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Copper/Brass/Silver Gingerly give your left hand a slight shake. Listen... Snap your right fingers. Did you hear that?* Massage the supposed coins in the left hand. Look • . • Slowly open the left hand. Its the last you II see or hear of them! Take back the real fifty-cent piece. May I? Take the coin with your left: hand and briefly display it to those on your left. Openly turn the coin and transfer it to the right hand, holding it aloft by the index finger and thumb, displaying it to the right side, too. One more... (Watch) The Final Vanish While apparently putting the half dollar into your left hand, you will either drop the coin in your left sleeve or load it under the watch^ on your left wrist. As you will see, the techniques for both vanishes are quite similar. * Although youre addressing the person holding the coin, the audience can, and may, assume that you are referencing the sound of the coins, and not the snapping of the fingers, leading some to believe that coins were seen and heard there just before they vanished. t Q： Joshua Jay, "The Watch Vanish," Triad Coins (2015). 137

The Doors of Deception Hold the coin at the right fingertips and bring the left hand up and across the front of the coin, obscuring it. Once the coin is covered from the front by the left fingers, move the three unencumbered right fingers to the base of their left-hand counterparts and anchor them there. As you close the left fingers around the three right fingers, continue to move the right index finger and thumb, with the coin, toward the watch or sleeve, being sure to keep the coin parallel to the wrist. At this point the coin is lodged under the watch band or allowed to drop into the sleeve. Once the coin is safe in either place, pivot the left hand clockwise around the front of the right hand, and bring the right fingers out from thumb side of the left hand. 138

Copper/Brass/Silver As you remove the right fingers from the left fist, raise the right hand with the index finger pointing up, as if youre about to make a point. At the same time, begin to massage the imaginary coin in your left fist. Focus all your attention on the left hand and then snap your right fingers, still keeping the right hand somewhat closed: once you effect the vanish, the right hand will be the most likely place the coin could be, and you dont want to prematurely step on the audience s expectations. Slowly open your left hand, showing nothing is there. All attention will now move to the right hand, but its too late. Slowly open the right fingers. Gone! Show both hands freely. All the coins have vanished. Afterthoughts To me, this effect covers so many of the classics of coin magic in a very compact and concise routine: vanishes, appearances, transpositions, transformations, coins across, even the Misers Dream can be loosely included in this fantasy. If you have a coin rattle, the third phase is a perfect place to employ the audio illusion, clinking the ostensible foreign coins in the hand immediately before they vanish. Another subtlety can be put into practice here as well; before taking out the gaff to start the last phase actually remove the real half dollar and display it freely asking: Can everyone see that well? Ifelt Fd lost some of you already, let me start over. 139

The Doors of Deception Do just that, by replacing the fifty-cent piece, waiting for their full and undivided attention, and then remove the gafF to begin/ When the audience is in quite close and can see the action well, this is a really wonderful routine to end with, for as the coins leave, so you, too, must go. There is something poetic in the theatrics of the props melting away, leaving nothing to work with. If youVe sleeved the final coin, you can easily and covertly ditch it in the left jacket pocket while searching for the next required prop. Also, if the strap to your watch is thick enough, the coin can even remain under the watch for the rest of the show. More than once IVe become sidetracked in the middle of a practice session only to realize, much later, that Vd been hiding a coin from myself for hours. * As Armando Lucero’s teaches, “When they expect something, give them nothing.” 140

There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors ... —Aldous Huxley FAIR GAME Elmsley ♦ Solomon ♦ Bannon ♦ Blorn berg ♦ Rose The magician suggests the fairest game of poker ever played. The participant shuffles, cuts, and deals the cards. Furthermore, with only ten cards in play, the participant decides which five cards he keeps and which five go to the wizard. Defying all expectations, the opponent winds up with a powerful hand, but the magician proves he predicted the exact hand his participant would choose. Then, beyond all imaginable odds and despite every precautionary measure, the conjuror is somehow left with a hand that indubitably wins the game. Heres an effect IVe been playing with ever since I read Dave Solomons wonderful uRevised Mexican Poker.w* * That routine was an elaboration or (depending on your point of view) a simpMcation of the routine “Power Poker55 by Alex Elmsley.1" It was certainly easier than Elmsleys original, which relied on a series of bottom deals. Instead, Solomon relied on a selection procedure by Bill Simon^ and some added layers of deception by John Bannon and Tomas Blomberg. Later, the routine was embellished further in John Bannons uThe Power of Poker,， ， § which truly made it aa nearly perfect selfworking trick/5 IVe played with the scheme in many of its other guises, too, but I never liked how much it felt like a packet trick. The routine that follows allows the performer to begin with a full deck and work down naturally to the ten required cards. Furthermore, in an attempt to mimic gambling protocol, this * David Solomon, ^Revised Mexican Poker,5, MAGIC magazine (August 1999), pp. 76 & 77. t Alex Elmsley, Alex Is At It Again (1997), p. 2. t Bill Simon, wTlie Four Queens/5 Mathematic Magic (1964), pp. 178-83. § John Bannon, Dear Mr. Fantasy (2004), pp. 189-97. 141

The Doors of Deception version adopts the same procedure found in Blombergs variation, in which the participant chooses back and forth, one for him, then one for you, etc. While the earlier versions end with the magician receiving either a straight flush or a royal flush, the one on offer here does not; this is one of its unique benefits. In “Fair Game” you control not only the exact hand your participant will choose for himself, but you will also control the exact hand he chooses for you. You will always wind up with a royal flush. It was longtime friend and creative magician Christopher James Rose who first suggested that this desirable specificity could be achieved, and he was also the one who helped me work out the first solution for the stacks array. Ive also choreographed the ending here so that the spectator’s final “choice” is easily forced; it happens logically and naturally because all the incentive is openly seen. Theres also a precarious point that seems to have gone unnoticed in similar routines. One iteration of the spectators choices produces a face-up three-of-akind along with a face-down hole card. At this point, with one card left for the both of you, if there is no reason for him to prefer either card (because neither will obviously improve his hand), he may decide to take the one thats crucial to complete your royal flush. I have a stack and procedure that, by splitting his three-of-a-kind, will produce a choice between either a card that visibly gives him an extra pair (obviously improving his hand) or one that does not help him at all. Although not crucial, note that his hand, while having a mix of suits, contains no Spades, thus assuring some contrast between the two cards (color, suit, and three out of five times, there will" be a number/picture card differentiation as wfell), which will help add to the appeal during his final choice. Having performed some version of this for nearly twenty years, its inevitable that other friends have thrown in their priceless two cents as well. Along the way this routine has become an amalgamation of bits, ideas, lines, and touches. From the bottom of my heart, thanks to all my colleagues who over the years have shared their insights and expertise with me. Without every linle touch included here, this version would surely be lacking in one way or another. Setup The method described below can be used to produce any desired hands, but here you will be using three Eights and two Fives for the cards of the participants hand, and a royal flush in Spades, for your hand. From the top down, the ten cards are stacked as follows: 142

Fair Game • Three cards for you (10S, JS, QS) • Three cards for him (5H, 8C, 5D) • One for you (KS) • One for him (8H) • One more for you (AS) • Last for him (8 D) Keep in mind that this ten-card stack is not the final order; you will later have these cards dealt and mixed further. Notice, too, that the cards are in a pattern thats quite easy to remember. Your cards are in ascending order with his selections interspersed in two ccsets55; there's an Eight sandwiched between two Fives in the first set and a pair of Eights in the second set. Also, in each red pair, Hearts come before Diamonds, and the first card is a Five (the lower of the two values). Another thing to keep in mind is that the audience may have chosen one of these stacked cards earlier for “The Mind-Melding Magician!”； so it is imperative, if youre looking at the big picture here, that the cards comprising both hands do adhere to an order thats easily recalled. If one of the stacked cards has been chosen in the earlier effect, it is very easy to get everything back into position. With the faces toward you, fan through the cards and cut the out-of-sequence card to the face. Fan again and secure a break above the correct position. Slip cut the face card onto those below the break. Spread until you see the stack and finish by cutting it to the top. You will use a text message for the prediction, bringing the trick into a modern context. When I send the message, I often do a line at the top reading something like, “You are not going to believe this ...” I hit “return” five or six times and continue: w First, you re looking at Two Pair . . Г Then I hit 'return5 a handful more times and add, C£Second, turn over your Eight . . Again, I hit 143

The Doors of Deception 'return55 a half dozen times or so and finish with, KAnd, finally, add it to your Full House.”* The reason for the spaces between each line is to ensure that the entire prediction isnt visible on the screen when they first open the application. The returns here will help stagger the revelations, too, by helping to delay each part. It will end up looking something like this: You are not going to believe this ... First, you re looking at Two Pair ... Second, turn over the Eight... And, finally, add it to your Full House! In performance, these words will be copied, pasted, and sent in the time that it takes to go through the forthcoming and preliminary cutting and shuffling aspect of the routine. If using an iPhone (as I do), prepare ahead of time as follows: • Launch Notes from the home screen. • Tap on New Folder • Tap on On My Phone • Enter the New Folder name “Fair Game” and tap Save • Under Folders tap on Fair Game • Tap the box in the bottom right corner and type the message as above. • When finished tap on Done To send the message in performance, copy it by going back to Notes, tap on Fair Game, open the note, tap once in the body followed by a quick double tap, and choose the Select All option. . * This can be an especially effective and low-key way to get someones number youll have need of in the future. 144

Fair Game To paste, go back to Messages, tap the box in the upper right corner to begin a new message; then hold your finger in the message box for the Paste option. Now all you 11 have to do is add the participants number. To proposition the mark, you will also need a bill for the wager; if youre following the presentation in full here, simply ask for the bill used earlier that s been left out from “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” In the overall act, youVe just finished with the cloth and pin and have replaced these into the breast pocket, or youve just vanished the coins. Also, before you started uThe Phantom Returns,w you had asked a gentleman to examine the cards. They should now be on the table with the stack in the center somewhere. As you display the pack, move the ten-card stack to the top with a simple triple-cut action. Take the cards face-up in the left hand and run the right thumb up the inner-left corner until it clicks just past the Ten of Spades. Cut the Ten to the face and obtain a break below it. Continue with a double undercut, moving the ten to the bottom. Turn the deck face down. The stack is now in position on top. Method & Presentation Give the deck a standard false overhand shuffle that preserves the top stock by undercutting about half the deck, in-jogging the original top card, and shuffling off. At the same time, say: Would you mind helping me? Ah, great! And your name? Hi, Larry. Are you a gambler? Do you know how to shuffle? Once finished, push down from above on the in-jogged card with the right thumb, forming a break above it. 145

The Doors of Deception Actually, to keep it fair, well start out with baby steps. I should’ve first asked if you know how to cut the cards. Suiting actions to words, cut the upper portion to the table, foilowed by the rest, bringing the stack back to its original position. Nacar’s Holdout Sequence Hand your participant the pack, and take out your phone to send the message described above. Here we are going to lead the participant through a series of cuts, creating three piles in front of him. Here, Larry, let me see you hold them as if you were getting ready for a game. Good! That's actually the first step: holding the pack. Continue: Starting off easy then, take less than half and put them here... Assuming hes holding the deck in his left hand,* point to a spot on his left and have him cut a small packet to that position on the table.1' Great! Now lift about half of what’s in your hands and let’s see you cut them to the bottom. To guide him, mime the actions of taking the top half to the bottom. You’re pretty good, Larry! Let me see you shuffle those cards. Referring to the ones he’s holding, mime the overhand shuffle you performed a moment ago. * If hes holding the deck in his right hand, reverse the directions accordingly. t By the way, you should never ask your participant to <(cut about a third of the pack." Chances are he doesnt know how big one-third of the deck is, and it becomes dead time while he looks dazed and confused until you explain further. Remember: ten out of nine people dont understand fractions. 146

Fair Game Once he finishes the shuffle, have him square the cards and hold them in dealing position again. Now take half of what's there and place them here. Moving from his left to right, point to a spot directly in front of him and have him table the next packet, creating what will be the middle pile. Once hes finished, point to the cards remaining in his hand and say: Now shuffle those... When he finishes shuffling, designate a final spot on his right, next to the two other packets and say: ...And when you re done, put them here, Larry. This is the fairest cut in gambling, the triple tabled cut. By now you should be done copying and pasting the message: Larry, please tell me your number. I want to send you something to see here in a moment. Input his phone number, then point to the packet on his left. Can you， please， take that pile and put it on the pile here in the center? Point to the combined packet and then to the one on his far right, saying: Perfect. And next, take all of those and place them on top of these. If you were playing the fairest game of cards you ve ever played, you’d want to shuffle and cut, right? Well, I appreciate your help so far. Let’s give Larry a big round of applause! 147

The Doors of Deception YouVe just led our helper through a modified version of what has become known as Oses False Cut.* This elaborated sequence, with the interjected shuffles, was devised by my dear friend Dr. Alpen NacarJ This specific variant has a much wider application and can be used in many effects. Although the participant cuts and then shuffles, we will throughout refer to the cards being first shuffled, then cut as per gaming custom. At this point, send the text-message prediction, giving the cut some time misdirection. Fve just sent something to you, Larry. I dont want you to read what)s there now， but you will verify exactly what it says later. I’ll let you know that it says three specific things about what’s going to transpire. But there’s more. If we are talking about the fairest game you’ve ever played, you would not only want to shuffle and cut. If we are attempting the fairest game you’ve ever played, and I did this last part, you’d think that’s when I did the sneaky stuff. I mean’ you’ve heard of people double dealing! So, not only should you shuffle and cut; you should probably deal, as well, yes? I think so, too. So, deal us a round of poker. That's one card to me, then one card to you—back and forth until we both have jive cards. How fair is thaty Larry? You shuffled, you cut, and you dealt. How could it be any fairer? Ten cards here now; Even if I wanted to cheat, I couldn’t! * Cf. Conradi-Horster, MFalsches Mischen,,> Der moderne Kartenkiinstler (1896), p. 19; see also Roberto Giobbi, aA Triple False Cut,,J Card College, Vol. 1 (1996), p. 60. 卞 Benjamin Earl, “Spectator’s Shuffle Holdout， ” 厶z>， Issue 2 (October 2010)，p. 15. t As the pack is set aside, youll notice the marked Nine of Spades is on top now, letting you know everything's going according to plan. 148

Fair Game What you want to remember here, since we have a stack to deal with, is that you dont want the cards mixed unwittingly. So, as quickly and casually as you possibly can, take the five-card packet in front of your participant and place it on top of yours without disturbing their order (i.e., 8D, 8H, 5D, 5H, JS, AS, KS, 8C,QS, 10S). I said this would be the fairest game you’ve ever played. You shuffled. You cut. Youve dealt the cards, but Im also going to take it further than that. Out of these ten cards you get to decide which ones you’d like to keep， and whatever cards you dont want, well discard and Г11 end up playing with those. How fair is that? Honestly, I dont think there is any way to be any fairer! As you say this, bring the ten cards into the required order by running three and throwing the rest on top; run three again and throw the rest on top; finally, run five and throw the remainder on top. The order now is two of his, two of yours, two of his, two of yours, followed by one of his and, lastly, one of yours (i.e., 8H, 8D, AS, JS, 5H, 5D, 10S, QS, 8C, KS). What Г11 do is let you pick one for yourself; then you can choose one for me, okay? Whichever one you dont want will go back into the pile. Г11 place the rest of these on it so that its back in the roster and can> possibly, be picked on another round. Andy for an incentive, I’ll put down this bill. Introduce (or, if you re following the entire act, reintroduce) the bill for the wager, downplaying your chances of winning: You, Larry, make all the choices. You dont have to wager anything; Im just doing this for fun and as a personal challenge to myself. Deal the top two cards to the table (8H and 8D, splitting his three-of-akind for later). 149

The Doors of Deception Now, try not to let me influence you. This should be your free decision. Which one do you want in your hand to play with? Are you sure, Larry? I just dont want you to accuse me of not playing fair. To keep the picture as clear as possible, I think it s best to drop all the cards youre holding onto whichever card is not chosen; only then should you move the one he has selected to a position in front of him. In every round, whatever card is not selected will always go to the bottom of the packet proper. This first card of his will remain face down throughout (as will every single one of your cards). This is to bolster the predictions power. As you will see, it would make little theatrical sense to have his entire hand openly displayed and then have the prediction read. Its far better to have it read and then have the last card turned to show the forecast is accurate. Once the desired card is in front of him, ask: Is there any way I could know what card you have right now? It would be a humongous advantage if I did. We’ll just leave it face down for a moment; that’s called your/hole card. Take the talon and deal the next two. Now decide which of these you’d like for me to have Again, place the rest of the cards youre holding onto the one not chosen. This time, slide the one he has chosen toward yourself, thus beginning your hand. So this one’s for me. For whatever reason, you’ve chosen this one, and so now it’s one I’ll have to play with. Any reason why you picked it? . Maybe it just didn't feel right? Who knows? 150

Fair Game Take the talon and deal the top two cards to the table, letting the participant decide on the next card for his hand. Another for you. Which one do you want for your hand? It’s your decision. Don’t let me influence you! Once hes made his choice, place those youre holding on top of the unchosen card. Slide his chosen card slightly toward him and then turn it face up, saying: Oh, starting out with a Five. Not bad, Larry. Deal the next two and have one chosen for you. Heres a great touch contributed by my extremely funny friend, Stephen Bargatze. As youre setting this second card alongside the one previously chosen for you, act as if youre going to turn it face up (as you just did with his second card), but first lift the corners of both cards to peek at them. Feign concern and proclaim: Гт just going to leave these there, face down, because I may need to switch them later. Pure genius! With humor, this will give us just enough heat on these cards now so that later the audience will be certain they were not substituted. Just before the participants third decision (and fourth decision, as you will see below), you will need to execute the only sleight (if you can even call it that!) remaining in the routine. Push over three cards and contact the face of the third card with your right fingertips. Steal the third card from under the second as you place it to the table along with the top card. It should look as if you have merely taken the top two cards together and placed them onto the table. Even though youre not dealing the two cards to the table one at a time, no one will notice this change in procedure. Heres another slight diversion from the way things have unfolded so far. This idea comes from the aforementioned Christopher James Rose. Two cards are on the table, and one of them is apparently about to be chosen. Before the participant can react, point to his previous selection (a face-up card) and say: 151

The Doors of Deception If you like， you can give me back the Five you have and take both of these cards I’ve just dealt. It doesn’t matter to me. This is a wonderful ploy; it makes no difference which two cards out of the three he winds up with. If he decides to take the two face-down cards and reject his face-up Five, turn the Five down and place it on the bottom of the packet proper; then turn the two chosen cards face up onto his face-down hole card. (This is the only time the packet is not dropped onto the reject, which technically departs from the clean procedure; however, it feels congruent, and that s all that matters here.) If the participant does decide to switch here, they will give up a Five for a pair of Eights; if they switch, definitely mention the upgrade. If, however, he decides to keep his Five and select only one of the facedown cards, follow the usual procedure by dropping your main packet onto the rejected card; then turn his selection face up onto the Five. The next two cards are dealt (one at a time) and one of them, as before, is “discarded” to be placed in your hand, while the other goes to the bonom. As stated, for the decision of his fourth card, youll repeat the Ksleightn you did for his previous selection, transposing the second and third cards in the process of dealing them to the table as if they were the first and second cards. If he didnt take the offer of both face-down cards before, you have the option here to similarly vary the selection process: Would you want to trade either the Five or the Eight you have showing for the two unknown I just dealt? or, of course: As before, if you wish, you can take one of these. You decide. Again, whatever card is rejected goes to the bottom. If, here, he has decided to take both tabled cards notice that you can remark on the incoming and outgoing pair: Well, look at that, now you’ve got a pair of Fives, and an Eight. Too bad, if only you’d have been able to keep that other Eight. . * Or vice versa. 152

Fair Game This, as you’ll see, will also add to the “push” later in the final decision， as this referenced card will again, in our moment of need, rear its needed head. At this point, no matter what decisions he has made, his hand will be comprised of a face-down hole card (a yet unknown Eight) and three face-up cards (either a pair of Eights with an unmatched Five or a pair of Fives with a seemingly unmatched Eight). Before the upcoming final moment, its best to separate his paired cards from the odd-card-out; this way, when his last choice is made, it will be blatantly obvious which card will complete a pair. Continue by dealing two and have one chosen for your hand and the other placed to the bottom. Two cards remain. I’ve been as fair as I can, haven’t I? Did you shuffle the cards， Larry? Yes, you did. Did you cut? Yes, that， too. Didn’t you also deal? You know, Im wondering why you even need me here. No, seriously, there are two cards left, and I said I wanted to offer you the fairest game you’ve ever played. I think it’s been pretty good so far. You’ve made all the decisions. You’ve decided which ones youd like to play with and, not only that, youve also decided which cards I’d have for myself. Here at the end, to keep it as fair as I can, what if we turn these last two cards face up? This way we all see what they are and we can all see if either one will make your hand better. If there is one that does make your hand better well let you keep it. How does that sound? If you think I can be any fairer, please let me know. Notice the change of language here. During his previous selections, the presentation highlighted “you”； now there is ал emphasis on “we.” Begin to turn cards face up, but the moment you have glimpsed their identities, show surprise and leave them face down. Pause as if you are weighing an unforeseen and detrimental outcome; then, snap back to it, totally blowing off what youve just stated by saying: 153

The Doors of Deception So, I get to decide which one of these you get to look at} okay? Take the card that will end up in your hand and turn it face up first. I like to place it right on top of the other, as if it s a block or shield to the other card. And I think you want this one. Hesitate with the second card until he insists that you said you'd show him both cards. Holding back like this will ease your participant into his “choice” because it seems you’ve realized that you’re facing an unanticipated predicament. Having them fight with you a little bit can be fun: Did I say that? Why would I say you could see both? How fair would that be? Okay, maybe I did say it... After a moment, concede and turn the other card over, too. ГН also buffer this by asking if there are any other poker players in the room and have them consider the situation, asking: I know it’s a difficult choice, but if you were him what would you choose? Because these others have zero stake in the game and youre asking for their expertise in front of everyone, it is much less likely they will try to mess with you. Well, Larry, I think it's pretty obvious to all of us which one you get. Take the needed card and place it with its companion, complementing his hand with a second pair. Youre not going to even offer him a choice on this last card and give him an opportunity to ruin the effect. Its better to paint the elephant pink and stress the obvious improvement of his hand. His inevitable open pairs combined with the uwe55 language and your feigned trepidation in 154

Fair Game nirning Ae last card gives you so much casualness, freedom, and indifference ђе ге at the end. Just deal with it as if you ve come to terms with your own defeat. On a scale from one to teny how would you rate this as far as being the fairest game you’ve ever played? From my perspective I’d say it’s an eleven and that I>ve delivered on this promise. Did you shuffle? Did you cut? Did you deal? Did you make all the choices? And every decision was yours? It would be impossible to be fairer, but let’s not forget that earlier I said Fd have something for you. What if, after all this, I knew the card you have down there? That’s the “hole card.” Fortunes are won and lost on that one card. And， Гт sure you can see the advantage that a player would have if he knew that one card. It could be tremendous. What ify though, I knew what that card would be before we even started? Remember I said I was interested in controlling people’s thoughts, decisions， and possibly even their physical actions? What if all of this was under my control? What if I knew how you would shuffle the cards and exactly where you d cut them? Then I’d know the cards you’ve dealt, but what if I also controlled all of these choices? Well, then I’d know exactly what cards youd be holding right now; I would already know what your second, third, and fourth cards might be, too. But that would be impossible, Larry. And, by the way, Ive already told you the prediction I texted to you has only three specific statements. Remember? You didn’t forget about that, did you? Can you read it out loud, please? What does just the first line say? 155

The Doors of Deception You re not going to believe this. Okay, keep going. Holy shit! And there are two pair, too! What else does it say? Turn over an Ace?... No, an Eight! Go ahead, turn it over for us. Let's see! There’s one more thing to read, please. Reiterate what hes just read: A full house. Everyone can see that your prediction is entirely correct. As everyone is reacting to this, slowly and nonchalantly start to sneak your hand toward the money and act as if youre trying to steal it away without anyone noticing, although they will. Damn, there are only a few hands that can beat that. Maybe just one ... Or is it two? Yours is about the best hand you can get. If anyone in the audience wants to chime in and suggest other good hands or possible winning combinations, let them. Well at least I was fair, right? I mean, you shuffled， you cut, you dealt the cards yourself; then you made every decision for the cards you wanted. Hell, you even decided on the cards Гт stuck with! Reach for your hand. May I? Here you will employ a line from master magician Eugene Burger. As you turn the cards to see their identities, sigh and then mumble to yourself, dejected: 156 I dont even have a pair.

Fair Game Then begin to reveal your cards, dealing them one at a time slowly to the table. Maybe you can tell me... Is this a good hand? I do have a Ten} a Jack, a Queen, a King, and the Ace of Spades! Openly take the money and hold it aloft, exclaiming, I guess that decides who keeps this. Thanks for playing, Larry! Afterthoughts You can wager anything you want, really. There may be performances where it would be best to offer a one-hundred-dollar bill to increase your perceived value; however, Ггп also fond of the way John Bannon deals with it by using just one dollar: Ггп going to give you a chance to win this dollar bill. We5 ll play a game of stud poker. In this game, however, you get to make all the choices of who gets which cards. If you get a winning hand, you get the dollar. If I get the winning hand, I get to keep it. I know a dollar isnt a lot of money. The reason Ггп only oflFering a dollar is because, to be honest, most of the time I lose. You see, since you get to make all of the choices, you get ten chances to completely screw up the trick. If I havent anticipated every one of those choices perfectly—the trick wont work and I lose that dollar.* Anything can work: any amount of money, any valuable item. IVe used my car keys, my watch, an antique coin . . . The point is to create some emotional investment and motivation for the proceedings, and money especially seems to do the trick. Another thing to consider, of course, is that the spectator you have asked to examine the cards might drop them all over the floor or decide to give them a shuffle. Only time in the trenches will teach you the required audience management skills to help prevent such things from happening. Without the * John Bannon, Dear Mr. Fantasy (2004), p. 189. 157

The Doors of Deception performance experience, its hard to know how far to push ones luck or when it s best to back away. To eliminate as much resistance as possible, I use the phrase ctCan I be more fair?w Quite often, ГП embellish this further with things like, UI know what youre thinking: c IVe seen magic ... on TV! And if I was there, if /was there, Гс1 know exactly what this character is up to.5 Well youre here now. If you want to kick the tires on the car, take it for a ride around the block, honk the horn . . . Well, youre here now, and if you think there is a way I can be any more fair, all you have to do is let me know.,J It takes a certain nonchalance to let someone handle the pack in this trick and others like it. You just have to allow your attention to move away and put the focus of the show elsewhere. Indeed, you really must not care if he mixes them. Only this kind of attitude will keep your examining spectator from getting carried away; its not a one-hundred-percent guarantee, but its close. And even if this butterfingers drops the cards or his blackened heart makes him shuffle, you simply discard wFair Game55 and move smoothly to our next attraction as if everything is going according to plan. 158

I tell you: one must have chaos ... to give birth to a dancing star. 一 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche THE UNEXPECTED WILD CARD Vernon ♦ Mario ♦ Hofzinser ♦ Karte ♦ Wonder A participant selects a card under the fairest conditions, and the magician produces a pocketful of perfect predictions. Offering to repeat the effect, the magician has another card selected, but it fails to match the pile of prediction cards. Unfazed, fhe miracle worker takes each prediction card one at a time and transforms it to match the second selection. This is a hybrid of Marios ''Unexpected Predictionw* and Peter Kanes aWild Card.5， t As you will see, one trick dovetails perfectly into the other, creating a truly unexpected miracle with the pasteboards. IVe seen magicians and their jaded spouses born again into the cult of magic after witnessing this combination of effects. Lay audiences dont stand a chance. Method & Presentation You can begin by adding the cards from “Fair Game” back to the deck， but I dont recommend this. If you dont add them back, a whole quarter of the deck will now be out of play: the three cards from the monte routine and the ten cards from the poker dealThis, you will see, is a situation you can take advantage of. For this “explanatory” interlude you will be using all the Nines of Spades you have at your disposal: the one in the pack (which has been marked with * Alton Sharp, ''Unexpected Prediction,,5 Expert Card Conjuring (1968), p. 88. t Peter Kane, M Watch the Ace!>, Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol XIX, No. 8 (April 1962), p. 89. I Technically, the odd-backed card is also set aside, but that doesnt count here. 159

The Doors of Deception little lines at the outer left and inner right borders), as well as the pocketful of duplicates in your right side jacket pocket and the Wild Card set in your outer left side jacket pocket. Again, keep in mind, you may have arrived here because something unforeseen caused your “Fair Game” stack to be destroyed. In this case, “The Mind-Melding Magician!55 will have been your last card trick, and you will be returning to the deck following “The Phantom Returns” or “Copper/Brass/ Silver.M Notice how the transitional scripting works for either contingency by coming back to and referencing the previously generated card or the ten cards just used for poker hands, as well as the set-aside odd-backed selection: So, do you want to know why we ended up with the Four of Diamonds?' or ... these ten cards here? And even that blue one, the Three of Spades? It’s because of the inexplicable truth that if I want someone— anyone—to take a particular card, they will. Its just a mysterious and magical fact. Ask for a spectator who is a proficient shuffler to thoroughly mix the pack while you continue to introduce the next effect. Do you gamble, too? Wanna lose? Гт just kidding! Whafsyour name? Hi, Michael. Before we started, I placed one card~and only one card—here in my pocket as a target. Gesture toward your right jacket pocket. The selection generated in “The Mind-Melding Magician!” 160

The Unexpected Wild Card So, here’s where things can get really crazy, but only if you want them to. Tap the outside of your right pocket and say: Im already committed. It's up to you, Michael. Do you want to give it a try? As he shuffles, note which of his hands is dominant.* Take back the deck and glimpse the top and bottom cards (as in the original explanation of Vernon’s “The Trick That Cannot Be Explained”卞).I recommend executing this peek while extending your left hand to retrieve the pack from someone or when lifting the deck off the table. Briefly, grab the deck by the sides with the left fingers on top and thumb underneath, levering it up into the left hand. As youre picking up the pack, let the top card(s) adhere to the left forefinger; the actions of lifting and moving the deck will cause the top card to slide minutely over the long edge of the pack. In this slightly tilted position, its a simple matter to glimpse the top and face cards of the pack. If you see the target card (in this case, the Nine of Spades), you 11 have no need for what follows; simply continue to the forthcoming explanation of this sections finale and reveal the Nine of Spades^ If, as the odds will probably have it, the target is not at either of these two positions, spread the pack face down on the table and quickly ascertain the Nines whereabouts by finding the mark on its exposed corner. * This can be useful information later if/when they get to Possibility 3 below, t Lewis Ganson, (1%0), p. 76. $ “Unexpected Prediction.” 161

The Doors of Deception Using Equivoque in "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" Here are some approaches I have used for Vernons classic improvised effect. Of course, there are many paths that one might favor when engaging with UTTTCBE.}, Notice how these keep to the poker theme just played out in the previous routine. First try to determine whether the target card is among the top or bottom five cards. If so, simply have your participant take the pack face down or face up and deal a poker hand (i.e., five cards) to the table. If you dont see the target among the top or bottom five, look to see if it lies among the top or bottom ten. If you find that it does, gather the spread and hand the participant the deck (either face up or face down, depending) and have him deal two poker hands. If the deck is face down, use the mark to determine in which pile of five cards the target falls; of course, if the deck is face up, theres no problem in making that determination. Have him place one hand on each pile and lift either hand. Using Magicians Choice, simply discard the packet that does not contain the target card. If the card is not in the top or bottom ten, Fm fond of using a concept from the late Bro. John Hamman. Make a fist with your right hand and extend your first and second fingers, adopting the posture of the old uWalking Fingers” logo from the “Yellow Pages.” Tilt your hand so that the extended fingers are parallel to the table, and begin to wiggle them back and forth* as you briskly move your arm from one end of the spread to the other. Once youve made a few passes over the spread, tell the participant to say, £<Stop.， > When he makes the call, bring your hand down so that it falls on a group of five cards that contains the marked target. With this gambit, you dont need it to come down on a specific card—-just a section that contains the Nine of Spades. This technique is related to the old * This movement of the fingers disguises the fact that your hand is covering a much wider range than realized, or which would be accommodated by using a single extended finger. 162

The Unexpected Wild Card aThe Moving Pencil/** but it allows for more leeway and throws more shade on what is actually taking placed A Step Ahead Michael, take your five cards and mix them As the preceding process is unfolding, use this chance to cut the face-down deck at the corner-shortened card, bringing it (the Queen of Hearts) to the top. Once the Queen is on top, the four cards that will be eliminated in the upcoming scenarios can be added to the top of the deck, which is perfect because the Queen will then be in the exact position required for its upcoming Hofzinser force. The Five-Card Force Set the pack aside and ask him to hand you the five cards hes just shuffled. The following procedure comes from my magical friend and confidant Christopher James Rose. I have made a few slight modifications to retain a consistency between effects, but you 11 still be able to see how his insights take a few age-old ploys to beautiful new heights. While remaining conversational in tone, your focus now is to get a direct hit. You will have three opportunities before youll need to resort to equivocation. Possibility 1 ： Name One Fan the five cards out to display their faces to the participant and say: Before we go any further， if I were just to ask you to name one of these cards, what would you say^ * Harry Lorayne, Close-up Card Magic (1962), p. 158. t Optionally, you can simplify this by noting whether the target card is in the bottom or top half and merely have the participant cut the pack. Then remove the half that does not contain the target and proceed as above. t If you have performed “Fair Game,” you can refer to these five cards as “your poker hand.” 163

The Doors of Deception If we pretend for a moment that human beings make random decisions, there is a twenty percent chance that the participant will name the target Nine of Spades. If he does, you have a miracle on your hands. All you need to do is place the other four on top of the deck (again, covering the Queen of Hearts), and proceed accordingly. If his response misses the bullseye, immediately respond: The Ace of Clubs. Now that is exactly the same card I would have said. Do you know why? Regardless of his answer, you will justify the choice by remarking on the cards position: Because it happens to be in a psychologically suggestible position, right here... Of course, how you finish this sentence will depend on the named cards actual position in the fan: ... on the face. ... in the dead center. ... .in this middle spot. or ...hidden last, at the back. Close the spread, and begin to overhand shuffle the small packet of cards as you say: But the truth is I have a different question to ask you. Possibility 2： A Funny Feeling Spread the cards into a fan and display their faces to the participant again. And that is, do you have a funny feeling about one of these cards? Dont worry about the order, but do you have a funny feeling about any of them? 164

The Unexpected Wild Card Again, his response could be a direct hit, and if it is you should ask: What does that funny feeling feel like? And none of these other cards feel like that? To conclude, place the other four cards on top of the pack (directly on top of the Queen of Hearts) and say: I wonder why. Yet, perhaps, I know... Should he miss again, however, continue: The Two of Hearts. Okay, perfect. Were going to get rid of that, because I don’t want this to be influenced by your psychology; I want you to be influenced by mine. Place this discard on top of the pack. Let me mix them up really well. When you finish shuffling the four remaining cards, deal them face down in a row on the table in front of the participant. If youve noted earlier which hand he mostly used while shuffling, cutting, and handing the deck back to you, its pretty safe to assume that this is his dominant hand; this means you can lay the cards out in a psychologically advantageous order. Specifically, the target card should not go on one of the ends (which are usually rejected), but rather in whichever inside position is closest to this dominant hand.* Possibility 3： Touch One Hold both hands above the cards . . . and, with either hand, touch one... * As there s a 70-95% chance of someone being right-handed youll mostly be putting the selection at position 3, if counting 1-4 (from their left to right). 165

The Doors of Deception Here, of course, could be another hit; if so, have him gather the remaining cards with his free hand, and then discard them to the top of the deck accordingly. Otherwise, if the target card is not selected here, point to his free hand and immediately continue with: ... and, of course, touch another. If this option is needed, you dont want it to seem like one thing was asked then another, but that it is one ceaseless request. If it appears that youve made a decision because of his last action, the situation could be compromised. So, be sure to maintain the flow. At this point, some different contingencies can present themselves depending on whether the second touched card is the one you need or not. In any case, with two of the four cards signified, say: Do you want to change your mind? Because your audience has no idea where you are going, either answer can be interpreted in the same way simply by removing the two unneeded cards. Since the cards have remained face down throughout this part of the process, very little heat will be on this action. You dont need to say much, either; just discard the pair that does not include your target to the top of the pack as if this is the way it always happens. But first turn them both face up and gesture to the two remaining； to say: Only two mysteries remain. Please pick them both up. Possibilities 4 & 5： Give or Keep Basically， what happens here is that you “follow the leader.”* Now, here’s where things get interesting. You don’t realize it, but this is not chance. Its a game, like chess, and right now it's * With £tthe leader* meaning the force card, the Nine of Spades, in our example. t Notice that this is the only point (at the end) where you make any reference to a moment in time. See comments in Further Considerations below. 166

The Unexpected Wild Card my game. There are two players, two pieces, and one move. And the move is yours. When I snap my fingers, Michael, I want you to hand me one card, and only one card. Snap! A. Give Lets say he hands you the target card, the Nine of Spades. So, this is the card you want to give me? Do you want to change your mind? No?... Immediately take his card away and, as youre placing it to the top with the other discards, ask: There is nothing I can say to make you change your mind and give me that card? Finish by placing it onto the top of the pack, cementing its departure with the rest and say: Okay then, let’s see, what card did you give me? The Nine of Spades. If he does decide to change his mind, you just have to change the focus of the verb (and youll see more details below) by now stating: So that’s the card you want to keep, and you even changed your mind so that you could keep it. Either way, of course, our non-force card is discarded with the others. 167

The Doors of Deception What weVe finally arrived at here is basically the most drawn out scenario that can arise with this method. Yet, for the spectators, it should and will feel like a direct path. B. Keep Conversely, if its the other way around and he gives the non-force card, the verb emphasized to finish the procedure will be keep. You dont want to change your mind? That is the card you want to keep? Nothing I can say will make you keep this one instead? Place the card youve been given on top of the deck. And what card do you have? The Nine of Spades. Of course if he changes his mind youll shift which verb you re focusing on, as above. Notice that the usual equivoque terms like choose or decide are not used, because if he were to change his mind, you would be linguistically screwed. Using the verbiage above, however, it wont matter: even if he does take up your offer to change his mind, his actions wont be defined as decisions until it s too late to construe the procedure any other way. Further Considerations What we must stress here is that every process needs to be different, which means the verb that signifies the action must change. The emphasis on the verb becomes consistent as soon as you realize which card the participant has chosen. The whole development must be cumulative, but not progressive; you dont want him to feel that one thing is leading to another. So, avoid terms and phrases like nextt then, when, nowy this is going to happen^ that happened^ etc. Never reference moments of time or use any temporal language until the final decision, 168

The Unexpected Wild Card because the course of action should feel like one experience to him. He should feel as if he s made a single choice, as opposed to a series of discrete steps. Just as when you ask someone to shuffle the cards its not necessary to make the audience focus on every aspect (uRemember you cut them in half, brought them together and lifted each packet with your thumbs, and then wove them together . . .,5), here you want the audience to appreciate only the gestalt. Furthermore, all the transitions need to be conjunctions that bring the subject to a different part of the conversation. Heres a bad example for the first phase: uThats the same card I would have said, but NOW let me show you something else/5 Notice that the inclusion of <cnoww at this point has subtly indicated that you need to do another process, which is contingent on his decision, in order to get what you wanted. Had you simply stated that you have, say, a different question for him, it would have kept moving along without this disjointed reference. Most importantly, in each of the steps above, it should never, ever feel like you are starting over. Unexpected Prediction The Nine of Spades! You re not going to believe this. Your participants seemingly free decisions have brought you to a single card. Now you will prove he s actually under your complete control. Reach into your right jacket pocket, take hold of the packet of Nines of Spades, and say: As I stated earlier, in my pocket I have one card... You will now apparently fumble by showing that there is definitely more than one card in the pocket. As you extract your right hand, simply pull up as many cards as you can, letting them peek out of the top of the pocket. 169

The Doors of Deception Then, suddenly realize your mistake and quickly jam them back in to keep them hidden as you remove only a single card.* This is a wonderful position to be in for the upcoming climax. Compassionate audiences will notice your gaffe but kindly side with you. On the other hand, there could be someone whos been trying to bust you the whole time and now has his chance to point out the weakness in your armor. In either case, you have them exactly where you want them. ...and only one card, here, in my pocket. Feign disappointment. Ohy Гт sorry. You saw those? They did. Damn it! I didn’t mean for you to see that. Yeah, I do have some extra cards in here. Anyway, what was your card? The Nine of Spades?! The card in my pocket is also ... ... the Nine of Spades! Fake a big smile and turn the single card around to show them. Hell, Ifeel terrible about you seeing those other cards. * This specific handling of Ed Marios prediction is from Bill Malone, Malone Meets Mario, Vol- 4 (2009). Mario handled it somewhat differently. He would actually place the duplicates in his breast pocket and pull out four or five cards, look them over, table one, and then put the rest away* waiting for someone to fall into his trap and call him on it, then he5d strike, showing all the cards to be the same. I like this ££time bomb,5 approach, too! 170

The Unexpected Wild Card Reaching out for pity, look sheepishly at one of the spectators as you take the remainder of the duplicates out of your right pocket; without revealing the faces, be very open about flashing as many backs as possible. You didn’t see them, did you? Fan the cards, but still keep the faces toward yourself for a moment. Frn so sorry about that. I really didn't mean for you to see these. Yeah, I do have extra cards. A few of them, but guess what? Turn the cards around so that everyone can now see the faces. They’re all the Nine of Spades, too! Briefly take some in each hand and show them around. Bring them back together and set them face up on the table, a little to your right, still fanned. In fact, I also have some cards over here... Reach into your left jacket pocket. Guess what they are? Cmoriy wild guess, anyone? Anyone?... Square the Wild Card set in your pocket, bring it out, and push over a few cards until youre showing the four available faces. Yes, you guessed it: they re all the Nine of Spades, too! Now you see, if I want you to pick a particular card, you always will. It’s just a mysterious and magical fact. 171

The Doors of Deception Carefully set this smaller packet on the table somewhat to the left, being sure not to inadvertently flash the faces of any Queens. Gather the first packet of Nines and return it to the right jacket pocket. Take the Nine that s from the actual deck (noted by its marks) and toss it back into the center of the pack. Shuffle the cards, retaining the stock of five on top. Wild Card The roots of the Wild Card plot go back to Hofzinser, whose ''Everywhere and Nowhere,J is an obvious precursor.* Today, however, most magicians associate the effect with Peter Kane, whose aWatch the Ace!55 relied on double-faced cards to transform a packet of indifferent cards into Aces.^ Frank Garcia marketed an unauthorized variation of Kanes effect with the title <cWild Card," and that name has stuck. I’ve loved “Wild Card” ever since the first time I saw it; even though it was just an elementary demonstration, it was a miracle to behold. Over the years, thanks to some of card magics greatest thinkers, IVe studied a plethora of approaches to the effect. Bro. John Hamman, Ed Mario, Derek Dingle, Bruce Cervon, Larry Jennings, Phil Goldstein, Daryl Martinez, Darwin Ortiz, Jon Racherbaumer, and many others have impressive versions worthy of consideration; but I believe the version most worthy of emulation is Tommy Wonders <cThe Tamed Card.5^ IVe revisited the plot numerous times over the years, crafting many variations, but because none was as good as Wonders streamlined handling, I abandoned them all. * See Ottokar Fischer, Kartenkunste (1910), p. 16\; see also Magic Christian, Non Plus Ultra, Vol. 2. (2013)，p. 173. 卞 Peter Kane, “Watch the Ace!” Vol XIX，No. 8 (April 1962)，p. 89. ф Tommy Wonder & Stephen Minch, The Books of Wonder, Vol. 1 (1996), pp. 183-201. 172

The Unexpected Wild Card Тћеге is so much to praise in Wonders variant. Its done in the hands and doesnt require a table. It also eliminates the customary glide sleight and the hackneyed up-down layout, neither of which ever appealed to me. All his transformations are consistent. Its on the verge of perfection. Indeed, in Wonders hands, it was perfect. Still, one aspect of Wonders solution made me set it aside: he used wax to keep a couple of the cards together. In the masters defense, the wax serves a brilliant double purpose, but I would find the points where the wax was applied got grungy after only a few performances. Over time I switched to utilizing the rough and smooth principle, which accomplished a similar function as the wax, but this also proved impractical for my purposes. On top of that, Wonder s presentation is so unique and so totally him that I felt I needed a different way of showcasing the effect. After many years of trial and error, I finally found a solution that keeps my favorite aspects of Wonders miracle and meets my own criteria. For instance, I was fond of the fact that Wonders approach reset easily and that it could be performed numerous times in an evening and survive multiple viewings. The former aspect IVe kept in mind here; the latter, although interesting, was something I was willing to sacrifice along with any adhesive on the cards. Also, IVe never really been one to perform packet effects, but I do find many of them can become more effective and intriguing if they dont appear to rely on just a few cards that have been pulled out for no other reason than to perform their special, little trick. Here, however, you start with Vernons legendary uThe Trick That Cannot Be Explained,w couple that with Marios humorous and offbeat ''Unexpected Prediction,w and then seamlessly transition into KWild Card.^ Each of these effects is strong in its own right; yet when combined, they become a powerful and cohesive whole. Hi, what’s your name? Nancy, would mind helping me? Sneaking Under the Fence To Be Wild Having set the four discards on top of the pack in the previous effect, you now have the Queen of Hearts fifth from the top in preparation for a Hofzinser under-the-spread force.* * See e.g.} Roberto Giobbi, Card College, Vol. 1. (1996), pp. 189-90; see also Andi Gladwin, Parkers 52 Memories (2007), pp. 63-64. 173

The Doors of Deception The Hofzinser force is well known and can be found in several modern textbooks on card magic. Heres a brief explanation. Push over the top five cards in a spread, taking three predominantly into the right hand and allowing two more to spread from the pack. With the left thumb securing the fourth card from above and the left fingertips engaging the face of the fifth card to be forced, move in an accordion-like motion, pushing the fan of three in the right hand toward the left in preparation to continue spreading more cards. As these actions are taking place, extend the left fingers underneath and slide the force card rightward; simultaneously pull leftward on the fourth card with the left thumb, allowing the force card to ride under the spread. Continue with the spreading action, letting the force card ride underneath, as you say: Just touch the back of any one of these, Nancy* As soon as a card is touched, take the spread of cards above it with the right hand. Out-jog the selection (the top card of the left packet) slightly, leaving it isolated, while you square the remainder of the left hands cards. This one) right here? Once the selection is verified, ostensibly place it to the bottom of the cards held in the right hand but feed it above the force card, which is still hidden underneath the spread. Square the cards held in the right hand by pressing their left sides against the top of those in the left hand. This is the perfect place to use this style of force because the selection can be free and open. Let me explain. If someone is right next to you, уоиУ never want to do a Hindu force because he or she can simply reach out and select one. If, however, someone is far away (as in the third phase of CfThe MindMelding Magician!>,), its a great force to use, not only because youve chosen a participant whos a bit too far to reach out and grab one, but also because the choice does not need to be hidden from you as its displayed. The Hofzinser force also plays quite well here because you want to show the entire room the card at once and, at least temporarily, keep it out of your sight. * Because youre following the mechanics of the Hofzinser force, you can keep your eye out for the marked Nine and possibly classic force it for a playful interlude before moving on to deal with the Queen. If you decide to do this, youll need to cull the Queen to the bottom. Its then an easy matter to milk the top and bottom cards, peel three more, and then revolve both packets to coalesce the deck and bring the Queen back to the fifth position. 174

The Unexpected Wild Card Happens every time! Flop all the cards in the right hand face up onto those in the left and turn the pack to widely display the Queen (although apparently you expect it to be the Nine of Spades again). Do not look at it; instead, pause while you display the face to the audience. Only after a few beats, or until someone calls out that its the wrong card, should you shift your attention to it. Stunned, stare blankly at the Queen for a moment and then deal it off to the side. Your inner script should convey that something has definitely gone awry. Briefly spread over the group of face-up cards as if youre surveying what just went wrong. Turn the group face down, righting the pack. After a moment of contemplation, say: Well Гт not taking the blame for this one. Nancy, I thought Fd shown you, quite specifically, which one you were supposed to select. As you say this, gesture toward the pile of face-up Nines on the table, which are secretly comprised of your Wild Card gaffs. Well, show’s over. Deck Switch： Out with the Old If you re following the big picture, now is a nice time to take the cards in your hand and all the other props from previous effects (i.e., the switched-in monte cards, the odd-backed card,* the pen, the ten cards from the poker routine, etc.) and put everything away (except for the rubber bands; we'll be coming back to using those soon). An added tip is to take the Eight of Hearts from the poker hands and inconspicuously place it on the bottom as youre assembling and boxing the deck; this will be the cover card on the face when we ring in the Octopus Deck later. * Be sure not to include this blue card with the boxed deck as it doesnt have a counterpart in the cooler. 175

The Doors of Deception The pack is boxed and placed into the right side jacket pocket on the inside of the divider as you gather your accoutrements. I cant believe you messed me upy Nancy! Pick up and square the Wild Card set face up in the left hand, being careful not to flash the Queens. Push over the top two Nines into the right hand and then flash the back of the squared packet in the left hand. Replace the right hands two cards onto the left-hand packet, keeping them slightly spread. With the right hand, take the tabled Queen face up. One at a time take the two fanned Nines back into the right hand, under the Queen. Again, casually flash the back of the left-hand packet. Briefly replace the two Nines onto the left packet and flash the back of the Queen. Once more, singly take each Nine back into the right hand, below the Queen, and add the third Nine; briefly flash a back of the squared left-hand packet again, too. Square all the Nines into the left hand and hold the Queen in the right. Turn the right hand palm down so that the back of its card is shown once more, and then rotate the left hand palm down again, showing a back there as well. All the displays and flashes above should take just a matter of seconds, and they should be executed with a casual air, as if you are simply examining your predicament and wondering what to do. While these displays should appear to be for your benefit, they really psychologically imprint the picture of as many backs as possible into the minds of your spectators. Furthermore, compared to the usual Hamman count (which feels a bit ham-fisted and also fails to display the backs of these cards) this casual series of flashes is far more natural. For one thing, it takes place after youve already 176

The Unexpected Wild Card shown the cards that came from the right pocket so freely. Their identities are already taken for granted, and the entire packet will, therefore, draw far less scrutiny than a packet of cards extracted from a little plastic wallet. In fact, I believe that if you were to insert the Hamman count now, youd be broadcasting guilt by overproving an accepted fact. Turn both hands palm up, bringing the faces of the cards back into view; use the fingers of the right hand to turn the packet in the left hand face down. Push over a single card with the left thumb to sho-v two backs, and referencing the color of them, say: Well at least you got this side right. Card 1 Flash the back of the card in the right hand one more time by rotating the hand palm down and then palm up again. Take the pushed-over face-down card (a non-gafFed Queen) off the top of those in your left hand and slide it above the right hands face-up Queen. Secure both cards, face-to-face, in the right hand, thumb on top and fingers on bottom, and begin to rub their faces together; here you can be very open about showing the lower Queens face. 177

The Doors of Deception Because the audience isn't aware of the identity of the upper card yet, I'll rub it in a few wide circular motions over the lower, visible card and progressively make the movement smaller until the two cards are squared. As you rub these cards, turn the cards in the left hand face up. Keep in mind, throughout the following explanation that, although its quite lengthy here, the idea is simply that the cards will rotate end-over-end twice before you display the change; basically the cards end up how they started. This is true of some of the upcoming changes, as well. So, bear with me and follow slowly. Every movement is important, even if it seems like a bit of a grind to get there. With the two cards squared in the right hand, rotate them end-over-end by turning the wrist inward and palm-down. Place the two cards out-jogged on the outer right corner of the left-hand packet, stabilizing them between the left fingers and thumb. Reposition the right-hand so that its now holding the two out-jogged cards by their outer right corners, thumb on top and fingers below. Here, you cannot be as open as before. You dont want to prematurely give away the transformation. Keep the cards aligned as you continue to caress and massage them for a moment by flexing them back and forth at the corners; instead of a rubbing action, do more of a soft rippling, wave-like motion. 178

The Unexpected Wild Card With your right hand take the two cards, with your thumb still on top and fingers below; once more turn the right hand palm down, again placing the cards out-jogged to the right on top of the left-hand packet. This time, just balance the cards between the three left middle fingers from below and the right middle fingers from above; the fingers are somewhat open and unburdened (the right hands fingertips are touching the back of the upper card just enough to keep the cards from falling). Once secured, continue with the circular action, rubbing the upper card on the lower one. Here you dont need to worry about preventing the spectators from seeing the face of the lower card. / can fix this. All I have to do is rub one against the other, and I can make it change. Shift the right hand again so that youre holding the upper, face-down card by its right edge, thumb on top and fingers underneath, and pull it off gently to the right. Come close, Nancy. Watch this... 179

The Doors of Deception Meticulously square these two cards and then separate them again, conveying difficulty or that something is amiss. Hmm. They usually change. In either of the upcoming presentational options, your inner dialogue should seem to reference the card held in the left hand, as if youre expecting that it will be the one to transform. One option is to turn the face of the right-hand card toward yourself and feign amazement (as if youre seeing it morph right before your own eyes). Then slowly look toward the audience, smile, and finish by rotating the card for all to see. The other way to handle the first transformation is to take the upper card in the right hand, lift it nonchalantly, and allow the spectators to see the change before youre apparently aware of it. This is the way Tommy Wonder handled it, allowing the audience to 'perceive the magic before you do/5* Of course, I think that Wonders acting is brilliant, funny, and perfect; but honestly, I usually take the first option over the second. Гш only speaking for myself here, but I find the conviction required to manage my own wonder is easier for me to portray; and I also find the effect more believable to my audience when I act it out in this way. I find it more effective to widen my eyes in amazement rather than play the part of a magician in trouble. Either way, inspect both sides of the Queen in the right hand. Then, turn your attention to th^ card in the left and do the same, showing the backs and fronts of everything. Turn the cards face up and take the Queen in the left hand under the one in the right hand and rub them together to show their regularity. * Tommy Wonder & Stephen Minch, The Books of Wonder, Vol. 1 (1996), p. 190. 180

The Unexpected Wild Card Push over three cards from the left hand to the right, showing four Nines of Spades and two Queens of Hearts. Slightly square the cards and then separate them again, the two Queens in the right hand and the Nines in the left. Flash the backs of those in the right hand once more and then place the bottommost Queen onto the table.* Square the cards in the left hand, turn the left hand palm down (subtly showing a back), and extend the left first finger to brush the right hands faceup Queen. Turn the cards in the left hand face up. Place the card in the right hand face down and jogged out and to the right on top of the left-hand packet. Rub the Note: This Queen of Hearts belongs to the deck proper. 181

The Doors of Deception back of the Queen and flick it with the left thumb as it comes off the left edge of the right hands card, showing that the ink isnt wet—that it doesn’t smear or run off any of the card s surfaces. Turn the Queen face up. With the left hand, push the top Nine over to the right, and use the right hands Queen to gesture toward the just-tabled card as you say: Pick that one up and check it out, Nancy. I know you re doubting like Thomas right now. So, feel it and verify the miracle for yourself. Card 2 Using the participants picking up the tabled card as shade, turn your right hand palm down and appear to take into the right hand the side-jogged Nine; actually, pull this Nine back and square with the others while you simultaneously bottom-deal the lowermost card (a normal Queen), taking it under the Queen of Hearts in the right hand. 182

The Unexpected Wild Card As soon as the bottom-dealt card is free, turn the right hand palm up and rub the faces openly together as before. As you re massaging the two face-to-face Queens with the right fingers and thumb, place all the cards in the left hand to a spot on the table just to the left of your performance center; you dont have to worry about these being squared because they are all now just the double-faced cards. Holding your left hand palm up, roll your right hand palm down and trap the cards between the right and left fingertips while continuing to ripple them together as in the previous change. 183

The Doors of Deception Then, turn the cards over together, mirroring exactly the movement already established, and continue to rub them together in a circular motion. Card 3 Take back the Queens and hold them face up in the left hand. Reach over to the packet of double-facers on the left and slide them to the right, spreading them a bit in this process. Take the uppermost Nine off the tabled packet. 184 After a moment, hold the cards with both hands at the fingertips by their sides and flick them apart briskly, as if the action completes the magical process. Turn both faces toward you then toward the audience, freely showing two Queens, front and back. Scrutinize the Queens by holding them up to the light. Then offer them to nearby spectators for examination.

The Unexpected Wild Card Be careful not to flash its opposite side as you place it on top of the two Queens. Holding the three cards slightly fanned, turn a double over without letting the right fingertips leave the back of the now top card. Once the cards are turned, you 11 show two Queens with a face-down card (a supposed Nine) on top. Rub the top card as you did in the previous changes to ostensibly accomplish the transformation. Take the upper, face-down card in your right hand (fingers on top and thumb on bottom) and turn it over, showing another Queen. 185

The Doors of Deception Gilding the Lily (Optional) If you feel the heat is on, you can include this nice little interlude to show three backs. As the Queen above is being turned face up and shown, simultaneously square the two cards in the left hand. Turn your left hand palm down, showing a back. Turn the left hand palm up and push over the top card, dealing it to the table. As you deal it, turn the right hand palm down showing the back of the card held there. As youre placing the card in the right hand to the table on top of the previous one, turn your left hand, again showing the final back.* Finish by taking the face-up Queen from the left hand into the right and use it to scoop up the two on the table. As youre scooping them up, you 11 want to prepare for the upcoming double lift by placing the three cards into the left hand with the top card just off to the right, allowing you to easily form a little-finger break underneath it. Whether youve decided to use this count or not, youll proceed from here, maintaining a break under the top card of the three-card packet. Card 4 Take another of the tabled Nines with the right hand and place it onto those in the left. Turn a double over and rub the now top, face-down card as before. Take the top card with the right hand, fingers on the back and thumb on the face, and turn it, revealing another Queen. Turn the left hand palm down, allowing its squared packet to subtly display a back/and extend the first finger to rub the right-hand card s face a few times. No ink comes off the front... * Cf. e.g., Edward Mario, Olram Subtlety, The New Tops, Vol. 5, No. Il (November 1965) and Mike Maxwell, Rhythm Count, Classic Magic of Larry Jennings (1986), pp. 186-87. 186