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90 Pinch the deck at the inner right corner with your right thumb on top and fingers beneath, and then turn the hand palm down to display the face of the pack. Figure 4. "We might as well take note of the bottom card as well 1he King of Spades, also keep that in mind" This moment is very important because, if the audience doesn't clearly remember the starting positions of the three cards, it won't mean anything when they return. Losing the Cards You will now appear to lose the three noted cards into the middle of the deck. Begin by pushing the outjogged selection flush into the pack. Because of the crimp, no break is necessary,
making this a. very clean and fair action. Turn the double face down and place the top card into the middle of the deck. Pick up the pack in right-hand overhand grip. Flash the face, showing the bottom card, and then turn the deck back face down, allowing it to pass over the left fingers. As the deck turns face down, the left fingertips contact the card at the face of the deck and push it to the right about a quarter of an inch. This leaves just enough room for the fingertips to pull the second card from the face out from beneath the pack.13 Lose this card into the middle as well. Figure 5. 13.1his is JVIarlo's "Side-jog Glide"from 1be Lost Pages of the Kabba/a (1981), p.55. 91
92 Dribble the cards from hand to hand to show the cards aren't being controlled, and then get ready for a miracle. A Quick Convincer Do not square the cards after the dribble. Instead, pick up the cards in end grip with your right hand as you maneuver the bottom card into Gambler's Cop with your left fingers. Once the card has been copped, lift the deck with your right hand and show the deck on all sides. Figure 6. Since the original face card is copped, there will be an indifferent card on the face of the deck, convincing the audience that all of the cards have been lost. This subtlety works best for a smaller group of spectators, due to the risk of the card in palm being flashed. Figure 7 is exposed for clarity.
After the deck has been displayed, place it back into the left hand. The unsquared cards provide cover as you return the copped card to the bottom while squaring up the deck. Picking Up The Break The crimp in the inner right corner of the selection automatically creates a break in the deck. Work your left fourth finger into this break until its tip rests on the selection. Figure 8, next page. This may take a bit of practice, but is easier with a larger crimp. Apply downward pressure with the left fourth finger as you remove it from the break, bringing the selection along with it. Once the inner left corner has become injogged enough (which varies from person to person), Figure 9, next page, move the 93
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fourth finger to the inner right edge of the card and pull back, realigning the sides of the card with the deck. The selection should be injogged about half an inch. Figure 10. Expressing The Magic Moment ''If we give the deck a little shake you can see the cards as they reposition themselves to where they began. " Hold the deck in the left hand with the second finger near the outer right corner of the deck. The thumb rests on the left edge of the deck, roughly an inch from the corner. Figure 11, next page. This is to prepare for the Ambitious Riser.14 14. Fred Robinson's Ambitious Riser was published in Pabular (1975), Vol.1, No. 8, p.92. Ray Kosby's "Raise Rise" MagicalArtsfourna/(1987), Vol. l, No. 11 & 12, p. 1 was my inspiration as in that effect the Ambitious Riser is executed with the deck in dealing grip, not as a rising card style effect. --------- 9 5
96 As you gently shake the pack back and forth, bring the left fourth finger to the inner right corner of the injogged selection. Your fourth finger brings this corner around the inner right corner of the deck, and then pushes it forward until the selection is outjogged for half its length. Figures 12-14. Offsetting the thumb and second finger allows for a wider opening for the card to pass through, as well as reducing friction against the second finger, all of which makes a big difference when performing this move. Once the card is outjogged, stop shaking the hand.
Returning To The Anchor "The deck travels all the way back to this mo1nent right here. When the Ace of Spades was on top of the deck. The Five of Hearts was sticking out the middle, and the King of Spades was on bottom." Flip the top card over to reveal the Ace of Spades is back. Figure 15, next page. Then turn the left hand palm down, displaying the outjogged selection and the card on the face of the deck having returned as well. Figure 16, next page. 97
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A Tapered Variant For those of you who find it difficult to pick up the break at the crimp, never fear, the tapered deck is here. The taper allows you to injog the selection and get into position for the Ambitious Riser without having a break or needing to look at the pack. The handling is almost entirely the same, just make sure to begin with the wide end of the tapered deck away from you. When the spectator selects their card, outjog it, and then pull it from the front of the pack, rotating it face up end-for-end and displaying it on the top of the deck, above the Ace double. When it's time to lose it into the middle, flip it face down sideto-side, pick it up and insert it into the middle of the deck, maintaining the orientation of the card. This results in the selection being reversed, with its wide end toward you.15 Then, after the cards have been dribbled and the bottom card in cop has been returned to the bottom of the deck, the right hand lifts the cards to the tips of the left fingers and squares the deck. The right hand then casually comes to the rear of the deck, taking it in Hindu Shuffle grip, and, in apparently a final light squaring action, secretly uses the taper to injog the selection, before lowering the deck into left-hand dealing grip. Continue with the routine as written. 15. For more ways to reverse a card, check out this other fantastic book called A NewAngle. _ _______ 99
••••• ••••••••• ai Vernon's "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" is a classic in card magic. 16 It was the first card trick that utterly fascinated me, and for years I've searched for a handling that suited my needs.17 One particular aspect of the original handling bothered me more than anything else: the control sequence felt too studied 16. More Inner Secrets if Card Magi.c (1960), p.14. 17. Over the years, many brilliant magicians have moved the handling fon,vard, and I've drawn from the thinking of others when designing this routine. Al James makes use of a key card instead of holding a break in "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" in Conjuror at the Table (2017). Jared Kopf is the first person I saw use a crimped card to control the selections in his routine "Riffled OOSOOM" published in Nothing But the Family Deck (2013), but I later found out Bob King also has a version using a breather in "Far Out Of Sight" published in The Breather (1992). D aniel Prado also makes use of a breather as one of the selections in his routine "Insight" released on Art of Magic. 101
102 and always created tension in my hands. It required running multiple cards several times, injogs, and holding breaks. No matter how much I practiced and performed it, it never felt natural or comfortable. That is, until I started cheating. Now, it feels great. All it needed was a breather-crimped card. With this tool in play, the selection and distribution process happen in a moment and are moveless. Most importantly, there's no tension, which is where I think the true strength lies. The process moves out of the way, giving you a chance to play. Effect The cards are thoroughly shuffled by the audience, and then fairly mixed on the table. You randomly pick up cards one at a time, showing them to a spectator, and ask them to think of any card that they see. After a card has been thought of, the cards are mixed again, and then squared up. You then slowly spread through the deck, claiming to pick up the body language of the spectator. Turning the cards face down again, you give them a quick shuffle. One at a time, the cards are taken from the deck and placed into your left hand. At some point you stop and ask the spectator to name their thought-of card. The card stopped at is their card. Method Overview As in the original, you know the spectator's selection is one of nine potential cards. Using the breather-crimped card, you control those cards. Then, with a simple cutting sequence, you
distribute them to the top, middle and bottom of the deck. Finally, the breather also acts as a key card in the middle of the deck, eliminating the need to hold a break during the routine. Once the nine potential selections are divided into the three sections of the deck, you'll narrow them down to one of three cards. The final revelation utilizes Dai Vernon's original multiple-out sequence. Breather Crimp All you need for this routine is a card with a reverse breather crimp. You may already know what that is, but this is as good a time as any to cover the basics as well as a few extra touches. Applying the Crimp There are top-cutting breather crimps and bottom-cutting breather crimps (also known as reverse breather crimps). In this routine I use a reverse breather crimp, which, after the cut, ends up on the face of the deck. To put the crimp in a card, hold what \Vill be your key card ( the Nine of Diamonds in this explanation) face down in your hands. With both hands, place your thumb on the top of the card and first and second fingers below, gently pinching the card between them. Figure 1, next page. Begin in the center of the card and slowly slide your hands apart, moving diagonally and maintaining pressure, until the fingertips are about an inch from the corners. Apply enough pressure to crimp the card, but not so much pressure that the card becomes creased. Rotate the card a quarter turn and apply the crimp again across the other diagonal, causing an "X" crimp to form in the card. 103
104 There is a faster way to apply the work. Hold the card you wish to crimp face down by opposite corners. Both thumbs should be on top of the card, pinching it between the first and second fingers. Apply pressure, causing the card to bend upward along the diagonal. Rotate the card a quarter turn and repeat. This method for applying the crimp renders this routine essentially impromptu, as the quick process of pinching your fingers together (no more than 1-2 seconds) can be done in a moment of lowered attention in front of your audience. Crimp work can also often be temporary, needing to be put into the same card multiple times. As the cards become pressed and aged, the weather and humidity will soften the paper, and over time the work has to be applied again.
Punching the Crimp Since a reverse breather always moves to the bottom of the deck, you won't know if you've actually cut to it unless you take a peek. I constantly see performers turning the deck over to see if they've cut to the right card or to check the bottom card in their stack. This is a huge tell. Rather than try to solve these problems with subtlety or choreography, I simply use punch work.18 It only takes seconds to apply and allows me to know I'm positioned correctly throughout the routine. When punch work is applied, the work should be felt on the face of the card. This means it should be applied from the back of the card to the face. Figure 2. The work should be on the index corners of the card. Figure 3. When holding the 18. Refer back to the explanation in "Any Cards at Our Numbers". 105
106 deck in left-hand dealer's grip, the punch should be felt with the left index finger. Figure 4, previous page. With a quick swipe of the finger you now know if you've cut at the crimp. Edge-Marking the Crimp If a crimped card is near the top or bottom of the pack, or you simply don't know where it is, cutting to it can be challenging. There's nothing worse than trying to cut to a card when you have no idea where it is. To remedy this I edge mark the card. This is tremendously useful, nearly invisible, and only takes seconds to apply. I found the idea of Carmen D'Amico's in Arthur Buckley's Card Control in the "The Domico Location",19 in which he adds a nail nick to the long edges of the breather. To edge mark the card, hold the deck in left-hand dealing grip. Take the breather and begin to insert it into the front of the deck. Apply pressure to the edge of the card with the edge of the left thumbnail, continuing to push the card into the deck, scraping it against the thumbnail. Figure 5. Do this to both sides of the breather card. When this card is lost in the middle of the deck, you can easily spot it, making it much easier to cut to. Figure 6. The older 19. Card Controf (1946), p.51.
and more worn a deck is, the easier edge marking is to see. Moves • Double Lift Setup This can be performed from a shuffled deck in use, once you apply a breather . ... ~ . ..~ : -~ --- - crimp to your key card. The use of punch and edge work is not strictly necessary, but it is recommended. Choreography Begin by handing the deck to a spectator and asking them to shuffle. Take the deck back, and then casually cut at the breather to bring the Nine of Diamonds to the bottom of the deck. Move your left index finger to the outer right corner of the card and feel for the punch. If you feel it, you know the breather is on the face. If it isn't, casually shuffle the cards and cut again. Once the breather is on the face of the deck, dribble the cards all over the table and start to do a wash shuffle, spreading the cards into a chaotic mess. As you wash the cards, you need to do two things to prepare for the selection procedure. Fust, keep track of the breather card, making sure it is easily obtainable. I tend to place this closest to me on the table. Second, make sure 107
108 there is at least one instance of two cards you can easily pick up off the table as a double. I tend to place this at the outer left side of the mix on the table. These tasks are both easier to do than they seem. Figure 7 shows my right hand above my breather and my left hand above my tabled double. Selection Procedure During the selection procedure you will pick up ten cards, but the audience will only be aware of nine of them. One of the cards you pick up will be a double and another will be the breather. Don't count the cards out loud while picking up cards; just display them at a leisurely pace. You will pick them up with your right hand and place them at chest height in your left hand, one in front of the other.
'1 want you to think of a card, but I want you to be the only one who knows what that card is. I also don't want you to think of an obvious card. Most people jump straight to the Ace of Spades or Queen of Hearts. I want you to think of a card that not even you knew you would be thinking of today. I'm going to show you cards one at a time. Whenever you see a card you like, I want you to keep it in mind. Obviously you shouldn't tell me when you've decided to keep a card in mind because then I'll know that's the card you've thought of Instead, I want you to see all of the cards, but merely retain one of them. 1his way you won't give off any clues as to what card you're thinking of" After giving these instructions, silently pick up the cards one at a time in the following order: three indifferent cards, the double, another indifferent card, the breather-crimped card, 109
110 ending with three more indifferent cards. After you display each card, place it at the face of the packet in your left hand. Figure 8, previous page. The double is fairly easy to hide. Since the eyes of the spectator are focused at the cards in your left hand, the right hand has almost no heat as it picks up cards from the table. The reason that the double is positioned at the outer left-hand side of the spread is because as the right hand picks it up from along its front edge, the back of the hand shields the two cards from view. By the time it is placed at the front of the left hand's packet, there is nothing to see. From the top to the face of the packet: • X • X • X • Indifferent card (back card of the double) • X (front card of the double) • X • Breather • X • X • X As you pick the cards make your choices seem as random as possible, picking up from all over the table.
«Do you have a card in mind? Yes? Please don't forget it, as you are the only one who knows it. Say it over and over in your head. The more you repeat it, the more I might be able to pick up on the repetition of your thoughts." If they haven't thought of a card yet, drop everything onto the ·table and continue to wash the cards. Reposition the breather crimp and the tabled double, and start again. I have never had someone not think of a card the first time, but it's good to be prepared just in case. Let's assume they have a card in mind. Start gathering up all of the cards on the table with your right hand. The cards shouldn't be squared, but just gathered into a single pile. The left hand is still holding the packet of cards. With the right hand lift up about half the deck on the table, opening the pile like a book. Toss the left-hand packet into the middle of the tabled packet, and then drop the cards held by 111
112 the right hand. Figure 9. Because of the breather crimp, there is nothing to control. The breather does that for you. Square up the deck and place it in left-hand dealer's grip. A Quick Distribution Casually cut the deck at the breather crimp, bringing it to the bottom of the deck. Check to feel for the punch on the face of the deck. Because the breather was the sixth card shown, the last three cards the spectator could have thought of have moved to the top of the deck. From the top to the face of the deck (X indicating one of the nine possible selections): • X • X • X • Deck • X • X • X • Indifferent card • X • X • X (Breather Card) The breather comes through again here, replacing multiple overhand shuffles, including single card runs, with one simple cut. All that remains is to move the bottom three cards to the middle of the deck. Begin by obtaining a break above the
bottom three cards. This can be done by riffiing off three cards with the right thumb, or with a pinky pull down. Figure 10 is exposed for clarity. You'll now give the deck a modified cut to centralize the bottom three cards. With your right hand, grip everything above the break, leaving the bottom three cards in left-hand dealer's grip. As your right hand moves to the right, swing cut half of the deck into your left hand. The top half of the deck should hide (and be placed onto) the three cards from below the break. Figure 11, next page. Your left hand rotates clockwise until the cards it holds are perpendicular to the cards in your right hand. The right hand then taps the left side of its cards against the back of the cards in the left. Figure 12. Place the right-hand cards on the table, and then take the cards from your left hand 113
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and place them on top.20 This maintains the order of the deck, only moving the bottom three cards to the middle, the lowest one being the breather, essentially turning it into a known key card. From the top to the face: • X • X • X • About Half of the Deck • X • X • X (Breather Card) • About Half of the Deck • X • X • X • Indifferent Card The indifferent card that was the rear hidden card of the double picked up from the table ends up on the face of the deck. This prevents one of the potential selections from being on the face of the deck when the deck is turned face up. In case this card is thought of, I don't want it to be staring the spectator in the face. Picking Up the Thought Turn the deck face up in your left hand. "Since you are currently repeating the name of your card over and 20. This finesse is similar to "The False Swing Cut" in Card College Vol 1 (1995), p.58. - - - - - ---- 115
116 over in your head, my goal is to pick up on those wavelengths. I don't want to know where your card is, but simply that your card is still there." Slowly begin to spread through the face-up deck. The face card will be an indifferent card, but the following three are potential selections. When you reach it, down jog the tenth card from the face of the deck. This is easily done counting by twos. Figure 13. Once you have downjogged the card, continue spreading about ten more cards, and then pause. "You haven't already seen your card, have you?" This question is phrased to suggest you aren't expecting them to say "yes," while still eliciting the information you need. If they say yes, skip down to Out #2. If not, ignore the injogged card
and continue spreading until you reach the Nine of Diamonds (the breather). This is the key card for the middle group of cards. It and the two cards following are the next group of potential selections. Continue spreading, and then downjog the sixth card after the three possible selections. Again ask if they've seen their card. If they have, skip down to Out #2, otherwise continue, ignoring the downjogged card. Out #1 - The Selection is One of the Last Three Cards in the Spread If they haven't seen their selection we know it's one of the final three in the spread. This is a wonderful position to be in because they haven't seen their card, but we know where it is (within a bank of three). Close up the spread and look at the spectator. "Usually I pick up more signs than I'm getting/ram you. Maybe it's better that we don't know where the card is in the pack." Place the deck face down on the table in riffie shuffie position. Their thought-of card is one of the top three and the breather is in the middle of the deck. Cut the deck at the breather crimp, moving the top half to the right in preparation to do a tabled riffie shuffle. Figure 14, next page. This is a good time to make use of the nail marking made by applying "The Domico Location''. Shuffie the cards together by first letting the breather fall from the bottom of the right half, and then shuffling off as normal. 117
118 As you complete the shuffle, hold back the three possible selections on top of the right hal£ Figure 15. Square everything together. Give the deck a tabled cut. I strip the middle of the deck to the left, followed by the top third, then the bottom third. This looks a little more chaotic than a straight cut, but produces the same result. This positions the breather on top of the three possible selections somewhere in the middle of the deck. Because of the nail nick in the edge of the breather, it's fairly easy to determine its approximate location. Ideally, I like for it to end up in the center of the deck, but it's not necessary. Either place the deck in the center of the table or, even better, in the palms of the spectator's hands. If I place it into the
spectator's palms, I bring their hands up to eye level, making the peek that comes next a little subtler. Cut the deck at the breather crimp and place the top half of the deck into left-hand dealing grip. You will know right away if you've cut at the breather because you will be able to feel the punch on the index corner with the left index finger. Act as if your cut were slightly off, and then take the next two cards from the top of the bottom half one at a time, placing them on top of the left hand's cards. As you take it, lift the back edge of each card slightly more than necessary in order to peek the identities of the cards as you do this. Figure 16, next page. You have roughly half the deck in your left hand and you know the order of the top two cards. You are now ready for the reveal. 119
120 Out #2 - The Selection is Near the Face or Middle of the Spread Whether the card is in the first or second packet, you will have a card downjogged six cards below the three potential selections in the face-up spread. Square up the deck, maintaining the downjog. As you take the deck with your right hand into overhand shuffie position, push in and pull up on the jogged card, creating a break beneath it. Figure 17. Use your left thumb to shuffie off cards until you reach the break, and then throw the rest on top. You now have six indifferent cards on top of the deck, followed by the three possible selections. Place the deck either on the table or in the spectator's hand. Take eight cards off the top of the deck one at a time and place them into the left hand, peeking the seventh and eighth cards as you do so. You are now ready for the reveal.
The Reveal: The Vernon Multiple Out '1'm going to make a commitment, but I think it's only fair that I get to ask at least one question: what was the card you were thinking ~.f2" °-1: When they name their card, you will either recognize it as the first or second card in the packet in your left hand, or it will be another random card: If it's the first card you peeked, it's second from the top in your left hand. In that case, perform a double turnover to display the selected card. This is the least clean ending, but it is still very strong because there is no adjustment or action after they name their card, so there is little heat on the turnover. 121
122 Give the revelation some time to breathe without worrying about cleaning up the face-up double. I often see magicians try to be clean the moment the effect has :finished. Relax and pause for a moment. Then casually pick up the cards from the table and place them on the bottom of the deck. Only then do you turn the double face down and shuffle the deck in preparation for your next miracle. If it's the second card you peeked, it's the top card of the left hand's cards. In this case, simply turn over the top card to reveal the thought-of card. Once the audience has had a chance to process the effect, place the left hand's packet on top of the remaining cards, either in the spectator's hand or on the table, leaving the selection face up on top of the deck. If it's neither of the two cards that you peeked, the selection is on top of the half on the table or in the spectator's hands. Turn over the top card of that half and display the thought-of selection. Once the audience has processed the effect, take the half with the selection on top and place it on top of the cards in your left hand, leaving the selection face up on top of the deck.
Two Subtleties for the Breather Crimp Here are two applications for a breather that allow you to control or force a card in a very casual, carefree manner: 1. A Replacement I came up with this idea a number of years ago. Though it's a small twist on an established routine, I think it's too darn sneaky not to include. For those who are familiar with Pit Hartling's effect "Finger Flicker", you'll recognize the idea upon which this is based. 21 Begin with the breather lost in the middle of the deck, and then have a card selected. As the spectator shows the card around, square the deck and place it on the table with the long side of the deck closest to you. As you square up the pack, bevel the top of the deck slightly toward yourself. Figure 18. This will give you more surface area to contact in a moment. 21. Card Fictions (2003), p.10. 123
Take the selected card back from the spectator and hold it face up in your right hand by its inner right corner. In Pit's routine, he places his finger on the table by the deck and flicks upward, causing the breather, plus everything above it, to break away from the rest of the pack. This is exactly what happens here, but with a card instead of your finger. Press the outer left comer of the selection against the table by the pack and use 124 - -------
that corner to flick upward against the deck, opening the pack at the breather crimp. Figures 19-20. Use just enough force to cause the pack to bre~k open a little wider than normal. Place the card in your right hand into the opening. Figure 21. Have the spectator square up the deck. The selection is now beneath the breather. Returning the selection in this manner feels very fair and free, yet you've just placed it directly beneath the breather, allowing you access to it instantaneously at any point. A small touch of finesse that creates a very fair replacement. 125
126 2. A Natural Spread Break This is a peculiar utility move that can be used as either a force or control. It's best executed seemingly off the cuff, not as something you highlight and draw attention to. Spread the cards from hand to hand and ask the spectator to take any card he sees. As he shows the selection around, make sure that the breather crimp is roughly three-quarters of the way down from the top of the deck. This is easily done by observing the nail nick on the side of the card, and then giving the deck a cut or an overhand shuffie to move it where you need it to be. When it's time for the selection to be returned, hold the deck in left-hand dealer's grip. In the action of moving the left hand from the right side of the table to the left, allow the cards to fall off the fingertips and spread across the table. Figure 22. When you reach the breather, the spread will naturally break. This may sound strange, but you will feel it as it happens.
Have the selection returned to the top of the cards remaining in the left hand. Figure 23. The deck is then reassembled and everything is squared up. Figure 24. vVhile it appears the selection has been returned to a random point in the deck, in reality it's directly beneath the breather. 127
128 This requires a finesse that takes a little time to perfect. And while its strength is as a control, it can also be used as a force. For it to be an effective force, though, it needs to feel spontaneous, almost as if the choice of card doesn't matter; as if you need a random card, fairly and freely arrived at, but whose identity is seemingly unimportant.
• • •••••••••••• ore than any other piece in this book, magicians seem drawn to the idea at the heart ofVersatile Transpo. I think this is because of the challenging logistical problem this routine attempts to solve: when you borrow money for a trick, you never know what you're going to get unless you ask for something specific, which can cause suspicion. This routine uses the concept of an open index of gimmicks, allowing you to perform the trick with almost any bill you're offered, while hiding the index in plain sight. I applied this open index concept to U.F. Grant's effect "The Slow Motion Bill Transposition", a stunning classic, of which 131
132 there have been countless versions published over the years.22 One of these versions, more than any other, has inspired and influenced my approach: Paul Vigil's "Thou Shall Not Steal", which also introduced me to the Jeff Corn gimmicked bill.23 I developed this particular routine after a conversation with Mike Pisciotta. We agreed that borrowing bigger bills ensures bigger bills are in play, and when that happens, you should be more likely to get bigger tips. Yet the go-to effect for getting bigger bills in play, the $100 Bill Switch, often has the opposite effect. Instead, spectators are likely to tip less, saying, "Here's a $1 bill, but I bet you can turn it into $100!"We've all heard it, and we've all rolled our eyes at it. This effect avoids that particular brand of snark because the bills are not changing in value, merely changing places. Effect You explain that a pickpocket is able to steal money from their target through what essentially boils down to psychology and sleight of hand. You borrow a large bill from the audience and contribute a $1 bill yoursel£ The bills are then traded and held tightly in the hands. Highlighting the skills of a pickpocket, the bills impossibly switch places. Method Overview The Jeff Corn version of the gimmicked bill for "The S_low Motion Bill Transposition'' is used, but, unlike other approaches, 22. Tarbell Course in Magic Vol. 3 (1927), p.109. 23. Doors of Deception (2017), p. 71.
any denomination can be borrowed because the bill the magician uses comes from an open index of gimmicks made from different denominations, allowing you to ring in whatever denomination you need, in full view. Needed I use four gimmicks because I find that, most of the time, I'm handed a $2, $5, $10, or $20 bill.24 Of course you could include a gimmick for a $50 and $100, but I find I'm rarely offered those size bills. To make the necessary gimmicks, you need the following: Nine $1 bills, a $2 bill, a $5 bill, a $10 bill, and a $20 bill. Total cost for this miracle, $46. You'll quickly make it back in tips. And it's cheaper than "Flash Cash''. Setup There are four separate gimmicks in play in this routine ( only one used in any given performance), but to the audience it'll just look like a handful of $1 bills. I use Jeff Corn's gaff, which was influenced by Bob McAllister's approach.25 Bob added a flap to the bill so that you can display the entirety of both sides. However, when folded, Bob's gimmick displays an eighth of the bill, while Jeff's displays a 24. I know this sounds ridiculous to include a gimmick for a $2 bill, but spectators think they're being cute and hand these to me ALL the time. It'll cost you an extra $4 in parts, and is completely worth the trouble. 25. "The Fastest Trick in the Universe",Apocalypse Vol 8, No.11 (1985), p.1129. 133
134 full quarter. Figure 1. Jeff also moved the gaff from the corner of the bill to the center right section. Paul Vigil then modified Jeff's gimmick by inverting the orientation of the bill inside the flap, with respect to the back of the $1 bill. Figure 2. We'll begin by making the first of four gimmicks, using a $5 bill. A $1 bill acts as the base for every gimmick. The flap is comprised of a matching piece cut from another dollar bill and the rightmost tails quadrant of a .five dollar bill, which are partially glued together. This will be the section of the bill with the largest "5" on the bill. Combined, these pieces form a flap, which is rubber-cemented to the third quadrant of the folded dollar bill. Figure 3.
While this dries, repeat the process for the $2, $10, and $20 bills. Figure 4. 135
136 This packet of gimmicks lives in my left jacket pocket, though it can really be anywhere convenient. I often store it in my wallet, but I find the effect works better when it's not surrounded by other cash that may also be in the wallet. For the purposes of the script, it should appear that it is all the cash you have. Making the Open Index Once the gimmicks have dried, close the flaps so that the dollar bill side of the flap is visible. Fold each gimmick in half, then unfold and stack them, portrait side up, in ascending order. Finally, fold the stack of bills in half, with the portraits on the inside. The two dollar bill will be outermost and the twenty dollar bill will be nearest the center. Figure 5. In order to make sure I am using the correct gimmick in any given performance, I also apply pencil dots to the top left side of the bills. Figure 6. I use one dot for the $2, two dots for the $5, three dots for the $10 and four for the $20. No one has ever asked to see the dollar bill at the end of the effect, but I always have an ungaffed dollar, folded in half, underneath the stack of gimmicks for when that day arrives. Figure 7. Choreography "Have you ever seen that documentary on pick.pocketing?" It brings me great joy to vaguely reference something that most people assume both exists and that they've also seen. If they say they haven't,just tell them it's on Netflix and to be more woke.
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138 '1'11 show you what I learned while watching it, but I'll need some cash first." Obtaining the Proper Bill "Does anyone have a $5, $10, or a $20 bill that we can use?" This line gives the spectator a large enough range of choices to feel free, but not so limited that the fairness is called into question. I work at a magic theatre, so I often get people offering up $2 bills because they think they're funny. They are not, but nevertheless I'm ready for them. Occasionally, the spectator asks whether they will get their money back at the end. I usually answer in roughly the same way: '1 guess that just depends on how much you like the show. " This is a gentle way to introduce the idea of tipping you after the performance, without being so aggressive that it comes off as desperate. The Open Index Ploy When someone hands you a bill, you will know what gimmick to ring in. '1 don't want you to think you're the only one putting any money up far this, so I'm going to match you." Pull the stack of gimmicks out of your pocket, flap on the bottom, and hold it in your left hand. The ungimmicked bill is beneath the stack, covering the flap. For the sake of explanation,
let's assume that they have provided a $20 bill. Begin flipping through the bills looking for another twenty. Once they realize that you only have one dollar bills, take out the innermost bill (the bill with the $20 gimmick) and put the rest back into your pocket. Figure 8. When you place the stack back into your jacket pocket, make sure that the loose, ungimmicked, $1 bill is on the side of the stack away from your body. This will allow you to switch it in, should someone ask to see the $1 bill at the end of the routine. "Well it looks like I only have ones so that's going to have to be enough. Your twenty, and my one. " 139