© GrupoKaps, 2013 © Dani DaOrtiz, 2013 photographs: Nébek Adur Salas Cover illustration: Victor Leonardo Fernandez Translate: Javier Natera The reproduction of this material by any means is forbidden. For more information, contact Grupokaps. Group website: Grupokaps.com Store website: www.kaps-store.com Author’s Blogr: www.blogdaortiz.com Contac:
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by Dani DaOrtiz
www.kaps-store.com
Content About this notes 7 The tricks 9
Oil and water in spectator hands 11 Oil and Water With Surprising Ending 13 Coincidence between two decks 20 Imaginary cards 22 A head turn 23 Semiautomatic color change on the table 25 Only you 27 Back at the time 25 More Imaginary Dice 28 Production on Request 30 A Semiautomatic Ace Production 33
About this notes
H
ere you have new semiautomatic effects. As I told in the first notes, the fact of calling these effects semiautomatic, doesn't means than they are easy or hard tricks. It means that to make it work the magician is the one that has to put the most. I do not think that a trick can transmit emotions by its own or at least for a long time.
That's why advice you to rehearse each effect and to adapt it to you. And never think that we need less time because its easy to make. We have to think what we want to transmit, how we are going to say it, etc. About the effects, I must say that are tricks that like always I been presenting for a long time. Some o them are newer than the others, but all have been tested in front of the audience for a long time. During the time, the audience has help me to mold these effects. They have gave me really good moments and know I leave them in your hands to make them try to give you the happiness that they gave me and hope still would give me. Know I hope you only enjoy them. Pass ad read! Dani DaOrtiz 7
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The Tricks
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Oil and water in spectator hands
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his is a beautiful effects in where we give the spectator the "powers" to become a magician. We give him a group of cards in alternate colors and by his own, he can separate them. The instructions are really clear and I think the effect results in real magic.
We will start saying that in this occasion the spectator we will become the magician. For that we separate four cards ( two red and two black) and we give them to the spectator. Tell him that to order he can follow the effect you will do the sale that him. But tell him that he can only will be able to do the effect. So you also grab four cards (two red and two black). Tell him to alternate the colors ( black-red-black-red o the other way), while you do the same. Here comes the fist part of the secret, look what color is the last card of the spectator. In your case, you should have the opposite color. If the packet of the spectator is red-black-red-blacks, yours should be black-red-black-red. Both packets of cards should be face up in each hand (magician and spectator). Look for an instance the spectator and tell him that maybe the trick will be more impressive if we use more cards. Take the spectator packet and leave it face up on the table. Just 1 take it, do not manipulate it. Square a little bit your packet, hiding the bottom card and leave it face up on top of the spectator (photo 1). If you are afraid that the audience will notice that the packet starts and ends with a same color card, you can square it more (photo 2).
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I think it's way better to leave it not so square (photo 1). Because no one will look in that detail and the attention will be in what comes next. With a little bit of hurry, open the deck of cards and take eight cards (four black and four red) and alternate them face up on the table. But the new packet must start with the opposite color that the one
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of the spectator. This is really easy to know because it will be the opposite color that we see ok the top of the spectator pile (photo 3).
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Now take the your packet of cards face down on your left hand and ask the spectator to do the same. Turn the first card and say: "the first one has to be... (And say the color)". When the spectator does the same he will have a different color, without any importance ask him to pass the card to the bottom ad to turn the top card. Now he will have the same color card than you.
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Take the first and second card without alternating there order and show them so they can see its a red and black couple (foot 4). Leave this couple of cards face down on the table. The spectator will do the same. Now take the next two cards without alternating their order. And make the gesture to the spectator to leave them on top of the other two. When the spectator throws the cards you will show them that they are in alternating colors. In this process, for the audience we are only showing how the cards are really alternate. Now we take the next two cards, always remembering to not alternate the order and we wait so the spectator does the same. Then we show this two cards and we wait for the spectator to to the same. Then we leave them face down on top of the cards that we have on the table (photo 5).
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With the two left that you have in your hand just show them and ten let them on top of the ones that are on the table. Te spectator will do the same. Square the packet that is on the table and grab it in your left hand. Wait so the spectator can follow you. If the top card is red, we take it and pass it to the bottom saying that its better to have one black. And obviously if is the opposite color we say the opposite. We are justifying the fact that we have to pass a card from top to bottom. The spectator ha to do the same. And now everything is done. Your pile is in alternating colors and the spectator pile will have the colors separated. That's real magic no? To conclude the presentation, magician and spectator will have to put each pile on the table and then snap their fingers over it. The magician announces that with him the magic doesn't work because is the spectator who has the magic powers. Spread your deck and show how all the cards are mixed but when the spectator spreads its deck he will show how the colors are separate.
Oil and Water With Surprising Ending And Opda Count
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e are going to make a water and oil routine where at the end all the cards transform it to black cards. But before we begin, I will show you a really easy count that permits to hide one card when you show three. Showing three (Opda Count): Take the three squared faced down cards in your left hand. Now we are going to show them hiding at all moment the identity of the middle card. The right hand, grabs the cards in the lateral right part with the thumb under and the long fingers on top (photo 6). With the right hand you turn the cards and then with the thumb you push to 13
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11 cards as one (the two top cards) its really easy to do (photo 7).
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Then in a continuous motion, the left hand grabs the two cards pinching them by the left top corner and the leaving them in the palm (photos 8 and 9). And in the same action, the left hand turns face down both cards (photo 10) to left the top card on the table. Then in a continuous action you take a way your left (photo11) hand and the right hand leaves the card on the table turning it until the last moment (photo 12). To conclude, the right hand takes the card that its on the left hand and leaves it on top of the other cards that are on the table. But remember to do it like the last card. The right hand takes the card by its right long side with the thumb under and the long fingers on top and in the way of leaving it on the table we turn the card showing its face and then we turn it on top of the other two cards (photo 13). And now the effect: 14
10 Before we begin, in the left side of the table we will have three face down cards. This will be two black cards and between them a red card. The three cards must be high spot cards for example: 8, 9, 10. And in the right side we will have three red cards also high spot cards. Phase I and II Take the three right cards and make the Opda Count even do we do not have to hide the middle card. Now take the left packet and make the Opda Count but this time instead of turning the last card on top of the other two, just turn it on the table in front of the two packets as you say: "One black..." (Photo 14). With the right hand turn for a moment the three right cards as you say: "with any of the red cards..." Turn again these three cards and take the top card and leave it on top the black card that we just previously left. Now take one cards rom the top of each pile (starting always from the left) and alternate them as you say: "black, red, black and red" Do not show any of those card, at the end you will have a pile of cards on the table (photo 15). Now take the three top card without inverting their order and make the Opda Count showing only red cards. After you show them, leave them on the right side of the table like in the starting position 15
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(photo 16). Now take the next three cards and make the Opda Count showing three black cards. But once again the last card leave it in front of the two packets saying: " one black..." Take the three red cards of the table and say: " with any red card".
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Leave the red cards once again face down on the table and take the top red card and put it on top of the black card. Now you repeat again the previous effect alternating the two packets. Remember not to show any of the other cards (photo 17). To show that the colors separate, take the three top cards (red) and make the Opda Count and then take te black cards and do again the Opda Count. But in this occasion, you must leave the last card over the two previous shown cards concluding the action of showing the cards in a natural way. Phase II We are going to shuffle again the colors but in this occasion we are going to star with the red cards. So take with the right hand the three red cards and turn them as you say: "always one red card..." Turn the cards again face down and take the top card and leave it in front the two piles (face down). Now take a card from each pile (starting from the black ones) and alternate 16
the colors on the table. Now take the three top cards and before weaken the Opda Count, pass one card from the bottom to the top. While you say: " here te red cards..." Now take the other three cards and before you begin, ask: "And this ones?" They will answer (black) An you say: " No! More red! " as you make the Opda Count showing red cards and leaving them over the previously shown.
Coincidence between two decks
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his is one of my favorite effects. I think that has a high impact, it's really easy to do and we can do it in any moment making use of two completely shuffle decks. If you do this effect for a friend you can ask for a deck or if not you can simply carry two decks.
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As a parallel idea, I suggest you this effect if you want to switch a deck. One o the deck only enters in the game for a couple of seconds. The effect...
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To prepare it, turn a card and place it second from the bottom. The deck will be facing down in the left hand ( the turned card is the second from the bottom). This will be the card that we are going to force in that deck. Lets put as an example that is the ten of spades. Spread the deck in your hands without showing the face down card and ask the spectator if there is a card facing down. 17
20 He will answer that no, because he will not see a card inverted. Square the deck, give it to the spectator and ask him to take it under the table (like Tamariz style). Ask a friend for a deck of cards. If you are doing magic to lay people, just take out a new deck. Give the deck o someone else so he can shuffle it (this in case if you do not want to have it prepare). While this is happening, ask the first spectator to open a fan under the table without looking, then to take scars from the center which then he has to turn over and leave it again in the middle. Ask him to close the fan and to maintain the deck under the table. Now we are going to do a really nice force that Hofinszer used to use with the second deck. In order to force the card look for a spectator that has a front pocket in his shirt. Open the deck with the excuse of showing that is really shuffled or telling that you are going to remove the jokers. Locate the 10 of spades and leave it in the top part of the deck. Then ask the spectator to introduce the deck in his front pocket with the faces facing out. While he is doing it, look the first spectator and tell him to cut and complete the deck under the table. This has to be done in a moment that is not important in order that the spectators do not understand what is going to happen. What we are doing is change the position of two cards. Now the card that we turned will be more less in the middle and the card that the spectator turned will be more less in the middle or the top. If you have thought what happens if the spectator when it cuts the deck leaves his card as top or bottom, we will see that next. Coming back to the second spectator, we are going to tell him that in a moment we will count until three. And when we say three he hast to take a card from the deck (which is in his pocket). It's important to tell him that one card, not any card and that he only will have a second to put his hand in the pocket and take a card. So now we will count:: one, two... and three. The spectator will introduce his hand into his pocket and he will take the top card (ten of spades). This happens because in order to take any card, he will need more time because of the positions of the cards in the pocket. And because the thumb is the one that pushes the card, he will never take the bottom card. If he doesn't takes the force card, tell him to not show the card and tell him to try it again. Or you can realize any other force that is as good as the Hofinszer. If the force worked, ask the spectator to show the card. Then ask the first spectator to give you back the deck. If the top card is not facing up, this means that everything is fine and the spectator 18
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haven't cut leaving his card as top card. Doing a fast peek to the bottom of the cards we can see if the spectator left his card in the bottom of the deck. If this happens just take a card from top to bottom. Turn the deck face up and open a a fan in your left hand taking care of not opening the fist and last cards. This is the same technique that i do in my Open Triumph. Rehearsing for a couple of seconds you will find the exact pressure that you have to put to the deck (photo 18).
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The card that the spectator turned, will be one o the top or bottom cards of the fan, and the card the we turned will be in the center. With your right hand, take the center card and turn it face up in the table to show the coincidence between the two-selected cards from the decks. But... What happens if after the cut under the table, the spectator leaves his turned card in the top of the deck? Nothing, nothing ever happens. In this case, we are going use the one hand turn of a card technique at the same time we spread the 19
cards on the table. We can classify this technique as an "Semi-automatic" because its really easy to do. The technique: The deck is in our left hand in mechanics grip with the thumb finger over it (photo 19). The thumb moves the card towards the left trying to take the card to the bottom without stopping (photo 20). Once the card gets near to the edge, you will see how the deck starts to turn to the deck. Your long fingers also will help to turn the deck (photo 21). The deck concludes, turning in in the same hand and the card will be turn like the others in the bottom (that now will be the top card because we just turned the deck) (photo 22). To hide this move, just do it at the same time you move the deck to the table to spread it.
Imaginary cards
T
his effect was born, when I made a version of a effect that i always loved created by my good friend Miguel Puga, that he named "Imaginacion"(imagination). Like all the versions of this effect it maintains the essence but its really different from the original.
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Before we begin we have to prepare two cards in the deck. One of the will be the eight of spades ( or any other eight) in the eight position and the second card will the five of diamonds (or any other five) in the fifth position from bottom to top. Both cards will be face up and in a lateral right jog. They will be hiding because of the grip of our right hand (photo 24). Extend the deck on the table from left to right. This will hide the two turned cards under the spread. Then tell to the spectator to place his finger in one card (photo 25). If he places his finger near the beginning or the end of the extension, tell him to place it in a place were is really hard to find a card (he will put it in the middle). We are going to make that that spectator doesn't forget this image. We are going to tell him to look from right to left the extension and we will ask him why he placed his finger 20
there and not in another place. We do not care what is his answer; we are just making sure he remembers that at the beginning there were no cards facing up in the spread he saw. Ask him to take the card and to show it to everyone. While he is doing that, you have to square the deck and take it in your left hand (be aware of not flashing any of the two face up cards). Then you have to make a swing cut leaving the top portion of the deck in you left hand and the bottom portion in your right. Ask the spectator to place the card between the two piles, the square everything and leave the deck on the table.
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Announce that now you are going to try to find the selected card by imagination. Simulate grabbing invisible a card from the deck. Then simulate that you have the card in your right hand and ask if it was the eight of spades. Pass it to your left hand and simulate grabbing another card from the deck, make the gesture of turning it and ask if it was the five of diamonds. The audience will respond that they were not their cards. So you take one by one each card and throw them into the middle of the deck, which is face down on the table. Once you have done this, announce that you had made a mistake; that you throw them face up. Extend the deck on the table; show the real apparition of the two threw cards. Then say that you haven’t try to guess the cards, instead you tried to make a prediction. Tell the spectator to name one of the face up cards. If he says the eight, start counting with your finger eight cards to the right from the selected card. Then ask the spectator to place its finger in the eight card. Then explain that if he had selected the five, you then start counting five cards from the five of diamonds to the left. Everyone will see that both cards take you to the card were the spectator has its finger. Make that spectator remembers that just a minute ago he has in the same position, he will remember that they were not cards face up. Tel him: look the spread of cards and tell me why that card. Ask him to name first his card and then to turn it for the surprise of everyone. 21
A head turn
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aking use of really classical force, we are going to realize a routine of one and a head principle. We are going to use two decks whit different backs. You can bring your own decks or if you are performing for fellow magicians, you can borrow their decks. Give both decks to shuffle, then recover one of the decks and peek the top card. To do this you can look the bottom card and pass it to the top with an over hand shuffle. Now recover the second deck and make and over hand shuffle like you did with the first one (but without looking the card). This is done only to make everything natural and to not give more importance to one deck than the other. Once we done this and we know the identity of the top card of the first deck, we are going to tell to the spectator to grab the deck and to cut it more lees in the half. Then we tell him to turn the top stack face up and leave it squared over the bottom stack (the deck will be with its bottom part face down and the upper part face up). Recover the deck from the hands of the spectator and leave it for a moment in your left hand. Now ask for the second deck, and in the way to pick it up, leave the first deck on the table. When we put the deck on the table, we will turn it. To do so, the right hand takes the deck from the bottom part with the thumb under and the long fingers on the top (photo 27). Look the spectator that has the second deck like if you were asking to give it to you. While he gives you back the cards, the right hand turns the palm face up and leaves the deck on the table. Now take the deck from the spectator and look for the first card you saw and leave it face down on the table. Then ask the spectator to spread the deck that is on the table and to take the first card that is facing down and to leave it with the card that you just left (photo 28). Both cards will be the same, but no one will know that because both cards are facing down. Before we ask the spectator to square the spread cards, we will look and remember the first card that is face up in the extension. In the case of image 28 it will be the two of clubs (is the card to the right from where the spectator selected the card). Now once the spectator squares the deck, we are going to ask him to cut again but this time a bigger pile and then to turn it over the deck like in the first cut. Look in the deck that you are holding for the card that you just saw in our example the two of clubs. And then leave it face down on the table just a side of the other pair of cards. 22
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Once again, ask the spectator to spread the deck on the table and to take the first card that is facing down then to leave it like the other cards (photo 29).
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One more time, we are going to peek the first card that is face up (like we just did before). And we are going to repeat al the steps… so at the end we are going to be like in photo 30. Once we are like the photo 30, turn face down the cards from the spread so we end with a deck spread facing down. Leave the deck that you have face down in the right part (squared), and prepare to show the coincidences. Turn slowly each couple of cards on the table showing the miracle.
Semiautomatic color change on the table
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e are going to make a really nice color change over the table, or we can use it as well as a secret switch. We are going to describe it step by step. The card that is going to be change is over the table near to the border. The left index finger is over the left bottom corner of the card. The second card, will be secretly hiding 23
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The card is hidden under right hand...
under the right hand, which it will be over the border of the table on a relax position. The distance between both cards, will mark it the relax position. Also the hidden card will bend because it is in the border so its important to not press a lot because we do not want to fold the card, just bend it a little bit (photo 31).
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Now it’s really easy to do the change because everything is prepared to do so. You only have to move your right hand, always dragging it over the table and put this hand in an advance position with respect to the left hand (like shows photo 32).
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Hand rose to see the position of the card.
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The hand its simply over the card do not put pressure in the card because it will loose the natural bend (photo 32). The right hand moves towards the left hand and the left index finger presses the left bottom corner of the card. This will make that the card rises up a little bit in its right side. At the same time the right hand leaves the left bottom part of the card that is holding to insert under the other card by its central part (photo 33). The right hand moves towards the left making that the left bottom corner matches the left index finger and covering the top card (photo 34). Now the right hand will put pressure on the top card and will drag it towards the right. This will make visible the new card (photo 35). The right hand with the new hidden card will go towards the border of the table, adapting the relax position that it had just before we begun. 24
Only you
T
his is an adaptation to a classical effect. We are going to make use of a values sequence, which it will give the ability to the spectator to find his own card in a direct and incompressible way. I had done this effect for along time to fellow magicians and layman and always have given me a wonderful result. To prepare it is really easy, in the bottom part of the deck we need to have a sequence of 13 cards from king to Ace in any suit (the ace will be the bottom card). Pick the deck face down in mechanics grip in your left hand and start to throwing small groups of cards (two or three) to the table forming a small stack on the table, until the spectator stops you. When he stops you, in the table will have a small group of about 10 cards.
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Spectator’s card
Tell the spectator to take the top card that is on the pile of the table and to show it to everyone. Once he has done this ask him to put it back in his place. While this is happening, we need to cut a small group of cards (approximately 12 cards) and pass it to the bottom maintaining a break between that pack and the rest of cards. Once the spectator puts back his card, we will take everything that over the break and we will put it over the pile that is on the table. Now the spectator’s cards will be part of the sequence (photo 36). We have to do this creating a sensation that we do not give importance to the cards. Then continue putting small group of cards on the table until you end all the cards that you have in your hand. Square the deck on the table and announce the following: 25
If I do it…. Nothing happens!
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If you do it (pointing a different spectator, not the one that selected the card)… nothing happens! But if you do it (pointing the spectator that selected the card)… Appears! In this point they will not understand what are you telling. So you will have to demonstrate, cut a small packet of cards (between 8 or 10) and turn it in your hand. Show the value of the bottom card, lets suppose its and eight. Say: -Eight! If I count eight cards… Leave the packet face up on the table beside the deck and start counting from the deck eight cards face down towards the right side (making a third pile) (photo 37). The eight card, show it to the spectator and ask him if is his card. He will say no, and you will answer: See? Never happens anything. Put this card face down with the other cards that we just put on the table and take this pile and put it face up with the other face up cards. Now invite another spectator (not the one that selected the card) to cut a small pack of cards. Once he has done that ask him to show the bottom card and to leave the group of cards face up with the other face up cards. Now do the same thing that before, if the card shown is a six for example. Start to count six cards from the top of the deck, leave them to right as you count, just as you did before. Show the last card and ask the spectator that if is his card, once again he will say no. Leave this card face down with the ones you just counted and then leave all the group face up with all the face up cards. Now is the turn of the spectator that selected the card. Ask him to cut morels half of the deck and to show the card where he cut. Lets suppose it’s a 10. As before, ask him to leave to cut stack face up with the other face up cards. And now you will start to count ten cards as we did before. Stop on the tenth card, asks the spectator to name his card and then turn it to reveal that is the selected card.
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Why it happens? The first two cut made by the spectator and the magician just helped us to eliminate cards from the deck, leaving the King-Ace sequence more les in to the middle of the deck that is on the table. When the spectator that selected the card cuts the deck he will cut by one card of the sequence, which it will take him to the selected card. It we saw that they are a lot of cards in the deck when is the turn of the spectator (the one that selected the card) we can tell him to cut more cards. But this never happens.
Back at The Time
T
his effect is the combination of “Card to any number” and “Torn and Restored”. It’s really easy to do but it has a great impact on the audience.
We will need a duplicate of one card. Lets suppose is the ten of Spades. For the preparation of this effect, we will put one of the ten of Spades as top card of the deck, then we will reverse the bottom card and finally we will put the other 10 of Spades reverse on the bottom of the deck (so the order is: ten of Spades, cards, reverse card and finally reverse ten of Spades). To start, hand the deck to a spectator and ask him to think a number between 1 and 40 in order to not make really big this effect. Then ask him to count one by one cards on to the table (one over the other) until his thought number. Announce that you will not look the spectator so you cannot know the number. You can talk or say something about the effect while the spectator counts cards onto the table. Once he is finish, one of the ten of Spades will be the bottom card of the pile that he just made on the table. Point a place of the table and ask him to leave the deck in that place. Then ask him to point another spectator. While this is happening the left hands grabs the deck like in photo 44. Turn the left hand at the same time with your right you call the attention of the spectator (pointing at him). This will take of the heat of the deck that we just secretly turned with this move (photo 45). Get close to the pointed spectator, and at the same time ask him to take the top card and then to show it to every one. While the spectator shows the card, we are going to make the same technique that we used in the effect “Coincidence between two decks” to turn the card that is facing down. Then we take the pile that the spectator made and put it in the top of the deck. So now the spectator has one 10 of Spades and the second ten is in the thought position. 27
The left hand, tour the deck. The focus will be on the spectator.
Now we only have to tear the card and disappear it. So now ask for the card and then first tear it in to two, then four and finally in to eight. For the disappearance it will be your choice. If you are not so good with manipulation, you can use a thumb tip. Or you can lap the turn pieces… Now we only have to sell the miracle. We have to talk that never a card was selected, never was shown and even never was torn. As a proof of this, ask the spectator to name for the first time his thought number. Once hi has named the number, ask him to count to it and to see which is the card in that position showing is the restored selected card. Now you only have to enjoy the applause!
More Imaginary Dice
Translation Martin Kaplan
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hat follows is a nifty card to number routine. The card is “thought of” and the number is chosen at random.
My friend, Rogelio, showed me an effect he was studying that involved probability. The effect is by Roberto Giobbi and I immediately fell in love with it. In looking for a way to get the maximum impact from the effect, I came up with a version that is quite unlike the original, but retains the essence of the original. I hope you like it. Necessary Material Two dice and a deck of cards. 28
Working Throw the two dice on the table while you say that you are going to do an effect with these three dice. You clarify your statement by indicating the one of the dice is imaginary. Ask Spectator A to pick up the imaginary die by pointing out its position between the two visible dice. Ask him to insert the imaginary die into his head, which will serve as a dice cup. Ask him to shake the dice cup (his head) and remember the resulting number. He is to keep the value to himself. Ask him to pick up the deck and see what card is at his secret number. He spreads as many cards from his left hand to his right hand as his secret number, then looks at and remembers that card. He is not to change the original order of the cards in the process. He then squares up the deck and places it back on the table. Since we want the card to pass as a “thought of” card, we cannot allow the other spectators to focus on the actions of Spectator A. While he is looking for his card, pick up the two dice and throw them again and again onto the table. Tell your spectators that the sum of the three dice will tell us where the thought of card is. Once the spectator has seen his card, pick up the deck and give it a false shuffle. I tend to use an overhand shuffle that allows me to maintain a packet of some ten cards on top of the deck. When you finish the false shuffle you now need to use another overhand shuffle to move eight cards from the bottom of the deck to the top. Place the deck on the table and ask Spectator B to throw a die onto the table. Ask Spectator C to throw the second die onto the table. Once Spectator C throws his die, pick up the deck and looking at the Spectator A tell him that he will find his thought of card himself. What’s really happening is as follows: Secretly peek the value of the second die and add it to the first. That number will equal the number of cards there should be on top of the deck. If both dice add up to ten, there needs to be ten cards on top of the deck. Remember that we have secretly added eight cards to the top of the deck, so if the sum of the dice is greater than eight pick up the deck, turn it face up and count cards until you have reached the desired number. Our justification is that we are showing Spectator A how we want him to deal cards to the table. In our example where the dice totaled ten, since we already have added eight cards to the top of the deck previously, we will count two cards to the table while we say to the spectator, “Slowly, one by one, just like this. Place the remained of the face up deck onto the two cards and turn the deck over. If the total of the dice is less than eight, we will deal the required number of cards to the table from the face down deck. Once dealt, bury the cards on the bottom of the deck Remember that all the foregoing begins the moment the second spectator has thrown his die. Act as if the throw of the die is of no significance. Say that there is a third number that only one person knows. Point to the first die and supposing that it shows a four, ask Spectator A to count that many cards in the way that you showed him. Point to the second die and supposing that it shows a four, ask him to deal six cards on top of the 29
four already dealt to the table. To conclude state there is a secret number known only to him and ask him to count that many cards onto the packet on the table. States that the total of three dice has lead us to the thought of card. Ask the spectator to name his card and to turn over the last card dealt. It is his thought of card! Note If we use a loaded die as the second die to be thrown by Spectator C, we can begin our explanation to Spectator A of how we want the cards counted even before the second die is thrown. We see the value of the first die thrown and since we know the value of the loaded die we add the two and we add or remove cards as explained above. If you are using a loaded die, when the effect begins throw both dice onto the table and announce the total. Throw the dice a second time and announce the total. Since the total will be different, your spectators will not notice that the loaded die has shown the same value.
Production on Request
Translation Martin Kaplan
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or some years now I have begun my close-up session with some version of Hofzinser’s “The Sympathetic Numbers.” Although the original affords you the possibility of demonstrating what real magic looks like, it takes several minutes to get to that state. I tend to sacrifice the full potential of Hofzinser’s version by doing it as my first effect and cutting down my presentation time to a few seconds. The good news is that I gain a great deal by doing so. I feel that it is a good opening effect. It is quick, impactful, incomprehensible, easy to follow, with no suspicious moves, and psychologically prepares the spectator for the magic that comes after this effect. Effect The magician ribbon spreads the deck on the table and asks the spectator to take a bunch of cards that he should then count one by one onto the table. Let’s suppose there are ten cards. In a surprising and decisive way the magician reaches into the spread that is still on the table and removes four cards from different places in the deck. They turn out to be the four 10’s, matching the number of cards the spectator counted to the table. Set-up Arrange the top ten cards face down as follows: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and Ace followed by an indifferent card. Suit is of no importance.
Siguiendo con la preparación, cuadraremos la baraja y llevaremos los dieces a salida lateral. Si no eres muy diestro con la técnica, no te preocupes, ya que esto no debes hacerlo delante de los espectadores. Simplemente sujeta el grupo de cuatro dieces, muévelos hacia la derecha y seguidamente empújalos hacia abajo, quedando finalmente como indica la fotografía 2 (en la fotografía se ha eliminado la mano derecha para que se vean los dieces en salida lateral). Gira la baraja cara abajo, manteniendo las cartas en salida aún en la parte izquierda. Ahora sí estarás preparado para comenzar, así que mantén la baraja sujeta por la mano derecha tal como muestra la fotografía 3, cubriendo así las cartas preparadas (para un mayor confort, también puede estar posesionada en la mano izquierda en posición de dar).
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The 11th card must be any 10. With that 10 in place, go through the faceup deck and upjog all the remaining 10’s half their length. Make sure they are well distributed throughout the deck. Photo 1 shows both the 10-card setup and the upjogged 10’s (photo 46).
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Square up the deck and sidejog the 10’s. If you are not very expert at this technique, don’t worry because you are not doing it in front of the spectator. Move the four 10’s as a group to the right until they project about a ½ inch beyond the remainder of the deck and push them down into the deck. Turn the deck face down end for end and your deck should look like the deck in Photo 47. The right hand has been removed for clarity. Turn the deck face up end for end so that the sidejogged cards are to your right. Hold the deck as shown in Photo 3 so that the outjogged cards are hidden from view. You can also place the deck in Mechanic’s Grip in the left hand and hold the deck in Biddle Grip in your right making sure you cover the sidejogged cards Hold the deck in the right hand as shown in Photo 48, covering the outjogged cards. You can also hold the deck in the left hand, if that is easier or more comfortable for you. We are now ready to begin.
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Working We are going to do a Ribbon Spread Turnover, so begin by turning the deck face up and doing a Ribbon Spread. Try to make the spread as even as possible as shown in Photo 49. Now execute the turnover flourish. The left hand lifts the first few cards of the spread (Photo 50) and the right hand assists, as necessary, in the turnover (Photo 51). The spread is now face down (Photo 52). 31
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Since the 10’s began the process slightly outjogged to the side, you will clearly see three separations in the spread. Look at Photo 52 again. Only you can see the separations because you’re the only one who knows they exist. For your spectators they will see it as the result of the turnover and it will be of no import to them. The separation of each 10 will be more or less pronounced depending on the size of your sidejogs. Ask the spectator to your left to take a small group of cards from the top part of the spread. Once he has done so, 52 look at him and say, “No, take a few more to make it even more difficult.” Be sure that the “few more” cards go to the bottom of his packet. Take his packet and turn it over to casually show the value of the bottommost card. Let’s suppose it’s a 4. Say to him, “If there is a 4 here then fate is telling us to take 4 more cards.” The 4 is just an example. It makes no difference what the value of the bottom card is. You simply state the card showing on the bottom of the packet dictates that you add that many more cards to the packet. Thank to the above strategy and the fact that we began with a stack, the spectator will always end up with a packet of ten cards. Also, one of the 10’s will now be the top card of the spread. 32
Ask the spectator to shuffle the cards and to count them, one by one, to the table. For the spectator, shuffling the cards has no importance. It does have importance for us because it destroys the initial set-up. Additionally, the emotion generated by the instantaneous extraction of the four 10’s will immediately erase any memory of there having been a shuffle. As soon as the spectator finishes counting, place your open hands over the spread and remove the four 10’s. Your right hand pinky and index fingers remove the two 10’s on the right and your left hand pinky and index fingers remove the two 10’s on the left. See Photo 53.
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Remove the four 10’s from the spread, turn them over and toss them onto the table (Photo 54). You will have created a quick, simple, clear and very incomprehensible effect.
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A Semiautomatic Ace Production
Translation Martin Kaplan
S
pectators decide where to cut the deck until four piles are formed on the table. Surprisingly, the top card of each pile is an Ace.
Working We are only going to use one technique to create this effect. We will also use a turnover of the deck that will be completely covered. As part of our set-up place an Ace on top of the deck, two Aces together in the center of the deck, and the fourth Ace face up on the bottom of the deck. The two cards above the last Ace are also face up. Your deck should look like the one in Photo 55. Take the deck in Mechanic’s Grip with a Pinky Break above the two Aces in the center of the deck. Looking at the first spectator say: If I were to ask you for a low number, between 1 and 10, what would you say? 33
As you ask the question, spread the first 55 cards of the deck until the spectator answers you (Photo 56). Separate from the top of the deck the number of cards named by the spectator without changing their order and leave the packet on to table. Make sure you do not show the separation in the deck caused by the Pinky Break. This is where our technique comes in. We are going to force all the cards above the break and then leave on the table. We will also leave the first Ace below the break on top of this second pile. To accomplish this we will begin to place 56 small packets of cards, one on top of the other, in order to form this new pile. We will set it to the right of the first pile that is already on the table. When you intuit that the second spectator is going to stop you – this usually happens after you place the third small packet on the pile – we will deposit all the cards above the break on the pile, along with the topmost Ace of the remaining portion of the deck. It seems like a difficult force, but you will be surprised how easy it is once to try it. Now there are two piles on the table with an Ace atop each. Ask a third spectator to cut off a packet from the portion of the deck that remains in your hand and to leave it to the right of the other two already on the table. While this is happening we have all the cover we need for the left hand to turn over the remainder of the deck on the table with the last Ace on top and two face down cards to cover the fact that the remainder of that pile is face up. Place this last pile on the table, well squared, to the right of the other three piles. Turn over the top card of each pile, revealing the Aces. Be careful when turning over the fourth Ace so as not to disturb the other cards in the pile and unwittingly reveal the face up cards. Note In order to create the sensation of complete freedom of choice, I usually say the following: Give me a small number between 1 and 10! (First Pile) Tell me to stop whenever you want! (Second Pile) Cut wherever you want! (Third Pile) Place the fourth pile on the table and say, “No matter what you say or do, the four Aces always end up on top of each pile.” 34
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