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