Great Expectations

This is part of my show about magic. And it is a combination of several effects. I was trying to have a similar handling leading to better and better results.

First phase: A card is selected and the prediction matches. This is a fairly good trick. I have two cards selected and throw in a little magicians choice. Not that that matters, but it keeps a certain consistency within the "Handhabungsgestalt" of the whole routine.

Second phase: This is where it gets interesting. "Monarch's Quartet" by Larry Jennings. I substituted the Jinx Switch from something I came up with, as I never felt good about the Jinx Switch. But this certainly breaks the expectation of the spectators. And it elevates the effect from a sheer improbability to an impossibility.

Third phase: Harry Anderson's "Gang of Four" really breaks the mold here. You tear the card, which always so something that people remember. The pieces change. The element of fail brought back full circle. This certainly plays so well.

Please excuse my patter. I was not able to translate my script properly, but you can see how the tricks built on top of each other.

As said in the beginning, this is part of my show about magic. The basic theme about the show is that magic is more than just a bunch of tricks. It's about taking several principles and turning them into deceptive performance pieces. A chapter is all about how expectations can generate awareness and confusion. This card routine is demonstrating that breaking the expectation can be more rewarding than meeting the expectations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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