Trick

BADA-BING!

Ryan Matney RETRO ROCKET MAGIC www.retrorocketmagic.com

The Magician proposes a plan to locate the four Aces. The spectator will select a spot in the deck, and a random card. The value of this random card will be used to count down in the deck and find the first Ace. The plan is attempted, the spectator selects a three-spot, and three cards are dealt to the table. But an Ace does not turn up. “Time for Plan B,” the B,” the Magician says. With that, he turns over the three dealt cards and the threespot that was previously places aside and there are all four Aces. The presentational inspiration for this quickie came from a Rich Aviles trick called “Plan B” that appeared in his book Above book Above the Fold . That’s where the inspiration ends, however, as Mr. Aviles’s Aviles’s trick was a sandwich routine and this is a four Ace production.

Begin with the four Aces on top of the deck and any three spot, say the Three of Clubs, on the  bottom.

“Any good magician can make the four Aces appear anytime he wants in a mysterious way. Here is the plan, for the first Ace, I’m going to riffle the deck and you are a re going to call out stop. Whatever card you happen to stop me at, we will take its value and count down to that position in the deck, and there will be an Ace.” You will now perform the Christ-Cross Force to force the three on the bottom of the deck.

John Bannon’s Christ-Cross Force Hold the deck in left hand dealing position. The card ca rd to be forced is on the bottom of the deck. You You are not holding any breaks. With your left thumb, riffle down the corner of the deck as you ask for the spectator to call stop. Try to time this so she stops you somewhere around the center of the deck b ut it is OK if they stop you a little above or below center. When you are stopped, your thumb continues holding an opening in the deck at the upper left

corner. With your right hand, grip the deck from above in End Grip, fingers at the outer end and right thumb at the inner end of the packet. (Photo 1.) With your right index finger, lift up the entire section above where the spectator stopped and execute a slow swing cut into the left hand. (Photo 2.) The original bottom half of the deck is retained by the right hand. Immediately, Immediately, and without hesitation, the left hand turns perpendicular to the right hand packet. The left edge of the right hand packet is then butted or tapped against the top of the left hand packet. (Photo 3.) The packet held by the right hand is now placed onto the left hand’s half but stepped to the right. The left thumb moves to hold the packet in place. (Photo 4.)

 Photo 1

 Photo 3

Photo 2

Photo 4

You need a small time delay here. I gesture with my right hand and an d say,“Whatever say, “Whatever card you have  stopped on, that’s the amount of time, in seconds, I will have to locate all four Queens.” Lift the side-stepped packet and show the card on the face to the spectator. This is, of course, the Three of Clubs. Look at the card the spectator has chosen yourself. “Now, remember, whatever value of the card you stopped me on, that’s how many we will count down to find the first Ace.”

The Al Leech Pick-Up Switch While all attention is on the Three at the face of the packet held by the right hand, with your left hand, get a left fourth-finger break under the top card of its packet. Square the right packet on top of the left packet, secretly adding the card above the break to the bottom of the upper packet. (Photo 5.)

 Photo 5 With your right hand, move the upper half to the right while the left fingers contact the bottom card of this half and drag it out dropping it on the table. (Photo 6 and Photo 7.) The Christ-Cross Force and Al Leech Pick-Up make a synergistic combination and one follows the other quite easily.

 Photo 6 Slip the right half deck under und er the left half reassembling the deck. Point to the top of the deck saying, “From the spot you selected.” Deal three cards to the table in a small overlapping row. “If this was a good plan, plan , then this should be the first Ace.” Indicate the top of the deck again.

Photo 7

Turn over the card so everyone can see it is not an Ace but an indifferent card. “Well, time for Plan B!” So saying, turn over the three dealt cards first to show they are three Aces, Finally, turn over the card the audience believes is the three-spot to show it has changed to the fourth Ace.

You can get quite a performance out of a simple trick. Allow me to set the scene: The Magician agrees to a small demonstration and borrows a deck of cards from his host. He spreads the deck and removes the Jokers before beginning. Addressing a gentleman, the magician requests for him to say “Stop” as he flicks his thumb down the pack. The Magician is stopped and the selected card noted. It is the Ten of Hearts. The audience notices that The Magician places the deck on the table without doing anything. They are waiting for a control or sleight but it doesn't happen. The Magician announces he will make the selected card reveal itself. He raises his hand in the air and pauses dramatically before slapping his palm on the deck. Being careful to not even give the chance for sleight of hand, The Magician spreads the deck across the table with only one finger. There, reversed in the center of the spread deck, is the Ten of Diamonds. “Your card, sir?” The Magician looks at the gentleman who selected the card. “No, I'm afraid that is not it.” The Magician's smile drops from his face. “But, is it close?” his brow furrows. “Yes, it's very close,” The Gentleman agrees. “What was the card you noted?” “The Ten of Hearts” “Oh, that is very close indeed. So close, in fact, it is right beside it!” With that, The Magician slides out the first face-down card in the spread right under the face-up Ten of Diamonds. It is the Ten of Hearts, bringing the demonstration to a successful conclusion.

Although you can set this routine up in advance, the preparation is simple to achieve from a shuffled deck.

From a shuffled deck, locate two matching mates side by side. Due to probability, as Allan Ackerman has noted with his Probability Cull, it is likely that you will find two mates such as this together. If you do not, simply have the deck shuffled a couple more times and try again. Once you locate the mates, you will use a terrific reverse of Earl Nelson's to set up the effect.

Earl Nelson’s Reverse Let’s assume you come to two red Tens together. Separate the spread between your hands so bo th mates are at the left end of the right hand's spread of cards. (Photo 8.)

 Photo 8 The left hand squares its cards and flips them face down onto the right hand's spread. (Photo 9 and Photo 10.)

 Photo 9

Photo 10

The left fingers now go under the cards and clip the leftmost mate pinning it to the underside of the face down block of cards. The right hand now moves away, taking its spread of cards, leaving  behind the mate held by the left fingers and hidden under the face down block. (Photo 11.)

 Photo 11 The right hand immediately flips all of the cards it holds face down onto the left hand's block. The deck is then squared. (Photo 12 and Photo 13.) This reassembles the deck and leaves one mate on top of the deck and one reversed on the bottom.

 Photo 12

Photo 13

Double Undercut the top card to the bottom and you are done. Position check: There is now a red Ten on bottom and the second red Ten is reversed , second from bottom. Spread the deck widely between your hands keeping the reversed card hidden. (Photo 14.) This shows no reversed cards in the deck without commenting on it. Square the cards.

 Photo 14

Perform Bannon's Christ Cross Force, forcing the card on the bottom of the deck. Reassemble the cards so the selection and reversed card are centered and table the deck. Be very fair about this. Say, “I will cause your card to reveal itself .” Make a magical moment by snapping your fingers, slapping the deck, etc. Do anything but do something, it is important theatrically to indicate when the magic happens. Spread the deck to show the reversed card. The audience will tell you that is not the right card. Someone may even say that you are close. Ask for the name of the selected card. “Oh that is close. So close it is right beside your card!” Slide out from the spread the card under the reversed card and turn it over to reveal the selection. (Photo 15 and Photo 16.)

 Photo 15

Photo 16

Comments The whole point of this effect is the final line. The trick is an excuse to get to the final line. Don’t omit it. In this case, script is as important as method to make a whole

The following is an extension of the preceding effect. With little extra effort, the effect can be turned into a Triumph.

The arrangement is exactly the same as in “Is it Close?” and can be achieved during performance from a shuffled deck.

Spread the deck and locate two matching mates. Again using Earl Nelson’s casual reverse, control one of the mates reversed  to the bottom of the deck and one to top. Double Undercut the top card to the bottom. The end result is two matching mates on the bottom o f the deck with the card second from bottom reversed. Force the bottom card of the deck using John Bannon’s Christ-Cross Force as described previously. After the forced card is noted by the spectator, the deck is reassembled by placing the right hand’s  packet on top of the left but retaining a break between the sections. Allow one card to riffle off the right thumb and retake the left fourth-finger break at that point.

The Tenkai Reverse You are holding a break in the middle of the deck. Perform the Tenkai Reverse as follows. With your right hand, grasp all of the cards above the break in End Grip, thumb at inner end, fingers at the outer end. (Photo 17.)

 Photo 17

 Photo 18

Both hands now work in unison, the right hand revolving palm up and the left hand, taking the lower packet, and revolving palm down. (Photo 19.) The packets are placed together extended for half their length. (Photo 20.) It appears that you have turned over one half of the deck but really the single reversed card is masquerading as the face-down packet.

 Photo 19

 Photo 20

You must now reposition the packets for a Faro Shuffle. This can be a challenge but here is a tip from John Carney. First, your left hand is in control of both packets in Photo 19. With your right hand, grasp the package as in Photo 20. You can pause here and display the condition of the deck, with half apparently face up and half apparently face down.  Now it is a simple matter to take the packets in position for a Faro Shuffle. Faro the two packets together, making sure that the face-down card ends up on top of the deck, and the bottom card of the face-up section stays on the bottom of the deck. (Photo 21.) Square the deck.

Photo 21

Swing cut half of the deck into your left hand. With your left hand, revolve the packet to show a  back on both sides. (Photo 22 and Photo 23.) “Some cards are face-to- face.”

 Photo 22

 Photo 23

Finish with the left hand palm up and the packet in dealing position. With your right hand, revolve the packet it holds to show both sides of the cards. (Photo 24.) The audience will see a back on the underside of the right hand’s cards. Place the packet onto the left hand’s cards saying, “Some cards are back -to-back.”

 Photo 24 Do some magic (you must do something to make the trick happen; wave your hand, snap your fingers, but  something ) and spread the deck to reveal all of the cards have righted themselves. Except for one. The spectator will tell you it is not her selection. “Is it close?”  you ask. The spectator should tell you it is close. You ask for the name of her selection. “Oh that is close, so close it is right beside it.” Slide out the card below the reversed mate and turn it over to reveal the selection.

A card is selected, remembered, and clearly left in the middle of the deck. The Magician brings out a packet of four pieces of card stock, blank on both sides. “I can only do this four more times and then it’s all over,” says the Magician. He hands the deck to the spectator and displays the blank card stock. Magically, a back prints onto one of the cards, but only a back. Then a face prints onto the card, the double blank becoming the very card selected by the spectator. It’s given to her a souvenir as the Magician laments he can only perform this mystery three more times and puts awa y his precious card stock. This is a version of Aldo Colombini’s marketed effect “Paramount” in which a selected card prints onto a blank card. It uses basic sleight of hand and a simplified version of Aldo’s effect while  borrowing the presentation from Gordon Bean’s classic marketed effect “The Limited Edition.” The key feature of this version is that it instantly resets and does not use a table at all. While it does use double-blank cards, there are no gaffs used, making it easy to get a set together.

You need four cards that are blank on both sides. These cards can be kept in an envelope or wallet or you can simply keep them in your shirt pocket as I do.

“I’d like to show you something amazing. This is a special trick because I can on ly do it a limited number of times and now I’m down to … one, two, three, four … more times I can do this trick.” Remove the blank card packet from your shirt pocket and count the cards one at a time onto the spectator’s palm. You want to be open and very fair about this so it is clear you are not hiding any cards. “First, I need you to select a card.” Spread the deck for a card to be drawn. Then have the card signed. Have the card returned to the deck and control it to the top using a control belonging to J.K. Hartman from Card Craft  (Kaufman and Greenberg, 1991)

J.K Hartman’s R.S. Bluff Control Obtain a break above the bottom card of the de ck and transfer the break to your right thumb as you take the pack in End Grip. Swing Cut half of the deck into your left hand. The signed selection is replaced on top of the left hand’s cards. (Photo 25.)

 Photo 25 With your right hand, momentarily cover the left hand’s half -deck as if you are about to reassemble the deck. Really, as soon as the right packet covers the left, you drop the card below your thumb  break onto the selection and immediately separate your hands again. Continuing, with your right first finger, point to the supposed selection and ask “Did you pick a Joker?” The spectator will say “no.” You say, “Good. This wouldn’t work with a Joker.” As you utter this nonsensical remark, perform the following actions: With your left thumb, push off the top card of the left packet, and push it onto the right packet where it is pinned outjogged in place by the right index finger. (Photo 26.) Slip the left hand packet on top of the right hand packet, reassembling and squaring the deck while leaving the supposed selection outjogged in the middle. (Photo 27.) The signed card is now on top of the deck.

 Photo 26

Photo 27.

This is a control that is very deceptive if handled casually. It apparently leaves the selection outjogged and gives the impression that the card never left sight. (Photo 28.)

 Photo 28

Limited Printing Get a left fourth-finger break under the top card of the deck. Retrieve the blank card packet from the spectator and hold it by the right long edge, thumb on top and fingers below. (Photo 29.)

 Photo 29 Flip the packet over sideways onto the deck, then, immediately pick up all of the cards above the  break in right hand End Grip, adding the selection to the bottom of the packet. (Photo 30 and Photo 31.) This is the Al Leech Steal.

 Photo 30

Photo 31

With your left index finger, push the supposed selection, which is still outjogged, into the deck. (Photo 32. And Photo 33.) The audience sees the selection lost in the deck after you hold the  blank cards. Table the deck or give it to someone to hold if there are no tables.

 Photo 32

Photo 33

With your left thumb, peel off three cards from the blank packet leaving a double in right hand End Grip. With your right index finger, point to the top card in the left hand, the third card counted. (Photo 35.)

 Photo 35 “I’ll use this one here. It looks like all the others. First, the back.”

As you say the above, flip the top card in the left hand over using the double in the right hand, showing both blank sides. (Photo 36.) Then, put the double on the left hand’s cards injogged about half its length. (Photo 37.)

 Photo 36

Photo 37 

With your right hand, push the double forward until it is square with the cards beneath it. Then, in a continuous action, with your right index finger, draw back only the top card to reveal a back has  been printed. (Photo 38 and Photo 39.) This is the age old Paintbrush Change.

 Photo 38

Photo 39

Without pausing, your right fingers continue pulling the top card back and off of the packet. Put this card on the bottom of the packet. (Photo 40.)

 Photo 40 With your right hand, grasp the packet in End Grip and with your left fingers, back spread three cards from the bottom of the packet, leaving a double in right End Grip. (Photo 41.)

 Photo 41 The double in the right hand is revolved by turning the right hand p alm up, showing a back on one side and blank on the other. (Photo 42.)  The cards in the left hand are similarly displayed by revolving the left hand palm down showing three cards blank on both sides. (Photo 43.)

 Photo 42

Photo 43

With your left hand, square the three blank cards and hold them in Dealing Grip. The right hand  places its double card on the packet but sidejogged. The left thumb moves to hold the double in  place. Flip the double over and onto the packet and point to the blank side. (Photo 44.)

 Photo 44 “Now the hard part, the face of your card.” With your right fingers, reach under the inner end of the packet (the end toward your body) and draw the bottom card inward and away from the packet. (Photo 45.) Hold the card momentarily in your right hand.

 Photo 45 “A little extra charge for the hard  part.” With your right hand, rub the blank card on your left sleeve. As you do this, the left hand turns  palm down to accommodate the action; at this moment, get a left fourth-finger break under the top card of the packet by pushing off the top card slightly and retracting it. (Photo 46.) The hands then return to their previous position.

 Photo 46 The card in the right hand is placed onto the packet but injogged as before. You are going to mimic the Paintbrush Change you used earlier but with the opposite mechanics. With your right thumb, push the injogged card flush with the packet. Immediately, and without hesitation, pinch both cards above the break at the inner end, thumb below and fingers above and  pull them toward you. This reveals the face of the selected card. (Photo 47.) Do not let go of the double card. Instead, draw it inward and clear of the packet just as before and slip it to the bottom of the packet. (Photo 48.) Obtain a break above the double card as you push it flush and square everything.

 Photo 47

Photo 48

Because of the break, you can now quickly, and convincingly, spread the packet in a loose manner to show only four cards. (Photo 49.) With your left fourth finger, hold the double secure as the right hand spreads the packet to show three blank cards and the signed selection. With your right hand, remove the signed card and show both sides before giving it to the spectator. (Photo 50.)

 Photo 49

Photo 50

The cards in your left hand are in a small fan with the bottom card bein g a double. With your right hand, take the fan of cards and flash both sides. “That leaves you with an interesting souvenir … and me with a trick that I can only do three more times.” As you say the line above, draw your left index finger across the fan of blank cards allowing each one to snap off of your finger audibly. One, Two, Three. (Photo 51 and Photo 52.)

 Photo 51

Photo 52

Square the cards and put them back into your shirt pocket ready for your next performance.

The Magician says he must remove the Jokers from the deck before he can perform magic. Saying he has a never-fail way to do this, he brings out a “Joker Locator.” The audience is not convinced as this is clearly just another card upon which the magician has written the words “Joker Locator.” A spectator is asked to stab the card anywhere in the deck. The Magician divides the deck at that  point making two piles but a Joker is not seen. Has the locator failed? “Ah, there’s one more step to this …,” the Magician says as he turns over the locator revealing a large number “5” on its back. Five cards are counted from both piles and two Jokers make their appearance. The plot of this effect was inspired by Gordon Bean’s marketed effect “Joker, Joker.” This is a favorite plot of Gordon’s and our correspondence led to the creation of this routine. It makes for an ideal opener. I previously published another version of this plot (The Joker Proximity Conclusion) in The Self-Working Project  (Retro Rocket Magic 2015).

Make a “Joker Locator” card b y taking a double blank card and writing … wait for it … “Joker Locator” on one side. (Photo 53.) Turn the card over and write the number “5” on the other side. (Photo 54.)

 Photo 53

Photo 54

Carry the Joker Locator in your pocket or wallet, somewhere apart from the deck so you can  bring it out and focus attention on it. I keep the card in my shirt pocket.

Remove the two Jokers from your deck and arrange them, one fifth from top and one fifth from  bottom. Case the deck off you go.

Let’s assume the unthinkable has happened and someone has asked you to do a card trick for them. “Before I get into the magic, I really should take out the Jokers. Luckily, I have a new toy, a  Joker Locator. It saves me the difficult work of taking out the Jokers myself.” Remove the deck from the box and give the cards a single cut taking a break in the approximate center of the deck as the sections come together. Bring out the Joker Locator card and hand it to the spectator. Try to keep the “5” on the underside of the card hidden for now. Give the card to the spectator and instruct her to insert it in the deck anywhere she likes. You will use the Judah Force to get the card exactly where you want it.

The Stewart Judah Force The Judah Force is a seldom seen utility move. It’s not difficult to do but it will take a bit of explaining. You are now holding a break in the approximate middle of the deck, above the position that will  be forced. Give the spectator the “Joker Locator” card and allow her to stab it anywhere in the deck. Riffle the outer left corner to facilitate this. This also lets you time the action so she stabs the card around the middle of the deck. It doesn’t matter whether she inserts the card above or below your break,  but you will handle the next part differently depending on which it is. You can determine whether the locator was inserted above or below the break with an idea by J.G. Thompson Jr. Hold the deck with the locator card outjogged about half its length. Let your left index finger rest on the front end of the deck, under the outjogged card, pressing up against it. (Photo 55.)

 Photo 55

With your right thumb and fingers, grasp all of the cards above the break, at the inner end of the deck and push them forward. If they move, the loc ator was inserted below the break. If they do not move, but instead you feel resistance against your left index finger, the locator was inserted abov e the break. If the locator card is above the break: pinch all of the cards above the break between your right fingers and thumb at the lower right corner and draw these cards inward and toward you until they  pull free of the locator card, leaving it on top of the bottom half. The left thumb and fingers grip the locator card and hold it place as the packet is pulled away. (Photo 56 and Photo 57.)

 Photo 56

Photo 57

Say, “This is where you wanted to put it? Are you sure?” If the spectator is satisfied, drop the cards in the right hand onto the cards in the left hand, leaving the locator card still outjogged and visible but now it has been moved to the forced position. Pretend to make space on the table and delicately spread the deck down to the outjogged card before dividing the deck and continuing the routine. If she wants to try again, you can start the entire procedure over. Let’s go back now. What if the locator is inserted below the break? In that case, proceed like this. With your right thumb and forefinger, grasp all of the cards above the break and push them forward. (Photo 58.)

 Photo 58

Keep pushing until the cards above the break protrude beyond the far end of the deck, with some of the outjogged card still showing. Now, with your right hand, shift grips, and take the p rotruding cards and the locator card at the outer right corner of the packet. (Photo 59.)

 Photo 59 Pull the packet and the locator card forward and free of the deck as a unit. Hold the packet in the right hand and ask the spectator if they are happy or would like to change their mind. This might read complicated but in performance the force is quick and direct.

The Jokers are Found You can now, with no suspicious moves, spread the deck and separate the cards at the point where the locator is outjogged. Take all of the cards above the locator and turn them face up, put this  packet to the right. (Photo 60.) Leave the cards below the locator face down but in a squared packet to the left. The locator is in the middle. (Photo 61.) The spectator might expect to see a Joker on the face up half but it is not there.

 Photo 60 “There’s one more step to the Locator.” Flip the locator over revealing the number 5.

Photo 61

With both hands, simultaneously, lift cards off the packets while counting to five. (Photo 62.)

 Photo 62

Photo 63

On the count of five, a Joker will appear on the face up packet. (Photo 63.) Turn over the card at the corresponding fifth position in the face down packet to reveal the second Joker. Bingo. (Photo 64.)

 Photo 64 With the Jokers removed, you can now continue with other effects.

Ten cards are introduced. Two perfect Royal Flush hands, one in hearts and one in spades. The Magician explains how a difficult it is to ever win a poker game with a royal flush and how some gamblers play their entire life without ever drawing the elusive hand. A five-card flush hand is given to each of two spectators. The Magician says they will play an imaginary game of poker and see which card the two players will bust on. The Magician writes  prediction and folds it up leaving it in full view. A third spectator calls out a number to represent the number of cards drawn. The two spectators work in unison performing a process of elimination. Amazingly, after eliminating four of the flush cards from each of their packets, both spectators end on the same card, the Ten. The prediction is opened and read and it is seen to have correctly foreseen the two players would  bust on the Ten. Finally, it’s proven that neither spectator could have possibly made their flush because each one has the other player’s ten, a transposition having t aken place! This is a routine involving two or three spectators with the intriguing theme of poker and gambling. I play fast and loose with the rules of gaming and instead focus on making a memorable trick. This trick is a coincidence, prediction, and transposition. It sounds complicated but it plays crystal clear. I should mention that I have been told there is a similar effect to this in the book The Secrets of So Sato (Kaufman and Co. 2016) However, I have not had the opportunity to read it myself.

This can be carried as a packet trick but for impromptu work, remove two royal flushes from the deck. Let’s use the royal flush in Hearts and Spades. You also need a piece of paper and a pen which will be used to write a prediction.

Remove a Royal Flush in Spades and a Royal Flush in Hearts from the deck. Arrange the Spade flush in ascending order from the face: Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. Arrange the heart flush in descending order from the face: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten.

Put the heart packet onto the spade packet so the two Tens lie together in the center of the combined  packet. “In poker, a royal flush is a very rare hand to get. It almost never happens. People can play poker their entire lives and never get a royal flush. In case you have never seen one, I have two of them right here.” With your right hand, hold the packet face up in End Grip, an Ace is showing. Using your left thumb, peel off the Ace into your left hand and flip it face down using the left edge of the packet. (Photo 65.)

 Photo 65 Repeat the action by peeling off the King and flipping it face down onto the Ace. Continue displaying all five cards in the first flush in this way. “A royal flush is made up of these cards, the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten all of the same suit.” At the end of the display, you will hold the first flush face down in the left hand and the second flush is held in End Grip in the right hand. (Photo 66.) Get a fourth-finger break under the top card of the packet held in the left hand.

 Photo 66  You will now perform a standard Braue Addition while displaying the second flush. With your left thumb, peel the next Ten off the packet held in the right hand while secretly ad ding the card above

the break to the bottom of the right hand’s c ards. Flip the Ten face down onto the left hand’s cards using the left edge of the packet as before. (Photo 67.)

 Photo 67 Continue by peeling off, and flipping face down, the Jack, Queen, and King. Finally, drop the Ace and the card hidden under it onto the cards in held in the left hand and turn the Ace face down. Push off the top five cards from the packet and drop them to the table. Give the remaining five cards a mix but retain the top card. Hand these five to a spectator. Pick up the packet from the table and give them a mix but make sure the card in the second position from top ends up as the top c ard of the packet. Give this packet to a second spectator. These mixes are casual and done with the cards held face down with both hands moving cards around. It’s a simple matter in a small packet to watch the position of a single card and make sure it ends up where you want it. “The two of you will play the parts of gamblers. These two gamblers once came very close to  getting the elusive Royal Flush. But, they missed on the last card. Can you imagine the frustration, to be dealt four cards that make up a legendary royal flush … and then miss on the last card?  Before we begin, I’m going to write something down.” Pick up the paper and write “Ten” on it without letting it be seen yet. Both spectators hold their packets face down in their hands. “These two guys decided how many cards to draw, we are going to simulate that and use the number to guide our fate.” Ask a third person to name a number between one and five since that’s how many cards are being used. Say they name three. Have both spectators, in unison, move three cards from the top of their packets to the bottom. Both spectators now turn face up the cards now on top of their packets. The cards may match or they may be different. Either way, say, “The cards you turn face up will be the cards you were dealt. The last card left face down will be the card you did not get. The one card of the flush you missed.  I think you can see that if a different number had been named, you would have turned over a different card.”

Have the spectators repeat the procedure by leav ing the face up card where it is and counting it as “one,” then moving two more cards from top to bottom to count to three once again. Again, both spectators count together and turn up the cards on top of their packets after the count. This is continued until only one card remains face down in each spectators packet. Thanks to George Sands’s Prime Number Principle, it will be the Ten for both spectators. This is the first effect. Point out that both spectators have ended on the same card, the Ten. “This is interesting, you both busted the Flush on the same card, the Ten for each of you.  Remember, the cards were mixed up and any number was named. A different number would have  produced a different result.” Pick up the paper you set aside earlier and open it up to reveal you have “predicted” the outcome. Finally, say, “Not only did the two of you lose on the same card, but you couldn’t have possibly  got your flush like this. He has the very card she needs and she has the very card he needs.” Remove the face down card from each spectator’s packet and turn it over to reveal they each have the other’s Ten and a transposition has taken place.

A blue deck is spread and a spectator is asked to point to the back of one of the cards. This card is remembered and lost back in the deck. “I’m going to attempt to name your card,” The Magician says. “I name it … Homer.” The spectator assumes this to be a joke, and a bad one at that. “But wait,” The Magician continues, “Maybe there is a reason I named it Homer.” He spreads the deck and there, in the middle, there is a single red-backed card in the blue deck. Spreading a little more, it’s seen that on the back of the red-backed card is a sticker …of Homer Simpson! The card is turned over and, sure enough, it is the spectator’s selection. “I bet you thought this was just a joke,” The Magician says. “Funny thing is, had you picked any other card in the deck … it would have been.” With that, the deck is turned face up and spread to reveal a full deck of nothing but Jokers. This is one of my experiments with the One-Way Ending. This type of ending can be grafted onto a number of tricks but my goal has been to find a presentation to tie it together with the main effect in a logical way. I really like the final line in this routine as it makes the One-Way Ending make sense. This is also a frequently used trick. It’s been road tested in just about every situation for just about every type of audience. The effect I’m about to describe is a version of Fred Lowe's “Christened Reverse” and while it is not as impossible or magical as Nick Trost's “Oscar,” Max Maven’s “ Final Fred,” or Trevor Duffy's “Phil,” to name three seminal examples, it does get to the point quickly and ends clean. I chose to use the name Homer in this routine for two reasons. First, it is a hilarious name. If your name is Homer, then you already know how funny your name is. (If your name is Homer and you did not know how funny your name is, I am sorry to be the one to break it to you.) The second reason is that I found a Homer Simpson sticker that I think adds a certain ...  something ... to the routine. As John Bannon has pointed out, a sticker or post-it note on a card, being a movable object, offers the spectators a false avenue of solution. A small red herring to think about. Could it be, that maybe you could somehow steal the sticker and secretly get it on the back of a card they selected? This adds a little depth of deception to the effect.

But the real reason to use the Homer Simpson sticker is that people respond to beloved cartoon characters in a different and more emotional way than the average card trick. I want to take advantage of this.

You need a blue backed deck of fifty-two Jokers, one red backed card which will be forced, say it is the Five of Hearts. Also needed is a Homer Simpson sticker which is stuck to the back of a red  backed card. You can, if you want, simply write the name 'Homer' on the back of the force card  but the trick does lose something. (Photo 68.)

 Photo 68 The Five of Hearts goes on the face of the joke r deck. This deck is put into a blue card box and off you go. Because there are no sleights in this routine, this deck will last you a very long time. You will replace the card box before you replace the deck.

Remove the deck from the box and give it a false shuffle as you talk retaining the Five on the face of the deck. The safest way to shuffle (to avoid flashing Jokers to the audience) is a Center Hindu shuffle. “In a moment I am going to have you look at and remember one of these cards. Then maybe I can do something interesting...” Spread the deck widely face down but keep the red backed card on the bottom concealed. This shows a lot of blue backs. (Photo 69.)

 Photo 69 I do not say “I will name your card” at this point because if you do that before the selection has  been made, you are setting up a challenge and certain people will then go out of their way to pick a card they think will be difficult during the force.

Gary Ouellet’s Touch Force Cut about a third of the deck from top to bottom and hold a break between the sections as they come together. (Photo 70.) Spread the cards above your fourth-finger break and ask the spectator to touch the back of one of them. (Photo 71.)

 Photo 70

Photo 71

You want to spread enough so the spectator points to a card that is not wildly apart from your  break. Ideally, you want her to touch a card that is just a few cards above your break. You can experiment with where the break is when you do the force. Maybe you like it further down in the deck or maybe you are more comfortable with the break being more near center. Once a card has been touched, outjog it and close up the spread, still maintaining your break. (Photo 72 and Photo 73.)

 Photo 72

Photo 73

With your right hand, approach the deck, fingers at the outer end touching the outjogged card and thumb at the inner end. (Photo 74.)

 Photo 74 The next actions happen smoothly and at the same time. With your right fingertips, push the outjogged card flush with the deck, at the same time as your right thumb makes contact with the  break. As soon as the outjogged card is pushed square, the right hand lifts all of the cards above the break away in End Grip. (Photo 75.)

 Photo 75

This packet is raised so the spectator can note the card at the face. (Photo 76.)

 Photo 76

The Gags If you can, table the deck. Get it out of your hands if possible. “Now, without looking at the deck or asking any questions, I will n ame your card.” Pause. “Homer. I name your card Homer.” After the spectators have reacted to the gag. You continue. “What was your card after all? The  Five of Diamonds? Ah, well there's a reason I named it Homer.” Spread the deck slowly on the table or between your hands. You want to reveal a little of the red  back but not the Homer sticker (or Homer writing) yet. (Photo 77.)

 Photo 77 

 Photo 78

“There's one card that stands out to me ...” Widen the spread to reveal the Homer sticker. “… and it is the only card that I could really call

 Homer.” (Photo 78.) Slide the card out and turn it over to reveal the spectator's selected Five of Hearts. I let the spectator look at or hold their selected “Homer” card for a moment. “And I bet you thought this was just a joke ... funny thing is ... if you had picked any other card, it would have been.” Turn the deck over and spread it widely to show a full deck of Jokers to end. (Photo 79.)

 Photo 79

Comments Sometimes you can't spread a deck widely on a table. If you have a small amount of table space, I suggest turning the deck face up and pushing off a group of jokers, six or eight-it doesn't matter, and spreading them so they can be clearly seen. Then drop this group on the table. Continue this way, dropping small groups of jokers into a pile on the table, until you run through the entire deck to finish. (Photo 80.)

 Photo 80

 Photo 81

 No table available? Hold the deck with the faces toward the audience and your hands raised to chest level. Spread through the deck as widely as you can. (Photo 81.)

The two black Jacks are removed from the deck. The Magician says they will represent two master thieves. The Ace through Ten of Diamonds is also displayed, representing a vast fortune to be stolen. The thieves are cut into the middle of the deck to isolate them. The spectator names any one of the Diamonds and it too is isolated on the table. In an instant, the deck is spread and the selected diamond is now caught between the Jacks. The card on the table thought to be the diamond is looked at and it now bears a message from the thieves – a polite I.O.U.! This is, of course, a version of Alex Elmsley’s classic effect “Diamond Cut Diamond.”

Make the message card by writing “I.O.U.” on the face of a blank-face card whose back matches the color and design of the deck you will be using. (Photo 82.)

 Photo 82 Remove the Ace through Ten of Diamonds and arrange them in order with the Ace being the top card. These go on top of the deck. Put the I.O.U. card on top of the stack, over the Ace, and you are set.

To begin, spread through the deck and remove the two black Jacks saying, “These are two expert thieves. They are not base characters, but more like elegant, polite, cat burglars. I’m going to give  you a demonstration of their skill, but first they need something to steal.” Set the Jacks aside. Push off the top eleven cards without allowing the audience to count the amount and flip them face up onto the deck. Spread the face up cards displaying the Diamonds  being careful to keep the last two cards squared to hide the I.O.U. card. “A treasure of many diamonds. One of these diamonds will be stolen in a moment and you get to decide which one it is. Which Diamond would you like the thieves to steal? Name any one.” Let’s assume the spectator names the Seven of Diamonds as her choice. You use the same Second Deal methodology as the classic Elmsley effect to switch the card out. Square up the diamonds, and the hidden message card, and flip everything face down onto the deck. Begin by Second Dealing the first card, the Ace, leaving the I.O.U. card on top of the deck. Turn the Ace face up and deal it to the table. Second deal again, dealing the Two face up beside the Ace forming a row. Continue dealing seconds, each card going to the table in the growing row of cards, until you get to the spectator’s chosen number, in the case, the Seven. Deal the seventh card fairly, face down, onto the row of Diamonds, leaving it outjogged from the other cards. Then, continue dealing seconds, each card  being dealt face up onto the row of Diamonds to finish the spread of ten cards. The rules are simple, second deal on each card, dealing it face up into a row. Deal the spectators selected number fairly face down, and continue second dealing to finish the row of ten. “Your diamond is isolated. Let’s also isolate the Jacks in th e deck.” As you talk, give the deck a casually shuffle the top card (the Seven of Diamonds) to the bottom of the deck. Pick up the Jacks and drop them face up onto the deck. Allow the spectator to cut the deck anywhere they wish, burying the Jacks. Pick up the deck and spread it between your hands to display the face up Jacks. You are going to perform a sandwich load by Duffie/Robertson, using a sleight called Robverse.

Robverse Sandwich Load Your hands separate the spread slightly, the right hand taking both Jacks at the end of its spread. (Photo 83.)

 Photo 83

Photo 84

With your right fingers, contact the underside of the lowermost Jack and flip it face down, like turning the page of a book, onto the left hand’s cards. (Photo 84.) The remaining Jack is flipped face down in a way that appears identical but, in reality, a bit more happens. With your right fingertips, contact the underside of the face down card immediately abov e the Jack. This is the Seven of Diamonds. Your right fingertips are touching the extreme right long edge of the Seven. Push this card over the Jack, covering it, and roughly squaring the two cards. The fingertips of the right hand act as a gauge and keep the two cards in alignment. This does not have to be a perfect alignment, you are not doing a Double Lift. (Photo 85.) Both cards, as a unit, are then flipped over onto the cards in the left hand just as you did with the first Jack. The right hand’s spread of cards shades the action and hides any misalignment. (Photo 86.)

 Photo 85

Photo 86 

You have efficiently loaded the Seven of Diamonds between the two Jacks. Square the deck and turn it face up. Make a magical gesture and then spread the face up deck to show one card is now reversed between the Jacks. Remove the sandwich and turn it over to reveal it is the Seven of Diamonds. The audience will likely be dying to look at what they thought was the Seven on the table. When they turn over the I.O.U. card say, “These are polite thieves, they left an I.O.U.”

Optional Second Phase A classic Al Leech sandwich trick is used as a second phase. Drop the Jack sandwich on top of the deck with the Jacks face up and Double Undercut the top Jack to the bottom. The situation is: the Seven of Diamonds on top of the deck, one Jack reversed second from top, and one Jack reversed on bottom. “The thieves steal away and hideout with the treasure. But, I think we should cash in that I.O.U. right now.” Pick up the I.O.U. card and slip it, face down, to the bottom of the deck. Turn the deck face up. “I’ll cut the I.O.U. into the deck and see what happens.” Holding the deck face up, perform a Bottom Slip Cut. Do this by getting a b reak above the bottom card with a fourth-finger pulldown. With your right hand, take the deck in End Grip and execute a Swing Cut, maintaining the bottom card of the deck. The break facilitates this and the bottom card basically rides over from the right hand section to the bottom of the section that’s cut into the left hand. The deck is turned face down. Snap your fingers over the deck and turn over the top card to show the Seven of Diamonds. Hand it to the spectator. “There are your diamonds back.” Spread the deck to the Jack sandwich and remove it. Turn it over to show the I.O.U card. “The thieves are left holding their own debt. Everyone lived happily ever after … except the thieves who were hanged.”

Comments This effect originally appeared in my book “The Midnight Oil.” It has been revised from the original publication. I recently learned that Gordon Bean has an unpublished variation of Elmsley’s trick also using a card with a message written on it. Both of our effects were created independ ently. The final line gag comes from Tom Ogden who published it in his presentation of “The Sheep and the Thieves” from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Magic. I previously used an “I.O.U. message card in my effect “Primal Scheme” from the book Card  Delusions (Retro Rocket 2015).

The Aces, representing the super-hero team The Avengers, vanish from your hands and reappear in the deck. This trick a variation of Liam Montier and Cameron Francis’s “Cheater’s Sleeve” from their  joint  book and DVD called Ka-Pow! In this variation, I have used most of the technical structure of the original routine but I have eliminated the deck and made the effect a packet trick and I have substituted the Al Leech Steal for a part of the trick I had trouble with. Finally, I have altered the  presentation from a gambling theme to one involving the Avengers characters. Much thanks to Liam and Cameron for the great trick. If you think the Avengers presentation is too silly for you, feel free to substitute another. I like to use this effect for anyone familiar with the Marvel movies.

There is no advance preparation for this effect. When you are read y to begin, remove the four Aces and the four Kings and put the deck aside but face up.

Arrange the Kings in alternating color order and arrange the Aces in the following order: Diamond, Club, Heart and Spade, from the face of the packet to the back. Drop the face-up King packet onto the face-up Ace packet and hold all cards together in right-hand End Grip. “These Kings are Ultron’s evil robot army.” Peel the Kings off the packet one at a time and flip them face down into the left hand using the left side of the packet. This gives some consistency to the upcoming Braue Addition. Treat all four Kings this way. “But the Aces are the Avengers, here to stop him.” You are holding the four Aces face up in right-hand End Grip and the Kings are face down in lefthand Dealing Grip. Do a left fourth-finger pull down of the bottom Kin g and obtain a break above it. As your left thumb peels off the first Ace, the Diamond, your right hand steals all of the cards above the fourth finger break squarely under the Aces just as in a standard Braue Addition. Thus,

the Ace of Diamonds is actually drawn onto a single face-down King. Immediately flip it face down using the left side of the Ace packet to do so. Continue drawing off the face-up Aces one at a time and flipping them face down onto the cards in the left hand. “The Ace of Diamonds is Thor, the Club is Iron Man, the Heart is Captain America, and this big  guy … is the Hulk.” When you get to Ace of Spades, which represents the Hulk, drop it and all of the cards hidden  beneath it on top of the cards in the left hand. Do not turn the Ace of Spades face down, instead, deal off the Ace of Spades into the right hand and hold it face up for a moment. With your left hand, approach the table and thumb off the top three cards of the packet into a pile on the table. The audience assumes these are the other three Aces. (Photo 87.)

 Photo 87 “The Avengers arrive to face Ultron’s Army.” Position Check : Your left hand now holds four face-down cards which the audience believes are the four Kings. In reality, your left hand holds three Aces and o ne King on the bottom. Your right hand is still holding that face-up Ace of Spades. You will now perform the Al Leech Steal as follows.

Do another left fourth-finger pulldown and obtain a break above the bottom card in the left hand. Flip the Ace of Spades face down onto the left hand’s cards and instantly switch your   right hand to End Grip and lift off all the cards above the break squaring them in the process. Immediately move this packet, which the audience believes is just the Ace of Spades, away from the left hand. Drop the packet onto the face-up deck and give the deck a cut. “Of course, the Hulk is left in the ship in case they need him.”

David Britland’s Interlace Sequence David Britland’s brilliant Interlace Sequence will make it seem as though the face up Kings are alternated with the face-down Aces even though the Aces are already gone. It was first published in Britland’s Cardopolis (1983) in a Cannibal Cards routine called “Flesh Eaters.” Say, “As soon as our heroes arrive, they are attacked and surr ounded by Ultron’s army.” The audience assumes the single card in your left hand is all four Kings. With your right hand,  pick up one of the supposed Aces from the table and drop it on the card in your left hand. Then, with your right fingers, reach under the two cards and draw out the bottom card, turn it face up, and drop it on top of the left hand’s card. It should look as though you picked up one of the Aces, dropped it on top of the Kings, and then took a King from bottom, turned it face up and put it back on top. Repeat this sequence of actions with the second apparent Ace. However, on the third card, there is a small discrepancy in the handling. Instead of removing the King from the bottom and turning it over and dropping it on top as before, the King will already be face up. So, you merely remove it from bottom and place it on top of the packet.  Now you will use a clever display by Paul Harris and Looy Simonoff that will show three facedown cards clearly alternated with the face-up Kings.

Harris/Simonoff Display Pick up the packet in right hand End Grip. Peel off the first three cards fairly. On the count of four,  perform the Hamman Count switch. That is, the packet in the left hand is exchanged for the packet in the right hand in the action of counting the fourth card. A break is caught under the fifth card as it is counted into the left hand. As the sixth card is counted, the fifth card is stolen back Biddle style under the cards in the right hand. The right hand holds a double card which is placed onto the cards in the left hand on the count of seven with a break held under the double card.

The Simonoff Vanish Looy Simonoff’s Vanish from the original “Interlaced Vanish” by Paul Harris is used to clean up and end the routine. With your right hand palm down, grip the two cards above the break, thumb und erneath and fingers above. (Photo 88.)

 Photo 88 Lift the cards away, revolving them so the faces are toward the audience. (Photo 89.)

 Photo 89

Photo 90

At the same time, the left hand raises so the cards it holds are also facing the audience and spread. (Photo 90 is from the audience’s point of view.) The four Kings are tossed to the table. “There is a battle and soon Ultron’s army is left broken and scattered.” Pick up the deck and spread it to show all four Aces together in the center. “And the Avengers take off for a victory shawarma.”

“The Spectator Does a Trick” by Al Leech is one of my favorite effects. I’ve used it in many situations and it is always effective. What follows is an addition or extension of the Leech trick. While the original trick is impromptu, this one has a small bit of preparation, which can be done quickly once you understand the objective.

Arrange the following cards on the bottom of the deck from the face to back: Queen of Spades, Ten of Diamonds, Ten of Spades, and Queen of Diamonds.

Give the deck a casual Center Hindu Shuffle retaining the stack on bottom. Then cut the deck sending the stack to the middle as you say, “We are going to use chance to design a playing card.  But first, I will remove a card that will sort of act as a target.” Spread the deck with the faces toward you and cut the cards so the Ten of Diamonds is the top card when the deck is face down. Deal the top card, the Ten, to the table without allowing the face to be seen. Place the deck on the table. Position check : The top card of the deck is the Queen of Spades. On the bottom of the deck is the Ten of Spades, with the Queen of Diamonds behind it.

“Here is where chance comes in. I want you to cut a bunch of cards from the deck and count them onto the table to get a random number.” The spectator does this and counts her packet to the table reversing the order of the cards. This  places the Queen of Spades on the bottom (face) of the packet. While she is counting the packet, casually pick up the deck and shuffle the bottom two cards to the top. “You now have a random number, one you didn’t even know you would have, what is it?” The spectator says aloud her number, which could be seventeen. “Now, using your number, I will construct a card.” Quickly deal off seventeen cards into a pile. Set the deck aside as it is no longer needed. Pick up the pile and deal it again into two piles. Turn over the top cards of both piles saying, “We will use the suit of one of these random cards and the value of the other to create a new card.”

Point to the Ten of Spades and say, “A Ten.” Then point to the Queen of Diamonds and say, “A  Diamond. That makes the Ten of Diamonds.” Pick up the card set aside earlier as a target an d turn it over to show the Ten of Diamonds. It seems the trick has ended successfully but there is more to come. “But you might have noticed that these two random cards could also be combined to mak e another card.” Again point to the two cards and illustrate the combination could also produce the Queen of Spades. “You must have sensed this somehow when you cut the cards.” Turn over the packet initially cut by the spectator to reveal the Queen of Spades and conclude the mysterious coincidence.

A spectator stops the Magician as he riffles the deck and notes the card selected. A second spectator takes two cards also from the same point in the deck and keeps them sight unseen. The first spectator’s card is lost back into the deck and the cards shuffled. Only now does the second spectator look at his two cards. He is requested to add together their values and announce the result. Suppose the number is seventeen. The Magician instantly cuts a packet of cards from the middle of the deck. The packet is counted and it is indeed seventeen cards. The final card counted is turned over to reveal the first spectator’s selected card. Paul Cummins’s original “Counting On It” appears his lecture notes From a shuffled deck in Use. Mr. Cummins’s trick is a modern classic with many published variations. Usually, the variations deal with types of breaks, crimps, and jogs to facilitate the acquisition of the break above the named number of cards. The variation you are about to read neatly exploits the properties of the Christ-Cross Force combined with a prearranged outcome to make an easy and effective routine.

You require a card made into a Breather Crimp. In this case, the Breather Crimp will be one that cuts to the bottom. To make this card, take a Joker and h old it face down in your hands. With your thumb on top and fingers below press into the v ery center of the card, then drag your fingers along, while applying pressure, to each corner of the card in turn. Start in the center of the card each time and move to the corners, one at time. This presses an “X” into the back of the card. The card will now be very easy to cut to the bottom of the deck. The Breather Crimp will last for the life of the deck it is in. It will soften a little with use but will still be there ready to work wh en you need it. Put the Breather Crimped Joker on the face of the deck with exactly seventeen cards below it. You will be forcing the card now on the face of the deck. Let’s assume it is the King of Hearts. Finally,  put any Eight and any Nine on top of the deck. Their order is immaterial.

Give the deck a False Cut or False Shuffle retaining your stack on top and bottom. One way you might do this is to Double Undercut the top two cards to bottom, do a couple Center Hindu Shuffles, then Reverse Double Undercut the two cards back to top. Per form Bannon’s Christ-Cross Force as described in “Plan B Aces” but this time you will use  both ends of the force. Assume the spectator has stopped your riffling and you have made the swing cut, the packets being side stepped just before you show them the card they selected.

“I’m going to show you a card and I want you to remember it. I won’t look.” With your right hand, lift the stepped packet and allow the spectator to look at, and remember, the King of Hearts. “I’ll also deal a couple cards from the e xact place you stopped but we won’t look at them just  yet.” With your left hand, thumb off the top two cards of its half face down to the table or into a spectator’s hands. These two cards are the original top cards of the deck, the Eight and the Nine you arranged there earlier. Reassemble the deck by putting the right half onto the left but keeping a break between the sections. Double Undercut to the break to bring the selected card back to the  bottom. You can indulge in a shuffle or cut again while maintaining the bottom stack. After this obtain a  break below the Breather Joker. To do this, with your right hand, take the deck in End Grip and lift it just slightly out of the left hand. If you relax the right thumb’s grip on the deck, the cards will break at the Breather Crimp and all of the cards below it will drop back into your left hand. Readjust the deck so you are holding it in Dealing Position with a left fourth-finger break below the Joker. “I’d like you to look at the two cards from the position you selected. Please add together their values to get a secret number. Whatever this number is, using my delicate touch with playing cards,  I will cut exactly that number of cards from the deck.” Have the two cards on the table turned over and their values added together. The spectator will get a sum of seventeen. You can now instantly perform the Cummins Production cut to apparently cut seventeen cards from the middle of the deck.

Paul Cummins’s Production Cut Your right hand thumb takes over the break in the deck as you take the deck in end grip. (Photo 91.)

 Photo 91 The right forefinger lifts up about half the cards above the thumb break and swing cuts into the left hand. (Photo 92 and Photo 93.)

 Photo 92

Photo 93

The right hand smoothly moves its packet over the cards in the left hand and drops off all the cards  below the thumb break outjogged onto the left hand’s packet. (Photo 94.)

 Photo 94 The right hand then moves the remainder of its cards back into alignment with the left hand packet, leaving the cards that were “dropped-off” sandwiched between two blocks of cards. (Photo 95.)

 Photo 95 The outjogged packet is swiveled out by the right hand and clipped between the first and second finger. (Photo 96, Photo 97, and Photo 98.)

 Photo 96

Photo 97

 Photo 98 Count the packet slowly into the spectator’s hands to verify you have cut to the chosen amount. Then ask for the name of the selected card before turning over the last card to reveal it.