Puddin' It All Together
Please do keep in mind that these notes are meant as supplementary material and NOT as a substitute for actual lecture attendance. Their brief yet informative nature is intentional; this is in effort to keep the information shared between us, strictly between us. Additionally, as is the case with live instruction, we might explore a little more or a little less than what might be outlined here. However, should you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me and I will try to be as accommodating as possible.
With the warmest and most humble regards,
Fabian
With the warmest and most humble regards,
Fabian
A NAtural Cosmic Illusion
A Perfect Visual Metaphor.
Image from APOD as captured by Tunc Tezel. Dec. 16, 2003.
The Count
Al Baker's Undercount from his Magical Ways and Means is a false count that is more about rhythm and tempo than it is about technical precision. Though, technical precision is most certainly always welcomed. While the count isn’t technically demanding, it does require a fluidity that one may not be used to. In order to gain familiarity with the count, throw in the double deal at varying numbers within the count. Not only will this serve in your learning of the count, but it will enable you execute the false deal on any number you please. Due to the count being executed so early on in the routine, you are well ahead of what your spectators might begin to anticipate. This is a good thing. Some might say, though, to not run when you’re not being chased, but I’ve always felt that it doesn’t hurt to at least have a good pair of shoes ready to go.
Here's a quick review; Hold the deck in a loose dealing grip allowing a slight bevel to form along the inner and outer edges of the deck facilitating you to smoothly push off cards one by one. Begin by openly pushing off one card and taking it at the fingertips of your right hand. Repeat this process for the second card, taking it underneath the first card ensuring that you do not reverse their order, counting each card aloud as it’s received. On the count of three push over two cards as one in as perfect alignment as possible and add it to the others. You’ve essentially just performed a simplified handling of a double deal. Without breaking rhythm, continue counting cards, out loud, one after the other until you’ve arrived at the number ten. In actuality, you’ve counted eleven cards as a packet of ten.
The Force
I first came across this iteration of the instant stooge ploy in Joshua Jay’s Triple Thought of Card from his L&L DVD set Close-Up, Up-Close. While based on an Eddie Fields idea, the idea of instant stooging a spectator with playing cards is not new at all and one which I've only managed to trace back to the late 19th century. As far as published versions in English go, the earliest reference I've found is that of Theodore Annemann's Telepathy In the Audience from his 1931 book, The Book Without a Name.
While the actual mechanics of the force are quite simple (simply position your force card on the bottom of the facedown packet and reverse spread it, therefore obscuring all other indices OTHER than the card at the face) attitude is what really sells it. That's why your phrasing is so important. "Go ahead and take a look at a card and remember it. It doesn't matter what card you see, as long as you see it clearly," should be delivered firmly, yet very matter of factly. A soft smile goes a long way.
The Reverse
Ken Krenzel’s Mechanical Reverse, as published in Harry Lorrayne’s The Card Classics of Ken Krenzel, is one of those sleights that sounds more difficult than it really is. It is, however, one of the most practical and well-motivated sleights of its kind. In this instance, your work is reduced significantly because one only has to execute the sleight with a small packet of cards instead of the entire pack.
Al Baker's Undercount from his Magical Ways and Means is a false count that is more about rhythm and tempo than it is about technical precision. Though, technical precision is most certainly always welcomed. While the count isn’t technically demanding, it does require a fluidity that one may not be used to. In order to gain familiarity with the count, throw in the double deal at varying numbers within the count. Not only will this serve in your learning of the count, but it will enable you execute the false deal on any number you please. Due to the count being executed so early on in the routine, you are well ahead of what your spectators might begin to anticipate. This is a good thing. Some might say, though, to not run when you’re not being chased, but I’ve always felt that it doesn’t hurt to at least have a good pair of shoes ready to go.
Here's a quick review; Hold the deck in a loose dealing grip allowing a slight bevel to form along the inner and outer edges of the deck facilitating you to smoothly push off cards one by one. Begin by openly pushing off one card and taking it at the fingertips of your right hand. Repeat this process for the second card, taking it underneath the first card ensuring that you do not reverse their order, counting each card aloud as it’s received. On the count of three push over two cards as one in as perfect alignment as possible and add it to the others. You’ve essentially just performed a simplified handling of a double deal. Without breaking rhythm, continue counting cards, out loud, one after the other until you’ve arrived at the number ten. In actuality, you’ve counted eleven cards as a packet of ten.
The Force
I first came across this iteration of the instant stooge ploy in Joshua Jay’s Triple Thought of Card from his L&L DVD set Close-Up, Up-Close. While based on an Eddie Fields idea, the idea of instant stooging a spectator with playing cards is not new at all and one which I've only managed to trace back to the late 19th century. As far as published versions in English go, the earliest reference I've found is that of Theodore Annemann's Telepathy In the Audience from his 1931 book, The Book Without a Name.
While the actual mechanics of the force are quite simple (simply position your force card on the bottom of the facedown packet and reverse spread it, therefore obscuring all other indices OTHER than the card at the face) attitude is what really sells it. That's why your phrasing is so important. "Go ahead and take a look at a card and remember it. It doesn't matter what card you see, as long as you see it clearly," should be delivered firmly, yet very matter of factly. A soft smile goes a long way.
The Reverse
Ken Krenzel’s Mechanical Reverse, as published in Harry Lorrayne’s The Card Classics of Ken Krenzel, is one of those sleights that sounds more difficult than it really is. It is, however, one of the most practical and well-motivated sleights of its kind. In this instance, your work is reduced significantly because one only has to execute the sleight with a small packet of cards instead of the entire pack.
Illustration from the Card Classics of Ken Krenzel by Harry Lorayne, 1978.
A re-cap; With a pinky break beneath the top card of the packet, insert it further into the break to about the length of your pinky nail. Allow your left ring and middle fingers to softly come around the side of the packet under cover of your right hand. Next, much like a book peek, your right hand will move to the outer left side of the packet grasping both halves of the packet at the outer top and bottom corners with your middle finger and thumb respectively; you are about to revolve the entire packet while maintaining your break. To do so, working in tandem with your right hand, allow your left fingers to extend softly about 180 degrees levering the packet to a face-up horizontal position (Img. 205 -206). This should automatically leave you with a wedge break between both packets; all this is left to for you to do is to curl in your left fingertips effectively reversing the top card of the packet. The bond between the double stick tape and the top card will break within the process of the reversal as long as the tack has been diluted.
The Set-up
From the top down;
1. Random Card W/ Double Stick Tape on it's Back.
2. Random Card.
3. Force Card/Duplicate.
4. Random Card.
5. Random Card.
6. Random Card.
7. Random Card.
8. Random Card.
9. Random Card.
10.Random Card.
11. Force Card/Duplicate W/ Double Stick Tape on it's Face.
The Structure
1. Introduce the pack and false count eleven cards as ten without reversing their order. Pocket the pack.
2. False count the top six cards as five again without reversing their order and place them within the wine glass. This is packet A.
3. Display the remaining five cards in packet B to your spectator, forcing the face card of the packet utilizing the reverse spread. Keep in mind that this duplicate/force card has a small sliver of double stick tape on it's face. So don't let your spectator stare too long. Cut the packet in half to centralize the force card while causing it to adhere to the card underneath it thanks to the double stick tape. Place packet B within the other wine glass. Punctuate the moment of the transposition with either a snap or a clink of the wine glasses.
4. Remove packet B and display the vanish of the thought of card. Take care not to split the double. Maneuver the double card to the top of the face down packet. Execute the Mechanical reverse and replace it within the wine glass with the force card facing you.
5. Reveal the force card in packet A without changing the positions of the cards. Adhere the force card to the double stick backed card and reveal it's disappearance. Take care not to split the double. Pocket this packet, therefore reassembling the majority of the deck. Finally, execute the flash change to reveal the back fire.
The Set-up
From the top down;
1. Random Card W/ Double Stick Tape on it's Back.
2. Random Card.
3. Force Card/Duplicate.
4. Random Card.
5. Random Card.
6. Random Card.
7. Random Card.
8. Random Card.
9. Random Card.
10.Random Card.
11. Force Card/Duplicate W/ Double Stick Tape on it's Face.
The Structure
1. Introduce the pack and false count eleven cards as ten without reversing their order. Pocket the pack.
2. False count the top six cards as five again without reversing their order and place them within the wine glass. This is packet A.
3. Display the remaining five cards in packet B to your spectator, forcing the face card of the packet utilizing the reverse spread. Keep in mind that this duplicate/force card has a small sliver of double stick tape on it's face. So don't let your spectator stare too long. Cut the packet in half to centralize the force card while causing it to adhere to the card underneath it thanks to the double stick tape. Place packet B within the other wine glass. Punctuate the moment of the transposition with either a snap or a clink of the wine glasses.
4. Remove packet B and display the vanish of the thought of card. Take care not to split the double. Maneuver the double card to the top of the face down packet. Execute the Mechanical reverse and replace it within the wine glass with the force card facing you.
5. Reveal the force card in packet A without changing the positions of the cards. Adhere the force card to the double stick backed card and reveal it's disappearance. Take care not to split the double. Pocket this packet, therefore reassembling the majority of the deck. Finally, execute the flash change to reveal the back fire.
Karl Germain's Flash Card Change
An Overused and Under Appreciated Transformation.
Illustration from the Tarbell Course in Magic Vol. 4, 1945.
Originally published in The Jinx in 1940, Karl Germain's Flash Card Change is one of the few stand-up color changes that appears impossible and is visually striking. It's also dead simple; which means it's a target for being grossly misapplied. It's unfortunate that the routine which has re-introduced this concept to the magic community at large not only utilizes it as the crux of its method, but rather relies on executing the change four times in a row. This is too pretty of a change to be overused and under appreciated. It is a change to be used sparingly and only when warranted. Excellent examples of which can be seen in Ricky Jay's interpretation of Hofzinser's Everywhere and Nowhere, Eric Mead's handling of Leipzig's Sympathetic Clubs, and Joshua Jay's Order From Chaos.
While there is no technique per se, other than that of a soft roll of the fingers, there is a bit of tact involved. Primarily in the use of the handkerchief and how it affects the change. A soft and slow withdrawal of the handkerchief provides an almost prolonged moment of transformation while a sharp brisk withdrawal seems to have an instantaneous transformation. Regardless of the manner you should prefer, the key is to execute the rotation of the glass softly.
While there is no technique per se, other than that of a soft roll of the fingers, there is a bit of tact involved. Primarily in the use of the handkerchief and how it affects the change. A soft and slow withdrawal of the handkerchief provides an almost prolonged moment of transformation while a sharp brisk withdrawal seems to have an instantaneous transformation. Regardless of the manner you should prefer, the key is to execute the rotation of the glass softly.
Handling Note No. 1
1. Control the selected card to the top of the pack.
2. Execute a double lift displaying a random card. Leave the double face up.
3. Necktie the pack as you take the top card of your double and display it to your audience.
4. Insert the card somewhere near the middle of the pack. Their selection is reversed on top of the pack.
5. Place the deck in the wine goblet and execute the transformation.
2. Execute a double lift displaying a random card. Leave the double face up.
3. Necktie the pack as you take the top card of your double and display it to your audience.
4. Insert the card somewhere near the middle of the pack. Their selection is reversed on top of the pack.
5. Place the deck in the wine goblet and execute the transformation.
Handling Note No. 2
1. Control to the selected card to the bottom of the pack via Marlo's Convincing Control.
2. Execute Trini Montes' cop reversal as you turn the pack face-up.
3. Spread the pack face-up and cull any random card to the top. This serves as a cover card.
4. Turn the pack face down. The selection is now face up underneath a face down cover card.
5. Place the pack in the wine goblet and in an apparent demonstration, remove your cover card and place it at the face of the pack as you state that it will rise through the pack horizontally. You're now set to execute the change.
2. Execute Trini Montes' cop reversal as you turn the pack face-up.
3. Spread the pack face-up and cull any random card to the top. This serves as a cover card.
4. Turn the pack face down. The selection is now face up underneath a face down cover card.
5. Place the pack in the wine goblet and in an apparent demonstration, remove your cover card and place it at the face of the pack as you state that it will rise through the pack horizontally. You're now set to execute the change.
To Steal A thought
A Handling Variant of Hugard and Braue's Thought Stealer.
Photograph by Ross Bertram.
Dai Vernon forever changed modern card magic when he introduced the novel idea of having playing cards thought-of instead of being physically selected. I believe spelling revelations are some of the strongest revelations within this category of effect. One of the best of its kind being that of Hugard and Braue's Thought Stealer from The Royal Road to Card Magic. The secret relies on a stack of six cards which progressively spell to each other. A quick glance at the chart provided below will quickly elucidate the basic principle that allows the effect to work. The reverse spread handling shared is merely an attempt to make the effect play bigger and to move it away from the table.
Chart Adapted from Henry Hay's The Amateur Magician's Handbook, 1950.
A refresher; shuffle off nine-cards onto your six card stack. The easiest way to go about this is to shuffle-off three groups of three cards while introducing the basic premise of the effect. In-jog the tenth card, shuffle-off and then push up and cut at your in-jog. You now have nine cards above your six card stack for a combined total of fifteen cards. You can also opt to have the entire fifteen card stack set from the very start, but where's the fun in that? Now that you're in position, you can cleanly spread the nine top cards into your right hand while delivering your instructions and casually flashing their faces to the audience. On the off-beat, reverse spread the nine card packet in your right hand as your left hand begins to feed the top six cards from the top of the pack UNDERNEATH those in your right hand. Hold the hands together loosely so as to maintain an illusion of a wide in-the-hands spread. You can now offer a visual selection to your participant. Much like the force utilized in A Natural Cosmic Illusion, because of the reverse nature of the nine top cards, your participant will only be able to see the six cards from your stack. All there is left to do is execute a false shuffle, should you choose to, and then have your spectator spell to their card.
TO STEAL A THOUGHT . . . With street Cred
An Exit, Consideration, and Provocation.
Image from the Greater Artful Dodges of Eddie Fields by Jon Racherbaumer, 1997.
Eddie Field's Cool Spell from Jon Racherbaumer's The Greater Artful Dodges of Eddie Fields is one of those pieces that feels far too simple to be so damn good. However, the question remains, what does one do when the name exceeds five letters? Firstly, in order to mentally prepare yourself, always ASK the spectator to say the name out loud BEFORE they begin to deal. Should it fall within the five letter range, you're home free. Should it not, you'll have to do a bit of work. Good thing is, you're already a step ahead in knowing that their selected card is at the fifth position. Extend your hand towards them palm up and allow them to begin to spell their thought of name, dealing one card per letter facedown onto your outstretched palm. Once they deal the fifth card, simply withdraw your hand and begin an overhand shuffle running the fifth card to the bottom while stating that you'd like throw in a "little more chaos" in making this as fair as possible. Extend your hand once again and have them continue dealing. Once they're done, execute Larry Jenning's T.N.T. (Take and Turn) Bottom Deal or any bottom deal that you feel comfortable with.
A Brief Word on Bottom Dealing
Illustration from The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase, 1902.
A tip which Juan Tamariz shares is to bring the pack towards the fingertips of the dealing hand in a smooth arc-like motion. Once the fingertips have made their purchase on the bottom card, move the pack away from the dealing hand leaving the bottom card at the fingertips. In essence the dealing hand remains stationary, allowing the opposite hand to essentially do the majority of the work in delivering the card at the fingertips. Additionally, one must be aware that one of the main points that is often overlooked in the execution of the bottom deal is the idea of reducing friction between the bottom card and the rest of the pack. Only the slightest buckling action is needed to actually reduce that friction therefore making it much easier to extract. This is greatly aided by the fact that the majority of playing cards by the USPCC sport an air cushion finish. This means that the cards literally have pockets of air throughout their entire body which make this process a tad bit easier. Use this feature to your advantage.
A Brief Word on Palming
Illustration from The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase, 1902.
Learn to palm properly. One of the best methods for a single card palm is that of Dai Vernon's Topping the Deck as published in Select Secrets. Better yet, it is not difficult to learn. If you read the text and follow with cards in hand, you'll find that the card pretty much places itself into your hand by about the third time. As Johnny Thompson once shared with me, "just read the directions as written, goddamnitt."
General Cards to Pocket
It All Just Looks The Same.
Illustration from The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase, 1902.
The idea was to combine the best parts of the General Card ploy and Francis Caryle's Homing Card into a Stand-Up/Parlor style effect. I wanted something that would allow me to walk into and throughout my audience while apparently working a lot harder than what I actually am. My tinkering resulted in a pseudo-multiple-thought-of-card to pocket effect which I'm quite fond of but is as of yet still in the process of being fleshed out. My preferred handling at the moment begins with placing a random card in my inner coat pocket and my outer left jacket pocket.
The method quite simply relies on forcing the same selection on three different spectators in the audience utilizing an impromptu short card ala Marlo's Fingertip Peek Force from his Fingertip Control chapter in Revolutionary Card Technique. Getting into the force position as written is great, though, another method I've often found myself using to set the impromptu short card is Fred Robinson's Ambitious Riser move from The Magic of Fred Robinson. I simply allow my hand to drop to my side as I address the audience and establish an in-jog near the top third of the pack. It's then a simple matter to peek the card as you're forcing it on three different spectators throughout the audience. A nice verbal throw off is to apparently vary the speed at which you're riffling and at which point your spectators are calling stop. A quick "Please, take your time," or a "Let's get one near the top now," goes a long way in throwing off those who might suspect a repeated force.
All that is left to do is either cull or cut the card to the top and produce it from your outer right jacket pocket. However, do NOT allow its face to be seen. After you've withdrawn it, seemingly produce the other two cards from your other two pockets. The order in which you reveal the three cards is important. Since there really was only one card that was seen, it is best to delay it's reveal as the second card to be displayed of the three. That way your three spectators don't begin to react until after the first random card is in play.
The method quite simply relies on forcing the same selection on three different spectators in the audience utilizing an impromptu short card ala Marlo's Fingertip Peek Force from his Fingertip Control chapter in Revolutionary Card Technique. Getting into the force position as written is great, though, another method I've often found myself using to set the impromptu short card is Fred Robinson's Ambitious Riser move from The Magic of Fred Robinson. I simply allow my hand to drop to my side as I address the audience and establish an in-jog near the top third of the pack. It's then a simple matter to peek the card as you're forcing it on three different spectators throughout the audience. A nice verbal throw off is to apparently vary the speed at which you're riffling and at which point your spectators are calling stop. A quick "Please, take your time," or a "Let's get one near the top now," goes a long way in throwing off those who might suspect a repeated force.
All that is left to do is either cull or cut the card to the top and produce it from your outer right jacket pocket. However, do NOT allow its face to be seen. After you've withdrawn it, seemingly produce the other two cards from your other two pockets. The order in which you reveal the three cards is important. Since there really was only one card that was seen, it is best to delay it's reveal as the second card to be displayed of the three. That way your three spectators don't begin to react until after the first random card is in play.
Special Thanks
Stan Allen, Magick Balay, David Britland, Adam Blumenthal, Lauren Cohen, Derek Delgaudio, Larry Fong, Allan Hagen, Jared Kopf, Raj Madhok, Eric Mead, Trini Montes, Homer Liwag, Gary & Debbie Plants, Victor Van Scoit, Katie Sokulski, Steven & Nikki Sokulski, Dan White, and John Wilson.
Stan Allen, Magick Balay, David Britland, Adam Blumenthal, Lauren Cohen, Derek Delgaudio, Larry Fong, Allan Hagen, Jared Kopf, Raj Madhok, Eric Mead, Trini Montes, Homer Liwag, Gary & Debbie Plants, Victor Van Scoit, Katie Sokulski, Steven & Nikki Sokulski, Dan White, and John Wilson.