On Premises 02

More variations for you.

4. The Camera Trick.
This works well with a single coin, but imagine the effect is has with stuff like Three Fly! It's a tongue in cheek presentation and should be presented as such.

5. The Sucker Bit.
This is pretty old school. But as you can see you can work in the old gag into the plot. Technically it's not a sucker trick, as the sucker element is missing, but it feels like a sucker trick, as the function of the gag is that people think no magic will occur, lowering their expectations. That makes the final "travel" so strong. Works great with drunk people.

6. The Invisible Coin.
Here the coin doesn't vanish, it doesn't shrink or hide. It's just invisible. Sometimes I prove this by tapping the invisible coin against a glass creating a sound. You need a relatively sober audience for that.

On Premises 01

Coming up with a premise for a trick can change the impact of a trick drastically. So I play this little game, simply called: "Same trick over and over again". The plot is a coin vanishing in the left hand and then being reproduced. The structure is that the coin is transferred from the right to the left hand three times (two times the condition the audience) and on the third one the coin is gone. Sticking to that plot and that structure there is only room left for premises. So playing that game means I need to make the same trick different each time without violating the plot or structure. Here is what I came up with:

1. Three ways to make a coin go form one hand to the other.
Here the conditioning is part of the premise. "Arc" and "Straight Line" are very easy to understand concepts. And offering a third version to make the distance even shorter has some real world implications. That is why it works well for a not so drunk crowd.

2. The doggy stick story.
This is just great for kids. I've done it many times. It has a "pretend" element, it refers to an outdoor activity and has a funny outcome. Poo jokes are funny for kids.

3. The shrinking coin.
This is my least favorite. But instead of doing this with a coin, do it with a bill. Rolling it up and press it into the fist. When you open it up it will look considerably smaller, because of the wrinkles. So on the third time vanishing the bill - sorry I meant shrinking the bill - so it cannot be seen anymore makes sense. Then reproducing the bill/coin by stretching it is a neat finish.

Each time the same freaking trick seems different. And whenever I create some magic sequences that I like I try to get away with it again, without it being an obvious repeat. This is when a different premise comes in handy. So that makes the game that I play a valuable asset in my creative toolbox.

I chose to tell you this, because I got many questions on that very subject. I give you another example. If you have two coins and toss both of them into then hand any by opening the hand there is only one seen, most magicians would simply say that one has gone. But you could interpret the events in a different way.

1. Both coins could have fused into one
2. One coin is just invisible but still there

In first case it could lead into a nice splitting coins routine. What if you had a hole bunch of coins fused together? Basically it would be a standard coin production sequence, but to the audience it will be a different trick.
In the second case you could go all out picking up the invisible coin, demonstrating how it is still solid, by picking up a whine glass and creating a sound that shouldn't be there, but is there.

Suddenly you have much more opportunities to do certain effects.

Three Coin Serenade by Jim Abrahams

Let's get it out of they way quickly. Coin magic is hard. Really hard. Compared to card magic it is much harder to make it clear what the effect is. If the light is wrong nobody sees the effect and the most beautiful copper silver routine becomes meaningless. This routine is obviously designed for table hopping. It covers all the needs. It takes up very little space, it is modular and it is ungimmicked.

Here is what I like about the use of the purse. It is totally motivated why it is there. It perfectly hides the little extra that is in play during the later part of the routine.  If the surface is right I noticed you don't even need to pick up the purse, just slide it into the "center" and all is set.

Using the purse instead of a playing card also helps to get a way with certain issues. A card "floats" when it is not supposed to float. As you place down the card on a hard surface a very tell tale sound could arise. Here the floating does not take place at all and the sound would be natural as the metal frame of the purse strikes the surface.

A playing card makes no sense. A purse does, when doing coin magic. In the end all the coins go back in the purse, which resets the routine making it practical, magical and overall a wonderful routine. The modular aspect enables you to either continue doing coin magic or to shorten the routine if needed. As I was experimenting with this I found out that this is a great opener to a table set. For several reasons. The coins are big, loud, interesting and NOT playing cards.

Sponge Ball Routine #1

This is taken from a varity of sources the main one being the "The Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic" written by Frank Garcia. I cannot find my copy, so I cannot give you page numbers and all of that. Sorry about that. The routine I have been doing a quite a few years now has a lot to offer. In terms of effects, you get a bunch. A production, a teleportation, two splits, two fusions, another split, another teleportation, a production, a color change, a transposition, yet another production, a vanish from the spectators hand and the usual in the hands finish. That's 14 effects in about two minutes. Say what you want, but it's not boring. In real life I give myself a bit more time to do the effect, waiting for audience reactions to pass and all of that. But here are a few things that I am proud of that I have not seen anybody else do. The second split: I never seen any magician repeating the usual split to create three balls with just two of them. The audience usually demands a repeat after the first split. So I did them the favor they ask for. Then I fuse the balls back into one. Also never seen that.

Let's talk a bit about the "in the pocket phase" I love this phase. I make the claim that it will look like the ball goes to my pocket. The second I remove the ball from the pocket people think of a second ball. And that is exactly what I want them to think. So the effect when I open the other hand and the ball is not there is multiplied. Not only that. The usual audience revise their belief of a second ball in place to be just one ball all along. And suddenly I'm in a wonderful situation to split the ball into two. Also the routine is fairly practical. Two balls in the right pocket and one in the left pocket. Tugged all they way up in the corner. It used to be a little longer and when I do this for kids, I add the usual squeaker phase and a quick multiphased bit of the ball going from my elbow to my hand repeatedly.

Overall sponge balls are a great little thing to have when doing close up magic. People love them. And you can add all sorts of humor to them.

Here is my usual opening line. "I met a clown..." I take out the ball "...he doesn't laugh anymore." That line perfectly captures my style when I'm performing and almost justifies the prop itself.

No Dupe Transposition by Jim Abrahams

Why not start with Jim. The card tricks ended with him, the other stuff shall begin with him. It was this trick that actually got me started wearing that ring. And I have been using this for real people for quite a while now. It gets killer reactions. In fact I usually have to slow down with the second phase as people look away, looking at each other making sure they saw the same thing as everybody else.

The FT of the the coin from the left hand to the right hand actually goes completely unchallenged because people are looking the elbow to see if the ring is really there. You need quite a loose fitting ring, so you wedding ring will probably not work.

As a side note. When I ask to borrow a ring often people can't take it off. To me this is a "sanitary riddle of mystery"

What makes this routine so darn practical is that it really is an impromptu routine. Most convincing transpositions seems to need a dupe. This uses the psychological principle of the "change blindness" which is a bold method to be used in this trick and therefore typical for it's creator.

Your Days Are Numbered by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page to be added

Personal Comment: In the version in the book you never ask her her age. You just claim that she has cut off as many cards as she is old. Then you walk away. Doing this to a male spectator of course you ask them their age and let them count. This trick has a chance of failing, but you start your patter about the birthday and all of that AFTER you made sure the effect is going to work 100%. Otherwise you just do a different trick. In terms of method this is fairly easy. You just have to know the age and in an earlier trick you simply set up the deck by sticking the "Breather" in the right place. Just makes sure that while instructing your spectator to cut the deck to say "below, above or about the middle" depending on the age. I had fun with this little trick. It adds so much more to the "Spectator cuts off a certain number of cards".

So with that I am going to leave this project. Cards are still great and all, but I feel that I have enough for a long time now. This blog will be transferred to the new blog eventually and the url will be gone.

Difficulty: 3/5

Three-Second Wonder by Gary Ouellet

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 10, Number 4 April 1987
Page 1335 et seq.

Personal Comment: I have been doing a version of this for years. The version of this I've been doing doesn't require to "bring back" cards. So when I read this I was all like... dude no need... but strangely this version here, the original is much more practical. And you know how much I like bold. So this is recommended.

Difficulty 3/5

No Quarter by Randy Tanner

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 10, Number 3 March 1987
Page 1323 et seq.

Personal Comment: As said in the video. I just came back from actually doing this to real people... It's killer. In book YOU take out a corner for verification. I did not. In this version the corner is left by accident. Which I think makes it much less suspicious as "proof" of magic, I think. Anyway, the original version uses no "devils handkerchief" and is fairly practical. I recommend checking it out. The routine is not "too" creative. It breaks no new ground, but it plays well.

Difficulty 3/5

Shooting Card by Jeff McBride

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 5 May 1983
Page 775 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is tricky... and Harry Lorayne said all there is to say about it. As a revelation it is kind of weak... but put this into an action like cutting the deck, it suddenly becomes a startling production that fits well into a Cutting the Aces scenario.

Difficulty 5/5

Rearward Change by John Mueller

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 2 February 1983
Page 743 et seq.

Personal Comment: I always had trouble with the classic push-in change of a double sticking in a deck. This is a bearable alternative.

Difficulty 2/5

Inside-Out by Hippie Torrales

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 2 February 1983
Page 740 et seq.

Personal Comment: This version uses a gimmick. With little thought, it is not needed at all. I like the framing of the effect. Technically speaking it is just a reversal and a change. But somehow the "in the spread" feature makes it stronger, as there is little contact done by the magician.

Difficulty 2/5

The Perils of Jack

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 2 February 1985
Page 1031 et seq.

Personal Comment: The story is boring... but here is the thing... You don't have to do a Sam the Bellhop routine with a full deck. A few is enough. But the story needs to be entertaining. Something I dare to say even Sam the Bellhop misses. I have seen a version by David Regal, which was the closest in actually entertaining me. What makes a normal full deck routine so strong is that it looks like you are either completely improvising or in full control throughout. This is rather weak, as it only showcases the later argument. It misses the ambivalence of a full deck routine. Yet I can testify that it plays well... at least with the story that I attached to. (it won't work in English, as it is German)
And I have no doubt that Mr. Torrales' version works for him.

Difficulty 1/5

Open Travelers & Co. by Hippie Torrales

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 6 June 1985
Page 1077 et seq.

Personal Comment: This I like. Really... I may have found my personal Holy Grail in Open Travelers. I need a lot more work though. This version solves the last card nicely I think.

Difficulty 3/5

Gray's Binary Code by Karl Fulves

Die Kunst zu Zaubern by Alexander Adrion (German book)
Page 206

Personal Comment: Consider this a free trick. As there is nothing left to hide here. If you do exactly as I did in the video you'll end up on the Ace of Hearts. It's self working, it's mathematical... it's not bad. I took the German title for this trick as I am working from the German book. I got no original material. So if anybody knows... Shoot!

Difficulty Self Working

It's One Of These by Eddy Taytelbaum

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 14, Number 2 February 1991
Page 1885 et seq.

Personal Comment: I can see this being a worker... Nothing spectacular about it, but it plays well with real people. You got an element of fail, a magic effect of a card turning over and you got an ending. This is simply a good filler routine. It requires no setup and nothing special. So it is good.

Difficulty 3/5

It's Uncanny by Doug Edwards

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 13, Number 12 December 1990
Page 1867 et seq.

Personal Comment: There is nothing special about the ambitious card part of the routine, but the color change has something nice. Something that is worth checking out. I think this could be great in a routine where you "wipe off" the pip of a card, by changing the three to a two of the same suit.

Difficulty 3/5

Not Alone by Bob King

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 12, Number 8 August 1989
Page 1679 et seq.

Personal Comment: Bob Kings Material is truly targeted towards real people. I like that. This may be boring to magician, but this is strong stuff for laypeople. Good trick.

Difficulty 2/5

Kingly Sandwich by Doug Edwards

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 12, Number 8 August 1989
Page 1673 et seq.

Personal Comment: Somehow I feel like this is confusing. Is it me, or does this seem to lack some sort of spark of genius. There is something missing. It is really nice, really, really nice. But something about it doesn't feel right. Why do I feel that a very basic sandwich routine creates way better reactions. This is for magicians.

Difficulty 3/5

Unclosed Prediction by Tom Craven

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 12, Number 8 August 1989
Page 1672 et seq.

Personal Comment: As an Open Prediction sort of good I guess. But then there would be no reason to take out the mate beforehand. So I guess it is a mate routine then... and this is the main issue... the routine doesn't know what it wants to be.

Difficulty 2/5

If At First by Bob King

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 12, Number 7 July 1989
Page 1664 et seq.

Personal Comment: Cute.... Really Cute... I wonder how this plays. I haven't tried.

Difficulty 2/5

Oil and Water Supreme by John W. McClure

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 7 July 1985
Page 1083 et seq.

Personal Comment: Oil and Water, how I love thee. But this is not bad. Seriously. And getting into the setup is fairly practical. I think this is deceptive. What makes this good compared to other Oil and Water is the simple fact, that this routine is short. But again this seems to be more of an item for magicians. As Oil and Water should be. If you want the same impact, just do Triumph.

Difficulty 3/5

Ambitious Blacks by Roxy

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 5 May 1985
Page 1066 et seq.

Personal Comment: Technically there is only one sleight. So this is easy. But maybe a bit too boring by itself. If you have a compelling story or premise for this, then go ahead. Is it deceptive... I think it is. Feels very "Phil Goldsteinish" to me.

Difficulty 2/5

I Predict by Jim Molinari

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 5 May 1985
Page 1065

Personal Comment: Very nice little trick. But I feel, as much of an impact as this could have have this is more for the fellow magician. There are so many little thing to throw off magicians that you know who Jim Molinari had in mind when coming up with this handling. But it's a good trick and the method is really, really clever. No setup, little work. Good one. Bravo.

Difficulty 3/5

Ladykiller by Ron Ferris

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 2 February 1985
Page 1030

Personal Comment: Talk about waste.... but here is when to do this. This is a perfect encore trick. The sort of thing if they ask you to do one more trick. You got yours scissors from that rope trick that you did and the deck is missing cards anyway. Why take them with you again? Do that trick and be done with the cards. This is so off the beaten path that it can hardly be compared to other card tricks. Therefore it is a great encore trick.

Difficulty 2/5

Eine alte Seemannsgeschichte by Martin Michalski

Das grosse Buch vom Zaubern by Martin Michalski (German book)

Page 92 et seq.

Personal Comment: The Martin Michalski was born in 1927 and died 2008 so I forgive him the story. But here we have a mathematical trick. Any false shuffle would make this a better trick. But somehow the bitter taste of math would still be there. It is interesting though. Here is where I see this trick being performed. By a layperson doing this to his buddies in a bar. Instead of the story any saucy premise would work well. Like getting rid of guys in order to be with 15 women or something like that. Not that I think that this is what magic should be about, yet I see nothing wrong with it, as long as not a serious performer does this.

Difficulty: Self Working

Birds of a Feather by Arthur H. Buckley

Card Control by Arthur H. Buckley
Page 160 et seq.

Personal Comment: Meh, really forgettable. The effect that is. The method is so bold, that some might actually find some use for this.

Difficulty: 2/5

The Seventh Son

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 389 et seq.

Personal Comment: An ace production.... done with sevens. It is self working but the routine and the closing monologue offers time misdirection to get away with this. Cute side note: The trick is in the chapter about self working tricks. In the book it tells you to do a pass and all of that. Well, well... it can be self working if you openly cut the cards. I read the original patter, that is why I miscalled the Seven of Hearts as the Seven of Diamonds. It was not done on purpose, but I didn't feel like doing another video. Is the trick good. Well if you suck at doing card magic... yes. But if you suck at doing card magic, why are you doing card magic?

Difficulty: Self Working

The Train Trick by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page to be added

Personal Comment: The idea to this came when Jim was riding a train and he was playing around with his Identity Crisis trick. He thought why not widen the scope of the trick? If you go through the trouble of adding a gaff anyway, why not three of them? Suddenly the trick became bigger according to Jim. I agree. I tried it and I realized that with All Back routines you NEED to hand out the cards. Otherwise it becomes an exercise of "who's smarter". An impossible object. Jim even points out that those are a nice souvenir. I like bold, but this would be too bold for my taste. But then again, there are DF's floating around. Anniversary Waltz style.

Difficulty: 3/5

Le Temps Four Aces

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 246 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is an incomplete trick. The book just tells you how to get into the "usual" situation needed. So it basically tells you all about the ruse that makes you get away with the switch. Is it usable? Yes it is. Is it great, no not really. But worth a mention I think.

Difficulty: 3/5

The Bizzaro Flip by Bizzaro

International Incident - Tricks and Thoughts from Bizzaro's 2011 European Lecture Tour
Page 5 et seq.

Personal Comment: Nice to see a method/flourish that is actually usable in real life. There are no angle issues here. Bizzaro actually showed me yet another presentation, which was an instant reversal of the whole deck save the selection that has been taken before the trick started. So you see this can have many applications. Big thanks to Bizzaro to letting me film this little clip.

Difficulty 3/5

Das Supergedächtnis by Verne Chesbro

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck
Page 126

Personal Comment: Faking remembering a deck of cards is not a new thing. Harry Lorayne has got like dozens of versions. This one is by Verne Chesbro. I never heard of the guy before. But the thing is so bold, that it is hard not to like.

Difficulty 2/5

Die Karte mit den drei Seiten by Jochen Zmeck

Personal Comment: I cannot give you any sources on that. But you don't need that. This is basically just a way to reveal a chosen card. I like the premise. It's cute.

Years ago I visited a local magic circle in Berlin, Germany. They had their own little magazine. And Jochen Zmeck, being an honorary member of that circle, contributed to that magazine. The pamphlets are called "ZauBerlin" but that is pretty much all I can say about that.

Difficulty 2/5

Heart of the City by John Bannon

Smoke and Mirrors by Simon Aronson
Page 13 et seq.

Personal Comment: Yeah, brilliant little piece of magic. Not so much the actual method (I prefer Brother John Hamman's approach) but the presentation. When you get to make the spectator to name his card you have done a wonderful thing. You made it absolutely clear that it would be impossible that this is the spectator's card, yet him naming it would first make the spectator right, also it would be satisfying the hope that you are good enough of a magician to actually make it true. Then revealing that it is true brings the whole presentation to a circle. Card revelations don't get much better than this. I don't do it justice in the video. It is much better than my little video makes it seem like. Also, this is the impromptu version. The better version actually has the card appear in a sealed envelope.

Difficulty 3/5

The Selective Touch

The Royal Road to Card Magic (1948) by Fred Braue & Jean Hugard
Page 225 et seq.

Personal Comment: As with most of the tricks published by Jean Hugard this has no credits. Seems not to be the common work back then. Anyway... the trick is... well... interesting. There are quite a few tricks out there where the effect is the demonstration of a superhuman skill. I will label this as "Super Skill" from now on. Personally I find it kind of hard to get away with this as a genuine thing. If it is perceived as mere acting, then the effect is meaningless as the magician could do stronger things. But if you think you can pull this off... well, give it a shot.

Difficulty: 1/5

The Obliging Card

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 322

Personal Comment: Let's be honest here. The effect is nothing of great importance or impact. But it is a cute interlude. Because the plot makes it interesting. Succeeding, then falsely assuming failure is pretty much the opposite of the usual "magician in trouble plot" so it will be experienced in a very nice way. It is a nice little throw away filler. Really nice.

Difficulty: 2/5

Lazy Man's Card to Pocket

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 313 et seq.

Personal Comment: I love Expert Card Technique. So many ideas, so many bold stuff. This might be too bold. I have been told many times by other magicians who actually perform this that the routine is good. But I have a hard time believing that any routine where the spectator is asked to think of, and remember more than one information is any good. The boldness of the routine aside, this doesn't "float my boat" but I got this gut feeling that this routine is grossly underestimated.

Difficulty: 1/5

The Vanishing Pack

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 315 et seq.

Personal Comment: Very practical, In fact I use this more and more often. But I am not using a piece of cloth but a paper napkin. When I'm table hopping those are there in abundance. And the paper tissue creates a nice little shell pretending the deck is still there. In the end you just crumble up the napkin to get the effect. I usually get gasps. The reactions are about the same as the saltshaker through the table. Then I continue by doing a fake tear of the napkin, which leads into the total vanish of the napkin. As I am looking for the vanished napkin I load the deck of cards into my hand and produce those, bringing all to a close.

Difficulty: 1/5

The Invisible Transit

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 290 et seq.

Personal Comment: It might be very primitive to a magician but to a layman this is a strong effect. But there are better version out there. But I tell you that this is routine is great for practicing DL's and TL's.

Difficulty: 2/5

A Tipsy Trick by Sid Lorraine

The Royal Road to Card Magic (1983) by Fred Braue & Jean Hugard
Page 183 et seq.

Personal Comment: We all love the slop shuffle don't we. And this routine is so darn practical and deceptive. I have done it many times (slightly differently) and I know that it hits hard. I cannot praise this enough. There are many weird version of righting the cards, but this is so good, that it cannot be dismissed.

Difficulty: 2/5

The Omnipresent Eight

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 287 et seq.

Personal Comment: This goes a bit away from the Ambitious Card plot and shows off more of what a specific card can do. We go a color change, a card rise and a nice little transposition. So what we got is a true routine. I guess if you gonna learn just one routine this could actually serve you for the rest of your life.

Difficulty: 2/5

The Nomad Aces by Charlie Miller

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 256 et seq.

Personal Comment: Compare this to Marlo's take. I think it is solved much better in Marlo's version. But if you are skilled it should matter as both would look nearly the same.

Difficulty: 3/5

Prelude to the Royal Impostor by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page to be added

Personal Comment: This takes heavily from Paul Gordon if I recall correctly. The whole first phase is the same, I think... although I saw Bebel and Dani Daortiz doing similar stuff. Well it's good and practical. As the title suggests you can go right into the Royal Impostor by "losing" the selection.

Difficulty: 3/5

Ace Affinity

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 234 et seq.

Personal Comment: As said in the video, I left out a part of the presentation that is supposed to challenge the spectator to question if you really put the aces on the table. This is an element which is not needed I think to appreciate the trick. Personally I think this is one of the better Ace Assemblies out there. It has a build in little convincer and the method is fine. Also... it is easy.

Difficulty: 3/5

Merlin's "Lost' Ace Trick by Jack Merlin

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 233 et seq.

Personal Comment: If your BD is solid, you cannot get any better than this. Otherwise... Tomorrows is easier and in terms of effect the same thing.

Difficulty: 5/5

Palmist's Prophecy by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton - Volume 2 1988
Page 80 et seq.

Personal Comment: I like it. I really do. I'd change the presentation a little bit. Here is how: I would let the audience cut off a certain portion of the deck and then I would turn over the prediction that has been set aside to find out how many cards have been cut. Then the counting can start. But either is fine.

Difficulty: 2/5

Inflated Ace by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton - Volume 2 1988
Page 29 et seq.

Personal Comment: I feel that there is a good effect. But I also feel that this is a great routine to serve as inspiration for a longer sequence. In terms of method this is typical Roy Walton face up and face down, and many, many cuts. I cannot say I like it, but I can say that this has potential.

Difficulty: 3/5

Muscle Reading by Roberto Giobbi

Card College Light by Roberto Giobbi
Page 49 et seq.

Personal Comment: Lots of setup, considering that a key card would work almost the same way. It would still be self working. And after a glimpse any shuffle may happen. So why the whole work... Because some need that. Not me. Thanks. But I gotta give the routine one big pro. It will fool fellow magicians.

Difficulty: Self Working

Fingertip Sensitivity by Bob Hummer

Card College Light by Roberto Giobbi
Page 43 et seq.

Personal Comment: Tricky to pull of, but the method is genius. let me explain. Instructing a spectator to do what you say requires that the spectator is not willing to screw with you. It also requires that he doesn't mess up by mistake. Also... sticking with the structure given in the book, there is plenty of doubtful work done by the magician. You COULD take back the mixed packet from the spectator and switch it underneath the table for a stacked one. You don't do that, but you could. Therefore it is a bit weak I think. So this trick requires an unusual balance of trust on both sides. And this is where most magicians would fail. And those who don't are too far advanced in magic to still need this trick. So this is one of those tricks that is great for magicians, if you perform for magicians. And if you do, you better go ahead explaining it right away so the magic buddies can also get a kick out of the method.

Difficulty: Self Working

Intuition by John Kennedy

Card College Light by Roberto Giobbi
Page 9 et seq.

Personal Comment: There are tons of version of Paul Curry's effect. This is among the better ones. I like it. The methods seems bold, because it is. But if you take a look at yesterdays effect which basically sets you up for this, you can see it is well covered. It is hard to believe that after T.N.T. the deck is not in some mixed up condition.

Difficulty: Self Working

Update on my Hand

I think part of my genetic information must be based in some super hero universe. My flesh has healed so quickly. The cut with the knife actually went down to the bone of the first joint of the left middle finger. As you can see in the video in the post below I can do self working card magic. My middle finger is still a bit stiff and bending it hurts but I'm fine. In a few days from now I will be back to the usual.

T.N.T. by Juan Tamariz

Card College Light by Roberto Giobbi
Page 3 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is bloody brilliant. Not only is it selfworking but it also has a nice built in dramatic structure. You are basically all open when you take away your layers. The effects seems even more impossible the further it goes. The method will make you smile. Big smile! It also sets you up for a variety of tricks. Most notably "Out of this World".

Difficulty: Self Working

Neural Photography by Aaron Ducker

Creator's Comment: A fun little idea I had using the Ed Marlo Snap Change and a blank card. You could also accomplish this effect with other changes such as the Shape Shift Change and its variants! Anything visual, but I prefer the Marlo Snap Change because I think it makes more sense to this effect! Yet I know theres people out there who hate the Marlo Snap Change.

Personal Comment: Oh boy... this routine needs improvement. But that is the cool thing about such videos: It's the state of the trick at the time. I really would love to see the trick in about a year from now. I am sure this will be a lot better. About the Snap Change. It's good, if the angles are good. So naturally for a camera this is about the best change one can do. But in real life hardly any performing situation allows for that. And even then I would ditch the extra card on the deck as quickly as possible. The general idea is good, but here is what I would change in the structure. I wouldn't have the blank card in the deck. I would take it from somewhere else. It would make the handling a bit more knacky (TC and DT) but it would make a lot more sense.

Seriously I would like to see the routine in about a year from know. I bet it will have changed a lot by then.

Difficulty: 3/5

Ammendment by Aaron Ducker

Creator's Comment: I've always liked effects like this, effects where the magician seems to screw up and has to fix it, it's why I adore wild card routines, this is a very direct idea, and it uses a few handling of sleights I've personally developed.

Personal Comment: In terms of method it feels so familiar in a way. I could swear I have seen that trick before. I'm not sure. In terms of plot this isn't new at all. But we all know that plot and know how well it plays. But to achieve the effect we could use a whole bunch of methods without resorting to gimmicks. So this makes the routine only interesting from a technical point of view. Does the use of a DF really enhance the effect? Personally I think not, but who am I to decide this?

Difficulty: 2/5

Philosophical Sandwich by Kamil Scott

Creator's Comment: "This effect is just my take on progressive sandwich and it's constructed to work in real world, so there are almost no angle problems. It is a difficult piece of magic but reactions justify hard work. So I hope you like it."
Kamil Scott

Personal Comment: Kamil Scott told me that this effect is "heavily inspired" by the sandwich routine by Tony Chang entitled: "Sandwich for your Mom". It's the first time a progressive Sandwich ends up here. I don't really like the idea of a progressive sandwich, but this has a nice little moment (at 1:45) that people will remember. Is it hard? I tried to reconstruct the exact handling but I failed. So I can make no claim on how difficult this really is. I assume it's knacky.

Imprint by Aaron Ducker

You don't need any source you basically know all the details if you have a little bit of background knowledge.

Personal Comment: What I really like about this, is that no DL is needed during the routine. Most often this would be the case. Hiding parts of the card during the showing is not a new thing. But combining that with gimmicky stuff might be a nice way to go. I am not so sure about this. But here is what I like: There is this gimmick out there and people like Mr. Ducker actually come up with ideas for that besides the ones that came with the gimmick. It's not a difficult routine... and I wouldn't call it a routine... but here is how it could be a full routine: Before this you would have a few effects, where pips travel from one card to another. Preferably not gimmicked (e.g. the Two of hearts loses a pip and becomes the Ace of Hearts, while the Five of Hearts becomes the Six of Hearts) that gives you a motivation to introduce the gimmick not make the routine "sleight of hand proof" then after the Six of Hearts is in the holder you take out the Ace of Spades and make the pip jump to the back of the Ace. That is pure magic. If the heart is actually printed on you have a nice giveaway. I also got a little bit of additional information by Mr. Ducker. He credits Simon Lovell because he used one little tip of Mr. Lovell. That little tip helps to know how to hold the Six of Hearts so the missing pip is not seen when it is not supposed to be seen.

Difficulty: 2/5

Nomad Aces by Ed Marlo

The Legendary Hierophant by Jon Racherbaumer
Page 307 et seq.

Personal Comment: Actually good. I would take away the fake stuff in the beginning. It just arouses too much suspicion. More than you get "proof" later on in the routine in my humble opinion. Also, there is a lot to mess up, even if you make a minor mistake. As in most assembly routines. That is kind of a bad thing I guess. But if you wanna study how a routine should not be, even though it is good. Study this one.

Difficulty: 4/5

The Daily Card Trick needs your help!

Email address: Zaubererroland@gmail.com

Here are the details: Make a video of you doing card magic. It needs to be published card magic. It can even be your own creations. Upload the video to a free fileserver like megaupload or yousendit. Then send me the link to the video and I will download it. Be sure to add a source and your personal comment to the email. Also make it very clear if you want your name attached to that.

I will upload the video to my YouTube account and set it to "unlisted".

I actually got one more video... coming up tomorrow, but then, that's it for a while.

This is a Four King Trick by Ed Marlo

The Legendary Hierophant by Jon Racherbaumer
Page 300 et seq.
also
Marlo's Magazine Volume 1
Page 59 et seq.

Personal Comment: What does the title of the trick have to do with the trick? Very, very little. Only two kings... it's like false advertisement. I assumed something in my book was wrong. It feels so unresolved. Good would have been if the black aces would also turn into the black kings. So why is this published the way it is? Food for thought!


Difficulty: 2/5

Bluff Sandwich by Ed Marlo

The Legendary Hierophant by Jon Racherbaumer
Page 192

Personal Comment: If you read the method you are all like "no way" if you try it you all like "no way".... It is deceptive, even thoug you wouldn't believe it at first glance. Is it any good because of it. No way! There are far better Sandwich routines out there. Most even by Mr. Marlo himself.

Difficulty: 2/5

Four Card Method/Trick by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page 23 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is a skill demonstration the magic is very minor. It can look good, if it is not me butchering the effect. But this only serves one purpose... to make the performer look cool. So if you are going for the magic moment, this is the worst thing you can do. But if you are a jester type of magician this is gold. Up to you.

Difficulty: 3/5

Crazy Card by Doug Edwards

Personal Comment: I like it. Many years ago when I was desperate to find good card magic I wrote this down. I don't recall where I got it from. I wrote down every little trick that I liked into the book. And then added my own two cents on that. You can see that the effect time ratio is very high. Many effects in very little time. I love that stuff. Visual and all of that. And so darn easy.

So as usual, if you know where this was published shoot me a message and I'll change it accordingly.

Difficulty 2/5

Why, Oh Why Another Sandwich? by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page to be added

Personal Comment: This is fun to do. That is all.

Difficulty: 2/5

Finders Keepers by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 37 et seq.

Personal Comment: Why, why is some Walton stuff so dry? This is. Sure the technical construction is brilliant. But the structure of how the effect unveils seems unbearable to me. Hopefully in some others hands (besides those of Mr. Walton) this could be good. I fail.

Difficulty 3/5

A Pocket Discovery

The Royal Road to Card Magic (1948) by Fred Braue & Jean Hugard
Page 18 et seq.

Personal Comment: This would be gold, if it were not over exposed over the years. But imagine loading a coin into the pocket during the trick. Later you could vanish a coin and given the fact that there is plenty of time in between the two tricks you can create a nice miracle.

Difficulty: 2/5

A Poker Player's Picnic

The Royal Road to Card Magic (1948) by Fred Braue & Jean Hugard
Page 16 et seq.

Personal Comment: Spectator cutting the aces. Turning this into a do as I do effect would be better. Instructing the audience is always kind of hard. But as far as self working effects go, this is one of the better ones.

Difficulty: Self Working

Topsy Turvy Cards

The Royal Road to Card Magic (1948) by Fred Braue & Jean Hugard
Page 13 et seq.

Personal Comment: A nice oldie. Really easy to do and if you have a little bit of card skill you will improve the suggested method drastically right away.

Difficulty 1/5

Three Before by Jed B. Smith

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 17, Number 6 June 1994
Page 2365 et seq.

Personal Comment: I am torn about this. In one way it is great great, as you get the Time Dislocation plot three times, but it also takes away the clarity when it is just one card. In the book it says, that Jed Smith has only one card signed and then goes into the Between Your Palms trick by Alexander Elmsley. Knowing that really puts perspective on this trick here. In fact it is a nice lead in to Elmsley's trick. Or better to Brother John Hamman's The Signed Card. The later one also uses the aces. Jed's trick sets the tone for the impossibility to come. Also... not having all the cards signed is a great way to arouse some fake suspicion and leads to false solutions. Enough to lead them down the garden path, and then to turn on the sprinklers. Seeing it from that perspective I like it. As a stand alone trick it has not as much of an impact as one would assume.

Difficulty 3/5

Quick Match by Lee Snyder

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 17, Number 2 February 1994
Page 2323 et seq.

Personal Comment: Really nice quicky. In terms of method this is obvious, but not for laymen. So this is great. Gets to the point quickly.

Difficulty 1/5

Common Wealth Collectors by Allan Slaight

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 17, Number 2 February 1994
Page 2317 et seq.

Personal Comment: Needlessly complicated, that's for sure. Check out The version by Jim Surprise and Roberto Giobbi. Much better. You can also work in the little extra that is present in the above routine to get a much cleaner version. Personally I don't think the initial switch is that deceptive, even if executed properly. The ATFUS is the way to go in my humble opinion.

Difficulty 4/5

Face it, Kings are Ambitious by John W. McClure

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 16, Number 11 November 1993
Page 2274 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is so forgettable, so very forgettable. But it ain't bad. The face up approach to the appearance is good, I think. But this is a personal trick. Tailored to one person, the creator. This makes me appreciate my own version of finding a four of a kind. So I guess there is some merit in the above routine.

Difficulty 3/5

Un-Sandwiched! by Tom Daugherty

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 16, Number 10 October 1993
Page 2274 et seq.

Personal Comment: I like the plot. The card vanishing from a sandwich. A prisoner on the run. A crime he didn't commit. I like that. In fact this would be great with a signed card. That makes it special and personal. Suddenly it is part of the spectator that is trying to escape. In a weird way it would give the cards way more character than they have. Personally I would change the ending. This whole second selection bit makes no sense. The card wants to escape. So any impossible location would naturally fit into the scenario. Card to wallet/box/pocket all of those are great. So I am divided on this trick as it is presented. I like it, but only because it sparks off so many greater ideas, that sadly aren't offered in the first place.

Difficulty 2/5

Maxi-Twist X by Harold Cataquet

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 18, Number 11 November 1995
Page 2576 et seq.

Personal Comment: Good. And not too difficult either. Unlike previous versions you don't end dirty and you got a strange fulfilling climax. I tried it and it played well with my usual test audience (The bar next door). So I have good confidence in saying that this trick is a worker. The setup required for this works well with me, as I usually do tricks with the kings. So they are usually together in the deck anyway. So cutting them to the top while removing the aces openly makes this piece of cake.

Difficulty 3/5

SW Elevator by Chris Kenner

Out of Control by Chris Kenner
Page 153 et seq.

Personal Comment: I learned this while riding the train. It takes a while. But it is nice. Really nice. A great one on one trick. It has angle issues.

Difficulty 5/5

Twin Peeks by Chris Kenner

Out of Control by Chris Kenner
Page 102 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is clearly designed to be a magician's fooler. The ludicrous setup the overall fairness. And I have no doubt that the majority of magicians are fooled by this. So this is a good trick for the right target audience. For the rest I would certainly go for a much more practical method.

Difficulty: Self Working

The Indian Rope Trick by Ken de Courcy

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck
Page 124 et seq.

Personal Comment: The version in the book is much easier and can be done with any card. But in that version no tearing/restoration happens. The version here was described to me by Jochen Zmeck himself years ago. I tried to do it justice. Does anybody know the original source? I'd like to read it.

Difficulty 3/5

Doppelte Kartenwanderung by Jochen Zmeck

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck
Page 115 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is not ungaffed so I'm breaking my own rule here. But it wouldn't be the first time I do it. But this time I got a reason. You don't have to use the deck, making this a perfect "in your wallet trick". If my wallet wouldn't be so small (smaller than a card) I would carry the needed cards with me at all times. Seriously. A transposition from the spectators pocket to the magicians. You cannot get very much stronger than that. And technically speaking this is self working. So I love this. The main idea is not by Jochen Zmeck, but as far as I know he is the one who came up with doing it with the spectators pocket.

Difficulty: Self Working

Schwarz Rot Asse by Jochen Zmeck

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck
Page 120 et seq.

Personal Comment: Basically a color change, Two reversals and the black aces finding the red mates. So naturally this is a little routine that people tend to appreciate. It has surprises, flows naturally and is easy. If I had to teach someone slightly advanced card magic this is the routine I would go for. It's practical (the setup is within reasons) and with little tweaking this could greatly benefit from advanced moves.

Difficulty 2/5

Nur gedacht und doch gefunden by Jochen Zmeck

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck
Page 114 et seq.

Personal Comment: I tried it. It played well. Damn it, I could have sworn that it would suck. Is my commercial sense really that screwed up?

Difficulty 1/5

Ein König findet die Karte by Jochen Zmeck

Zauber-Abc (German book) by Jochen Zmeck
Page 114 et seq.

Personal Comment: Another one from that very good children's book on magic. A spelling trick. I had to change the effect slightly, as I needed to convert this to English. The actual trick is self working. This uses a force. In the actual trick the German word for king is spelled out (KÖNIG) which has five letters. That means that four cards wind up on the table. And those happen to be the four aces. This makes no sense, yet feels very good and makes the selection of the card a free choice. Normally the selection or the spectators name is spelled out to find the selection. This here makes it so easy. And I think the audience doesn't care.

Difficulty: Self Working

T.N.Two by Phil Goldstein

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 1 January 1985
Page 1018 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is a tricky little trick. It can work in quite a few different settings and fail in a lot of others. In fact you should not riffle shuffle the deck near the tabled cards. The effect is not new, but I guess this could fit in a gambling demonstration. I kinda like it. Kinda!

Difficulty 3/5

"Trite" But All Right by Ed Marlo

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 1 January 1985
Page 1010 et seq.

Personal Comment: Sorry, but this is a pipe dream. An eight for four pipe dream. And it is needlessly complicated. I'm sure Mr. Marlo would get away with this, and even other top card men. Yet this should not be in the book. This is clearly a filler item. I don't like it, even though the effect is strong. If you want a four for four change you better check out different sources. Phil Goldstein comes to mind.

Difficulty 4/5

Angle Jogged Placement of a Card

I would like to know who came up with this. There a plenty of sources for the side jogged version of this. But the angle jogged version is simply better. It seems more disconnected from the deck. I would love to give the creator proper credit. So who came up with this, whom shall I credit?
I can seen that most magicians won't use this, as the first card remains on the deck in a face up condition. That scares most of the people. But a simple palm get's rid of that issue.
I love that method. It looks so disconnected from the deck, so much like the real thing. So again... Who's to blame with the fame?

Mark A Place Mates by Simon Aronson

The Aronson Approach by Simon Aronson (1990)
Page ? et seq.

Personal Comment: Good. But strangely it feels not as good as just finding one mate. I don't know why?

Difficulty 2/5

Under Her Spell by Simon Aronson

The Aronson Approach by Simon Aronson (1990)
Page 3 et seq.

Personal Comment: I don't like spelling tricks. But I like this one. I suggest you look it up. It is practical and the suggested patter is even funny.

Difficulty 3/5

Fly Sport by Robert E. Neale

Life, Death & Other Card Tricks by Robert E. Neale (2000)
Page 3 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is a magic gag. If this sort of presentation works for you, then by all means do it. Also check out Eddie Fechter's stuff. As this trick reminds me a lot of him. Only this has a bit more class, if you "catch my drift".

Difficulty 2/5

S/He Loves Me by Robert E. Neale

Life, Death & Other Card Tricks by Robert E. Neale (2000)
Page 37 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is good for the right audience. Most often this is not a thing to do. And I wouldn't do it like that. I would do it face up with "random" cards. And the card left in the hand would have a red back while the rest would have a blue back. That way you get rid of the awkward addition of the Queen/King and you'll get rid of the crimping. Seemingly it would be all about "love or not" and as a kicker the last card would have a red back. Just my two cents.

Difficulty: Self Working

The Bedwell Control by Steve Bedwell

Closely Guarded Secrets by Michael Close (ebook)
Page 136

Personal Comment: If seen this control many times before. But never in print. This is the first mention of it's creator. It's a good control. I use it from time to time. Great if you wanna fool magicians.

Difficulty 1/5

Strange Harmony by Harry Lorayne

Cardmagic by Richard Kaufman 1979

Page 9 et seq.



Personal Comment: Good. It requires a seven card setup. Getting into that is harder than just culling any four of a kind and doing Monarch's Quartett by Larry Jennings. The effect is different, but it still feels very similar. VERY SIMILAR. This one is easier.



Difficulty 3/5

Ham and Cheese by Mark Levy, Ken Krenzel and Richard Kaufman

Cardmagic by Richard Kaufman 1979

Page 5 et seq.



Personal Comment: Don't you just love discrepancies? I do! If they're reasonable. This one is a border liner. But my love for sandwiches is so great that I was willing to give it a try. And it went great. A little too great the first time I did it. People figured out what I was doing because it was so move less. So I added a riffle and now this is fine. I like it. Really like it. The second version in the book is even better, but I couldn't do that because the cards I used were a bit too sticky to have worked properly for that one. But you should check it out.



Difficulty 1/5

Ambitious Card by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page to be added

Personal Comment: This is personal. Look at the structure. This is not geared to be liked by every magician. Just Jim I guess. But the last phase has something to it. And you got this build in three times conditioning thing, which kind of helps to get away with the last move. I don't like it too much, but I don't have to to appreciate the structure and the practicability.

Difficulty: 4/5

That Joker! by Ed Marlo

The Cardician by Ed Marlo 1953

Page 10 et seq.



Personal Comment: Great quick trick. I own a Hat. Why not do tricks with it? Easy to do stuff. Lovely. Seems like a trick that could be in Tarbell. I agree with what is said in the book. The tossing of the card into the hat is important. A simple DL won't do it. The disconnect, the letting go of the card, that makes it seem so impossible. There are angle issues. And if the situation is not right... well then don't do it. But if you gonna do a transposition, why not include the hat?



Difficulty 2/5

Watch Me Fly by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page to be added

Personal Comment: Practical, funny, easy filler. Certainly nice. Also works great with any other object. Coins are great. But this blog is about card tricks.

Difficulty: 2/5

The Signed Card by Brother John Hamman

The Secrets of Brother John Hamman by Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg

Page 47 et seq.



Personal Comment: This is gold. Really good magic. I would change the initial display of the aces to a Stayon Count, but that's just me. Otherwise this is brilliantly constructed. Jon Rachbaumer calls it a TIME DISLOCATION effect. So I call the plot likewise. I love this. I will add this to my repertoire, as it requires no setup and very little skill. This is great, just great.



Difficulty 2/5

Watch Me Like A Hawk by Brother John Hamman

The Secrets of Brother John Hamman by Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg

Page 44 et seq.



Personal Comment: Interesting I guess, but not my cup of tea. This seems like a routine that is so much tied to the personality of Brother John Hamman, that I cannot see anybody doing it, and it appearing natural.



Difficulty 3/5

Die Karte auf der gewünschten Zahl by Jochen Zmeck

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck

Page 73



Personal Comment: Bold as hell, but it works... The element of fail makes the trick work, so it is needed. So this might not be for the pro, who fails as little as possible. But for everyone else: Go for it!



Difficulty 1/5

Cut the Aces by Al Leech

Super Card Man Stuff by Al Leech 1965

Page 46 et seq.



Personal Comment: Really good, really easy. Really recommended.



Difficulty 2/5

Rot-Schwarz-Wanderung by Jochen Zmeck

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck

Page 83



Personal Comment: If this seems like a blatant rip off of Jacob Daley's famous trick... well it is. The method is slightly different, but otherwise everything remains the same. Why is this in the book? Well the "Handbook of Magic" is a beginners book. So Jochen Zmeck decided to include this great little trick in the "glide" section of the book. Does it belong there, without any credit... nope, yet it is a great little trick. And there is a black sheep in every family.



Difficulty 1/5

KAKAKAKA by Jim Abbrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams

Page to be added



Personal Comment: Clearly filler material by Jim Abrahams. In other minds this could be a closer to a card set. But seeing the other effects in the small booklet makes me aware that this, as good as it is is filler. Maybe it's an earlier work. There are many ways to do that trick. Nicer ways. But at least the title makes sense. KAKAKAKA stands for the setup in the beginning. And that makes it charming again.



Difficulty: 2/5

Slow Henry by Roberto Giobbi

Card College 5 by Roberto Giobbi

Page 1239 et seq.



Personal Comment: This is demanding and I don't do it justice. I'm sorry. But this really is a good trick. It has suspense and surprise. It is deceptive (if done right) and a very clear effect. But it's not easy. In fact, it's the kind of trick, that if you don't do it regularly you will forget the phases. Aside from that you need quite a lot of table space. This makes the trick not a work horse. It remains for those special occasions when there is enough time and space. But I like it anyways.



Difficulty 4/5

Mira Skill by Steward James

The Jinx Issue 24 by Theodore Annemann

Page 147 et seq.



Personal Comment: Talk about an oldie. This trick was published in 1936 yet feels new. Many, many version have popped up since then. But the simple prediction variation still seems to be the best way to go.



Difficulty Self Working

Color Guessing

Personal Comment: In the video it looks like I just name the color I turn over. This is not the case. I should have made sure to call out the color first and THEN turn it over. But the trick is good. Nothing spectacular about it, but it is a nice self working trick. So who knows where this was published first?



Difficulty Self Working

Bitte nachmachen by Jochen Zmeck

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck

Page 79



Personal Comment: Another Do As I Do but this time with four cards, which is more of a standard. This I wouldn't teach to kids, as it involves a sleight that they shouldn't know about. However I have seen a variation on this using a double backer. That made it self working. If you like that sort of thing, try it.



Difficulty 1/5

Tuwit by Jochen Zmeck

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck

Page 83



Personal Comment: Do As I Do is a weird plot, as it basically is all about the spectator losing. If that could be twisted in a way so the spectator would win, this might interest me. But this one is great for kids. It's easy. You don't teach them the good stuff. (All you need is the glide) And they have something to show off to their friends. So I sort of like this. Also this is great for bars, If you wanna win a drink, this is the thing to go with. You can do it with coasters too. Just saying.



Difficulty 1/5

Mir nach, Kanaillen!

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck

Page 100 et seq.



Personal Comment: Follow the Leader as basic as it gets. This could be a nice lead-in quickie for a longer Follow the Leader routine with more switches of the leader cards.



Difficulty 2/5

Die Letzte! by Jochen Zmeck

Handbuch der Magie (German book) by Jochen Zmeck

Page 102



Personal Comment: There is no way to do this on camera alone. But I hope you get the effect. Basically you are eliminating cards until the spectators is only left with one. The card of the spectator who picked the card. I have a hard time to tell you how strong this actually is. It's good. Really good. Try it. This slow card revelation is cool. The basic method... well everything you can think of will work.



Difficulty 1/5

Sequential Open Travelers by Mirko Ferrantini

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne

Volume 7, Number 10 October 1984

Page 979 et seq.



Personal Comment: I've seen better. A little too much palming for my taste. I am sure one can get away with it, but if you fail, there is no way out. So I don't like it. And does making the cards go in sequence actually add to the effect?



Difficulty 4/5

Som-Ace-Sault by Justin Higham

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne

Volume 7, Number 12 December 1984

Page 1006 et seq.



Personal Comment: This feels more like a pipe dream. I am sure one can get away with this on camera, but in real life, the thickness of the one card in the fan will show. However the last part can be used for other effects in which you need to secretly reverse cards.



Difficulty 2/5

Chinese Money Mystery by J.B. Bobo

Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo 1952



Page 154 et seq.



Personal Comment: J.B. Bobo doesn't credit anybody with this. And he usually does throughout the book. He also says when he is not the originator. So I assume he made it up. I would like to say that this is a gem, and that it is seen not enough these days. I wish I could say that the effect has a heavy impact with any audience. That the scope of the trick makes the people believe that all 8 coins traveled, instead of just three of them. And I wish I could say that it is rather easy to do... but this is a lousy card trick. Where are the cards? Answer me that!



Difficulty 3/5

Card and Rubber Band

Personal Comment: This is great. Animation is almost always great. A magic buddy showed this to me years ago. I liked it. Then I forgot about it. Now I like it again. So where was it published? And who created it?



Difficulty 2/5

Coin Production from Two Cards

Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo 1952



Page 88 et seq.



Personal Comment: Good trick, a gem rarely seen nowadays. Imagine this in a Cannibal Card Routine. Instead of a coin, you can have a piece of a card being regurgitated. I always liked this, so I had to include this. There is nobody credited, but J.B. Bobo says it was published in "The Sphinx some years back" the book is old, so it is even more years. If somebody knows the source I'll change it accordingly.



Difficulty 1/5

3rd Flight by William P. Miesel

Epilogue by Karl Fulves

Issue 6

Page 48



Personal Comment: There is a problem with this trick. They way you see it, it works only 50% of the times. The other times the effect is slightly different. The "ugly" version requires you to pick up the packets and to cut them to show that the "leader" cards have returned to their packets, by a simple cut. Make of this what you will. It is possible to do the effect and your chances of getting the "good" version ain't too bad.



Difficulty 2/5

Loser! by Robert Hess

Epilogue by Karl Fulves

Issue 7

Page 49



Personal Comment: This really is interesting. Seriously. While I think that in terms of method this is an atrocity, it really works for laypeople. I am serious. I have tried it. Many times. It plays great. Maybe this is due to my performing character, but the effect is rather strong. The whole byplay of not getting the ace is fairly entertaining to the audience. The end really gets them. What I have done is to add the line that one participant actually has the ace. Of course I'm foreshadowing the fact that the fifth person has the card in his pocket. But to the spectators it will seem like that maybe the ace has jumped back to one of the spectators involved in the selection process. So you are setting up an effect via the line and not only deliver, but surpass the announcement. When reading this in Epilogue I was like "Really? What the hell is this" but actually doing it has made me come 180 on this initial opinion.

As mentioned above, the method sucks. There is a queen in there which disappears near the end, only to reappear briefly thereafter. But I guess the spectators are so much focused on the ace that they hardly notice.

But that doesn't mean I have to stand up for crappy methods... no... Pick a better one!



Difficulty 2/5

Sandswitch by J.K. Hartman

Epilogue by Karl Fulves

Issue 8

Page 62 et seq.



Personal Comment: I suggest doing that routine with signed cards and then this is gold. I like most of the material that Jerry has put out. The switch is great in terms of both method and look. I can recommend this. Another idea I had was to use two black kings and you put a black queen in between them and two red kings, putting a red queen among it. After the switch the color will be off, but the suits will match.



Difficulty 3/5

Instant Oil by John Hamilton

Epilogue by Karl Fulves

Issue 8

Page 64 et seq.



Personal Comment: I cannot see myself doing this. Way too much stuff to remember. I like my routines simple. And another reason might be that I don't like Oil and Water. But interestingly, if you combine the basic method of card shifting positions as you display them from yesterday with this one, you actually end up with a workable version that is worth exploring. Just sayin'



Difficulty 3/5

Simplex 3 Way by William P. Miesel

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 9
Page 65


Personal Comment: Meh. The Cards remain face down too long. This is not only forgettable but also not very deceptive. Basically its just a nice way to change the order of the cards in a stack. So this might come in handy in a Follow the Leader/Order in The Court/Oil and Water scenario.

Difficulty 1/5

Illusion Aces by Karl Fulves

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 14 March 1972
Page 114 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is the kind of routine, that if you don't do it every day, you'll forget the handling. And doing it wrong will expose the methods. It is good, but so forgettable.

Difficulty 2/5

3-Card Catch by Reinhard Müller

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 14 March 1972
Page 112 et seq.

Personal Comment: Among the fans of self workers this revelation of a card has become a standard. The nearly self working version of this has been published in Pallbearers Review before this. But the above version is better. An even more streamlined handling is found on page 156 in Epilogue by Gerald Kosky. It is good and easy. What's not to like?

Difficulty 1/5

A.E.-I.O.U. by Sam Schwartz

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 14 March 1972
Page 109 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is also published in Ibidem. It riddles me why. This is a routine that is needlessly lost in method. The effect is that a selection vanishes from a sandwich. So if this makes such a big point out of not touching the selected card, then why do I need to adjust the sandwich by hand near the end? It's not failure on my part. It is actually written up that way. Sorry, this is a bad routine.

Difficulty 3/5

Pre-Cannibal Cards by Lynn Searles

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 14 March 1972
Page 109

Personal Comment: This really is very similar to the other version I have covered here before. The only difference is that the sandwich in the end is more like we magicians are used to. Interestingly it makes the routine easier. The last cut I would substitute by a pass, I did the cut anyway, because that's the way it was written up. I still think this is more a Visitors routine, but I give the creator of the cannibal card plot the benefit of a doubt when it comes to naming the plot. Clear effect and very deceptive. Cool stuff.

Difficulty 2/5

No Table Triumph by Dennis Marks

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 17 March 1973
Page 160 et seq.

Personal Comment: Good one. A little bit too much proving for my taste, but one doesn't have to do all the many steps. It looks pretty deceptive I guess and doing it two times for real people and fooling them kind of makes this a "worker" to use a term coined by Michael Close.

Difficulty 3/5

Riddle's Aces by Derek Dingle

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 20 March 1974
Page 188 et seq.

The Complete Works of Derek Dingle
Page 65 et seq.

Personal Comment: Let's say it this way. If you are willing to actually practice this routine until it looks good, you will have a routine that lasts a life time. However putting in the amount of hours needed for this you can learn four other good tricks. It really helps you have long finger nails (I don't) and long fingers for that matter.

Difficulty 5/5

Rosecrans Reverse by Bruce Cervon

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 1 1967
Page 4 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is such a nice quickie. It's easy, no setup and the effect is clear. Great lead-in to a Twisting the Aces routine. It is deceptive and really any suit is possible. Although you got no work if hearts is chosen which happens more often than you think.

Difficulty 2/5

Down and Under by Roy Walton

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 1 1967
Page 1 et seq.

Personal Comment: The original card problem here is by Bob Veeser. Roy Walton solved the problem wonderfully. It's self working and the setup is little. Also there is a nice one card out. Great trick! To my knowledge, this is not included in "The Complete Walton" neither Vol. 1 or Vol. 2. "Complete" I see!

Difficulty Self Working

The Ambitious Card by Gustav Alberti

Drawing Room Conjuring by Professor Hoffmann 1887
Page 38 et seq.

Personal Comment: Talk about old school. This is the first publication of the Ambitious Card, that I know of. Professor Louis Hoffmann clearly credits the French magician Gustav Alberti. There is this theory, that an even older publication (1854) "Nouvelle Magie Blanche Devoilée" by the French magician Jean-Nicolas Ponsin contains a similar idea. And from there it gets fuzzy. Anyway, as you can see it's very basic. Passes mainly. The routine has come a long way. I decided to include this for the historians. As a side note: I like it!

Difficulty 5/5

Second Twist by Brother John Hamman

The Secrets of Brother John Hamman by Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg
Page 38 et seq.

Personal Comment: The First Twist aka Hamman's Twist I already covered a few months ago. This gets rid of the extra card. Is it an improvement? Yes, I think so. But just a little one. One I would not care about, considering the fact that the initial setup is much easier to accomplish in his first version. Tastes are different.

Difficulty 2/5

Acey-Deucey by Brother John Hamman

The Secrets of Brother John Hamman by Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg
Page 31 et seq.

Personal Comment: Beautiful, simply beautiful. If one is willing to put in the practice needed for that. It's not easy. But it has a few fine points. As it is pointed out in the book, most transpositions without extra card suffer from the problem of having a weird moment right after the first effect. When you have to do a Mexican Turnover or have to replace the tabled card on the deck to turn it over. This avoids the problem. Personally I would put the second phase first and the first phase second. To me the first one seems stronger. But I gotta admit, I love it.

Difficulty 4/5

12345 Peek Thought by Brother John Hamman

The Secrets of Brother John Hamman by Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg
Page 26 et seq.

Personal Comment: It read a lot more interesting than it turns out to be. Seriously.

Difficulty 1/5

Revelation Station by Bob Huebert

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 10 October 1983
Page 837 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is such a great way to reveal a chosen card. It requires no setup and therefore fits perfectly in a multiple card revelation routine. Also... it is ridiculously easy.

Difficulty 1/5

Unnamed Trick by Bro. John Hamman

The Secrets of Brother John Hamman by Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg
Page 18 et seq.

Personal Comment: No kidding, the name of the trick is actually the main method that is being used. It is bold, but interestingly still deceptive. When I did this for real people I changed the grip on the cards. Doing an Elmsley while holding the deck is a bit too demanding for my hands. They are not that huge. So right now I am going into Brother John Hamman's work. I may have to adjust the technique a few times to still do the effect. Please forgive me for that. The above video is excuse enough to cheat.

Difficulty 4/5

OverwHelm by J.K. Hartman

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 13, Number 9 September 1990
Page 1833 et seq.

Personal Comment: Finding four lost aces at the same time is something special. I like that a lot. Especially to close an ace routine. Getting into the setup needed fro this particular kind of production is tricky. I have worked on it on my own and found my solution. But Jerry's version is really good. Basically he decided not to have them slowly placed the deck, but to do a few effect, that get you the aces into your setup. Lovely thinking here. The title refers to the first publication of the ending effect called OverWELM... the letters stood for Wakeman, Edwards, Lorayne and Marlo, who each contributed details. So basically Jerry K. Hartman squeezed in his own letter.

Difficulty 3/5

The Smiling Mule by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 175 et seq.

Personal Comment: Ah, one must like that one. Any magic joke, where the joke itself is foreshadowing of the effect is good. And I am a sucker for Sandwich stuff as I have said many times before. I cannot not like it.

Difficulty 3/5

Green Turtle by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 130 et seq.

Personal Comment: Cute... But you fail one time too many in my humble opinion. The bad thing is, that the method requires that much fail.

Difficulty 3/5

I've got no Table Space Ace Assembly by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page to be added

Personal Comment: This version got rid of the three card packets and the illogical 3 extra cards per packet. That is something I like. Also, as the title suggests... You need little table space, so you can do it between wine glasses and napkins. Also there is actually no setup at all. That makes it really cool. And you have a few convincers here and there and it leaves a lot of room for personal style.

Difficulty: 2/5

What a Mess! by Tony Mullé

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 13, Number 2 February 1990
Page 1748 et seq.

Personal Comment: I like this. It's easy, deceptive and you have found two cards in the end. There is a variation on that by Oliver Ehrens. He gets rid of the "extra" by not showing it, but by miscalling it. Not an improvement I think, because I think the beauty of this trick is that both selections are seen before being lost in the halves. But if you don't have the "extra" you might go for the impromptu version suggested by Oliver Ehrens at page 1990 of the Apocalypse.

Difficulty 2/5

Color me Blue with Aces and Kings by Mike Bornstein

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 13, Number 1 January 1990
Page 1734 et seq. explained after the Afterthoughts

Personal Comment: This is good. And it is really easy to get into the setup. Just take out the red cards from your pocket, and you are done. But there is an error in the description. The initial setup is wrong. Just switch the King of Clubs with the King Diamonds and your are good to go. The ending is something I added, I don't know why I did it, as I try to stick to the original as much as I can, but doing others card tricks for so long makes one hungry to put in own little things. I try not to do that. Please forgive me!

Difficulty 3/5

Color me Blue by Mike Bornstein

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 13, Number 1 January 1990
Page 1734 et seq.

Personal Comment: I don't like it. But I did it for laypeople... and they did.

Difficulty 2/5