After
I left AT&T back in 1998 to pursue a
career writing books for magicians and doing
some corporate performing I spent the next
two years working most of my magic for magicians
at lectures and convention appearances.
Although the writing and publishing was
proceeding nicely, I wanted to perform for
layman more often. Resultantly, I took a
job a couple of nights a week doing bar
magic at a local restaurant, here in Jacksonville,
when I was in town. Though I hadn't tended
bar in 15 years, both the drink recipes
and the jazz-fusion thrill of doing bar
magic came back to me quite quickly.
I
took the early nights in the week when the
place isn't packed to the gills - I wanted
time to 'work' the customers, get to know
them, and, most importantly, to allow for
a bit of magic. Some bar magicians, notably
the great Doc Eason, do an actual show,
or set, wherein the entire bar is focused
on the magical performance, which may last
fifteen minutes or a half an hour. My preference
is to work a few patrons at a time and let
their reactions create more interest from
other patrons. Then I move around a bit
to the others, and usually culminate with
a multiple selection routine involving everyone.
It's great fun.
The
wonderful benefit of performing so often
is that the opportunity presents itself
to work out, and work on, new routines.
During the course of the last several months,
I've come up with and honed a couple of
tricks that have really become workers for
me. One is a repeat card under (and then
into) the card box that is the oft-requested
routine right now. The other is the following
straightforward triple card revelation that
is simply leaving people looking at me with
that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look
of incredulity.
This
routine is sort of stark in effect and was
designed in that very fashion for maximum
impact in the littlest amount of time. Only
one real sleight is necessary, a side steal
(although I will offer two alternatives);
and the routine includes two glimpses that
are well shaded and that are actually the
backbone of the method.
In
effect, three spectators quickly peek at
cards from a shuffled deck in use. The deck
is straight and may be borrowed. The performer
simply tables the deck and immediately reveals
the names of each spectator's selection.
Like Paul LePaul said, "Simplicity is the
keynote to magic," and this effect is simple
but hits 'em hard.
You'll
need three spectators. Since I'll be referring
to them frequently, I'll use the following
key names so you know which spectator is
sitting where: Linda is sitting to your
Left, Cindy is sitting Centered in front
of you, and Rhonda is sitting to your Right.
Each
card is selected using the standard spectator
peek. Explain to Linda that you'd like her
to use her left thumb ("Ö which is way
at the end of your left arm Ö") to push
back part of the deck and peek at a card.
Demonstrate this action with your own right
fingers as you explain what she is to do.
Turn your head and have Linda take her peek.
Immediately lower the deck ("Ö you got
one already? Hmmm, I couldn't even feel
it Ö") and bring your right hand over
it. Say, "The reason I have you look
at a card that way is that I cannot see
the front of the card because it faces you;
and I can't see the back of the card because
of all the ones on top of it. So even if
the cards were marked it would be of no
use to me. Not to mention which, I turned
my head away."
During
this patter, bring your right hand over
the deck in biddle grip and push the spectator's
selection out of the right long side of
the deck for about a half-inch with your
left fingers. The back of your right hand
covers the jogged card. Continue your explanatory
patter, "So, although I may have a guess
about how far down in the deck your card
is, I could not have actually seen either
side of it." During this sentence pick
the deck up with your right hand cock your
wrist, bringing the inner, thumb-held end
of the deck skyward and the outer, fingers-held
end of the deck toward the table or bar
top. Extend your left forefinger and slide
it down the left long side of the deck as
you say, "Ö how far down in the deck
your card isÖ" The position of the deck
at this point allows you to glimpse the
jogged card and your movements are so motivated
by the sensible patter that the glimpse
will go unnoticed. This is the same glimpse
that I mentioned in my May, 1999 GeMiNi
column within the routine, "Beating the
Heat".
Take
the deck into left-hand dealing position,
which will automatically square the jogged
card, and continue the patter line, "Ö
I could not have actually seen either side
of it." Dribble the deck from hand to
hand, a silent gesture of fairness that
is not lost on laymen, and square it up.
Have
Cindy peek at a card, turning your head
again as she does so. You must control Cindy's
card and I have used three methods, each
one requiring a slightly different procedure.
Since I have settled on the side steal as
the control of choice in this situation,
I'll explain its use first. Afterwards,
I'll explain the alternative procedures.
So, after gently admonishing Cindy to remember
her card, direct your attention (and Linda
and Cindy's) to Rhonda and say, "I'm
not leaving you out!" During these actions
and patter pick up the cards above the break
and dribble them back onto the lower half,
starting the dribble slightly injogged so
as to keep track of the selection. Then,
since you have dribbled the cards from hand
to hand, the deck-squaring movements required
to accomplish a side steal are warranted,
so go ahead with the side steal, bringing
Cindy's card to the top of the deck.
Have
Rhonda peek at a card, turning your head
again as she does so. Immediately repeat
the physical set-up of the peek described
above, jogging Rhonda's card slightly out
of the right long side of the deck. Remember,
at this point the trick is just beginning
for these three spectators, the third of
them has only just looked at a card. For
the purposes of this explanation, assume
Linda peeked at the nine of clubs, Cindy
peeked at the queen of diamonds, and Rhonda
peeked at the seven of hearts. Look at Linda
and point to her with the deck-held right
hand as you cock the wrist of that hand
and glimpse Rhonda's card. "You had," you
say to Linda, "a black card." Square the
jogged card as you place the deck onto your
left fingers, and flip the deck face up
into your left hand. Immediately look at
Rhonda (whose card you have just glimpsed)
and say, "And yours was a seven."
Since
this is way too soon for you to have any
information about their cards, the spectators
will all look at each other. You will table
the deck face down with your left hand at
this time too, glimpsing Cindy's card in
the process. Her card is the bottom card
of the face-up deck. Place the pad of your
left forefinger against the outer right
corner of that bottom card and as you rotate
your left hand palm down to table the deck,
give a little squeeze with your right forefinger.
The index corner of Cindy's card will bubble
off the deck and give you a quick glimpse
as the deck is tabled. This is a very fast
and very imperceptible glimpse that I use
all the time - especially as needed when
working the multiple selection routine.
Since
your previous patter line, informing Rhonda
that her card was a seven, only a second
has passed while you tabled the deck and
glimpsed Cindy's card. Do not hesitate.
Begin giving each spectator a characteristic
of her card, which will sound something
like this: "You had a black card, and yours
is a seven. Yours is a picture card and
you have a nine while yours is a heart.
You looked at the nine of clubs, you had
the queen of diamonds, and you had a seven
of hearts. You folks are easy!" The point
here is to jump from spectator to spectator
giving each one a true characteristic of
the card they had peeked. This is far, far
more effective than simply saying, "Linda,
you looked at the nine of clubs. Cindy,
you had the queen of diamonds. And Rhonda,
you had the seven of hearts." If you read
the sample patter line, above, you'll see
that I usually jump from Linda to Rhonda
to Cindy to Linda to Rhonda and then I name
all three cards in order from left to right.
By the time I'm done with the patter line,
all three spectators are nodding their heads
in assent to each statement I've made, which
is a funny and satisfying sight to the performer!
Since
Rhonda had only just peeked at her card,
and since you have clearly (and believably)
explained that you could not see the fronts
or backs of the cards, and since your head
was turned during each selection, and since
virtually nothing else happened with the
deck itself (no shuffling, no manipulation,
cutting - nothing), and since the deck is
tabled face down, the fact that you are
able to name the characteristics of each
selection instantly is dumbfounding
to these spectators. When bartending, I
usually walk away after saying, "You folks
are easy!" leaving them to sort of simmer
and stutter for a few minutes while I take
care of another customer's drink. This,
because they will have questions (like,
How the hell could you have known? Do you
see a reflection in our eyes? Can we see
that deck? and so forth). By walking away
rather than standing in front of them smugly,
the potential challenge aspect, and especially
the "we must be idiots" aspect of the aftermath
is dissipated. They usually spend a few
seconds dismissing any notion of how I could
have known their cards and then try to call
me over to do more. This is good too, as
the balance of the patrons will have heightened
interest by virtue of these spectators'
reactions and questions.
If
you are not a side-stealer, then you may
use a classic shift or any spread cull technique
in its place. Using either of these methods
actually eliminates the third glimpse as
the deck is tabled. Here are the differential
details:
Using the Classic
Shift
This
is not my favored method as heat on the
deck is very high at the point in the routine
where the second selection has just been
peeked and must be controlled. However,
if your shift is fast and invisible, do
this: after Cindy has peeked a card, turn
to Rhonda and say, "I'm not leaving you
out!" while you complete the shift. As Rhonda
peeks her card, you must make sure that
your left forefinger covers the index of
the face card of the deck with your left
forefinger, as it is Cindy's card. After
Rhonda has peeked her card, prepare to glimpse
it by jogging it out of the right long side
of the deck. Point to Linda and give her
a characteristic of her card as you make
the glimpse. In this instance, however,
you must remember the names of both
the jogged card (which is Rhonda's selection)
and the bottom card (which is Cindy's selection).
Table the deck and proceed with the characteristic-naming
patter line to complete the effect.
Using a Spread
Cull
This
is my guerilla back up method when the spectator's
are applying a lot of heat or when even
a side steal may be angle dependent. After
Cindy peeks her card spread the deck between
your hands as you say, "Every now and then
two people actually peek at the same card
but that won't matter, as you'll see." During
this casual patter line, you must cull the
card above your pinky break (Cindy's selection)
to the bottom of the deck. Proceed as explained
under "Using the Classic Shift". This procedure,
I would add, is probably the easiest, but
I prefer to avoid that spreading of the
deck unless angles or heat absolutely force
me to use this method.
The
title of this routine came from a regular
patron at the bar who has seen the routine
many times and frequently requests it. He
always says, "That just completely stumps
me!"
References,
Credits, and Comments
-
A
fine description of the spectator peek
may be found on pages 72 - 74 of Roberto
Giobbi's Card College, Volume 1
(Hermetic Press, 1995). Although one
would do well to read Mr. Giobbi's entire
article, for the purposes of the above
routine, pay special attention to the
portion of his description under "A
Variation" on pages 73 and 74.
-
My
personalization of Jerry Kogan's great
glimpse was first published in my lecture
notes, Öfrom a shuffled deck in useÖ
(1996), within the routine, "Intuitive
Poker". Those interested in a mildly
amusing story regarding this glimpse
and Mr. Kogan might look at the May,
1999 GeMiNi column, "Beating the Heat".
Mr. Kogan's glimpse was first published
in Ed Marlo's great little booklet,
Marlo in Spades (The Ireland
Magic Company, 1947) within the effect,
"Jerry Kogan's Indicator," on page 42.
-
The
side steal that I use is a personalized
version of Ed Marlo's Deliberate Side
Steal, which may be found on page 5
of another of his great little booklets,
Chapter 4 of his Revolutionary Card
Technique series, The Side Steal
(1957).
-
The
second glimpse described is, for what
it's worth, original with me. I have
no doubt whatsoever that other cardicians
have come up with the identical process,
but I have yet to find the glimpse in
print. For titling purposes, I'll call
it the Bottom Bubble Glimpse until someone
points out to me from where I have reinvented
it!
-
Descriptions
of the classic shift and spread cull
abound in the literature. For the sake
of referencing, see Giobbi's Card
College, Volume 2 (Hermetic Press,
1996), pages 297 - 299, for a description
and discussion of the shift; and see
his Card College, Volume 1 (Hermetic
Press, 1995), pages 187 -188, for a
description of the spread cull. I also
teach the spread cull in depth on my
videotape, Up In Smoke, within
the description of the bonus card trick,
"Another Sequestered Collectors".
Paul
W. Cummins
February, 2
