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CONVERGENCE a card at number e ! ect ect by Cameron Francis
Introduction The perfect ACAAN (Any Card At Any Number) effect is considered by some to be the “Holy Grail” of card magic. The following effect is not a Grail. It is, however, a very practical and workable solution to the any card at number effect. It uses two decks which will turn some off. However neither deck is gimmicked and both may be examined. “Convergence” also instantly resets, doesn't require a crib sheet, memory work, estimation or any sleight of hand. These are conditions which magicians who actually perform for real people should find appealing. The inspirations for this routine are my good friend Dave Forrest's effects “Route 1” and “Autobahn” (www.full52.com (www.full52.com), ), Ken Krenzel's “It Can't Be”, produced by Tannen's Magic (www.tannens.com (www.tannens.com), ), Al Baker's “A Card And A Number” from “The Encyclopedia of Card Tricks” (Available at all good magic shops), and Paul Gordon's “Twin Peeks” from his book “Cool Card Stuff” and his dvd set, “Card Startlers” (www.paulgordon.net (www.paulgordon.net). ).
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E! ect ect The magician proposes an experiment in fate as he introduces two decks of card; one red and one blue. The blue deck is placed in front of a spectator and the magician never touches it again. The red deck is removed from its case. The magician shows that boldly written on the back of each card is a different number. A second spectator names ANY card (Really!). We'll say it's the Two of Diamonds. This card is removed from the deck. Another card is randomly selected. Let's say the number on the back of this card is 29. The spectator now uncases the blue deck. He counts down 29 cards... The 29 th card is the Two of Diamonds!
Preparation You need: ! ! !
A complete red backed deck A complete blue backed deck A Sharpie marker
Remove the Jokers from each deck and discard them as they are not needed. You will now uncap the marker and boldly draw numbers on the backs of the cards. Fig. 1 shows an example. The chart below tells you which numbers go on the back of which cards.
Fig. 1
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RED DECK CARD:
2H 8S KD 9C JD 6C 4S QH 7S QD 5S AC 7D 6S 8C 10D 2S 7C 8H KS 9S 7H 2C 4H JC 9H
NUMBER ON THE BACK: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
JS KH AS QC 9D 6D 5C AH 4C 4D 3C 10C 5D 10S 3D QS 6H 3S 3H 8D JH KC 5H AD 10H 2D
27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
You can give these cards a good shuffle as they do not have to be in any particular order orde r. Now stack the blue deck in the following order from the top down: BLUE DECK QC, 5H 5H,, 10S, 6D 6D,, 8S, 3D 3D,, AH AH,, 9C, 4H 4H,, 9S, 2H 2H,, JD JD,, 4S, 3H 3H,, 5D 5D,, 7S, QH 7S, QH,, 4D 4D,, 5C, 10H,, 6H 10H 6H,, 4C, QD QD,, AC, 8D 8D,, 6C, 8H 8H,, 10C, JH JH,, 9D 9D,, 6S, 3S, 2D 2D,, JC, AD AD,, AS, KD KD,, 7D,, 2S, 7H 7D 7H,, KS, 9H KS, 9H,, 3C, KH KH,, KC, 5S, 8C, 10D 10D,, 2C, JS, 7C, QS
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Case both decks. In order to perform this effect, you need to be familiar with the formula for the Si Stebbins stack. This is very easy to remember. If you aren't familiar with it, the Si Stebbins Stack is a cyclical stack in which the every card in the stack is 3 higher than the previous one. The suits run in ChaSeD order (Clubs, Hearts, Spades, Diamonds). Let's start with the Ace of Clubs. To find the next card in the stack, you add 3 to the Ace: 1 + 3 = 4. 4. Since our starting card is a Club, the next suit is Hearts. So the next card in the stack is the Four of Hearts. After the Four is the Seven of Spades. Then the Ten of Diamonds, followed by the King of Clubs, followed by the Three of Hearts, etc. The complete Si Stebbins stack is laid out at the end of the document. As you can see, this is a very easy formula to remember.
Performance 1. Say, Say, “Do you believe believe in fate or destiny? destiny? I do. But I believe believe that that we create our own fate. And I believe that it is created partially by choice... and partially by chance. Let's put my theory to the test right now using two decks of cards.” Produce the two decks of cards. Place the blue deck in front of a spectator and say, “This blue deck will represent fate. Hold onto this for me. I won't touch it again.” 2. Pick up the red deck deck and say, say, “This red deck will will represent represent the choice choice and the chance.” Uncase the red deck. Turn to another spectator and briefly display the backs saying, “On the back of each of these cards is a number. We'll get back to the numbers in a moment but first I want you to make a choice.” Turn the cards face up and spread them across the table from left to right. Say, Say, “Name any card in the deck.” Let's say the spectator says the Eight of Hearts. Remove the Eight from the spread.
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You will now determine which card you need to force by using Si Stebbins: 8 + 3 = 11 (Jack). (Jack). The next suit is Spades. So your target card is the Jack of Spades. Simple! Do not feel pressure to rush the calculation process. Just do it in your head during the following sequence. Say, Say, “Now, “Now, as you can see, the cards are all different and you could co uld have named any one. But you chose the Eight of Hearts.” As you say this, starting at the far right end of the spread and working left, use your right fingers to lightly brush the cards to the right. Brush the Jack of Spades slightly harder so that it slides almost complete under the card to its right. 3. Scoop up all of the cards cards to the left left of the the Jack of Spades. Spades. Drop Drop these cards on top of the card to the far right and scoop up the rest of the spread. The Jack is now at the back of the face up deck. If you don't have a table and are doing this in the hands, run through the deck and remove the Eight of Hearts. Say, Say, “Now, as you can see, the cards are all different and you could have named any one. But you chose the Eight of Hearts.” As you say this, spread through the deck looking for the Jack of Spades. Once you spot it, stop spreading and casually cut the Jack to the back of the deck. If you feel comfortable culling, you can also cull the Jack to the back as you spread through. 4. Turn Turn the Eight face face down and say, say, “On the back of the the Eight is the number number 19. But we won't use that number. Instead we'll find a number using chance.” Note: At this point, I will sometimes perform a face up Hindu Shuffle, pulling the cards from the middle so as not to disturb the card at the back of the deck. However, this is not completely necessary. 5. Keeping the the deck face face up, hand it to the spectator spectator and ask ask her to start start dealing cards on the table (or onto another spectator's hand). Say, “You can deal the cards one at a time or in small clumps. It doesn't matter. Whenever you feel like it, stop dealing.” Wherever she stops, tell her to place her face down Eight on top of the face up pile on the table. Then have her place the rest of the deck on top of all. The Jack of Spades is now positioned just above the the reversed Eight of Hearts.
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6. Turn Turn the deck face face down start spreading spreading cards cards as you say, say, “As you can see, all of the numbers are different. Whichever number your card landed on will be the one we use.” (Displaying the different numbers gives you a very good reason to turn the deck face down. It also provides a nice amount of time misdirection which makes it nearly impossible for the spectator to back track and realize that the card directly under the reversed selection is actually the card which was under the deck the whole time.) 7. Stop spreading spreading when you see the the face up Eight of Hearts. Hearts. Take Take the Eight Eight and the face down card below it (the face down Jack) and place them on the table next to each other. On the back of the face down Jack is the number 27. 8. Say, Say, “So we have the Eight Eight of Hearts Hearts and the number 27. A freely named named card and a totally random number. Choice and chance.” Turn to the spectator holding the blue deck and say, “Will you please uncase the blue deck... Now hold it face down and deal 26 cards face up onto the table.” 9.
After the 26 cards have been dealt, say, say, “If we're lucky, lucky, choice and chance have converged to create... fate. Turn over the 27 th card...” She does and it is the Eight of Hearts.
Reset The blue deck: Turn the face up cards face down and drop them on top of the remaining packet of face down cards. Case the deck. The red deck: Turn the Eight face down. Pick up both face down cards and drop them on top of the rest of the deck. Case the deck.
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Note To give the effect less of a two deck feel, you could use a miniature red backed deck and write the numbers on the back of the cards. This will make the trick easier to carry around as a mini deck takes up a lot less pocket space. Plus it might give the trick more visual interest. I haven't tried this so if you do, please let me know how it goes.
Alternate Stacks You do not have to use the Si Stebbins system for this effect. I use it because it's easy for me to remember. However, However, you can use u se whatever cyclical stack you want. For example, let's say you want to use your own personal stack. Instead of adding three to the value, you only want to add two. And let's say the suits run in SHoCkeD order (Spades, Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds). We'll assume you have not numbered your red backed cards yet. Here's what you need to do: Pick up your blue deck and give it a good shuffle. Once you are satisfied that the cards are well mixed, square up the deck and place it in front of you, face down. Grab your red backed deck and a marker. Spread the red deck face up in front of you. Turn the top card of the blue deck face up. Let's say it's the Seven of Spades. 7 + 2 = 9. 9. The next suit in ShoCkeD order is Hearts. So you are looking for the Nine of Hearts. Remove it from the face up spread of red backed cards, turn it face down and draw a 1 on its back. Turn the next blue backed card face up and place it on top of the first. Let's say it's the King of Diamonds. 13 (King) + 2 = 2 (Cyclical stack, remember). The next suit after Diamonds is Spades. Remove the Two of Spades from your face up spread and draw at two on the back.
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Repeat this procedure for the next 50 cards. Once you have finished, turn the blue deck face down and case it. Give your red cards a good shuffle and case them. You You are now set to perform perfor m the trick! Now let's say you've already numbered your cards and stacked your blue deck, but you are not happy with your new system and want to go back to using Si Stebbins (or any other stack you want). You do not have to re-number the cards. All you have to do is re-stack your blue deck. The easiest way to accomplish this is to stack the red backed deck in order from 1 to 52 according to the numbers drawn on the back, 1 being the top card of the deck. Spread the blue backed deck face up in front of you. Turn the 1 card face up. Let's say in this case it's a Nine of Hearts. Instead of adding three, adding three, you will subtract three: subtract three: 9 – 3 = 6. 6. And the suit which comes before Hearts before Hearts in ChaSeD order is clubs. So you are looking for the Six of Clubs in the face up blue backed deck. Remove the Six and place it off to the side. Turn over the 2 card. Let's say it's a Five of Diamonds. 5 – 3 = 2. 2. Spades comes before Diamonds in the ChaSeD sequence, so you are looking for the Two of Spades in your blue deck. Remove it and place it on top of your Six of Clubs. Repeat this procedure until all of the blue backed cards are in a face up stack. Case the blue backed deck. Shuffle the red backed deck and case it. You are now ready to go.
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BOLD CONVERGENCE The title says it all. This is bold. However, It is extremely direct. The one aspect you do lose is the visual of seeing the card and number from the red deck as the spectator deals the blue cards but this is a minor loss.
Preparation The only difference in the preparation is that you need to stack the blue deck so that it corresponds with the numbers on the back of the cards in the red deck. In other words: The Two of Hearts has a one drawn on it in the red deck, so the Two of Hearts would be on top of the blue deck, followed by the Eight of Spades, King of Diamonds, Nine of Clubs, etc.
Performance 1. Place the the blue deck deck in front front of the spectator spectator.. 2. Open the red deck deck and spread spread it face face up. Ask the spectator spectator to touch touch any two cards. Whichever cards are touched, slide them out from the spread. Turn the deck face down and place it aside. Let's say the two cards are the Queen of Diamonds and the Four of Spades. 3. Pick up the cards cards and hold them so that that the backs backs are facing you. you. Say, Say, “Out of these two, which would you like to be your selection?” If she says the Queen, glance at the back of the Four and note the number which is 7. Place the Four face up on the table and then say, “Okay. So the Queen of Diamonds is your card.”
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If she says the Four, glance at the back of the Queen and note the number which is 10. Place the Queen face up on the table and then say, “Okay. So the Four of Spades is your card.” For the purposes of the rest of the explanation we'll say she picked the Queen. 4. Look at the back of of the Queen and miscall miscall the number number. Say, Say, “The number on the back of the Queen is 7. But we won't use that number. Instead, we'll use the one on the back of the Four, which is...” You will now do a U.F. U.F. Grant Monte switch as you apparently apparen tly use the Queen to turn the Four face down. Here's how it's done: Place your left first finger on the lower left corner of the Four. Holding the Queen along the right long side, thumb on top, fingers below, slip it under the Four. Gripping both cards between your right fingers and thumb, turn them over. Once they are both face down, use your right first and second finger to push the top card onto the table. Drop the face down Four onto the deck. This all happens very quickly and should look totally natural. Say, “The number 10 is the number we'll use.” 5. Immediately Immediately pick pick up the face face down Queen and and drop it on top top of the deck. deck. Give the deck a cut. Say, “So the Queen of Diamonds and the number 10.” 6. Have the spectato spectatorr uncase the the blue deck deck and count down down nine cards. cards. Recap what happened and the fairness of it all. Then have him turn over the tenth card to reveal the Queen of Diamonds.
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The Si Stebbins Stack AC, 4H 4H,, 7S, 10D 10D,, KC, 3H 3H,, 6S, 9D 9D,, QC, 2H 2H,, 5S, 8D 8D,, JC, AH AH,, 4S, 7D 7D,, 10C, KH,, 3S, 6D KH 6D,, 9C, QH QH,, 2S, 5D 5D,, 8C, JH JH,, AS, 4D 4D,, 7C, 10H 10H,, KS, 3D 3D,, 6C, 9H 9H,, QS, 2D 2D,, 5C, 8H 8H,, JS, AD AD,, 4C, 7H 7H,, 10S, KD KD,, 3C, 6H 6H,, 9S, QD QD,, 2C, 5H 5H,, 8S, JD
[email protected] www.cameron-francis.com
© Cameron
Francis 2010
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