Envoi I came up with these throws after being taught the classic Blake routine by none other than Johnny Thompson — The Great Tomsoni, Poland's Finest Magician, The Godfather of Magic. Without him, there would be no “Our Kind of Gir(d)l(e).” As it happens, there is also a way to create a “Win/Win” scenario. Though I do not use it in my version, this throw may be of interest to those who already have a routine and like the idea of forming the throws in the hands. Begin as with Throw Three, creating the “X”, but finish as in Throw Two by crossing at the left pinky. This will create a legitimate “Win” 133
on your left and a pseudo “Win” on your right: even though it wont be wrapped around the participants finger in the typical fashion, no one will be able to discern any difference. This is in no way a thorough account of all that is possible. I highly recommend The School for Scoundrels Notes on Fast and Loose71 for further history, presentational ploys, psychology, scripting, types of chains to use, and much more. While I have left out some of my favorite lines, many of which were given to me in confidence, I have included others from sources that are still in print and easy to acquire. The serious student will follow the trail of breadcrumbs and build his own routine. Nonetheless, my friend and gambling expert, Jason England, has some wonderful notions regarding “games of chance” that can find an appropriate home here, too. Jason will downplay the beginning by softening the actual odds: “Now if I were to play you a hundred times, I'd probably only get you 71 Whit Haydn, School for Scoundrels Notes on Fast and Loose (2000). 134
seventy to eighty percent of the time; but I think, right now, that I can probably beat you three or four times in a row.” He will also make the effect more extrapolative and personal by saying, “Don’t sit and examine it for too long; this isn’t about that; this is about your gut instinct and whether I can pick up on that or not”. Jason also uses lines like these to “sell the lie” that there is a fast side and a loose side each lime the pattern is thrown: “Now, I don’t want you to stare at the chain while you’re deciding. Anyone could stare at the pattern long enough and eventually figure out which side is fast and which side is loose. But this isn’t a test of your vision; it’s a test of your instincts... against my intuition” . Moreover, he’ll convey the difficulty of achieving true randomness: “If you flipped a coin to decide which side to pick after I place the chain on the table, I wouldn’t do any better than fifty-fifty against you. That’s because I wouldn’t really be playing against you; I’d be playing against the coin. But you’re a human being and all of us (myself included) are incapable of truly random actions.” 135
Jason may also cushion the player’s inevitable failure by saying, “The best we can do is to approximate randomness with complex mathematical formulas that we would have to do in our heads. Since you probably don’t have any of those formulas memorized, you’ll fall victim to some of the same old psychological patterns that human beings have been dealing with for thousands of years. “For instance, are you right or left handed? . . . Right handed? Well, statistically speaking you’ll reach for the loop on your right about eighty percent of the time on your first choice, just by being right handed. Now that you know that I know that, you might try to fool me by going for the left loop. “But of course, now that we’ve brought up the idea of double-crossing me, perhaps you’ll just stick with your original choice after all. And now that we’ve brought that up .. . well, you can see that these mental you-know-that-I-know-thatyou-know double-cross attempts can get pretty complicated rather quickly, huh?” Alternatively, Jason will say, “People are beings incapable of truly random actions and the 136
knowledge of this fault in our human nature is what enables a win so often, for me, in the short run. “Of course,” Jason writes, “that’s all bullshit.” I couldn’t agree more. Indeed, the whole idea that one side holds fast and the other lulls loose is a complete lie; to me, that’s the appeal of the whole thing. One last thing: I’ve gone back and forth on. the way to present “Easy Money.” I usually go from ones to hundreds, but lately I’ve liked the idea of changing $2 bills (which already have some inherent charm because of their apparent rarity and the fact that some people don’t even think they’re real) to twenties. This alternative is not only a more affordable investment; it also adheres to a sound piece of psychology mentioned to Tommy Wonder by Joop Fenstraa: The best bill to use is a twenty, so that the wager is substantial and creates interest from the start. The bill, though, should not be too high in value. A hundred dollar bill would make the bet seem to pat and people wont take the wager seriously.72 72 Tommy Wonder and Stephen Minch, The Books of Wonder, Volume 1 (1996), P- 65. 137
P ART III
Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate. — Sun Tzu The Art of War (c. 500 BCE) If I know better than you know what I am up to, it is only because I spend more time with myself than you do. But if you surreptitiously insert grounds for false belief into my stream of consciousness, you can make me think I am making “free” decisions when it is you who controls my actions. The basic technique has been understood by magicians for centuries: Magicians now call it psychological forcing, and it is remarkably effective in able hands. — Daniel C. Dennett Freedom Evolves (2003), p. 243
PART III Update The magician makes a grand entrance and asks three members of the audience to each announce a single digit between zero and ten. To show the powers of his influence, however, he prefaces their decisions with lines from familiar nursery rhymes. After jotting down their responses in case they need to be referenced later, the conjuror announces that before he walked out on stage he wrote the three digits he would attempt to make his participants choose. Turning his back to the crowd, he reveals an untouchable card safety-pinned to the back of his jacket. Someone from the audience removes the card and reads off the three digits printed on its face: they are a perfect match. 143
Proem T'A. Waters’ magnum opus Mind, Myth & Magick is a work that will forever secure his place as a visionary in our field.73 Buried among this tome’s assortment of inspiring ideas is a trick cleverly titled “Backdate.”74 Waters’ effect is simple and staggering. The performer asks three participants to name a single digit each, and he dutifully records their numbers on a pad of paper. He turns his back to the audience, revealing an index card safetypinned to his jacket. Someone in the audience is 73 T. A. Waters, Myth Mind & Magick (1993). Ibid., pp. 665-68. Waters often gave his tricks punning titles that iirilliantly summarize their effects. 145
invited on stage to unpin the note and read it to the audience. Printed on the card are the same three digits just named by the participants. Like many great effects, Waters’ routine was based upon a vintage effect with a rich and interesting history. The record indicates that the pinned-card concept was already a “classic” when one M. Longueve, a “distinguished and ingenious amateur” magician, performed his version at a gathering of colleagues in February 1944. The great Persian wizard Medjid Kan Rezvani was present for Longueves performance, and the effect made such a deep impression on him that he eventually made an “improvement of the procedure,” which was documented as “The Card Over the Heart” in Maurice Sardinas La Magie Du Sorrier.75 Later, Peter Pit and Persi Diaconis enhanced the concept further by moving the pinned object from the front to the back.76 75 Maurice Sardina (Dariel Fitzkee, translator) The Magic of Rezvani (1949, original work published 1946), pp. 40-41. Literally translated, this wonderful title is “Magic from the Wizard.” 76 Peter Pit, “The Card on the Back,” Genii (July 1981), pp. 442-43. 146
Richard Himber helped himself to their idea in his marketed version, “Triple Winner,’77 crediting the source in his advertisements with a gibe: “Paging Peter Pit.”78 I first learned of the basic plot by reading Danny Korem’s “Card On Tie.”79 As clever as the method was, the trick never captured my interest. It was only when Waters’ book forced me to reconsider its potential that I began to develop the solution detailed below. “To the best of my knowledge,” writes Waters, “I am the first person odd enough to think of applying this principle to mentalism.”80 When I read those words I thought, Odd? No, no, no, my dear Mr. Waters... Ingenious! His proposed method simply relied on a piece of elastic to pull the threaded card tautly Richard Himber, “Triple Winner” (1964); see also Ed Levy, editor, Richard Himber: The Man and His Magic (1980), pp. 59-63. In Himber’s version a coin purse is pinned to the back of the performer’s jacket, which Pit retorted “makes no sense” (Peter Pit, supra note 72, p. 442). /8 See e.g., Richard Himber, advertisement for “Triple Winner,” Genii (June 1964), p. 356. 79 Paul Harris, Las Vegas Close-Up (1978), pp. 124-28; see also Michael Ammar, Easy to Master Card Miracles, Volume 8 (2004). 80 T. A. Waters, Myth Mind & Magick (1993), p. 668. 147
against the back of the jacket. After trying it as explained, I honestly wondered if this effect had ever been performed as written. All I ran into were problems: if the elastic was too long it wouldn’t be able to overcome the friction on the line, leaving the card dangling comically behind me; if it was too short its tension would cause the jacket to buckle unattractively. I never could find the sweet spot. Waters suggested that the incorporation of a reel might be a good idea, but he left all of the details to the readers imagination.81 In my first attempts the reel did manage to pull the card home some of the time, but its variable tension would cause a snag as often as the desired result; I simply couldn’t be certain that the card would wind up “pinned” face-to-jacket. Furthermore, following Waters’ suggested rigging would make it impossible for me to remove my jacket, which is something I occasionally do for dramatic reasons. As cool as this effect seemed to be in my dreams, I came to the provisional conclusion that it was probably too impractical, unreliable, and ultimately just 81 T. A. Waters, Myth Mind&Magick (1993), p. 667. 148
plain frustrating. But something in me wouldn’t give it up.... Others have yearned for a successful conclusion to this effect as much as I have. My friend, the incomparable Luke Jermay, for example, after discussing the plot with Johnny Thompson and me, published a brilliantly structured presentation in his Genii column, “The New Mind.”82 As far as I know, however, because the methodology referred to Pit’s original, it remained technically unreliable, as my own experiments had initially revealed: any number of undesirable potentialities could transpire. After years of tireless experimentation, I came up with a way to make the method nearly always dependable.83 I used this routine as an opener for several years at my show at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and I have also performed it on many occasions at The World Famous Magic Castle in Los Angeles, much to the puzzlement of lay audiences and 82 Luke Jermay, "So Old It’s New,” Genii (September 2007), pp. 20-22. 83 Of course, when you are dealing with mechanical apparatus, problems can arise. 149
magicians alike. However, I have never forgotten that this method exists simply because I wholeheartedly believed what Waters rightly suggested: “[I]ts strength more than makes up for [any of its weaknesses]:'84 Many magicians over the years who have seen or heard of me doing this effect have called and asked me to teach it to them for use on shows such as Americas Got Talent. I have always declined, even though I can easily see how powerful it would be to say to Mr. Mandel, “Howie, please, come up here and remove this business card that I pinned to my jacket before coming out on stage tonight...” Unlike its predecessors from the magic world, this mental version has nothing to do with a card “appearing” pinned to your garments. On the contrary, the audience must be convinced that the card was pinned to your jacket well before it's revealed. Waters, therefore, was correct to observe that “[t]his effect has one weakness — it must be used as an opening item.. .”85 One aspect 84 T. A. Waters, Myth Mind &Magick (1993), p. 665. “ Ibid. 150
of my methodological additions to this trick is that this “weakness” can be turned into an advantage. Before my shows at The Mirage I was able to greet the audience as they came in, allowing them to see the card “pinned” to my jacket. Many would question what the card was doing there; I would simply smile, cheekily raise an eyebrow, and respond, “Ah, yes, I’m glad you noticed; that will be important later.” This allowed me to build interest before the show. And then, with less than thirty seconds before the show, I would retire to a dark corner, instantly set up the trick, and walk out on stage ready to do what Pit called “one of the best parlor effects”86 imaginable. 86 Peter Pit, “The Card on the Back,” Genii (July 1981), p. 443. 151
Preliminaries Supplies My experimentation has led me to settle on the following supplies. You may not be able to acquire all of the particular brands that I use; however, you should be able to find reasonable substitutes with very little trouble. □ A SPOOL OF SYNTHETIC THREAD. The thread I use is Coats & Clark Transparent Nylon Thread, Size .005. One spool will probably last a lifetime; I've had the same spool for many years and have no plans to purchase another. This brand is strong, thin, and requisitely slippery. 153
□ A SEWING NEEDLE. Any small needle will work, as long as you can easily pass a single line of the synthetic thread through its eye. □ A 0.2-INCH BINDER clip. This cheap and handy device will make the pre-show setup much easier. □ A RETRACTABLE ID BADGE REEL WITH APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES OF LINE. These can be purchased cheaply in any office supply store. My local store sells a package of six for only a few dollars.87 This should be more than enough: the last reel I rigged has lasted over ten years without any need of repair, let alone replacement. □ A SIZE 3 SAFETY PIN. This larger pin will be easier for your participant to open and remove. Furthermore, the curving end of this 2-inch pin will help to ensure that the card winds up flush with the jacket 87 While these usually come in assorted colors, black electrical tape will provide the necessary camouflage. 154
4- A bu siness CARD. The card must have some blank space on at least one side. If your business cards have printing on both sides, use blank business-card stock instead. 4- A SMALL, SPIRAL-BOUND NOTEPAD. Any small notepad that is large enough to hide the business card will probably work here. The pad must also fit comfortably in the front left pocket of your trousers. An example of the perfect size and style is the Mead Cambridge Memo Book. 4- A pen. I use a Cross Tech3+ Multifunction Pen, which can switch between black ink, red ink, and pencil. Any pen will work, but this one allows me to add a minor layer of deception: the black barrel of the pen implies that I am recording the participants’ responses in black ink; however, I am really filling out my “prediction” in red.88 88 Cf. John Thompson, Polished Polish Prestidigitation (1981), p. 23, citing Ed Balducci’s “Twin Prediction Miracle” from Burling “Volta” Hull, editor, The New Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mentalism, Volume 2 (1973), pp. 20-21 cf. also Cody Fisher, Comedy Confabulation (2010) and John Lovick, “Vainfabulation,” MAGIC Magazine (August 2011), pp. 65-66. 155
Setup As indicated, I went through an arduous period of trial and error before figuring out how to make the following mechanics simple and reliable. Even though I will explain how to set this up, you will probably have to experiment a bit to find out exactly what ratios will work for you. The Reel I tried several different reels before I settled on the one that I use. One that I strongly considered was a janitors key-chain reel modified to the same specifications that Tommy Wonder recommends in his brilliant “The Ring, the Watch and the Wallet.”89 However, I finally found that a simple ID badge reel worked best. These inexpensive reels are compact, relatively silent, and (best of all) will work without any mechanical modifications other than removing the ID clip from the stopper at the end of the cord. 89 See Tommy Wonder and Stephen Minch, The Books of Wonder, Volume 1 (1996), p. 304. 156
With the ID clip removed the only other minor change you should consider is covering the housing with black tape to camouflage the reel. I attach the reel to one of my left-side belt loops, but as you will see, you may need to alter this placement depending on your body type and the length of the retractable cord. The Line It may take a few attempts to find the proper points to lace the synthetic thread through the back of your jacket; however, once you have it configured correctly, future setups will be much 157
easier. To make this process clear, I have used white thread in some of the photographs. First, you must estimate how far up the back of your jacket the thread will reach when the reel's cord is maximally extended. You will be lacing the thread through the back of the jacket at a central point right between the shoulder blades, and it is imperative that the reel's cord does not put obvious tension on the fabric. So, to begin, attach the reel to the frontmost belt loop on your left side and extend the cord up to your chest; this is just to approximate how far the cord will extend to the back of your jacket. With that estimation in mind, also reach behind your back with your free hand and find out how far up your back you can reach with your fingers: you’ll have to be able to reach the card and pull it around to the front if you want to set the trick up by yourself quickly and easily just before the show begins. If the reels cord is a tad long you will want to be sure not to stitch the line (as I describe below) too far up the back of the jacket: the closer toward the collar you go, the less room you 158
will have to move freely when you are holding the card on the pad during the performance. Using your chest as a guide, estimate how far down from the back collar you think the end of the retractable cord will comfortably be. I have found this to be about the length of my hand, from fingertips to wrist, measuring down from the collar. Of course, depending on your reel and body type, this measurement could be different for you. Cut off a 12-foot piece of synthetic line from the spool and thread it on a sewing needle. Tie off the ends, creating a large loop. This loop is longer than what is required, but you will 159
shorten it later while aligning it with the other upcoming threads. Estimate the position in the lining side of the jacket that corresponds with your outside measurement. Peel back any pleating in the inner lining to expose the center seam. Then, just barely to one side of the center seam, push the needle through the single layer of silk lining and then through the back fabric. Turn the coat to the back side and send the loop of thread over and around the seam. Push the needle back through the fabric and silk lining so that only about a centimeter of thread is exposed across the seam. Finally, pull 160
on the thread until the tied end and needles’ end are even. Finish this first of three lines by cutting the needle off the loop; then tie all the ends together, forming a new closed loop. Repeat this process with two more 12-foot loops of synthetic thread, stitching these so that there is about a centimeter of space between each of the descending loops. Gather all three of the loops and tie their ends together so that they can behave as one line. Carefully put on your jacket as you bring the unified lines around your left side, running from your back and around the shirt to the belt 161
loop where the reel is attached. Pull the line relatively taut so that the threads hug the left side of your body, but not so taut that they cause the back of the jacket to buckle. With your free right hand, grab the end of the reel's retractable cord and pull it toward your mouth. Hold the end in your teeth to free up the right hand. Using three or four secure knots, tie the line of synthetic threads onto the reels retractable cord — not to the cord's stopper, but to the cord itself (this will allow the line to slide freely on the reels cord). Although the cord is extended, you need to tie this knot as close to the opening of the reel as possible. 162
Before you trim off any excess thread, be sure that the line is held snugly against the body by the reel's tension. The line should hug the curvature of your torso, but it should not be so tight that the tension causes the back of your garment to become misshapen. It is better to err on the side of too loose rather than too tight and simply rely on the excess thread to tighten things up a bit. If you need to tighten the line, you can take a few inches of the excess thread and tie some extra, cinching knots. These will help to bring everything into the proper position because each knot will take up some slack. 163
The Card You will need to put some work into the card to assure that it flips flat against the jacket when the reel delivers it there. Be sure to use card stock that has some thickness to it so that it holds the work well and will resist any buckling from the safety pin. To put the work in, use your thumbs to roll one edge toward yourself and around your first fingers as if rolling a joint. Do the same thing on the opposite end, only in the opposite direction. This will put an Sshaped crimp in the card. 164
Push the pin through the card, just below center, and back through the card just before the lop edge.
In performance, you will want to leave the top of the pin just a centimeter past the edge of the card. Leaving the head of the pin extended beyond the edge of the card will help to ensure that the card rolls around as it comes to rest against the back of the coat instead of becoming stuck writing-side out, exposing the gaffus. Remember, one of our fail-safes is the curvature of the pin. If the reels tension should cause the card to become snagged in the wrong direction, a mere ruffling of the jacket can turn the pins safety catch into a fulcrum. 166
I used to use the spring end of the pin as the fulcrum; I soon noticed, however, that because the pin can slide up and down through the card, the spring end could wind up extended too close to the edge to serve as an effective countermeasure. The safety catch end, on the other hand, will extend considerably beyond the edge of the card no matter what. Even if the pin slides down the card, the safety catch will act as a stopper, leaving the head of the pin sticking out far beyond the edge. Furthermore, this orientation makes it easier for the participant to remove the pin from the jacket. 167
The Pad As indicated, the pad need not be too big. All that matters is that the card fits completely within the edges of the writing surface. I often use the small ParaPad from ParaLabs (which allows me to use something that I already carry in my case for other purposes). Pre-Show The setup above will easily allow you to get ready for performance in a matter of seconds without any assistance. First, pin the card to the three invisible loops that go around the jackets center seam. 168
Attach the reel to your belt loop. Extend the cord and pinch it at the reels base with the binder clip. 169
Using the right fingers, slide the synthetic lines knot to the stopper at the end of the cord, extending the length of the combined cord and line as far as possible. Then, reach back with the left hand and lightly take hold of the card. With the right hand, help feed the line through as the left hand pulls the card under the left arm and to the front of the body. Place the card on top of the notepad and hold it in place with your left thumb. Grab your pen and set it to write in red. Remove the binder clip from the cord and set it aside. 170
Now get as comfortable as possible: your movements will be slightly restricted for a bit, but it will be worth it. You are about to open with a quick, concise, and extremely powerful demonstration of psychological influence and mind control. 171
Method & Presentation As you walk out on stage be careful not to flash your back to the audience. Whether or not you have greeted the audience before the show, you don’t want them to see that the card isn’t “pinned” to your jacket at this point. Begin your opening monologue with something along these lines (though not verbatim, please): “Best of evenings to you, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Paul Vigil. Some people call me a magician; others call me a mind-reader or even some kind of psychic. We will be getting 173
into all of those kinds of things tonight. As you can see, my hands are full; I don’t have a lot of time, and there’s a lot of territory to cover. Here, at the beginning, Id like you to ponder something. Do you think it's possible for me to come out here and predict what some of you may or may not do? “Allow me to warm-up by attempting to send some small, but significant pieces of information to a few of you. You see, I have some specific statements that I'll use to see if I can influence a few of you along certain lines. “I'd like to start here, with you, sir. We’ve never met, is that correct? And, I haven’t asked you to help me out in any way?” The man will confirm that nothing has been prearranged. Ask him for his name and continue: “Alan, it’s nice to meet you. Now, I want to assure the rest of you that nothing has been set up ahead of time, and no one has been asked to help me out in any way; everything that you will see tonight is happening right here and right now. “In a moment I will ask you for a single digit between zero and ten, not zero or ten, but 174
between zero and ten; you understand?... Good. The specific statement I have to influence you, Alan, is — please, listen carefully — ‘One, two, buckle my shoe; BLANK, four, unlock the door.’ “Now you understand what the obvious number would be to put into this ‘blank’ space, but I want you to choose a digit that’s not so obvious. Understand? . . . Great. And what number comes to mind that you’d like to add here?... Two? Very well.” Begin to write the selected number on the business card as you say, “I’ll record these numbers just in case we need to verify them later.” Once you have written down his number, turn your attention to a lady in the audience. “And you, ma’am. Hi, what’s your name? . . . Beth? Thank you so much for coming, Beth. Would you mind helping me? You won’t need to leave your seat or anything. “See, what I’m about to show you won’t work with just anyone, but I do think it will work with you. “I promise not to do anything to make you look bad, and I won’t tease or make fun of you in any way. You’ll help me?... Great. 175
“Please listen carefully to just one simple statement that I’m hoping will work for us here. ‘Snow White and the BLANK dwarves.’ “‘Just a number, please — you know the drill — somewhere between zero and ten. Which would you say? . . . Eight? . . . Okay, eight. But why? Perhaps you would like to change your mind__ No? Are you sure? I just don’t want you to say later that I didn’t give you a chance to change your mind You’re certain. Very well.” Write the selected number on the business card just to the right of the first number as you say, “Eight it is.” Turn your attention to a man in the audience who can easily approach the stage and ask him for his name. Thank him for coming to the show and continue: “Chris, do you mind helping me? I promise this will be fun. I have one last statement that I’m hoping will work with you. “Here we go, listen carefully: ‘BLANK blind mice. See how they run?’ “Again, you know the obvious choice, but make a decision of your own here — a number between zero and ten that’s not so obvious. 176
“Six? Perfect! And I’m not going to give you a chance to change your mind” . Write down his number on the business card to the right of the others. As you put the pen into your left breast pocket, turn your attention to the audience at large and say: “Do you think it’s possible for me come out here and predict with absolute certainty that a few strangers would give me the number 286 ?. . . No, of course not. But that’s not what this has been about. “However unpredictable human beings might be, we certainly can be influenced; and I said this was about influencing each of you with specific statements, along certain lines. Chris, can I have you come up here and help me for just one more moment?” Following Waters’ handling, as the participant stands, take the pad in your right hand, now holding the card in place with your right thumb, and immediately put the pad under your left arm, letting the card go free. The reel will pull the card to the back of the coat. It might not, however, become perfectly flush . . . yet. 177
Once the pad is under your arm begin to clap your hands encouragingly and say, “Let's give Chris a big round of applause.” As Chris moves toward the stage, take the pad from under your arm. To reiterate, look down at the pad and call out the numbers, pretending to read them off the page. Close the pad with the right hand; then, with your left hand approach the left trouser pocket to put the pad away. Under the cover of this natural action, secretly engage the thread with your left thumb. 178
Even if the released card is dangling a few inches loosely behind you, simply putting the pad into your trouser pocket will further tighten the line and pin the card against the jacket: you will feel the card snap home.90 Remove your left hand from your pocket and allow the line to come off of your thumb. Everything is now pinned down as it should be, and the reels natural tension will hold everything in place for the upcoming display. By now, Chris should have approached you. Gesture with your left hand to have him stand to your left and slightly downstage. “You see, earlier I took one of my business cards, and I wrote three digits on the back of it — the three digits I've been trying to get to the three of you. “And do you know where I put this card? ... I put it where you’d know I'd never be able to touch it.” 90 One great aspect of the reel here is that even though there is no longer any slack on the line from the card’s side, the reel’s cord will provide enough give on the opposite end to allow you to freely get the pad into the pocket smoothly. 179
Roll your shoulders and then raise your hands in the air like the victim of a stick-up. These actions will cause the fabric of your jacket to ruffle, and (with any luck) can flip the card into position if it isn’t already. Slowly spin on your feet, turning around clockwise, to reveal the pinned card to the audience. Once you have turned a full circle and are again facing the audience, lower your hands and make a little less than a quarter turn further clockwise so that your back is now facing Chris. “Is that business card legitimately pinned on there, Chris? . . . Great! I want you to verify that it is. Go ahead and pull on that. But wait! Let me brace my jacket.” As your hands move from rest position up to your lapels, covertly hook your left fingers around the line. Grip the line tightly along with the fabric of the lapel so that when Chris tugs on the pin, he will be unable to move it from the back of your coat. Furthermore, it will give him the perfect tactile illusion of the pin being attached to the fabric of your jacket. 180
“Chris, if I were to take the pin off myself they’d all accuse me of cheating. But they trust you completely. You have verified that the card is legitimately pinned on there, yes? . . . Please unfasten the pin and remove it from my jacket, but try not to tear the fabric, and more importantly, please don’t poke me. Also, don’t jump ahead of me and read that card or show it to anyone just yet.” Once he has removed the pin, let go of the line and extend your left hand as you say, “Hand me the sharp object; you keep the paper one. I don’t trust you with this, and they don’t trust me with that.” 181
Take the pin, close it, and put it away in one of your pockets. “Let's recapitulate. Alan, did I ask you to help me out beforehand in any way? No. In fact, you had no idea I was even going to choose you, and it surprised you that I did. “Beth, did anyone approach you and ask you to help out with my show? Of course not. “And, Chris, you, too, had no idea that you were going to be called on, let alone be up here in front of all these people. Is that correct? ... Of course it is. “I started with you, Alan. You pretty much could have chosen any number in the universe — well, any of them between one and ten. Nevertheless, you said, ‘Two.’ You really have no idea why you decided on that number, but you did. Please, Chris, what's the first number written on that business card?.. .Two!” Raise your hands in the air and say triumphantly, “Yes!” The audience will applaud at this automatic cue. 182