THREE FOR FREE

a close up magic sampler

by

Cameron Francis

www.cameronfrancismagic.com
 SPACE SAVER
From the Aberrations: 2011 Lecture Notes e-book

http://www.cameronfrancismagic.com/Aberrations.php

This effect first appeared on my Killer Close Up DVD. It was also published in
the January 2011 Magicana section of Genii Magazine. Try it once and I think
you'll be using it for a long time.

Effect:

The magician produces five laminated photos of objects which most people
would carry in their pockets: a pile of coins, a pen, a set of keys, a pack of gum
and a lighter. The spectator selects one photo, say the lighter. The photo is
tapped against the magician's pocket. When the photo is turned around it is
seen that the lighter has disappeared! The spectator reaches into the magician's
pocket and removes the only object in there; a lighter.

Preparation:

You need five laminated photos staked in the following order from the top down:

Photo of a pen
Photo of a set of keys
Photo of a pile of change
Photo with the same background as the others but no object in it
A double sided photo of a mini-lighter on one side and a pack of gum on
the other, gum side down
The min-lighter used in the photo

You do not have to use the objects above. Anything that will fit in your pocket will
do. Place the mini-lighter in your right pocket. Be sure the pocket is otherwise
empty.

When I made my set of photos, I took pictures of the objects with my digital
camera, loaded them into my computer, printed them out on business card stock
and then laminated them using self sealing lamination pouches which I bought
at Staples.

Performance:

Say, We magicians tend to carry a lot of stuff in our pockets; cards, coins,
ropes, rabbits, pigeons. This, of course, means that we don't always have room
to carry around more practical items. But I've found a solution to this problem!

Bring out the stack of photos face down. Explain that to conserve pocket space,
you carry photos of common objects with you.

Turn the top photo face up to display it. Turn it face down and table it. Do the
same with the next two photos. For the next photo, wrist-kill the packet and flip
over both photos as one (This is a very nice method of turning over a double in
your hand which I learned from Stephen Tucker).

Show the photo of the pack of gum. You will now execute a monte switch to
display the last card.

Take the two photos with your right hand, thumb on top, fingers below. Turn your
hand palm down and push off the top face down card with your fingers, leaving
the picture of the lighter face up.

Pick up the other photos and flip them face up. Drop the lighter photo on top of
all.

Say, Now, let's say I need one of these objects. I'll let you pick one for me...

Turn the packet face down and get a break above the
bottom card. Slip cut the top card of the packet (the
photo with no object in it) above the bottom card. Keep
a break above these two photos.

You will now perform a glide force variation. Instead of

Fig. 1
sliding cards out from the front of the packet you will
slide them out from the rear of the packet. Pinch the
rear short end of the photo just above the break between your right first finger
and thumb and slide it out (Fig. 1). Place it on top of the packet. Repeat this
procedure over and over again as you say, As I run through these photos, just
say stop. From the front, it looks as if you are pulling cards from the bottom of
the packet and placing them on top.
When the spectator says stop, pull back the top three photos above the break
about an inch. This leaves the bottom two photos out-jogged. Grip the out-
jogged double at the front short end with your right fingers and pull out the
bottom two cards as one. Flip them over end for end and place them, out-
jogged, on top of the packet (Fig. 2). The lighter will show.

Turn your left hand palm down.

As you go to remove the out jogged face down photo from the packet, your right
thumb goes on top of the photo(s), your right fingers
under the photo(s). Your right fingers push the bottom
card back as you slide out the face down card. Fig. 3
exposes this action. This is basically a Down's
Change.

Place the face down photo on the table or the Fig. 2

spectator's hand. Deal the other four photos face up
on the table as you say, You could have picked any of these but you didn't. You
picked the lighter.

Pick up the face down card and tap it against your

pocket. Turn the card over to show that the lighter has
vanished.

Have the spectator reach into your pocket and remove

the actual lighter. Fig. 3

Reset:

Pick up the photos and place the double sided photo at the face of the packet.
Slip the photo with nothing in it second from the face. Flip the packet face down
and put it in your pocket. You are now reset.

ALTERNATE ENDING
After the chosen photo is placed face down on the table, gather the other
photos up and place them in your right pocket. While in your pocket, grab the
mini-lighter and hold it in a loose finger palm. Remove your hand from your
pocket and pick up the face down photo, holding it between both hands. Flex the
photo a few times and then allow the lighter to fall onto the table. Turn the photo
face up to show that the object has indeed popped out of the picture.
 IMPROBABLE VS. IMPOSSIBLE
From the Card Trail e-book

http://www.cameronfrancismagic.com/Card-Trail.php

This routine is based on Aldo Colombini's effect Four-Play, which was his solu-
tion to a Karl Fulves' problem. I loved the routine but wanted to find a way to do
it impromptu. The following effect is my solution. Other inspirations include Jack
Parker's trick, 100% Confidence which can be found in the book, 52 Memories
by Andi Gladwin, Stephen Tucker and David Britland's Face Card Fantasy from
the book The Gemini Book Of Close Up Magick and John Bannon's Discrep-
ancy City Prediction from his seminal book Impossibilia.

Effect:

The magician removes three packets of three cards which he places in a row
on the table as he says, I'm going to show you the difference between some-
thing improbable and something impossible. We'll start with the improbable.

The deck is cut and three cards are dealt on the table and mixed about. The first
packet is dropped onto its corresponding card. The selection is run up to the top
of the packet and turned over. It is a Two of Hearts. The magician turns the
packet face up and runs through it. All of the cards are the mates of the Twos!

The next selection is a Queen of Spades. All of the other cards in its packet are
Queens!

The final selection is the Five of Diamonds. All of the other cards in its packet
are Fives!

The magician says, Now that was pretty incredible because it was highly im-
probable. But do you know what's even more amazing? The impossible!

The magician snaps over the three packets and the deck and turns over the top
cards of each. They are all Aces.

View a demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dldSmTP0-08

Performance:

Run through the deck and remove three sets of three of a kind. I usually use two
sets of spot cards and one set of court cards for contrast. As you do this, cull the
four Aces to the top of the deck.

Keeping the backs of the cards toward the spectators, arrange each of the three
card packets so that the odd colored card is at the face of the packet. In other
words, if you have a packet of two black cards and one red card, make sure you
put the red card at the face.

Lay out the three piles of three cards in a row in front of you. Let's say that there
is a packet of Twos to your left, Queens in the middle, and Tens to your right.

Perform the Balducci Cut Deeper Force and deal the top three cards (Aces) in a
row on the table, above the three packets. Set the deck down to the left of the
three selected cards. So from your point of view, the situation on the table
looks like this:

DECK ACE ACE ACE

PACKET PACKET PACKET

Tell the spectator to mix up the selections, swapping one for another. They can
do this till their heart's content.

Once the spectator is done swapping the cards, pick up the the three card pack-
et on your left and drop it on the corresponding selection (Ace) on your left.
Elmsley Count the packet, apparently bring the card at the face to the top of the
packet. Turn over the top card revealing a Two of Hearts. Two of Hearts. Inter-
esting. Turn the card face down. Because it just so happens that all of the oth-
er cards are Twos as well.

Flip the packet face up and Elmsley Count showing four Twos. Turn the packet
face down and place it next to the deck.

Repeat the same procedure with the next two packets, placing them in a row
next to the first packet.

Say, Now that was pretty incredible because it was highly improbable. But do
you know what's even more amazing? The impossible!
Turn over the top card of each packet, and the deck, to reveal all four Aces.
 COAT
From the Headroom: Eight Self Working Mental Miracles e-book

http://www.cameronfrancismagic.com/Headroom.php

This is a fun trick to carry around in your wallet. It was inspired by a Max Maven
effect called Drawing Conclusions, published in the April, 1984 Max Maven
issue of Richard's Almanac.

Effect:

Five business cards are introduced with five different simple drawings on their
backs: A horseshoe magnet, a clock face, a martini glass, a house and a jacket.
The cards are turned face down and the spectator is asked to name any number
between 1 and 5. Using the selected number all of the cards are eliminated
except one: the drawing of the jacket.

The magician smiles. I knew you'd pick the jacket. Really I did. What's another
word for jacket?... That's right. Coat.

The magician rearranges the other four cards so the shapes spell COAT.

Preparation:

On the backs of five business cards, draw the following images shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Gather the cards, drawing side up, and cut the jacket to the back of the packet.
Now when you turn the cards business side up, the jacket drawing is on top.

Performance:

Introduce the packet, showing the drawings of the various objects. Say that the
packet of cards contains a prediction which you'll get to in a moment. Turn the
packet business side up (the jacket drawing is on top). Ask the spectator for a
number between one and five, one and five inclusive. You will now perform one
of my favorite forces: the George Sands Prime Number Force.

Whatever number is named, you count to that number, moving one card from
the top to the bottom of the packet for each number counted. For example, let's
say the spectator names the number three. You place one, two, three cards to
the bottom of the packet and then turn the next card over so it's drawing side up.
Starting with the drawing, you would count to three again, moving one card from
top to the bottom for each number counted. Flip over the next card so it's
drawing side up. Repeat this procedure two more times. All of the cards are now
drawing side up except for one, the drawing of the jacket.

Note: There is one exception to this procedure. If the spectator picks the
number five, you count down to five and then flip over the fifth card rather than
the card after the fifth card. Keep repeating the same procedure three more
times.

Flip the remaining card over revealing the jacket. Say, I knew you'd pick the
jacket! No, really, I did. Let me ask you this, what's another word for jacket?
They will say coat. Say, Exactly...

Arrange the cards so they look like the image in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2
cameron@cameronfrancismagic.com

www.cameronfrancismagic.com

Cameron Francis 2013