May 16th
Chat
Joe
Stevens made a great suggestion regarding
the chat I will be hosting on May 16th:
why not post a routine in the Columns section
and see if it generates some discussion
during the chat!
Below
you'll find a routine that is not in my
lecture notes, but is slated for inclusion
in my upcoming book. Although it is a derivative
routine, I believe I have changed the presentation
from its precursor enough to warrant its
inclusion.
My
hope is that the routine may incite some
discussion regarding impossible locations,
bottom dealing, canceling techniques, outs,
and/or those wonderful late night sessions
that happen during magic conventions. If
this all sounds a bit esoteric don't forget
that the chat is also an Open Forum, so
any subject is legit fodder for chat!
I
have had virtually no response or GMN discussion
regarding any of the routines I've posted
in the Columns section - I don't know whether
that's a reflection of the material, my
writing, or the interests of the GMN population.
Certainly, I hope the chat on the 16th
is a different story!
Untitled
This
is a personalized version of Peter Duffie's
"Thoughts on the Bottom" from his Card Compulsions,
p. 232. In that routine, Duffie brilliantly
employs a couple of bottom deals to an estimation
method to locate a freely selected card
and then adds a mindreading presentation.
I immediately saw the potential for his
routine as another in a string of impossible
locations that I like to do for fellow magicians.
All I have added to Duffie's routine are
a few red herrings and a method-cancellation
theme to take magicians down the garden
path... In keeping with accepted nomenclature,
I will refer to the magician for whom you
are performing as the "spectator."
Have
the deck thoroughly shuffled and then tabled.
Patter, "Just to be sure that I haven't
somehow seen the bottom card, give the deck
a couple of straight cuts." Have your spectator
do so. This is red herring #1, which cancels
the key card method. Now take a few steps
back and ask that the spectator cut off
a group of cards, turn them toward himself
and note the card that he cut to. Have him
replace the packet and square the deck.
Stepping away is a helpful ruse when using
estimation - you appear to be standing too
far away to get any glimpse of the card,
but this line of sight actually makes it
easier to see the side of the deck and facilitates
your estimation! If your magician-spectator
is hip to the wiles of estimation this should
tip him off that estimation is in use. Of
course, as he cuts to and notes his selection
you must estimate his cut off portion. Make
no bones about the fact that you are appearing
to judge where his cut was - you're about
to cancel out estimation as a method! (By
the way, if you step away far enough you
will also cancel the marked deck method,
although these location effects are best
done with a borrowed deck.)
Step
over to the deck and pick it up from above
in your right hand. As you dribble the cards
into your left hand say, "...I know that
this smacks of estimation..." Use Marlo's
All Around Square Up motions to not only
square the deck but also to peek the bottom
card. Table the deck as you continue pattering,
"...so why don't you give the deck a straight
cut [he does], and another straight cut
at a different place [he does], and another..."
This is a crucial moment in the routine.
If the spectator doesn't realize you have
peeked the bottom card, then they will never
be able to reconstruct the location. Also,
make the spectator cut the deck four or
five times, until it's almost annoying (the
"Lazy Man's Card Trick" syndrome..). After
the cutting I usually say, "...I don't know
about you, but I couldn't have followed
an estimate through all that cutting..."
This is red herring #2 that cancels the
estimation method.
Pick
up the deck and spread its faces toward
yourself looking for the key card you that
you glimpsed saying, "...now if I could
read your mind, I'd just run through here
and place your card on the table..." Suiting
actions to words, split the deck with the
key card at the face of the left hand half
and gesture with the right hand cards as
if you were going to place one on to the
table. "...but I'll need a little help..."
Replace the right hand cards at the back
of the left hand cards, bringing the glimpsed
key card to the bottom of the deck.
Give
the deck a straight cut about 3 cards below
where you estimate the spectator had cut
when he looked at his selection. Be sure
to cut below your estimated spot, as you
want all of the target cards of your estimated
group on the bottom of the deck.
Take
the deck face down into your bottom-dealing
grip and deal the top six cards face up
onto the table in a right to left spread.
"It may not seem like it but I'm actually
going to speed things up by doing this...
is your card in this group?" If the spectator
responds affirmatively, then you have missed
your estimation and you must fish for the
card. If he responds negatively, then sweep
up the spread cards and table them face
down to your right. I always deal the first
group all from the top, with no bottoms.
This allows me to check that my estimation
was okay. More on this in a moment.
Now
deal another six cards into a face up spread
on the table but deal a bottom on the fifth
deal. The bottom-dealt card is from the
target estimation group and may be the selection.
Ask if the selection is in this group. If
you get an affirmative response, then the
selection is the bottom-dealt card. If you
get a negative response, then sweep this
spread up and discard it face down to the
right with the first pile. Continue in this
manner, dealing six card spreads onto the
table (and always dealing a bottom on the
fifth card) and asking if the selection
is "in this group?" When your spectator
responds affirmatively, then you know that
the bottom-dealt card is the selection.
This is Duffie's brilliant use of the bottom
deal to narrow down an estimated group to
a single selection.
Now
that you understand what part the bottom
deal plays, you'll understand why I don't
bottom deal the fifth card of the first
packet. If you deal that bottom on the first
packet, then you cannot be sure if the selection
is the bottom dealt card or if you missed
your estimation and the selection could
be any of the cards in the spread. This
is also why I cut about 3 cards below where
I think the spectator cut - insurance!
Table
the deck proper with the discards and pick
up the six-card packet that contains the
selection. Use this important patter: "So,
you shuffled and cut the deck and we made
sure that I didn't know where a single card
was in it. You cut to and remembered a card
and then you buried it. There is no way
for me to know anything about your card,
in fact, it's as if I just walked into the
room! Finally, you helped me to narrow it
down to this little pile of cards. I believe
your card is..." Reveal the selection in
any way that you wish.
I
usually just remove the selection and table
it face down, placing the balance of the
packet with the discards as I use the above
"walked into the room" patter line. Then
I ask that the spectator name their card
and I slowly turn it over. I use this presentation
to reveal the card because this is one in
a string of about 5 `impossible locations'
that I perform one after the other and almost
all of the revelations are of this type.
Don't
let the bottom deal scare you. Yes, you'll
have to deal some bottoms, but remember
that your spectator is looking for their
own selection, so while you're dealing the
bottom, they're brain is absorbing the face
of the card you've just dealt. This is built
in misdirection. I usually deal the cards
forward and to my right and overlap them
toward the middle of the working surface.
This gives a sweeping motion to my deal,
which helps to cover the bottoms. As usual
with bottom (or any false) deals, rhythm
and sound are far more important than perfect
technique.
Hope
to see you on the 16th!
Paul
W. Cummins
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