When you happen to go into your host's or hostess' lavatory during your times within their walls, wash your hands to dampen the soap, and let it set for the interval you need to dry those magical fingers. What you are going to do will be a seeming miracle to those who pay attention to your efforts, even if the reader of these lines may snort at it as being "old stuff" to him. That reader, however, will have to admit that he "never actually tried it out" although he did know the "secret". From an old and soft deck…
About ten years ago I "invented" a spelling card idea which found favor with some professionals. Max Holden, then late of vaudeville, and freshly embarked upon a dealer's career, saw fit to use it in his club program until his business of supplying magi with their necessities made time more important. I, of all persons, cannot say that the method used was not good. But, in a later day light, we can tell readers that times have changed and that the count down method by numbers is not so good for this generation or more-to-the-point spectators. Two decks of cards…
The wonder worker makes use of any deck within borrowing distance. A card is chosen, remembered, and returned amongst the others in a very fair and above-board manner. The performer takes back the shuffled pasteboards and deliberately looks over their faces. He looks wise, picks out one card, and places it face down upon the table. The deck also is put face down on the table a bit to one side. The performer says that he has found the selected card. "Yes, or no?", he asks. The spectator looks at the single card on table. The answer is "No". The…
Any card or cards selected freely from this deck can be revealed by a complete spelling, card for letter, including the "of" and the final "s". There is no forcing and the pack is a regular one of all different cards. The principle secret lies in the fact that the back design of the pack is "one-way". The cards spelling with 10, 11, and 12 letters are turned against those spelling with 13, 14, and 15 letters. That's the preparation. The deck may be overhand shuffled freely as the cards themselves are in no special order. Only the backs are…
Have a "short" card in your deck. The spectator shuffles. Taking the deck back you cut at the 'locator' card bringing it to about the deck's center. Spread them across a table and have one removed. Pick up the spread. A riffle tells you if the "short" card still is there. If not, you have a miracle at hand. Otherwise riffle for the return of the chosen card and have it deposited at the break caused by the short card. Thus it goes on top of that pasteboard and the deck is squared. Now riffle to the short card and…
One of my favorite card tricks for many years is a spelling effect which uses a person from the audience without the usual "take a card" angle. It brings many laughs and makes the audience think that the performer is an expert card manipulator. Only thirteen cards are used, Ace to King, all of them black except the 9 which is red. They are on top of the deck, arranged as given here later, and when the spectator arrives, you give the deck a fancy shuffle and cut (so, fake ones), pick off the group, toss the others aside, and…
Effect: Two decks of cards, sealed in their cases, are offered to a spectator who is asked to choose one and keep it in his possession. The other deck is taken from case by performer and three cards mentally selected. The first is found by spelling its name, the second in the same manner except that the spectator handles the deck himself, and the last is found in the sealed case held by the spectator who has been holding it throughout the entire action. A preliminary set-up solves the whole problem. 10 Clubs A Spades 9 Hearts Q Spades 4…
After a standard four Ace trick, or two, this gag serves for a funny surprise finish. Most magicians do four Ace tricks (correct me if I'm wrong), so the idea shouldn't be unwelcome. The four Aces lie face up on the table and the spectator is asked to indicate his choice of one by turning it face down. All note its position and then the remaining three Aces are turned over also. Three cards are first placed on the selected Ace and then the same number on each of the remaining, as in the prosaic effect. Now three of the…
This is a terribly old principle but the disguise in the present case makes it quite serviceable. The personal "angle" of using names of people known to the spectators is what gives it "flavor" and takes away entirely any thought of mathematics. Hand the pack to a spectator telling him to count off a small number of cards -- "less than a dozen" -- and put them into his pocket. This done, ask him to again count off the same number, note the bottom card of the little packet, and replace on pack. Taking the deck, the performer asks three…
Calling the trick Preposterous, Martin Gardiner furnished a trick for Jinx #40 which received nice mentions but was passed up by many more. I have combined it with a somewhat similar trick of Charles Jordan's and whenever I've used it, comments have been good and the requests for the working were numerous. Certainly it is one of those things you have to KNOW, rather than SEE HOW, for there is nothing to catch and follow. You fan through a borrowed deck and remove the Joker or extra cards. In this action you simply count from face of deck and note…