:

.;.

'

"Let's hope we willnotalways "process" Jokers,

butlearnto enjoytheirwildness. -Robert Neale

'The Images jump out ofthe creative space into the created space,
The figures are shaken outofthc magician's sleeve and appearout of .
thin air bursting with life. The fantasies are beautiful in appearance,
but all except one have lost their minds, Only a lonesome Joker sees
through the delusion." - Jostein Gaarder

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Kostya
Kimlat

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This is copy number

of a limited printing.

First Edition - October, 2000

.....

Copyright 2000 by Kostya Kimlat. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise), nor may any effect included in these notes be marketed, without the permission of
the author.

The Joker's Introduction:

A few months ago I was sessioning with several of my friends and after performing for
them for about an hour I realized that eveIJT single one of the effects I had performed
was one of my own. I remember feeling a sense of accomplishment and realizing that I
had moved into another stage in this art and I remember muttering something to my
parents about how I haven't wasted all my time with card tricks.
!-

Writing these notes has been a pleasure. It feels great to take all the knowledge that you
have accumulated in life and put it into a card trick, it really does. And it's much more
productive than let's say getting a real job or doing anything important in life. And so I
present to you my life's work and meaning and all my hopes and aspirations, all in the
following pages, and I hope that you find something interesting in all of it. Maybe you'll
discover something that will entertain your audiences, maybe something that will
intrigue and inspire them. And ifyou find something that will make them throw
hundred dollar bills at your feet, send me an e-mail at MagiKos52@yahoo.com and let
me know, because a teenager needs all the cash he can get.
Whatever it is you find in these lecture notes, I sincerely hope it brings you much joy
thinking about it and even performing it. I have performed every single one of these
routines myself and I can swear by their astonishment and entertainment factors. They
. are definitely worth trying outfor a real audience.
Before I let you turn the page, I want to tell you about a few wonderful individuals who
have been an astounding help to me in the last few years. First is my across-thecontinent mentor, Walt Anthony, who has taught me, over phone and computer, that it
takes a lot more to be a good magician than learning sleights. He has explained to me
the principles of psychology, theater, technique, presentation, marketing, everything,
and how they are all a part of magic. He has always helped me and answered my
countless questions, and I am much in his debt..
I also want to thank Rex Todd Alexander, Joseph Constantine, Neils Sayers, and Paul
Tejera - all Florida magicians whom I have had the pleasure of knowing and performing
with for over four years now. Not only have they helped me learn and grow as a
magician, but they have also been great friends to hang out with. Thank You, guys.
And now all that is left to say is that I hope you will like what you read and will find
inside an effect or two that you will wish to add to your repertoire. Enjoy!
Sincerely,

~ /(imLdKostya Kirnlat

QD Joker Aces
October, 1999
History: This quick and direct version of
Joker Aces (Linking Ring, September,
1998), like the original, can be done with
either two jokers or two selections. The
handling was created after a getting a
suggestion from Kevin Kelly to create a
version that does not use the Braue ReversaL
What follows is my creation.
Effect: The Four Aces are taken out of the
deck and shown one at a time to the
spectator. The Two Black Aces are shown
and placed under the spectator's hands, but
suddenly they jump back into the magician's
hands. When the spectator turns over his
cards, he finds instead of two Red Aces, two
Jokers! The deck is spread, and in the
middle, face-up are the two red aces!
Method: Have. the deck shuffled up by a

spectator, get it back, and start spreading it

from left hand to right. As you come to the
aces, up jog them. At the same time, cull
the two Jokers to the top of the deck. If you
can't do a Hofzinser Spread Cull or a Marlo
Prayer Cull, then start out with the jokers on
top, give the deck a riffle shuffle, keeping
the jokers in place, and then spread, upjogging the four aces.
Get the four aces in red, red, black, black
order from the face, and as you are squaring
the deck, still keeping the aces out jogged,
obtain a pinkie break above the two jokers.
Perform Vernon's Strip-out Addition adding
the two jokers behind the four aces. Briefly:
the two jokers go into a high gambler's cop
position. With the jokers gripped, your left

hand moves forward to strip out the four

aces, adding the jokers to the bottom. Tum
the six-card packet in your left hand face
down, and drop the rest of the deck over that
packet, side jogged to the right.
Tum the deck end for end so you are now
looking at a face-up packet of 6 cards on top
of the deck, but side jogged slightly to the
left. As you square up all the cards, obtain a
pinkie break below the 6 cards (a, a, a, a, J,
J). Transfer the pinkie break to a R. Thumb
break and as you do so, the thumb also picks
.up the top face-down card of the deck,
holding a break between it and the six-card
stack. You will now perform Marlo's
ATFUS.
Briefly: The right hand moves to the right
with the seven-card packet, still holding a
break between the six face-up and the one
face-down card. The left thuinb slips the
first ace onto the top of the deck, followed
by the second, which is slightly side-jogged
to the left. Then, the thumb pulls the third
ace to the left, but- only for an inch, so it
exposes the fourth ace, but is still covering
it. The situation should now look like this:
Face-up red ace on top of the deck, second
red ace over the first, third black ace with
two face-up jokers and face-down
indifferent card below it all the way on the
right side, and fourth black ace an inch to
the left of the third. Your right thumb is still
holding a break over the face-down
indifferent card.

Now, if you square up the ace display and

let go of your thumb break, in your hand you
will have left two aces followed by two
. jokers, all face-up. The deck will have one
face-down card followed .by two face-up red
aces and then the balance of the deck.
i
I

Your right hand now flips its four-card

packet face-down and spreads it slightly.
Your right hand also extends to gesture to
the spectators, as you ask them to place their
hands out on the table, face-up. At the same
time, your left hand performs a Charlier cut,
putting the two face-up aces into the middle
of the deck.

You now end as in the regular Joker Aces by

performing the first two moves of Brother
John Hamman's Gemini
Count. First you perform a double lift with
the middle two cards, showing an ace,
turning it face-down and giving the top card .
(joker) to the .spectator. Then you do a
double lift from the bottom, showing the
second ace, turning it face-down and
handing the second joker to the spectator.
All that's left is to flip the cards in your
hand revealing the Aces, let them turn over
. the cards in their hands to reveal the jokers,
and then, fmally, spread the deck to reveal
the red aces in the middle!

Renegade Joker
, December 1, 1998
This effect came about after reading Paul
Cummin's Commercial Universal from
FASDIU and Universal Joker by Christian
Ehret. This routine is great to do for lay
people and I have worked out the handling
so it can be done with 'a shuffled deck in
use'! Enjoy!
Effect: The Joker, acting as a bounty
hunter, tracks down two selections in a very
magical way. No use running away, and
leaving the Joker empty handed, because at
the end he has them by their necks!
Preparation: To do the kicker ending, you
will need to make the special Joker Card..
Take out a Joker from another deck, and
also any two old cards which you do not
need anymore. (We will use the Four of
Diamonds and the Jack of Spades.) Cut out
one of the two indexes from the cards, and
be neat about it, cutting right above the
value, and right below the little suit design.
The cut out that you will make should be the
a
rectangle
measuring
shape of
approximately % in. by Y4 in.
Then, using a glue stick or double
sided tape, stick the two cut outs onto the
joker. Place them right above the' hands of
the Joker, which are holding onto the wheel,
making it look as if his hands are holding
the two indexes. This does not take long,
and one card will last you for a very long
time.
The Performance: You start out with the
special Joker on the bottom of the deck. If
you are doing this walk around, place the
Joker Card into your left pocket with the
face out, and the back touching your leg.

The regular joker should be somewhere in

the middle of the deck. Remember not to
use the "guarantee" joker; your regular Joker
should match the gimmicked one in design!
1. When ready to do the routine, your left
hand reaches into the pocket, bottom-palms
the Joker, comes out, and adds it to the
bottom of the face down deck. Right away,
turn the deck over so the faces can only be
seen by you. Your right hand then comes
over and thumbs off the joker, which goes
under the deck and rides along on your
fingers as you start spreading the deck
looking for the two force cards. (In this
case, the Four of Diamonds and the Jack of
Spades.) Once you see one of the two cards,
your hands go down so the faces of all the
cards can be seen by the spectators. At the
same time, you do the Marlo Prayer Cull,
stealing that card under the deck, and under
the Joker. This is then repeated with the
second card.

2. Once you have the three pards riding

under the spread, you close-up the deck
placing them on the bottom. Re-spread right
away, telling the spectators that you are
. (still) "looking for one special card, the card
that stands out, the Renegade card!" Once
you reach the regular Joker, take it out, and
drop it onto the table or give to a spectator to
hold.
With tongue firmly planted in cheek, you
patter: "There it is! That is the Renegade
Joker, the Bounty Hunter, and the most
dangerous card in the deck! You can see
that by the big Harley he is riding and his .
mean biker look! He will find any fugitive
on the run, no matter where they hidel
Here, let me show you if .you don't believe

me!" .
3. While talking, swing cut the top half the
deck into the left hand, and replace the
remaining half on top, but keep a R. Thumb
break between the two sections.. Then, .ask
the spectator to say stop while you dribble
the cards. Here you must force the two
cards. (I prefer the dribble force, but the
Riffle or any other onewill do.) 'Once they
call stop, the right hand drops all the cards
below its break. The left hand then thumbs
off the top two cards of it's packet (JS, 4D),
and then places it's section on top of the
right hand section.
4. Once the spectators have remembered
their selections, have the two cards replaced
into two different parts of the deck
(important), and control them to the top of
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steal will be perfect here but any control will

do. Give the deck one or two riffle shuffles,
keeping the 3-bard stackon top. Then, as
you reach for the Joker that the spectator is
holding, your left hand gets a pinky break
below the top two cards.
.

"The two cards that you are holding are the

two fugitives on the run, and you know that
you need to hide quick. So you my friend,
can hide out somewhere down south in
Florida, and you
hide up North in
Maine, making it a lot harder for the Joker to
find you!"

can

5. Place the joker face-up on top of the deck

keeping the pinky break below the top three
cards. Perform Marc Desouza's Shape
Shifter Color change, visibly changing the
Joker into the first selection. A Snap change
where the card is held between thumb and
middle fingers on the side can also be used
here. After this first color change, you have
the first selection, and below it the' second
selection, both face-up followed by the face
down joker, the special joker, and the rest of
the deck.

"Once the Joker catches the actual scent of

the first fugitive, he is ready to catch it.
Watch! <Snap> And just like that he found
you' hiding out on the beach in Key West
drinking your Martini!"
6. With the two cards face-up, you can now
change the first selection into the second one
via the Erdnase Color Change. If you
prefer, you can instead side-steal the second
card from the top into your right hand palm.
Then, as the TIght hand passes over the deck,
it drops the card onto the face, making the
illusion of the first selection changing into
the second, magically.
And, once he's caught the first fugitive, he
can squeeze the information out of him
about his friend's hideout, and all he has to
do is travel up to Maine, and arrest you
there!"
7. At this moment, because you have two
cards face-up on top of the deck, you can do
a double turnover and place the top card of

the deck into the middle. You can then snap

your fingers, and turn over the top card to
show the selection has returned.
"Once he's caught both of you, you can't
escape. You can try, but you see he is too
good!"
8. Turn that selection face down, actually
place it into the middle of the deck, snap
your fingers, and then turn over the top card
(joker). As your right hand takes the joker
from off the top of the deck, you do a one
handed preparation for the TILT with your
left hand.
9. Perform the TILT move, and then do a
double lift, showing the joker returned to the
top. It is very important now to point out his
hands, to show that they are empty, and that
he is just hanging onto his Harley.
"However, if you do leave him empty
handed, don't count your lucky stars just
yet. You see the Joker will never give up on
his search! Even if he fails at first, he will
keep on searching... "

10. Perform a double turnover, and then

thumb off the top card, which is the special
joker. Place the deck back down onto the
table, and concentrate on the one card in
your hands! Give the Joker a spin on your
fingers, and then turn it over and reveal the
indexes of the two selections to have
mysteriously appeared in its hands!
" ... until he finds both you, and you, and has
you by your necks!"
Afterthoughts: If you wish to be ultra
clean, then palm off the top card (joker) and
ditch it in your pocket. Also, change the
presentation to fit you.' If you like, you can
do this as a love effect; the two cards that
were selected by the couple have come
together with a little heart drawn around
them, the Joker playing the part of Cupid.
More importantly, do take the time
to make the special Joker, as this effect is
very well received by lay people! Lots of
jokes can be thrown: in about the Joker's
Harley, and the biker outfit that he is
wearing, and so on, so play around with the
presentation and Enjoy the Effect!

The Single "Double Thought"

February, 1999
The Following was created while reading
Marlo's "The Cardician." This is a one-deck
version of "Double Thought" (reprinted
from 52 Amazing Card Tricks by Rufus
Steele -- also found on pg.3l of Cardician).
Effect: Two Spectators each think of a
card. They remove their cards from the
deck and place them face up on the table.
However, before each card is removed, the
performer takes out 2 cards' and lays them
facedown on the table. When the face down
cards are turned over, they are the mates of
the thought of cards.
Method: All you need to know for this is
the top card of the deck, as it will be your
key. We'll use the 10 of Diamonds. Set the
deck on the table, and instruct the spectator
to pull out a portion of the deck from the
center (like Hi.D.du shuffle}
Have. him
remember the bottom card of the pulled out
packet, and place that. packet on top of the
deck. The selection is now on top of your
key card, the 10 of diamonds.
"Say: "Keep thinking of your card, but don't
let.me know what it is yet. I want someone
else to think of a card, also." Take the deck
from the spectator and deliberately spread it

face up and invite a second spectator to

assist you. Say: "I want you to think of any
card you wish. However, before you think
of one of the cards, I shall remove one card."
While you are talking, look for the ten of
diamonds in the spread and note the card to
the left of it. This is the card the first

spectator selected. Let us assume that it is

the five of spades"
Pick up the deck so the faces are towards
you, and spread Until you see the five of
clubs (mate of selection). Take the card out,
and place it face down in front of you.
Spread the deck back out, still face-up, in .
. front of the second spectator, and let him
remove the card he was thinking of. This
card is laid face up on the table. We'll
assume it's the 2 of'Diamonds. The cards lie'
on the table in this position:

.2 D
Face-up
Face-do-wn 5 C
"Turn to the first spectator and ask him to
remove his card, but .immediately add;
"Before you take out the card you are
thinking of: I shall also remove a card from
the deck." You now remove the 2 of Hearts
(mate of second selection), and being careful
not to show its face, place it on top of your
first face-down card so that it is right-jogged.
half way. The first spectator then removes
his card, and lays it face-up on, the other
spectator's card, also overlapping it to the
.right. The two pairs of cards now lie
overlapped on the table in this fashion:"

2D 5S
Face-up
Face-down 5C 2H
"Recapitulate what has happened, asserting
that you placed a card face down on the

table for each spectator before he thought of

a card. Now that everyone can see what
cards they thought of, you will show what
cards you laid down. Grasp your cards and
turn them over without separating them,
revolving them to the right. Now. the two
pairs on the table appear thus:"
Face-up
Face-up

.2D 58
.2H 5C

"Your cards appear to match the spectators',

even to the point of overlapping the same
way. Place the tip of your right forefinger
on the top 58 and the tip of your right thumb
on the bottom 5C and draw these two cards
to the right a few inches:"

2D
2H

5S
5C

"This manner of showing off the matched

cards permits the effect of what you seemed
to have done sink in before you replace the
cards back into the deck"
Afterthoughts: Parts of what you just read
were quoted from the Cardician. I put
quotation marks wherever appropriate, and
changed the patter, and directions around to
fit the single deck method.

This is.a very good card effect, and if you're

interested in the original, check out "The
Cardician."

Your Signed Kung Pao Chicken

April, 1999

The Menu: 'The following, IS my

presentation for the classic "The Signed
Card" by Bro.
John Hamman.
The
presentation, as you will see, was created
especially for the restaurant worker but it
can be used anywhere else as well. I will
not give away the effect here, but you can
find the original in Richard Kaufman's
Collected Almanac (pg. 125). For 'those
who know the effect, in the presentation you
will see numbers in parentheses that will tell
you which steps should occur at which part
during ,the presentation.
I have been
performing this in restaurants hundreds of
times over ,the last. few months and I know
that.this is very powerful. I hope you' enjoy
it, and try it out yourself.
The Appetizer: After the mystery fortune
cookie card is laid aside, the four chefs, of
the ,restaurant (4 aces) are introduced and
begin their magic. The selected, signed card
(the Kung Pao Chicken) is chopped, grilled,
and garnished by the first 3 chefs, while the
last chef, much to the spectator's dismay,
makes their food vanish completely. But not
to worry, because once the mystery fortune
cookie card is broken, the spectator can see
that his Signed Kung Pao Chicken is ready
to be eaten!

Main Course: "Have you ever been to a

Chinese Restaurant? You have? Well then
you know about the fortune cookies that
they give you, right? Well, we also have our
own fortune cookies here, and they are
actually card fortune cookies: (1) This will
be yours, but you won't touch or see it, until
after the meal, OK? Great! Well, at our

restaurant, the "McBicycle" (2) we have 4 of

the best chefs in' the world. (3) I will
introduce them to you in a second, but first,
take a look at the menu. ,(4) You have
plenty of things to choose from, so point to
anything appetizing that you see.
(5) ,
Ahh... the Kung Pao Chicken! Excellent
choice sir, excellent choice! (6) Now if you
wouldn't mind, please sign your chicken
with this marker so we know that this- is
yours and I'll put the rest of the menu away
as we won't need It. (7) Now as promised,
'these are the four, finest chefs in the land,
and the best part about the chefs, is that they
, will actually cook their food right in front of
you! You see they work as a team. '(8) The
first chef chops up your chicken. The
second one grills it. The third one garnishes
it to make it look delicious. And the" fourth .
one... makes the "Chicken Vanish! (9) But
don't get mad at the chefs, its their job to
make your food vanish. (l0) The rest
however, is up to you, because if you pick
,up some chopsticks, and brake open your
fortune cookie, you will see that your food is
ready to be eaten! (11) ,

The Check: (1) Take out the Ace of Hearts

and place it face down to the side.
(2) Show the cardbox, pointing to the word
"Bicycle. "
(3) The remaining 3 aces are placed' facedown on the other side ofthe table.
(4) The deck is spread face-up.
(5) Card is selected.
(6) Card is signed, and rest of deck is cased
and pocketed.
(7) Elmsley Count the Aces and perform the
necessary displacements of the cards.

(8) Do the necessary count, showing the four

different aces one at a time, as you explain
what each one does. Snap the last one, and
turn it face-up, showing card has vanished!
(9) Show, apparently, all four aces.
(10) Perform the switch with the mystery
card, using the other two cards (ace,
selection) as two chopsticks. Show that the
mystery card is actually the signed piece of
chicken (card)!
(11) Thank your spectators for the
thunderous applause, and if in a restaurant,
tell the spectators that their food will
actually be served in a minute, and that you
hope they enjoy it and come back to the
restaurant again!

Tip: As you may already know, instead of

using the original switch at the end of this
effect, you can use Ken Krenzel' s Monte
Plus Plus switch (Collected Almanac, pg.
xviii), which looks a lot more convincing.

The Burger King Card Trick

August 1,2000
This effect was created during the 2000
Florida' State Magic Convention where I
spent the whole weekend performing,
teaching, and learning magician-fooling card
effects that used psychology, subtlety, or
stooges. The original version of this effect
used all three. Then, while eating with some
friends at Burger King (hence the title), the
most direct method for the effect came to
me. I ended up showing it throughout the
convention, receiving great reactions. Since
then, I have gotten great response from
laymen as well. I hope you try this!
Effect: A spectator thinks of a card and the
magician finds it.
Method: While the cards are in your hands,
peek at the top card. Give the deck to the
spectator. If it is a magician whom you have
seen riffle shuffle before, you can ask him to
give the deck a quick shuffle. You can spot
whether he retains your key card on top or
not. If he does, then continue with the effect;
if not, then perform something else. With a
layperson, there is no need to ask them to
shuffle, just simply hand them the deck.
So the top card of the deck is your key card.
You now ask the spectator to cut the deck
into five piles.. As they do so, watch for
which pile has the key card. Next, ask them
to take the top card of each pile and place
them into their hand facedown, again
watching to see when they pick up the key.
Have them fan the five-card packet in front
of them and think of any card.

COIn fact, to help you concentrate on your

card, I need you to' stick it out a little bit."
.A.s the spectator up-jogs his thought of
selection, your body slowly starts turning to

.the side. Your head, meanwhile, stays

straight for another second, giving you
enough time to see which card they out
jogged. As soon as you spot the card, your
head follows your body, turning to your
side.
So right now, you should know exactly
where their card is in respect to your key
card. Let's say that when picking up the
cards form the packets, the key card was
taken second. Then, when fanning out' the
cards, the.middle card was up-jogged. Now
you know that their card is right above your
key card and you are set to reveal it any way
. you like. It's very important that you mow
exactly which card in the fan is your key
card, so you have no problem calculating
which one their selection is.
.While your head is still to the side, you
continue: "Concentrate on that card. I want
you to stick it out so you almost don't see
the other cards there, just think about the
one you like. Have you got it?"
Next have the spectator square up the five.
cards and drop them on top of any of the
packets and put the deck back together any
way they like and finish with a cut. As they
finish this, you turn back around. All you
have to do is recap everything that has
happened, go through the deck to find your
key card, calculate which one is their
seiection, and then reveal it.
For magicians, the most amazing thing to do
is to spread through the deck, take out their.
card and drop it on the table face down,
Hesitate for a few seconds; glance at the
deck, then back to the magician, then back
to the card on the table. Take a deep breath,

mutter "I think I got it," and then ask them

for the card they thought of. At this point,
most magicians will say: "If you get this, I
will kill you." Have them turn over the card
on the table and then either get ready to be
worshipped or run for your life.

Afterthought: This has honestly become

one of my favorite effects to perform while
sessioning with magicians and even
laypeople have had great reactions to this
effect. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

-------------+ 4

-r

---------~---

Hmm...
Here is a thought: Be the best at what you do.
Don't just be the best card worker at your magic club or the best children's performer in your
area, but be the best magician that you can possibly be.
A kid, an adult, whoever, walks up to me after a show and asks if they can show me a
trick? "Sure!" I say cheerfully, with a glee on my face that almost resembles enthusiasm. "I'd
love to see a trick!" And so another rendition ofthe 21-card trick or the "cops and robbers"
ensues and I am left to ponder whether this horrid performance comes from lack of skill, lack of
practice, or simply lack of care? Man, I'm a mean spectator.
.
"Wow! I've never seen that one before!"
I feel bad for lying and for faking vivacity during that tainted performance but what else
was I supposed to do? I wonder why that person chose to waste both of our times? Does he not
realize how awful he is? ... And then the same question slowly changes to fit another situation,
wherein I ask myself: Why did that magician choose to waste that audience's time? Does he not
realize how awful he is?
Why is it that we, magicians, choose to waste our audiences time so much? I firmly
believe in learning new things and any new skill only comes through practice; but this is where
magicians come in, not lay people. The half-practiced routines and the poorly performed sleights
need to stay behind the closed doors of magic jams, get-togethers, and practice sessions. Only
the well-rehearsed and fully practiced routines need to be shown in paid performances.
Yes there are places where you can try out new effects: restaurants, bars, family reunions
- where a person attending anyone ofthese is too drunk to tell you that your pass resembles a
bad version of an overhand shuffle or not sober enough to realize that your French drop is
actually a defective Classic palm. But even there, take discretion at what 'you perform!
Magicians! I call on all of you! Repent for your sins! Stop washing those dishes or
mowing that lawn! Turn offthat TV or computer; put down that book or that phone; stop doing
important things; cease trying to make an honest living; do what is right and pick up a deck of
cards! Before you forget the beauty of the Diagonal Palm Shift, the distinct perfection of the
Longitudinal Palm, the pure genius of the Green Angle Separation, or the simple simplicity of
the S.W.E. Shift, pick up that deck of cards! Bee, Bicycle, Tally-Ho, it doesn't matter; just
shuffle! Shuffle till your fingers hurt, then cull and side-steal for a bit until your fingers can't go
on, then riffle-stack for a breather, and then, and only then, practice your back palming!
Or maybe not.
But at least practice. Time is too valuable to waste; yours or your audience's.

Four of a Kind
November, 1998

! '

The following effect is based on a Juan

Tamariz effect by the same name. His
method, however, requires a memorized
deck, which in my opinion is not needed for
this type of an effect. The only thing the
following method requires is a four-card
stack and the chutzpah to lie to your
spectators. ,
Effect: The magician has a person pick a
card but hide it without looking at it so no
one knows its value. The magician then
claims that he win find the other three cards
that match the selection in value; He turns
, over ,three random cards and leaves them in
the deck face-up. All three, however, are
completely different in value. When the
selection is revealed, it, also, 'is completely
different. Not, to worry because after the
magician taps the deck withthe selection, he
re-spreads the deck and the three mates of
the selection are seen to be face-up' in the
places of the other cards.
Methode To start off with, you need to get
any four of a kind on top of the deck. We'll
use the four sevens. 'All you have to do is
force one of the sevens in any way you like,
but make sure to tell the spectator not to
look at the card, just simply place it in his
pocket. or j list sit on it. If the other three
sevens are on top of the deck once you have
forced the card, either double undercut them
or overhand shuffle them to the bottom. If
they are already 'on the bottom, then you are
set to continue.
Holding the cards face-down you now begin
to spread them left to right between your
hands. As soon as you start spreading, your
right fingers steal the bottom card of the
deck and carry it below the spread as if you

were culling it. Basically, as your right hand

comes over the deck to spread the cards,
your thumb touches the top of the deck,
while your right hind's middle fingertip
contacts the face of the bottom seven. As
your hands separate to spread the deck,
squeeze the deck by pushing upwards with
the middle finger, and the bottom card will
come loose. Now simply let it ride on your
right hand's fingers, hidden by the spread.
Once you have spread about 15 cards, your
right fingers and thumb clamp a portion of
the spread and lift it up. These are the same
moves you would do if you were to spread
the deck and separate it to have a card
replaced, you just have a card hidden below
the spread and supported by your right

fingers,

'

Using the right hand's spread turn the top

card of the left-hand pile face-up. As you
tum it over, comment on its value. If itis a
three, say that that must mean that the '
selection is also a three. Be very proud and'
confident of this fact, as you're about togo
downhill from here. Leave the card face-up
and what you are now going to do is close
the spread in the right hand and drop the
whole thing over the face-up card, placing
one of those sevens directly above the three.
Remember that the .seven is riding facedown below the spread. Make sure that it
remains the bottom card as you square the
spread and drop it over the left hand's pile.
You now repeat the same exact moves two
more times, spreading 15 cards further down
into the deck. Each time you reveal a
random card, replace, the right hand's
portion, adding a seven above the indifferent
card. You should feel very confident that
you're going to find another three, but when

you turn over the second random card and

find it to be a king or a two or what not, be
very disappointed. Ask them for one more
chance and be even further upset by finding
the third random card. If two cards happen
to match than comment that the third one is
.simply bad luck. If you somehow happen to
turn over three identical cards, then just stop .
right there, put down the deck, carve a
pentagram or a "666" on the spectator's nice
wooden table, and walk out of the room.
If all three cards are different, however,
continue with the effect. After showing all
three cards face-up, be very upset with
yourself and ask the spectators if they mind
if you start over. Once you receive their
permission you will begin to tum over the
three indifferent cards face-down, when in
reality you will be performing a reverse
move created by Larry Jennings.
Remember that each random face-up card
has a face-down seven directly on top of it.
So, as you spread the deck and get to the
first face-up card (in our case, a three), you
are actually going to square up the face-up
card with the face-down seven that is above
it. Then, pinching it to the deck with your
right hand fingers from below, you will twist
your hand towards yourself, reversing the
entire right hand packet 180 degrees, and
finally place the double, still pinched as one,
on top of the left hand pile. What you have
just basically done is switched the three with
the seven by turning over two cards that
were face-to-face with each other.
After releasing the double on top of the deck
your right hand releases it and twists
forward 180 degrees back to its natural
position. "What you must do at this point is
spread the deck further to get to the second

face-up card, but making sure not to flash

the seven that is now face-up. To do this,
simply do a block push-off of 10 cards, and
then spread one at a time until you reach the
second card. Perform the Jennings reverse
one more time,. again switching- the
indifferent card for the seven, and repeat the
spread and reverse a final time with the last
card. Finally square up the deck and set it
down on the table.
As you are spreading and turning the cards
supposedly face-down, mumble to the
spectators that their card must be a mate of
one of the three cards, but you're not sure
.which, so you
start over. Ask them to
tum their selection face-up and upon seeing
that it is a seven, act like someone has just
punched you in the stomach. Don't overact,
but be very disappointed. Wait a little bit,
and then remember that because seven is a
lucky number, you might be able to do
something. Snap your fingers, sprinkle
some fairy dust (lint) and then re-spread the
deck, showing the other three sevens faceup. Ta-da!

will

Afterthoughts: The most important thing is

not to overact. Upon turning the second
indifferent card face-up and. seeing that it
does not match the first one, just act
surprised and disappointed. There is no need
to show your audience how well you played
Hamlet in your community play, simply say:
"Oh... " and if the need arises, followed by
an expletive or two.
Also, the three mates of the forced
cards may also be second, third, arid fourth
from the top of the deck instead of on the
bottom. This will allow you to cull them
from their respective positions, rather than
from the bottom of the deck where there
may be a chance of flashing. Enjoy!

Gigabyte Switch
- a trick for neo-luddites -

June, 2000

It is incredible how in the middle of the

I
l

night you can wake up, startled by your

brain, which, in your absence, has been
creating and developing a routine that is
beyond your wildest dreams. It is one of the
greatest things in life, when, while mowing
,your lawn, you are jolted by an idea which
makes you run into the house, leaving dirt
and grass marks all over the house, just so
you can write down the idea before it flies
back out into unconscious-land. Which is,
how the following effect was formed. It is a
trick with a message, something that is
perfect for today's day and age, and an
effect that can be performed at almost any
venue, especially a computer convention.

Effect: A performer holds a piece of paper

that says in big bold letters: Gigabyte, As he
explains what each term means, he folds the
paper, showing the words: Megabyte,
Kilobyte, and byte, one at a time. Reflecting
on how with all this power and information
(bytes)'nothJ.ng useful has been done, the '
,magician unfolds the paper to show that, ,,
both sides now read: "You've GotMail!"

Method: This effect is basically a bill

switch done with two pieces of paper. The
papers you'll have to make yourself but I
have provided the exact design in these
notes. Photocopy the page with the design
(and only that page, please ), then cut out
the papers and glue them in the following
way:

Message the right way, the other side that

you are seeing is upside down. With the
other paper, when the audience is reading
Gigabyte the right way, you have to be able
to read the word Megabyte the right way
also.
Once you have glued the pieces of paper and
let them dry, you'll need to make the folds
for the,appropriate bill switch. The one that
I perform is the Jarle Leirpoll no-thumb tip
bill switch. It is just as 'effective as any
other switch without the awkwardness
feeling or looking of a switch that uses a
thumb tip. ,You can use any switch you like, "
though. It is a personal thing. Just fold the
, papers the right way and perform. The
following is the patter that I use:

Most ofus Use computers in. our every day

lives, right? Well then I'm sure most ofyou
know what a Gigabyte is. Just as weight is
measured in kilograms or pounds and time
in seconds, the amount ofinformation a
computer can hoid is measured in bytes. A
gigabyte ci:mtains a thousand megabytes,
which contains a thousand kilobytes, which,
in turn, contains a thousand bytes. Nowyou
would think, with all that information
available at the touch ofa button, humanity
would do something useful with it. (Switch
occurs) However, the only thing that we
have been. able to do with all ofthis
information ... is "You've Got Mail!"

Afterthoughts: You'll get a great laugh and

Imagine that the audience is looking at the
pieces of paper. The two "You've Got
Mail" pieces have to be glued together so
that when the audience is reading the

a lot of nodding heads at the end of this

trick. This is one of my favorite creations
and my audiences have really enjoyed it. I
hope yours do too!

.
.. J11801111
MEGABYTE
..
.... . BYTE :
.

YOU'VE GOT . ;
. .

. MAIL!I
.,';"

i 11YII\I
.:
. ~09 3A,nO :

, The Existentialist Mouse

April, 2000

(,

A wonderful example of how creative magic

can be is Robert Neale's book "Life, Death,
and Other Card Tricks." It is incredible how
much meaning can be brought to a deck of
cards and I highlyrecommend the book, not
simply for material, but more importantly ,
for inspiring creativity.
While reading Franz Kafka one day,
I recalled a short fable of his about a mouse,
and upon finding it 1- figured out a way to
incorporate the fable into a magic effect.

''A Little Fable" by Franz Kafka:

"Alas," said the mouse, "the world is
growing smaller every. day.
At the
beginning it was so big that J was afraid,I
kept running and running, and.I was glad
when at last J saw walls fat away to the right
and left, but these long walls have narrowed
so quickly that J am in the last chamber
already, and there in the corner stands the
trap that I must run into. n "You only need to
change your direction, said the cat, and ate
it up.
Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir
7>

Effect: While telling the fable of a little

mouse, the performer brings out a little
plush mouse. As the mouse in the story is
eaten up by a cat, so the magician's mouse
disappears as welL
Requirements: The first thing you need is
the gimmick marketed, under the name
"Raven" or "Bat." You also need alittle toy
mouse. You need it to be metal so it can
work well with the gimmick, however, be
sure to find the cutest one you can.
Method: The method should be obvious to
those who already own the gimmick. All
you need to do, at the conclusion of the
story, is make the little mouse vanish. If
you wantto do the non-gimmick version of
this trick, perform your favorite coin vanish
with the little mouse. However, performing
sleight of hand will focus the spectator's
attention on your hands. . With the raven,
there is no possible explanation of the
vanish and so the spectator's are left not
only with a great fable to think about but
also with absolutely no explanation for the
magic.

As the last line is being said, cover your

hands over the mouse as if your hands were
the eat's jaws. Perform the vanish; then
slowly open up your hands to reveal 'the,
mouse has vanished.
Afterthought: ' I don't like gimmicks,
however, the Raven will, .allow you' to
perform some miracles. If you do decide to'
perform this trick, there is a great side
effect: Not only can you perform it for
intelligent adults who have a taste for
philosophy, literature, or both, but, you can
also do it for little devils, omitting the story,
and simply making a cute little mouse
disappear.

"Oh, look, the magician has a cute rabbit!"

"No, honey, that's just a big rat."

Grade Point Aces

February, 1999
The following has become one of my most
performed effects at school. It is perfect to
perform for anyone who is attending school
and has a GPA - a grade point average that
ranges from 0.0 (pretty sad) to 4.0 (pretty
dorky). However, you can also perform it
for anyone who has ever attended school
and has ever had a GPA. In worst case
scenario, you can present this trick as a way
you used to cheat in high school or the way
that your children are cheating in school
nowaday. Whichever way you choose to
perform it, this trick has two stunning
climaxes that will blow away any audience.
Effect: The performer asks for an audience
member to tell him his GPA. Slightly
embarrassed at first, the spectator finally
confesses to his 2.7 GPA (almost a '"B"
average). The magician takes out a 2 and a
7, representing the 2.7 GPA and places them
aside. The spectator then cuts the deck into
four separate piles and upon turning over the
top card of each pile he finds the 4 Aces,
designating an "A" on the homework, test,
exam, and final grade for the class,
respectively. When his GPA cards are
turned over they are now a 3 and a 9 making
the spectator very happy!
Method: To start off with, place a 3 and a 9
of any suit on top of the deck. . You are
going to ask a spectator for their GPA, take
out the respective cards and then switch
those two for-the three and the nine.
I like to perform the Chris Kenner
"Four for Four" switch which can be found
in his book "Out of Control." Another great
switch was shown to me by Paul Cummins
that I believe was Ken Krenzel' s Switchout
move. You can also perform a multiple top

change, or, if you don't like these types of

switches, then try the following: With the
three and the nine on the bottom of the faceup deck, outjog the spectator's GPA cards.
When stripping them out, add the 3 and 9
via the Vernon Strip out Addition. Hold the
four cards face-up, showing only the top
two. Then turn them face-down, drop them
on top ofthe face-down deck, and thumb off
the top-two cards onto the table. Although
this is not nearly as clean as a Kenner or
Krenzel switch, it works just as well.
The final part of the effect is to perform a
spectator cuts to the four aces routine. There
are dozens of versions published all
throughout magic literature so you should
not have a problem finding one that fits you.
When revealed, each Ace will stand for a
grade of"A," thereby raising the spectator's
GPA.
There are two methods that I prefer to use.
The first is David Harkey's Euro-Aces,
which is one of the most direct versions out
there. The spectator cuts, cuts, cuts, and
that's all there is to it. Other versions
require counting of cards and re-dealing and
so forth, but for the cleanest version,
Harkey's is the way to go. Another great
version is from Chad Long's magnificent
effect, Shuffling Lesson. I was quite
disappointed to see the effect published in
Magic for Dummies, but don't let that throw
you off. The effect is remarkably simple,
but it is unbelievably strong.

. Afterthoughts: You can use either of those

cutting to the aces routines or any others.
Just have the deck set-up the way you need
before you do the switch.

Honest Cheating
May, 2000
One of the neat things about tbiseffect is
that it does not use the "Out-to-Lunch"
principle, yet the effect that it acbieves is
quite similar, that of the back of a signed
card changing. This can be performed for
anyone, regardless of age, and is pretty
stunning. The ending is a kicker that can or
cannot be included, depending on how you
are feeling that day. Another great thing
about this effect is that the subject chosen is
not forced and can ," be anything from
Biology to Basket Weaving 101 - the fact
that the subject is a free choice completely
fries laymen and magicians alike.
Effect: A spectator signs his name on the
face of a card. He is then asked for his least
favorite subject from his school days. If he
says Biology, the words "Biology Test" are,
written on the back of the card, along with
the test grade of "F-." Telling the spectator
not to worry the magicianbegins to'fix' the
grade. First he makes the test grade vanish
completely off of the 'selection and then he
reprints it to say "Biology Test A+."
However, a teacher 'always remembers
givingout one bad grade, so someone has to
get it So, when the magician spreads the
deck he 'finds one card reversed. On the
back it has the biology test grade "F-" and
on the face of it in big black letters is, much
to hisdismay, the magician's own name!
Method: There is a small setup for this
effect. Take out two cards. Low spot cards
work best because you- are going to have the
spectator sign his name on it. You must also
use a red deck, as trying to get a black
marker to show up on a blue backed deck is
For explanation
not that much fun.
purposes, the two cards will be a 5 of
Diamonds and a 2 of Spades.

With the 5D held the long way, write the

word "Test" followed by a large and bold
"A+" in the lower half of the card The top
bar of the letter' T should be a few
millimeters above and parallel to the angel
on the back of the bicycle deck. The big
"A" should be a little bit bigger than the
letter "T" in test. Above this card place an
, indifferent card, also face-down. Above that
place an indifferent card, but this one must
be face-up. The last card that will go over'
these three will be the 2 of Spades. On the
face of the 28 print your name in big bold
black letters. Be sure to use a good, fine
point Sharpie for all of the writing. Finally,
the four card stack is placed on top of the
deck. For easier handling later on ill the
routine it also helpsto crimp the fifth card
from the top by' bending the' back, of it
downwards. This will allow you to' get an
automatical break below the.four card stack
as soon as you need it. 'With the stack on
top you are ready to begin:
Ask the spectator is he remembers taking
, tests in high school or college. Once he
answers, tell him not to worry: you're not
going to make him take '8, test, just simply
pick a card. Give the ,deck a cut but before
you complete it, get a pinkie-break above
the four card stack. Perform a riffle force by
riffling down the outer left comer until the
spectator says stop. It doesn't matter where
he says so, just 'simply pick the deck up at
your 'break and place the upper section
below the lower one. Because you need to
buy time at this point, so you can cleanly
pick up the break and do a quadruple
turnover, reach into your pocket at tbis time
and take out your Sharpie, handing it to the
spectator. Ask him to open it and as all of
his attention is placed on the marker, feel for

the downward crimp. Pick up at that point

and perform your version of a double lift. I
prefer a hit double lift, which, with a pinkie
break already below the four cards, is very
easy here.

write the word "Chemistry" in the blank

space above the word Test. You have now
finished with that five of diamonds. It has
the spectator's name on the front, and
"Chemistry Test A+" on the back.

Once you've turned over the four cards as

one (try to hide the front edge by tilting the
deck downwards), allow the spectator to
sign their name on it, as they would on a
test. Ask them to close up the marker, once
again taking their attention away from the
deck, and perform another quadruple
turnover as they do so. Take back the'
marker and then take a step back away from
them as you ask them about any particular
subject in school that they hated.

You now gesture with the right hand and the

marker and say something like: "Really?
That's unbelievably fascinating." At the
same time as you are gesturing with your
right hand, your left hand's index finger
bends outwards over the upper edge of the
deck and pulls the whole thing down,
squaring it with the three down-jogged
cards.

At this point, make sure that no-one is

behind you, and perform the following'
move: With the deck held long-ways in your
left palm, with its back facing you (almost
as if you were performing an S.W.E. Shift)
your thumb, just like getting ready for a
triple lift, picks up three cards at the'back.
Your middle finger will hold these three
cards at the front end, and you will actually
lift off the three cards a few millimeters off
of the deck, and then move them down
towards the floor for an inch. If you are
holding the deck by its short ends, between
thumb and fingers; then when you move
those three cards downwards, they will be
completely covered by your palm and the
spectators will not be suspicious in any way.
......

What doing this move actually does is reveal

the upper section of the Five of Diamonds,
the one that is blank, right above the word
Test. At this point, the spectator has told
you what his least favorite class was. Keep
him talking at this point as you need to buy
time. Ask him why he hated that class. As
he is telling you all this, you are writing
down the name of his subject. If he says
Chemistry, then the first thing you do is

Remember to keep the back of the deck

facing you so no-one gets a flash yet, and
write the words "Chemistry Test" on the
back of the top card, the one that actually
has your name on its face. At this point you
can bring your hands down and allow the
spectators to see what you have written.
Remember to keep your 'pen gestures' to a
minimum. If the spectators see the back end
of the pen move a lot while you're writing,
they will be surprised to see that all you
have written are two words. Ask the
spectator what grade they would have
received if they were to get a Chemistry Test
right now. They will usually answer D or F,
so write that down in big bold letters.
To psychologically prove that this is 'still the
spectator's card, pick up the quadruple as
one with your right hand. Use your right
hand's fingers to hide the thick edge in the
front, and your thumb at the back. Lift the
four cards up to your mouth and blow on the
ink, as if helping it to dry. Then turn your
hand 180 degrees towards the audience and
blow on the other side. This shows both
sides of the card to the audience without
being 'over-showy.' Replace the four cards
back onto the deck, "rub the ink with your

fingers, proving that it has completely dried

and then perform a quadruple turnover.
Check: The top face-up card has the
spectator's name on the front and
"Chemistry Test A+" ali the back. Below it
is an indifferent face-up card followed by a
face-down indifferent card, followed by a
face-up card with your name on front and
"Chemistry Test F-) on back, followed,
finally, by the balance of the deck.

Pick up the top two face-up cards as one.

Rub them against the top of the deck and
then perform a double turnover, showing
that the back of the five of diamonds is now
completely blank! You have completely
erased the grade from the grade-book. After
showing the double 'on both sides, hold it so.
it's left edge (when it's face-up) is touching
the right edge of the face-down deck. Then,
as you reach forward to pick up the marker -.
from the table with your left hand, you
perform
a
K.M.
Move . (Tony.
KardyrofEdward Marlo) which' steals that
indifferent card from behind the five of
diamonds, and places it on top of the deck,
face-down.
You are now clean for the most part. Give
the card a little spin on your fingers or a
little snap and turn it over to reveal the A+
printed on the card instead of the F-. As you
turn over the card with your right hand, use
your left hand to give the deck a Charlier
cut, placing that face-up card with your
._ _

.0- __. .

_... .__.. __._~

name on it into the middle of the deck. All

that is left is to remind the spectators that a
good teacher never forgets giving out an F-.
With that, spread the deck face-up on the
table, revealing a face-down card that has
that F- printed on its back. Here, I like to
finish with this line: "Well, if you got the A,
then it can't be you. So tell me, why does it
always have to be me?" This line is said in
a somewhat ironic tone and gets a good
laugh every time ..
Afterthoughts: The kicker at the end gives
the effect a formal ending. However, you
may finish by just giving the spectator the
card to keep with the A on it. Also, and here .
is an idea to play with: Instead of using the
lower section of the card to write the word
'test' on, use the lower. And, instead of
.using the word test, write in the local area
code number instead. Then, instead of
downjogging the three cards, upjog them.
Then ask the spectator for their phone
number and instead of writing a word like
Chemistry, write down those i digits. So
now, you have a card with the telephone
number of a person you've just met. What.
you pre-write or pre-draw on that card is up
to you. I have performed it by pre-drawing
a small deck of cards with the matching
selection rising out of it. Try that one or
come up with anything else you think Will fit
the situation.

.__

_ _ ._. _ ...._..._ .._ ....._. _'.

'\

Pandora's Card-Box
February, 2000
I love performing close-up magic while
standing in front of an audience of 5' to 20
people: This type of situation is what I
enjoy the most, along with sitting on a
carpet with a group of 5 people or fewer. I
really get to know my spectators and they, in
turn, get to know me and my magic. This is
why I love close-up magic so much. Often,
however, it is very hard to end such an
intimate show. When working with just a
deck of cards; you can go on for hours, but
you must learn how to stop, and I mean
stop! This is one of my favorite 'closer'
effects, which definitely gets a great
reaction.

All you have to do is place anyone of the 52

miniature cards inside the mini card-box,
(face-down when the half-moon side is up)
and then place the mini-box inside the
normal card-box.
The normal sized
duplicate of the miniature card should also
be on top of the deck. When performing,
my card-box is set-up from the beginning
and is in my pocket. I take it out as if to
feint putting away my cards, but then, after
the begging has ceased, decide to show just
one more. 1 place the card-box close to my
body and off to the right and I am ready to
begin.
0

Effect: Three cards are selected, signed, and

lost in the deck. The first is found
underneath the card-box. The second one,
the magician claims, will actually jump
inside the card-box. Upon opening it,
however, a miniature card-box is found, and
inside, a miniature replica of the second
selection.
In a flash, however, that
miniature card changes into the real thing,
spectator's signature and all. For a grand
finale, the magician snaps his fingers and
tells the spectator to open up the miniature
card-box - the same orie that they just saw
empty a second ago. Upon opening it, the
third signed selection is found folded inside!
The audience gives the magician a round of
applause and proceeds to slowly and calmly
whip out their wallets and hand over all of,
, their cash and credit cards.
Method: For this effect you will need a
, regular bicycle deck and a miniature version
that can be found at magic or novelty shops.
Thesetiny bicycle decks are exactlyone half
the size of a standard deck and to a laywoman, are the cutest things to hit the earth.

00

Begin by having three cards selected. The

second spectator has to be forced the
duplicate of the miniature, card. Once the
three cards have been selected, you need to
get them back and control them to the
needed positions.

Start with the third selection first. This is

the one that will later be found folded inside
the miniature box, so you need to control
this one to the bottom. When having it
replaced, keep a pinkie.break below it and
then double undercut or pass it to the
bottom. The second and first cards have to
be controlled to the top, but they should not
disturb the selection at the bottom. So,
swing cut half the deck into the left hand,
and have the second spectator replace their
card into the half that was originally the top
half of the deck. This time keep a pinkie
break above the selection (actually between
the second and third selections) and perform
a pass or double undercut. Repeat the swing
cut again and have the first selection
replaced over the second one, and control
both to the top, while at the same time

bringing that third selection back ,to the

bottom of the deck.
Check: The top card of the deck is the first
selection and below it is the second. Then
comes the balance of the deck with the third
selection on the bottom. All the cards are
.face-down but you will now change that.
While telling the spectators how you are
going to find their cards, perform a half-pass
'with the third selection, reversing it on the
bottom of the deck. '
'Tell the first spectator that finding their card
is not too hard, especially if you cheat and
look through the' deck. As you say this line,
you perform the card-under-the-glass move,
loading the first selection underneath the
card-box. (For great card-under-glass work
read or watch J.C. Wagner, Doc Eason, or
Chris Power.) Remember: As your left hand
spreads the pack on the table, be sure not to
flash the bottom face-up card.
You are now one card ahead of the
spectators so you can do what you like; I
prefer to close up the deck on the table, pick
it up, and pretendto take outa card invisibly
and throw it up in the air. My finger then
follows the imaginary path until the card
< lands' underneath the card-box.
At this point two things are going to occur at
the same time. As you tell the spectator to
reach out and turn over the card underneath
the .card-box, you will perform a mercury
card fold, from Hugard and Braue's Expert
Card Technique. Because you half-passed
the bottom card earlier, when it is folded, it
will be backs out so as to build up the
climax at the end. The folded card will now
be below the deck, hidden by the left hand's
fingertips, so a glimpse at the bottom of the
deck will not give anything away.

Hold the deck in the left hand, and again,

pretend to take out an imaginary card and
throw it out, but this time, tell the spectators
that it has landed inside the card-box. Let
them open up the box and be very surprised
when they take out the miniature box. At
this point, take the miniature box from them
before they get a chance to open it. Look at
. it on all sides, and then, using' just your
index finger,. kick open the front. Tilt the
box forward so everyone can see one facedown card inside.
The following motions are very important:
Ask the spectator to put up his hand and
shake the card out onto his palm.
Remember that it is still face-down, so build
up the effect as" much as possible. Your
spectators should almost be screaming out
. loud: Could it be the card? Could it be the
card?" Then, just as you feel that your .
spectators can't hold back any longer, take a
step back and allow the spectator' to turn ,
over his card. At this point, everyone in the
. audience will let out a breath and then start
, looking at each other, muttering: Can you
believe he just did that?"
(psychological Note: Whenever you have a.
group of spectators, they will always turn to'
each other, as if someone else might have
the answer to the mystery they just
witnessed. This is the absolutely best time
to load, steal, palm, do whatever you Iikel)
At the exact moment the mini-card is being
turned over, the folded card on the bottom of
the deck should be loaded inside the mini
card-box. To do this in the quickest and
most efficient manor, after you kick open
the flap with your index finger, bend it all
the way back so that the card-box is
completely open. (Note: You must also rip
off the little side hinges of the card-box to
allow completely smooth loading.) If you
performed the mercury card fold correctly,

then the inner right comer of the'folded card

will be in a shape of a "N," The right hand,
holding the mini-box moves below the deck,
and lets that inner right corner of the folded
card glide directly into the opening of the
, card-box. This has to be one smooth motion
done in no more than two or three seconds
as the spectators tum over their selection
and gasp in amazement. Right after the
load, your hands separate, and your right
hand closes-up the card-box by pushing the
flap back up and inside using your index and
middle fingers. Set the mini card-box in the
middle of the table and forget about it. In
the spectator's minds, they have just seen a
card-box with one mini card inside and
nothing else. In the next visual frame of
their mind, the mini card-box is sitting on
the table, and you are standing several feet
away from it.
Meanwhile, the spectators have all passed
around the mini-card and discussed how
cute it is. Take it back into the right hand,
and remember that the actual selection that
matches the mini-card is on top of the facedown deck, resting in your left hand. Look
at the spectators and act as if you have just
thought of something. Motion to the first
spectator and ask him if he is still holding
onto his card (or if it is on the table), and
mention the fact that his had his signature on
it while the little one doesn't have the
second spectator's signature on its face. .As
you look towards' the spectator to say this
line, you perform a top change, switching
the mini-card for the real one. Two seconds
later, when the spectators look back at your
hand, you will now be holding the actual
signed, second selection. They will do a
double take and once again be completely
lost. All you need to do is smile and drop
the second selection onto the table.

The effect is now over in your mind. The

final selection is already inside the mini
card-box and all you need to do is build up
the finish. Do your best here. Askthem if it
would be amazing if you can make another
mini card appear inside the mini-box just
where the second one was found. Saying
this will emphasize the fact that the
spectators saw the mini-box, empty after the
mini card was taken out. They will all nod
in agreement and wait in anticipation to find
a mini-card inside. You, however, have
something better in stock for your wonderful
audience.
Show your hands completely empty, slowly
pick up the card-box and open it up so it
faces the audience. Slowly pull out the
folded card half way and if you like, let a ,
spectator pull it out completely, and unfold
it themselves and find it to be their selection
with their signature!
This is a killer, killer,
closing effect. Not only does it have four
distinct climaxes (card under box, mini-card
appearance, mini-card change into real card,
folded selection inside box) but it also
embodies several sleights, techniques,
misdirection and body language methods
that all add to, rather than take away from,
the fmal effect. Mastering this effect and
performing it smoothly shows that not only
can you perform sleight of hand well, but
that you also have a firm understanding of
misdirection, audience control,and many
psychological aspects of magic. I sincerely
hope that you try out this routine and see
how well it is received by audiences.

Afterthoughts:

/
i

.I think, therefore I twist

August, 2000
Once in a while you will happen to stumble
onto an intelligent audience. Not too often,
granted, but it does depend on where you
perform. If you see the people nodding their
heads when you mention philosophy or the
name Descartes, then I would perform this
effect. If not; you're still OK because the
good thing about this effect is that it can be
done without the patter completely and still
be pretty amazing. However, if you find an .
intelligent adult or two, perform the.
following effect for them, featuring the great
1in century philosopher, Rene Descartes.
Effect: This daring card trick asks the
question: Ifyou don 't think you exist, do you
. then disappear? Three kings are taken out.
of the deck representing three philosophers.
Rene
Descartes'
While
discussing
: philosophy: "Cognito ergo sum" - "I think,
therefore I am," the magician. makes the
. king of spades (representing Rene): trim
face-up, face-down, and then completely .
disappear.
Method: For this effect you need a blank
faced card with a back that matches your
deck
1. Begin with the blank card on top of the

face-down deck. Spread the cards face-up

between your hands and outjog three kings:
two reds and one black. Make sure that the
black king is below the two red ones. If the
cards are not automatically in that order, you
can simply re-outjog the black king, or you
can use two black kings and one red instead,
if they are in the right order. Which cards
you use doesn't matter. One just needs to
contrast the other two since it will represent
Rene Descartes.

2. With the three kings out-jogged you need

to perform Vernon's Strip-Out addition.
.Briefly: the blank card (on the bottom of the
face-up deck) goes into a high gambler's
cop position. With the card gripped, your
left 'hand moves forward to strip out the
three kings, adding the blank card to the
bottom. The four-card pile stays in the left
hand while your right hand sets the deck
down on the table face-down.
Your right hand now holds four cards faceup, in order, from the face: Red King, Red
King, Black King, Blank Card. I will first
describe the technique of the routine and
then the patter.
3. Left hand pushes the first red king to the
right. The right hand takes it, turns it facedown and places it on the bottom of the
packet. This is then repeated with the
second red king.
4. Take the four-card packet into biddle grip.
Your left-hand index finger will go
underneath the packet and pull the bottom .
face-down card to the left. The middle
finger will then contact the second facedown card from the bottom and pull it to the
left as well. It should look like you have a
three-card spread with the top card being a
face-up black king. The top card, however,
is actually a double, with the blank card
face-up behind the king. Using your right
hand turn the double face-down and square
up the cards.
Push the top face-down card to the right and
take it with the right hand. Use your right
hand's fingertips to flip over the three cards
in the left hand face-up, While gesturing
with the face-down (supposed) king, push

the top card of the left hand forwards for

about an inch, exposing another red king.
Place the face-down card below the left
hand pile, but in-jogged an inch. Square up
the three (four) cards from the sides, but
leave each one still 'stepped' an inch
forward from the one below' it. The
spectators should be able to see an inch of a
face-down card, an inch of the middle red
king, and see the second red king in its
entirety on top.
5. Square up the spread, patter for a second,
and re-spread, pushing the top two cards to
the right. Hold the last two cards as one remember the blank card is hidden facedown below the face-up black king. Again
form the step-display by lining up the three
cards at their long edges, but leaving each
one outjogged an inch above the one below
it.
6. Square up the' spread again, patter, and
then perform the first 1 ~ moves of an
E1msley count: Holding the cards in the
right hand, use your left hand to take.the top
single card (face up red king). As your left
hand is taking the singlered king, your right
hand does a multiple push-off of the. two
kings (face-up red and black).. This goes
over the first king and outjogged an inch just
like in the previous displays. This leaves a
single face-down card in your right hand,
which you then tum over to reveal .a
completely blank card!
If the spectators wish to grab the blank card,
let them. You want to take as much heat off
of your hands as you want. However, I
prefer not to interrupt the flow of the trick
and continue straightinto the last phase:
7. Take the blank card and insert it between.
the two red kings. Don't forget that the top
red king has a black king hidden behind it.

Re-adjust the spread if you need to so at

least an inch of each of the lower two cards
IS seen.
8. You will now perform a version of a
paintbrush .change. It's very simple here:
Your left thumb and fingers' are squeezing
the three card spread, slightly on the sides.
Your right hand's index and middle finger
come to the outer end of the spread and push
back the top card(s) until they line up with
the blank card. Without a hesitation, use
your index finger to push forward just the
top card, making the illusion that you just
painted the black king onto the blank card.
This is fI. wonderful color change and will
get a great reaction from your audience. To
end you can simply show the cards and
throw them back on top of the deck, palming .
out the blank card at a later time. Or, if you
wish to be clean, you can use the gambler's
cop to steal the blank card when you let the
audience check out the three Kings.
Presentation: (1) In the 17th century there

was a philosopher by the name of Rene

Descartes who came up with the theory:
"Cognito ergo sum" - 1 think therefore 1
am." He became very famous for this but
what a lot of people don't know is how he
came up with this idea.
(2) You see, one day, Rene was hanging out
with two of his philosopher buddies and
they decided to come up with a theory
relating thinking and being. They all sat
down, and after about an hour, the first
. philosopher, not the smartest of the three, 1
should mention, stood up and said: I
think. .. I think... I think I need a drink."
And so he left the discussion. (3)
An hour later, the second philosopher came
up with what is now referred to as the "Little
Engine that Could Theory." He said: "I

think I can, I think I can, I think 1..." and he,

also, went off to get a drink. (3)
(4) Rene would not give up that easy,
however, and so he sat there for half the day
until he thought to himself: "Well, I think
my friends exist. I think the world around
me exists. I think I exist, therefore I must
'exist! (5) Cognito ergo sum!"
He was very excited at first but then he had
some doubts: But what if my friends don't
exist? What if the world around me is just
myimagination? What if I don'teven exist?
(6) If I don't
think, I. cannot exist."
.
At this point Rene's philosophy buddies
found him in this condition. (7) They
wanted to help him, and so they gave him
the best advice they could offer: "Rene,"
they said, "all you need is a drink. And
then; if you just think. you can, (8) you'll
be!"

Afterthought: This is one of my favorite

effects to . perform because of its
presentation. Not only do some of the lines
get some good laughs, but also the whole
effect is intellectual. It teaches those who
don't know. about Rene Descartes his
philosophy, however it is not unbearably
didactic.
Also, if you ever get a chance to perform
this stand-up, where no-one will grab the
cards afterwards, you can place a piece of
double stick tape to the back of the. black.
king. As long as you adjust your handling
and don't let the king and the blank card
stick together too quickly, at the end, the
effect will look like a pure miracle!

-------'-------~ ..... 4 - - - - - - - - ' - - - - - - -

The Perfect Combination

Look at the study of etymology and of semiotics. Each one delves into life and searches
for meaning behind every day words and objects that peopletake for granted. These studies ask
humanity: How can you live ina world without full knowledge of where the words you speak
come from and what the objects around you mean? They urge people to learn both the denotative
and connotative meanings ofthe things around them.
Yet here is the paradox: You delve into life and into learning the details, the history, and .
the meanings behind every word and object, and you are pushed deep into the world. Yes, you
become more aware of all these things, but, and the problem lies herein, too often you cannot
escape thisvinformation world" and enter into the "real world" where you canuse all of your
knowledge.
So there must be a compromise between knowledge and the use of knowledge. The
person who succeeds is the one who takes the best ofboth worlds. And the same applies in
magIC...
Change etymology into the study of moves and sleights and of the history of magic and
of where magic concepts come from. Change semiotics into the study of signs hidden within
your magic, the psychological reasoning behind your magic, and the connotative implications of
magic on your audiences. Now you begin to understand that there is more to magic than learning
effects and performingthem.

So what shoul.d a good magician study and know and more importantlyunderstand? The
first step is to learn methods. (Remember that sleights, gimmicks, subtleties, and stooges are all
forms of methods.) Just as musical notes are put together to form a piece of music or special
moves used in a game of chess, methods are put together to form the effect. So in order to be a
knowledgeable magician, one must study the history of methods. One must read not only the
recent issue of Magic Magazine or the Linking Ring, but one must study his Mark Wilson and
Tarbell, read his Fitzkee, Vernon, and Marlo, and learn how methods were originated and how
they have evolved; how Erdnase's techniques led to those ofMarIo to those of Ortiz and Ricky
Jay and to those of Hollingworth.
A knowledge of etymology allows a person to interpreta word he does not know by
dissecting it into prefix, root, and suffix and knowing which language each comes from. A
knowledge of methods and their history allows you, upon creating or learning a new effect, to
dissect it into ideas and methods and concepts, and by knowing where each has originated from,
you become able to have a much firmer grasp on the effect as a whole. A solid knowledge of
magic principles also allows you to see, in the case oflearning another magician's effect, what
influenced that magician's train of thought. It allows for a broader understanding of the effect
and is therefore the first step in helping you change the methodes) to a certain effect to make it fit
into your own ability and performing style.
Yet here is the paradox: You learn every sleight and every subtlety or buy every
gimmick, and you are filled with knowledge and facts and history. This knowledge, however,
unless used everyday in your own performances, is as useless to you as a locked toolbox is to a
handyman.
The knowledge gained from learning sleights from Richard Kaufman or History from
Melbourne Christophermust be used and incorporated into all of your magic. There must be a
compromise. You should not become a sleight-obsessed freak nor should you become an
ignorant puppet-magician, moving step-by-step just as the instructions tell you to move. A
reliable foundation of magic knowledge put together with the right style of performance is what
makes the most effective magician,
Would you ever hire a handyman who does not know how to use his tools? Or, Would
you ever hire a handyman who knows his tools better than anyone else but has never tried to use
them? In both cases, probably not. And so your audiences must' ask: Why would we want to see
a magician who does not know what he is doing? Or, Why would we want to see a magician,
albeit a knowledgeable one, who has never performed before?
In searching for the perfect combination ofknowledge and performance, you begin to
develop a true respect for our brilliant art. You start to see, not only the complexity that goes into
(or at least should go into) every effect, but also the flowing simplicity that appears before the
audience's eyes. You cannot fool an audience; they can always tell when you have no
understanding of what you are talking about or what you are showing them. However, if what
they see is a perfect performance that flows both visually and psychologically, they will begin to
trust you. Once they realize that you are an expert at what you do and that you have put your
time and effort into bringing them this performance, they will then give you their time, and
maybe, just maybe, even take the effort to give you a round of applause at the end.

......

:,:.

.....