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