More Simple Coins

I love the simple coins routine, the bold method of being one behind really makes this practical. This is a different beginning and a different ending. You don't take out the coins from your pocket to begin with, no you produce them from exactly the place where you pretend to put them a few seconds later. Only to pull them from those places and then one of them turns invisible, touches the other ones and they all vanish.

The ending in this version is the preferred ending when doing walk around magic. The standard ending is better suited for a stand up performance in a parlour type setting. The great addition in the beginning 2H1P phase is by the Austrian magician Daniel Philipp. By placing the coins on your arm you get rid of the table and weirdly it makes the click pass a bit more convincing.

Coin Thief

This is from the upcoming book by Jim Abrahams. There is nothing new about the phases, but the combination is. I find it quite hilarious to go from six coins to one.

The first phase is an oldie that has been lost in time. You can find it in David Pogue's book Magic for Dummies as the 7-Cent Reflex Test (that's the name in the German edition) uncredited. Tommy Wonder had a similar structure in one of his coin routines.

The second phase is just a joke, but it creates enough off beat to get away with the secret something.

The last phase is the sell.

I mentioned it before that I am somehow fascinated with the plot of stealing something from the spectator's hand. So I naturally like this one. And it is a ridiculously practical routine. You don't even need a table. The purse contains all the coins needed, it also can be used for the switch of the coin. It has an intriguing plot and seems like a genuine feat of skill in the beginning which turns into an impossibility.

Big thanks to Patrick for operating the camera and thanks to Toby for being the helping hand.

Living Room Opener

This is quite nice as a living room opener. Certainly not for stage, but the magic is decently paced and gets to the point quickly. I actually used this when I still did house parties. From a technical point of view this is pathetic, and structure wise this is horrific, as you go into your pocket unmotivated, however it gets people interested. The plot that you don't have a huge variety show to start with also sets the mood. Nice close up magic in an intimate setting.

False Knot Concept

This was made with my web cam and just for a friend of mine, showing him what I came up with. So technically we have a false knot, but with the addition of two tiny magnets stuck in the rope you can have the picture that looks pretty similar to a knot. It will not withstand scrutiny, but at a quick glance it is fine. If you are far away (stage) this would even be more deceptive.

The magnets are arranged in such a way that if the rope is folded in half they do not come in contact with one another. That means that you can use the rope for all sorts of other rope tricks as well. You can even hand out the rope. The chance of the audience finding a little bump inside the rope are minute. Try this, it's fun.

Just A Cup Revisited

As I said in the video I have this weird fascination with stealing an object from the spectators hand. And I have several ideas going closer and closer to the perfect image of the spectator holding an object in his hand and it vanishes completely. This is the first one. For the full routine please see my earlier video on that trick.

Axel Hecklau gives you the main idea of the die falling into the spectators hand and that gets good reactions, but stealing it gets even better reaction, and that is also possible with the gimmick that you get with the Just A Cup routine. Pretty strong shit if you ask me. EDIT: Axel actually covers this steal on the DVD, that I should have looked at long ago.

Now in the end you see I did something different from the standard loads. First it can be done in the spectators hand. Jamming the load all the way into the up actually delays the moment that the spectators feels the load. You can actually manage it to have it happen, as your hands are far away, creating a wonderful moment. Then the next bit is loading something inside the cup when the cup is mouth up. The diamond it a perfect load. Hans the right shape and the right boom near the end. But that maybe just me.

Towel Chicken

This is an old gag, done by many. My addition is to have the chicken lay an egg.

The Berg Knot

When it comes to false knots this needs to be done more often. You can find it in Pallbearers Review starting on page 993 et seq. Martin Gardner redescribed the knot in Hugard’s Magic Monthly in 1950. The knot works well with a large piece of silk. For smaller pieces it won't work, but there the issue of the hands being too close to the knot really isn't an issue.

The Linking Rings

Sorry for this one. I thought I share with you a true story. The story about me and the linking rings. It is true that I hate and love the trick. For exactly the reasons I give in the video. The gap issue needs to be addressed if you want to perform the linking rings successfully. You are underestimating the intelligence of the audience if you think that they won't think of a gap.

So this presentation leads up the the routine itself. It is pretty much the only piece of magic in my act that has that much talking that would finally lead into a magic trick.

In case you are wondering about the two routines... yeah there are two routines in the video. The one that I do and the one that I talk about. Ken Krenzels 4 Ring Routine can be found in Pallbearers Review on page 925 et. seq. Awesome little routine, but not the routine that I do. The one I do needs special rings. All the rings can be handed out and they link as seen in video.

I won't go in the details here. If you wanna talk to me about it, shoot me an email.

Rope Routine #2

So this is all build up for the Equal Unequal Ropes. But there is still a variety of stuff happening. First we got a little bit of rope stretching, kinda foreshadowing the final effect. Then I have the two middles link. I have never seen that in that particular context. What comes close is the old bit with two different colored ropes. Later Dean Dill used that effect in his Dean's Box Routine. But his method is entirely different.

Both rings link. Talk about an age old goodie. It plays well and it is easy to do. For the actual link and unlink I use a move from Willi Wessel's Close Up Ring and Rope Routine. A very good routine, you should check it out.

The next bit with the moving knot is taken from Flip Hallema. He uses it in one of his routines on the DVD of "Flip's Truly Magical Rope Magic" In his version he would untie the short pieces from the supposed long piece, which would then lead into a version of Equal Unequal Ropes done with only two ropes. I decided to make the knot jump back to where it came from.

Then it's cutting the rope without scissors. Now this in taken straight from the works of George Sands and Francis Tabary, who both have - similar in concept - versions of it. I do it twice. The first time to demonstrate, then a restoration and the second time the audience can decide where the rope is cut. Because of the method it really doesn't matter where the audience stops you. You can cut right there and most of the time take apart the ropes immediately. The shift from horizontal to vertical confuses the perception enough to get away with a minor changes in length of the short piece.

If the spectator says stop way later then a little extra effect is thrown in. Basically I pull on the long piece making the shorter piece even shorter. Once the short piece is a short as I need it I would take apart the ropes. Not as beautiful as just leaving it as the spectator wants me to, but it would also hint on the next part of the routine.

Equal Unequal Ropes: There is nothing special about this. Just they way I learned it from the Daryl DVDs on rope magic.

Let's talk about the premise a bit. The concept of holes and their properties. I do this routine in my kids shows and the hole concept is the whole concept of the show. Holes appear and disappear and I talk about the different holes there are. Regular holes, invisible holes, dimensional holes, black holes and so on. And each concept is demonstrated with some tricks. Of course I don't play it straight faced. The kids must be aware that all of that is make believe. And they love it. I tried doing that with adults and they found it amusing, yes, but not worth to devote an entire show to that.

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.

The Royal Routine

I decided to share with you my card routines that I do in my theater. This is the first one. It's complex, yet modular. It takes from a variety of sources. The first production of the kings is taken from Phil Goldsteins book focus. The transformation of the selection into the four kings is taken from the Red Mirror DVD by Helder Guimaraes. Transforming back the kings into the selection is taken from Jim Abrahams the Royal Imposter routine.

Then the tabled selection turns out to be the four kings again is taken straight from the works of Bebel using a sleight often credited to Dai Vernon, which is an excellent way to add/move cards from a deck to the table/other part of the deck. (Methods used to control all the cards: Double Undercut, Kelly Bottom Placement, Double Undercut, DL)

Then a straight one handed Top Palm and that leads into the part where the kings one by one turn into the selection. I came up with this myself, but after that I have seen several magicians doing the same. Dani DaOrtiz doing it pretty much the way I do it. Paul Gordon does it with three cards and the selection. The little finish by placing the Double on the pile and then taking of the top card in a loose fashion is by Bebel.

The last backfire of the selection not being in the pocket but the four kings is also by Bebel.

This routine actually continues with a fake explanation of the cards going to the pocket, in which the whole deck goes to the pocket except the selection. The result is a natural deck switch ;).

Gummi Bears

This has been brewing in my brain for years. And I have done this many times. This is the great impromptu trick with food. You can do it with M&M's, Smarties and all other sweets that come in different colors. And this trick actually makes sense. Everyone has a favorite kind of color. So it is kind of natural that a magician does his magic thing to turn them the color he wants to.

And because it is food the method could not be more simple. No need for secret preparation, You simply prentent to eat the one you like and suddenly you are set up. Methodwise three switches. Spellbound, Bobo and Bobo in this case. And as the last one goes in the mouth you destroy the evidence along the way. This is simply a good little trick.

The Day Out

The McDonald Aces. In terms of method there is nothing special to say. Just the plot is something I assure you will entertain the audience. I have done that routine for real people a few times by now and the reactions are great. Personally I would like the cards to be picture cards (The living people) but I'm short of certain gaffs. But this red and black thing is a good contrast I think.

Personally I think that any Ace Assembly needs a story in order to not become a complete borefest.

Mommy and Poppy

So this is a continuation of an effect I've been working on for a long time now. I've been performing it ever since as well. I changed the ending to the original handling. The Original had two nuts being screwed on the bolt. Which was fine, but you basically had to admit to use two nuts to make it logical. The main reason for the original two nuts on the bolt was the source. I took it from Doc Eason's "All Screwed Up" routine. Doc Eason told me that the originator of the routine was the late Christopher Frings of Birmingham in Alabama. So initial credits go to him.

So let's talk about this version. The main reason I call the nut "Mommy" is simple. In German the technical nut is called "Mutter" which is the same word for "Mother". (What is meant of course we see from the context of the sentence.) So in German the thing is called "mother" so calling the bold "Poppy" kinda makes sense in Germany. And it gets a chuckle, do to the phallic nature that is implied. Sure the routine is kind of immature and still lacks a decent premise. That's why it is still work in progress.

Now the routine is not about how your brain is confused if I show you the same two nuts over and over again; it's about the same nut coming back and back again. So method wise the first one is a standard FT which is fine as it gives you hand a reason to go into the pocket. What follows is a series of either flying shuttle passes (popularised and made up by Jay Sankey) and the Sylvester Pitch by Dan Sylvester the Jester also known as the "Intertia Pass".

What follows after the appearance of the bolt is simple a shuttle pass and David Williamson's Striking Vanish in yet another variation.

The setup is really, really simple. Just reconstruct the routine and you know how simple it is and that it really won't hinder your other magic.

Some Manipulation

Here we go with some basic manipulation. A similar routine is my opener for one of my shows. The angles are not bad but best would be a palor setting. As some of you know by now, I have got my own little theater now. A close up theater. And some of the routines I do there will eventually end up here. For those I have decided not to go into detail so much, on where to find all the sources. Bread and butter after all. I hope you forgive me for that decision.

So why is the above routine a good opener? Well it has some good speed, pacing, effects and sets the tone for the rest. In my case "Sleight of Hand"-guy. My theory behind this: If I show a whole lot within a few seconds, it buys me some time to slow down later on. People expect a magician. They expect magic. I better deliver on that expectation. People paid for that. If I would start with a trick that takes ages to get to the magic, I lost my "magic cred" even if the result of the wait is a brilliant magic trick. I have to built up some credit before such longer routine. That is why a series of manipulations seems like a good, solid opener.

Also, it is one of the more hard things to do. If I manage that routine I will have no trouble during the rest of the act.

Updates?

The blog will be put on a hiatus for a short while. The reason: I am in the process of opening up my own little magic theater. It will be a close up theater and that has taken most of my time lately. It will open in Lübeck in the beginning of April. Here is the website, so you see that I haven't been a lazy bastard. I also got a Facebook page running. It's all in German, so don't freak out!

On the plus side: Because it is a close up theater, I've been working on more close up material than ever. This doesn't matter to you now, but it will.

The Marble in the Box

You do recognize the box, do you? Usually it is used to load something into the box. But you can see it can be used to steal something out of the box as well. The preparation is done right in front of the audience. The angles are a litte issue. Basically the eyeline of the audience needs to be below the upper edge of the box. But otherwise you are fine. The transposition idea is just there to illustrated what can be done, besides just stealing.

Three Ways to Produce a Coin

I love problems... no wait... I love solving problems. Getting ready for most coin productions is one of those problems. You need to get the coin into your hand secretly. So how do you do that. Well the most common method is putting away a certain prop stealing the coin along the way. Then you hold out until you start producing the coin. And you know what. That is perfectly fine. But I felt like toying around with different premises.

So the first one is by Harry Anderson. It is taken from "Wise Guy" published by Mike Caveney. The book is all about the magic of Harry Anderson. On page 22 you'll find the routine entitled "Sewing A Coin". But it has also been published under the name "As Ye Sew, So Shall Ye Reap" in "The New York Magic Symposium Collection Two". I like the fact that it starts off so playfully. It requires you to use your imagination. So it is not taken seriously and therefore the attention is very low on the actual dirty work. I can tell you from the many times I have been doing this, that the appearance of the coin generates a pretty strong reaction.

The second one is by Jim Abrahams. He does it not with a coin but a metal disc, claiming that this is part of a UFO. One side invisible and one side visible. After that he demonstrates a few other things with it to prove that amusing premise. But the boldness of showing your hands empty is something that others might appreciate. You basically do the exact opposite of what you are claiming to do. You don't pick up the coin, you place it. Which is hilarious I think. A good swindle and the appearance of the coin also works well.

The last one is my own. Actually I use this to produce sponge balls. But you can produce just about anything. You need a key, but putting the key away after you turned the lock is a good motivation to go into your pocket. In fact it is so good, that people don't even take note of it, because it is so natural to do that. So the initial conviction of the hands being empty remains. So the actual production of the coin is a strong one. And putting away the invisible box gives you yet another reason to go into your pocket. Again it kind of goes unnoticed. Which puts you in the perfect position for just about anything. The coin split was an obvious choice, But Spellbound, Karate Coin or tons of other ideas come to mind.

The Ball, the Glass and the Cloth

The Tarbell Course in Magic. What a vast resource it really is. In lesson 28 (page 389 if you have the hardbound copy) there is a little overlooked routine. Simply called "the egg, the glass and the handkerchief". I did very little changes to the handling. But if you had to write it up like a dealers ad it would read something like this. Impromptu! No extras! Easy! Yes, the signed cloth really ends up in the glass! No switching! A real worker! Audience tested!

This is simply a rare gem that nobody does. I mean nobody! If you feel like you are that "nobody" explain yourself in the comments. The originator of this trick seems to have been lost in the ages. In fact Tarbell writes: "This is another effect which has been handed down throughout the magical fraternity for many years."

I really like idea of using a ping pong ball. They are cheap, you can have them signed and you can give it away in the end. In fact if you substitute the cloth for a napkin it really goes into the realm of true impromptu magic.

Check this one out. It needs to be done more often. And if you really fear the one bold moment in the routine, you can use a familiar gimmick to make everything good.

Sponge Splitting

We all have done the splitting of a sponge ball. But nobody lets the spectator do it. This is a way to do it and the methods used here act as a great cancel to each other. To the spectator it will be that they saw both sides of the story. They have been the ones that pull the balls apart AND the ones that split the ball. Do I have to tell you that this is great. To those wondering what exactly the spectator feels when the magicians pulls the ball apart: Feels like the real thing. The angles on this one are not bad, but this is best done as a one on one thing, as the spectator does block a whole lot of view.

This of course is not an entire routine, but a nice prelude to get to a proper routine. Also "fusing" of sponge balls is not often done.

Now let's talk about the moves involved. The initial splitting move is taken from the bible of sponge ball magic: The Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic by Frank Garcia. "The Slow Motion Transposition and Impromptu Routine" on page 102 teaches the move in detail. Then some shuttle passes and the bold move of pretending to pull apart the spectator's sponge ball.

Try this, you will love it.