SELECTED CARD TRICKS Volume 1

CONTENTS A Restoration Is In Order A Thin Line Between Good and Evil A Visit to Boise Alarm Clock Back To The Future Bill and Card Prediction Blind-Sighted Boxed In Cartomancer's Delusion The Dos and Don'ts of Cheating Choice Cut Cloning The Aces Coincidental Detective Face-off Fooled-U! Forgettable Prediction Hand of Death, Sword of Justice Having Writ HaVoC A Restoration Is In Order
Effect: A card is selected (ex. 8S), signed, torn into fourths, and placed inside the box. Unfortunately, the classic torn and restored card effect doesn't work. On to another trick, a second card is selected and replaced in the deck (ex. JH). The deck is shuffled and cut, then spread face up and amazingly the deck is in new deck order, but one card is face down between the 10 and Q of hearts. There card must be the JH, but when you turn it over it's the signed 8S completely restored, the pieces in the box are removed and to everyone's disbelief it's the JH! Setup: One deck is in ace through king order alternating color suits. Remove one card from near the center (ex. JH) and place it on top. Corner crimp (downward) the 10H. Place a duplicate JH with matching back on top of the deck. This deck is in a left side pocket, while a marker is in a right side pocket. Another deck is on the table that you've

been performing with. This is in case you want to do the deck switch, if not just have the deck set up in order and your ready to go. Performance: Have this stacked deck in your left pocket, then while performing with another identical deck say "I guess we should do a signed card effect" then as you reach into your right pants pocket for a marking pen casually switch the decks in your left pocket. It doesn't matter how you do the deck switch, just make it effective. This is a simple deck switch idea, which should make this effect seemingly even more impossible. False shuffle and false cut the deck, then ribbon spread face down and have a card removed. This is a totally free selection. Now hand the spectator a pen and have them sign their name across the face of the card. While they are doing this, drop your hand to your side and secretly flip the top card of the deck face up using your leg for support, but keep the deck necktied. Get a break beneath this card then replace the signed selection (ex. 8S) face up on top of the deck. Bring the deck up to your mouth, and blow on it to help the card dry. Now lower your hands and show the card once more and rub it to subtely show that the signature will not rub off. Turn the double face down then tear the card (now JH) into four pieces then place them inside the card box. You tell them you are going to perform a classic in magic, the torn and restored card trick, except you'll use the card box as your "magic chamber." Shake the box, or use some magical gesture, then show that the card is still in pieces. "Oops, I guess that one needs a little more practice." (This psychologically implies to the spectators how incredibly difficult it is to perform this effect, which makes the ending that much more powerful!) Now, since that effect didn't work say you'll have another card selected and you'll try something else. Double cut the top card to the bottom of the deck, then perform a dribble force allowing them to select the JH. Now double cut the bottom card back to the top and tell the spectator to look at their card and show it to everyone. While their doing this very casually get a little finger break at your crimped card. Now turn away "because you don't want to see the card" and with this misdirection very quietly slip cut the top card into the center and you will lever it face up using the top packet. Now you have the signed selection between the 10H and QH face up in the deck. Have the JH replaced and control it to the top. Perform a couple false cuts, being sure not to prematurely expose your face up signed card. Make a magic gesture, then hold the deck face up in right hand biddle grip and slide the bottom card over to the right about 3/4 of an inch (this is covered by the back or your right hand) then spread the deck face up (now the extra JH is concealed under the spread) to show everything is now in new deck order. Patter, "Now not only is the entire deck in new deck order, but now there is one card face down, exactly between the 10H and the QH, which must mean your card was the JH, is that right. However, when you turn over the card it is now the first signed selection completely restored. Act surprised, then check the card box, open the case and slowly dump out the pieces, oh my it's the JH now completely torn into pieces! Take your well deserved bow.

A Thin Line Between Good and Evil

Effect: You explain to the spectator that there is a very thin line between good and evil and heaven and hell. A card is selected by the magi and the spectator. The spectator draws an angel on the face of their card and the magi draws a demon on the face of his/her card. The cards are lost back into the deck. The deck is cut by the spectator, the magi takes the top half face down and the spectator takes the bottom half turning it face up. Each packet is shuffled, then the spectator begins to deal their packet face up stopping when they deal their card on the table. The magi deals his/her packet face down one at a time along with the spectator, so they will stop at the exact same positions within their packet. When the magi turns his card face up it is seen to be his/her selected card at the same exact position in the packet as the spectators selected card. However, of course the line between good and evil is very thin, and everything that is evil has a little bit of good in it as well. The magi turns over his/her card to show the two angels on the back of the card (Bicycle deck) then the spectator turns their card over and to everyone's surprise, they are now staring at a red backed card with a demon drawn on the back that will send chills up their spines. Setup: 1 blue backed Bicycle deck of cards. Take a red backed card and draw a demon on the back of it (this is your force card, ex. 2H) and place it face up on the bottom of the deck. Remove the blue backed 2H from the deck. Performance: Remove any card from the deck as your selected card and draw a demon on the face of the card (ex. 9D). Now spread through the deck face down and have a spectator touch the back of any card. You will perform David Regal's "Isolated Force" from his book Close-Up and Personal. Upjog the card that is touched and then turn all the cards above the selected card face up, keeping them spread slighty, and then turn the cards below the selection face up as well (by keeping the top half spread a little it helps cover the reveresed card that shows on the bottom half when you turn them over). You can now spread the cards face up and display apparently one face down card among the face up cards. Now square the deck keeping the card upjogged. Lift off the top half of the deck and at the same time square the selection onto the bottom half. Place the top half off to the side and then turn the double face up, which swithces in the red backed force card. Have them draw an angel on the face of their card. (This is a great time to do this force because they definitely see a blue back on their card.) Now gather up the rest of the cards and hold the deck face up then get a break under the bottom card. Kick cut the top half and replace the two selections on top, and as you place the bottom half on top you will add the card at your break and then double cut everything at the break back to the face. Now turn the deck face down and double cut the bottom two cards to the top which places your selection on top and their selection on the bottom. Perform a riffle shuffle losing their card into the bottom half and keep your card on top. They now cut the deck in half and turn the bottom half face up, as they shuffle their packet you shuffle the top card of your face down packet to the bottom of the packet. Now as you both deal simultaneously, you watch their packet looking for their card. When you see them about

to deal their card to the table you get ready to perform a bottom deal from your packet (this is very easy because everyone's attention is on the face up cards being dealt anyway) which I do by buckling the bottom card and then simply reaching under and dealing it. This is really easy because the packet is thin, so do not worry about this move at all! Now just finish as in the "effect" portion and build it up as much as you'd like, your work is done from here on out, and there is still a lot of revelations!

A Visit to Boise
Effect: The four queens are placed face up on the table, separated in pairs by color. Jenny selects a card from the remainder of the deck, signs it and the inserts it face down between either pair of face up queens (well assume she chose the red queens). You fairly spread this packet to show there are only three cards, the two red queens and her selection. You give Jenny one last glimpse at her sandwiched card to dispel any doubts and then square the packet and table it. The two face up black queens are inserted together in the middle of one half of the face down deck, at a point of Jennys choosing. The packet is squared and tabled. You pick up the red queen packet, show the face down selection is still between the face up red queens, and square the packet. These three cards are placed in the middle of the second half-deck. After a magic gesture, you immediately spread this packet. In the middle, the face up red queens are seen. There are only the red queensthe selection has vanished! You ribbon spread the first half-deck across the table. Near the center are the face up black queens, but there is now a face down card between them! You allow Jenny to remove this face down card. It is her signed, chosen card! Method and performance: Remove the four queens from the deck (or better yet, precede this effect with one where you produce the four queens). Set the red queens face up to your right, the black queens to your left. Spread the deck between your hands, asking Jenny to remove any card from somewhere in the middle of the deck. Give her an opportunity to exchange it for a different card if she wants. When she has decided upon a card, cut the deck at the point where she removed her card. Table the upper half to your right and continue to hold the lower half in left dealers grip. Give Jenny a marker and ask her to sign her first name on the face of her card. Look away as she does this. In the meantime, push the top card of the packet in your hand to the right with your left thumb and then pull it back flush, getting a left pinky break below it. Ask Jenny to choose a pair of queens, red or black. Again, well assume she chose red. Instruct her to place her card face down between the face up red queens. Pick up this packet with your palm up right hand and fan it by pulling inward on the top card with your right thumb. Drop the fan on top of the half of the deck in the left hand, square it and lift all the cards above the break (the queens/selection sandwich and indifferent top card of the deck) in right Biddle Grip. The next sequence, which comes from Gary Ouellets Close up Illusions, is Garys handling of a Gerald Kosky move. Bring the packet over the deck such that the far end of the packet is about an inch and a half forward of the far end of the deck. Bring your

left thumb onto the face of the first queen, holding it in place (outjogged on top of the half-deck) as the right hand pulls the rest of the packet to the right. Peel the next card (face down selection) on top of the half-deck in the same manner, but this time injogged about a quarter of an inch. With the back of the right forefinger, push this card forward until it is flush with the half-deck. Place the double in the right hand on the half-deck as one card, injogged about an inch, and hold a left pinky break below the double. With the right thumb and forefinger, lift up on the far edge of the face down card to show Jenny that it is, in fact, her card. Let this card drop and grip the near end of the double with your right thumb underneath and the first two right fingers on top. Hold down on the selection with your left pinky (this is the reason for the break) as the right hand pushes forward on the double. As soon as the selection is completely covered by the double, push the bottom face down card of the double forward with your right thumb, such that it protrudes about an inch in front of the bottom queen. Everyone will assume this is the selection. Continue pushing forward until the far left corner of the lower queen passes the same corner of the deck. Extend your left forefinger to get it out of the way for what follows. Contact the edge of the packet with your right forefinger, just in front of the far left corner of the half-deck. Rotate the packet clockwise, using the left middle finger as a pivot, until the packet comes free into right dealers grip. As you carry out these actions, move slowly, and explain that it is imperative that everyone remembers that Jennys card is between the two red queens. Drop the packet, still spread, on the table. You have just undetectably switched the two face down cardsthe selection is atop the deck, and the indifferent card between the queensright under the noses of the spectators! This is a powerful move, and well worth being in your arsenal. As you chat to with the audience, the right hand picks up the black queens in Biddle Grip, while your left obtains a pinky break below the top card of its packet. Briefly set the queens on top of the packet, ostensibly to square them. Take over the break with the right thumb as the left thumb stretches across the face of the top card. The left thumb holds the top card in place as the right hand moves the other two cards, as one, to the right and then drops the double on top of the packet. Give this packet one complete cut in the hands, burying the queens near center, and table the packet to your left. Pick up the spread three-card packet, place it in left dealers grip and square it. Grip the packet at the right edge at your right fingertips, just as in a dealers grip Elmsley Count. Move the left hand forward and to the left, taking the first queen, retaining the other two cards squared at the right fingertips. Bring your left hand back to the right and apparently take the face down card on top of the first queen. Actually, the left hand leaves its queen under the other queen in the right hand and takes only the face down card, leaving the two queens, as one card, at the right fingertips. Finally, take the double on top of the left-hand card. The audience believes the left hand holds the selection between the two red queens. In reality, you hold an indifferent card face down under the face up queens. Take the three cards in right Biddle Grip and set them on top of the packet on your right. In a continuing motion, cut off the top half of this packet and set it just to the left of the remainder. Complete the cut, burying the queens near center. Reiterate the supposed situation to the audience: the black queens are face up in the middle of the packet on your left, and Jennys signed selection is sandwiched between

the face up red queens in the middle of the packet on your right. As you speak, casually gesture, showing both hands on both sides. Make a magical gesture. Ribbon spread the right packet, revealing the face up red queens together in the middle. Ask Jenny to remove them to verify there is no longer a card between them. Take the red queens from her, one in each hand, and ask her to spread the other packet, revealing a face down card between the two face up black queens at the center of the spread. Allow Jenny to remove the face down card and turn it over to find her selection!

Alarm Clock
You seem to be able to read the spectators thoughts, then to have incredible intuition, and finally you prove you knew everything before the whole experiment even began! To prepare, get a deck of cards. Remove the two of diamonds and turn it face down. Either mark it as explained under Marked for Death in my book, Never Miss a Trick! or get a needle and scrape away the line at the border in the outer left and inner right corners, as shown by the arrows in figure one. Place this card face down, 13th from the top of the face down deck. With a pen, write, The Two of Diamonds on the flap of the card case. Insert the deck in the case. The preparation is complete. I recommend you use this routine as an opener. Otherwise, youll have to maneuver the 2D to 13th position during the course of the effects prior to it. Remove the deck from the case and give it an overhand shuffle. Make sure to take at least thirteen cards on the first chop. Injog one card on this block and then shuffle off. Square, getting a right thumb break under the injogged card. Shuffle to the break and throw the remainder on top. Give the deck a false cut and set it on the table. Turn to Bernice. Ask her to think of her favorite hour of the day. Instruct her to wait until you turn your back to her, and then she is to silently remove cards from the top of the deck equal to her hour. In other words, if you thought of two oclock, remove two cards; eleven oclock, eleven cards. Understand? Good! Tell me when youve done that. Turn around and let her remove the cards. When she tells you she is done, ask her to put the cards in a pocket or her purse, so you cant possibly know how many cards she has. Then turn around to face her and pick up the deck. Remove twelve cards from the top of the deck, reversing their order, as you state that you are going to make a clock. Deal the cards in a face down circle, starting at one oclock and ending with twelve oclock. As you deal, actually say the hour as each card goes down. Deal the card at twelve oclock sideways, so that it is easily distinguishable from the others, avoiding confusion and making it easier for her to find her hour. The marked card will land at the number she thought of, so if you see it at six oclock, you know that was her chosen number. Again, turn your back to Bernice and ask her to pick up the card at her hour, look at it and commit it to memory, and replace it. Then tell her to gather all twelve cards and thoroughly mix them. While she does all this and your back is turned, you are not idle. You know that (in this example) she thought of six

oclock. Quickly spread through the deck and remove a six and then place it face up near the center of the face down deck. When Bernice is done, turn to face her once more and table the deck. Pick up the twelve cards she has mixed, and begin dealing them slowly, one at a time into a face down pile on the table. After each card is dealt, hold your palm down right hand above it for a moment, as if trying to sense something. When you get to the marked card, after you hold your hand above it, start to deal the next card and then stop. Hold your hand over the pile again. Pick up the marked card without flashing its face and deal it off to the right. Gather the other cards in the pile, drop them onto the cards in your left hand, and drop the combined packet on top of the tabled deck. Id like you to concentrate on the hour you chose. Look Bernice right in the eye, as if pulling the information out of her mind, through her eyes and into yours. Yes, yesit was...six oclock! Is that correct? After she agrees that you are right, have her bring out the cards she counted off the deck earlier. Tell her to count them one at a time into a pile to verify the number. Remark, Actually, I knew ahead of time that you would choose six, and I can prove it! Ribbon spread the face down deck to show a six face up in the middle. Point out that there is one card isolated on the table. Review the actions that took place before that card was isolated: she looked at the card at her hour and mixed up all twelve cards from the clock while your back was turned, then you set that card aside, without looking at the faces of any of the cards. Ask her to name her card. After she responds that it was the 2D, let her turn over the card to reveal that it is, indeed, the 2D! Believe it or not, I also knew ahead of time that your card would be the two of diamonds. And I can prove that as well! Open the card flap so that Bernice can see that you wrote the two of diamonds on it long before the experiment began. This is a mindnumbing finale.

Back To The Future

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Effect: You tell the audience, I had a premonition earlier today, and I wrote down a couple of the key points to see if it was accurate. You produce a folded piece of paper and set it on the table. Next, you introduce a deck, remove the jokers and shuffle it a few times. As you begin to deal cards off the top into a pile, you say, Often, people attribute to magicians the skill of professional gamblers. They see me deal like this and think that I could possibly be dealing the second card or the bottom card, while making it appear that Im dealing the top card. Theres only one way to absolutely convince you that Im dealing fairly. You pick up the dealt pile, replace it atop the deck, and turn the deck face up. If I deal with the cards face up, you can see that the top card is the one I actually deal. You ask Jacob to give you a number between ten and twenty (assume he said 14) and then fairly deal that many cards into a pile. Explain that, to arrive at a card, you will add the digits of his number and stop at that card in the pile. In our example,

you then remove five cards from the pile and remove the card remaining on top of the pile, setting it aside. You repeat this process with Daniel, LeAnna and Melissa. The four selections are left in a row and the deck set aside. You open your prediction and read, Four people will select cards! Amazing! you say. Noticing the audience is unimpressed, you point out that there is another prediction. Unfolding the prediction, you read, None of the chosen cards will be jokers! Still, the crowd is underwhelmed. Wow, tough audience! Thats alright, I have one more prediction. Unfolding the paper a final time, you read, The four chosen cards will be different! You look up at the audience expectantly, only to be crestfallen at their sneers and contempt. I dont understand it! you say. I think thats amazingthe four chosen cards are different! You turn the four selections face down. Each has a different back. You ribbon spread the deck to reveal all the other cards are the same. Everything may be examinedthere is nothing to find. Requirements and preparation: Get a deck of cards with two jokers. Ill assume youre using a blue Bicycle deck. Now get four indifferent cards with different backsnot red bicycles, but truly DIFFERENT backs. You could buy a Rainbow deck from your dealer, or just go to your local drugstore or department store and get four decks with different backs (Coca-Cola, Fritos, Budweiser, puppies, flowers, etc.). Ill refer to these as the stranger cards. For explanation purposes, lets say your four stranger cards are the 5C, 7H, 4D and 9S. Do NOT use aces or face cards, for reasons that will become obvious as you go through the trick. Remove these same cards from your blue deck and put them awaythey are not used for this effect. Place the stranger cards on the face of the deck. Remove eight cards from the back of the deck and place them on the face of the strangers. Case the deck. Go get a piece of paper and a ballpoint pen. Ill wait Back so soon? Ok. On the paper, write, The four chosen cards will be different! Write in large letters, covering the page. Fold the page in half along its width, with the writing going inside the fold. On the half sheet facing you now, write, None of the chosen cards will be jokers! Fold the page in half again, this time along the length. On the quarter page now facing you write, Four people will select cards! Fold the page a final time, widthwise. Make sure that the writing goes on the INSIDE each time you fold. On each side, write, My Premonition. Put this in your pocket, and youre ready to perform. Method and performance: Bring out the paper, patter about your premonition, and set it on the table. Bring out the deck. Remove it, face up, from the case and spread through it so you can remove the jokers. Be careful not to expose the stranger backs to the audience. Set the jokers aside, square the deck and turn it face down. Give it a couple of jog shuffles as follows. Undercut about 2/3 of the deck with your right hand. Begin to overhand shuffle these cards on top of the deck until your right hand holds about 1/3 of the deck (careful not to shuffle enough to expose a stranger card!). Injog the next card and drop the remainder on top. Pull down on the jogged card with the right thumb as you square the deck, getting a break above it, and immediately undercut all the cards below the break. Fairly shuffle these on top of the deck. Do a false cut if you like. Begin dealing cards off the top of the face down deck as you talk about spectators being suspicious of your dealing (as in the effect description above). Replace these cards on top of the deck and turn the deck face up. Ask Jacob to give you a number between ten

and twenty. In our example, he chose 14. Fairly deal 14 cards from the face of the deck into a face up pile on the table. Explain that youll add the two digits together and then remove that many cards from the pile to arrive at a card. One at a time, remove five cards, replacing them on the face of the deck. Set the card now atop the pile (the first stranger card) on the table and then pick up the rest of the packet and drop it on the face of the deck. Repeat this procedure with Daniel, LeAnna and Melissa. When all four cards have been chosen and are in a face up row on the table, set the deck face up to the side. Pick up the folded paper as you remind the audience of your premonition, and explain that it is time to see how accurate it was. Unfold it once and read the first prediction. After the groans, laughs, etc., unfold it again and read the second prediction. Finally, unfold it and read the last prediction. Act genuinely surprised that no one is impressed. Say that you think that is pretty amazing as you turn over the four selections and then ribbon spread the deck face down across the table to end.

Bill and Card Prediction

Effect: The magician removes 4 prediction cards from a shuffled deck and has a spectator seal them in a envelope. A second spectator is asked to remove a random bill from their wallet and seal it in a second envelope.Both envelopes are signed and placed in the middle of the table. After a few other effects, the magician hands the envelope with the cards to the spectator and takes the bill envelope himself, rips it open, removes the bill and places it on the table. He asks the spectator read the last four digits of the serial number on the bill, the other envelope is opened by the spectator and the 4 cards match the 4 digits of the serial number on the bill. Setup: You'll need 2 envelopes, one normal and the second has a hidden pocket with your bill sealed in it. You can buy these envelopes at your local magic dealer or make your own. If you make one, make sure to buy the envelopes that have the privacy design on the inside. This makes it impossible the see through the envelope, hiding the second bill from view. Remember to write down the 4 last digits from the hidden bill before you seal it in the envelope. Presentation: Lay the 2 envelopes and a pen on the table (remember which envelope is which). Shuffle the deck of cards as you explain that you will use the cards to make a prediction of the future. Remove 4 cards from the deck (these cards match the 4 digits from the serial number of your hidden bill) and seal them in the normal envelope, sign your name across the envelope and place it in the middle of the table. Ask someone to remove any dollar bill from their wallet and seal it in the other envelope, which on it they sign their name. It is then placed on top of the other envelope in the center of the table. Your setup is complete, perform a couple of other effects and then come back to the envelopes. Hand the envelopes to the spectator to confirm that the envelopes are sealed, have him hand the envelope with his signature to you and he holds onto the

envelope with your signature. You rip open the envelope from the end and remove your hidden bill placing it on the table. Crumble up the envelope and discard it. Hand the bill back to the spectator and have him read the last 4 digits of the serial number, then have him rip open the envelope and remove the 4 cards matching the serial number.

Blind-Sighted

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

the packet. Stop when you have twenty cards in the right hand and drop the packet onto the deck. Put an Infinity Crimp (or a Breather Crimp) into the bottom card of the deck and then move it to the top. Bring the deck into view, remarking that you're experiencing some difficulty. Give the deck four or five straight cuts and hand it to Rowena. Ask her to spread through the deck with the cards facing her. She is to cut the cards so her card is once again at its original position in the deck. Once accomplished, take the deck from her and immediately bring it under the table again. Turn the deck face up. Rub your right fingertips across the face card. You're feeling for the crimp. If you don't feel it, take the card in the crotch of the right hand as you mentally count, "One." Continue this procedure until you feel the crimped card. In our example, it would be the seventh card. Whatever the number is, it is Rowena's mentally selected number! It is also the position from the top of the deck where her card now lies! Replace the right hand cards on the face of the deck and turn the deck face down. Spread down to the seventh card and bring it to the top. (It's important that you spread the cards rather than deal them. If you dealt them, Rowena could hear, and she'd realize that you know her number, which would spoil the climax.) Here is the only time you open your eyes during the entire effect, and it is only for a moment. You need to get a glimpse of the card. Tilt your head forward slightly. Open only one eye just enough that you can see downward. If blindfolded, do the well-known peek down the side of the nose. As you bring the deck into view, do a bubble peek. As soon as you glimpse the card, close your eye and relax your grip. Do an overhand shuffle, running six singly on top of the QC, injog one and shuffle off. As you grasp the deck for a second shuffle, get a right thumb break below the jogged card. Shuffle fairly to the break and then throw the remainder on top. The QC is now the seventh card from the top. Tell Rowena that you are going to deal cards one at a time, and she is to think, "Stop!" when you reach her number. Begin dealing and reveal her number and her card as explained in the effect description above.

Boxed In

Effect: The Magician removes the deck of cards, and shows the top card to be a JOKER. "This card helps me with all of my tricks," The Magician places the Joker face down in the empty card box and closes the card box. The Magician then cuts the deck and has a spectator select a card and replace it back into the deck. The Magician then openly shuffles the deck and scans through the deck face up and the card is gone! The Magician then places the deck down and goes to the box with empty hands and hands it to the spectator. The spectator opens the card box themselves and pulls out their chosen card!

Setup: Your deck is set up like this. 2 Force cards. One on the bottom and one on the top, with a Joker second from the top. A card box (duh) Also, the Joker should have a piece of double stick tape on the top of it. Performance: You'll need to know how to double-lift and riffle force. That's about as hard as this one gets. 1) Pull the deck out and double lift the top two cards (easy because of the tape) 2) Separate the two with slight pressure and put the top card (force card) in the box and hand it to a second spectator to "guard" for you. 3) Cut the deck and leave a break and riffle force the second force card. 4) Leave the break open and have the force card placed back on top of the lower half of the cut - directly on top of the sticky Joker. 5) Cut the deck again and turn the deck and scan through the cards 6) Note the Joker is back - but their card is missing. 7) Have the box opened by the spectator and VIOLA! They are amazed. Sounds simple, or way to easy - but to the spectator this is an impossible feat. be sure to play it up.

Cartomancer's Delusion

Effect: A deck of cards is given to a spectator to shuffle. The performer asks a spectator for any number between 10 and 25. For example, the spectator chooses the number 14. The performer then asks a second spectator for a number between 25 and 40. Let's assume the number chosen is 30. The performer takes the deck and counts of fourteen cards, the first number chosen by a spectator. The performer then deals off a few cards face up, explaining that the cards at the first spectator's number will lead to a prediction. The performer studies the face up cards for a moment, writes a prediction, and hands it to the second spectator. The performer decides to take a risk, gathers up the cards, and makes another prediction, this time handing it to the first spectator. The deck is given to the second spectator and told to count down to the card at his number, which he does, and sets the card aside. The deck is handed to the first spectator, who counts down to the card at his number and, again, sets it aside. The cards, fairly counted to by the spectators at their freely chosen numbers, are turned over. When the slips of paper are opened, the predictions are seen to be correct, naming the cards the spectators located. Setup: You'll need a deck of exactly fifty-two cards. Set the Jokers aside for now. Performance: There's a few things at work here -- some simple math, a bit of chicanery with the cards, and a very slight verbal force. Don't worry; it all adds up to a very comfortable level of subtlety. 1) Give the deck to a spectator to shuffle. As she's shuffling, ask her for a number between 10 and 25. Let's say the number she picks is 14. Here comes the bit about the verbal force.

For this routine to work, you cannot have the two numbers, chosen by spectators, add up to a number greater than 52. Therefore, you have to use the first spectator's number to dictate the next range of numbers a spectator can choose from. You don't have to be specific here, asking a spectator to pick a number from 1 to 28 is too much; keep the numbers easy and not too contrived. In this case, ask for a number between 25 and 40. 2) Ask the second spectator for a number within the range determined by the first spectator's selection (in this case, have the spectator pick a number between 25 and 40). Let's say the spectator chose 30. 3) Take the deck from the spectator and deal the first spectator's number of cards (14 in our example) in a face down pile on the table. Once you do that, it's time for the math. Add the two spectators' numbers together, then subtract that total from 52. The result is the number of cards you will deal face up on the table (within the presentation, these are the cards which will indicate to you the basis of the prediction). In our example, the first spectator chose 14; the second spectator chose 30. Adding these together gives the total of 44. Subtracting 44 from 52 gives the result of 8. You'll need to deal 8 cards face up. Deal those cards from the cards in your hand face up and in an overlapping row on the table. 4) Study the cards, performing a "reading" of them. In other words, act a bit. While you're doing that, glimpse the bottom card of the pack in your hands. Act a bit more after the glimpse, and write on a slip of paper the name of the card you just glimpsed. Fold this slip of paper so the contents are nice and hidden, then hand it to the second spectator. 5) Drop the cards in your hand onto the pile of cards you counted to the table, leaving the face up cards alone for the time being. Pick up the pack, glimpse the new bottom card of the deck. 6) Again, do a bit of acting, and write the name of the glimpsed card onto a slip of paper. Again fold the paper so no one can see your prediction and hand this to the first spectator. 7) Gather up all the cards, turning the face up cards face down and putting them under the deck. 8) Hand the now complete deck to the second spectator. Have him count the cards, one at a time, stopping on the card at his chosen number (30). When he gets to the thirtieth card, have him set aside without looking at it. 9) Have the spectator place the deck on top of the cards he dealt and hand the deck to the first spectator. Have her duplicate the counting and setting aside as the second spectator did. 10) You're effectively done. Do whatever build-up you may, then have the spectators turn over their cards and read their predictions. You've done good. Notes: When you're going for the glimpses, don't worry about it. Since you're staring at the face up cards, the audience will as well. Take advantage of that misdirection to glimpse the bottom card. You'll find you are more than adequately covered. In the event the two numbers add up to exactly 52, count off the first spectator's number of cards, deal a few of the cards after that face up, then go into the "reading" bit (glimpsing the bottom card). Gather up the face up cards, putting them on top of the cards in your hand, then putting all of the cards you hold on top of the stack on the

table, then proceed as normal. It sounds more complicated than it is -- go through it once or twice with the deck in your hand and you'll see how it all works.

The Dos and Don'ts of Cheating

This is a really outstanding trick, possibly one of the best. There's nothing else to say, just, practice this one a lot and perform it a lot because it's worth it! Effect: You explain about what you don't want to do and what you do want to do when you are cheating in a game of cards. You show that you have four ace of diamonds. Then as each turns over, they change into a royal flush! You only have five cards and the backs and fronts are shown clearly threw out the trick! Setup: You need two double faced cards and three regular ones. From the top down: Normal Ace of Diamonds Ace of Diamonds / Queen of diamonds (ace side up) Normal King of Diamonds Normal Jack of Diamonds Ace of Diamonds / Ten of Diamonds (ace side up) Performance: You ask the spectator, "What is the best hand in a game of poker? (A Royal Flush.) Yes, a royal flush. It is almost impossible to get a royal flush without stacking the deck. (If the spectator doesn't know what stacking the deck is, then you have to explain it to him.) What's another REALLY great hand to get in a game of poker? (Four aces) Yes, four aces is a really great hand. But, you would probably have to stack the deck to get that also. The odds are so far against you that it would be nearly impossible to get four aces. I am going to show you what NOT to do when stacking the deck to get four aces. You do not want to stack the deck with four ace of diamonds. Trust me on this one, you will have some problems!" You will now have to do a modified Smiley Count (a.k.a. "the Smiling Elmsley." You are really just doing an Elmsley count, but you are hiding the backs of some cards also.) Here's how: Hold the cards face up in your right hand at the fingertips. Take the top ace off the packet with your left hand and show the back of it by turning your left hand palm down. Count one. You will now do the standard Elmsley count move where you push over the top two cards and take them in your hand while putting the single card on the bottom of the packet. Turn both hands palm down and count two, three. Finally take off the top ace of the right handed packet and show the single card and count four. Put this card on the bottom of the packet. The order of the cards from the top down should be: AD/10D AD/QD KD JD AD

"You never want to have four ace of diamonds. You should only have one, and in my particular stack, it should be the top card. This is because I would bottom deal the first card." All that this line of patter does is it makes the move you are about to do, make sense. Here's what you've been waiting for..... THE NEXT MOVE!!! The packet should be in your left hand. (I think all of the moves in this book would work with either hand. I'm left handed so I explain everything in a "lefty's" point of view.) With your thumb, push over the top four cards as one and turn them over. This should be very easy because you are just pushing over all the cards above the bottom card. You do this when explaining that you should just have one ace. When you say that the ace should be on the top of the stack, buckle down the top three cards and do a double lift while turning the hand face down so you don't expose the queen that is now on the face of the packet. Put this "ace" on the top of the packet. "This is what happens if you do stack the deck with four aces of diamonds. One will turn over! You don't want that to happen." Now do a Vernon through the fist flourish without inverting the packet. Do an Elmsley count to show that one of the aces turned over. When you come to this ace, upjog it a little. "If you keep your cards on the table, another ace will turn over. This will blow your cover." Do another through the fist flourish without inverting the packet. Do another Elmsley count but don't Injog any cards. Also, put the last card onto the bottom of the packet so that on the top there are the two face up aces. You can now spread the cards out, holding the last card as a double, showing two face up aces and two face down cards. "Very soon, another ace will turn over. If this happens, you're dead." Do another through the fist flourish without inverting the packet and do another Elmsley count but Injog the only face down card that is showing. (Remember, after every time you upjog a card, you have to push it back into the packet before doing the through the fist flourish.) "But, when that fourth ace turns over, it might not be that bad. Because, a better hand would be a royal flush. Now I only have four cards here, so I can't have the ten, only ace, king, queen, jack." Now when you do the through the fist flourish, you will invert the packet. Deal the cards, reversing their order, holding the last card as a double, showing the Ace, King, Queen, and Jack of diamonds. "But with magic and cleaver sleight-of-hand, I can get the ten to come into my hand and create a royal flush. Now before I do that, a lot of people ask me about the backs of the cards. I say, 'What do you want to know about them. There are four red backed cards.' (well, of course, if you're using blue backed cards, then you would say, four blue backed cards.) So here it goes. I'm going to get the best hand in poker, a Royal Flush." Turn over the packet and do an Elmsley count to show four "backed" cards. Then turn the packet back over, and show the ten on the bottom. Reorder the cards so that they are in order. You have just performed a miracle! Comments: I really love this trick. I think Vernon had a trick that he made up that's similar in effect to this one. I have been told this by a few magicians and am not totally sure if this is correct becuase I have never heard of the trick myself. I have a couple suggestions you might want to try.

You should try switching the gaffed packet for a normal diamonds royal flush at the end. This way, you can give the spectator's the cards and tell them to go home and practice. Another thing you might want to try is to cut out the end with the Elmsley count to show all the backs to be normal and just fan out the cards at the end. I don't usually do this, but it will make the cards in order at the end. Otherwise, you need to reorder the cards at the end. If the spectators insist on seeing the packet, and you don't want to switch the packets, you can just do a Flustration or Rumba count to show that the backs are all normal. This is something you may want to try with The Do's and Don'ts of Cheating: Packet tricks may make the spectator's suspicious when you take the packet out from one of those neat little plastic wallets. So, I've devised a method to get around this: You can keep the patter and everything in the above pages, you just need a little more setup and it will hide the "packet-trickish" feel of this effect. Yet, for many months, I got away with the above method as the only way I do the trick. I'm glad I thought of this way because it seems to have a much larger effect on magicians and spectators. So now for the method: Setup the deck like this: (x means any card) x AC x KC x QC x JC x 10C x AD x AS x AH x KS Then have the original packet of five cards under these cards with the top ace of diamonds turned over to hide the faces. Put all these cards on the top of the deck. Deal five cards to each you and to an invisible person sitting in front of you as you say, "I have to stack the deck to get a royal flush." (Remember to deal the first to the invisible person.) Then show your hand to be a royal flush. Then as you're putting the cards to the side, add the bottom two cards of your royal flush hand onto the top of the deck while moving your hand to pick up the other hand you just dealt. Take these eight cards, supposedly ten, and put them in the lower third of the deck. Deal out another set of poker hands and show that you have to cheat to get four aces also. When you get your hand, reorder them so that the ace of diamonds is the face card and the king is the top card. Pinkie count down the top five cards of the deck and top change the four-ace hand for the gaffed packet. Then as you say, "This is what you don't want to do," turn over the top ace and make it face up, the same way as the other cards. This is a really great way to switch the packets.

Choice Cut

The effects are Larry Jenning's Spectator Cuts the Aces, and Roberto Giobbi' s As You Like It, with slight variations. The result is an impossible, impromptu close-up stunner. Performed briskly and confidently, it totally floors people. A spectator is asked to select any four-of-a-kind from a deck they have shuffled themselves. When they cut the deck into four piles, the top card of each pile is found to be the selected quadruple.

Ask a spectator to shuffle the deck as you explain that this allows them to get a mental impression. "This mental impression could be a particular suit, number, or court card. Those are the cards with the pretty pictures on them." Ask them if they have a mental impression of any four-of-a-kind in the deck. Let's say they name the four Queens. Take the deck back and turn it face-up as you explain that, "Although you shuffled the deck, there might be those that think we're in on this together and that I asked you to pick the four Queens. So, I'd like to show everyone that the cards are fairly mixed and the four Queens are separated randomly in the deck. Now, we didn't pre-arrange this, did we? Because I'd hate for you to think that I was cheating." As you patter, spread the deck face-up between your hands and cull the four Queens to the top of the deck secretly. The spread cull can seem daunting to some performers. The following subtlety allows you more control over the cards under the guise of displaying them. It's logical and unsuspicious. I like to move slowly from one to spectator to another to cover the move. Trust me, it goes unnoticed, and they don't suspect a thing. "Now, I've seen the cards, so let's shuffle them." Perform an overhand shuffle, running the top three Queens to the bottom of the deck. "To make this fair, why don't you cut the deck at four random spots to make four piles." Put the deck on the table face-down. There is now one Queen on top, and the other three are on the bottom. The spectator cuts the deck into four piles. Take the original bottom stock and spread the cards as you indicate that since the cut was random, any card could have been cut to. As you do this, get a break above the bottom three Queens and square up the packet. Sidejog the top card of that packet (an indifferent card) to the right. Take the top card off the next two packets one at a time onto the first so they all overlap one another. Finally, take the top card of the original top of the deck, the Queen, on top of all. The four cards are displayed in a fan on top of the packet in the left hand. Your left pinky finger maintains its break over the three Queens at the bottom. Square up the packet. You will now perform a slip cut as follows: the left thumb holds down the top card of the packet (Queen), as the right hand strips all the cards between it and the picky finger break out, and tables them next to the other three packets. All four Queens are now face-down in your left hand, although the spectator believes they are just four random cards. Deal each Queen face-up onto each packet. You can make turning over the four cards a slight flourish, although it should not be a flashy one. Make it a subtle deal. Often, when spectators see ordinary playing card being "flourished" about, they tend to assume you might be using gimmicked cards. Don't ask me why.

CLONING THE ACES

Effect: The performer introduces his deck of cards as he removes the four Aces and sets them aside from the rest of the deck. An indifferent card is selected and shown to everyone watching. As it is being signed by the spectator who chose it, the Aces are replaced on top of the pack. The signed selection is thrusted into the middle of the deck as the Aces are taken away and displayed again. The performer discards the rest of the deck into his pocket. One by one, each of the Aces transform into the signed selection! Each card is genuinely shown to be the signed card, and the Aces are nowhere to be found. Three of the four cards are then changed back into Aces, but the selection takes the place of the missing Ace-- the Ace of Hearts. Everyone's attention is directed to a nearby window where the Ace of Hearts is tightly taped to the other side of the glass! Preparation: For this effect, I simply take the Ace of Hearts and hide it in my impossible location before the trick is performed. In this case, it was taped to the other side of a window where everyone's attention was diverted off of. I then take the three remaining Aces with the Ace of Diamonds at their face, and place the small packet on top of the deck. I put the cards into the case and begin performing. Procedure: 1) Introduce your deck of cards as you take them out of the case. Bring up casual conversation as you thumb off the top four cards, but secretly only take the top three in the right hand (the Aces). As you talk, Elmsley Count the cards faceup to display the four Aces. Table this packet of apparently four cards facedown to the right. "I want to show you something interesting I can do with a deck of cards. We'll need the four Aces to do it. [Elmsley Count] We'll keep them aside until later." 2) Have the rest of the deck thoroughly shuffled until everyone is satisfied. Ribbon Spread through the cards to have one freely selected. As it is being shown to everyone watching and signed by the spectator, square up the deck facedown on to the table, and Elmsley Count the Aces again before replacing them on to the deck. "I don't like people thinking I cheat. Please shuffle the deck as much as you want. Cut the cards; mix everything up for me. [Ribbon Spread] You can take whatever card you want. You can even change your mind if you want, but once you make a final choice, just sign your name across its face. We'll start using the Aces now-- [Elmsley Count] -- The Heart, Spade, Club, and Diamond." Miscalling the Diamond the first time it's shown is a nice convincer. 3) Tilt the top card in preparation for the Depth Illusion. I personally like using Daryl's Convincing Tilt. See 'COMMENTS' for brief explanations of this sleight and the Elmsley Count. Apparently thrust the selection facedown into the middle of the deck, when in actuality, you only thrust it into the gap made by the tilt. Square up the deck, and take the top four cards into the right hand. Pocket the rest of the pack. Spread the 'Aces'

between your hands, and take the bottom two cards with your left hand, and flash their faces. You now have two cards spread in each hand. When you bring your hands together, secretly slide the bottom card in the right hand (the signed selection) between the two cards in your left hand and square the packet again. "Keep an eye of your card; we'll just lose it into the deck like this. Watch the Aces though. [Pocket the pack and spread the cards, flash two Aces, and slide the selection into the third position of the four cards.] I want what you think about the topic of cloning these days..." 4) You will now execute a Marlo-style false count with the four cards you're holding. It is thoroughly explained in David Harkey's Juke (Paul Harris' Art of Astonishment volume 3, 211). In short, you buckle the bottom card, and turn the top three cards over as one to show the signed selection. Turn the triple card back facedown, as you deal the real top card on to the table. Still keeping the buckle, Double Lift the next two cards as one displaying the signed selection for the second time. Turn the double facedown; deal the real top card into the right hand. Use it to lever the next card face up again to show a third signed selection. Lever it facedown again, and clip its corner into your left thumb crotch. Your right hand immediately pulls off the bottom card, and uses the two cards in its right hand to lever the last card face up-- another signed selection. Turn it facedown, and replace the tabled card on top of the packet of four. Flushtration Count the cards again to show the four duplicates of the signed card. Display the signed card faceup on the facedown packet of four. I like using the Shapeshifter Color Change to make the selection visibly transform into an Ace. See 'COMMENTS' below to see how this color change is performed. "It's a really disturbing thought, actually. Imagine if I had the ability clone not only something simple like your card-- but something more personal like your name-- in mere seconds? [Marlo Count] What makes you think I couldn't clone something more valuable to you? [Flushtration Count] I know it might scare you to experience something so strange, but I'm sure you heard that clones only last a very short time, so you have nothing to worry about. [Shapeshifter] " 5) Immediately spread all the cards in your hand face up to show only three Aces and the signed card. After your patter, slowly direct all attention to the Ace of Hearts taped behind the window and let loose one of those charming magician's smiles.. "You saw all four Aces before we started this experiment. They were all cloned into your card... and even had your name on them. [Direct attention to the window.] It looks like that one was trying to escape... good thing all the clones died before they could do any real damage." . Shapeshifter: The cards are held facedown in Mechanic's Grip in the left hand. The selection is controlled to the second position. The top, indifferent card is displayed faceup, as a break is obtained under the two back-to-back cards, creating a temporary double facer. The right hand holds the double facer from above by opposite corners using its thumb and middle fingers. The thumb holds the lower right corner of the double card as the middle finger holds it by the upper left corner. The left hand's grip repositions itself with the double facer in the same way. The left thumb contacts the lower left corner of the double facer, and the left middle finger holds the upper right

corner of the double. The left hand is holding the double card from below, and is still handling the deck. By pulling upwards with the right hand sharply releasing the double from the left hand grip, the double facer will spin by its corners very fast, creating the illusion of an instant color change. The double is then placed on to the deck, and the feckup card is dealt on to the table. This sleight was also used by David Blaine on 'Street Magic' and 'Magic Man'.

Coincidental
Effect: A series of unbelievable coincidences, where Vandella and Walt seem to have ESP and the cards seem to have a life of their own, changing in sympathetic reaction! Comments: In his book, Sonata, the incredible Juan Tamariz has a wonderful effect called, "Total Coincidence." It uses two decks. I wanted to adapt it to one deck, to make it shorter and less cumbersome to carry. The first phase is from "Jumbo Coincidence" by my good friend, Aldo Colombini. The set up seems very extensive, but once you understand it, you can do it in less than one minute. Set-up: Separate the deck into suits. Shuffle the hearts, then ribbon spread them face up. Arrange the diamonds into the same sequence as the hearts. For example if the hearts run: four; nine; six; eight; jack; five; three; ace; seven; queen; two; king; ten; then the diamonds should be arranged: four; nine; six; eight; jack... etc. Follow the same procedure with the spades and clubs. Now switch five or six cards between the two red packets and five or six cards between the two black packets. Replace them so that the numbers between their respective packets are still in the same sequence but each packet has a mix of two suits. Straight cut one red packet and one black packet. Assemble the packets in red, black, red, black order. Method and performance: Pick up the deck and spread through it, facing you. Use caution not to allow the audience to see the faces of the cards. Separate the deck where the colors meet at the center. Set one half down. Separate the other half where the colors meet. Place these two packets in front of Walt, asking him to riffle shuffle them. Pick up the other half, separate the colors, and ask Vandella to riffle shuffle them. (It is absolutely imperative that the cards are shuffled only once and it must be a riffle shuffle!) Allow them both to give their packets as many straight cuts as they'd like. Pick up Walt's packet, turning it face up. Spread through it, openly outjogging all the red cards. Strip out the red cards and set the black cards down. Give the red cards a Charlier Shuffle and then set them face down in front of Walt. Have him give them a straight cut or two. Pick up the packet and glimpse the bottom card (say, the ten of diamonds), then table this packet to your far left. Turn your attention to Vandella and point out that she, like Walt, has shuffled and cut her cards as much as she wanted. Note: Notice this wording! "... shuffled and cut as much as you wanted." In fact, she cut as much as she wanted, but only shuffled once. You don't actually say, "... shuffled as much as you wanted." That would be a lie and she would recognize it as such. The former wording is ambiguous, and in its ambiguity lays truth. Because of this wording, a

seed is planted which may cause her to later remember that she did shuffle as much as she wanted. Most of the time, that's exactly how she does remember it! Pick up Vandella's cards and separate the reds as you did with Walt. Table the black cards face up. Spread through the reds to show that there are no blacks among them and casually cut the ten of hearts to the face. Set the red packet face down to your far right. Have Vandella give the face up packet a few straight cuts. When she is finished, remember the card at the face (say, the eight of clubs). Turn this packet face down and table it in front of you, just to your right. Pick up Walt's black packet and spread it face up, pointing out that the cards have been thoroughly shuffled and cut, and casually cut the eight of spades to third from the face. Turn this packet face down and spread it between your hands. Ask Vandella to just touch, but not remove, a card. When she does, outjog it. As you close the spread, get a break two cards below the selection. Take all the cards above the break with your palm up right hand. It appears that youre holding the selection at the bottom of this packet. Actually, there are two cards below the selection. Turn the packet counterclockwise 90 degrees and clamp the outjogged card down on the left packet with your left thumb. Place the right hand cards on top of the packet, leaving the selection protruding sideways near the center of the packet. Place this packet on the table just to the left of the other black packet. Using both hands, simultaneously begin dealing the cards face up from both packets. None will be mates. Deal the cards into two piles in front of their respective packets. When you reach the selection, set it aside with the corresponding card from the other packet. Finish dealing the rest of the packets. Point out that none of the pairs matched and pick up the left packet. Spread it face up and casually double undercut two cards from the face to the rear. Table this packet face down. Pick up the two cards you set aside and show that they are mates! Drop the selection face down on the face down packet. Drop the mate face up on the face up packet. Pick up the face up packet and double undercut the top card to the bottom. Riffle shuffle the face up packet into the face down packet, then ribbon spread the cards. Ask Walt to touch any face up card. Mentally count the face up cards to the selection from the nearest end. For example, assume Walt touched the two of spades, and that it is the sixth face up card from the left end of the spread. Slide out the two of spades as you mentally count to the sixth face down card from the right end of the spread. Get a break above this card as you pick up and square the packet. Classic force the card below the break as you ask Walt to touch any of the face down cards. Everyone will be amazed that he chose the two of clubs, the perfect match to the two of spades! Spread the cards between your hands, outjogging all the face up cards. Strip them out and set them face down to your right. Set the packet in your left hand face down to the left. Pick up of the two of spades and two of clubs. Place them face up in front of the two piles. Deal the cards from both packets simultaneously with both hands as before onto the twos to show that every pair is now a perfect match. Wait quietly while everyone is reacting. Usually, someone will eventually say, "Can you do that with the red cards?" "Well, I doubt it! The black cards weren't good enough? But, since you asked so nicely..."

Slide the two red packets beside the black packets. Deal the red packets face up into two piles, simultaneously with both hands, as before. Indeed, every red pair is also a perfect match! The response from the audience will be everything you could hope for! Additional comments: Just one quick a piece of advice: only use this trick as a closer or encore. It simply cannot be followed! Notes: The Charlier Shuffle is a very effective method for apparently thoroughly shuffling the cards. Actually, it ends up having the same effect as a straight cut. Hold the packet in left hand dealers grip. Push several cards on the top to the right with your left thumb. Take these cards in your palm up right hand at the fork of the thumb and move them away to the right. Now, with your left fingers, push some cards from the bottom to the right. The right hand takes these cards above the ones it holds and moves away to the right. The left thumb pushes over some more cards from the top, which the right hand takes under its cards. Keep alternating, taking cards from the top and then the bottom of the left hands packet. Just remember, cards from the top in the left hand go on the bottom in the right hand, and cards from the bottom of the left hand go on top in the right hand!

Detective
This effect begins with Aldo Colombinis fine effect, Sherlock Holmes versus Moriarty, and adds a new, and logical within the story line, royal flush production. Setup: From the top of the deck down, place the 10D, AD, any 6, KD, JD, QD. If youre an old hand at culling, you can perform this set-up while youre going through the deck looking for the two black Kings. If thats not your style, simple setup the small stack before you begin. Presentation & Effect: Remove the black Kings, explaining that they are brand new rookie detectives on a case to figure out who is committing all of these burglaries in town. Place them aside for a moment. Have a card selected from the deck (making sure the spectator doesnt choose one from the stack on top of the deck, of course). Control the selected card to the top of the deck. You now reverse the order of the top seven cards (the six card stack and the chosen card). The easiest way of doing this is to do an overhand shuffle control, running the seven cards one at a time, injog the eighth card, then run the rest of the deck onto these cards. Cut at the injog card, putting the seven cards back on top of the deck. Turn the deck face up and cut small packets of the deck onto the table. Instruct the spectator to tell you to stop at any time. When the spectator stops you, pick up on of the Kings and place it face down on the tabled cards. Put the cards left over in your hand on top of the King. Youve effectively buried the King where the spectator told you to in the deck. Pick up the deck, turn it face down, and spread it in your hands, showing the King face up in the center. As you do this, count seven cards past the face up King. This is the seven cards that form your stack. Catch a break under the seventh card as you close the spread. Cut at the break, bringing the stack to the bottom of the deck.

Repeat the process again, but this time hold the deck face down in your hands and cut off small packets to the table also face down. When the spectator stops you, place the second black King face up, then place the remaining cards in your hands onto the tabled cards. Pick up the deck and spread the cards in your hands. Explain that the rookies seem to have eliminated all of the suspects in the deck except for the cards trapped between the two Kings. Remove the packet of nine cards (the seven cards plus the Kings) and set the deck aside. Tell the spectators that the rookies will need to do a bit more leg-work to get to the bottom of the burglaries. Holding the packet in your hands, Australian deal the cards as follows: Deal the face-up King to the table, then place the top card of the packet to the bottom of the packet. Deal the top card of the packet onto the tabled King, then place the next card on the bottom of the packet. Continue this dealing until get to the second face up King. Place this King onto the table. Put the cards you are still holding in your hands onto the top of the deck. Pick up the tabled packet, and repeat the dealing again, starting with the face-up King to the table. At the end, again place the cards left over in your hands on top of the deck. At this point, you ll have a single card face down between the two black Kings. Apparently, the rookies have finished their investigation, and found their criminal. Turn the card over, showing the 6. Explain that, being rookies, they gave up there, and turned the case over to a master detective. Hand the deck to a spectator. Have them deal six cards onto the table, turning over the last card. It is the selected card. Congratulate the spectator on a job well done, and show that they have stopped the criminal from committing the biggest theft of allthe theft of the best diamonds in town. Turn over the five face down cards, revealing the royal flush of diamonds. Notes: In Josh s original routine, the patter had the thief getting away with the crime because the rookies gave up. The effect is unchanged, but I found from performing this little jewel that the audience involvement made it more fun for the spectators. By making the card the thief, and the spectator the "master detective" and letting them do the dealing, the effect becomes a bit more entertaining. Either way you perform it, any story you tell, this is a great variation on Colombini s effect.

Face-off
Louis Falanga (of L&L Publishing fame) created a wonderful effect called Jo-King, which was included in Harry Loraynes book, Best of Friends, Volume 2. This effect is a packet trick that uses a gaffed card (double-facer) to accomplish an almost instantaneous change of four jokers to four kings Youll need to get one blank-faced card with a back that matches your deck. (I can hear some of you raising your hackles already, saying, I thought you said there were no gaffed cards! I dont consider a blank-faced card to be gaffed in the sense that you will be openly showing it, as opposed to a double-facer, where one side is always hidden.) Start with the blank at the face and the joker face down on top of the shuffled face down deck. Place the deck in its case. This routine was designed to be an opener.

Remove the deck from the case, tabling it face down, and place the empty case in your left jacket pocket. Ask Art to name his favorite four-of-a-kind. For explanation purposes, well say he named the eights. Spread through the deck without allowing anyone else to see the faces and upjog the eights halfway as you come to them. When all four eights are protruding from the top of the deck, square the spread. In a continuing motion, bring the right hand from the right side of the deck to the top to strip out the eights. As you do this, bring the right thumb onto the face of the blank card and draw it out with the other four cards. Table the face down deck without flashing any faces. Set the packet into left dealers grip, getting a pinky break below the top two cards. Reverse-count the packet as four cards, taking the double on the first count and the other cards singly on top of the double. As you do this, ask Art if he trusts you. During his reply, half-pass the card on the bottom of the packet, reversing it. Remark that hell have to trust you. Spread the packet, holding the last two as one, and take the top two in the right hand. Pause for a moment, apparently displaying two cards in each hand and then replace the cards in the right hand under those in the left. Tell Art that the backs of these cards are fine as you do an Elmsley Count to show four face down cards again. Then explain that its the faces that are the problem, as the eights in this particular deck werent printed. The following sequence, which apparently shows four blank cards, is taken directly from Mr. Falangas routine. Turn your left hand palm down to show a blank card as you say, This bottom eight was left blank. Turn the hand palm up again. Do a modified Anneman Alignment Move. To wit: pull back the top card about an inch with your right fingers. Place your right hand over the injogged card, thumb at the near edge, forefinger on the center and middle finger at the far edge. The middle finger also contacts the back of the second card. Move your right hand forward until the near edge of the top card is square with the packet. This simultaneously outjogs the second card. Approach the packet from above with your right hand. Contact the exposed edge of the outjogged card with your right second finger and angle it to the left. This exposes the outer right corner of the rest of the packet, which your right middle finger then moves to as the right thumb moves to the inner right corner. Gripping the packet (except for the outjogged, angled card) between thumb and middle finger, slide the four cards as one to the right and flip them over onto the remaining card (catching a left pinky break above the bottom card) as you say, This top eight wasnt printed, either! Turn the block over onto the bottom single card. Note: I know a couple of quadruple turnovers may make some of you nervous, but if you do it smoothly, without hesitation and just keep going, no one will catch you. Immediately take the packet in right Biddle Grip. Slide off the bottom card with your left fingers and turn your right hand palm up to show a blank, saying, The eight that is second from bottom wasnt printed Drop the block face down onto the single card in your left hand. Thumb over the top card, and as your right hand takes it, either buckle the bottom card or do a pinky pulldown. Use the right-hand card to flip over a triple, showing the blank. Remark, And the eight thats second from top is also blank! Leave the packet in your left hand as it is and drop the card in you right hand face down on top. Say, Thats why

I said youll have to trust mebecause I can tell that these are the four eights, even though they arent printedyet! As you speak, do an Elmsley Count, showing the blank card 2nd among four cards, the remainder of which are face down. In other words, everything appears exactly as it should. Snap your fingers and do another Elmsley Count, stopping on the 2nd count. Each hand holds two cards; a face up eight on top of a face down card in the right hand and (apparently) two squared, face down cards in the left hand. Let the face up eight drop onto the table. Flip the other card in your right hand face up to show a second eight and drop it on the first. With your right hand, flip the cards in the left hand face up into left dealers grip, taking care to keep them squared, to show a third eight. Immediately grip the cards in right Biddle Grip and slide out the bottom card with the left fingers, revealing the fourth eight, which you then drop onto the double in the right hand. Take these cards in left dealers grip, so your right hand can pick up the two eights on the table. Drop them onto the left-hand cards. Pick up the deck in right Biddle Grip and slide it under the packet into left dealers grip. Remind Art that when you started, you asked him to name his favorite four-of- a- kind, and he said the eights. Spread the deck face down between your hands, and let the four eights drop off the top of the deck onto the table. Isnt it interesting that you named the only cards in the entire deck that werent printed? Square the deck, turn it face up and spread through it, holding the last two cards (joker and blank) as one. Take the rest of the deck in the right hand and table it, as the left, holding the joker (actually a double) goes to the left jacket pocket. Once inside the pocket, thumb off the blank, grab the card case and come back out with the case and the joker. Place the joker in the case and set it aside, and go on to the rest of your card act. There is nothing to find, so let Art check out the deck, the case and the joker to his little hearts content!

Fooled-U!
Effect: A spectator picks a card and puts it back any where in the deck. You then take out your magical packet of three blue backed cards. You show that all three cards are the spectator's card. Then you change them because you say you don't need three of the same card and you make them into three blank card. Now you say, if I ever wanted to get a refund on these three cards, the store wouldn't take three blank cards. So you change them into three cards that have a picture of yourself on them (Or your business card or something, you could even use a blank card with a bunch of scribbles on it.) Then you say, I know I look good but in a card game with these magical cards in the deck, what am I supposed to say, "Got any ME'S?" So I'll change the cards one more time. You then change the cards into three jokers. Now for the real climaxes!!! You show that an extra card just popped into the three cards. It has a red back and it's their card! Then you take the four card stack and make a magical pass the four top cards are turned over. They say FOOLED U!!! Then you turn over the last red backed card on the bottom and it says, THE END!!!

Then you show the rest of the deck and all the cards all TOTALLY BLANK!!!! Setup: You need a red backed joker, a red backed blank card, one red backed card with your business card on it or a picture of you or if you know who you are going to be doing the trick to, have their picture on the card, four blue backed cards that are prepared like this: 1st card says FO 2nd OL 3rd ED 4th U!!! Then have a red backed card that says THE END!!! on it, and a blank deck (or just one blank card and you could reverse fan the deck to show that it's blank). Have the four FOOLED U cards on the bottom of the deck and have the THE END card under them. Have the packet of the three changing cards set up like this from the face: Blank card, the joker, and then the picture card. Now you are all setup for a really great trick that will always confuse and mystify the spectator! Presentation: Have the spectator pick any card out of the blue deck and sign it large across the face. Have them put their card back in the middle. Immediately, side slip it to the second position from the top. Take the top "chosen" card and put it, out jogged about an inch from the top of the deck. Set the deck down exactly the way it is now. Then take out your magical three changing cards from the packet. "These are my, every expensive, one of a kind, three magical color changing cards !!! What no applause?! Well, I don't think you know the true magical powers of these cards yet. But little do you know, you will be astounded by this trick!" Count them on the table, and out loud to show they are three and only three cards. Get a break under the top card of the main deck. Do a Vernon Add On move adding the chosen card onto the bottom of the three card packet while saying this patter: "Now of course you card wasn't a joker right? OK good. Jokers are really hard to control." Push the card out jogged of the deck, flush with the deck. Now put the deck down for a while. Take your packet of three cards and start pattering "Remember these magical cards? Well they are just three copies of your SIGNED CARD. You don't believe me?! Why not? Look." Show the bottom card of the stack to be the chosen signed card. Do an Anneman Alignment Move to show that the chosen card is in all three positions in the packet. Now pass the top two cards from the top of the packet to the bottom of the packet. Then for further effect, do a Flustration Count to show three or his card. Make sure you don't let the red card peek out under the blue ones or else the ending effect will be ruined. "See, I told you I had three of your cards! Now, what good will it do me with three of your cards with your signature. I mean, I can't put them in the deck because they will have your signature on them and they'd have a different feel and.. well you know. So I might as well make three blank cards!" Rub your finger under the packet pretending to "burn" off the ink. Then with a fast motion of turning over your hand, show that the card is now blank. This is key!!! Do a Flustration Count first this time. But it's a modified Flustration count. You hold a break under the second card in the packet. Then with your thumb, you peel off the top two cards as one. Then just finish the Flustration Count showing three blank cards.

Again, you need proof that there are three blank cards so you do an Anneman Alignment Move. WAIT!!!! STOP RIGHT THERE! DON'T DO THE MOVE YET! First pass the top blank card to the bottom of the packet. Then just continue as normal with the Anneman Alignment Move but at the end, don't strip out a double from the middle. Only take one from the middle and don't show the red card. "Well, blank cards are really cool when playing a poker game. You can say, 'Let's play blanks wild!' But for a normal deck of cards, blank cards don't really work. So we'll change them into something else" Turn over the packet and show the picture card (Or whatever you put on the odd card). Then do the modified Flustration Count like before. Pass the top card to the bottom. Then do the Anneman Alignment Move to reinforce the effect that there are three strange cards. You can do a really cool thing to show the Joker. "Here's a strange card. (Now assuming that you have your picture on the card. If you don't want to do this then you can just make up your own patter.) Well, I know I am soooo beautiful in this picture, but still I can't use it. I have to change it into a well you'll see." Just do a modified Flustration Count to show all jokers. Now, spread the packet so that you only show three cards but you reveal the blue backed card. "Well, how did that get in here?! Well, let's take a look at it. Oh my gosh! It's your card but with a blue back. Sheesh! That's pretty weird!" Then bottom change these four cards for the bottom five cards. Make sure that the blue backed chosen card is on the top so it looks like the same packet. Set the top card to the side and deal out the first card face up on the table. Show that it says FO. Then spell out the rest of the cards and show that they spell FOOLED U!!! Then show the last card says THE END!!! Reverse fan the deck and show that all the cards are blank!!! Comments: This trick is so amazing!!! DO NOT do any tricks after this one for a few reasons. One being that this is possibly one of the most astonishing tricks a spectator will see and another being that a few cards have different backs and it's really hard to ditch them. You could of course switch the deck for a different normal one.

Forgettable Prediction
Effect: Magician approaches a table full of onlookers, and hands an envelope with a prediction inside to one of the persons involved. A few standard tricks are performed. Then the magician asks the spectator who is holding the envelope to open it and reveal what is inside. A card is found, say the Jack of Clubs. Then the magician realizes that he totally forgot to have anybody choose a card. The prediction card is placed back into the envelope. Magician asks spectators to pretend nothing happened yet. (laughing) one person is asked to choose a card, the faces of the deck are fanned toward them. Spectator sees the cards to be all the same (The Jack of Clubs). The cards are tilted downward to have the spectator simply touch the back of one of the cards. One is

touched and placed on top of the deck, then turned face up. To everyone's surprise it is the three of hearts. Envelope is opened to reveal a Three of Hearts. Everything can be inspected. Set Up: All that you need is a one-way deck and 2 duplicate cards, for example; Oneway deck= Jack of Clubs and 2 three of hearts. Place a Jack of clubs inside of an envelope. Both three of hearts on top of the one-way deck. The one-way deck is boxed. Procedures: This one is easy. Hand someone the prediction envelope. Perform a few tricks to create a time delay. "Will you open up my prediction and show everyone?" As the prediction is being opened, remove the one-way deck from it's case, and in your favorite manner, secretly turn the top card, a three of hearts face up, keep it necktied. Now take the card from spectator hold it and say "Oops. I forgot to have someone choose a card" With the deck necktied, place the jack of clubs face up on top of the three of hearts. Now lower the deck to display the jack. "Will everyone pretend they haven't seen anything yet?" "Let's start over" Now execute a double lift, and place the top face down card into the envelope, close it and hand it back to the spectator. Grab the deck, and slip cut the top card into the middle of the deck. You are now left with a full deck of Jack of Clubs, the three of hearts on top and a three of hearts in the envelope. Now fan the faces in front of another spectator. Now fan the faces in front of another spectator, be obvious, let others see the deck, be careful not to expose the top card three of hearts. Lower the deck and ask new participant to just touch any card. Remove the card touched, without showing it's face. "This is the card you want, are you sure?" This should create some laughs. Place the card on top of the deck "You could have chosen any card" Now perform another double lift to reveal the three of hearts. Execute the KM move and place the three of hearts face up near the spectator who holds the envelope. Ask them to remove the prediction. It just happens to be a three of hearts. After I created this effect and started performing it. A few friends pointed out it's similarity in effect to McCombical prediction by Billy McBomb. I still have not looked into exactly how this effect works, it is my understanding that a special trick deck is needed as opposed to a special one-way trick deck, LOL So if you are so inclined please look up the McCombical prediction, or someone who knows, please notify me of the similarity and differences.

Hand of Death, Sword of Justice

This routine is dark. Very dark. And I imagine that I'll be the only one ever to perform this effect. It is frightening when done correctly, and can cause nightmares with the right theatrical approach behind it. This is not hype just to get you to read further; this is the honest truth. Most effects have disclaimers concerning personal injury. I present this routine to you with a different sort of disclaimer: this effect can cause mental trauma and anguish. Perform at your own risk.

Effect: The performer introduces a stack of business cards (or simply blank cards of any sort), upon which are written the names of serial killers. The spectator merely thinks of any one of the cards, writing down the name of the killer on a piece of paper. The cards are turned face down and mixed to the spectator's content. The performer introduces a knife and begins randomly tapping the backs of the cards, asking the spectator to mentally spell the name of the killer she's thinking about. She stops the performer when she has finished spelling the name and the performer plunges the knife into the card underneath the knife. It is shown and the name read aloud. It matches the name thought of by the spectator and written down on the paper before the trick began. Setup: This trick uses a principle that was old when Annemann was young. Usually the effect is done with objects written on the cards, or as a living/dead test. Here, I took it down a frightening and brutal road. The original cards were colored for easy recognition. This is something I can't recommend; the color-card scheme is simple to easy to figure out with just a bit of thought. Better to use either business cards, index cards, or even blank playing cards. Whatever you choose, you'll need six of them. If you're using business cards, write the names of the serial killers on the back side of the cards, one name per card. If you're using index cards, use lined cards and write on the blank sides. If blank playing cards are your thing, write on the blank side (obviously, but here for completeness). I write the name horizontally, and with the print all about the same size. Here's the gallery of serial killers. Remember, write just the name down on the cards. Wanlin Chinese, doctor, killed 190 while treating them with poisonous herbal remedies. Gaskins American, thief and killer, killed 100, including a number of fellow prisoners. He claimed to have "a special mind that gave permission to kill." Gavarito Columbian, killed 140, all children. Chikatilo Russian, teacher, killed 52, known as the "Hannibal Lechter of Russia" for his cannibalistic tendencies. Onoprienko Ukrainian, sailor, killed 52, all complete families, during the commission of random household burglaries. Christopher American, US Army private, killed 13, all racially motivated as his victims were all black men. These serial killers were chosen for a reason. No, not their levels of brutality or gruesomeness, but the number of letters in their last name. In terms of setting this up, think of Wanlin (with six letters in his name), to be "one", Gaskins (seven letters) to be "two", Gavarito (eight letters) to be "three" and so on. On the side of the cards opposite the writing, mark the cards so you can recognize this "one-two-three" sequencing from the backs. If you're using business cards, pencil dots

under your phone number or some text will work fine. This method also works with the blank playing cards. If you're using the lined index cards, running a fine-tipped blue pen ruled lines to thicken then will work beautifully, too. The point of this marking is so you'll know which card is tapped when in the sequence, counting 1-2-3-4-5-6. Don't worry, you won't have to know which killer aligns with which marking; just which cards to tap when. In addition to this specially marked set of cards, you'll also need a knife. Any knife will do; I use a very large decorative dagger I bought very cheaply which is nicely blunted. Put everything away however you see fit (my set has the cards wrapped in a black cloth, the dagger wrapped in a white one, and the whole thing carried in an old torn egg bag). Performance: You'll see that the performance of this number is about as easy as following the effect description. 1) Bring out the cards and the knife. Set the knife aside and show the cards to the spectator, reading off the names as you do and giving the spectator a bit of the background for each of the serial killers (there is a bit of this information above under each killer's name and gives you enough to emphasize the evil nature of this cast of characters. 2) Give the cards to a spectator for shuffling. Have her place the cards on the table faceup, and turn away. Ask her to think of one of the killer's listed on the cards, and write the name down on a piece of paper so she will be sure to concentrate solely on that one being. Have her turn all the cards face down again, and again mix them up. When she confirms she's done all of this, turn back around to face the spectator. 3) Introduce the knife to the proceedings. Explain to the spectator that she must really concentrate now on the infamous name she is thinking of. Go on to tell her that you're going to begin touching the backs of the cards with the tip of the knife, and with each touch of the knife she is to spell a letter of the killer's name; when she has stopped spelling, she is to tell you so. 4) Begin touching the cards, but not in a random manner. In reality, touch the backs of the cards in accordance to the markings on the back. In other words, touch the back of the card you have marked to be "one" first, then the one marked "two", then "three" and so on. Because the cards are randomly mixed on the table, your movements with the knife will appear random. 5) The spectator will stop you, and, thanks to the mathematics involved, the card the knife tip is resting on will match her thought-of killer. Have the spectator put her hand on the knife and, together, stab the knife into the card, raise it up, and read off the name. Have her open the piece of paper, revealing the name she was thinking of. They will, of course, match. Theatrics: This trick has a built-in anxiety factor already, given the subject matter. I up the ante on this a bit more while also giving an ending where justice is triumphant. The reason given for the spectator thinking of the serial killer is not to put the spectator in that role; do not even think of playing it that way. The spectator's role needs to be looked at as something far more subtle than that. As is typical with my darker pieces, the spectator plays Fate in this one. This relieves the spectator from any affiliation with the serial killer, which can be far too much for them to bear. The knife itself represents

Justice, or the Law of the Will of the People. The goal here is to show the working of Fate with Justice to bring the killings -- and the killer -- to an end. The patter runs something like this: "Beyond the merest lines of Good and Evil, there is a neutral force at work at all times. This force is called by many names: Chance, Luck, Destiny... I prefer calling it Fate. Neither good or evil, moral or immoral, scrupulous or not, Fate merely...is. Fate creates monsters among us, the evilest our species can endure, and Fate brings those monsters down. "What I propose to do tonight is show you that simple truth in action. "Here I have a small stack of cards, on which are written the names of six monsters, inconceivable monsters within the human race. Here's Wanlin, a Chinese doctor who killed 190 men and women while treating them with poisonous herbal remedies. And Gaskins an American thief who became a serial killer while first in prison. He killed over 100, including a number of his fellow prisoners. He claimed to have "a special mind that gave permission to kill." Gavarito, a Columbian merchant, who killed 140 children in his depravity. Chikatilo, a Russian teacher, who is referred to as the "Hannibal Lechter of Russia" for his cannibalistic tendencies. He killed 52 before he was caught. Onoprienko, a Ukrainian sailor, also killed 52, all complete families, during the commission of random household burglaries. And lastly, Christopher, an American GI, who so hated black men that he killed 13 while in uniform. He was caught as he tried to kill a 14th while he was on duty at an American Army base. "There are no words in our vocabulary to adequately describe these...creatures. "But there is a word for what stops them, destroys them. Together, we'll see that word in action. "Please take these cards and shuffle them. Now deal them faceup on the table so that you can see their names. I'll turn my back to you now, so that I'm completely blind to your next actions. Please look at any one of the cards and remember the name on it. Let it burn into your mind, this one name. Picture this criminal however you would, as vile as that is. The utmost concentration is needed, so please write down the name of the beast on a piece of paper and fold it so that no one -- neither you or I -- can see the name hidden inside. Think of this monster as you write his name, feel the natural loathing and repulsion for his acts as you do this. Done? Now turn all the cards face down, hiding the names. Mix the cards up on the table, move them around... leave no trace whatever of the name you're thinking of. Finished? "You have played the role of Fate here. You have chosen the monster to be stopped, to be brought down. You've done a fine job -- you have created a mystery rivaling the best Fate could give us, choosing one of these cards to be the black hand of Death. Which one? Apparent to Fate, perhaps, but not to anyone else. However, there is that word that will bring the monster to his knees. Here is It's sword, the sword of Justice. "As Justice is blind, so I'll move blindly. I'm going to touch these cards, one at a time, and try to let Justice take its course. This may take seconds, it may take moments, but, in collusion with Fate, Justice may prove out. I'll need you to concentrate on the name very, very hard now. As I touch the back of each card, I want you to say to yourself a letter in the beast's name, spelling it out as we go. Don't just think of the letter, think of the letter and the name. See it in your mind. As Fate takes an active hand in things, you'll need to be active here. When you have finished spelling the monster's name,

simply say 'stop'. At that time, as you say the word, think of yourself saying it to the killer, see yourself telling him to stop. And, between Fate and Justice, we may do that very thing. Ready? Let's begin." A side note here. The touching of the backs of the cards is the key theatrical element. Do not merely start touching cards wholesale and quickly. Stumble a bit. Fumble along. It's your mental concentration combined with the spectator's that will reveal the killer -this effort should not be easy. Just be sure that you do not bring the knife into contact with a card, or even close to it, to avoid any confusion on the spectator's part. I hold the knife completely away from the cards when I'm not in the middle of the tapping, usually close to my face. Then, when I'm ready for her to spell again, I go straight to the properly numbered card. It's this hesitation that sells. "You said 'Stop'. You have stopped me, you have halted Justice's search here. Please put your hand above mine on the knife. It's not that warm, just enough to let us both know that something has happened. Feel it? So do I. "Did Fate and Justice work together enough? Where we entwined enough to accomplish what needs to be done? Only one way to find out now..." At this point, push the tip of the dagger through the card. Let the spectator's hand go along for the ride. You're working together, after all. "What was the name you thought of? That's what was written down? Open the paper so we know for sure. Now observe the killer brought down by neutral Fate and blind Justice. "We have stopped him. This one is finished." Oh, and this doesn't make a good effect for restaurants. Just in case you were wondering.

Having Writ
Effect: A tarot deck is shown and shuffled. The spectator selects a card, noting it. The performer shows some blank note cards, giveing two to a spectator to hold together between her hands. The performer begins an incantation, asking for assistance from some wandering soul. After a moment, the spectator is asked to open her hands and look at the cards. On one of the blank cards is the name of the spectator's selected card, scratched into the card as if by a fingernail... or, perhaps, a claw? Set-up: You'll need a tarot deck (do not do this with an ordinary deck -- the impact plummets straight down to the Ninth Circle of Hell when you do). You'll also need some double-blank playing cards. Some preparation of one of those cards is necessary: Using a sharp edge, scratch the name of a tarot card you're going to force onto the card. Let's say it's The Devil. Make the scratches deep and wide, but be careful not to make any impression on the reverse side of the card. I make mine by first scratching the name into the card with an Exacto knife, then using the side of the blade to make the scratches thicker and deeper. Make some lighter scratches on the same side of the card to give the impression that something was scratching errantly against the card.

If I'm performing this for only a couple of people, I stop there. If I'm performing it for a larger group, I take some ashes and rub them into the scratches making up the name of the card, removing the excess that will be on the card (a few struck matches will do the trick easily enough). This merely has the effect of making the name show up easier for others not directly handling the blank cards. Put The Devil card on top of the deck. Put the blank cards together, with a rubberband around them (if I have to say that you shouldn't bring them out in their little Bicycle card case, stop reading now -- this effect just ain't for you), so that the scratched card in on top, scratched side down. Put everything where you can get to it and you're ready to go! Performance: Obviously, you're going to force The Devil card. How you do it is a matter of taste, of course, but for those of you who are curious, here's the way I do it: 1) Shuffle the deck in a loose riffle shuffle, retaining The Devil on top of the deck. 2) Spread the cards out on the table as haphazardly as you can. Now, mix the cards around on the table, keeping your thumb on the top card of the pile. As you mix the cards, drag the force card with the thumb. To the spectator, you're mixing the cards up impossibly well; in reality, you're mixing all the cards except for the force card, whose location you always know. 3) Square up the deck, keeping the force card on top of the deck as you do. Have the spectator cut the deck, but not complete the cut. Shuffle the piles together, again keeping the card on top. This subtlety will stick into the spectator's mind as them having done both shuffling and cutting later on when the story gets retold (and it will). 4) Explain to the spectator that you want her to find a card that represents her future. To do that, the mythical lie goes, she must think about a prominent moment in her past, and cut the deck as she does so. Do not rush her during this process -- let her take her time. When she cuts off the top portion of the deck, have her place it face up on top of the portion of the deck you're still holding in your hand. 5) Instruct her to next think about herself now, to examine her current state of mind and spirit, and to again cut the cards. Again, no rushing. Sometimes the spectator may cut immediately, sometimes they may take a moment or two. Let them have as much time as they need. When she cuts off the top portion, have her again reverse the portion she cut off and place it back on top of the cards you hold. 6) Have the spectator take the deck and spread the cards until she gets to the first facedown card in the deck. Explain that, because she was influenced in manner of her cutting the deck by her thoughts of her past and her present, this one card represents her future. Have her remove the card, remember it, and set it and the deck aside. Yes, this is the Cut-Deeper force. But in this dressing, the two cuts make some sort of mystical sense to the spectator. It's a decent enough premise given the framing, and there will be no questioning the whole process 7) Pick up the double-blank cards, scratched card on top. Pull off the top two cards into your right hand, keeping the scratched card on top. Do not deal the cards, just take them. Put the rest of the blanks aside. 8) You're now going to show the cards -- once -- to be blank on both sides. What you're not going to do is over-prove anything. You are not being chased; don't dare run now. Take the bottom card of the two card pair into your left hand, leaving the scratched card

in the right hand. Both cards should be held in a deep dealer's grip. Now, as you turn the hands at the wrists, use the thumb of each hand to turn the card over. The two motions are done and completed at the same time. This is the Carlysle Card move, and is essentially a paddle-move done with cards. At the end of the move, the hands are palm down, the same side of the cards seen before are seen again. Drop the cards to the table. 9) Take the rubberband off the stack of blank cards. Pick up the two single cards so that the scratched card is on top. Spread them in the right hand a bit as your left hand picks up the rubberband. Wrap the band around the cards, but not so tightly the cards flex and bend. Offer the cards to the spectator, and have her hold them on the palm of one hand while covering them with the palm of the other hand. Instruct her to press her hands together to hold the cards securely. 10) You're done except for the build-up. Begin a low, murmured incantation, recite your best Latin phrasing, or whatever else you like. Myself, I'll sometimes blow smoke on the spectator's hands, or at the very least wet my fingers in a glass of water and "annoint" her hands with a couple of drops. The key here is to take your time. This is the dramatic moment, where the suspense should build a bit. Let it. At about the midpoint, I ask the spectator if she feels anything happening; 75% of the time, she'll say she did. This is known as "icing on the cake'. 11) Sit back. Act a bit drained, and a bit apprehensive. Have the spectator open her hands and examine the cards. Ask her to name the card that represents her. Instruct her to remove the rubberband and look at the inside of the cards. Stand back and cover your ears -- she may scream. Notes: This is a simple routine, to be sure. But there's several places where the impact of the routine can dampen if not completely vanish: Resist the temptation to over-prove the cards are really blank. No Olram. No Elmsleys. Nothing other than the Carlyle. If you get carried away with emphasizing the blank cards, they will be more than object -- they will become the focal point of curiousity. Don't do this one with a regular deck of cards. Use a Tarot deck. Trust me on this one; without the Tarot, a great deal of the framing goes away, and with it, the impact. When doing the Carlyle, it's important to do it with both cards, even though you're really concerned with concealing the surface of only one of the cards. The reason is to hide the discrepancy of the way the hand performing the Carlyle ends. Try it doing the Carlyle on just one card in one hand and you'll see what I mean. Please don't do this one with some message scribbled on the card with a marker or a pen. It just doesn't make logical sense -- where did the writing instrument come from? Stick with the scratches -- that's eerie enough for anyone. The whole sequence with the Carlyle Card move can be used for things other than Tarot-card-revelations. I've done it to start a sequence of cold-reading and to reveal the outcome of an "experiment" with the date on a coin chosen from a pile of loose change. The key to using that sequence is to keep the dramatic point on those blank cards -everything else is just a tool, a means to the end. In other words, don't use that piece for the fnal revelation of a "Mental Epic"-type routine. Keep the audience curious and focused. You'll get fantastic results.

HaVoC
Effect: The spectator signs a prediction upon which he foresees that he will select the King of Hearts. This is stuck to a sealed card case. The cards are removed from the card case and are shuffled by the spectator. When he's happy that they're completely mixed, he cuts a packet off the bottom of the deck and places it in the card case. He turns over the remaining pile and it impossibly matches the signed prediction - in more ways than one - For, not only is it the King of hearts but it impossibly bears his signature - despite the fact that he has signed no cards previously. As it uses an ordinary box of cards, everything can be examined or kept. NO SLEIGHT OF HAND! Requisites: A new, sealed Bicycle deck, A sharp craft knife, a thin-to-the-extent-ofbeing-semi-permeable-to-ink sheet of paper, pritt stick and a Sharpie marker pen. Preparation: Take the Bicycle deck and turn it on end so that the glued cellophane tabs are visible - Insert the blunt edge of the craft knife beneath one of the tabs and slide along the bottom of both tabs to cleanly unseal the cellophane. Slide the deck out and hold the it above a boiling kettle so that the seal label is steamed and can be pealed off without damage. Carefully open the box and, maintaining the order of the cards remove the King of Hearts. Replace the rest of the cards back in the box. Turn the box over: You'll notice that the back of the box bears the design printed on the back of all the cards so, excluding the thumb cut-out, if you smear a dab of magicians wax across the face of the King of Hearts and align it face down, it will look exactly the same as the panel. Now cut out a small sheet of stiff card and insert it into the cellophane as a cutting board. Take the craft knife and, directly beneath the golden strip which you would normally tear to remove the card, cut a small rectangular hole. Now, from the thin paper cut out a rectangle slightly larger than this hole and, with the marker pen write in small caps, the initials KH. Now glue this label to the edges of the hole with the prittstick. Remove the 'cutting board' and replace the box into the cellophane so that the face-down card is beneath the sealed hole. Glue the flaps back in place with the prittstick - Voila - you have the gimmick of which all traces will later be destroyed. Place all in pocket. You're ready to go... Performance: Remove the cardcase from your pocket and place it face-up on the table, saying "If I were to predict a card before you choose it, normally I wouldn't let you see my prediction because, in this knowledge, the nice people just humour me and the nasty people would wreak havoc - and havoc is something I can't normally abide. However, in this case, havoc is exactly what I want - to make your selection completely unpredictable and a tad less mundane. But, when performing in America, it's very easy to get sued for this kind of thing coz most of the non-magical population are insured for everything BUT havoc. So, although the pleasure of performing for you is something I'd gladly sit through testimonials a trifle more entertaining than the following and hand out fistfuls of dollars for, I thought I'd spare us both the trouble by showing you the effect of havoc beforehand and subsequently insuring you against it - And so here it is: Behold Havoc in all its glory..." Turn over the cardbox to display the label "Yes ladies and gentlemen, it would appear that havoc is personified in..." (reading) "...The King of Hearts." "If you could just sign your initials beneath the King's..." (This transfers the signature through the label to the

back of the King of Hearts) "I dub thee King of Havoc - It's now you're privilleged responsibility to ensure that everything goes...haywire..." Tear the golden strip to unseal the cards - turning the box face up as you do so - so as to avoid flashing the signed card. Remove the cards from their box and casually place the face-up box aside - "A fresh deck of cards - conveniantly stacked in order of suit and value - go ahead - mess them up..." - As he does this, pick up the card box and turn it face-down - obscuring the signature with the back of your hand. Once he's happy, single-handedly square up the deck and place it face-down on top of the face-down card box "And now go foth, divide and conquer... - on second thoughts, forget the conquering - just divide - cut a pile off the cards" This done, pick up the remaining cards and, holding them aligned with the cardbox and insert your nail underneath the force card to dettach it from the box - in the action of placing the box before the spectator. Now pick the pile off the box with its new addition and place it aside - signalling for him to place the pile he cut off into the box. (He subsequently won't remember you handling the cards) Now all that's left is the reveal: "Try and try though he may, even havoc cannot dispell fate" - with a swish of the hand, turn over the pile to reveal the King of Hearts which you openly remove and place faceup before the spectator. After a short pause: "But, Sir Havoc, your presence is ever marked:" - Indicate for the spectator to turn over the card. "Have a nice day"