777 an aficionado’s collection of close-up mentalism
by r.w. cosley (reddevil)
777 by r.w. cosley (reddevil)
Dedicated to my wife, who can always read my mind and has been the source of every bit of magic I have ever experienced.
nd
2 Edition (April 2015)
Copyright © 2014 by R.W. Cosley (RedDevil). All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder.
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contents #acknowledgments..........................................................4 #1 creaturecard.................................................................7 #2 deckwavoque .............................................................21 #3 deckwACAAN ..........................................................30 #4 the willy of oz ...........................................................41 #5 the kiss force .............................................................47 #6 Cold-reading queens ................................................51 #7 positively! .................................................................60 #8 ternbata .....................................................................71 #9 the personality of a force ..........................................84 #10 good samaritan ......................................................88 #11 lifelock...................................................................100 #12 card camera ..........................................................124
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#acknowledgments
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Why would you purchase a book of mentalism from some unknown guy who calls himself RedDevil on the Internet, of all things? Well, the answer may be a moot point because if you are reading this, you have already taken the plunge. And I want to start by saying thank you for believing in this project. Contained in little bits and bytes and pixels, this e-book represents many hours of passion, study, and tinkering. Its title is an allusion to an idea I saw in Banachek’s Psychological Subtleties 2, which you should buy right now so that you can find out what it is. The book also represents a lot of mentoring, encouragement, and criticism from others who have generously shared their time with me as I travel on my path in this wonderful art we call mentalism. Who am I? I am the proudest hobbyist of mentalism and magic you have never met. In fact, I almost titled this book “Aficionado Diablo Rojo,” which loosely (or poorly) translates as “Red Devil Hobbyist.” I am not ashamed to say that I am not a professional mind-reader, but instead a 40-year old husband and dad who still giggles like a kid when he gets an opportunity to learn and study and perform and witness great magic and mentalism. I am a human being smitten for the last thirty years with all things that relate to our great art. Probably just like you, I was that 8-year old kid asking his mom and dad over and over and over again to watch the same card trick.
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I am that guy who lives in a small town in the Deep South in the USA where I have not a single soul with whom to compare new ideas and principles. And because of that, I turned to the Internet to find others like me. That’s where I found many of you. I am someone who has been given a great gift of help and consultation by several busy and patient human beings. Some of these artists have forgotten more about mentalism than I will ever know, but they saw something in me or in an idea of mine. They graciously offered me a word of encouragement, honest and brutal criticism, mentoring, or just plain ol’ precious time. I am very grateful to Bob Cassidy, Banachek, Rick Maue, Richard Osterlind, Pablo Amira, Peter Turner, Michael Murray, Art Vanderlay, Atlas Brookings, Greg Arce, Andrew Brown, Neil Somerville, Madison Hagler, Tony Miller, and Laurence Hookway for being one of those people for me, even if it was just an email or message to offer me a nugget of hope that I was on the right track. These fine people have either Skyped with me, read my materials, emailed me, critiqued me, or offered advice to me. I was a complete stranger, and they could have ignored me. But they didn’t, and I will not forget it. I am honored that you had faith enough in me to buy this book, and I am pretty doggone nervous in putting myself out there. I am hoping you will use and enjoy 777.
R.W. Cosley (RedDevil), Deep South, USA, Southern accent and all…
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#1 creaturecard
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INTRODUCTION This piece came to me in a flash of inspiration after learning about Michael Murray's “Comparative Uncertainty Principle,” which you can now learn more about in his wonderful book A Piece of My Mind. I call it the "Creaturecard." PREPARATION On the blank side of a business card, write a list of the following creatures: Spider Bat Rattlesnake Bee Eel Caterpillar Dragonfly Dog Mockingbird Python That's all. Put it in your wallet, and anytime you want to divine the exact creature a person has mentally chosen, pull it out and ask them to make a free choice. Or better yet, just memorize this short list, and you will have a billetless routine of mind-reading that will you will be extremely happy to perform at a moment’s notice.
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METHODOLOGY The card's structure is built so that you can use two wonderful principles of prop-less mentalism: Michael Murray's "CUP: Comparative Uncertainty Principle” from his book A Piece of My Mind. If you want to learn the real work on this tool, you MUST get a copy of Michael Murray’s book, A Piece of my Mind. This idea is just one of many in this brilliant masterpiece of a book of mentalism. The basic method of the CUP is the idea that you can know what word someone is thinking of from a closed set of three choices by how long it takes him to think about how many letters make up the word. Thus, you can actually “see” his thinking by observing his facial expressions and body language. Thus, if you ask a person who has chosen a 3-letter word to think of how many letters are actually in the word, he won't even have to think. He will get it immediately. If it is a 5/6-letter word, he will only think about it for an instant, but will give you enough of a pause to let you know it was more than three letters. And if the word has 7 or more letters, he will visibly have to struggle for a second in order to get the right number. It is obvious when you see it. Because of this tendency of the human mind, you can use these visual cues to instantly discern which word from a 3-word set that the person has chosen, whether short, medium-sized, or long. 9
With this in mind, I have set up the Creature Card to take advantage of this discovery. Inlaid in the list of creatures is a pattern of short, medium, and long words. Eye-Accessing Cues I showed the beginning stages of this routine to Peter Turner in a Skype session, and originally, I was using a standard closedquestion pumping method to divide the creatures into two categories (more on that later). After talking with me, he suggested I go in another direction: the use of eye-accessing cues. It was Bob Cassidy who first published this sneaky little mindreading strategy. Since then, Derren Brown, Peter Turner, and Ben Seward (“COG”) have done a lot of work using this tool, which uses the movements of a person’s eyes as a clue as to what category he is thinking of in his mind. Using eye-accessing cues, you will be able to come as close to real mind-reading as one can come. WHAT PATTERNS DO YOU SEE? The list of creatures has three anagram structures built into it that are completely hidden to the spectator, but that will allow you to identify which creature he has in mind. You can utilize the list by just showing the card to the spectator and asking him to choose a creature, but I think it is actually better to memorize the ten creatures and perform it billet-less. What I do is pretend I am thinking of creatures off the top of my head, and I just ask the spectator to think of one.
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The First Part of the Anagram The first division you can see in the list pertains to the categories of creatures. Look closely. Do you see a pattern? Four of the creatures can fly (Bat, Dragonfly, Bee, Mockingbird). Six of them cannot fly (Dog, Eel, Rattlesnake, Spider, Caterpillar, and Python). This is very useful. Using eye-accessing cues, you will accurately eliminate either 4 or 6 of the creatures instantly. I will show you how in a bit. The Second Part of the Anagram Each word in the list is actually paired with a partner word of similar length: Creatures that fly—Bee/Bat (short) and Dragonfly/Mockingbird (long) Creatures that don’t fly—Dog/Eel (short), Spider/Python (medium), and Caterpillar/Rattlesnake (long). As you can see, you have a pair of short words and a pair of long words for flying creatures. For creatures that are earthbound, you have a pair of short, medium, and long words. This is set up perfectly for the CUP’s strategy. By asking the spectator to think of the length of the word in letters, you will ascertain easily what pair of words on which to focus. The Third Part of the Anagram Each pair of words contrasts in exactly the same way. See it?
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If you will notice, one creature in every pair of words has many legs, and the other has zero/two legs. Examples: Dog (four legs) vs. Eel (no legs) Caterpillar (many legs) vs. Rattlesnake (no legs) With this built-in contrast and knowing the length of the word, a single pumping question of “This creature doesn’t have a lot of legs does it?” will give you the exact animal. THE BASIC WORKINGS Using the anagrammed structure of the list, you can ascertain the exact identity of the creature in just a few prompts. The anagram works like this: 1. Fly vs. No-Fly First, you must know whether their creature is a land/water-bound creature or a creature that flies. To obtain this information, you will use eye-accessing cues by creating a unique picture in the spectator’s mind. As you perform the script below, observe the spectator’s face and eyes very closely: “Okay you have a creature in mind that you have chosen. Do you want to change your mind? Okay great. Let’s do a little mental exercise and see if you can send me a flash of either a picture of the creature or the actual word itself. Some people are more visual-based thinkers and 12
some are more language-based. We will have to see which one you are. First, I want you to think of a picture for me. I find that the sillier the picture is, the easier it is to pick up on…” “Here’s want I want you to do. If your creature can fly, I want you to imagine that it is flying as a pilot of an old World War I airplane. He is wearing a fancy scarf, and he has challenged a big duck in a race through the sky.” It is just silly enough for him to imagine such a thing, and this is where the beauty of using eye-accessing cues comes into play. For some reason, most people have to physically move their eyes and look up and to the side when they want to imagine something that is not real. You see this all the time in conversations with people, but you do not really notice it consciously. Thus, if his creature is one that flies, you will see your spectator move his eyes up (or possibly down) and to the side, trying to imagine the picture you have described. He cannot help himself. If his creature does not fly, you should expect to see very little visible change/movement. Now that you know that the creature flies, you also know it has to be only one of four different creatures: Bat, Bee, Dragonfly, or Mockingbird. You have just eliminated six of the ten creatures without the spectator saying a single word. Important point: If you get an eye-cue response at this point, great. But either way, it is vital that you then move on immediately to the next picture for the earth/water-bound creatures. You don’t want the spectator to see you studying this too closely. Instead, your
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presentation should be a smooth stack of tasks with no apparent or awkward pauses between them. After you describe the flying picture, immediately describe the earth/water-bound picture. Remember to continue to observe the spectator’s face and eyes very closely. “…But if your creature cannot fly and travels on land or water, I want you to imagine this creature sitting in a soft velvet chair, smoking a cigar, drinking his favorite beverage, and playing chess with an old squirrel.” By this time, you will know what category the creature belongs (flies vs. does not fly) because on one of these tasks, the spectator will give you an obvious eye-movement clue that he is forming a picture in his mind. If you see the spectator use the eye-accessing idiosyncrasy for the earth/water-bound creatures, you now know the creature is a Dog, Eel, Spider, Python, Caterpillar, or Rattlesnake. 2. Short, Medium, or Long Word Now that you know the type of animals on which to focus, it is time to use the CUP’s strategy to whittle your set of creatures down to a single pair of two living creatures. "Hmmm…like I said, some people are more language-based thinkers, so I want you to think of the word for the creature itself. Please spell the word for this creature in your mind and place the word on a big mental movie screen in front of your eyes. Of course, you know exactly how many letters are in this word..." The underlined statement is a little subtlety of the CUP’s strategy that 14
Michael Murray gave me after viewing this routine himself. Instead of asking the spectator how many letters are in the word, simply state as an assumption that “you know exactly how many letters are in this word…” This will force him to verify the assumption with his mind, giving you a visual cue that allows you to judge how long the word is, whether short or long. If he hesitates too long or you can tell he is struggling to count the letters, you are working with a pair of long words (whether Caterpillar/Rattlesnake or Dragonfly/Mockingbird). If he hesitates just a second and then gets it, you are working with the medium words: Spider/Python (you don't have medium words in the Flying Creatures group). Note: The medium pair of words can often be the hardest to ascertain as you work on your CUP skills. That is why these two words have been strategically placed as the first and last word on the list of creatures, which should dramatically decrease the chance that one of them is chosen. Thus, you are trying to eliminate Python and Spider from consideration so that you only have short and long words. This makes CUP’s wonderfully easy! If you can tell he quickly knows exactly how many letters that the word contains, you know you are working with a pair of short words, whether it is Dog/Eel or Bat/Bee. Again, I have to emphasize how important it is that you do not delay in your presentation. You only wait an instant after you state to him that
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he knows “how many letters are in this word” before you say, “Or just think of the word itself if it helps.” You don’t want to appear like you are transparently observing him for a visual reaction. In his book, Michael emphasizes this point heavily as well. There should be very little discernible pause in the statement. Thus it looks like this to the spectator: "Hmmm…like I said, some people are more language-based thinkers, so I want you to think of the word for the creature itself. Please spell the word for this creature in your mind and place this word on a big mental movie screen in front of your eyes. Of course, you know exactly how many letters are in this word...or just think of the word itself if it helps." This is all you need in order to discern how big the word is, whether small or large. You now have eliminated 8 of the 10 words, and you are now ready to learn exactly which word he has chosen. With the 3rd anagram structure, it is extremely simple to do. 3. PUMP to discover the single word In the spectator's “eyes” up until this point, all he has done is imagine a few things for you. He hasn’t told you a thing, and in his view, there is no way you can know what creature he has in mind. Unknown to him, however, you have now eliminated all but two possibilities: a creature with many legs (4 or more) or a creature with few legs (none or two). Now, with one simple closed question, you will get your answer.
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“Okay, for some reason, the image is working better than the word for me. I am getting more pictures than anything from you. Hmmm…for some reason the concept of ‘legs’ is sticking out to me. I am getting something about legs. This may sound strange, but this creature doesn’t have a lot of legs does it, like four or even more?” Because of the way the pairs of words are structured, there is an obvious choice. Let’s review the pairs again:
Earthbound Pairs Dog vs. Eel—4 legs vs. No legs Spider vs. Python—8 legs vs. No legs (again, most of the time you should not be dealing with these two words) Caterpillar vs. Rattlesnake—Many legs vs. No legs Flying Pairs Bee vs. Bat—Many legs vs. Only 2 legs Dragonfly vs. Mockingbird—Many legs vs. 2 legs
If he says, “Yes,” you then say, “No wonder. I am seeing a lot of legs on this creature.” If he says, “No,” you then say, “No wonder. This creature has no legs at all, does it?” (if earth/water-bound) Or if a flying creature, “I thought so. Maybe just two legs…like a person.” 17
You get the idea. Just base your response to the specific pair you have in mind. FINALE Once you have the exact creature in mind, you then go on to describe the picture you have already staged in his mind, but now with the creature as the star of the show. “Okay, allow me to share the impressions I am getting. I see a red biplane, something like the Red Baron himself would have flown. Sitting in the cockpit is this big black and yellow bee with a big white scarf wrapped around his neck, and he is whipping the duck by a mile in the air race!” “Okay, I see a quiet room in my mind. Two players are crouched over a dusty chess board. Cigar smoke is everywhere, and smoking a big puff, sitting in a big red velvet chair, is a giant Caterpillar! And he just took the squirrel’s queen!” For the actual spectator, you are just embellishing the picture you have already set for him, and you have impossibly revealed his chosen creature. As an added bonus, for other witnesses to the effect, they think you are actually describing a specific scene that he has thought of in his mind. By adding details about colors and actions, you are giving the perception to all that you are truly seeing into his imagination. If you get any of the colors or details right*, the spectator will give you credit for the hits, and the audience will be blown away because they are seeing “real” mind-reading. Thus, you get credit for more mind-reading than you are actually doing. 18
*Thanks to Michael for this suggestion! WRAP-UP This routine involves a business card with a seemingly random list of animals, but again, I wouldn’t use the business card after you have developed the skills to make this routine work accurately. Instead, I think it would be much more impressive if you just memorized the list and casually called out what appears to be a random list of creatures off the top of your head. Then just ask the spectator to remember any one of the creatures you call out. With minimal work, you have a completely billet-less miracle of mind reading. CREDITS Michael Murray—“A Piece of My Mind.” He’s a genius, and his CUP’s is brilliant. He also critiqued this routine and offered some key subtleties in the script that will help you have much greater success. Thank you, Michael! You helped me take this effect to another level, and thank you for thinking of a Caterpillar! Madison Hagler—Maddy served as a sounding board, tough critic, and brainstorming partner to help in the evolution of this effect. Peter Turner—For his mentoring and feedback and time and encouragement. It was Pete that helped me refine the identification of the category of animal by suggesting the use of eye-accessing cues rather than a more transparent pumping question. This is a better effect because of Pete.
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Ben Seward—Even though Peter is the one to encourage eye-accessing cues, I feel obliged to mention Ben’s work “COG,” which uses eyeaccessing cues and is one of the masters of the strategy. Derren Brown—I have been told Derren Brown was also an adopter of eye-accessing cues in his book “Pure Effect.” I have not had the opportunity to read this work. Bob Cassidy—He may be the earliest recorded pioneer of eye-accessing cues, which he uses in “Neuro Linguistic Thought Reading” in his book The Art of Mentalism, published in 1982.
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#2 deckwavoque
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INTRODUCTION The presentation below is a full-deck equivoque presentation in only 3 questions...but without the deck. With most "deckwavoques," the person is aware that choices among a deck of cards are being made. While other published full-deck routines are very effective at convincing the spectators that they are making a free choice, I wondered how the presentation would play out if they never even knew that they were choosing a playing card. What if they were just making "life choices" based on the premise of a personality test? My solution to this is below. You can force any court card in the deck with just three questions. SETTING THE SCENE The power behind this presentation of a full-deck equivoque is twofold: 1. In his mind, your spectator is engaging in a personality test, not a card or mentalism effect. People tend to be more interested in themselves than anything in the world (even mentalism!). Western culture is obsessed with horoscopes, psychic readings, and personality quizzes because its people love to hear and learn about the inner depths and secrets of their individual souls and minds. We are obsessed with ourselves, so we will listen all day long to hear more about our favorite subject.
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In this book, I utilize this truth to our advantage in several routines. Because of the high-level of interest you create by focusing on a person’s unique personality, you have built-in misdirection (both in time and focus). 2. You start this presentation through natural conversation, and by the time he realizes that an effect is occurring, it is too late. This gives him two surprises: the turn of events itself (from an innocent conversation to a mentalism event) AND the actual astonishment you hope to create from the mentalism tool you are using. You can use this presentation in many different contexts. For instance, you can do something simple like having one card in your wallet and using this “deckwavoque” to force that card for a one-card Kolossal Killer-type routine. Bryn Reynolds uses a similar idea in his very clever book The Safwan Papers. Or you can use it for more complex presentations, like the ACAAN (Any Card at Any Number) that I have provided for you later in the book (“DeckwACAAN”). It is limited only by your creativity. DECKWAVOQUE Under the guise of determining aspects of the spectator's personality make-up, you ask the spectator if you can ask him/her three random life questions in which there are no wrong answers. You advise her merely to go with her first thought and intuition, and you offer to interpret later. 23
Each question will have a different function: Color of the Card—Red Dress or Black Dress? Suit of the Card—Shovel or Club? (Black) or Diamond Ring or Candy Heart? (Red) Identity of the Court Card—Father, Mother, or Son? OPENING SCRIPT “I was reading a very serious psychological journal in my kitchen the other day. It was one of my wife’s scientific magazines. You may have heard of it: Cosmopolitan Magazine?” (humor beat) “Well, you obviously know that if you read it in Cosmo then it has to be true, and I found this awesome personality quiz that you can use to measure how well you see reality in the world around you. The weird thing is, the questions don’t make any sense, but these worldrenowned scientists have developed these scenarios to tap into your psychological make-up and inner being. It’s really only three questions. I took it yesterday, and I was amazed at how accurate it was. Let’s see what it says about you. Are you game? Okay great. Here’s the first question.” FIRST QUESTION “Let’s pretend you have been invited to a formal ball to meet the Queen of England. You will be seated at a table with the Matriarch, along with her closest advisers. You, of course, have to decide what to wear? But you only have two dresses in the world hanging in your closet, and you have no time for shopping. One is the color of crimson.
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The other is black as night.. Which dress do you leave hanging in the closet?” Let’s say you want to force a red card. If they say BLACK (will remain in the closet), you then say, "Interesting. You decide to wear the crimson dress instead and let your independent soul shine, and no doubt you will be a bright star to catch the Queen’s eye and conversation.” If they say CRIMSON, you say, "Hmmm…Very interesting. You choose to leave the crimson dress. Perhaps you do not want to outshine the Queen, and this shows your humility and intelligence. Crimson it is.” Obviously, the above description would be used if you needed to force a "red" card. If you need to force a black card, you simply do the opposite and force the color black. SECOND QUESTION Now it is time to force the correct suit. If you need to force a black suit (Spades or Clubs), use the following script: Let's say you are forcing Spades. "You are on an island with your worst enemy. You have only two tools, and you can only keep one. The tools are a big club to hit things with and a big shovel to dig with. I am your worst enemy. Which tool do you give me?” If he says shovel, you say, "Hmmm...you give me the shovel instead of the club." If he says club, "So you keep the shovel?"
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The above description would be used to force the Spade (a shovel is a synonym of spade). If you need to force the Club, just force the opposite tool. But what if you need to force Hearts or Diamonds? Use this script: Let's pretend you are forcing "Diamond." "You take a trip with your mother (or sister) to the grocery store and you decide to buy a cute gift for your wife (or daughter). You spend two quarters in a toy vending machine, and you get a plastic diamond ring on the first try and a chocolate heart on the second try. You decide to take one home to your wife (or daughter if the spectator is a female) for the gift and give one to your mother who watched you buy them. Which do you give to your mother?" If they say the plastic diamond ring, you say, "Interesting, your MOMMY gets the diamond...This says a lot." (milk the Freudian humor) If they say the candy heart, you say, "Interesting, so you keep the diamond ring and take it home as a present, huh? Smart person!" If you need to force the heart, just flip the script and the force. Now it is time to force the correct value of the card, whether you need Jack, Queen, or King. It is deviously simple. THIRD QUESTION “Three people are walking down the road, a mother, a father, and their oldest son. While walking, two of them are bitten by a poisonous snake. Which two of them does he bite?”
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If they name the mother and father, you say, "So you save the son from the venom of the snake. Noble." If they say the child and one of the parents, "So the child and the mother (let's say) are bitten. Who dies?" If they say, the child, you say, "So you choose the child to tragically fall victim.” If they say the mother, "So you save the child from the venom of the snake. Noble." Of course, the above script forces the Jack. But if you need the Queen or King, just adjust your script accordingly. WRAP-UP Once all three choices have been verified, it is time to align their choices to the identity of the card you have forced for whatever routine you see fit. For example, let’s pretend you have forced the Jack of Spades, which is in your wallet. “See, that wasn’t so bad. Some people think these personality quizzes are a load of baloney, but I think they are pretty accurate. Let me tell you why. If we look at the choices you made, you will remember that you decided to wear the black dress for the Queen. On the island, you chose to give your enemy the shovel. And finally, you chose to save the son. Is that correct? It’s interesting because you could have worn the crimson dress instead. You could have given your enemy the club. And if you will remember, you could have saved the mother instead. Well, if you recall, I said that this personality quiz measures your knowledge of 27
reality. Well, in reality, there is one single playing card from an entire deck of 52 cards in my wallet. Open your wallet and display a single face-down card. “What you don’t realize is that by taking this personality test, you actually used your subconscious mind to choose a single playing card from a deck of 52 cards. Cards are red or black, and you chose a BLACK dress. Black cards are divided into Clubs and Spades…or SHOVELS…You chose the SPADE. And finally, a deck of cards has kings, queens, and jacks…or fathers, mothers, and sons…you see? You chose to save the son…the Jack. So we have: Black. Spade. And Jack…The Jack of Spades. Reach into my wallet and see how well you see reality.” SUMMARY Three questions and one card. It's very simple, and the kicker for me is that since they don't know they are picking a card at first, it is much more difficult to back-track and question the equivoque. Also, you might have realized that the number (spot) cards have been totally left out of the equation. For some reason, it is never questioned. When I first started drafting this solution, I used an extra question to obtain “numbers or pictures,” but then I realized that I didn’t need the extra question. It just flows and goes right by them. Try it for yourself and see. CREDITS While this presentation of equivoque is not based directly on the work below (with the exception of Max Maven), it certainly is inspired by it.
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Max Maven—Video Mind. This was my initial teaching tool and first real exposure to quality equivoque. Joshua Quinn—“Deckuivoque” from Paralies Greg Arce—“Scorched” Colin McLeod—Penguin Lecture Joshua Jay—“Inferno” Chris Philpott—Intimate Mysteries (I have not read this work or seen its contents, and I arrived at “Deckwavoque” independently. With that said, I have been told that my effect is similar to his work, so I asked Chris to read it. He gracefully gave me his blessing to publish it.) Connor Jacobs—He provided some initial feedback on the presentation that helped me make it a 3-question presentation. Thanks, CJ!
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#3 deckwACAAN
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INTRODUCTION What if you could let a spectator choose "any" number from 1-50 and then force a specific court card located at that same number? What if it works every time? As long as the spectator feels they have a free choice, you have achieved the Holy Grail (in their eyes). Of course, like all other ACAAN's, you must cheat a little. THE PREMISE Unlike most ACAAN's, the spectator will never know in this effect that a deck of cards is involved until it is too late. I think this is why I get such powerful reactions to this ACAAN while other more refined and elegant ACAAN’s don’t seem to be as impressive when I perform them. This routine puts the focus on the spectator, not cards and numbers, and people are far more interested in themselves than they are in a deck of cards. Rather than openly selecting a card or number related to cards, you will instead have the spectator take a "Personality Test" to assess his/her thinking and life choices. What the spectator doesn't know is that his/her choices will lead to an almost perfect and totally hands-off ACAAN. This ACAAN, which I call, "DeckwACAAN," happens in two stages: Choosing a number and selecting a card. The number you are forcing is actually one of ten possible numbers. The card you are forcing is one of ten possibilities that you have stacked in those ten specific numbers. If we do this correctly, the spectator believes both choices are totally 31
free, which makes for a nice little jeweled cup to drink from. THE PREPARATION You only have to remember 10 cards in a deck. This is not difficult because they are all court cards, and their position will only be at the numbered positions in the deck that have both digits that are odd: 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 39. The stack is easy. JH 11 JD 13 QH 15 QD 17 KS 19 KC 31 QS 33 QC 35 JS 37 JC 39 From the top of the deck, place the cards listed above in the exact position from the top that matches the number assigned to the card. For instance, the Jack of Diamonds will be the 13th card from the top. Notice how the black Kings are in the middle and the Jacks are the bookends. The court cards are arranged in symmetrical order. Here is your memory aid: --The Black Kings are in the middle at 1931. 32
--Reds in the front. Blacks in the back. --The Jacks are the bookends. --No Red Kings in this stack. --Strong suits first: Hearts then Diamonds (HiD). Spades then Clubs (SoC). “The socks are hid.” Once you have the deck prepared, put it somewhere in view of the spectators so that it sits innocently. Never reference the deck and never touch it. You don't want them to know that the deck is part of the effect until after you have forced the number and the card. As I referenced earlier in “Deckwavoque,” the spectator will get a dual surprise: learning that this is actually a mentalism effect instead of a test AND the impact of the effect itself. THE 21ST CENTURY FORCE In the original version of this effect, I was using the traditional 37 Force. It works beautifully, and if you feel more comfortable with it, go ahead, as it will work just fine with this routine. But I wanted to find a way to force a double-odd-digit number a little more fairly (in the spectator's eyes). What if I could start the force by asking a spectator to truly think of any number out of 50 (almost)? My solution is below, and I call it the 21st Century Force. For DeckwACAAN to be successful, you have to force one of the ten numbers that is composed of only odd digits from 1-50 (not including single digits). Those numbers are: 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 39. 33
It doesn't matter which of the ten numbers that the spectator ultimately chooses. Either of the ten numbers will work well in DeckwACAAN. To pass the "Baloney Test," this force should be conducted in the context of a personality or thinking test, and ideally, the spectator would never know this is related to an “effect” until after the card force is complete through the deckwavoque that I described earlier in the book. Remember, your presentational frame is a “Personality Test,” not a trick. In other words, since they don't know that you are even doing a mentalism effect, they have nothing to "mess up." In their minds, they are simply choosing a number to identify personality characteristics that you will reveal as a part of a natural conversation. By the time the number is forced and utilized at the end of the effect, it is too late to backtrack. Here is the gist of the force, and we will put it in the context of a full routine in just a bit. "Now before we take the actual personality quiz, I want us to do a warmup to get you going and get a preview of how you think and how susceptible to influence you are...To give you a hint, I may be trying to influence you a little, and this is a test to see if you can resist my influence. FOR this test, there are TWO possibilities, and I want to see how EVEN your thinking is." "I want you to think of ANY number between...say...10 and 50 in your head. The number you choose will tell us a great deal about you and how you think and how independent-minded you are. Go with your intuition or whatever feels right. Any number between 10 and 50. Got one?" 34
(In the script above, I want you emphasize the words FOR and TWO and EVEN. This is a red herring, and it provides a "reason" later for you to have your spectator change his/her number if both digits aren't ODD.) "Yes." "Good. There's no right or wrong here. This is all about you. Now before you tell everyone your number, let's analyze your choice in depth and see how you think. You have two digits and please don't tell us what they are yet, but they can be either both odd, both even, or odd and even. Knowing which they are will tell us how you think. Which is yours?" If he says, "Both odd." You are golden. You have forced (without forcing) one of 10 possible numbers out of 50: 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 31, 33, 35, 37, or 39. You can then force any court card through Deckwavoque for a clean and hands-off ACAAN. In this best-case scenario, you say, "You chose both ODD digits. Did you notice what I tried to do? Earlier, I said, 'FOR this test, there are TWO possibilities, and I want to see how EVEN you think.' Hear them? FOUR, TWO, and EVEN. I was trying to force you to choose even numbers like the number four or two, but you resisted and went for the odd numbers instead. This tells me that you are an independent thinker and that your number is truly something you thought of on your own. Great job. Now for the first time, tell us your number.” If he says, "Both even," you use the red herring in the opening script as a fair reason for him to change his digits to odd so that your force is successful. "Hmmm....did you notice what happened here? Earlier I said, 'FOR this test, there are TWO possibilities, and I want to see how EVEN you 35
think.' FOUR, TWO, and EVEN. Did you notice it? I was trying to force you to come up with two even numbers like four or two, and it worked. It's good we did this, as it gives a good example of how one can be influenced by someone. But I don't want anyone thinking I influenced you in any way. I want it to be totally random and from your intuition and free will. Tell you what, let's try it again, but just to ensure there is no way I could have forced you to answer in a certain way, I want you to flip-flop both digits so that they are both ODD instead of even and so the number will still be between 1 and 50. Got it? Now, we have a number that neither one of us could have predicted." If he says, "Even and Odd," you say, "Interesting. Don't tell me what it is, but was your even number a 2 or 4? (doesn't matter what the answer is, but if yes, this is a hit from the red herring of FOR and TO). I don't know if you noticed, but I said, 'FOR this test, there are TWO possibilities, and I want to see how EVEN you think.' Hear them? I was trying to see if I could influence you and make you choose an even number, preferably 4 or 2. And it is possible that I may have influenced you. Did you notice that?" "Tell you what. Just to make sure you get a totally random number that I could not have forced you to choose, I want you to make a choice, Even or Odd? Just say the first thing that comes to your mind." If they say, 'Odd,' you say, "Okay, fine, we will make it odd. I want you to flip-flop the even digit to an odd digit so that we have a totally new and freely-selected number. Just make sure that the whole number is still between 1 and 50. For the first time, you can tell us the number you selected." If they say, 'Even,' you say, "Okay, fine. You chose the even digit. Flipflop this digit to an odd digit, but make sure the total number is still between 1 and 50. For the first time, you can tell us the number you 36
selected." Through this presentation, you are able to guarantee that the spectator can only choose one of 10 possible double-odd numbers out of 50. And the beautiful thing is, you get to begin with a truly free number. You can then have any ten cards you want in those positions that you can force for an ACAAN. Now that you have forced one of the 10 possible odd numbers out of 50, you are ready to force the correct court card that relates to the "freely" chosen number of the spectator. FORCING THE CARD The method for forcing the correct card for the number that the spectator has chosen is easy. You will use the “Deckwavoque” written earlier in the book. By beginning with the “frame” of a personality test and the 21st Century Force, the presentation of Deckwavoque will provide you whatever court card you need, and the spectator’s interest in the overall effect will be primed throughout. Their attention will be riveted to your presentation because people love to learn and think about themselves! Once the spectator has named the number, all you have to do is use Deckwavoque to lead them to the corresponding card, and you are ready for a full hands-off ACAAN. THE ROUTINE Now that you have the deck prepped, the 21st Century Odd-Number Force reviewed, and the Deckwavoque mastered, you are ready to perform DeckwACAAN. 37
Let's pretend you are at a dinner party sitting in a living room with other couples. At some point, the stacked deck of cards has been put out in view of everyone, but unnoticed. During the conversation, you engage one of the couples in discussion about how connected they are and whether their personalities match. "I was reading some of my wife's psychology journals the other day, I think this one was COSMOPOLITAN (milk the humor), and it had this neat little personality test to see if two mates are a good match or not for each other. It was only four questions. What do you guys think? Should we try it on Gary and Susan?" Everyone has a glass of wine, so of course they agree. "Okay, Gary. For some reason, COMSO says the first question has to go to the male, who knows why? I am going to ask you what appears to be a simple number question, but I want you to go with your gut and your first thought. It will be important later down the road after Susan does her piece of the test." Conduct the number force on Gary as a warm-up to set up your frame of a "thinking test." Let's say he chose 39. "Okay, everyone. Remember that. Gary chose 39. We'll come back to that. Okay, Susan. It is your turn. You have more interesting questions to answer, and there are three of them. I promise, however, that they are not embarrassing or anything, but they will tell a lot about you." "Oh Lord!" "No worries, there is no wrong answer. You can't mess this up! You ready? Okay..." 38
Conduct the Deckwavoque presentation, forcing black dress, the club, and the boy (the Jack of Clubs, which is located precisely in the 39th position from the top of the deck). "See? That wasn't so bad. Okay, let's review, Susan. I told you that your choices would say a lot about you, and more specifically, it says a lot about your influence on reality. I don't know if you realized it or not, but your three choices actually pertain to one single playing card out of 52 cards in a deck of cards. A deck of cards has red cards and black cards. You chose to wear the black dress, so you chose black. The black cards have two suits: clubs and spades. Spade is another word for shovel. You chose to give your enemy the club, so you chose clubs. And finally, a deck of cards has three people in each suit: a King...a father, a Queen...a mother, and a Jack...a son. You chose the son to survive the snake's bite. Thus you chose black, clubs, and the Jack...the Jack of Clubs..." "Now back to Gary. You also made a free choice to make as well. You could've said many numbers, and we made sure I didn't influence you. You named the number 39, correct?" Pause and then look at the deck of cards that has been sitting in the room the entire time (untouched by the performer) so that your stare draws everyone's attention to the deck. "Hey, Mike, would you please hand that deck to Susan. I don't want to touch them. Let's review. Gary, you chose the number 39. Susan, you chose the Jack of Clubs. How crazy would it be if your independent free choices matched perfectly and the Jack of Clubs was exactly the 39th card in the deck? That would show you guys are a perfect match made in Heaven, don't you think? Susan, carefully take the cards out and deal the cards face down one at a time to the number 39. Everyone else count aloud as she deals." 39
When she gets to the 39th card, stop her for suspense. "Susan before you turn over that card, I want you to hold your husband's hand and send him a huge vibe of love and connection. I wish you the best, but I know a couple of good divorce attorneys if this doesn't work out. Turn it over."
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#4 the willy of oz
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INTRODUCTION This is a pretty neat little psi-force that you can have a lot of fun with in the right circumstances. Using this info, you could add multiple other components for a full effect. To me, it serves better in what Bob Cassidy refers to as a "major effect," one involving the entire audience. This avoids any worries about the misses you are certain to get from this force. Essentially, you are going to attempt to force the movie The Wizard of Oz to your spectator through an aggregate of subtle strategies that when combined together give you a strong likelihood that the force will work successfully. I suspect this works best for people who are over the age of 35. The younger set have much different cultural literacy recently, and I suspect that anyone in the mid-20s will be more focused on movies like Shrek, The Lion King, or Finding Nemo. But The Wizard of Oz is timeless for those born from the 40s to the early 80s. One of the reasons for this is that until the late 90s, The Wizard of Oz was broadcast annually every March. It was a yearly family event in the USA, and it was one that most children looked forward to with great anticipation. This movie is ingrained into the culture of America, and even younger generations are familiar with it because of spin-off cartoons and movies (and a wicked little Broadway show). PRESENTATION "You know I find that our culture and childhood has a huge influence on us, even in our adult lives. One of the things I enjoyed most from 42
childhood is the movies I would see in the theater and on television while growing up. There are some movies which we all have watched at least a dozen times in our lifetimes because they remind us of the many brick walls we have climbed and the roads we have traveled during our childhood and afterwards." "I also believe that subconsciously, these movies affect the way we think in other areas. Let me demonstrate what I mean with something simple. Follow me on this. I am going to list a few common colors ofa the rainbow: Green, Yellow, Orange, and Purple. I want you to think of one of those colors and associate it with a classic and loved childhood movie that generations of people have watched many times over the decades. For instance, if you choose purple, you might have thought of Willy Wonka, or with orange, you might link it with The Lion King. Ok, follow along, and choose a color ofa the rainbow: Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple, and think of a classic childhood movie we have all enjoyed which lions up with the color." You might notice a few subtleties here: It is very difficult to think of a movie that associates with orange (at least for me it is), but it provides the illusion of free choice while actually doing the opposite by restricting the spectator. Referencing Willy Wonka hopefully eliminates purple altogether, which leaves you with only yellow and green. Both of these colors have a strong cultural association with The Wizard of Oz for obvious reasons: the Yellow Brick Road, Emerald City, and a certain green witch.
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Most people did not view The Wizard in the movie theater, but only on television. So I allow for that possibility in the script. I also couldn't resist throwing in presentational references to "roads" and “brick” and "follow me" to subconsciously remind them of "follow the yellow brick road." And don’t forget that you are using the word “rainbow” twice to remind them of the song “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” And it was Mentalist Greg Arce’s suggestion to use the word “ofa” instead of “of” when saying “colors ofa the rainbow.” Hopefully that will be reminiscent of the song “Over the Rainbow.” Again, if presented well, you will likely have a 50/50 shot of getting them to name this specific movie, and having a 50/50 shot gives a mentalist a lot of wiggle room to create some wonderful routines. ALTERNATE PRESENTATION Mentalist Art Vanderlay played with this force and came up with something he told me worked extremely well. Instead of using Willy Wonka as your eliminating example, you use it instead as your force. This great movie, like The Wizard, is a timeless and permanent piece of our childhoods, and it crosses multiple generations and age groups. Thus, you might say, “Think of a color from Green, Yellow, Orange, or Purple and name a classic childhood movie that you would match to that color. For instance, if you think of Green, you might think of Shrek. If you think of yellow, you might think of The Wizard of Oz. Okay choose
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from Green, Yellow, Orange, or PURPLE and think of the movie it reminds you of.” COMBINATION: “THE WILLY OF OZ” Knowing you can get a very high hit rate with either The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka, you can combine them for a much more reliable force. Your script would then go like this: Talk about the childhood movie connection as previously described. “Follow me on this. I want you to think of a color ofa the rainbow from this list: Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple (emphasize the purple just a tad) and then think of a classic children’s movie that many people have watched multiple times over their lifetimes. For instance, if you had chosen Green, you might have said Shrek. If you had chosen Orange, you might have said The Lion King. Choose from Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple and think of a movie we all love which lions up with the color you’re thinking of.” Knowing that a very large percentage will be thinking of one of these two movie titles, you can set up a reveal of both of them on stage that fits your creativity. CREDITS Peter Turner, “Wish You Were Here,” Penguin Lecture. His routine was the direct inspiration for this one. Bob Cassidy, feedback and suggestion on the order of the colors. Greg Arce, suggestions on implanting “false convincers.” 45
Art Vanderlay, for his suggestion to make Willy Wonka the force movie. The Magic Café members at www.themagiccafe.com, for teaching me that Red and Gold are BAD colors for this psi-force.
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#5 the kiss force
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INTRODUCTION I have been playing a game lately with myself to see how many PsiForces or Number Forces I could develop that were original. For some people, this may be an easy task, but I have been disappointed in my results. It is harder than it sounds. But recently, I was working on an ACAAN plot effect creation of mine (Any Card at Any Number), and I was struggling with it. While trying to solve an unrelated problem, I stumbled upon a relatively consistent way to force the number 18. It’s called the Kiss Force. One warning, however. This force will only be successful for citizens of the USA because other countries have different norms that would make this force useless. THE KISS FORCE The KF is built upon the idea that the huge majority of Judeo-Christian Americans that are healthy usually have their first real adult kiss in their late pre-teen, early teenage years. I suspect this is true for a much wider demographic, but kissing is cultural. Thus, if you ask a 20-50-year old American how old she was when she had her first adult kiss, most likely she will say somewhere between 1216 years old (the years of puberty for most children). The age of the first kiss is the first part of forcing the number 18. The mechanism of the rest is merely an inverse mathematical idea: Most kids in the USA graduate the 12th grade at 18 years old. The lower the age of the person, the more grades of school out of 12 they have left in the USA’s education system. The higher the age, the less grades 48
of school they have left. It’s an inverse mathematical formula, and the equation equals 18 in probably over 80% of all cases. In the other cases, the total will either be 17 or 19. Example: Age of first kiss is 14. In America, most kids are in 8th grade at 14. They have four years left of school remaining through graduation. 14+4=18. Age of first kiss is 12. Most kids are in 6th grade at 12. They have six grades left of school until they graduate. 12+6=18. Age of first kiss is 15 (9th grade). She has three years left of school. 15+3=18 THE KISS FORCE Thus, the KISS FORCE is this simple two-part question: 1. How old were you when you had your first real adult kiss? Write that number down. 2. Okay, I am willing to bet that even though you experienced an adult kiss at this age, you were not actually an ADULT at the time. Am I right? Yes, I bet you still had a few years to go before you had graduated from high school. Please think of what grade you were in at school when you experienced that first kiss. Do you know what grade you were in? Got it? Good…I want you to think about the number of grade levels you had left until you graduated high school. For instance, if you were in 10th grade, you would have two grades left to go before adulthood and the number would be a 2. If you were in 6th grade, you would have had six years to go. So think of the number of grade levels you had left to complete 49
before you became an adult. Write that number down next to the age of your first kiss… Most of the time, when you add the two numbers together, you will get a total of 18. A few times, it will be 17 or 19. I think you will admit this range could prove quite useful in mentalism routines. HIDING THE FORCE My suggestion is to use the force number of 18 as a baseline number that you hide inside an additional third step. Thus, the Kiss Force would be two-thirds of a three-phase number routine that the performer can use in multiple ways. Examples of 3rd questions to hide the forcing mechanism: 1. You have peeked some relevant number through a mechanism of your choosing. Ask her to add this number to her previous total (of 18). 2. Ask them to add the digits together (9) and add that new number to the total. 3. Multiply the total by 101. (the number will be 1818) 4. Or multiply it by 102. (the number will be 1836) 5. Or you can do the effect that follows in the next section (“ColdReading Queens”)
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#6 Cold-reading queens
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PREPARATION You will need a set of four red-backed queens from any deck of cards and two additional Queens of Hearts. On the back of the Queen of Hearts in the 4-card set, write “It’s 20.” Place the Queens in an opaque envelope. The other two queens will be used as outs. On the back of one of the Queens of Hearts, write “It’s 19” and place it in the envelope with the four queens (make sure you know which it is in contrast to the other four queens). On the other Queen of Hearts, write “It’s 21” and place the card face up in a credit card slot in your wallet such that when you open the wallet, you can plainly see the face of the Queen. PERFORMANCE Let’s assume that you are performing for a female spectator at a table at a coffee shop. After you have engaged in sufficient conversation and the rapport is solid, you ask her if she would like a fortune reading with cards for fun. Take out the envelope and remove the four queens (secretly leaving the QH with number 19 written on it remaining in the envelope). Place the four queens on the table side by side in SHoCkeD order (Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds), being careful not to reveal the writing on the back of the QH. “I am not sure if you knew this or not, but each of these queens has her own number and her own personality. The number is obvious, but you may have never realized it before. Let me show you. The Spades have a 52
number 1 because a spade has one single point at the top. The Hearts have a number 2 because of the two humps pointing up. The Clubs are obviously number 3 because there are three leaves on the clover, see? And finally, the Diamonds are number 4 because a diamond has four points.” “As for their personalities, well, that is much more complex, like most successful women are. Each of the four queens matches one of the four major personality categories that many thriving women fit into. I could tell you what they are, but I don’t want to influence you just yet. I would rather have fate decide your choice first, and then we will get to the personality of the Queen that Fate herself has matched you with. At this time, I don’t even want you to try and think about the queens. Instead, I want you to just let your subconscious mind take over as I guide you through a few choices I want you to make of your own free will.” At this point, you will now force the QH through a subtle equivoque. “The first choice I would like you to make is to decide which two of the queens I will pick up from off the table by pointing to any two cards.” If neither of the two cards is the QH, you say, “Okay, these are off the table, and we will set them aside and use the other two.” You then lift the indifferent cards up and set them aside, face up, out of play. If she points to the QH among her two, you say, “Okay, I will pick up these two cards and give you one final choice.” You pick up and display the two cards for her, remembering not to flash the back of the QH.
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At this point, you either have the QH with an indifferent queen lying on the table or the QH and another queen in your hands. The next step is to force the QH in what appears to be a very fair manner. If the QH and indifferent card are lying on the table, say, “The final choice is again totally up to you. Go with your intuition, not your mind. Which of these two queens will we turn over to make this work?” I am hoping you will see what we have done here. If she chooses the indifferent queen, you simply turn it over and remove it from play, congratulating them for their choice of the QH. If, on the other hand, they point to the QH, you remove the indifferent queen and put it aside face up with the others and then say, “Okay, we will use the QH for the turn-over a little later. Later in the effect, we will turn over a Queen of Hearts and show you a surprise written on the back of it.” If you were holding the two queens in your hands, you will use the same “turn over” ruse. “Okay, I am holding two queens, one in each hand. The choice is yours. Which one will we turn over to make this work?” If they choose the QH, you say, “Okay we will use the QH for the turnover. At the end of this effect, we will turn over a QH for a little surprise message written on back of it just for you.” If they choose the indifferent queen, you simply turn it over and say, “Okay, we have one card remaining, and your intuition has chosen the Queen of Hearts.” After she chooses her queen, you say, 54
“Okay, this is very interesting. I actually am surprised, but then again, I’m not.” “What?” she asks. “Well, I promise to share it all with you, but let’s do a little test to see if the universe agrees with your choice. If this works, it will let us both know that we are truly connected today. I need to ask you a couple of questions in order to do that…” “You may not realize,” you continue, “that certain choices we make in our childhood are pre-ordained, pre-determined if you will, and they affect our lives later. Please understand, these choices are neither good nor bad. Whatever happens, we learn from and grow from these events. Does that make sense?” “Good…One choice that you may not have realized the importance of was the timing of your first real adult kiss with a young man you cared about in the past. The first kiss is a memory that we all have and it helped define our adult lives later. Tell you what; I am going to give you this piece of paper and a pencil. Don’t let me see what you write down, okay? I know this may be embarrassing, but how old were you when you had your first real adult kiss? Write that number of your age down on your paper. Got it?” “Okay, that first kiss was crucial because most likely you were not an adult yet. It was just a rite of passage along the way, one of many to come, before you graduated high school and became the woman you are today. I am going to go on a hunch here, but I don’t think you were an adult when you had your first kiss, am I right? I suspect that you had a few years left until you graduated high school, right?” 55
“Okay, think of what grade you were in when you experienced that first kiss. Do you know what grade you were in? Got it? Good…I want you to think about the number of grade levels you had left until you graduated and became a woman. For instance, if you were in 10th grade, you would have two grades left to go before adulthood and the number would be a 2. So think of the number of grade levels you had left to complete before you became an adult. Write that number down next to the age of your first kiss…Got it?” “Okay, let’s review. You are only thinking of the age of your first kiss, and only you know how many grades of school you had left to complete before becoming a woman…There is no way I can know either number, correct?” “Now we have one last thing. You chose the Queen of Hearts. There is no way I could have known which you would have chosen, right? If you remember, the Queen of Hearts was a number 2 because of the two heart humps at the top. Remember? If you had chosen the Queen of Clubs, the number would be 3, but you chose the Queen of Hearts. Okay, write down the number 2 next to your other two numbers.” “So you have three numbers right? The age of your first kiss, the number of grades you had left until you graduated high school, and the unique number for your queen that you subconsciously chose…” “The test is complete! All you have to do is add the three numbers together to make one total. This is a number neither you nor I could’ve predicted when we started.” “Okay got it? For the first time, what is your total number?”
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If the force worked exactly (she got 18 after the first two questions), the number is now 20 (18 + 2, the value of the Queen of Hearts). You now have a miracle because you can declare the universe agrees with her choice. If the number is 19 or 21, you have two full-proof outs. Let’s say the number is 20. Picking up the other three queens, you say, “You could have chosen any of these other three queens. Not only would your card have been different, but your number would have been different because these queens have different numbers than the Queen of Hearts.” You then show the blank backs of all three queens in order to subtly demonstrate that no messages were written on the back of these queens. (See note at end if you have to use one of the two outs). “But you chose the Queen of Hearts, and this tells me a lot about you if the match is correct for you. The personality characteristics of a woman associated with the Queen of Hearts are pretty clear. You are loyal, passionate, sensitive, and even submissive sometimes. With that said, you are also a dreamer and can be aggressive about pursuing those dreams. You also have a wild side sometimes, but a lot of people never know about it, only your close friends. Does any of this ring true?” If she agrees, a hit! If she is doubtful, you can say, “Fate doesn’t lie. These are the characteristics I would suggest you consider in the coming days, as they may open a door to achieving your true potential in life.”
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“You also said your number was 20, correct? Let’s see if Fate agrees with this match-up. On the back of the Queen of Hearts is a message that will confirm whether you made the right choice and the match is a perfect one. Turn it over.” They will see the number 20, an impossible coincidence. NOTE: WHAT IF THE NUMBER IS 19 OR 21? If her number is 19 or 21, place the Queen of Hearts that is lying on the table into the stack of the three other face-up queens, putting it 2nd from the top (face-up). The reason for this is that you are setting up the stack to display the Olram Subtlety in order to prove that all four backs are blank. If it is 21: “In my wallet, I have a prediction that I made early this morning. I had a feeling I would meet a smart, beautiful person like you, and Fate herself guided me on what to say.” Open your wallet with the Queen of Hearts staring them straight in the face. Ask her to take the card out and “turn it over.” Then display the Olram Subtlety with the other four queens to show her that all were blank on the back. If her number is 19, just say, “On the table is an envelope. The same one I used to take out the four queens. In the envelope, I had only one prediction that could have worked for you today. I had a feeling this morning that I would meet a smart, beautiful person like you, and Fate herself guided me on what to say.”
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Cleanly take the Queen of Hearts out of the envelope and place it on the table face up. Give her the envelope to show that nothing else is contained therein. Ask her to “turn over” the card and then display the Olram Subtlety with the other four queens to show that they are indeed blank.
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#7 positively!
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CREDITS Of course, this effect is just an iteration of many people’s work, many of whom I don’t know. I have to credit Max Maven, however, because I learned the plot from his Video Mind tapes. Thanks to Mr. Goldstein for this little nugget that we keep chewing on! BACKGROUND Okay, admit it. You’re just like me. You LOVE the Positive-Negative plot. You know, the one where the mystery man walks up to you and says he knows the future. He has written your future on the back of a business card. He knows which coin you will pick. He asks you to flip it. And he knows whether it will be heads or tails. He knows it every time. You know you love it! You see? I have already read your mind. You love this plot because you covet the opportunity to carry something in your wallet that you will perform for the rest of your life and get those strong spectator reactions that we are all seeking. I suspect (I see it in my mind) that you love Max’s idea as much as I do, but you also have been looking for a way to make it work without the “dirty work” of the original. You want the ability to give out the business card without worry. You want the solution to happen so that no matter what side of the coin the spectator chooses, you would be able to turn over that business card and be absolutely correct…every time. Well, I understand that feeling completely. I have known Max’s version for almost 15 years, and I have searched high and low for such a 61
solution that would meet my performance style. And you know how long it took me? That’s a relative question. Yes, I searched for over a decade, but the solution you are about to read today came to me in 15 seconds of insight while standing next to my kitchen counter. I had a flash of an idea, picked up a pen, and wrote a sentence on one of the envelopes containing an electric bill lying next to my car keys. As soon as I wrote it, I knew it would work. And it does! A QUICK CAVEAT There are several versions of this plot already out there. Most of them are quite good, and all of them have their disciples and compromises. My intent here with “Positively!” is not to compete with them. I have shown this to some, and they feel like I do. They love it immediately, and I believe that is why they get great results out of it. I have shown it to others who have been doing another version they love for years, and they might choose to pass on it. Another group of performers see the secret, and they immediately are scared to death and are convinced it will not work. They are all correct. If you love it, it will work. If you have another version that better fits your style, the other version is better. If you are fearful that my solution will not work, it will probably not be dependable because it will show in your presentation. Every single version of Positive Negative has a compromise. For some versions, the compromise is an out, a gimmick, or a sleight. For some, it is a verbal innuendo or linguistic ambiguity. All performers who perform this effect must make a compromise and then hide that 62
compromise from the spectator using their ability to be a great performer (presenter). “Positively!” is no exception. It relies on the ambiguity of a certain punctuation mark written in the prediction. When you first see it, you might be tempted to think it will not work. Stay with me, master the subtle points of the presentation, and go out and try it. Then decide. It does work, and it works extremely well. I say that to say this: I offer this as an option for those who, like me, were hunting/questing for that 100% solution that would fit them better. If this has a place for even a small percentage of performers, it is worth it. POSITIVELY! The inspiration I had in my kitchen that day was that a “down-pointing arrow” can look a lot like an exclamation point. And an exclamation point, with a very subtle adjustment, can look a lot like a down-pointing arrow. The rest was merely crafting a presentation that would literally force the spectator into a framework of mind that would let them see what reality I wanted them to see. Thus, if we want them to see an exclamation point, the presentation can be created to make them do just that. If we want them to see a down-pointing arrow instead, then we create a linguistic and mental framework that ensures they only see a downpointing arrow. This method will show you how to do that. Let’s begin.
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To prepare the effect, you will write the following phrase (exactly as you see it) on the back of a business card or billet. You can keep this in your wallet for years.
Now, look at the phrase for a little bit. The card, depending on how you interpret the symbol mark, means two different things: “The penny is heads!” (exclamation point) Or “The penny is heads down” (down-pointing arrow) At first look, you might be thinking that this couldn’t possibly work, but I want you to remember other examples of this dual concept of interpretation. You have seen pictures before that are two different things at once, but you can only see one of them at a time. Remember the picture of the two faces? 64
Or is it a vase?
Or how about the picture of the young lady?
Or is it an old lady?
Chances are you were more likely to see one picture or the other, but once your mental frame changed, you easily saw the other image. This principle is very similar to what we are doing with the arrow vs. exclamation. You are more likely to see one or the other, but you can be trained to see what we want you to see. That’s the goal in this presentation.
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PRESENTATION You will begin by using equivoque with three imaginary coins to guide the spectator to choose an imaginary penny. Tell the spectator that you have three invisible coins: a quarter, nickel, and penny. “Please pick up two coins from off the table,” you say. “Great. Do you want to change your mind? No? Okay, which two coins did you choose?” If he says that he holds the quarter and nickel, you then say, “That’s fine. Those two coins are off the table. We will use the penny.” If he says the penny and one of the silver coins, you say, “Okay, hand me whichever ever one you choose.” If he hands you the penny, say, “Okay, we will use the penny.” If he hands you the silver coin, say, “Okay, you chose to keep the penny. That is what we will use.” As you can see, no matter what he picks up or hands you (these invisible coins are very easy to manipulate!), you always lead him to the penny as the coin of choice. TRAINING THE SPECTATOR What follows next is the beginning of your “training” of the spectator. From this point on, you are going to use verbal and physical cues that will train him to see either an exclamation mark or down-pointing arrow. Once you have him trained, the effect works 100% of the time.
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But this takes practice. Presentation matters. It matters in card tricks. It matters when you are asking your wife if you can buy another lecture from penguinmagic.com. And it matters here. First, we will simply ask him to flip the penny. “Okay, if you will look closely at the penny, whose head do you see? Yes, it’s Abe. And you may not realize this, but Abe is often pretty depressed. He gets his head down sometimes. Why you ask? Well, it’s pretty simple. He told me a few days ago that people keep flipping him in the air for fun. Sometimes, he ends up all heads and happy, and sometimes he is heads down and in the dumps. All this flipping over and over is making him dizzy, and he is just exhausted.” You continue, “But obviously, we are not very sympathetic, are we? If we were, we wouldn’t be flipping him again today, would we? Are you ready? Okay, give Abe’s head a flip right now and catch him in your hand.” Wait and allow him to follow your instructions. “Okay, excellent job. He is relieved you didn’t drop him…Now take a quick look for me. Is Abe happy on heads, or have we made him sad and heads down again?” Notice, you didn’t ask him if it was “heads or tails.” Because of the “frame” of the script, it is perfectly appropriate to speak in terms of heads or heads down. All of his life, your spectator has only thought of flipping a coin in terms of “heads or tails.” Now, you are training him to see the result of flipping a coin in a new way. Through the script, you force the spectator 67
to personalize the “head” of the coin, which allows you to use different terms than he is used to (like “heads down”). Through this training, you are essentially setting him up to accept your ambiguous statement written on the card, whichever one you require based on his answer. If he chooses “heads,” you will let him immediately revert back to his life-long pattern of heads vs. tails. You will never mention the phrase ‘heads down’ again. But if he chooses “heads down,” you are going to hammer that phrase into a down-pointing sword that cuts away his prior years of thinking about coins. You will change your presentation to make him think only in terms of “The Penny is Heads Down!” IT’S HEADS! If he says “heads,” you tell the spectator that you predicted not only the coin he would choose, but what side the coin is on. “At the beginning of this imaginary exercise, I wrote a prediction that has been on the table the entire time. You could have chosen any coin, but you chose Abe. You could have flipped him on heads or tails, but you said “heads” right? Not tails? So Abe and the penny is heads? Okay, you have to help me make this work. I want you to repeat after me, and say it with feeling! THE PENNY IS HEADS!’” “Very good,” you say. “I think Abe will be very happy with this. You have decided that the penny is heads, and his tail is not in the air. Say it one more time and have faith that you have made him happy: THE PENNY IS HEADS!” 68
You see what you are doing? You are making him read the card before he reads it! The language in the script above is important. As soon as the spectator chooses “heads,” you want to erase the idea of “heads down.” From that point forward, you want him to think in terms of heads vs. tails, not heads vs. heads down. By emphasizing the word “tails,” he can only read the card in one way. After he repeats the phrase, you simply say, “Yes, you’re right! The Penny is HEADS!” and then turn over the card to show it to him. IT’S HEADS DOWN! Okay, you now see how the training works. Let’s look at the other choice and how we train the spectator to read it correctly. If the person picks “heads down,” you now have to erase, for just a few moments, his life-long usage of “tails.” Instead, we will ensure he thinks only in terms of “heads down.” If the spectator says, “heads down,” you say: “At the beginning of this imaginary exercise, I wrote a prediction that has been on the table the entire time. You could have chosen any coin, but you chose Abe, the penny. You could have flipped him heads up, making him very happy. But you didn’t. You flipped the penny heads down and made him sad.” (pointing your finger at the floor) As you say “heads down,” you must point your index finger to the floor to suggest the idea of an “arrow” pointing downward. In fact, I suggest you actually emphasize the gesture by pointing downward with your index finger in a tapping, moving motion. 69
“You know, I guess Abe will have to respect your choice. I want you to repeat after me: I chose Abe and the penny is heads down!” Take your index finger and point it down to the floor with emphasis as he repeats the phrase. You then say, “Okay, I hope Abe will forgive you because the card on the table says exactly that! The PENNY IS HEADS DOWN!” (pointing downward again with your finger) Turn it over and show it to him. He will see a down arrow. Try it and see. In the end, you have a 100% solution that works every time, and you get to leave the business card with the spectator for a memory or contact for the future.
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#8 ternbata
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INTRODUCTION I want to thank and congratulate Rick Maue for creating one of my alltime favorite routines in mentalism: “TERASABOS” (This Effect Requires Acting Skills and Balls of Steel). When I first read the routine in Banachek’s “Psychological Subtleties 2,” I couldn’t put the book down fast enough so that I could find some plastic cups and begin practicing this brilliant and “ballsy” ploy. Like many of you, I was immensely happy after seeing it because I instantly knew it would kill. And of course, you already know that it does indeed kill because “TERASABOS” is one of your favorite routines as well, I bet. After playing with it though, I lamented that I could not carry cups in my pocket wherever I went, and then one day it dawned on me: I can do this with business cards. And so I did. In performance, I would simply place five business cards or beer mats on the table, and I would instruct the spectator to write an “X” or a “smiley face” on the back of one. There was no need to change Rick’s script; I used it to the letter with great results…90% of the time. The other 10%, if you already know Rick’s routine, is one of the reasons that “TERASABOS” requires “balls of steel.” It doesn’t always work, but the routine is so good that the victories make the failures more than worth it! This brings me to the second revelation in adapting Rick’s routine. I discovered that I can make “TERASABOS” work 100% of the time. I found it accidentally by just playing with it, but once I found it, I became immensely excited.
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In other words, as you know from Rick’s original routine, cups #1 and #5 were problematic in the routine. If they were chosen, the effect could not be resolved. But by using business cards and adding just a few tweaks, we can capitalize on and keep Rick’s absolutely brilliant thinking in an effect that you can carry in your pocket from now until the end of time. You need no gimmicks, no peeks, no sleights, and no balls. Instead, you need only “acting skills.” TERNBATA IN THE EYES OF THE SPECTATOR ALTERNATE ENDING A A spectator is asked to choose one of five different business cards that are arranged on the table before her. She is given a truly free choice, and she chooses the 5th card to her far right while the performer’s back is turned. Upon picking up the card, she turns it over and finds a message written on the back for her to read: “I just knew you would pick this card. You are an amazing partner!” The performer thanks her for being willing to bridge her mind with his, and to show what a true miracle it was, the other four cards are turned over and found to be totally blank. With a totally free choice, she selected the one single card that the mentalist intended. ALTERNATE ENDING B A spectator is asked to choose one of five different business cards that are arranged on the table before her. She is given a truly free choice, and she chooses the 1st card on her far left while the performer’s back is turned.
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The performer asks her to write a large smiley face on the back of the business card and replace the card on the table. To destroy the theory that the performer somehow influenced her to pick a specific card, the spectator is asked to switch her card’s place with any other card on the table. The spectator gives the performer permission to turn around and return to the table, where his task is to use his mental talents to correctly identify the business card with the hidden smiley face written on the bottom. He asks her to bridge her mind with his and telepathically communicate the location of the card she has chosen. Using only the powers of his mind, the performer correctly identifies the smiley face by eliminating the four blank cards. TERNBATA First, in order to fully and expertly perform this effect, you will need to purchase the original routine from Rick Maue in his book “The Book of Haunted Magick” or purchase Banachek’s “Psychological Subtleties 2.” This routine is 85% pure verbal judo, and the genius behind “TERASABOS” is in Rick’s original script. In fact, I don’t deviate from his script very much at all when I get to the “elimination” phase of the routine (if needed). Trust me, you will be glad you purchased his routine. PREPARATION You need five business cards and a pencil or pen. That’s it. Well, you also need “acting skills,” as Rick has already shared with us in the original.
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On the back of one the business cards, write, “I just knew you would pick this card. You are an amazing partner!” On the front-side and on the short edge of this same card (the business side), put a very subtle nail-mark from your thumbnail into one of the short edges of the card. On another business card, place another nail nick, but in an opposite corner of the same short edge so that you can distinguish it from the other marked card. The key to this is to nail nick the two cards on opposite ends of the short edge so that you can tell them apart…and later in the routine, this will help you tell whether the cards have been moved by the spectator. The other three cards are totally unmarked. PERFORMANCE There are two possible results in this effect. One result is the spectator choosing the one single card with a message on it, which will be placed in position 5 to the spectator’s far right. This result is powerful in and of itself, and the message eliminates one of the two “unresolvable” choices in Rick’s original routine (Options #1 an #5). The other result is basically the original “TERASABOS” but with a subtlety that makes it work 100% of the time: You either find the smiley face right away, or you eliminate four “blank” cards to find the smiley face. In the original routine, because of the fact that we were trying to psychologically eliminate Options #1 and #5, the spectator and performer stood on opposite ends of the cups, but we no longer need to worry about eliminating options. In this effect, the spectator can truly choose any of the five cards she pleases, and the effect will still 75
work quite nicely. Thus, you can sit directly across the table from your spectator. Pretend you are at a restaurant sitting opposite your spectator. Lay out the five business cards in a row from your left to your right. Thus, the message/nail-marked card (#5) will be to her far right in front of her. Place the other nail-nicked card on the opposite side, at the spectator’s far left (#1). Also, make sure to have the pencil lying on the table, but do not reference it. “Jan, I am displaying five business cards in front of you, numbered from one to five.” (Pointing at the card to her left as you say “one” and then to her far right as you say “five.”) “Have you ever had a time in your life when you just knew that you were on the same wave-length as another person, maybe a best friend or boyfriend? You’re completing each other’s thoughts? Yes? I have too, and I think that is where the belief in ESP comes from. Sometimes, I think we literally know what others are thinking, and I would like to ask you to do an experiment with me to see if we can bridge our minds together and see what we can accomplish together. Will you work with me?” The script above helps avoid turning the effect to follow into some kind of challenge or adversarial conflict. You want her to work with you as a partner and share in the miracle at the end. Once she affirms, say, “Okay great. In a second, I want you to look at the cards in front of you. You won’t touch the cards until I give you the go-ahead, but you will look at them and choose just one in your mind. You may get a feeling, a hunch, or you may feel like you are just guessing, but when I turn my back, I just want you to mentally select a 76
card that feels right to you, one that feels like you are working in sync with me from a mental standpoint.” Turn your back and allow her to study the cards. After a few seconds, say, “Okay, do you have one that feels right to you? Good. If you want to change your mind, go with what feels right, but I need you to stick with just one. Got it? Now, I want you to slowly, carefully reach down to the table and pick up the card you have been attracted to. Do you have it in your hands?” From this point forward, you are using verbal acrobatics and one easy manipulation done by the spectator to make the effect work 100% of the time. If done correctly, no matter what option she chooses, the effect will be seamless. “Okay, you’ve done wonderfully. Is there anything written on the back of the card that you are holding?” This is a huge question, and it has two different meanings. If she chose Options #1-4, the question is innocently designed to ensure that the cards are indeed blank, which makes sense because you are going to ask her to write on only one of them. But if she chooses Option #5, the question is designed to inform you of whether she has indeed chosen the card with the message on it, and that lets you know that the effect is all set to have a quick and powerful finale. But since she has no idea that there are two alternate paths that this effect can travel, she will have no idea that the question has two purposes and will not be skeptical of it. If she says, “Yes, there is.” 77
“Very, very good job,” you say, smiling humbly. “May I turn around now? I knew you would be the perfect partner to try this experiment with. Would you please do me a favor and read for us what is written on the back of the business card you freely selected.” She reads the message. If she has an audience (like in a loud restaurant with a table full of people), ask her to repeat the message again louder. “You did amazing…” you say. Then look around as if you feel some members of the audience are skeptical. “Okay, I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking that I could’ve written that same message on all of the cards. I would too if I were you. Okay, go ahead and please turn them over.” The other four cards are turned over and shown to be blank, and the effect is complete. If she says, “No, there isn’t.” (Your back is still turned) “The card is blank, right? I want you to pick up the pencil you see on the table. See it? On the back of the card, I want you to draw a great big smiley face, making the card extremely happy! Be careful not to press too hard because we don’t want to be able to see the imprint on the other side of the card.” Wait for her to complete her drawing.
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“Have you drawn a big smile for me? Are you smiling??? Okay, please place the card back on the table in its original spot. There is no way I can know what card you selected, right? You can’t see through the card, can you? Okay good. Before I turn around, just in case you think I somehow unfairly influenced you to pick your card, I want you to slide the card and switch its place with any other card on the table. You choose. That way, we ensure that not even you knew what place the card would eventually rest until now.” Switching the card, in the spectator and audience’s mind, is done to make the effect more obedient to “test conditions.” But that’s not why we are switching it. The real reason is to guarantee that you can fairly and miraculously find the smiley face, no matter where it is. You are now ready to turn around and complete the elimination phase of the routine and the reveal. “Are you all set? Have you switched the cards? There is no way I can tell what card you have chosen, correct? Am I safe to turn around? Good.” Turn around and say, “Okay remember we said that we were going to be partners in this and try to link our minds together. I want you to try very hard to work with me and go with your intuition. I want you to use your mind to help me find your smiley face without making a single mistake. Will you do that for me?” She nods. Let’s do a status check: If the spectator chose the blank nail-nicked card to draw her picture, she will switch it with either the other nicked card or one of the three center cards. 79
If you turn around and see that the blank nail-nicked card is in the center (positions 2, 3, or 4) you know that her selection is either that nicked card or the card in the former place of the nicked card. If you turn around and the two nicked cards have been swapped in each other’s place, you know that her selection is in position 5. If you turn around and see that the nail-nicked cards have not moved, you know the selection is one of the three center cards in position 2, 3, or 4, and you also know that the nail-nicked cards are safe (remember that one of them, number 5, has the message). “Okay, other than through mind reading, there is no way I could have known which card you would select, right? You had an opportunity to change your mind, yes? Good, now let’s see how we do.” From this point on, you will follow Rick’s basic script, but adjusting based on what you have learned by the placement of the nicked cards. Let’s pretend you turn around and find that the two nail-nicked cards have not moved, meaning that those cards are safe and that the smiley face is either card 2, 3, or 4. Look down at the cards silently and allow the silence to increase the suspense. Appear to concentrate. Never looking up, say, “The job I have in front of me is to eliminate the four blank cards and then find the correct one with your smiley face.” Reach down and turn over the business card in position 2 or 4, flashing its back from the table toward you, not the spectator, so that you can determine quickly whether you have found the smiley face or a blank. If 80
the card has the smiley face, immediately say nothing and just turn it completely over and look at her with a friendly smile. If the card is a blank, say immediately, “I have eliminated the first card.” Show the blank back clearly to the spectator and then place it on the table (bottom down). It is very important that you show her the blank back because you are conditioning her throughout that the other four cards are indeed blank (which is not true because you have one card with a message written on it that you never want her to know exists). Concentrate some more as you continue to stare down at the cards (a la Rick’s original script). Reach for the card at position 1 (which you know to be blank) and say, “I believe this card is blank as well. The smiley face is not here.” Flip the card over as before, clearly showing the blank back, and then place it bottom down on top of the first one you revealed. You now have cards 3, 4, and 5 remaining. Wave your hands over the card at position 5, still looking down, and say, “I believe this card is blank too. The smiley face is not here.” Reach down and flip the bottom toward you, as if to confirm that it too is blank, but do not flash the bottom (the one with the message written on it) toward the spectator. Then say, “This card is also eliminated.” Place this card immediately, bottom down, on top of the stack of the other two. This is a simple miscall strategy, and it will fly right by the spectator. Remember, you have already conditioned them on the two previous cards that the bottoms were blank, and they know full well where their actual card truly lies. In their mind, there CAN’T be anything written on 81
this card. In the context of the presentation you have given, there is nothing to suspect. You now have the cards in positions 3 and 4 remaining, but you are not sure which card has the smiley face. Using Rick’s presentation, you then concentrate intensely while staring down on the remaining two cards. After a few seconds, you smile broadly and for the first time you look up and make eye contact with the spectator, as if to exclaim in epiphany, “I’ve got it!” Then reach down and flip up, bottom towards you, the card at position 3 (or 4; it doesn’t really matter). If the card is blank, immediately say, “Here is…the fourth eliminated card!” Immediately show its blank bottom to the spectator as she smiles, and you can then reveal the smiley face correctly. End of presentation. If, however, the smiley face is actually under card #3, say immediately as soon as you see the ink on the bottom of the card, “Here is…your smiley face!” End of presentation. OTHER SCENARIOS If you turn around and find that the two nail-nicked cards have been swapped, you know the spectator’s card is in position 5. If you turn around and find that the nicked card from position 5 is now in position 2, 3, or 4, then you know exactly where the selected card is (it’s now in position 5). If it is the nicked card from position 1 in the center, you know the selected card is either in position 1 or it is the nicked card itself 82
(originally from position 1). These should be the last two cards eliminated. CREDITS I can’t tell you how much I love Rick Maue’s original effect. Without TERASABOS, there ain’t no TERNBATA. Rick was kind enough to spend time with me about this variation, and he honored me with his blessing to play with it in this form. (Rick, you are a generous mentor! Thank you!) I have to also give credit to mentalist Madison Hagler for the idea about using multiple nail-nicked cards in the effect. I started with one nicked card, and he made the suggestion to increase that number to three nicked cards. After studying it, I found that two worked quite nicely. Thanks to Madison for his wonderful help! CONCLUSION The basics of this effect probably read far more complicated than they actually are. If you have effective presentation skills (and as Rick shared, CONFIDENCE), this little gem will provide quite a kick for you. And the best thing is that you get to take Rick’s routine with you in your wallet everywhere you go and make it work 100% of the time. I hope you enjoy!
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#9 the personality of a force
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INTRODUCTION Some of you may have no interest in this, but I have done a great deal of thinking lately about the 37 force. It is a solid force, but I have always disregarded it because there is apparently no reason why I would make someone think of odd numbers that are different from each other. In my performances of it, I have found the force to be very effective, but I wonder often if people secretly think it is bogus, but just don’t say anything because they wish to be polite. In DeckwACAAN, I created a new way to get around this: using a personality test as a frame (or reason) for getting odd digits. I called this the “21st Century Force,” and it forces one of 10 possible numbers. On that same note, I went back to the 37 force recently to see if I could make the force feel less like a force. What if I could make them feel like they are the ones who chose odd digits rather than me defining the parameters arbitrarily? That was the puzzle I gave myself. Here is one try at it: THE PERSONALITY OF A FORCE "I want to ask you a question that may make no sense on the surface, and I want to challenge your comfort zone a little bit. Consider it a subconscious personality test. There's no right or wrong answer. Just go with what feels right to you. If people could get inside your head, and really see how your mind really thinks, would you describe yourself as 'odd' or 'even'?
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Scenario 1: "Hmmm...odd, I guess." "Okay, odd. This could mean a lot of interesting things about you: outof-the-box thinker, creative, privately sees the world a little differently, and people around you might be surprised because they think they have you pegged. Okay, great, let's take it a little further. You chose odd, and numbers are even and odd, just like people. I want you to think of a number between 1-50 which matches your personality, one in which both digits are not only odd numbers, but which are different and odd to each other, like 13 or 19." Obviously, this half of the time, you have the purest, most fair situation you could possibly ask to have. Your spectator had a totally free choice in choosing the odd digits. When they think of the question later, they will remember that they had control, not me. Scenario 2: In this scenario, the spectator is going to choose the opposite of what you need (even). But your opening script has taken care of this for you. If you will remember, you told her that you were going to “challenge her comfort zone.” "Hmmm....even, I guess." "Okay, interesting. You see yourself as 'even.' To me, this means that while people around you may interpret your actions sometimes as sporadic and uneven, in your own mind, you actually have a method to your madness and a calm direction in life. Your reasons make sense to 86
you, and you have a personal compass in your mind that you rely on, even if others cannot always see it. But earlier, I said we would take you out of your comfort zone and stretch you a bit. Numbers are either even or odd just like people, and I want you to choose a number that breaks new ground for you, something ODD. Please choose any odd number between 1-50, ensuring both digits are not only odd, but different and odd to each other, like 13 or 19.” SUMMARY Using this tried and true force, I now have a way to let the spectator take control rather than me forcing parameters on them right away. If they choose ODD, you are giving them exactly what they freely selected, making the force much harder to analyze. It can’t be a force because you used whatever they gave you. If they choose EVEN, you have already set up the personality test by saying that you would take them out of their comfort zone, so you have a justification for having them choose a number that is the opposite of their choice in the context of the personality discussion.
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#10 good samaritan
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INTRODUCTION After reading this you may be tempted to dismiss it, but I think you will miss out on some very strong spectator reactions if you do. It is indeed a very process-driven effect, but it is contained in an interesting story, a “character test,” that gives a compelling reason for the discussion. They should never know they are in a mentalism effect until it is too late. Essentially, you are going to have a spectator find an imaginary wallet with an imaginary amount of cash inside the wallet. In the end, you will tell him exactly how much cash he has only imagined in his mind. The mechanics of this mental exercise is that the use of banknote denominations gives you some mathematical shortcuts in doing what is essentially a PIN divination effect for a two-digit number. Without realizing it, the spectator is going to tell you whether both digits are odd or even, which is the key to the whole mental magic of this routine. THE ROUTINE "I would like to do an imagination exercise with you about being a Good Samaritan, someone who does the right thing when it counts. It starts out pretty selfish and contains a few ethical quandaries, but it ends well if you will stick with me...And you are the star of this imaginary story. I want you to imagine that you are open to temptation a little, okay?" "Let's do an imagination exercise. You find a wallet that doesn’t belong to you lying on the street. You look around and don’t see a potential owner anywhere. This is a potentially TEMPTING situation for you because you are really short on cash right now. You pick it up and, sure enough, it is has cash money inside. And to make it even better, you are pleased to see none of the notes are measly 1-dollar notes, but bigger bank-notes like 20’s or 10’s or 5’s. In your mind, I want you to imagine 89
the exact amount of cash contained in the wallet and the level of TEMPTATION YOU WANT TO ENDURE, something over 20 to just under 100 dollars. Think about how much cash you found inside, whether it is a SMALL TEMPTATION like just 25 bucks or a BIG TEMPTATION like 95 bucks, or anything in the middle. Got it?” THE BANK-NOTE FORCE What follows next is a type of force that I have not seen in print anywhere. You have given the spectator a totally free choice in regards to the amount of cash he has, but you are going to force him to choose the specific cash notes you need him to use. I have given this money force a very elaborate name. I call it “The Bank-Note Force.” "Now the next step is to imagine what specific bills of money you actually have in the wallet so that we have a realistic picture of the scene in our story. So I want you to imagine first the maximum number of 20-dollar (or Euro’s or pounds, etc.) bank-notes that will fit into this amount of cash (pause)...then the maximum number of 10-dollar banknotes that will fit in the remainder if you need them (pause)...and then the maximum number of 5's if you need them. For instance, if you have 45 dollars, you would have two 20's and one 5. Okay, can you remember exactly what types and how many bills you have?” The script above is very important, and it must be stated exactly as written. In order for this routine to work, you must first force the maximum number of 20's that can fit into the imagined amount of cash. By doing this, you are leaving him room for only one single 10dollar note and/or one single 5-dollar note, if needed. Example: He thought of 75 dollars— 90
If you perform the force correctly, he will think of three 20’s, one 10, and one 5. Mathematically, if he maximizes the number of 20’s first, he can have only one 10-dollar bill and only one 5-dollar bill. You will see why this is important in a bit, but “the Bank-Note Force” is the key to determining whether the first digit is even or odd. THE FIRST TEMPTATION Up until now, you have just set up the foundation of the routine. Now it begins. As you will see throughout this routine, you get all your mathematical needs met through the use of story rather than asking them to use terms like “even” or “odd” or anything related to numbers themselves. For some reason, the story very effectively hides all of the dirty work, and I have found that people cannot backtrack very well. The first key to deducing the exact amount of cash he is thinking about is determining whether the amount is low, middle, or high. You may not have realized it, but you have already laid the groundwork. If you will recall, when giving him examples of the amount of cash he could choose, you mentioned phrases like “small temptation” or “big temptation.” And you tied these temptations to how much money he found. If you think about it, his cash amount can only be one of the following eight ranges:
20 30 40 91
50 60 70 80 90 What you want to do first is eliminate four of these figures so that you cut the options in half, and this is a pretty simple task. “Okay remember, you are not your best ethical self at the beginning of this story. And doing the right thing is not the first thing on your mind. I am going to ask you three questions that have to do with temptation and ethics. You ready? Here’s the first one: Based on the amount of cash you have imagined in the wallet, is this a small temptation or a big temptation?” His answer will instantly cut your choices in half. If he gives you a definitive “small temptation,” you know you are dealing with 20, 30, 40, or 50. If he gives you a definitive “big temptation,” you know you are working with 60, 70, 80, or 90. AND…if he hesitates or wavers, meaning the amount is somewhere in the middle…the range is 40, 50, 60, 70. With one question that involves no reference to actual numbers, you have instantly cut your options in half, and you are now ready for the second temptation: determining whether the 2nd digit is even or odd (0 or 5).
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THE SECOND TEMPTATION The next step is to determine whether the amount of cash is even or odd, which will help you identify the second digit of his cash amount. Since the spectator has no 1-dollar notes in his wallet the last digit of his cash amount has to be either 0 or 5. One of the digits is even, and one is odd. If you know the even/odd orientation, then you know the digit. In order to find out, you will hide the question through the moral theme of the story frame we have set up. “Okay, here is your second temptation scenario. Let’s say you are with a friend when you find the wallet, and he asks you for exactly half of the total amount of cash you found. This is not your money, but you want to make your friend happy. So you decide to consider splitting the total amount into two equal halves. But this can cause arguments sometimes because sometimes totals won’t divide evenly and there is an extra dollar (or pound or euro) left over. So, if you divided your total amount of cash in half, would you both have equal shares or would one of you end up with an extra dollar (or pound or euro)?” Essentially, as you can see, the answer to this question lets you know the even/odd orientation of the 2nd digit. If the shares are equal, the digit is even and thus a 0 (zero). If one share has to be bigger than the other, the 2nd digit is odd and thus a 5. To hide the dirty work even more and stay true to your “Good Samaritan” theme, you have an opportunity to continue the moral choices you are setting up:
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If he tells you that one share would have to be more than the other, you can then say, “Okay a big ethical question for you: Who gets the bigger share? You or him?” It doesn’t matter what the answer is because you are immediately going to resolve it with the next phase. THE THIRD TEMPTATION You are almost there. You know you are working with only four possible first digits, and you have identified the second digit exactly. All you need now is to find out whether the first digit is even or odd, which will cut the first digits down further--from four to two. This is deviously simple due to the mathematics built into the denominations of money bills themselves that you have forced him to utilize. If you have used the script correctly in forcing the spectator to think of the proper denominations of bills, you have the key. If the spectator has a 10-dollar bank-note in the wallet, the first digit of his total amount of cash has to be odd. If he does not have a 10-dollar note, it is even. Think about it: $90—three 20’s and one 10 $80—four 20’s $70--three 20's and one 10 $60--three 20's $50--two 20's and one 10 $40—two 20’s $30—one 20 and one 10 $20—one 20 94
“Okay, here is your final scenario. Let’s pretend it is not a friend who approaches you, but an old homeless woman. She sees you standing there looking through a wallet with cash in it, and she comes up with her hands out and asks for a 10-dollar note. Look inside the imaginary wallet. Out of the bills you have imagined that make up your total, do you have a 10-note among your notes? If no, say immediately, “Okay, in this situation, knowing it is not your money, would you be kind-hearted and give a homeless woman one of your 20’s?” If yes, say immediately, “Okay, in this situation, knowing it is not your money, would be kind-hearted and give a homeless woman the 10note?” Regardless of the answer, you then make a comment about the ethical situation at hand and how they handle it. REDEMPTION Now that you have gone through the three temptations, you are now ready for the revelation. "It’s a tough situation sometimes, doing the right thing. I could imagine that it would be tempting to keep someone else’s wallet and run away with the cash. But you won’t end up doing that. You will do the right thing. Eventually, a little angel appears on your shoulder and whispers in your ear. The heavens break open, trumpets blare, and golden light shines upon your heart. You realize it is not right to keep this money at all. Instead, you decide to do the right thing, be a Good Samaritan, and find the owner…So you put up a sign that says, ‘Wallet found.’” 95
STATUS CHECK What do you know right now? You know the range of amounts from which he has chosen, whether low, middle, or high. You know the exact identity of the 2nd digit of the cash amount, whether it is 0 or 5. You know whether the 1st digit is even or odd. Think about what this means: If the amount is a “big temptation,” you know the 1st digit has to be either 6/8 (even) or 7/9 (odd). If the amount is a “medium temptation,” the 1st digit has to be either 4/6 (even) or 5/7 (odd). If the amount is a “small temptation,” the 1st digit has to be either 2/4 (even) or 3/5 (odd). You already know whether the 2nd digit is a 0 or 5. You now need only figure out which of the two possibilities for the 1st digit is the correct one, and once you do, you will know exactly how much is remaining in the wallet. Please remember. He has no idea that you are going to divine the amount of cash yet. In his mind, this is a character exercise. Don’t feel guilty about what you have boldly asked him throughout this process. He will not be able to reconstruct the bridges between the script and the revelation coming soon.
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THE FINAL STAIR-STEP You have everything you need. You know the identity of the 2nd digit, and you have the 1st digit narrowed down to one of two possible numbers (because you know whether it is even or odd). Let’s assume his amount is 55 dollars, and he said it was a “small temptation.” 1. You know his amount is 20, 30, 40, or 50. 2. You know his 2nd digit is a 5 because he could not divide it equally. 3. You know his 1st digit is odd as well (because he had a 10-dollar bill). 4. This means his 1st digit HAS to be either 3 or 5 (not 2 or 4). 5. His number has to be either 35 or 55. How can you tell which? You are going to use a bold ploy in which you set up an ambiguous question in which you cannot be wrong. You will need some acting skills, and you will need to display the utmost confidence in what you are saying and doing. “And that is where I come in. I lost my wallet, and I approach you as a complete stranger with my hands out. Now, I present your final moral test. You are trying to decide whether to answer YES or NO on whether to give me the wallet. So here is the test: If a total stranger like me comes up asking for this wallet, and he tells you there is approximately fiftyyyy…(like you’re estimating)…five dollars in it…your answer would obviously be…?” (gesture to him as if to encourage him to answer yes or no…)
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Notice the ploy with the last question. Half the time, you will be absolutely correct without even a pumping question. You cannot backtrack this! But even if you’re not, you are still in good shape. The script has a double meaning. If you are correct, you just stunned him, and you say, “Obviously yes, right? That’s because it truly is my wallet, and that makes you a wonderfully Good Samaritan. Thank you, sir!” If your guess is wrong, it will be interpreted that it was an intentional wild wrong guess, and you emphasize the word “obviously” because you imply that you know it is way off. You are looking for a “NO” answer because this was a character test, remember? You then try to beat him to the punch as soon as you know it is wrong by saying, “It’s obviously ‘no,’ right? But this wallet belongs to me, and that is why I know for a fact it actually has thirty five dollars in it. I want to thank you for being a wonderfully Good Samaritan!” I cannot emphasize enough that you must demonstrate confidence as you use this ruse. If you show any guilt at all, they will not buy it. But similar to TERNBATA (TERASABOS), if you show the utmost conviction that you believe what you are saying, it will work quite well. CONCLUSION This works extremely well. But your confidence, presentation skills, and instructional delivery will have to be top-notch. The key is that the script has to be presented as a conversation about a potential moralchoice regarding the spectator’s own character. People are very interested in themselves and personality tests. Thus, you are using their genuine curiosity about themselves to give you the time you need to get the math done. 98
You will have to decide whether the effort is worth it. CREDITS Peter Turner—He once demonstrated a PIN divination effect for me, and this is very loosely inspired by the revelation that there are very sneaky ways to identify number digits. He also inspired my idea to use the “small/big temptation” question, which I expanded to reduce the ranges. Madison Hagler—He helped me with some key script advice to make it fit the theme better, and it was his feedback that led me to a satisfactory resolution to the effect. Laurence Hookway—Also helped to refine and test the effect.
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#11 lifelock
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EFFECT IN THE EYES OF THE SPECTATOR The performer proposes that a spectator consider forming a new PIN code for her smartphone to replace the one she is currently using. He invites her to create a new number that is unique to her existence, one that is a calculation based on dates, numbers, and memories from her past. She agrees to do so, and she has a totally free choice of what numbers to put in the calculation. The performer uses no number forces or mathematical ruses (the performer truly doesn’t!). After a few entries into her calculator app on her phone, she arrives at a 4-digit number that is based on her choices. The performer then offers a test of the true power of this new mystical code she has invented. He tells her that if she has put her heart into the process, it is possible that her new life code will have the power to override her phone’s current PIN code! She is an iPhone owner. She knows that Steve Jobs was a genius. She knows that Apple would never let this be possible. But every girl is looking for a true miracle, so she agrees to the test. Her new code is entered into her locked phone, and the phone actually opens! THE LIFELOCK METHOD First, this effect works only with an iPhone…to the best of my knowledge. If you are an Android user, I am sure you can find a way to simulate this effect, but the mechanics to follow apply only to the followers of the enlightened one…Steve Jobs. 101
We open the effect by talking about phone lock codes and how they have random meanings and reasons. Some use their birth year, some use their credit card PINS, and some just make up a random number. You propose to them that using a PIN number dozens of times a day might give them an opportunity to add some amazing influence in their daily lives. "Think about it," you say. “You use your phone's lock code dozens of times a day, thousands of times a year. Numbers have meaning, and you are programming yourself in all kinds of unforeseen ways by keying in this same number so many times. Or maybe your PIN code is indeed something special to you, like your sister/daughter/husband's birthday. That's okay of course, but your code only focuses on one area of your big wonderful life...What if you had a phone lock code that meant even more to you?..." "...Knowing this, I can help you find a lock code you might want to consider using instead. One that has the potential to bring you love, to fulfill your destiny, and to bring blessings to your existence. Each of us has a PIN code that was meant for us to have from the beginning, and it is based on our history, our life's events, and our destinies. I am going to help you find out what your lock code possibly 'should be.' Once you know this number and make it your new lock code, you could use it to program love, fulfillment, and blessings into your life thousands of times per year. It’s your choice of whether to use it, but let’s find out what it is first." "Are you game? Good...In order to find your personal ‘life’ code, I am going to have to ask you some personal questions that will help you 102
build it. You will never tell me or anyone here the answers. Instead, we will use your iPhone’s calculator to secretly construct your new PIN code. We will do a short little ceremony this evening to help you find the numbers you could be punching in each day to program a more blessed existence." STEP 1: THE LOVE NUMBER At this point, the current status is that you have set the premise of your questions and comfort level with her, and the spectator should be holding her iPhone in hand with the calculator APP opened and ready. You also want to make sure that her iPhone will lock once you push the lock button, so you should make sure to ask her to set the phone settings so that it locks immediately upon a click (and let her know you will explain why in just a minute…). Also, hopefully you have set the mood and intrigued her curiosity a bit. You have spoken of love, destiny, and blessings, which appeal to all people, but I suspect that many women will definitely be attracted to this plot. If you are performing this for a male, however, you might adjust the presentation slightly to focus more on the mystery and destiny of what will happen. The point is, use your common sense and presentational skills to make adjustments to match the audience you are entertaining (shouldn’t we do that for any effect?). You will now start the script that will allow you to secretly obtain her phone’s actual 4-digit lock code. More on that to come. There are several PIN-code effects that depend on number forces or mathematical number ruses. LIFELOCK does not use these methods. In stark contrast, the numbers you will ask for mean absolutely nothing in terms of the actual methodology itself, except for the fact that they 103
give you an excuse to have the spectator enter her actual phone lock code into the calculator (so that you can peek it secretly). You could ask the spectator any question under the sun about any number you choose, as long as the number totals are 3 to 4 digits. With that said, the questions themselves are vital in terms of creating an emotional connection with the spectator by having her focus on meaningful and special moments of her life. You are aiming for an impact that lasts for days or weeks. Thus, we suggest that whatever number questions you ask, they are related to important emotional events in the spectator’s life. If each number you ask for is meaningful, then the LIFELOCK code you help them construct will be meaningful too. Here is one way to conduct the LIFELOCK presentation: "Okay, in order to create a new ‘life code’ for you that will bring you love, fulfill your destiny, and fill your life with blessings, we have to tap into an important event that you keep locked in your memory from years ago, a special event indeed. The first thing I would like you to do is think of the time that you shared your very first true adult kiss..." Again, you don’t have to focus on a first kiss here. You could instead ask the spectator to think of the first time they fell in love, the birth of their first child, or the date of their marriage. It doesn't matter because the number they will punch in their calculator doesn't matter. The principle of this effect doesn't use a mathematical formula. Instead, the numbers are merely subterfuge for secretly obtaining the spectator's phone PIN code a little later in the presentation. "I don't mean playing doctor when you were five years old with your 104
neighbor. No, I mean the first time you shared your first…true…kiss (slow down here and lower the volume of your voice).” “Let’s close your eyes and go back in time for just a bit. Go back to that very day. I want you to feel again how nervous you were. How excited you were. I want you to hear the same sounds you heard way back then, to smell the same smells…exactly as it happened that very day. Good…now just remember the exact moment your lips touched his. Okay, open your eyes…” At this moment, you can easily pick up on body language and facial expression cues to deduce how that experience was for her, and then you could provide a short cold reading. If you get the sense that she is calm and smiling serenely, you can say, “I get the sense that this was a good memory for you, yes?” If you get the feeling, however, that she is uncomfortable, you can reduce the tension by saying, “I get the sense that this first true kiss was an awkward one, which is totally normal, yes?” You then just go with what she affirms. Once you have gotten her into the frame of the memory, say, “Now this is important. That kiss was more than just a kiss, do you see? It was one of your first acts of true love. Do you remember how old you were? The age is significant as it will help us build your new life-code. Okay good. I want you now to take your calculator and punch in the number that represents your age. For instance, if it was 33, which was the age of my first kiss (hoping to get a laugh here), you would type in 33. Got it?”
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STEP 2: THE DESTINY NUMBER "Okay that's the first key to your new code, your first act of romantic love. That wasn’t so bad, was it? Now let’s take a breath and focus on the second foundation of your life-code...this part points to your life’s purpose, your destiny. Of course, our destinies are all different. We each have our own path, and I believe the year we are born is significant. The ancient Chinese believed that life revolved in cycles of years, and that is why the year of birth is very important to the Chinese people. So that will be our second number for your calculator: the year you were born. I want you to add the year of your birth to the age you were during your first kiss. All you have to do is press the + sign, and then type in the year, then press the = sign to add them together (wait patiently). You should have a new number, got it?" Let’s pause for a second here. To be honest, there are very few ways to make mistakes in this presentation. Again, the numbers don’t matter. But I do want to warn you that some people are not as familiar with a calculator as others. It is vital that you not assume they know how to add and multiply numbers on the APP. Thus, you have to be very specific and “step-oriented” in your instructions to the spectator. STEP 3: THE “SACRED” NUMBER You are almost to the point where you will peek the spectator’s actual phone lock code so that you can perform the climax of the effect. You have asked her two number questions so far, and you have established a mood of the effect, a structure on how to use the calculator, and a trust of the process itself. This will make it far easier to get the PIN number of her phone for your use. 106
As a status check: She has entered in her calculator APP the following information in the following order: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Number of her age Plus sign (+) The year of her birth Equal sign (=)
She should now have a totally new random number in her phone. "Now for the third number. I believe there is a reason we are here on this planet. Whether you believe in God or a divine intelligence, I just think one of our missions in this world is to get closer to that ultimate reality, the divine. And the closer we get, the more ‘blessings’ we realize in our daily existence. That make sense? Thus, we have to use a number that represents the holiness in all things: The number 3. It’s the number of the trinity, and it is a sacred number in many religions. So we are going to use this concept by multiplying the number that is now in your calculator by the number 3. You understand? So in your calculator, I want you to press the multiply button, the one that looks like an X. Okay, and then press the number 3 and then press the equal button. Got it? Great!” Now summarize what you have done to ensure they realize that this process is truly random. “You should have a totally random number, made up of an act of love from your past, the date of your birth, and those are multiplied by the mystical number 3. My number, you would agree, would be totally different from your number, right? Okay, we are one step away from creating your new ‘life code’."
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STEP 4: SUBTRACTING THE SPECTATOR’S ACTUAL PIN CODE You are going to absolutely love this. We are now to the point where you get the one piece of information that will allow you to literally amaze and stun your audience. It is so easy to do and so devious, you will wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself! First, we have to give credit to Michael Murray who gives us the key to “unlock” the workings of this effect. It was Michael who brilliantly first discovered a certain function of the Apple iPhone Calculator App that allows us to peek information that was previously punched into the number pad. He calls it the “Cal/Ender Peek.” THE CAL/ENDER PEEK When you use the calculator APP on the iPhone to carry out basic adding and subtracting functions and then push the “Clear” button (C), the last number in the calculation is not permanently erased. The only way to permanently erase the last entry is to push the clear button twice. This is extremely useful because if you push the C button only once, the total on the calculator will read “0”, and the spectator will think she has erased her work for good. But she hasn’t. All you have to do is push the “Equals” button (=), and the last entry of the calculation will reappear! Try it yourself with a simple addition problem. Using your iPhone Calculator APP, type: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1000 Plus (+) 2000 Equals (=) C (to clear the total to zero) 108
6. =…The last entry pops up again! (2000) Do you see what this means? Using this rarely-known function that is common to every iPhone in existence, you can peek an unlimited amount of numbers without the spectator ever knowing it. The uses for a mentalist are everywhere. You don’t have to buy a special app, and you get to use the spectator’s own phone. How fair is that? So let’s get that final number in the mix: the spectator’s PIN code. "And finally, the last number. You see, your current PIN code was no accident. It has become part of you, whether for good or ill. Just as your many good and bad experiences and life scars from the past have become a part of what you are today, your PIN number is also a part of you. A part you that you have been using for a long time. We don't want to erase it totally; we just want to ‘subtract’ its influence on your life. Thus, your current PIN will actually, and ironically, help you make your new life-code." "I want you to look at the number total you have currently showing in your calculator. What you are going to do now is 'subtract' your current PIN from that total. It doesn't matter if you get a negative number or not. The signs of the number don't matter. The important thing is that it has to be your actual current phone code, or this will not work. I want you to subtract your real lock code from this number you have created. Press the subtract button. You know? The minus button? And then type in your actual 4-digit code that currently opens your phone. If your first digit is a zero, just subtract the 3-digit number after the zero. Got it?" At this point, she has completed all the background work you need to make this miracle work. The spectator is now looking at her “life-code.” It may be a positive or negative number. It doesn’t matter. It may be 4 digits, or it may be 3 digits. It doesn’t matter. 109
All that matters is that the very last entry in their calculation was their current 4-digit phone code that actually opens their phone. Now that you know the Cal/Ender method, you can easily obtain the spectator’s PIN code. STEP 5: PEEKING THE SPECTATOR’S ACTUAL PIN CODE We are now going to get the last part of the puzzle: obtaining the spectator’s actual PIN code. “Julie, the number you have before you on your calculator is very important (slow down here and use low volume emphasis). Whatever you do, do not push any other buttons. Let’s be careful not to erase it yet until you have memorized it. Remember, it doesn’t matter if the number is positive or negative. We only care about the digits. If the number only has three digits, add a zero to the front of the number. For instance, if the number if 356, your life-code would 0356. Understand? Great.” At this point, give her your business card and a pen and ask her to write down the new “life-code” so that she “doesn’t forget it.” In just a bit, you will see why this business card is important when you do the dirty work needed for the climax. "Okay, you see the 'C' button on your calculator? That’s the clear button. When I say go, I want you to push that button very, very slowly* so that the total goes back to zero, and so that none of us can know what numbers you put in and were only thinking of. Ready? Okay go. Done? Is there a zero now so that none of us can see what you typed? Okay good. Please allow me to hold your phone for a second so that we can test your new number to see whether it is truly powerful.”
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(*I once performed this for a spectator who had a habit of quickly tapping the clear button twice, which permanently erases the data and disables your calculator peek. She worked in an office and used calculators frequently. I quickly realized that her double tap, which is easy to see, would prevent the PIN code peek from working, so I had to have her re-enter the number as a summary…just so we were sure she got the right number. Telling her to be careful with the number pad and press the clear button “very, very slowly” fixed the problem. Thus, I suggest you make it part of your script under the guise of handling this sacred number carefully like a fragile object.) Take the phone and show everyone that the total is zero. It is important to totally erase any theory that there is a formula or that you peeked the number she wrote down. Bring it back to your face, and say, "Now, let’s wrap up by simply pressing the lock button to symbolically say that we are on the journey to a new beginning. We have created a new number built on your memories of love and destiny.” You are now going to use Michael’s “Cal/Ender” peek to obtain her actual PIN code. As you reach up with the intention to push the on/off/lock button with your left hand, use your finger from your right hand to push the = button quickly. The spectator’s very last entry, her PIN code, will reappear like magic. Quickly (but solidly) memorize this number and immediately push the AC button with your left hand to make it zero "0" again. This should only take a micro-second. If you like, you can then show the spectator and audience one last time that the total is zero to reiterate that you didn’t see anything. Then lock the phone by pressing the on/off button. 111
STEP 6: THE FINALE The hard part is done. The rest is just presentation. In a few moments, you are going to do something that just cannot be done: In essence, the spectator is going to witness you using her new mystical life-code to override her current PIN code and actually open her locked iPhone. This is what makes LIFELOCK unique from any other PIN divination I have ever seen. While you could simply just reveal the PIN in some way or do a number prediction effect, instead you are going to deviously convince them that their new lock code will actually open their phone. Ironically, you will never even mention her real PIN code. If she asks you later, you will say you do not have a clue what her current lock code is. And that’s because the effect is not about her “current” PIN code! Instead, it is about this new number that is special only to her, a number based on cherished events in her life. And you will validate that number’s mystical POWER by demonstrating it right before her eyes! You then say, "Now the phone is locked." Demonstrate for those watching that it is truly locked. You might even ask an onlooker to try to open it just to prove the point completely. "Okay let's review. You first put in your age of your first kiss...your first act of true love.” "Then you added the year of your birth...The year your destiny began." "Then you multiplied this number by 3, a number of great significance 112
in our relationship to the divine." "And then you subtracted your real current lock code from the total in order to subtract its influence on your current life and give you a new start, correct?" “This gave you a new total all together, which is your very own lifecode. You then cleared all of your numbers from the calculator so that only you knew the secret information you have used to create your number, correct?” At that point you tell her, "Now, here's the strange part. This thing about your personal life code could be a bunch of bull malarkey, or it could be very real. If it were real, the number we created together would be POWERFUL!” Pause for rhetorical effect. “In fact, it would be so powerful that it would give you a sign that you should make a change in your code, and maybe in your life…a change for the better so that you can be your best self. If it were real, it would powerful enough to, just one time in this special moment, override your current PIN number and allow us to actually open your phone with the new code.” “But it will only work one time. If this works, and sometimes it doesn’t, you will have to make a decision on whether you want to change your number and make your life-code permanent. You have to make your own magic in this world. The choice is always up to you in your life.” The above lines are important. When you apparently open her phone in a few seconds with the life-code, you will need a reason why it works only once. Using this presentation, you share that the life-code can only 113
be used once (as a gift from the powers that be, we assume), but after that, her life choices always remain hers. She has to create her own magic in life, so to speak. “Otherwise, the number you have been using all this time will remain with you each day. Do you keep your old code, or do you use this new code of power? The decision is yours, not mine. Are you ready to see if it works? Please pick up the business card on which you wrote your new life-code.” You ask her to do this so that she has to have something in her hands and so that she doesn’t reach for the iPhone. In order to create the illusion that the new code will open her phone, you must be the person entering the digits while she has the job of reading and calling out the digits of her new life-code. “Okay, you have the code. Let’s see if we got a good one. This doesn’t always work, but we will give it a try. For the first time, I want you to read out loud, digit by digit, your new life PIN code. I will then push the numbers as you call them out to me, and we will see if it works." And this is where our unique take on this effect comes into play. Rather than creating an effect where we mysteriously predict her current PIN code, we are going to take it further. And it is so simple: we are going to use the “miscall” principle to give the illusion that her life-code actually opens her iPhone. The spectator and all those who witness this effect will hear her repeating her new digits, and they will see me entering digits into the phone. But instead of entering the digits she says out loud, you are going to secretly enter the digits of her ACTUAL PIN CODE that you peeked from the calculator. 114
Remember, you have clearly established that there is no way you could know her current PIN code, and you really haven’t focused on her PIN much at all. It was just one entry out of four in a quick calculation. It’s received no attention, so it is not on their radar. During the presentation, you have demonstrated that all you care about is the “new” code. And thus, that’s all they will care about. Thus, what follows is the dramatic ending: you are going to use the spectator’s unique life-code to open the phone, and this event will happen in two phases: Phase 1: Apparent failure, build suspense Phase 2: Relief, resolution, maximum impact So let’s get to the stunning finish. Phase I: You have asked her to, for the first time, reveal her life-code by saying it aloud. You have convinced her that it is possible that this new 4-digit number will actually open her phone. But you are going to fail on purpose the first time. As she calls out the number, you are actually going to punch it in, but purposefully mis-punch one digit. Let’s pretend her new life-code is 8751: “Okay, go ahead. Tell me your number and I will put it into your lock screen.” She reads out the code from the business card you provided her, and you confidently punch it in slowly, one digit at a time. You then look concerned and look up with an embarrassed expression. 115
Phase II: “Ummm…it didn’t work. You did say 8752 right?” Notice what you have done. You pretended that you misheard her instructions. Her is code is 8751, but you said 8752. This immediately causes a relief beat after the disappointment and awkwardness of the apparent failure. “No,” she says. “I said 8751.” “Ohhhh…My fault. I hate it when that happens.” You then smile with relief. “Let me try that again.” At that very second, you quickly punch in her actual PIN number, the number you peeked in her calculator that she represented as her actual lock code. The phone will open obviously. But don’t reveal it right away. Sit there and stare at it for a few seconds with a big look of smiling awe on your face. Build the suspense as much as possible. This also gives you time to distance yourself from the methods you have used. Then press the home button so that her screen’s home menu appears (I think this looks better when you reveal it than looking at her calculator screen). “Well?!” she says. After the suspense has been properly developed, silently turn the phone around so that the spectator can see the open screen of her unlocked phone. Smile and say, “You did it…It worked…Amazing…” 116
I think it is best to let the impossibility and stunning resolution of the effect, coupled with the emotional connection you have established to her life-code, say all you need to say. The effect has always been about her, the spectator. It’s been about her connection to her memories and her destiny—and what those elements mean to her very real future. You, on the other hand, have served only as a catalyst to help her tap into this power. Thus, we feel you should end the routine by leaving her with a sense of personal wonder and empowerment—and putting yourself in the background. PETER TURNER’S ALTERNATE REVEAL Peter Turner had a chance to take a look at this manuscript, and he offered an idea to increase the impact of the reveal by adding his twist to the miscall. Here is his idea: What if instead of the performer unlocking the phone himself, another spectator did so? In other words, we can increase the impact of the moment by giving the phone to another spectator and allowing her to unlock the phone for you with the life-code. By doing this, you eliminate the “shady” moment of you entering the miscall into the phone, and you get two reaction moments. 1. The reaction of the 2nd spectator as she successfully opens the phone. 2. The reaction of the 1st spectator when she sees that it worked successfully. Here is one way we have come up with that you could implement Peter’s presentational idea: 117
It is relatively simple, and it only requires a little change in handling and presentation. Once the spectator has memorized her life-code and you have set up the premise for what the new number might be able to accomplish, you ask her to whisper the number in your ear. You then take out a billet and supposedly write this number on the billet, but instead you write down her actual PIN code. Turning to the 2nd spectator, you can say, “Will you please help us? Please don’t share this with anyone, as it is totally private. But if her number is truly right for her, it will open her phone for her, and just maybe that will give her a sign that she herself is powerful and can make the choice today to do some amazing things in her life. I am going to hand you the phone. Make sure no one can see it, but please punch in the life code and let’s see what happens.” As you hand her the phone, keeping the billet in your hand, show her the code and ask her to punch it in the lock screen. What you should see is an immediate facial reaction from the 2nd spectator that it works, and then she will show the phone to the 1st spectator, who will also emote. Thus, you get two reaction moments. You then simply take the billet and physically tear it up, saying to the owner of the phone, “I will destroy this so that no one knows it but you. You now have a choice, like anything in life, of whether to change your code to your new life-code or to stay with your old programming. The choice is always up to you.”
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Then turn to the 2nd Spectator and use an idea inspired loosely by a ruse that Michael Murray uses in his wonderful “ATM.” “Now, her life-code is very sacred, and it is important that no one know the code, including you. Will you help me with this to protect her? Yes? Thus, I want you to close your eyes for a second so that we can go back in time to the instant before I gave you her new code. Will you go back in time with me? (you are constantly trying to get her to say “yes”). Great. The seconds and minutes are flying backward in time in your mind. You are now two minutes younger, and you have never seen her life-code. The numbers are jumbled in your mind…5, 8, 4, 1, 9, 0, 3. Now, they are melting and dissipating from your mind. Now, they’re gone completely (snap your fingers). Open your eyes…Yes or no, will you agree that you have forgotten her life code completely?” The question you ask is NOT whether she has forgotten the number, but whether she will agree she has forgotten it. Once she psychologically commits to this, she will indeed either actually forget it or comply with your request to not remember it (out loud). You also get some credence from the audience that you have hypnotized her to forget the numbers. Also, by tearing up the billet and emphasizing the “privacy” of the number, you have destroyed the evidence of the dual reality. Thanks to Peter for his brilliant idea and willingness to share it! PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS 1. Obviously, there are a few angle considerations here. If you are performing this one on one, the effect will work flawlessly and you need only manage your spectator well. 119
But if you are performing for a group, it is possible you will have people trying to come behind you and see the final entry of the digits. There are a couple of ways around that. The first one is very simple. If you feel angles are unworkable, you can abandon the premise of using the life-code to open her phone and end instead with a simple divination of her own PIN by opening her phone with it. This is great because it is the worst case scenario. The worst that can happen is that you will miraculously open her phone with her own PIN number. The next one will work quite nicely. If you have a large group trying to look over your shoulder, your solution is built into the theme of the effect: We are talking about a person’s PRIVATE CODE! People aren’t supposed to know secret lock codes. You are supposed to keep them a secret, and people are accustomed to hiding the entry of their lock codes, even from their best friends. Thus, if the group dynamic presents a challenge of angles, all you need do is tweak your presentation such that the life-code is not read aloud, but kept a secret. You could do this by merely saying, “Now, we don’t want anyone to know your new life-code. It has too much power and potential to help you in your future, so we want to keep it a secret. My role here is to initiate its power by being the first to enter it into your phone. After that, if it works, you will have the option to change your code for the future. Now, for the first time, hand me your life-code, but make sure no one else can see it.” You get the main idea here. It’s about spectator management and ensuring that your presentation justifies each action. 120
2. And this is the big one. Currently, the iPhone is the only smartphone whose calculator provides the mechanism you need to perform this effect. This means that in order to get the full effect here, the spectator needs to own an iPhone. With that said, if the performer owns an iPhone, you could do the math and peek work on your own phone, and then use the knowledge of their PIN to open their own smartphone, whatever its brand (as long as it has a numeric locking code). Android owners, however, also have a “history” function on their calculator, so it would be a rather simple issue to also peak the history of the calculations to obtain the information you need to perform this effect. Obviously, if you perform this effect with your own phone rather than the spectator’s, certain changes in the presentation script will have to be made.
CONCLUSION So this manuscript is done. As I (Robert) look back over the process, method, and presentation herein, it occurs to me that this is one of the easiest routines I have ever seen. The peek won’t take weeks/months to practice and master. You don’t get any gimmicks to use. It doesn’t require any large skills of dexterity or arcane knowledge of mentalism. Instead, LIFELOCK is basically a peek, a miscall, and an emotional presentation. Of those three, the magic behind this miracle is really in the last one. You are basically telling a story that already exists in the 121
spectator’s heart and hopes. Without that story, I believe any “add-anumber” or “prediction” effect is relegated to the status of a puzzle. Once you try this routine, it is my hope you will be thrilled with what a couple of simple ideas can do to not only entertain a spectator in a given moment, but to also “stick” with them for days, months, or years. This experience you share with her has the potential to be treasured for a long time. I have already witnessed spectators who actually changed their phone lock codes to their new life-code (a memory that will be utilized dozens of times a day). And they will also tell a story to their friends and family, multiple times, about that person she met one day who did something that simply is not possible. Isn’t this why we wanted to perform in the first place? Thanks for purchasing this manuscript, and I hope you will create hundreds of new memories for yourself with it! CREDITS FOR LIFE-LOCK Andrew Brown, for applying Michael Murray’s Cal/Ender peek for a PIN divination, and for all of his constructive criticism. This routine wouldn’t exist without Andrew’s initial response to my brainstorm about a PIN divination, and it was he who made the leap to suggest using Cal/Ender for a PIN divination, which was also published in Michael’s new book “A Piece of My Mind.” Thanks, Andrew, for the numerous critiques and suggestions that made this routine much more workable. Kenton Knepper, via Peter Turner, for his idea of a calculator number peek in Peter Turner’s “Devious Realities.” Michael Murray, for his permission to use his Cal/Ender peek from Isabella’s Star 2 (by Peter Turner). 122
Peter Turner, for his work and inspiration to many of us in PIN reveals. Theodore Annemann, “202 Methods of Forcing.”
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#12 card camera
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INTRODUCTION In 2001, I attended the Winter Carnival of Magic in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. While perusing the vendors of tricks, gimmicks, and props, I found a table where two gentlemen were demonstrating a marketed playing card code system for passers-by. By just asking saying a few statements or questions, they could instantly tell you the name of someone's thought of card. I asked one of them to do the King of Clubs for me, so he turned to his friend about 20 feet away and said, "Yo!" After a couple of seconds, the man yelled back, "He's thinking of the King of Clubs!" The code he was using was "Bionic Mnemonic," written by Tom Vorjohan with Cliff James and Stephen Knowles, sold out of Rubber Chicken Depot, which is a fantastic invention of linguistics. I immediately purchased it and learned it. And then put it away. While it was relatively easy, I stumbled on the fact that I was constantly having to think of too much math addition in my head just to plan my sentences to communicate the code. Obviously, adding multiple singledigit numbers is not difficult at all. But I had to formulate and plan too many words to communicate the card's value, and while it was certainly doable, it just felt awkward to me. It also made it more difficult to teach to another person to participate in the code. So one day, I took it off the shelf and while reading it again, a different code system came to my head. A light bulb went off, and I discovered that if one were to learn only 11 easy key words instead of “BM’s” 125
seven, I could eliminate or simplify most of the math addition and sentence planning. That would take far less think-time for two people to use the code, and it would reduce the awkwardness and length of the sentences I was using to communicate the value of a card (this will become clear a little later). These comments may sound like critiques of “BM’s” code system, but actually I love the system! Thanks to the work of “BM’s” creators, their idea led me to what I believe is an even easier system to use in practical work. It is a system that houses mnemonics for your ease of learning, uses very little math, and provides what I think is a more natural way to communicate the code. I do have to give one more credit to "Bionic Mnemonic," which is its ingenious way to communicate the kings. I have retained its method for communicating the kings, and I recommend that you check out their manuscript as well if you want to learn another wonderful method for communicating a playing card through verbal code. Finally, I think you will enjoy the “Texting System” included in the CARD CAMERA. Using this system, you will have an undetectable code for sharing the value of a playing card via a cell phone or iPod through texting the code. Now, you can use your cell phone at parties to contact a “psychic” who can tell your friends the name of any card they choose! And you don’t have to purchase complicated apps or software programs.
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PART I: THE CARD CAMERA Imagine this. A person thinks of any card in the deck and writes it on a piece of paper. She shares it with her friends, but not with you. Then one of her friends asks you to name the card she thought of, and you can unbelievably name the exact card. You can do this without peeking. Without mirrors. Without special gimmicks. Without someone whispering the card's name to you. AND WITHOUT CAMERAS! Or imagine this. Imagine that you are at a party of friends, and you ask a lady to say out loud any card in the deck (or to write it down silently). You then use her cell phone to text "THE MIND READER." In the view of everyone's eyes as you type, you text him and ask him the name of the card. And he texts the exact name of the card back to the party for all to see. You can do these miracles time after time by mastering the secret in this booklet. And it only takes a little bit of practice to learn. HOW IT WORKS It is very simple to communicate the name of a card to another human being without telling them directly what it is. And it is not through mind reading, mirrors, or camera tricks. Instead, all you need is a code--A code that can be used right underneath the noses of everyone in the room, but is undetectable. The secret of the CARD CAMERA provides you exactly that. It is a simple 127
code, given in one or two very brief phrases or sentences that will instantly communicate the suit and value of any playing card in the deck to another person. In fact, you can communicate even the Joker with a simple, easy-to-learn code. The way it works, as will be explained below, is that two people must know the secret of the CARD CAMERA. These two people, the Assistant and Mind Reader, memorize only eleven key words to use in one to two sentences or phrases. Four of the key words communicate the suit of the card. The other seven key words help you communicate the value of the card. That's it. And as long as you do not repeat the sequence too many times in one sitting, it cannot be detected. Why can it not be detected? Because you are simply asking the Mind Reader to name the card. Or say it. Or tell it. Or whatever the key word happens to be. Sometimes you are extra courteous, and you say, "Please." All of these key words instantly communicate a playing card's value to someone while spectators in the room are oblivious that a secret language is being spoken right in front of them. Does this sound interesting? If so, let's learn the secret of the CARD CAMERA. THE CODE FOR THE CARD'S SUIT To use the CARD CAMERA, you must first use the code to communicate the suit of a card. This is ultra-easy to do. You simply have to memorize four key words, one for each of the suits. 128
Thus, the first sentence in the CARD CAMERA system communicates the suit. The key word in the first sentence codes the suit of the card. Here are the four key words: 1. Clubs: The key word is "Okay" To communicate the suit of clubs, simply put the word "Okay" in the first sentence you share with the Mind Reader. Examples: -Okay, let's try this. -Okay, are you ready? By saying either of the phrases above, you have told the Mind Reader that the suit is Clubs. Memory Aid: It's OKAY to party at CLUBS in New Orleans. 2. Hearts: The key word is "Think" or "Thinking.” To communicate the suit of hearts, simply use the word "Think" or "Thinking" in the first sentence you share with the Mind Reader. Examples: -Think of the card she chose. -I’m thinking of a card… By simply saying either of the phrases above, you have told the Mind Reader that the suit is Hearts. 129
Memory Aid: You should always THINK with your HEART. 3. Spades: The key word is the name of the spectator who chose or thought of the card. To communicate the suit of Spades, simply start your first sentence with the name of the person who thought of or chose the specific card in question. Use the spectator’s name for your code word! Examples: -The person who thought of the card is Julie. So you say, "Julie has a card in her head." -Julie has a card in her pocket. The phrases above communicate Spades. Memory Aid: SPADES for SPECTATOR. 4. Diamonds: The key word is the name of the Mind Reader him/herself. To communicate the suit of Diamonds, simply start your first sentence with the name of the Mind Reader (the person receiving the code who will reveal the name of the card). Examples: -Mind Reader's name is Robert. So you say, "Robert, concentrate on the card." -Robert, let’s try something. These two sentences communicate Diamonds. Memory Aid: The PERFORMER always has DIAMONDS in his pocket! 130
A FEW TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING THE SUIT OF A CARD The first key word in the sentence always trumps any other key word in the sentence. For instance, if I say, "Okay, Julie is thinking of a card," it is the word "Okay" that is the key word, not "Julie" or "thinking." Thus, the sentence would mean "Clubs." As another example of the first word being the trump word: "Think of a card, Julie, okay?" The suit would be hearts because "think" was the first code word. You would ignore "Julie" and "okay" because the first key word always trumps the others. This principle protects you from making a mistake in case you inadvertently use more than one key word in a sentence. As long as you start the sentence with the correct key word, nothing else matters. Finally, the word doesn't have to be the first word in a sentence, as long as there are no other key words in the sentence. For instance, "I want you to think of a card" would point to hearts because the key word is "think," and there are no other key words in the sentence. SUMMARY FOR SUITS Clubs=Okay Hearts=Think or Thinking Spades=Name of Spectator Diamonds=Name of Mind Reader SAMPLE SENTENCES TO COMMUNICATE THE SUIT -Okay, here we go. (Clubs) -Think of the card she has in her hand. (Hearts) -Julie has made her selection. (Spades) 131
-Robert, let’s read minds. (Diamonds) See how easy it is? All you have to do is say one short sentence, phrase, or question, and the Mind Reader knows exactly the color and suit of the card. THE CODE FOR THE VALUE OF THE CARD So let's evaluate where we are. Right now the Mind Reader knows the exact suit of the card, and the only information left to learn is the value of the card, from 1-13. To learn the CARD CAMERA CODE, the first thing to remember is that the ACE=1, JACK=11, and QUEEN=12. Don't worry about the kings. They are the easiest of all, and we will get to them later. The code for the number value of the card involves memorization of only seven words. In order to communicate the value of the playing card to the Mind Reader, you need only form a sentence with the correct key word(s). Knowing the seven key words, it is very easy to communicate the value of a card. It works the same way as the suit code. You just use the right code word, and you will easily communicate the exact value of any playing card. Six of the seven code words stand for the odd-numbered cards. The even-numbered codes will be very simple because they will be based on the odd cards, and we will get to them in a bit: The odd cards are Ace (1), 3, 5, 7, 9, and Jack (11) The key words for the odd values are as follows: 132
Ace="I" Simply use the word "I" in the second sentence to communicate an Ace. Example: I want you to guess the card...now! Memory Aid: The word "I" has one letter; Ace=1 3="See" Simply use the word "See" in the second sentence to communicate a 3. Example: See the card in your mind. Memory Aid: When I drink, I SEE 3's! 5="Name" Just use the word "Name" in the second sentence to communicate a 5. Example: Name the card... Memory Aid: The nickNAME "Buddy" has five letters, B-u-d-d-y. 7="Say" Just use the word "Say" in the second sentence to communicate a 7. Example: Say the card for us! Memory Aid: SEVEN SAYS just like Simon Says 9="What" 133
Just use the word "What" in the second sentence to communicate a 9. Example: What is the card she is thinking of? Memory Aid: WHAT did you shoot on the 9 Hole? 11="Tell" Simply use the word "Tell" in the second sentence to communicate a Jack. Example: Tell us the card. Memory Aid: The word "tell" has two ll's, which look like an 11. HOW DO YOU CODE THE EVEN NUMBERS? You have now learned six easy key words to communicate the oddnumbered cards. So how do you code the even-numbered cards? It is easy. You just add the magic key word "please" to the end of any sentence. By adding "please," you add a value of +1 to the key word, turning the odd number into an even number. It's way easier than it sounds. Here is an example. Let's say you want to code a 4 of Clubs. Here is the two-sentence code: --Okay, I am thinking of a card. (the suit is a club) --See the card in your head, please. ("See" 3 + "Please" +1= 4) By using the words "see" and "please," you do a simple calculation of 3 plus 1. This is the only math you have to use. The only mental planning you have to do in your head is to decide whether to add please to your sentence or not. That’s it. 134
Again, PLEASE means "plus one." Now that you know how to code an even-numbered card, let’s try the 2 of Diamonds. --Robert (Mind Reader's Name), I have a card in my pocket. (The suit is a Diamond) --I want you tell me what it is, please. ("I" 1 + "Please" +1= 2) The first word is "I", which means an Ace or value of 1, and then "please" adds +1, giving you a total of 2. Or how about the Queen (12) of Hearts? --We are thinking of a playing card. (The suit is a Heart) --Tell us what it is, please. ("Tell" 11 + "Please" +1= 12) You see how easy it is? Just remember the seven easy key words using the mnemonics you have been given. If you want to make the card an even card, just be polite and say "Please"! A REMINDER Again, the first key word in the sentence trumps all other words if there are multiple key words in the sentence. Example: "See the card in your head and say it aloud" would be code for a 3 value. The word "see" is the only one that matters because it is the first word in the sentence. If there is only one key word in the sentence, you can use the key word anywhere in the sentence you wish. Example: 135
"Can you name it?" would be code for a 5 value. ("NAME" = 5) BUT YOU FORGOT THE KINGS? Kings are the easiest of all. If you want to communicate a king, all you have to do is just give them the sentence or key word for the correct suit and then say NOTHING ELSE. In other words, you never give the Mind Reader the second sentence. You only state the sentence with the suit code and then remain silent. By staying silent after coding the suit of the card, you are essentially giving him the code for KING! King=Silence. No second sentence for the value is shared with the Mind Reader. For example, if I want to communicate the King of Hearts, it would look like this: Assistant: I am thinking of a card. MR (Mind Reader): Yeah? Assistant: [says nothing and sits waiting] MR: Well, it must be the King of Hearts. Other examples for Kings: "Robert?”=King of Diamonds "Okay, man..."=King of Clubs "Julie’s ready..." =King of Spades "Think!..."= King of Hearts PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Let's review. The code works by using two sentences or phrases (or only one if we are talking about the Kings). The sentences use key words 136
that communicate the information we need. The first sentence communicates the SUIT of the card. There are four key words to use for the suits: Clubs=Okay Hearts=Think or Thinking Spades=Name of the Spectator Diamonds=Name of the Mind Reader The second sentence communicates the VALUE of the card. There are seven key words, six for the odd cards and one key word to make even cards. Ace=I 3=See 5=Name 7=Say 9=What Jack=Tell Please=+1 The Kings need only the SUIT sentence. To communicate a "King," the assistant merely gives the Mind Reader silence instead of the second sentence that would normally communicate the value of the card. After a few seconds, the Mind Reader will interpret the lack of a second sentence to mean a king of the correct suit. That's all there is to it. Let's look at the CARD CAMERA in practice to see how easy and quick it is.
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SAMPLE READINGS USING THE CARD CAMERA Ace of Spades=Julie (spectator's name) has a card in her mind. I want you to tell us what it is. 2 of Clubs=Okay, I have a card in my pocket. I want you to guess what it is, please. 3 Diamonds=Robert (Mind Reader's name), are you ready? See the card in your head. 4 Hearts=Think of the card. See it in your head, please. 5 Clubs=Okay, let's begin. Name the card. 6 Clubs= Okay, are you ready? Name the card, please. 7 Spades=Julie (the spectator) has chosen her card. Say it now. 8 Spades=Julie (spectator's name) has chosen a card. Say it if you can, please. 9 Diamonds=Robert, we want to do an experiment. What card is in your mind? 10 Hearts=We are thinking of a card. What is the card, please? Jack Clubs=Okay, let's read minds. Tell us the card. Q Hearts=Think of a card. Tell us what it is, please. K Spades=Julie is waiting. K Diamonds=Robert? K Hearts=Think, Robert! K Clubs=Okay, Robert. If you discover that you have made a mistake in sharing the code, you can start the code over and restart the whole sequence by saying, "Clear your mind" to the Mind Reader. This will tell the Mind Reader that you made a mistake and that you are starting the code over. Again, if you make a mistake, stop the presentation and say, "Clear your mind." Then start the code over.
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PART II: THE CARD CAMERA TEXTING SYSTEM This CARD CAMERA actually works better using a cell phone. Essentially, you can use the CARD CAMERA with someone hundreds of miles away. All you need is a cell phone or tablet device with access to texting and a friend who knows the code who has the same service. THE TEXTING SCRIPT There is one major necessity to use the CARD CAMERA via text. The mind reader and the assistant must answer each and every text. No text should be unanswered by the other person. The reason is that the Mind Reader or Assistant could easily become confused if a text is met with no reply. Silence is difficult to interpret when using text communication. Thus, every text MUST get a reply. Here is how it plays out: To begin the TEXTING PERFORMANCE, the assistant sends the first text. This text tells the Mind Reader that you are about to begin the CODE. The first text should ALWAYS use the same phrase every time, so there is no misunderstanding. I suggest, "You ready to read minds?" Again, you start the game by texting to the Mind Reader: "You ready to read minds?" This phrase lets the Mind Reader know that the code is about to begin. It is important to note that this sentence only begins the performance. It does not have any code in it, other than communicating secretly that the next text from the assistant will be code for the SUIT of the playing card in question. 139
The mind reader then must respond that he received the text and is ready for the code begin. It doesn't matter how or what he responds. He/she can say, "Okay" or "Huh?" or "Hey there." It doesn't matter. The mind reader responds to let the assistant know he/she is ready for the SUIT CODE. The assistant then gives the SUIT CODE phrase dictated by the CARD CAMERA system, as taught in the code earlier. Let's say the assistant texts, "We're thinking of a card.” This sentence lets the Mind Reader know that the suit is a Heart. The mind reader then must respond again to let the assistant know that he understands the code and that he/she can proceed with the code for the VALUE of the card. So the mind reader might text in reply, "And...?" This lets the assistant know you are ready for the code for the VALUE of the card. The assistant then replies, "What is it, please?" Using the CARD CAMERA, the Mind Reader would now know that the value of the card is a 10 (“What”9 + “Please” +1= 10). The mind reader then responds with another text and reveals his miraculous prediction: "You're thinking of the 10 of hearts." What if the assistant discovers he/she has made a mistake and texted the wrong code? He/she need only type "Clear your mind" and start over. This will tell the Mind Reader to disregard any earlier coding. BUT HOW DO YOU CODE THE "KINGS" WITH A CELL PHONE? It is difficult to interpret silence on a cell phone, and that is why you have been instructed to always answer every text with a text. So how 140
do you communicate the Kings? Remember, in the code explained in the CARD CAMERA system, the kings are communicated with only the SUIT key word being communicated to the Mind Reader, followed by silence. That would be difficult with a cell phone since you have to answer every text with a text. The work-around is simple. The code for a king in the texting system will be one simple phrase: "Well, what is it?" Thus, after the suit code has been texted and a reply given by the Mind Reader, the assistant would then text "Well, what is it?" to communicate it is a king. Memory Aid: Text Kings are alive and WELL Here's how a King of Clubs would be communicated via text: Assistant: Ready to read minds? Mind Reader (MR): Sure. Assistant: Okay, I have a card in my hand. MR: Go on. Assistant: Well, what is it? MR: King of clubs. SAMPLE TEXTING SCRIPTS Here are some sample scripts to show you how easy it is to use the CARD CAMERA via a cell phone. (10 Diamonds) Asst: "You ready to read minds?" MR: "Umm...yeah whatever." Asst: "Robert (Mind Reader's Name), just go along with it." 141
MR: "Okay" Asst: "What is the playing card I am thinking of, please?" MR: "Umm...10 Diamonds?" (7 clubs) Asst: "You ready to read minds?" MR: "Umm... I guess so. ???" Asst: "Okay, you ready to name a playing card?" MR: "Okay whatever." Asst: "Say it now." MR: "This is goofy. Okay, 7 clubs?" (King of Hearts) Asst: "You ready to read minds?" MR: "Again?" Asst: "We're thinking of a playing card." MR: Okay? Asst: "Well, what is it?" MR: "King of hearts, you nerd." WHAT ABOUT THE JOKER? Sometimes, you may run into someone who wants to use the Joker as their playing card of choice. When they do, you can pull off the best miracle of all by saying almost nothing. A Joker brings to mind one of those kinds of people who do whatever they want to, regardless of what people think. They are not scared of "doing their thing" and being themselves. Thus, if you are doing the presentation with live friends, say only, "Do it!” 142
If by text, type only one phrase after they respond to your "Are you ready to read minds?" text: "Do it!” The answer from the Mind Reader will be: "You guys are thinking of the Joker."
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PART III: CODING NUMBERS FROM 1 TO 100 WITH THE CARD CAMERA SYSTEM Once you realize that you can use the CARD CAMERA to code numerical values of playing cards, it becomes obvious that you can also use it to code numbers from 1 to 100 as well. Why would that be useful? Well, to start out simply, you could ask a person to think of any number between 1-13, and you can easily communicate that number to the Mind Reader. But can you code more numbers? Can you code a number from, say, 1-52? Absolutely. With a few simple tweaks to the system. Using the CARD CAMERA, you can code separate digits from 1-9 of any number between 11 and 99. For instance, 87 would be: “In your head, SAY any number from 11 to 99, PLEASE. Now SAY it out loud for us all to hear!” The first sentence codes the number 8, and the second sentence codes the number 7. Or let’s try 11. “I want you to think of any number from 11 to 99. I want you to say the number out loud for us all to hear.” Or how about 55? In your head, name any number from 11 to 99. Name it out loud for us now. Let’s try 99 now. 144
What I want you to do is pick any number from 11 to 99. What is that number? This system works great for numbers from 11 to 99. The problem with this number system, however, is we don’t have a code for ZERO. This problem makes it difficult to code a number from 1-9 (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, or 09). And we have a dreadfully difficult time coding 20 or 30 or 60 or 90. I have a solution for this problem. A. How to code numbers from 01-09. In order to tell the Mind Reader that the first digit is a zero, we will use the phrase we learned earlier to start over after we have made a mistake: “Clear your mind.” Think about it, when I tell the Mind Reader to “clear your mind,” I am telling him to go back to ZERO and start over. Thus, this phrase is easy to use for a ZERO in the number system of the CARD CAMERA. Here are some easy samples: -The number 1: Now clear your mind. I want you to name any number from 1 to 100. -The number 2: Please clear your mind. I want you to think of any number from 1 to 100 and name it, please. -The number 3: I want you to clear your mind. See any number from 1 to 100 and name it now. -The number 4: Clear your mind. See any card in your mind from 1 to 100 and name it, please. -The number 5: Relax and clear your mind. Name any number from 1 to 100. -The number 6: Focus and clear your mind. Name any number from 1 to 100, please. 145
-The number 7: Clear your mind please. Say any number from 1 to 100. -The number 8: Now clear your mind. Say any number from 1 to 100 for us, please. -The number 9: Clear your mind and think of any card between 1 and 100. What is it? Again, just use the phrase “clear your mind” to tell the Mind Reader that your first digit is a zero. B. How to code numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90. The solution for the 10’s is even easier. We will use the same methodology that we used earlier to communicate the Kings in the CARD CAMERA system. We simply do not give them a second code sentence. In other words, you state only one code number phrase and remain silent. After a few seconds, the Mind Reader will interpret the lack of a second code sentence to mean that you are coding one of the multiples of 10. Here are a few examples to illustrate how easy it is: The number 10: I want you to name any number from 1 to 100. The number 20: I want you to name any number from 1 to 100, please. The number 30: See any number in your head from 1 to 100 and say it out loud. The number 40: See any number in your head from 1 to 100 and name it, please. The number 50: Name any number from 1 to 100. The number 60: Name any number from 1 to 100, please. The number 70: Say any number from 1 to 100 for us all. The number 80: Say any number from 1 to 100, please. The number 90: What I want you to do is tell us any number from 1 to 100. 146
Once the Assistant states one of the sentences above, he/she offers no other verbal feedback to the Mind Reader. Here is how this might look in a performance. The number to be divined is 70. Assistant: Say any number you can think of from 1 to 100. Mind Reader: Say any number? Assistant: [Nods without saying anything] Mind Reader: Okay, 70. When the Assistant only nods and says nothing, the Mind Reader then knows that the number 7 is a multiple of 10. NUMBERS 1 to 52 You probably now see that the numbers from 1 to 52, for the purposes of a deck of cards, are super easy to code. Examples: The number 23: I want you think of a number between 1 and 52, please. See it in your head and say it out loud for us. The Number 44: See any number from 1 to 52 in your head, please. See that number in your head and name it for us now, please! The Number 30: See any number from 1 to 52 in your head and name it now! The number 8: Clear your mind. Say any number from 1 to 52, please. The number 52: In your head, name any number from 1 to 52. I want you to say it for us now, please. 147
In the next section, I will show you a wonderful effect in which you can use the number code system with a memorized deck of cards to perform one of the Holy Grails of card effects.
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PART IV: EFFECTS USING THE CARD CAMERA I am sure that after playing with the CARD CAMERA, you will be able to see what a miracle-working utility it can be for the card magician or mentalist. I will share three effects with you that utilize another miracle utility: The Memorized Deck. There are multiple memorized stacks on the market, such as the Aaronson, Tamariz, or Joyal stacks. It doesn't matter which you choose, as long as you can name the number position of any card in the stack. SIMPLE MIND READING FROM A DISTANCE This effect is short, sweet, simple, and boggling. With your accomplice Mind Reader sitting far across the room, ask a spectator to select a card from a memorized stack and hide it in her pocket so that not even you can see its face. Make sure you allow her to get the fairest possible selection method so that she knows you are truly not forcing a card. Give her a chance to change her mind and choose another one. Let her pick a card from behind your back. Do whatever it takes to increase the fairness and secrecy of the selection. Just make sure that she knows you are NOT forcing a card and that she truly could have chosen any card she wanted. Under these conditions, it is even better and more powerful than sharing the identity of the card with you or friends. In her mind, she is the only one on earth who knows the identity of her card. So even if she thought you knew a code, there is no way you could communicate the card to an accomplice. Cut the cards above her selection to the bottom and note the bottom card. Using the bottom card as your key, deduce her selection by using 149
the memorized system of the stack. Then use the CARD CAMERA with the Mind Reader across the room and reveal the card in any dramatic way you think is best. ALMOST BERGLAS ACAAN The “Any Card at Any Number” effect is said to be the Holy Grail of mentalism/magic feats. Performers are constantly looking for methods in which the following happens: -A spectator is asked to name any card in the deck. She has a totally free choice. -She is then asked to name any number from 1-52. She has a totally free choice. -She is then given a pack of cards that has been sitting in plain view. -Dealing the cards in her own hands, she finds her named card at the exact number position she named. Mentalist David Berglas has made the ACAAN effect a mythical legend, allegedly with no stooges. Many, many people have theorized on how he accomplishes the feat without help. I personally do not have a clue, but I don’t think it matters. Whether you use an accomplice or not, the impact is the exact same in the other spectators’ eyes if set up and presented well. The audience is utterly dumb-founded and amazed when the card is found to be at the exact number position that was named. It is truly an impossible feat. But not if you use the CARD CAMERA to help you! Using the CARD CAMERA number system and a memorized deck of playing cards, you and I can almost duplicate Berglas’s mystery…with one accomplice who also knows the CARD CAMERA.
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Preparation: Put a boxed memorized deck on the table in full view. You must know the number position of every card in the deck for this to work. Make sure to have one other person in the room as your accomplice who knows the CARD CAMERA number system. Patter: You can make up any story you want, but here is the bare bones of mine: "Sometimes I have run into the luckiest people in the world. I know a few people who have won lottery jackpots and scratch off tickets multiple times, while I've never even won once. With that said, I have developed a test with a pack of cards to see how lucky people are. Most people don't do well, but every now and then, I find those lucky people who need to be buying lottery tickets for ME! I would like to do the test on you and [CARD CAMERA accomplice's name; let's say it is Robert]. Are you ready?" "I want you to clear your mind. You see that pack of cards on the table. I want you to pretend that you can see all the cards inside it. Think about one of the cards that interest you and name any one of them aloud. You can choose one of the easy ones, like a queen or ace, or you can cut very deep, so to speak, and say a card we would never have predicted. It’s your choice. You can name ANY card you want. You understand? Good. Now name the card you are thinking of so that we all can hear.” She then names the card. Once she does, ask her if she wants to change her mind. It is important that you illustrate that she has a totally free choice. This will annoy her hours later at home when she thinks about what happened. Once she settles on the choice of playing card, you are 151
ready to have your assistant name the number corresponding to her card in the memorized deck. You then turn to your accomplice (let’s say his name is Robert) and use the CARD CAMERA number system. Since you know the number position of every card in the deck because of the memorized stack, that means you know the number position of the card that Julie, our spectator, has just named. Let’s pretend she named the Queen of Clubs. In the Joyal stack, that card would always be at position number 23 from the top in the deck. All you now have to do is communicate the number 23 to Robert using the CARD CAMERA number code. To Robert, you say: “I want you to think of any number from 1 to 52, please. See it in your mind and then name it out loud for us.” You have just coded the number 23 to him, the exact position of the spectator’s thought-of card, the Queen of Clubs. Robert says, “Uhhh…how about 23?” To make sure the effect is symmetrical and equally fair (in the minds of the audience), you must also ask your accomplice Robert if he wants to change his mind as well. If he is a good actor, he will think about it for a few seconds and say, “Nah, I want it to be 23.” You then turn to Julie and say, “Julie, you could have named any card in the deck. You had the chance to change your mind. And you chose the Queen of Clubs, correct?” Then turn to Robert and say, “Robert, you could have named any number whatsoever from 1 to 52. You had the chance to change your mind. But you stuck with the number 23, correct?” 152
Looking at each of them and the other audience members in the room, say, “Julie and Robert, would you agree that if the Queen of Clubs just happened to be the 23rd card in the deck that has been lying on that table the whole time, that you two would be the luckiest people on earth?” You will get an enthusiastic “Yes!” from both. To reveal, you say: “Julie, I want you to carefully take out the pack of cards from their box. Put the cards face down in your dealing hand. Now deal one card at a time from the top of the deck face up on the table while we count to 23. Ready? Everyone count with me…1…2…3…” When she arrives at the 23rd card and before she turns it over, command her to “STOP!” You want to build the suspense. Make everyone wait. Say, “I’m nervous guys. It’s been a long time since I have met someone lucky enough to make this work. Ah, what the heck. Turn over the 23rd card…” CARD CAMERA ACAAN The CARD CAMERA ACAAN is nearly the exact same effect as “Almost Berglas,” except that the effect works in reverse and uses only the original CARD CAMERA card system. In other words, instead of naming a playing card, Julie names any number from 1 to 52. Your accomplice then names a playing card that you communicate to him by code. When the spectator deals the cards herself, she finds the playing card at the exact number she thought of.
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Preparation: Put a boxed memorized deck on the table in full view. You must know the number position of every card in the deck for this to work. Make sure to have one other person in the room who knows the CARD CAMERA system besides you. Patter: "Julie, sometimes I have run into the luckiest people in the world. I know a few people who have won lottery jackpots and scratch off tickets multiple times, while I've never even won once. With that said, I have developed a test with a pack of cards to see how lucky people are. Most people don't do well, but every now and then, I find those lucky people who need to be buying lottery tickets for ME! I would like to do the test on you and Robert. Are you ready?" "I'm going to give you this piece of paper, and I am going to ask you to write a number from 1 to 52 on it. It is very, very, very important that Robert does not see this number. He CANNOT know what it is. Does that make sense? Okay. Now it is important that I don't force you to choose a number. I don't want you to think I somehow forced you to pick a certain number. You understand that you can truly choose any number between 1 and 52 that you can think of. It does not matter. You understand? Good. Now make sure that Robert cannot tell what you are writing and write down the number you have thought of." You can use your favorite method to peek this number (peek device, center tear, whatever). Or you can just do it out in the open. "Do you have it? Yes? Okay, open your paper just enough so I can see it, but make sure that Robert cannot. You happy with that number or do you want to change it?" If she is good with the number, have her fold it and put it in her pocket, 154
or she can hide it in her hands. If she wants to change it, allow her to do so. Then take a look at the number, nod at her as if approving, and then look at Robert. What follows is simply using the CARD CAMERA system. Let's say that she wrote the number 33, which in the Joyal stack is the 3 of Clubs. You then use the CARD CAMERA and say to Robert: "Okay, let's try something, Robert. See any card in your head, and when you're happy with it, say it out loud." Because of your use of the CARD CAMERA, he will say the 3 of Clubs. When he does, ask him the same question you asked her: "Do you want to change your mind?" This is important so that it looks just as fair as the lady's choice of number. He should of course say, “No.” You turn to the lady spectator and say, "Okay, Julie. You chose any number you wanted from 1-52. You could have chosen any number you wanted and you had a chance to change your mind. Right?" Then turn to Robert, your accomplice. "Robert, you chose the 3 of Clubs. You could have named any card you wanted and you could have changed your mind, but you didn't. Right? Turn to Julie. "Julie, for the first time, unfold your paper and show everyone the number you chose. Okay, everyone. You can see she wrote down the number 33. Julie, you chose the number 33, and Robert thought of the 3 of Clubs. Would you agree that if the 3 of Clubs is the 33rd card from the top of the deck, that would make you the luckiest person in the world? Yes it would! If your number matches his card, then you are going to be buying us some lottery tickets today!" 155
"Julie, you see that deck of cards that has been lying on the table the whole time? I want you to take out the pack of cards and hold them face down. Then one at a time I want you to turn the cards face up onto the table while we all count to 33. Ready?!" Then allow the spectator to unbox the deck and count down to 33, which will be the 3 of Clubs. The magic happens in her hands, and you never touch the deck. You just made someone feel like the luckiest person in the world and established yourself as a miracle worker. FINAL THOUGHTS I hope you enjoy the CARD CAMERA system and find it as simple and useful as I have. I must emphasize one point with you. It is important that you never allow even the possibility of the existence of a code in your spectators' minds. This means you have to practice the system until it sounds totally natural. If you sound rehearsed when you are asking the Mind Reader for the card, your method will be suspected.
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