Asi Wind - Repertoire

PREP ARATI 0 N: Arrange a complete deck of fifty-two cards so that the colors alternate, i.e., black, red, black, red, black, etc. PERFORMANCE: Give the deck a casual false shuffle. Place the cards onto the table and ask a spectator to give the deck a few cuts. Place the deck face down in front of a different spectator and ask him to riffle shuffle the cards, but caution him not to push them completely flush. I suggest you mime this for him, as you deliver your instructions. Once the cards are interlaced, spread them out on the table to demonstrate the authenticity and randomness of the shuffle. As the audience agrees that the shuffle is indeed legitimate, ask your spectator to push the cards together and square the deck. 15 I am sure some of you might find this process unnecessary and perhaps even boring. You can, of course, shorten the procedure by simply having the spectator shuffle and square the deck without spreading out the half-interlaced cards. The fact is, however, that due to the Gilbreath principle, the spectator can only shuffle the deck once; any more will ruin the method. And so, in order to get as much mileage as possible from this single shuffle, and also to prevent the spectator from questioning why the cards are only shuffled once, devote some time to its execution. In terms of building suspense for the climax, this process is crucial. Additionally, after the shuffle, ask the spectator to give the cards a few cuts. This will give the impression that the cards were handled quite a bit by the spectator, and are well mixed. Turn the deck face up and spread it in your hands as you comment on how fairly the cards have been shuffled. As you talk, check if the top and bottom cards of the deck are of the same color. If they are, you don't need to do anything. If they are not, then scan the deck for two cards of the same color that are together in the spread. Cut between these two cards with one half of the deck in each hand. Gesture with the cards as you make a statement about how well mixed the cards are. Put the halves back together, completing the cut, which gets buried within the gesture. Now the cards on the top and bottom are of the same color. From the audience's point of view, the effect has not even begun. From a method standpoint, however, most of your work is done. Two piles now have to be dealt. You can do the dealing, but I prefer to let a spectator handle it. I also give him several choices that don't affect the outcome, but they seem to randomize the actions and they really contribute to the impact of the effect. "Deal the cards back and forth to you and me, like in a poker game. You can start by dealing the first card to me or to you, whichever you prefer. " After a few cards have been dealt, tell the spectator he can stop at any point he wants. It doesn't matter when he stops, as long as each pile contains the same number of cards- ask him if he would like to trade piles. Once he decides on a pile, ask him to take it in his hands, under the table. 15 Scaging a riffie shuffie in chis way is generally credited co Juan Tamariz. 38 true colors

Thanks to the Gilbreath principle, the colors of the cards in one pile will be the opposites of the colors in the other, i.e., if the top card of the spectator's pile is red, the top card of the remaining (unchosen) pile will be black, and so on with each successive card. So .. . As the spectator takes his cards under the table, glimpse the bottom card of the deck. This will be your key card. Casually drop the deck on top of the unwanted pile and, in a continuing action, turn the combined packet face up and spread it across the table as you again comment on how thoroughly the cards have been shuffied. As you do so, scan for your key card. The first card after your key card-which was the top card of the unchosen pile- will be the opposite color of the top card of the packet the spectator is holding underneath the table, and the second card will cue you as to his second card, and the third card will cue you as to his third card, and so on. Reveal the colors of the spectator's cards one at a time, as dramatically as you can. With every color you name, the spectator brings up the next card, confirming your divination. Since there's no real climax to this trick, you must create a grand finale by selling the revelation of the final few cards with extra enthusiasm and attitude. Asking the spectator to fan the final three cards under the table, and calling all three colors at once is very effective. ENDNOTES: This can be presented in many ways: as a demonstration of heightened sensory perception (you can sense the colors through the table), as a memory demonstration (you can memorize the sequence of colors in a shuffied deck), or as a demonstration of telepathy (you can read the spectator's mind as he looks at his cards). The choice, of course, is yours to make. This trick is so deceptive that even if you told your audience that it's a mathematical trick, it would take quite a while to explain the mathematical principle and why it works. However, if you would like to add yet another layer of deception, you could use marked cards, which will enable you to spread the cards face down so that your open index is not so open. Once the two piles have been dealt by the spectator, retrieve the remainder of the deck from him and note the bottom card, which will serve as your key card later. Ask him, ((Which pile would you like to use?" Once he chooses a pile, drop the cards in your hands on top of the pile he didn't select. Pick up the combined cards, and as you spread them face down, state, ((Remember, you shuffled these cards thoroughly. " Tilt your head down and cover your eyes with your hand, and ask him to take the chosen pile underneath the table or behind his back, depending on the circumstances. Although your hand is covering your eyes, you can easily look down and see the ribbon spread of cards. This may sound like an unconvincing blindfold, but it works because the trick would still be effective even if you weren't "blindfolded". Since the cards on the table are marked, you can spot the key card that you committed to memory. The color of every card after the key card will be the opposite color of the cards the spectator is holding. Proceed as described above. repertoire 39

There are a lot of ways to make this routine dramatically interesting. Ask the spectator, ((Would you like me to guess the color of the card on the top or the bottom?" Since the faceup spread is right in front of you, you can call out the colors from either end; therefore multiple times you can allow him to choose which card from his packet he would like you to guess. Your spread not only tells you the colors of the cards, but how many cards there are in total, and accordingly, when you get toward the end, you know how many are left. Therefore, you can often produce a situation where the spectator ends up with four cards, three red and one black (or vice versa). Ask him to shuffle his last few cards, and place your hand on the table over the spot where the cards are under the table, and say, '1 think you have four cards left. "This plays as an effect because people don't expect you to know that. If three of the cards are red and one is black, you have a 75% chance to be correct when you tell him that you think the first card is red; if you hit it, enjoy the ovation, and you have a 67% chance of being correct that the next card is red. If correct again, you have a 50/50 chance the third card is red. If on any guess, you are wrong, it will be your only mistake and you can be 100% correct with the remaining cards. If you survive the first three rounds, then the last one is a guarantee-it's the only black card. Another idea: If you survive the first two rounds, ask him to hold one card in each hand. Say, ((I think one is black and the other is red. "Have him bring up and reveal both cards at the same time. Another possible scenario is to control the situation-by alternating strategically between the top and the bottom-so that you end up with an entire packet of the same color. Ask him to mix them. Once he is done, ask him to get rid of half of them, without showing their faces, and lose them in the deck. Say, '1 think you kept three cards [or however many] and they are all red [or black]. " In a conversation with Juan Tamariz, he suggested I could combine this routine with a presentational idea of his. 16 Introduce the cards as rudimentary Tarot cards and say, ''Each card's color, suit, and value mean something, but we are going to keep it simple and just pay attention to the colors-red and black. A black card means no and red means yes. " Ask a spectator to secretly write down the name of a famous person and retrieve this info via an impression pad, a center tear, or a peek. (Let's assume Charlie Chaplin was chosen.) Continue with the trick as described and once you get to the point where the spectator has a pile of cards under the table, say, ((We will ask the cards 'yes or no' questions. Is the person you thought of alive? Bring out the top card. " The person removes a black card which means no, and indeed that is the correct answer. Of course, since you know which color is going to show up every time, you ask questions that will generate the correct answers. It's nice if the last card is red so the last question could be, './lre you thinking of Charlie Chaplin?" and the last card "answers" yes. If the last card is black, then ask him to pull a card from the bottom during the early questions: ''Pull one from the bottom, for a change, to see if the cards really can tell the truth. "I'll do this as many times as necessary (equal to the number of black cards at the bottom of the packet) to guarantee that the last question will be answered with a "yes" card. 16 This idea is from ''Answering Computer" in Mnemonica (2004) by Juan Tamariz, page 220. 40 true colors

You can eliminate the contrived procedure of dealing the cards into two piles if you are one of the four people in the world who has mastered the very difficult anti-faro technique by Christian Engblom. 17 After the spectator shuffles the cards, run through the face-up deck as you comment, "All the cards are well mixed." Cut the deck anywhere between two cards of the same color and complete the cut- unless the top and bottom cards of the deck are already of the same color, in which case you don't need to cut the deck. Hold the deck face down and execute the anti-faro move; you only need the get the top twenty or so cards to unweave perfectly. (It should appear as if you are just toying with the deck.) Of the outjogged cards, you only need the top ten or so. Therefore, with your left index finger, push in and square all the outjogged cards, underneath these top ten (or so) cards. Your left middle, ring, and little fingers rest on the right side of the deck, with the little finger at the very inner end. As you take the deck in right-hand end grip, with your right ring finger, push the outer right corners of the remaining outjogged cards to the left, angling them slightly. The following actions18 all take place continuously, with no pausing at any point. With your right index finger at the outer left corners of those outjogged cards, push the cards inward, into the larger packet; the cards will shift even farther to the left, until they are at about a forty-five-degree angle. The left thumb takes over, and continues to push the jogged cards straight back toward the inner end. Your right fingers shift from being in contact with the outer ends of the outjogged cards to the outer end of the larger packet. The angled cards have been pushed about halfway through the deck, and are sticking out almost halfway at the inner right corner of the deck. The right hand provides cover for the angled cards. Your left thumb lies along the left side of the deck, and the left middle and ring fingers are along the right side of the angled cards. The little finger is at the inner end of the anglejogged packet, and in a moment the left index finger will be at the outer end of this packet (as soon as the deck is out of the way during the upcoming strip-out action), so that the packet will be held in a straddle grip. By simultaneously rotating your right hand counterclockwise with the deck and rotating the left hand clockwise with the angle-jogged cards, you can pull the angled cards out from the right-hand cards. Briefly turn the right-hand packet face up while saying, "You shuffled and cut the cards several times." Turn the right hand palm down and complete the "cut" by placing the right-hand packet on top, obtaining a left little-finger break between the packets. From most angles, this action will be perceived as a cut, but for those watching the false cut from a bad angle, the comment, along with the gesture, will make it seem as if you are just recapping their actions. Take the deck into right-hand end grip and transfer the break to your right thumb. You are now in position to perform a dribble force. 19 Here's a brief description. (It 17 Engblom's anti-faro was first published in Genii, May 2001. 18 This push through, in the context of a false shuffle, is also described on page 132, with illustrations. 19 The dribble force can be found in Roberto Giobbi's Card College, volume 4 (2000), page 804. repertoire 41

will be easier to dribble the cards if the tips of your right fingers don't extend beyond the bottom card of the deck.) Say, ((We only need a few cards, so as I drop some, stop me whenever you'd like." Dribble cards from the bottom of the deck onto the table (or the palm of your left hand) at a steady pace, and as soon you see that the spectator's lips start to move slightly, indicating he's about to speak, pick up the speed and drop the remainder of the cards beneath the break. The last cards should fall just as he is saying, "Stop." Ask the spectator to pick up the dropped cards and to place them under the table out of your sight. If you spread the rest of the deck face up on the table from left to right, every card, starting at the left end of the spread, will be the opposite color of its corresponding card in his packet. Proceed as described above. Normally everything in my repertoire takes years of work and refinement, and only when I feel that they are worthy of the ink do I publish them. I'm breaking that rule by including this next idea. It's an impulsive, last-minute decision to include it, so bear in mind that this idea is something I'll probably be tweaking for years to come. Executing the setup for "True Colors" is more complicated than performing the trick. It requires a full-deck stack, therefore you either need to use it as an opener, perform tricks that won't disturb the order, or do a deck switch. As I've said elsewhere, one of my goals is to be able to perform every trick impromptu with a shuffied, borrowed deck. With this trick, that would mean finding a way to set up right in front of the audience. An obvious solution would be to separate the colors via a cull as you look for Jokers or Aces, etc. You then execute a faro shuffie. However, I don't like this solution very much because I think it takes longer than is desirable due to the two procedures requiredculling twenty-six cards and a perfect faro shuffie. Here is a solution I like better. Start by having the cards shuffied by a few members of the audience. This gives you an opportunity to determine which spectator does the best riffie shuffie. After the cards have been shuffied, turn the deck face up and spread through the cards. ((You must agree with me, these cards are thoroughly shuffled. " Find a run of at least four cards that alternate red, black, red, black. Cut those cards to the face of the pack. Spread through the cards again and cull each card that you come to that disturbs the red-black-red-black pattern established by the cards you cut to the face. For example, let's say you've just thumbed over a red card; if the next card is black, thumb it to the right as well. However, if that black card is followed by one or more black cards, cull them under the spread20 until you come to another red card, which you thumb to the right. Continue this process until you have reached the last card in the deck. You will end up with two more-or-less equal halves; the cards in the upper half are perfectly alternating red and black, and the cards in the lower half are randomly mixed. Determining the separation between the two halves is easy, because the 'bottom half will be relatively squared under the spread, and the top half will be spread somewhat to the left. Cut the upper, stacked half to the bottom, and 20 Any Hofzinser-sryle spread cull you're familiar with will work. A good description of a spread cull can be found in Roberto Giobbi's Card College, volume 1 (1995), page 187. 42 true colors

estimate how many cards are in this portion (it's okay if you are a few cards off with your estimation). Turn the deck face down. If, for example, you estimate there are about thirty cards in the (now) upper half, hold the deck in left-hand dealing position, and with your right hand, strip out about half the deck from the middle, starting fifteen cards from the top (your starting point is half your estimate of the upper, alternating portion). This will leave about fifteen cards above and eleven cards below the stripped-out portion, which you let coalesce into one packet. To the audience, this should look like you are merely cutting the deck in half. You now have two halves with the top fifteen or so cards of each alternating red and black. Ask a spectator to riffle shuffle the two packets. The shuffle needs to be somewhat even and not too clumpy. That's why finding the right person for this ask is crucial. After the shuffle, turn the deck face up and compliment your spectator on shuffling the cards so well. Spot the pair of the same color that is nearest the rear of the face-up deck. Cut between the pair, and transfer those few cards to the face of the deck. (If you memorize the two cards that remain at the rear of the deck, you can use this knowledge to reveal the identity of the last card as the final climax of the trick, because one of these cards will be the last one in your spread, and the other will be the last card in the spectator's packet.) Turn the deck face down, and ask your spectator to deal the cards back and forth into two piles. After he has dealt about eight cards to each pile, say, '11 few more would be fine. " Make sure he deals two even piles. Since you estimated the stacked half to be about thirty cards, it's best that he deals no more than twelve cards to each pile; this way, you ensure that he doesn't exceed the estimated number. From this point on, proceed as described. repertoire 43

somebody stop me The performer turns his back while a spectator cuts to a card and loses his selection among the other cards. The spectator then deals the cards face down onto the table, one at a time, until the performer calls for him to stop. The stopped-at card is found to be the selected card. I have always been fascinated with Stop Tricks. I have performed the following effect for quite some time and, over the years, have made several improvements to the handling. In its current form, it has the following valuable features: Once you place the deck onto the table, you never touch the cards again and even more amazingly, you appear to never look at the cards during the performance. PREPARATION: You will need to mark the back of one card. There are dozens of ways to do this, and you likely have a preferred method. The only crucial detail is that the mark must be visual enough to be spotted quickly, with no hesitation. The back designs of most decks have good options for marking them in such a way that's easy for you to spot, while remaining unnoticeable to the audience. For example, you can use a permanent marker of the same color as the back design to fill in particular dots, flower petals, or curlicues, etc. Whichever marking system you use, I'll assume you've marked the back of the Ace of Spades. Place this card twenty-sixth from the top. In the endnotes, I'll explain a way to get the marked card into position in performance from a shuffied deck. Finally, have a marker handy. Having the card signed really helps to amplify the climax. repertoire 45

PERFORMANCE: Give the deck a casual false shuffle as you invite an audience member to assist you. Place the deck face down onto the table and introduce the effect. Your choice of words will depend on your style, persona, and presentational approach to the effect. Perhaps you want to demonstrate your heightened sense of intuition or show your close connection with this particular deck of cards, or perhaps you're going to demonstrate an entirely random, miraculous coincidence. It is extremely important to give your audience some sort of context to help justify the upcoming procedure. Ask your volunteer to face the audience. Walk away, far enough to make it clear that you couldn't possibly manipulate the cards, but near enough to comfortably give the spectator instructions and to be able to glimpse the mark on the back of the Ace of Spades later on. Turn and face the audience, with your back partially toward the participant. «Please cut off a packet of cards. We'll need more cards later on, so please cut less than half the deck. And hold those cards in your hands." (It's important, for the method to work, that he doesn't cut off more than half.) To convey the instructions as clearly as possible, you must not only choose your words with precision but also mime the necessary actions as you instruct him. (A side note: Sometimes when you need to demonstrate what a spectator should do with a deck of cards and you don't have another deck to demonstrate with, you can use the box to simulate a deck and indicate how he should hold it, turn it around, and so forth. If the box has a back design on one side and you hold the box with the design side up, it very much resembles a deck of cards.) Ask him to look through the cards he cut off and to make sure that they're all different. ((Good, now shuffle these cards as much as you would like and then turn over the top card and look at it, but don't let me see it." Ask him if he's satisfied with this card. If he isn't, tell him he can shuffle the cards again and turn over the new top card. Stressing that he has a choice here contributes to the strength of this trick. Once he's satisfied with his choice, ask him to sign the face of the card with the marker, and then turn the card face down on top of his packet. Say, ((To make sure that the card is completely lost, lift off about half of the tabled portion, and place that packet on top of the cards in your hands." (This packet, of course, goes right on top of his selection.) Finally, ask him, or another person, to hide the remaining tabled cards in his pocket. Remind him that, so far, you have been looking away. Mention also the fairness of the procedure- every decision, every choice, every action was made by him. As you recap, turn toward him. Tell him that you want him to deal cards onto the table, face down, one at a time, into a pile, and that you will attempt to stop him at his card. Mime the required actions as you instruct him. Keep speaking, and time it such that it seems perfectly natural for you to be talking-and facing him- as he starts to deal. Your appanmt motivation for briefly turning toward him is to recap the fairness of the proceedings and also to give him instructions. Secretly count the cards as he deals. The marked card will typically be among the first five to fifteen cards dealt. You must note the position of this card. Let's say the marked card is the seventh card dealt; mentally deduct seven from twenty-six-nineteen is the result. Remember the number nineteen. 46 somebody stop me

Once you've spotted the marked card, you can shift your attention back to the audience, as you no longer need to watch the spectator. Address the audience as you continue to sell the premise that you will stop him at his card. However, continue talking, such that the spectator deals through the entire packet. He will eventually tell you that this has happened. Pause, smile, and say, "Wow, you're fast. "This is an amusing moment, and even though it must happen for the method to work, this little "flaw" not only gets a laugh, it also builds some suspense by creating the impression that the card is hopelessly lost. Have him pick up the pile of cards. There appears to be no way for you to know the position of his card, but thanks to the calculation you did earlier, you now know that his card is nineteenth from the top. Ask him to deal the cards again, but slightly slower. Concentrate and listen to every card that he deals, thus enabling you to know when he's dealt eighteen cards. Shout for him to stop the instant he takes the nineteenth card into his hand. If he deals too silently for you to hear, and you'd rather not take the risk, you may turn around and look into his eyes while he deals-use your peripheral vision to keep track of the number of cards dealt. Either way, stop him just as he's taking the selected card into his dealing hand. Have him confirm the name of his selection. Ask him to turn it over- the signature will make the audience immediately recognize the card. I assure you that while the process of this trick may seem somewhat elaborate in print, it not only moves quite swiftly in performance, it also serves to underscore the impossibility of the final moment. ENDNOTES: You must be able to give instructions in a way that is clear and precise, but also casual; too loose and the spectator might be confused, too heavy-handed and the audience may think the procedure seems contrived. You may, if you wish, have a friend or a magician in the audience signal you if something goes wrong. I often do. Here is deceptive touch that I like to add, though there is a slight chance of it going wrong if you are not careful. Instead of letting him deal through the entire packet, wait until you are certain he has fewer cards left than the number you calculated when you saw the marked card (nineteen in our example). Stop him and say, 'Tm sorry, I lost focus for a minute. Shuffle those cards in your hands, and let's start over." Although this shuffie does not affect the position of the chosen card, it greatly adds to the illusion of impossibility and randomness of the trick. After he shuffies the undealt cards, instruct him to put those cards on top of the dealt pile, and to pick up the entire packet and deal the cards onto the table again. The chosen card will still be the nineteenth card down. I highly encourage you to have a strong Plan B in the event of a troublesome or clumsy spectator. He may, for example, drop and scatter the deck, in which case the effect is beyond recovery. For these reasons, I use edge-marked cards for this trick and I carry a Card-to-Wallet wallet. If there's a problem, I can easily spot the card via the marks, palm it, and produce it from the wallet with the explanation that it couldn't possibly be stopped at because it wasn't in the deck to begin with. repertoire 47

In general, I like to let spectators handle the cards as much as possible, even when it's not necessary for the trick. If they handle the cards more than I do, they will remember that. Therefore, I usually begin this routine by having the spectator shuffle the deck. Of course, you then need to get the Ace of Spades into the twenty-sixth position from a shuffled deck. There are several ways to do this. Here is my preferred method, which involves a faro check. 21 Start by controlling the marked card to the bottom of the deck as follows. Spread through the face-up deck while stating, 'As you can see, these cards are thoroughly shuffled. " Spot the Ace of Spades, cut it to the face of the deck, and turn the deck face down. (If the Ace of Spades is crimped, or if it has its two non-index corners shortened, you don't have to look through the cards to get it into position; you can just cut it to the bottom of the face-down deck.) Try to lift off precisely twenty-six cards, and then execute an out-faro (i.e., the original top card remains on top and the original bottom card remains on bottom). If you succeeded at cutting off exactly half the deck, the faro shuffle will confirm it- after the cards are interlaced, there won't be any extra cards in either half. If the weave indicates the cut is not even, unweave the cards, adjust the cut, and do another faro check. Once the faro confirms two perfect halves, you have two options: 1) You can unweave the cards and place the top half on the bottom. The marked card is now precisely twenty-sixth from the top. This should look like you started a shuffle, but changed your mind midway. 2) You can seem to complete the shuffle by using any number of false shuffles, for example, the push-through shuffle described on page 132. 21 The faro check was first published by Alex Elmsley in the November 1956 issue of Pentagram. Elmsley published two other practical ways to position a key card to the twenty-sixth position in The Collected WOrks of Alex Elms ley, volume II ( 1994) by Stephen Minch, page 301. A good description of the faro shuffie can be found in Roberto Giobbi's Card College, volume 3 (1998), page 686. 48 somebody stop me

repertoire 49

s.a.c.a.a.n. By now you may have guessed that I am obsessed with the ACAAN plot. Most often, I perform the first version of ACAAN described earlier in this book. So why am I bothering you with another version? Well, the first version relies on a memorized deck, one of the most diabolical tools in card magic. But as beneficial as the memorized deck can be, it comes at a price. First, you need to have the cards stacked in advance. Second, the cards can't be shuffied by your audience. Shuffiing the cards at the beginning of this plot makes it much more impressive. With this version, you can perform ACAAN with a (seemingly) completely shuffied deck. It came about because I got a copy of Denis Behr's Handcrafted Card Magic, volume 2 on the same day I had to fly from New York to Los Angeles. The book was great company during the six-hour flight, and one of the tricks that caught my attention was "Shuffied ACAAN", which was the inspiration for this version. Although this is not a regular item in my show, I highly value the lessons I learned while structuring this trick. Indeed, this variation became a steppingstone to the third version (on page 137), which is now a staple in my walk-around set. repertoire 51

PREPARATION: The card case needs to be modified as described on page 19 of ''A.W.A.C.A.A.N.", and you also need to learn a memorized stack. Technically, you don't need to memorize a full deck for this trick; you only need to know the thirteen cards that fall at multiples of four in the stack (the 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th cards, etc.). 22 Here is a chart showing the necessary cards in both the Mnemonica and Aronson stacks. I I MNEMONICA ARONSON 4 3. 2. 8 5• 6. 12 3+ 5• 16 5+ 8. 20 J• 5+ MOMO"''""""""""- ·····-·-·-·····- ···-···-·-·-·--···-·-····--··---·-- 24 10. 3+ 28 3• 7. 32 J J J 40 4+ 3. 44 9. 6+ 48 Q+ Q+ 52 9+ 9+ PERFORMANCE: Although the impression is that the deck is shuffled, in reality only thirty-nine cards get shuffled; you must hold out the bank of thirteen memorized cards arranged in order. There are a few ways you could get into this trick. If you start with the entire deck in a stack, you could spread the cards face down, and cull every fourth card to the bottom. At the end of the cull, the bottom thirteen cards would need to remain in order while the rest of the cards are freely shuffled. Any false shuffle that maintains the bottom bank will work. You could also give several people portions of the deck to shuffle, keeping the last thirteen cards in your hands. (You can obtain a break above the top card of that group right after the cull, or you could mark or crimp the first card in your stock- number four in your memorized stack- so that you know where your bank of cards starts.) With your packet, demonstrate how you want the spectators to 22 This marvelous concept is derived from the prediction phase of "Marlo's Miracle Routine" in Marlo in Spades (1947) by Ed Marlo, page 13. 52 s.a.c.a.a.n.

shuffle their packets. Obviously, you either need to use false shuffles or shuffles that surreptitiously return your packet to the order it started in. Then collect the cards from everybody and reassemble the deck, with your stack on top. If you choose to start with your thirteen-card stack on the top of the deck, spread the cards face up until you see the last card of your stack (number fifty-two in your memorized stack), and obtain a break above it as you square the deck. Lower the deck beneath the table while you adjust your chair and, with your left hand, steal the cards below the break and insert the packet into the crook of your knee and clench the cards between your thigh and calf (pic. 1).23 The remainder of the pack can now be freely shuffled, but if you were to let a spectator handle the cards he might be able to tell that it's not a complete deck. The solution to this problem is to mix the cards in a casinostyle "wash", where all the cards are spread face up on the table. Ask several spectators to slide them around with the palms of their hands, mixing them with one another. A wash shuffle makes it very hard to detect that the deck is thinner than it should be. It is also very suitable for the following deceptive add-on. While your spectators are washing the cards on the table, with your left hand, grab the packet that is clenched in your knee and bring it face up underneath the edge of the table. Simultaneously, put your right hand down on a bunch of cards on top of the table and slide those toward the edge of the table in a sweeping motion. Sweep them off the edge of the table directly onto the cards in your left hand (pic. 2). 23 This knee holdout technique was first described in print by Arthur Buckley in his book Card Control (1946), page 112. Buckley doesn't explicitly claim the move, and it was most likely invented by gamblers. repertoire 53

Place this combined packet onto the table and keep picking up and adding groups of cards on top of that pile until you have reassembled the entire deck. Right now you should have thirty-nine randomly mixed cards on top of your thirteen-card bank. Square the cards, pick up the deck, and turn it face down. Cut about half the deck to the bottom and obtain a little-finger break between the halves (your bank will be below the break). Run through the cards from top to bottom, and display the faces of the cards to a spectator at eye level as you say, '.lis I go through the deck, think of one of these cards." Time it so that you get to the break as you are completing that sentence. As you continue to spread through the deck, the goal is to restrict your spectator to think of a card from your bank of thirteen cards. After you have spread through the bank, pause, and confirm that he made a mental selection. Square the deck, turn it face up, and spread through the faces again, saying, "So, you are thinking of one of these cards. " Spread to the last card in your bank (which is actually card number four in your full memorized stack). Cut all the cards beneath that card and bring them to the face, so you end up with the thirteen-card bank on the bottom of the face-up deck. Turn the deck face down and perform two in-faro shuffies to place every card of your bank into its correct stack position, i.e. , the first card in the bank ends up fourth, and the second card ends up eighth, the third ends up twelfth, and so forth. Because the deck has already been mixed by spectators, shuffiing at this point might seem like overkill. Therefore, before executing the in-faros ask the person who thought of a card to choose anyone in the crowd, and then ask that person to think of a number between one and fifty-two. This procedure helps shift the focus away from these two in-faros. 54 s.a.c . a.a.n.

If you find the idea of doing faros in performance daunting, here are two tips to make them easier. The first faro doesn't require cutting the deck exactly in half, because you only need to interweave the top thirteen cards of each portion. After the first faro, the last card in your thirteen-card stack (Nine of Diamonds in Aronson and Mnemonica) is now positioned twenty-sixth, which is exactly half the deck; so with a casual spread you can locate that card and split the deck exactly into two halves and go straight into the second in-faro. Once the two faros are done, place the deck into the card case, the faces toward the thumb notch. I like that at this point I can make the following statements, which are utterly true: "You all have to agree with me that these cards have been thoroughly shuffled. Also, you are thinking of a card. And you are thinking of a number. And these are only known to you two. " Once the first spectator declares his chosen card (one of your thirteen-card bank), translate that card into the number associated with it in your memorized deck; for example, the Ten of Clubs is twenty-four in Mnemonica. Ask the other spectator to share the number he is thinking of. Let's say he says twenty. The mathematical gears in your head should start spinning. If you subtract twenty from twenty-four, you will come to the conclusion that all you have to do is transfer four cards from the top of the deck to the bottom, by riffiing the top of the deck until you see the fourth card in your stack (Three of Clubs in Mnemonica), and performing the secret shift at this position as you remove the deck from the box. But what if the chosen number is not a multiple of four? Well, we rely on the thirteen memorized cards positioned throughout the deck as anchors to get to every location in the deck. Let's say, for example, that the chosen card was the Jack of Diamonds (thirtytwo in Mnemonica), and the other spectator chooses the number fifteen. The first step is similar to the example above; thirty-two minus fifteen is seventeen. Accordingly, you will need to shift seventeen cards from the top of the deck to the bottom. However, seventeen is not a multiple of four, so you need to think what number is the closest multiple of four above seventeen-in this case, twenty. (Obviously, sixteen is closer to seventeen, but it's easier to locate the twentieth card and riffie backward to seventeen.) Riffie until you see the twentieth card in your stack; then keep riffiing and count nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, and hold a break there (the seventeenth card will be a random card) to execute the secret shift. Obviously, sometimes the chosen number is higher than the location of the card; for example, let's say the thought-of card is the Three of Diamonds (twelve in Mnemonica) and the number is thirty-four. There is just one more set of mental gymnastics you will need to perform. Because the number is larger than the card's stack number you need to execute two subtractions: First subtract twelve from thirty-four to get twenty-two and then subtract the result from fifty-two; in our example, it would be thirty. Proceed in the same fashion as with the former cases, i.e., ask yourself, is this number (thirty) a multiple of four? (No.) What is the closest multiple of four that is greater than it? (Thirty-two.) Riffie until you see the thirty-second card in your stack, and then riffie off two more cards, and hold a break. Once you have executed the secret shift from the box, conclude the trickas described in "A.WA.C.A.A.N." repertoire 55

• a COlll trick T his trick is a variation of "Prior Commitment", Simon Aronson's wonderful trick, which uses a clever mathematical principle, but it doesn't feel like a mathematical trick- which is why it has fooled so many magicians. 24 To be honest, the trick fools me every time I perform it. In Try the Impossible Simon explains how the math works, but I never bothered to learn that part since I like the fact that I get to be somewhat fooled along with my audience. My contribution is that I have devised a way to do the trick with a borrowed, shuffled deck. Also, I try to create the illusion that the magician's handling of the deck is very minimal, and the few times he does handle the cards are quite forgettable. Are you ready to be fooled? The performer places a folded piece of paper onto the table. Two spectators are each asked to cut to a card. These cards are then lost in the middle of the deck. The paper is opened by the first spectator, and it reads "Your card is the nineteenth card from the top, and the other card is tenth from the bottom." Indeed, their cards are found at those positions. I will first explain this straightforward presentation (and method), so that you can understand the workings of the trick, and then I will describe some of the variations that I use in different situations. 24 "Prior Commitment" was published in Simon Aronson's Try the Impossible (2001), page 3. repertoire 57

PERFORMANCE: Without revealing its contents, introduce your written prediction and set it aside. Have a deck of cards shuffled by a spectator. Retrieve the deck, and as you say, 7 could have you pick a card as I go through the deck like this ... " spread it face down by thumbing over three groups of three cards (a total of nine cards). Continue, " ... but I could force a card on you. "As you say this, thrust the cards toward the spectator as if you are forcing a card on him. Under cover of this thrusting action, underneath the spread, with your right ring finger hit the inner right corner of the tenth card and apply some pressure to crimp the corner slightly downward. 25 '.lin even fairer way for you to choose a card ... " Lift the deck so the faces are toward the spectator. " ... is for you to look at the cards and just think of any one of these. " Starting with the card after the crimped card, thumb off six groups of three cards (eighteen more cards). To make sure you don't lose count, you might find it helpful to think of this as two sets of three triplets, rather than a set of six triplets- silently count the triplets, "One, two, three, one, two, three." "But even then, I could be showing you one card longer than the others, and that wouldn't be fair, either." By the end of this statement you should have pushed off eighteen cards. As you lower your hands, bringing the deck horizontal and face down, crimp the inner right corner of the next card (the twenty-ninth card from the top) as you did with the tenth card. (Here, the bigger action of lowering the deck conceals the smaller crimping action, and also, the spectators are not looking directly at your fingers as you execute the crimp.) Square the deck and say, 7 think the fairest way for you to choose a card is for me not to touch the cards at all. "Place the cards face down onto the table. It should seem like the trick is starting now and everything prior- thumbing through the deck (and secretly crimping two cards)- was just prologue. "So, just cut anywhere you want. Actually, cut less than half because, in a moment, I am also going to ask another spectator to cut off a bunch of cards, so leave some for him, too. "You need to make sure he cuts between the two crimps, but that should be almost automatic because he merely needs to cut between eleven and twenty-eight cards. And it's easy for you to monitor, since the crimps are facing you and no one else can see them from the front. If he cuts above the top crimp say, '/!.few more. Don't be shy. "And if he cuts below the bottom crimp say, '.lilittle less. Leave some for the next spectator to cut. " After the first spectator cuts a portion of the deck, ask a second spectator to cut off a bunch of cards. He has more freedom to cut anywhere; it is only important that he cuts below the second crimp. Again, this is almost a certainty, but you need to watch for it. Ask each spectator to note the bottom card of his packet and then to replace the packet. It is important that the first spectator returns his packet first and then the second spectator replaces his cards. This reverses the positions of their packets in the deck, but the spectator who cut first also replaces first, so it seems natural. 25 This method for corner crimping a card was published by John Northern Hilliard in Greater Magic (1938), page 46. 58 a coin trick

Pick up the deck and hold it between your hands. Insert your left little finger above the lower crimp and your ring finger above the upper crimp in preparation for a type of cover pass, shifting the middle section to the bottom. Insert your little finger deeper into the lower break and your middle and ring fingers deeper into the upper break, and grip the middle packet tightly (pic. 1). Your right hand holds both the top and bottom portions as your left hand shifts the middle section to the bottom (pic. 2). You can do this openly or invisibly, depending on your style and facility with the move. repertoire 59

If you choose to do it openly, you can make it appear as if you are demonstrating cutting the deck by saying, ((You could have cut deep ... " as the left fingers pull the middle portion out, leaving it in the left hand as your right hand lifts the top and bottom portions upward. Drop the bottom portion onto the former middle portion as you continue, (( ... or shallow ... " Finally, drop the rest of the cards (the top portion) onto the combined left-hand packet as you finish, (( ... it was up to you." This shift has moved the selected cards to nineteenth from the top and tenth from the bottom. Address the first spectator, ((Open the prediction and read it out loud. "He will read "Your card is the nineteenth card from the top, and the other card is tenth from the bottom." Execute a ribbon spread. Ask someone to count to the two cards and outjog them. ((For the first time, tell me the names of your two cards." Reveal the selections. There are many ways you can reveal the numbers. For example, instead of using a written prediction, you could seem to divine the locations of the cards and announce them. But here is my favorite presentation (which explains the title). Say, ((This is the fairest card trick I know, and to make it even fairer, we will toss a coin to determine who should cut the deck first. Take out some coins. "Borrow a bunch of loose change and spot a coin that is relatively new- anywhere between 2006 and 2019. It is often easy to spot coins within this range because they tend to be shinier. Most of the time you will have several coins to choose from. If you manage to borrow a big bunch of coins, pick a few qualifying coins (with dates ranging from 2006 to 2019), and get rid of the rest by saying, ((We don't need too many." Now they can choose any of the coins left. If you only find one or two coins with appropriate dates, force one of them using a magician's force (see the equivoque described on page 91). Once a coin is chosen (or forced), note the year on that coin, flip the coin to see who cuts the deck first, and proceed as follows. Let's say that the coin is a quarter from 2016. As you go through the deck, thumb over fifteen cards and crimp the sixteenth card. Then, starting with the card after the crimped card, thumb over nineteen more cards and crimp the twentieth card (the thirty-sixth from the top). To conclude the trick say, ((This is the coin that you chose from a bunch of borrowed coins. Could you please tell me the year on that coin?" He will answer 2016. Repeat the year but break it into two double-digit numbers: ((Twenty ... sixteen?" It should sound like a question because it forces the spectator either to reply, "Yes," or to repeat the numbers in the same format. The latter is ideal because, in a minute, you will count twenty from the top and sixteen from the bottom. Before you count to the cards, say, '1t would be interesting if the cards you cut to are at these numbers." Once you count to those cards, slide them halfway out of the spread, and ask, ((Would you please name the cards you chose?" After they are named, have the spectators turn the two cards over. Ta-dah! ENDNOTES: Since you control the final positions of the selected cards, you have great flexibility in how to present this trick and what numbers to use. It is preferable to work with two different numbers where neither exceeds twenty, otherwise the counting procedure is too long and it increases the chances of making an error. For example, you can conflate the prediction with the time you are performing the trick. If the time is, 60 s.a.c.a.a.n.

say, 8:18, you know that you are likely to finish the trick around 8:20. Crimp the eighth card and the one twenty cards beyond that. When you are ready to reveal those cards, ask what time it is, and then say, 'It's twenty after eight? Okay, so let's count to the twentieth card from the top and the eighth card from the bottom. " You can similarly incorporate dates, such as people's birthdays. For example, when you borrow a bill from a spectator's wallet for "Time Is Money" (see page 1), if their ID is in the window compartment, note and remember the birthday. If it is November 16th, you could make the cards appear eleventh from the bottom and sixteenth from the top. However, if the birthday is February 27th, that combination is problematic because one number is too low and the other is too high. Be creative and use any numbers you can get, from people's addresses to their ages, etc. It's important to keep an open mind with this trick and be flexible enough to decide spontaneously which numbers would work best in each scenario. Simply remember: When crimping the cards, you will always count to and crimp the card that lies at the smaller number first. At the end of the trick, you will count to that smaller number from the bottom (to find the second selection), and the first selection will be found at the larger number from the top. repertoire 61

double exposure A mong the tricks I presented at Magic-Con in 2010 was "Time Is Money" (see page 1). A line I used in my presentation was, "This trick is based on an ancient Israeli art called origami, invented by Uri ... Gami." After my short lecture I took my seat next to Michael Weber, who handed me several sets of his lecture notes, one of which was opened to a specific item titled "Urigami". This was quite a funny coincidence. In another set of his notes, I found a very clever routine called "Half-aCheek on the Photocopier (Triumphotocopy)". 26 In that effect a chosen card gets lost in the deck, and the cards are shuffled face up into face down ala "Triumph". The mixed cards are spread on a photocopier, and the copy button is pressed. The printed sheet shows all the cards as face down except for the selected card, which is facing up. I immediately fell in love with this trick and started to play with this concept, but I encountered two obstacles that prevented me from performing it as much as I wanted. First, the trick is situational-you need a photocopier. Second, it uses a gimmicked deck-a deck I did not often carry with me. The first change I made was to replace the photocopier with a camera, because nowadays nearly everyone has a camera-equipped smartphone in their pocket or purse. I figured instead of photocopying the cards I could snap a picture of the cards while a spectator is holding them in a fan. But this only solved one problem; I still needed to carry the 26 This was first published by Weber in his lecture ·notes Cinco de Mago (1994). repertoire 63

gimmicked cards to perform the trick. I thought it might be possible to do the trick with an ordinary deck, because I remembered that Alex Elmsley had a great handling for a non-gimmicked Ultra Mental effect. 27 Based on what I knew about Elmsley's method, a solution occurred to me. I worked out all the handling details in my head without trying it out, and I performed it for a friend. It worked! 28 I could have kept performing the trick with a gimmicked deck to great success, but the restriction I imposed on the trick- using only an ordinary deck- forced me to think harder and come up with a method that enables me to perform the trick impromptu. It reminds me of the limitations of origami, the rules of which allow the use of only one rectangular piece of paper and forbid tearing, gluing, or cutting the paper- only folds are allowed. These constraints have forced many origami experts to come up with unconventional and innovative methods that allow them to fold almost anything they desire. The same dynamic came into play here. This self-imposed restriction enabled me to devise a version of this plot that is perfect for walk-around, ideally for small groups. PERFORMANCE: Give the cards to a spectator and ask him to shuffie. The deck doesn't need to be shuffied at this point, but it is good to let spectators handle the cards as much as possible, even when it's not crucial for the trick. After the cards are shuffied, retrieve the deck. As you spread through the deck and ask the spectator to remove a card, secretly count four groups of three cards and then one more card-which you slightly injog-for a total of thirteen. Keep spreading the cards until one is selected. Square the deck, obtaining a left little-finger break beneath the injogged card. (Tll turn away so you can. take a look at your card. " While your back is turned, take the thirteen cards above the break and turn them face up onto the bottom of the deck. "Has everyone seen the card? Please turn it face down, so I can't see it. " Turn back around. With your right hand, cut off about half the pack (precision here will pay off later, although if you are off by a few cards, it will still work) and turn it face up. 7 want you to look closely as I shujfie face-up cards into face-down cards." Execute an out-faro shuffie. The weave doesn't need to be perfect but should be as close as you are able. Now, in contrast with many Triumph-like routines, you have an excellent opportunity to spread the cards and display them genuinely mixed face up with face down. Of course, you can only show half the deck because the bottom half is all face up, but spread close to the middle point and then square the cards. As you hold the cards in your left hand, run your left thumb down the outer corner, asking the spectator to stop you somewhere in the deck. Time it such that he stops you somewhere in the lower half of the pack. Have him insert the face-down selection at 27 "Brainweave" was devised in the 1960s and can be found in lhe Collected Works of Alex Elmsley, volume II (1994) by Stephen Minch, page 338. 28 Michael Weber has informed me that since publishing his gimmicked deck version referenced above, he has also lectured about a similar method to the one I describe here, i.e., using a normal deck and Elmsley's "Brainweave" concept. My major contributions to this plot are the specifics of my handling and the idea of using a smartphone camera. 64 double exposure

the point where he stopped you. Square this card into the deck, and then as you start to spread through the cards, say, '1 know your card is lost somewhere in lower part of the deck." Spread until you spot the last face-down card near the center (the spectator's card is buried deeper into the deck, so technically you are looking for the second-to-last face-down card in the deck). Obtain a left little-finger break under this face-down card as you square the deck. 'Tll shuffle once more, so it's totally lost. While I do that, will you remove your phone and open the camera app?" While he is busy with his phone, cut all the cards above the break (I will refer to these cards as the "mixed half" and the rest of the deck as the "other half") and execute a weave shuffle (it doesn't have to be a perfect faro) of the mixed half into the outer end of the other half (pic. 1). In other words, the other half has at least one card above and below the mixed half. Push the interlaced halves of the deck halfway into each other, and turn the cards over (from side to side). Push the mixed half farther into the other half, pushing predominantly with your right forefinger, so that the mixed half shifts and is angled to the left (pic. 2). With your left thumb, square the protruding corners of the mixed half (pic. 3) so that the mixed half emerges at the inner right corner. Keeping your left little finger in the vertex where the two halves meet will help keep the two packets separated (pic. 4, right hand omitted for clarity). repertoire 65

The goal is to get the mixed half sidejogged, and currently only the inner end of the mixed half is sticking out. The following action will be easier if you do not apply too much pressure on the deck, so that it remains somewhat "airy". With your right little finger (pic. 5, from below, left hand omitted for clarity), pivot the outer right corners of the mixed half to the right until the mixed half is sidejogged (pic. 6, right hand omitted for clarity). 29 Arrange all the other spectators around the person who chose the card, so that you can take a group photo. After everyone is in position, execute a pressure fan30 as you move the deck from horizontal to vertical. The cards facing away from you will be mixed face up 29 There are many alternative shuffles to achieve this same sidejogged condition of the cards. Perhaps my favorite is Guy Hollingworth's handling of the Henry Hay false riffie shuffle from his book Drawing Room Deceptions (1999), page 169. 30 A good source for the pressure fan is Expert Card Technique (1940) by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue, page 164. 66 double exposure

and face down, and the side facing you will show only backs, except for the chosen card. Arranging everyone for the group photo before you do the pressure fan prevents anyone from seeing the "unmixed" side of the deck. You will need to hand the fan of cards to the spectator to hold. Say, ((Please hold your hand like this." Hold up your right hand, with fingers and thumb pointing upward, exactly imitating the position/grip of your left hand, except your right hand is empty. repertoire 67

7 Once his hand is in this position, place the fan of cards into his grip. This is a Emoment to note the identity of the chosen card, although it is not crucial that you knc in order to conclude the trick. Take the spectator's cell phone. Ask him to extend the fan of cards toward the phon(make sure the cards are large enough in the frame). Snap a photo of him holdingcards (pic. 7). Pay extra attention to the framing of the fan of cards and make sureselected card is visible (you might need to make small adjustments to the fan to ex1more of the selection, as well as to hide other cards that might inadvertently be showiIt's important to include the face of the cell phone owner as well as the cards. This mit clear that the photo is not faked in any way and also gives him more reason to 1the photo and maybe even share it. Taking the photo in landscape mode is preferaespecially when doing this for a group of people. Most smartphone cameras adjustexposure and focus on the area where you tap, so tapping on the fan of cards might ensure a good photo. If possible, avoid using the flash, as it tends to overexpose thecaHere is an excellent idea from Will Fern. Before taking the photo, you can miscallcards that are facing you, by pointing to the backs of different cards on your side ofspread, saying, "You could have chosen the Six, the Queen, the Seven, or the Ace." Althoyou can't see any of these cards, pretend to see them, and don't name any suits becyou don't want to name a card that might be facing them. You could also ask, "Cansee your card?" This suggests that their card could be showing on either side of theand, more importantly, that you have no idea what their card is. 68 double e x posure

Once you have taken the photo, lower the spectator's hand so the cards are horizontal, with the "unmixed" side facing down. (Be careful that no one, such as children or anyone seated, can see this side of the fan from below.) Square the deck, or let the spectator do it. 7 will make all the cards turn face down, except for the chosen card, which will remain face up. Spread the cards." Of course, when he does, it will seem that the trick has failed. Let him believe this for a few seconds, but don't overdo it. 7 didn't mean it would happen with the cards, I meant that the picture on the phone would change. " Suggestiqg that a magical transformation has happened with the picture on his cell phone is a very strong effect. "Take a look at the photo on your phone. "Make sure everyone gets a chance to see the picture. You will sometimes want to suggest they zoom in on the fan, so they can clearly see the selection. ENDNOTES: When I first started performing this trick, after the picture was taken, I would secretly cull all the face-up cards, except the chosen card, as I would say, "All the cards are thoroughly mixed, and you buried your card somewhere in here. "And before I revealed that the picture on the cell phone had "changed", I would make all the cards in the deck turn face down except the chosen card, as in a standard Triumph routine. Mter performing this trick for a while, I realized that this was not only unnecessary, but was also ruining the impact of the picture transformation. By leaving the cards mixed, the photo becomes even more impossible. My assumption was confirmed by Maestro Tamariz, who even suggested that I should spread the mixed face-up and face-down cards on the table as a reference of contrast, while they look at the photo: Here are three different ruses that will enable you to show both sides of the fan as mixed face up and face down before the revelation. This will strengthen the conviction that the picture must have changed. None of these ideas are necessary for the success of this trick, but they are fun to play with, and you may choose to include one. The first idea is by Arthur Chavaudret. Make sure the camera's flash is off and it is in silent mode. Take a picture of the spectator holding the fan, but pretend that you haven't taken it and that you need to adjust the cards in his hand. Put the phone down and say, "1he cards are not spread well enough." Retrieve the deck, square it, and fan the cards again-face-up and face-down cards will show on both sides of the fan. Put the cards in the spectator's hand. Now pretend to take a picture. Because you have the freedom to show spectators· both sides of the fan, you could, for example, ask, "Do you see your card? No, then look at the other side. Is it there?" Here is a similar idea I have played with. Mter you take the picture ask, "Do you see your card?" They will, of course, say no. While the spectator is still holding the fan, spread the cards in the fan as if you are helping them see more cards, but you are actually destroying the side of the fan facing you, thus creating face-up/face-down mixtures on both sides. My friend Shimshi suggested this lovely idea. Mter you make the sidejogged pressure fan and display the cards as mixed face up and face down, close the fan with one hand (a common move for stage manipulators). You can genuinely turn the deck over, while repertoire 69

preserving the sidejogged nature of the cards, and fan the cards again to show the other side of the deck-they will show all mixed, face up and face down. While maintaining the sidejogged condition of the cards, close the fan again, turn the deck over, and give it another pressure fan. You are back where you started, ready to hand the deck to the spectator for the picture. Finally, one of my childhood friends, Amir Lustig, has come up with an excellent approach for this trick. The handling is almost identical to the original, except that the card is selected after you take the photo! Start with thirteen cards face up on the bottom of the deck. Skip the selection of the card for now, and execute the shuffiing sequence as described. When you give the fan of cards to the spectator to hold, you will only see backs on your side, and the spectator will see a mixture of faces and backs. Before you take the photo of the spectator with the fan of cards, adjust your side of the fan by spreading a few cards in the center until one index shows in the middle-this can be any card. Justify the adjustment of the spread by saying, '11s you can see, these cards are facing in different directions." Take a photo, and retrieve the fan of cards. Before you square the fan, downjog the only card visible on your side, and close the fan. Turn the cards over and obtain a little-finger break above the downjogged card as you square the deck. You will now perform a very easy classic force. Ask your spectator to pull one facedown card from the deck as you spread through the cards. The fact that the force card is face down and surrounded by face-up cards makes this classic force much easier than normal. Once his hand is within reach of removing a card, he can't take any of the face-up cards surrounding the (face-down) force card. Therefore the condition of the cards significantly increases the chances of success for this force. Have him look at the card and show it around, and then have it returned anywhere in the deck. As with the original plot you promise to make all the cards turn face down except his card, and, of course, that doesn't happen with the cards themselves, but with the photo you took before he chose a card. What is great about this version is that having the card chosen after you take the photo makes it nearly impossible for the audience to backtrack. 70 double exposure

repertoire 71

catch 23 F or a while I performed Gary Kurtz's "The Ultimate Chairs Prediction (Plus)". 31 It is a great piece of mentalism that can play for a large audience. But for some reason, I was dubious about the four chairs involved. At first, I thought that the inconvenience of setting them up before the show, or clearing them f~om the stage in the middle of the show, might be the reason for my dissatisfaction. Eventually, I realized I loved the routine but wanted it to be about the four people onstage rather than the four chairs. In general, what makes mentalism powerful is the connection the audience members have with the information involved, e.g., if you were to ask someone to think of an object and then tell him what he was thinking about, I am sure it would get a great reaction. But if you ask him to think of, let's say, an important object from his childhood, then when you reveal the item, you are not just dealing with the object, you are dealing with time, place, and emotion. "Catch 23" is essentially a Chair Test that doesn't use chairs, combined with a Bank Night, 32 in which the contents of the envelopes are related to the people onstage. 33 31 Published by Gary Kurtz as a manuscript in 1997. 32 Bank Night was invented by Tom Sellers and published in his booklet Novel Necromancy (1935), under the title "It's only Chance", page 7. The following year, Floyd Thayer published his version of the effect in Genii, under the name "Bank Night", and it is that name that has stuck. 33 Chair Tests as parapsychological experiments go back to the 1920s. The first Chair Test in magic literature was Aage Darling's "Tele-hypnose" in Bruce Elliott's magazine The Phoenix, No. 155, July 16, 1948. The idea of predicting characteristics of the participants in such an experiment seems to belong to Gerard Croiset from Holland, who was not a magician, but worked as a psychic. 1his was described in Wilhelm H. C. Tenhaeffs De Voorschouw (1961). repertoire 73

PREPARATION: You will need ten No. 3 coin envelopes; a blank check (I actually print mine ·on card stock, as described below); a grease pencil (or china marker); nine blank cards (pieces of thick card stock that will fit in the envelopes); and a nail writer with a grease pencil tip, such as a boon adhesive writer, thumbtip nail writer, or swami gimmick. I happen to prefer a boon, but whichever gimmick you choose, I will refer to it as a thumb writer from here on. Scan one of your checks. In Photoshop enlarge the numeric amount box to about twice its size; this will give you more room to write in with your thumb writer. Print the check onto heavy card stock, anywhere from 65 lb. to 110 lb.; this will make it easier to thumb write on. With the grease pencil, in a loose style that matches your thumb writing, fill out the check as follows (pic. I): Date: The date of the performance. Pay to the order of: Your name. Memo: "Show". Numeric amount: Leave it blank. Written amount: "Lots of money". Signature: Your signature. 74 catch 23

•f 'ou ~ 11ti . en ~op' ~4l.l 4~ ' t€ f'h:tc~ A.nd 4/1 tJ,e ~~ •~··t+c, oo 'lf· On the back of this check, print this statement large and legibly: "If you choose this envelope, you may keep this check and all the money written on it." (pic. 2). This message is longer than it needs to be because in performance you need enough time to do the necessary thumb writing while it is being read. Position this message on the right side of the back of the check, so that it is not behind the numeric amount box. Fold the check in half twice, both times along the short axis, with the face of the check on the inside, in order to conceal the empty numeric amount box. Insert the check into one of the envelopes, seal it, and in the upper left corner of the front (the side without the flap), mark it with a light check mark. A note on sealing the envelopes: I never knew that opening a sealed envelope could be such a tough task, but participants onstage often find it difficult and take longer than desired, creating what we in show biz call "dead time". I prefer to eliminate every unnecessary second in the show that I can. I advise that you wipe all the glue off the flaps with a damp paper towel, let the flaps dry, and then apply repositionable adhesive on the flaps. This creates a weak seal, which shortens the time it takes spectators to open the envelopes. With a regular pen write on one card: "This envelope will be chosen by the only female in the group." Place it inside an envelope, seal it, and in the upper left corner mark it with a light pen~il dot. It is important you write on this card (and on the following three) as large and as legibly as possible. repertoire 75

On another card write: "This envelope will be chosen by the only person with glasses." Insert it into an envelope, seal it, and in the upper left corner mark it with two light pencil dots next to each other. On the next card: "This envelope will be chosen by the only m:;1n with facial hair." Insert it into an envelope, seal it, and in the upper left corner mark it with three light dots in an inverted triangle. The fourth card says: "This envelope will be chosen by someone named [blank]." Leave a blank space at the end, after the word "named", which will be filled in later. Insert this card into an envelope, but don't seal it, and in the upper left corner mark it with a small X. Here are the mnemonics for the marks: a check mark for the envelope with the check, one dot for the one female, two horizontal dots resemble glasses, three dots in a triangle suggest a pointed beard, and the X is for "sign your name on the X". Stack this set of envelopes in this order from top to bottom: one dot, two dots, three dots, X, and check mark. Place these in your right back pocket. Take the other five coin envelopes, insert one blank card into each, and seal them. These won't be opened onstage, so they can (and should) be securely sealed. With a grease pencil, number each envelope on the front, one through five- I recommend you write these numbers with the thumb writer as large as you can, so that the style will match the writing you will do in performance. Place these envelopes in order inside your left back pocket. Finally, place the thumb writer into your right front pocket. (I like to have a few of them in my pocket, since they tend to disappear or get trapped in the corner of my pocket.) Before your show, mingle with the crowd and look for a man who has no facial hair or glasses. Find out his name in a way that won't be memorable to him. There are many ways to do this: If you are performing in a theatre, secretly point out the person to an usher and ask her to get his name while "checking his ticket" and report back to you. In non-theatre contexts, you can ask the host to give you the name; you can get his name while performing close-up magic prior to the show; eavesdrop on a conversation; read place cards on tables; consult guests lists; combine a facial recognition app on your smartphone with hacking into the FBI database. In other words, do whatever works, but the less contact you have with the spectator prior to getting him onstage, the better reaction you will get from him. Once you get his name, write it down on the card inside the envelope marked with an X, which completes the sentence "This envelope will be chosen by someone named ... " Seal the envelope, and return it to its position in the stack in your right back pocket. PERFORMANCE: Remove the envelopes from your left back pocket and, while displaying the numbers on them, say, "I have five envelopes numbered one through five. In one of these envelopes there's something valuable that I am trying to protect. I will give four random people a chance to guess which envelope it is in. " 76 catch 23

Mix the envelopes, then place them back into your left back pocket, as you start inviting people up to the stage. You will need to choose people who match the descriptions on your cards, but you still want this to seem casual and random. Even though you will be choosing the participants, you should create the feeling that you could use any four audience members. Therefore, it is important to apply the following ploys that will help create the illusion that the people are picked randomly. The first person invited to the stage will be the one whose name is writteq. on the fourth card. If you can, point to a person who has already assisted you in the show and ask, "Have you been onstage yet?" When he says, "Yes," say something like, "Oh, of course. With the lights, I didn't see it was you. '' Casually ask the person whose name you secretly obtained if he has already helped during the show. You know that he hasn't, and when he answers, "No," invite him onstage. Fortunately, beards are now in fashion, so it's likely you will have a few candidates in each audience that wear beards but not glasses. (The term "facial hair" is used on the card to give you many options- goatees, mustaches, beards, mutton chops, etc.) It's not uncommon to spot two or more men with facial hair (without eyewear) sitting together. ln that case, approach them and say, ''And if one of you would care to join us, that would be great. "That's the closest you get to having an actual random volunteer onstage because you give them the option to choose who participates. Many people also wear glasses; this will allow you to apply some of the same techniques mentioned above. A few things to consider with the bespectacled: They might choose to remove their glasses as they make their way to the stage or before it's time to read their card. If you realize that your spectator is about to remove his glasses, you could use a stage whisper, something as simple as, "Please keep your glasses on. " Another way to increase your chances of having your spectator keep his glasses on is to choose him wisely. If you spot someone with thick glasses (the kind referred to as Coke-bottle glasses), there's li_ttle chance he will remove them during the performance. I have also noticed that the fancier the glasses, the less likely it is they will be removed. This problem can happen in reverse with the other three people onstage-when it's their turn to read the note, they might pull out reading glasses and wear them. (This is why I stressed the importance of writing as large and clear as you can.) A stage whisper can be helpful here as well, only this time you would whisper, "You look better without them. " Also, when you have the option, choose younger people, as they are less likely to need glasses to read. Regarding the "only female in the group": If you discern that most of the women in the room don't wear glasses (and don't have facial hair), take a chance and ask one of the men onstage to randomly choose a woman from the crowd. If that's not possible, point to a person (who fits the description of "female") toward the back of the room and say, "Would you mind joining me?" As soon as she stands, act surprised and say, "Oh, my bad, I meant someone else, but you will be fine. '~again, with the hope that the audience gets the impression that it could have been anyone. repertoire 77

Invite the people onstage in the order that you want them to line up from stage right to stage left, i.e., the "named guy" first, followed by the "bearded one", then the "bespectacled man", and finally the "only female". As she comes to the stage, remove the five blank envelopes from your right back pocket and hold them in your left hand. Place your right hand into your front pocket and attach the thumb writer to your thumb. Ask the woman to name a number from one to five. As soon as she answers, turn away from her, almost as if you didn't get a chance to hear her choice, and tell the audience, "They can choose any number they want. "Of course, while you are addressing the audience, you secretly write her number on the envelope marked with one dot. This puts some time in between the moment the number is said and the moment you do the secret writing. Turn back to her, and ask her for her number, as if you didn't hear it the first time. (This method is called "the deaf technique", and it comes from the ingenious Juan Tamariz.) Make it seem as if you are looking for her number, and as you do, slide her envelope to the middle of the stack (think of it as a reverse Hofzinser cull). Remove and display the numbered envelope, and hand it to her. As you deal with the other participants, to avoid making it obvious you are handing out the envelopes in order, sometimes slide them and pretend to grab them from different spots in the stack, and sometimes take them from the top (they are apparently in a random order). Ask the bespectacled spectator to make his choice. To delay the moment of writing you can say, '~s we go along the options become fewer and fewer. " Write his number on the envelope marked with two dots, and hand him his envelope. Repeat the process with the bearded man. With the last man, you will have two envelopes left, so feature that fact. "There are only two envelopes left, and that means you have fewer options. But I'll tell you something they didn't know: The 'valuable envelope' is still in play, which means you have the best chances-fifty-fifty. So which one will it be?" Look at the envelopes and pretend to read the numbers on them; of course, you are just saying the last two numbers no one has chosen, but without indicating which is which. Once he makes his choice, secretly write his number on the correct envelope and hand it to him. Commit to memory the four-digit number created by the four selections, reading from stage right to left. On the last envelope write the number nobody chose and hand it to someone in the front row. Say, ''Make sure this envelope is completely sealed; that nothing can get in or out. " Once the audience member has inspected the envelope, instruct him to open it and remove its contents. Take the check from him, unfold it, and display it, covering the numeric amount box with your left fingers. Turn it around and hold it by its ends, with the back facing him. Ask him to read out lo.ud the statement written on the back. As he is reading it, in the numeric amount box, thumb write the four-digit number that matches the order (stage right to left) of the envelopes chosen by the four people onstage. Make sure you are positioned in such a way that the people onstage cannot see you doing this secret writing. Just take care that your body is blocking the check from their line of sight. After the audience m~mber reads the statement aloud, turn the check over, and ask him to verifY a few things. "Where it says 'pay to the order of: what name does it say?" He will 78 catch 23

read out your name. '1 had a feeling it should be addressed to me." Point to the written amount line. "And you agree, that's lots of money?" He will have to agree (it's up to you if you want to keep this between the two of you or turn it into a joke and share it with everybody). The last piece of information you ask him to read out loud will be the amount of money written in the numeric amount box, e.g., $4,251. Remark, "Which is funny because this number is very similar to the order in which the envelopes were chosen. Everybody, show us your envelopes. " Point to each person onstage, one at a time. ''Four, two, five, and one, which is exactly the amount on this check!" Fold the check and put it into your pocket, ditching the thumb writer at the same time. (I actually like to tear the check before I put it away; it's an amusing moment that suggests I'm being careful about someone taking the check and cashing it.) Moving on to the final sequence, you will ask the participants, one at a time, to open their envelopes, take a step forward, and read their cards out loud. (Be vigilant and make sure no one opens their envelope prematurely.) Before each spectator reads, say, "What is your name? Chris [or whatever their name is], please read your card. "For the best build, do this in the same order they chose the envelopes. In other words, start with the "only female" and then move stage right, ending with the "named guy". Before the last person reads his card ask, ''And what is your name?" The reason for this is obvious. If the audience doesn't know his name, then the climax will be lost on them. While, technically, he is the only spectator whose name needs to be known, it would be odd if he were the only person whose name you asked for. (The other benefit of asking for their names is that it implies you didn't plan anything with them before the performance.) Say to him, "You will do something different from everyone else. You are going to read this only to yourself" He will read it and visibly react, which will cause the audience to react. Then say, "You're dying to read it aloud, aren't you?" He will read it out loud, and the audience will react again. In a strange way, this makes it feel like two climaxes, instead of one. 34 ENDNOTES: You can vary the descriptions that the spectators read. You don't have to use the ones I explain here. Keep in mind that the descriptions have to mention characteristics that are immediately apparent to the audience. Some suggestions: the only teenager, the only person wearing green, the only Asian, the only redhead, the only one in aT-shirt. Finally, avoid mentioning anything that someone might be sensitive about. 34 Nthough I wish I could claim credit for this clever idea, it is actually quite old. I've seen many performers use it, and I don't believe its origins are known. repertoire 79

the trick that never ends T he title of this trick is not just a cheap way to get your attention, it describes an experience that theoretically can be created. Obviously, there is a point where you indicate that the trick is over, but what makes it live beyond that-perhaps forever- is a presentation that enables the climax to resonate long after the trick is finished. I cannot take credit for this brilliant concept, as many have applied it to their work. Perhaps foremost among them is Chan Canasta, whose work has influenced me a great deal. The plot is similar to many other card tricks: A spectator names a card and then it is found. But the emphasis here is on the fact that the spectator himself not only cuts to his named card, 35 he also makes a choice that could alter the outcome of the trick, or so it would seem. I find this to be a great opener because it is direct and quick. This trick uses a memorized stack (the specific stack doesn't matter-! use Mnemonica). In the endnotes, I will explain a version can be done with a thoroughly shuffied deck. Each has its own advantages, and I use them both, depending on the circumstances. 35 An early version of [his plot is "A Card is Called For" from Laurie Ireland's Ireland Writes a Book (193 1), page 18. repertoire 81

PERFORMANCE: While holding the deck in your left hand ask a spectator to name a card. Let's assume he names the Seven of Spades (thirty-seven in Mnemonica). Cut enough cards to the bottom of the deck to get the selected card as close to the top as possible (instead of an open cut you can execute an invisible shift, depending on your skill set). With practice and experience, you will increase your ability at cutting straight to the desired card, but most of the time you will likely be a few cards off. After the cut, glimpse the bottom card and see how close your estimate was. I use the turnaround glimpse. 36 Here are the details. After the cut, you are holding the deck between your hands, left hand from below, right hand from above in end grip. As your left hand lets go, your right hand rotates the deck clockwise, and your left hand turns counterclockwise, retakes the deck, then rotates back to its starting position, turning the deck 180 degrees in the process. During this turnaround, the deck naturally pivots from horizontal to almost vertical, and back to horizontal, giving you a chance to glimpse the bottom card (pic. 1). After the glimpse, you will know which of these four scenarios you are in: 1. Your estimation was dead on, and you cut the desired card to the top. 2. Yo1,1r cut brought the desired card dose to the top, and you now need to shift (with an open cut or an invisible pass) a few more cards to the bottom to bring the named card to the top. (I favor a simple double undercut.) 36 The turnaround glimpse was published by Ed Marlo in The Multiple Shift (1961), page 56. 82 the trick that never ends

3. You cut past the card, and it is at or near the bottom. When executing the initial cut, cutting too few cards (the previous scenario) is preferable to cutting too many (this scenario), because if you cut too many and the card ends up at or near the bottom, adjusting for that is more difficult and awkward. If it is, say, fourth from the bottom, you will need to shift or cut four cards to the top. 4. Your first cut didn't bring the desired card anywhere near the top or the bottom, which means you will likely need to execute many cuts to fix this problem. I strongly suggest that you practice your estimation skills to avoid this scenario. As an example, after the initial cut, let's say you perform the turnaround glimpse and the bottom card is the Eight of Clubs (thirty-three in Mnemonica). You will need to shift three more cards from the top to the bottom to get the Seven of Spades on top. Casually spread the cards as you say, "Your card could be anywhere. " Sight count three cards, obtain a break under the third card as you square up, and shift those to the bottom. All of these cuts and adjustments should appear as if you are mixing the cards. Now that the named card is on top, you are going to palm the card with your right hand and allow that hand to relax by your side. Although palming a card at this point shouldn't raise too much suspicion, since in their minds the trick hasn't even started, a well-executed palming technique is desirable in case someone tries to backtrack the workings of this trick. I use a one-handed palming technique, 37 and even though minimal movement is needed to cause a card to travel the short distance from the top of the deck into your palm, this small move requires some cover. Hold the deck with your right hand in end grip (ready for the one-handed palm). Gesture with both hands palm upward while exclaiming, "You could have named any card. " At the end of this statement turn your hands down. Execute the one-handed palm as you transfer the deck from your right hand to your left. By burying this little move within a sequence of actions (movements larger than the steal itself), you decrease the chance of anyone suspecting or detecting the palming of the card. This might read like overkill, but one of my goals with magic is that the mystery remains long after the trick is over. In some cases, good magic has the potential to become even more mysterious over time in people's memories because you left very few fingerprints of dirty work behind, and eventually, even these fade away. With your left hand stretched away from you, hold out the deck of cards, and ask your spectator to cut anywhere he likes. Point out the fairness by saying, "You can cut as deep or as shallow as you would like, be it half the pack, one card, or most of the cards, it's up to you. "Mter he cuts off a portion of the deck, say, "Place the cards on the palm ofyour hand. " To ostensibly demonstrate what you mean, bring up your right hand-with the palmed 37 A good source for the one-handed palm is Roberto Giobbi's Card College, volume 3 (1998), page 705. repertoire 83

card-and tap the cards in your left hand, adding the palmed card to the top. This may seem bold, but trust me, this add-on goes completely unnoticed. Just make sure you clearly keep your overall focus and attention on the spectator's cards, and don't look at your packet as you execute the add-on. Immediately drop your right hand to your side, and keep holding the cards in your left hand in the same position as before, still stretched away from you. People forget the moment of the add-on because it seems like an incidental demonstration of a simple instruction; the memory they will have is that your left hand (with the deck) was always stretched out and away from you. ((You could have cut anywhere you wanted, correct? Before you stop here, you get a chance to cut more cards, it's up to you. You realize that your decision will change the outcome of this trick. I don't want it to be a rushed decision. Therefore, I will count to jive so you can consider this offir. If you choose not to cut more, you might ask yourself What would have happened if you did? This could be a lifelong contemplation, so please enjoy your jive seconds of consideration. " Count to five and allow him to make a decision. Let's assume he decides not to cut further. Ask him to restate his selection; he will say, "The Seven of Spades." Instruct him to turn over the top card of your packet to find his named card. If you stop reading at this point, you might wonder, "But what if he had chosen to cut off more cards?" And that is exactly the point I am trying to make. Laypeople ask the same question. Even though the trick is over and the spectator freely cut straight to his card, he still walks away with the question: "What would have happened if I had cut more cards?" A question that might never have an answer- and thus a trick that could potentially never end. I suggest you stop reading and explore the feeling you might have now; this could illustrate what your spectators would feel at this point. Okay, you're back. Let's imagine that the spectator does decide to cut more cards. Simply allow him to do so. When he cuts more cards and places them on top of his portion, the Seven of Spades will now be on top of his packet. As soon as he cuts more cards, drop your left hand which holds the remaining cards, making them unimportant. Focus your entire attention on his portion, as if that's where the focus was all along. 38 Ask, (./lre you happy?" I love the ambiguity of this question because it implies that he could have cut even more cards if he wanted to, but it's unlikely that he will reply, "No, I am unhappy." If he does, just pat him on his shoulder and say, 7 am sorry to hear that. " ((Would you agree with me that a few seconds ago the top card was different than the one after the second cut?" He must agree with you since you are telling the truth. Have him turn over the top card, which will be his chosen card. And the question remains: What if he hadn't cut again? 38 This subtlety is one aspect of the concept that Max Maven calls "the high-end gambit", which he developed in the 1980s and described on his DVD Multiplicity (2010). 84 the trick that never ends

ENDNOTES: Here is how to do the trick with a shuffled pack. After the cards have been mixed, spread the deck face up between your hands, so that a spectator next to you can see the faces. Only enable her to see about eight or so cards in the middle; you can achieve that by only allowing a small portion in the middle to spread wide enough to see the full indexes. As she is staring at the cards say, '1fyou were to choose a playing card ... " Pause, and then move the cards away from her (toward you) as you finish, " ... which card would you go for?" You will be surprised, but she is very likely to name one of the cards she saw in the spread, and since you are looking at the faces of these cards, you can quickly cut this card to the top of the deck. (This ploy can be applied to many tricks.) There is a type of dual reality here; to the spectator it seems as if you asked her to name one of the cards she saw, but since you completed the question while the cards were away from her it seems to the audience that the card she named came straight from her head. There are times where the spectator doesn't fall for this ruse and names a card that wasn't in the spread. In this case, just spread through the cards as you say, "You could have named any card. "Find the named card and control it to the top. Turn the deck face down, palm off the top card, hand her the deck, ask her to shuffle the cards, and have her place them onto your hand. Proceed from this point as described above. In a way the trick starts only when you hand her the deck to shuffle. The End. Maybe. repertoire 85

torn, marked, stabbed, crumpled, burned & restored page 0 ne night, before a performance at Monday Night Magic, New York's longestrunning off-Broadway magic show, where I developed some of the material in this book, I was preparing a book for "Zarkamorta II" . 39 I had been performing this routine for many years, and I expressed my satisfaction with it to a friend. To my surprise, he wasn't as impressed with it as I was. I asked him what he didn't like about it. He said he thought that if someone were to watch my show twice, he would be able to catch me switching the books; in other words, it was good enough to fool someone once, but not twice. I impulsively defended my method for the trick, but I knew that he was right-as a matter of fact, I had already been contemplating a better method for switching the books, but had been too lazy to build the necessary switching device. There were still a few hours before the show, so I rushed to the nearest office supply store to buy what I needed to create the feke (a gimmicked book), and I constructed it just in time to perform it that night (very professional of me). While my execution of the switch was far from perfect, it was more deceptive than the switch I'd been using. 39 This can be found in 13 Steps to Mentalism (1968) by Tony Corinda, page 201. repertoire 87