three Aces to conclude (Fig.7d).

Fig.7a Fig.7b

Peter Duffie-1

Fig.7c Fig.7d

Peter Duffie-2

52 Minus 1

(The Path of Least Resistance)

Peter Duffie

You invite two spectators (A & B) to participate in a psychic experiment. You hand a deck to spectator A and ask him to shuffle it. Meanwhile, both you and the other spectator turn your backs. Spectator A holds the deck face down and deals the cards into a face up pile on the table. At any point he deals one card face down, and continues dealing the rest face up on top.

You now ask spectator B to turn round (your back remains turned), pick up the deck and turn it face down and hold it. He is now to try to psychically imagine what card remains face up in the deck. He makes a guess then spreads through – if he’s right, you have a miracle. Otherwise, he (and the rest of the audience) notes the card then flips it face down.

You now turn round and take the deck then repeat what spectator A did. That is, you deal the cards face up into a pile and leave one card face down. You ask the spectators if they saw the card. They did not. The card is named and the face down card turned over to reveal the correct card. Are you psychic?

Working

Use a one-way deck and simply carry out the above procedure. The cumulative result of both spectator’s actions will leave the card reversed among the other 51 one-way backs. When you deal through, you simply watch for the reversed back design and that’s the card you deal face down.

A tip:

It may be advisable to have spectators deal some cards face up prior to this so you can be sure that the one you use to assist won’t turn the cards sideways. Most people will turn the cards in the manner of least resistance – end over end. The same applies to the 2nd spectator flipping the card over, in this case the card will most likely be flipped over sideways (Figs 1a & 1b).

Fig.1a Fig.1b

A 2nd Tip:

Peter Duffie-2

Should you deal through and find no reversed back design – have an Invisible Deck in your pocket. Explain that you have now picked up the vibrations from the deck in use as you bring out the ‘Invisible’ deck. Ask the spectator to name the card. Remove the deck from its box, saying it is a psychic prediction. Spread to show all face up except one face down card. Point out that this situation is an exact replica of what the spectator created a moment ago. Then reveal the correct card is the one reversed.

A Warning:

While it may be tempting to ask the second spectator to shuffle the deck after righting the reversed card, to do so causes unnecessary problems. If the selection finishes on top, or 2nd from top, you have no way of knowing unless you spread and look at the backs of the top three cards. If the deck has been shuffled, you MUST check every time to see if the selection is on top - or 2nd top. If it is in either of these positions, only by seeing the back of the 3rd card (or any other card for that matter) will you know which one is the selection. So, avoid having the deck shuffled. It's not needed because the whole thing is conducted with a freely shuffled deck to begin with.

Credits:

The procedure is based on Paul Curry’s “Open Prediction.” But that’s really where the similarity ends.

The above came about from a problem posed regarding getting a spectator to reverse a card in a one-way deck that appeared on Richard James’ Connoisseur Conjuring website.

Paul Wilson-1

Thinking Cap

R. Paul Wilson

This is a variation of Peter Duffie’s “Thoughts On The Bottom.” It dispenses with the Bottom Deal and replaces it with a simple addition from the top of the deck. The use of a marked card also makes the method almost sure-fire and allows the deck to be cut after the selection is made.

Working

1. Crimp or edge-mark a card and hand the deck out to be shuffled. Take back the deck and, if necessary, give it another shuffle and cut to place the edge mark near the centre of the deck.

Set the deck on the table so you can clearly see the edge mark.

2. Lift off about ten cards and show the face of the cut-off packet. Say that you want the spectator to cut the deck and remember the face card of the cards they cut off. Replace your packet and square the deck.

NOTE: If you remember the card you cut to, and can cut accurately, this added key card can be very useful in estimation effects like this one.

When they cut, most people will cut around the middle of the deck. You need to remember where they cut and the edge mark is very useful for this. I estimate how far above or below the edge marked card they cut and remember that.

You can now have the deck cut several times. The selection remains in the same place, in relation to your key card.

3. Take the deck and get a break around where you estimate the selection to be. Your break should be just above where you think their card is.

Perform a Pass so that the spectator’s selection is somewhere near the top of the deck (it should be one of the top five – plenty of leeway for the estimated cut).

4. Spread the cards face down between your hands and outjog a packet of about seven cards from the middle of the deck.

Square the deck into the left hand, retaining the outjogged packet. Raise the left hand presenting the face of the cards to the audience. With the right hand, fingers at the front of the cards (nearest the audience), thumb at the back, draw the packet up and out of the deck.

Paul Wilson-1

In a continuous action the right hand tables these cards face up and spreads them by drawing the cards towards you. The long edge of the packet is nearest you.

Ask if the spectator sees their card in this spread. They will not as it is still near the top of the deck.

The right hand now closes the tabled spread. The packet is not squared so much as closed. Remember the top, face up, card of this spread.

5. Repeat the above actions, outjogging five or six cards, but, this time, as the packet is removed, the right thumb contacts the top card of the deck and draws it up, behind the upjogged packet, secretly adding it to these cards (Fig.1a & 1b).

Fig.1a Fig.1b

This is why the left hand raises to present the face of the packet to the audience, completely concealing the right thumb’s action.

The right hand table’s these cards directly onto the cards already there and spreads the packet towards you.

You do not spread all of the cards but you do spread more than you just removed – about ten cards in total. This does two things: it looks as though you are giving them a larger group of cards to look through (and therefore finding the thought of card would be more difficult) and it centralizes the potential selection (the card drawn from the top of the deck) in the spread packet.

Ask if they see their thought of card. If they do not, repeat the removal/addition/spread sequence until they say that they do see their card. Each time you perform this sequence you must remember the face (top) card of the tabled packet as you lay new cards onto it. If they see their card it will be the card directly above the one last memorized.

Once the selection has been seen, pick up about ten cards from the top of the tabled packet and produce their card any way you wish.

End Notes

Paul Wilson-1

In recent years I have performed this as a poker effect. I have them select a card as described, then cut repeatedly while I look away. I now say that expert Poker players are able to determine WHEN you see a desired card in your hand or on the flop etc. But a real expert can identify exactly what card they are drawn to. For anyone familiar with the game of Poker, this presentation is very strong.

Paul Wilson-2

ConCam Cards

R. Paul Wilson

Three cards travel from one packet of cards to another. Both packets of cards are enclosed inside envelopes and held by spectators.

You need two letter sized, opaque envelopes and two people willing to watch a card trick.

Working

1. Remove the deck from its box and hand the cards to the spectator on your left for shuffling.

Hand the envelopes to the person on your right and ask them to ensure they are empty.

2. Take the deck and, showing your hands obviously empty, pass it to the person on your right. Do this with your left hand so your right can retrieve the envelopes as the deck is passed over.

Ask the spectator on your right to deal twenty cards into your left hand.

As they deal, make sure they count out loud and secure a left little finger break under the top three cards of the twenty when they are done.

You will now casually ask the spectator to return the balance of the deck to the card box. As you do this, your hands come together as you quickly locate the card box. The three cards above the break are secretly taken under the envelopes by the right fingers as the hands come together (Fig.1a & 1b).

Fig.1a Fig.1b

Table the envelopes to your right, with the cards underneath, as you turn to the spectator on your left and ask them what half of twenty is – they should reply “ten” or the rest of the trick will make no sense to them…

3. Perform a false count of your cards to show twenty cards and pass these to

Paul Wilson-2

your left.

4. Show your hands empty once more and ask for ten cards to be dealt onto your hand. As they start to deal – appear to change your mind and ask them to deal the cards one at a time onto the envelopes in front of the spectator on your right.

To do this I say “wait – I don’t want to touch them. Deal them here (point to envelopes) dropping the cards one a time as you count out loud…” The spectator will now clearly deal ten cards on the envelopes.

As soon as the tenth card is dealt, instruct the spectator on the left to hold their cards firmly then reach down and slide the envelopes out sharply from under the cards. You must lift the envelopes slightly to reduce friction on the cards underneath and the sudden leftward motion will cause the cards above to remain in place (Figs 2a & 2b). You just added the extra three cards.

Fig.2a Fig.2b

Hand one envelope to each spectator and have them place their cards into the envelopes and seal them.

All is ready. Mime moving three cards over and have the envelopes opened and the cards counted.

End Notes

Without the envelopes, simply palm three cards from the twenty dealt and hand the large packet to your left. Instruct them to deal half the cards (ten) into your left hand then add the palmed cards as you illustrate how to hold the cards. Hand your cards to your right and continue with the effect.

This “one palm” handling was the result of a problem I set myself when I started performing this trick for lay people. To reduce the number of moves further, I added the envelopes. The resulting addition is very fooling.

The key moments of the method are when you steal the three cards under the envelopes and when the envelopes are removed from under the pile of ten cards.

The first is covered as you instruct the spectator to put the cards away in the

Paul Wilson-2

box. I set the box to my right, near the table edge, so I have to look for it for a split second. If you don’t overdo this “where is it – oh it’s here” moment, the audience will never suspect the steal. If you ham it up, they will know something has happened.

Sliding the envelopes out is done casually, without importance. As soon as I have the envelopes I open them as I hand them over, showing that they are still empty. By now the audience and the spectators will be well aware that the envelopes are empty because I make a big deal of it at the start of the trick, before the cards are introduced.

This handling allows you to be very fair throughout the effect. In fact you only handle the cards once. If you ever find yourself forced into performing – borrow two envelopes and their deck of cards.

Dave Robertson

L.K.D. Monte

Dave Robertson

This is Dave's handling for the Trevor Lewis Monte move. Dave devised this handling back in the 70's just after the Lewis move was published. It's a hybrid between the Lewis original, and the Krenzel outjogged variation (see Richard James' Stranger elsewhere in this book for a description of the latter). In this version of Dave's the hands don't make such an extreme turning action in opposite directions. The cards are shown one by one, during which, the middle card is switched for the top card. You will really need to try this out in order to appreciate how effective it is. Dave fooled me with it when he first showed it to me.

Working

Remove the two red Aces and a black Queen. Place the Queen between the Aces and hold the packet face down in left hand dealing position.

a) With your left thumb push the top card to the right, then take this card with your right hand. Turn your right hand inwards to show the face of the cards - "Red Ace." (Fig.1)

Fig.1

b) Turn your hand back down again while your left thumb pushes over the next card - Queen. Take the Queen below the first card (Fig.2a) then turn your right hand again to show both the Ace and the Queen (Fig.2b & 2c).

"The black Queen."

Fig.2a Fig.2b Fig.2c

Dave Robertson

c) Now comes the crucial part of the whole sequence. Your hands are currently in the position shown in Fig.2c. Both hands will now act simultaneously as follows:

Your right hand will sharply turn palm up again as the thumb pushes the top card forward for half its length - at the same time - your left hand thumb digs under its card and flips it face up.

"And, lastly the other red Ace."

Figure 3 shows the outcome of these two actions. The sharp turn of the left hand card suddenly diverts the spectator's attention to the left hand. The timing is most important.

Fig.3

Finally turn the left hand Ace face down and place it on top of the other two cards leaving the apparent Queen outjogged in the middle (Fig.4),

Fig.4

End Notes

You can also use the paper-clip ruse with this Monte switch. I'm not sure who was the first to do this, but I first came across it in a Three Card Monte item published by Frank Garcia. Garcia placed the clip on the long side of the Queen. Then, holding the Queen and an Ace, and using a thumb-slide switch (like a Wild Card Switch) as he turned the two cards face down, the paper-clip secretly moved from the Queen to the

Dave Robertson

Ace. The exact same thing can be done with Dave's switch, too.

Attach a fairly large paper-clip to the outer end of the Queen (not the side). Do not push the clip fully onto the card - leave about 1/4 of the clip protruding at the front. Now do the move as described above and you will find that the paper-clip will automatically transfer itself from the Queen to the Ace.

The only thing you need to ensure is that the Ace (as in Fig.2c above) is injogged enough so that it does not lie on top of the clip. It must lie behind the clip so that it can move into the clip and then forward, taking the clip with it. A trial will show you what is required!