Dominatricks

Tyler Wilson untied

Dominatricks
Written & created by
Tyler Wilson

Edited, designed
& published by
Andi Gladwin

Photographed by
Donovan Deschner

Cover designed by
Mike Dezeeuw & Andi Gladwin
 Dedicated to
Right here
&
Right now

First edition (left handed version)

ISBN: 1-59971-552-X
© Copyright 2006 by Andi Gladwin and Tyler Wilson
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any
information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permis-
sion in writing. In short: don’t put this book on some kind of peer-to-peer program and
we won’t sue your ass.
The Crew .........................
There are a number of people I’d like to thank for either helping with the book, or just
being darn cool peeps.

Thank you Mom, Dave, Peggy, along with the rest of the Lee, Aldwinkle, and
Patton families, David Acer, Joshua Jay, Ryan Pilling, Jack Parker, Scott Imler,
Doug Conn, Luke Dancy, Rob James, Robbie “Skinner” Moreland, Mark Aspiazu,
Jamie Badman, Tomas Blomberg, Jason Alford, Rich Aviles, David Metz/McLeod/
Copperfield, Paul Cummins, Éireann Leverett, Ezra Tawil, Mike Garces, Murray
Hatfield, Lee Asher, Kostya Kimlat, John Horsley, Chris Lovely, Mike Berends,
Jason Werhun, Chris Mayhew, James Nielson, Mike Dezeeuw, Heather Nelson,
Mike Falez, Fatty, Neil Cameron, Chad just Chad, www.magictrick.com, Giovanni,
Bobbi Collins, Jesse Dhaliwal, Grant Eastman, Selby Fish, Robert Genois, Jarry
Hajduk, Duncan Heeren, Wilfred Hoyle, Harry Jaeger, Marvin Keyser, Ludwig
Krippl, Michelle Libish, Donald Magee, Warren Maubert, Richard Myren, Byron
Osing, Chris Pitman, Bert Quaintance, Kenneth Reeder, John Sayeau, Neil
Tidsbury, Janeen Van Delden, Carla Zeman. Well okay, those last few dozen names
were just randomly picked from the phone book.

Very special thanks go to Donovan Deschner, a damn fine magician, for helping out with
several aspects of this project. Well, more specifically, for lending me the guy in photo 3
of Stick It to the Man.

And finally, this book would simply not be in your hands without Andi Gladwin putting it
there. You’ve always known him as a phenomenal magician, writer and karaoke singer,
but you can now tack brilliant publisher onto the list as well. I simply cannot express
enough gratitude for all the hard work he has put into developing this book, and above
that, for being a great friend. Thanks Andi!

Tyler Wilson
The Goods ...............
Foreplay (David Acer) .......................................................... 7
Innie (Tyler Wilson).............................................................. 9

Busting Chops
Rub N Tug ........................................................................ 13
Pitching a Tent Vanish ......................................................... 16
Tyler Insults Tilt’s Totally Inexplicable Elegance and Simplicity ........ 19
Tuning ........................................................................ 20
Tokyo ......................................................................... 22
Bored of Ostentatious Tilts Yet? ............................................. 25
Hasselhofzinser.................................................................. 28
Gag Reflex........................................................................ 32
Displayboy........................................................................ 34
Fade Change (Jack Parker) ................................................... 37

Routine Examination
Compost It....................................................................... 45
Dirty Stinkin’ Ape in the Middle.............................................. 55
Clean Sanchez................................................................... 60
B52 Shooter...................................................................... 67
Coke Inhabit..................................................................... 78
Matrimoney...................................................................... 84
Stick it to the Man.............................................................. 89
Paul Mase’s Trick................................................................ 99
Scarred Warp.................................................................. 108
Sven Who?...................................................................... 117
Sloppy 30 Seconds............................................................ 123

Grilling
Tyler Wilson vs. Andi Gladwin .............................................. 134

Outie (Andi Gladwin)......................................................... 144

foreplay . . . . . david acer
Part magical innovator, part preternatural sasquatch, Canada’s Tyler Wilson has
suddenly, inexplicably emerged from the forests of Alberta to rampage through the
magic world with a callous disregard for whether or not anyone might be trying to hold
a break.

But why now, you may ask. Does he sense that a crossroads is at hand? Or a paradigm
shift? Or a burgeoning renaissance? Or has he simply been drawn out by the prospect
of earning tens, nay dozens of dollars from this book venture? It’s unlikely we will
ever know, and indeed, it may be unwise to ask, as Tyler is easily enraged and has a
reputation for focusing his attacks on the groin.

So let’s make the leap from idle speculation to hard facts:

First, while most of his peers insist on introducing themselves to the magic community
via DVD, Tyler has made the bold (if often unheralded) choice of releasing his debut
collection in book form.

Second, in addition to offering a variety of original plots (see “Stick It To The Man,”
“Coke Inhabit” and “Sven Who?,” among others), Tyler has decided to share genuine
upgrades of existing ones (“Compost It,” “B52 Shooter” and “Scarred Warp,” to name
but a few).

Third, mired in a generation that frequently doesn’t know its Ascanio from its Elmsley,
Tyler is unusually committed not just to the future of magic, but also its past, reading
voraciously, studying intensely and absorbing profusely. As a result, every trick in this
book is enriched by extensive crediting and related reading, which in turn serves to
highlight the relevance of Tyler’s own contributions to the genre.

Is all of that enough reason to buy this book? Absolutely! That plus the fact that “B52
Shooter” may become the Triumph of choice for a whole new crop of magicians seeking
visually explosive approaches to more typically implosive plots. And the fact that “Stick
it to the Man” is quite possibly the most unpretentious mental effect ever devised.
AND the fact that “Scarred Warp” adds an astonishing new level to Roy Walton’s “Card
Warp,” answering the intriguing question, “What’s happening inside the card tunnel


while the folded card is passing through it.” Not to mention Tyler’s ingenious get-
ready for Tilt, or his eye-popping face-up Rub-A-Dub vanish, or his brain-busting card
transposition, “Sloppy 30 Seconds.”

And if all that isn’t enough, I’m sure you’ll find more than a handful of other useful
goodies in this book, amusingly told, richly conceived and lavishly illustrated with
over 150 photographs that, if nothing else, finally provide compelling proof of Tyler’s
existence.

But in the end, upon its release, the reviews, critiques and scrutiny of this book will
all boil down to one thing—does the quality of Tyler’s material outweigh the fact that
he will almost surely disembowel anyone who speaks poorly of it? The answer, in my
opinion, is a heartfelt yes.

David Acer
Montreal
February, 2006


innie . . . . . Tyler Wilson
Welcome to the left handed version of Dominatricks. I like it.

This is essentially the same book as the hardcopy, although it has been re-written for a
left hander’s perspective. The text actually refers to incredibly strange concepts such as
“Right Hand Pinky Break” and “Left Hand Biddle Grip,” go figure. Along with the
writeup, all the relevant photos have been flipped over to show what it should look like
in your own hands. Because of this, the pips will be on the wrong corners of the card,
but I hope that doesn’t impede your learning.

One of the routines from the book, Release The Chocolate Hostage, has been removed
from this version as it can only be performed as written by right handers. However, to
compensate you for your tragic loss, Jack Parker has agreed to tip one of the most
gorgeous Colour Changes I have ever seen, which incidentally can only be performed by
left handers.

I hope the idea of a southpaw book isn’t simply perceived as quaint, as left handers are
almost people too.

A familiar perspective awaits...

Tyler Wilson
Calgary
February, 2006


Busting
Chops
Rub N Tug ...............

a
Honestly, whoever doesn’t love the Rub-A-Dub
Vanish, raise your hand. I’ll bet my VHS copy of
Magic For Morons (starring Michael Winslow, that
guy from Police Academy who can make all those
cool noises with his mouth) that no one is raising their hand right now. For a
layman, I don’t think there’s a more startling vanish.

Could the vanish be improved upon? Probably not, but new visual elements could
be added by vanishing the card face up. What elements, you ask? I don’t know,
possibly Boron and Molybdenum.

See
Card. Then no card.

Do
With the deck face down in right hand Dealers Grip, turn the top card face up with the
left hand. Approach the working surface with the deck while pushing the top card to the
left for almost its entire width [Photo 1]. The card should be fully supported by the tips
of the right fingers and thumb.

Approach the card with the left hand to cover it, but leave the fingers spread apart so
the card can still be seen underneath [Photo 2].

13
In one seamless action, close the left hand fingers and drop the right hand down to the
working surface, while you turn the right hand palm down. In the process of turning the
deck over, the right fingers pull up to close the card back onto the deck [Photo 3a & 3b,
which has the left hand removed for clarity]. It’s important that the card doesn’t go to
the deck - instead, the deck should go down to the card.

Immediately turn the right hand back up

and momentarily point to the left hand,
suggesting that Betty should not take her
eyes off the card [Photo 4]. Drop the right
hand to the side, creating some distance
between the deck and the supposed card.
Rub the working surface with the left hand
and slowly spread your fingers apart. Turn
the left hand palm up to show that the card
has vanished. Take the chiropractor off your
speed dial.

Get the most

1. The visual combination of the face up card being pushed completely off the deck
along with the top of the deck being immediately shown face down, creates
substantial “proof” that the card is really under the hand.

2. As with the original Rub-A-Dub Vanish, this move is 100% timing. The mechanics are
pretty simple, so it just comes down to a timed choreography between both hands.
There is a definite up and down motion made with the right hand as it drops to the
working surface at the outset of the vanish.

14
3. Unlike the traditional Rub-A-Dub Vanish, this move does not need to be done fast.
In fact, it doesn’t even need to be done under the guise of pushing the card off the
deck. The card could already be side-jogged long before you start the actual vanish.

4. If it helps, try thinking of this sleight as a K.M. Move done with the left hand
substituting for the second card. It sounds confusing, but it might help with the
mechanics for those of you who use the K.M. Move extensively. The K.M. Move was
not a conscious influence when I was developing Rub ‘N Tug, but its mechanical
similarities are present nonetheless.

Shout outs
• Rub ‘N Tug was originally published in the October, 2004 issue of MAGIC Magazine.
Joshua Jay did an absolutely superb job describing the move in great detail, so I urge
you to check it out.

• The original Rub-A-Dub Vanish was published in Expert Card Technique (1940).

• A
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������
few notable magicians have experimented with a face up Rub-A-Dub Vanish, namely
Jay Sankey, Allan Ackerman and Ken Krenzel. You
�������������������������������������
can find Jay Sankey’s version in
Stephen Minch’s Spectacle (1990) under the title The Face-Up Rub-A-Dub-Dub Vanish.
Allan Ackerman’s version can be found in his Wednesday Nights lecture notes (1994)
under the title Ultra Rub-A-Dub. These two moves are ������������������������������
completely different to mine,
however, Mr. Krenzel has independently created a very similar move to mine which he
tells me is slated for his upcoming book.

15
Pitching a Tent Vanish
....
Q: What time is it boys and girls?

4
A: Time to make Arthur Finley roll in his grave.

This is an inbred cousin of Arthur Finley’s Tent

Vanish. However, it’s only related by appearance:
the mechanics couldn’t be more different. It
allows the equally inbred performer to vanish face
up cards on a face down deck, face down cards on
a face up deck, red backed cards on a blue backed
deck, a single card on a card box, ad infinitum.

I will describe the move in its most basic form, vanishing a face up card atop a
face down deck.

See
The magician palms a card, the card vanishes and now the magician is screwed for doing
perfect Faro Shuffles.

Do
With the deck in right hand Dealers Grip,
prop the card to be vanished up against the
right thumb as in the standard Tent Vanish,
but leave the card out-jogged for half an
inch [Photo 1]. The reasoning behind out-
jogging the card slightly is twofold; first of
all it effectively isolates the card from the
deck more than the traditional Tent Vanish,
and secondly it helps cover the following
actions from the spectators to the direct
right of you.

16
 Cover the card with the left hand in
preparation for the “palm” but keep the
left fingers spread [Photo 2].

As you approach the deck with your left

hand, push up on the deck with the right
index finger, as if it were doing a Charlier
Cut, but stop when it reaches the right
thumb [Photo 3, left hand removed for
clarity].

To reduce the amount of scraping against

the face up card, apply a slight downward
pressure with the right thumb. This will
bend the face up card outward, reducing
the amount of surface area available for
contact [Photo 4, exaggerated for clarity].

From this position, push against the side

of the deck with the base of the left index
finger, pinning the face up card in position.
This allows the right index finger to escape
the underside of the deck and join the rest
of the right hand fingers [Photo 5, right
fingers pulled away to show condition].

17
Close the left fingers to apparently palm the face up card and come away with it, but
actually pull up on the lower edge of the card with the right fingers to coalesce it with
the bottom of the deck. The pressure from the left hand acts as a pivot point and aids
the right fingers during the bottom loading move. The card is now face down at the
bottom of the face down deck, you’re clean. Choosy Moms Choose Smith & Wesson

Get the most

1. The key to performing the Pitching a Tent Vanish is silence. When you’re first
attempting it you’ll probably get more noise than a Hilary Duff concert. Use a light
touch and you’ll be fine.

2. As I briefly mentioned earlier, this technique can also be used in other situations. For
example, it can be used to vanish a card atop a card box, or in impromptu situations
to vanish a credit card above a wallet, just to name a few.

3. Even if you decide not to use this vanish, feel free to use the out-jogged subtlety
with the traditional Tent Vanish as it really adds to the illusion.

Shout outs
• Arthur Finley’s original Tent Vanish can be found in Stars of Magic (1961) within Dai
Vernon’s Slow-Motion Four Aces, Second Method.

• The idea of keeping the fingers open to add a visual retention quality to the vanish
comes from Paul Harris’ Venezuela Vanish from Magic Art Journal’s Paul Harris, The
Act issue (1987).

• If you’re interested in face up Tent Vanishes and would like to try different methods,
check out Jack Parker’s technique in the January, 2004 issue of MAGIC Magazine,
Kevin Kelly’s handling that was published in his book A Pasteboard Odyssey (1997) or
Jay Sankey’s Bluff Tent Vanish from Sankey Unleashed (2004).

18
 .
Tyler Insults Tilt’s .
Totally Inexplicable
...
Elegance and Simplicity .
The title essentially refers to the fact
that Marlo’s original Tilt is a thing of
beauty all by itself and doesn’t really
need any embellishments. That being
said, there are certain circumstances
where it is beneficial to show the precise
position of the card as it’s entering the deck. That is where these variations come
into play; multiple methods for Tilt which allow for convincing insertions into the
deck from the front.

The most blatant circumstance where the card’s position plays an important role,
is the Ambitious Card. It seems as though most magicians use Tilt later on in an
Ambitious routine because the move allows you to show the face of the selection
prior to insertion (which the previous phases are usually unable to do). The only
problem with that, is the trade off you must accept by not allowing the spectators
to see exactly where the card is entering the deck. For the spectators to truly
believe the card is rising to the top, by this point in the routine, I feel they really
need a fixed visual reference point of where the card started out, which really
can’t be acquired from a rear insertion.

You’re all smart cookies, so instead of rambling on for another few paragraphs,
let’s get to the moves!

This way to the Tilts

19
 . . . . . . . Tuning
Do
Assuming you want to control a selection, it might be a good idea to have Betty pick a
card first. With that out of the way, you will need to have a card secretly
in-jogged from the middle of the deck.
The easiest way to accomplish this
is to have Betty pick a card from an
in-the-hands spread and pull back on
any random card with the left fingers
during the closing of the spread. The
in-jog only needs to be a quarter of
an inch but it still needs to be hidden
by beveling the deck towards yourself
using the right index finger
[Photo 1, pinky removed
to show in-jog].

As Betty is looking at her selection, get the deck in Tilt position using your favorite
method. If you don’t have a favorite method or would just like to see how much I can
pad out this description, I’ll briefly describe a simple one-handed get ready.

With the deck in right hand Dealers Grip, push the top card to the left about a quarter
of an inch with the right thumb. Position the fleshy pad of the right pinky under the top
card to hold a break as you move the thumb back to the right far enough for the thumb
base to lose contact with the back right corner of the top card. There should now be a
gap at the rear of the deck about a half of an inch between the top card and the second
card of the deck. The right thumb base should regain contact with its side of the deck
in order to cover the gap from view. To cover the gap on the left, angle that side of the
deck towards the floor (Tommy Wonder has some fantastic
ideas regarding this issue).

With Betty holding her selection and you holding the deck in Tilt position with a
random card in-jogged near the center, ask politely for the selection back. Insert the
selection about halfway into the Tilt break from behind and then stop. Mention how

20
 it always seems unfair that the magician
is the one who gets to push the card in
the deck considering it’s Betty’s card.
During that statement, several actions
will be accompanying your words, and it
just so happens that those actions will be
completely dirty. Grip the selection with
the left thumb on top and the left index
finger underneath riding parallel to the
short edge of the card [Photo 2].

Push the selection all the way into the

break, grasp the in-jogged card in the same
grip, and pull it out about half its length
(the same position that the
selection started in). This all happens
during the mention of the magician always
getting to push the card in the deck, and should look just like you pushed the card in
and back out as a demonstration. It helps if the left index finger drops to beneath the
in-jogged card before the selection makes it all the way into the break [Photo 3], which
will allow the left thumb to simply drop and catch on the in-jogged
card and pull it out in one seamless action.

To finish, ask Betty to hold out her thumb, which will provide ample misdirection for
one last action. Turn the deck counter-clockwise bringing the “selection” to the front
by grasping the front with your left hand, thumb on top and fingers below. During the
turning motion, the Tilt break will drop and end the dirty work. The larger movement of
turning the deck will cover the smaller movement of the break dropping, so you might
think the misdirection is overkill but you can never be too safe.

With the deck back in Dealers Grip, push the “selection” flush by pressing the deck
against Betty’s thumb. This gives her the credit for the insertion without the fear of her
trying to take a peek at the card. No one likes a Smart Alec, except the Baldwins.

21
 Get the most
1. It might make things easier when you’re starting out to make an
over-emphasized in-jog, and then work your way down to a workable size.

2. Play around with the speed of the switch. It needs to be brisk enough to be deceiving,
but not too fast to draw suspicious attention. Obviously, try to get it as close as
possible to the actual speed at which you would push a card into the deck and
back out during a demonstration.

3. Don’t look at the deck as you’re performing the switch. The move
should be treated as inconsequential.

4. It’s overkill to use this method as a simple control procedure, save it for when the
exact location of the selection is an important element to the routine.

Shout outs
As this book is going to the printers, Garrett Thomas released a DVD set called Inside the
Mind of Garrett Thomas, which includes an Ambitious Card routine that utilizes a very
similar Tilt to mine. He handles it a little differently and under a different context, but
he published it before I did, so should get full credit for this idea.

Tokyo . . . . . . .
Do
After asking Veronica to select a card,
get a break above the bottom card of
the deck using a buckle or a pinky pull
down. Transfer the deck into left hand
Biddle Grip and transfer the break to
the left thumb. Swing cut the top half
of the deck into the right hand, but
keep it at a 45 degree angle to the
right [Photo 1].

22
Place the remaining half of the deck in right hand Dealers Grip but don’t release the
cards from the left hand just yet. Let go of the bottom card with the left thumb and
slide the rest of the left hand’s cards forward about a quarter of an inch. This will in-
jog the former bottom card between the two angled halves [Photo 2 exaggerated for

>>>>
clarity].

<<<<
Ask Veronica for the selection back as you get ready for Tilt (see the Tuning method for
an easy technique). Insert the selection all the way into the Tilt break and immediately
drop the left thumb down. It will catch on the in-jogged card and allow the left hand to
continue pushing forward. This brings the card out the front of the deck and onto the
bottom half of the deck [Photo 3] and looks as though the selection was simply inserted
onto the lower half of the deck.

It’s now a simple matter of squaring up the deck and utilizing the selection’s position to
the best of your abilities.

23
If you wanted to allow Veronica to push the card in herself (similar to the Tuning
method), place the left middle finger on the back of the “selection” prior to squaring
the deck. When the left hand brings its packet forward to square the deck, the
“selection” will out-jog itself allowing Veronica to push the card flush if she so desires.
Don’t underestimate the power of underestimating.

Get the most

1. The key to this move is smoothness. It’s all one seamless action, just how it would be
if you were actually placing a card in the deck.

Shout outs
• A similar move was independently created by Tomas Blomberg and Jack Parker (they
each called it Zilt and Ultra-Tilt, respectively) and I believe their moves predated
mine. They originally published their methods on TSD (The Second Deal) website, so
Mr. Blomberg and Mr. Parker should be given full credit for this idea. The reason I’m
including it in this book is because I like to steal material. Oh, and because it is used
in one of the later routines (also Tomas and Jack said they would be happy for me to
do so).

24
Bored of Ostentatious
Tilts Yet?..........................
This is not another over the top convincer for Tilt (like Tyler Insults Tilt’s Totally
Inexplicable Elegance and Simplicity), it’s just an easy and fooling method for
getting into Tilt position. It also happens to completely get rid of the main
problems associated with Tilt.

Problems with Tilt? You heard me. If you were forced to sit down and come up
with any little problems with the way most magicians perform Tilt, you would
probably come up with the following list:

• The “unnecessary” raising of the top card can be seen if Betty

is burning the deck.
• The “unnecessary” lowering of the top card can be seen if Betty
is burning the deck.
• Betty isn’t allowed to see the back of the deck prior to insertion.

Granted, these are pretty small problems and can be covered with misdirection,
large actions, physical cover, or simply not giving a damn. If you would like
a method for doing Tilt which is easier than most, while at the same time
addressing these issues, today is your lucky day.

Do
Have a card selected and square up the
deck. Transfer the deck to left hand Biddle
Grip and dribble about half the cards into
the right hand. Place the remainder of
the left hand’s cards on top of the right
hand’s portion, but leave them out-jogged
about half an inch and keep a big ass break
between the two packets (it’s not supposed
to be hidden) [Photo 1].

25
Reach forward with the left hand to get the selection, while at the same time turning
the right hand counter-clockwise. This will bring the rear of the deck into view while
not drawing specific attention to it. Turn the right hand back to the standard position
as the left hand brings the selection close to the deck. During the turning motion, pull
the front right corner of the top card to the right using the right thumb. This causes the
thumb base to lose contact with every card
in the top portion except the top card. The
resulting action is the dropping of every
card except the top card, it’s automatic
[Photo 2]. The deck is in perfect position
for Tilt and the top card does not move
during the entire procedure. From the
front, it looks like the two packets are still
separated.

Place the selection in the Tilt break and push the top card down with the left hand to
square the deck. Since the “two packets” need to be coalesced from Betty’s point of
view, the lowering of the top card not only makes total sense, but actually needs to be
there. Thanks, I’ll take one cream and two sugars, hold the coffee.

Get the most

1. You could draw more attention to where the selection will apparently be going by
allowing Betty to tell you when to stop dribbling, or by saying, “We’ll place your card
here,” and point to the break as it’s facing the audience. I don’t think that’s really
necessary, unless you’re working for drunk people … or Brits. Most audiences really
don’t need to be spoon fed every ounce of information.

2. You could wait until the deck is fully turned back around before you drop the
top packet in preparation for Tilt. The top card covers everything, so the timing
completely depends on what’s comfortable for you. I just like to combine motions if
possible, which is why I do the move while turning my hand back around.

26
Shout outs
• This move was published in Genii August, 2005 (Volume 68, Number 8) under the
name Deep Vernon. Originally Genii Columnist David Acer renamed it Deep Tilt, which
I liked because it reminded me of a pizza I once ate, but Genii publisher Richard
Kaufman renamed it Deep Vernon out of respect for the Professor. I realize you didn’t
ask, I realize you didn’t care, and I just realized I didn’t shower, so what?

• The only other Tilt variation I’ve seen which allows for Betty to see from behind is
Mark Aspiazu’s super-fantastico Pull Down Tilt (published on TSD website). It was
created independently from mine and is used in a different context, but nonetheless,
it rocks.

• Thanks Marlo!

This page has been

unintentionally left half blank

27
Hasselhofzinser....
Please try not to take the name literally. No one needs a visual
of Hofzinser running topless in slow motion down the beach.
Well okay, maybe we do [Photo 1].

Here is a move that’s a workhorse in my arsenal. Its basic

function is as a force (which is how I will describe it), but
you will see that it can be adapted to a number of uses.

See
You pick Veronica to pick the card you want her to pick.

Pre-do
Get the force card in a comfortable position to cull under the spread (5th position,
bottom of the deck, top of the deck, etc).

Do
With the deck in right hand Dealers Grip, spread the top few cards into the left hand
while asking Veronica to touch any card her pretty little heart desires. In the process of
spreading the first few cards, cull the force card under the spread (I’ll assume you’re
familiar with the Hofzinser Spread Cull) and continue spreading the cards from hand-to-
hand until Veronica touches a card.

Once she has touched a card,

leave the selection on top of the
right hand’s spread and bring the
left hand’s cards back about 3/4
the length of the deck. Allow the
force card’s front right corner to
go under the selection’s back left
corner [Photo 2] and square the
left hand’s spread against the heel
of the right hand.

28
 You should now be in a position
with half the deck in right hand
Dealers Grip and the other half of
the deck in-jogged on top for about
3/4 of its length [Photo 3]. The
force card is directly beneath the
selection but it is also in-jogged
with the rest of the top half.

Use the left ring finger to pull back

on the bottom card of its packet
(the force card) so it’s further
in-jogged for a quarter of an inch
[Photo 4 exaggerated for clarity].

Curl the ring finger over the in-

jogged portion of the card and pull
it down slightly while pushing it
forward [Photo 5 exaggerated for
clarity]. The force card will ride
imperceptively under the selection
until they are flush together.

Even though it’s been broken down

29
into small steps, the entire move is one fluid motion. For economy of motion, try pulling
the force card back with the left ring finger during the in-jogging and squaring of the
left hand’s cards. This means there’s one less step to do once the cards are square,
which means the move gets done faster. Alright, let’s get back to it ...

Bring the left hand up while still holding its half of the deck and smack the selection’s
back left corner a couple of times with the deck while asking Veronica if she’s sure
that’s the card she wants. Please don’t skip this part, it’s the motivation for the
handling. Otherwise, there would be no point of in-jogging the left hand’s cards.
If Veronica agrees that it’s the card she wants, simply perform a Double Turnover to
show the apparent selection (really the force card). This also allows for many nice and
easy control sequences after the double has been returned to the deck.

If Veronica changes her mind (what a cow), it’s an incredibly easy task to re-form
the spread and cull the force card back under the spread for a repeat performance.
Remember kids, roughing spray is not a good substitute for hair spray.

Get the most

1. Because of the complete physical cover involved, there is no need to rush the loading
manoeuver. Take it nice and slow at first, a comfortable increase of speed will
naturally take place with time.

2. Andi Gladwin has a one-handed variation of Hasselhofzinser which is as slick as it is

difficult. If you’re feeling frisky and want to give it a shot, perform the traditional
Hasselhofzinser up until the left hand’s packet gets squared against the base of the
right thumb. Here’s where things start to change, let go with the left hand so the
entire package is resting in the right hand. It is now possible using the right pinky, to
push the bottom card forward and under the selection. This is accomplished with Fred
Robinson’s Ambitious Riser move to affect the transfer. I told you it was hard!

You’ll probably notice from attempting the move, that the deck will need to be
resting a little more forward in the right hand than previously, as the pinky will be
unable to reach back far enough otherwise.

The really nice thing about Andi’s handling is the ability to misdirect with the left
hand as the right hand does the move. It can be performed more casually without
both hands needing to be on the deck. And just in case you had any doubts, yes, Andi
can actually do it, while making it look beautiful in the process. Thanks Andi!

30
Shout outs
• There are quite a few moves which all fall into this family of Spread Forces. Some
notable places to look would be Hofzinser’s Card Conjuring (english translation,
1931), Ed Marlo’s finessed Prayer Cull in The New Tops (June, 1966) Tomas Blomberg’s
TB Spread Double (unpublished), Michael Close’s MC Spread Double Lift from Workers
2 (1991), David Hasselhoff’s stellar performance in Baywatch: The Movie, and Kostya
Kimlat’s double serving of The K.F.C. Move from Magic: Experiments With The Art
& Thoughts On The Artistry (2002) and The Undercover Force from Card Work,
Card Play (2004). In my opinion, Tomas Blomberg’s is the best of the bunch, but the
scallywag just won’t release it yet.

Fred Robinson’s Ambitious Riser can be found in the April, 1975 issue of Pabular
• �������������������������������������������������������������������������
(Volume 1, Number 8). Earnest Earick was the first to adapt the move to a Dealing
Grip position, although Ray Kosby was the first to publish it within his Raise Rise
effect, which first saw print in Magic Arts Journal Volume 1 Numbers 11 & 12 (June &
July, 1987).

31
gag Reflex
Laymen laugh when they see it. Magicians cringe when they see it.

No, I’m not talking about Ed Alonzo’s magician character on Saved by the Bell,
I’m talking about the classic gag of wiggling a card beneath the fan when asking a
spectator to pick one, any one.

It’s time we used that move for more than just a couple of laughs and it just so
happens that the gag’s properties allow for a sleight-free, uber clean force.

See
Betty’s free will is taken away.

Do
For completeness, I will begin by briefly
describing the original gag.

With the force card at the face of the deck,

perform a face down Thumb Fan or Pressure
Fan in the right hand and say, “Please select
any card Betty, but don’t let me influence
your decision.” Holding the fan steady with
the right middle and ring fingers, curl the
index finger in towards the long edge of the
force card [Photo 1].

Using a light touch, push the force card

forward being careful not to disturb the
rest of the fan. Once the card is protruding from the front of the fan, transfer control of
the card to the middle finger and allow the index finger to return to supporting the fan
[Photo 2]. Move the middle finger back and forth sideways to cause the card to wiggle in
front of Betty’s hand.

32
 Mention that you’re just kidding and want
her to have a completely free choice while
pulling the card back under the fan around
counter-clockwise to the other end of the
spread [Photo 3, exposed for clarity].

With the left hand, close the fan in the

standard counter-clockwise fashion but pull
a little further to the left than usual. This
will cause the deck to end up in a slight
spread rather than a squared pack [Photo
4 exposed for clarity]. The force card will
now be riding underneath the top few cards
in perfect position for the Spread Force we
all know and love.

Spread the cards from the left hand to

the right hand for a selection. When Betty
touches a card, break the spread with
the selection being the bottom card of
the top portion. Square up the top portion causing the force card to become the new
bottom card as you show the face of the packet. Betty will assume that it’s the card she
selected, but what she doesn’t know is that her boyfriend is cheating on her.

Get the most

1. There you have it, a Spread Force which requires no culling at all.

2. As you may have already noticed, you actually form a reverse spread for the selection
procedure. This may feel a little sloppy when you first try it out, but then again, so
does poutine.

Shout outs
• The gag is old. Anyone who actually knows the origin of it should be given a medal. Or
a beer.

• For credits regarding Spread Forces, check out Hasselhofzinser (page 28).

33
Displayboy...........
See
A flourish for displaying a card from the center of the deck.

Do
Spread through the
deck and out-jog a card for half its
length. Square the sides so the deck is held
in a modified Dealers Grip with the right
middle finger at the outer left corner [Photo
1].

Bring the left middle finger to the outer

right corner of the deck [Photo 2].

Then, rotate the card clockwise 180°

around the right middle finger [Photo 3].

34
I’m about to get three dimensional on your derriere, so get ready.

Bring the left middle finger down so the

card is angled 45° up to the right [Photo 4]
while continuing to rotate the card around
the right finger.

Because of the new angle, further rotation

will cause the card to prop up on top of the
right finger until it’s perpendicular to the
deck [Photo 5].

The pip corner should be digging into the pad of the right middle finger, as it will act
as a pivot point for the rest of the move. The left finger moves forward and to the left
which brings the card to a non-ugly display position for all the world to see [Photo 6a &
Photo 6b, from the performer’s perspective].

35
The entire move should take about a second to perform and be one seamless action
from start to finish. No, the clean hand.

Get the most

1. Only the middle fingers come in contact with the card, so just ignore the other six
fingers and two thumbs.

2. The fingernails are your worst enemy. If the card comes in contact with either
fingernail, the card will slip out and shatter as it hits the floor.

3. This move is perfect for performing to larger groups. It takes a horizontal card and
displays it large and in charge for everyone to see.

4. Yes, this can also be done with a double.

Shout outs
• Jerry Andrus has a flourishy move resembling parts of Displayboy in his book Andrus
Deals You In (1956).

• Cards were invented by Steve.

36
Fade change . Jack Parker
It took a lot of arm twisting, teeth pulling, and Shirley Temples to convince
my good friend, Jack Parker, to release this gem he’s been holding back. I still
remember just how long it took me to stop drooling when Jack performed this
Colour Change for me. I also remember just how long it took me to stop fuming
when I realized it could only really be done by you left handed folk.

If the earth’s poles were to suddenly shift and I were to instantly become left
handed and bald, The Fade Change would be the first item on my to-do list, apart
from Propecia.

In Jack’s words with Jack’s hands...

See
A thumb slowly wipes across a card, removing all its ink in the process.

Don’t believe us? Browse to the LeftHandedBook folder on this CD to see a video of
Jack performing the move.

37
Pre-do
With the deck face up, cut a two to the face and position a blank faced card directly
beneath it.

Do
This is the basic version to transform a regular card into a blank card. Further
possibilities are discussed in the Get the Most section.

The change begins identically to the standard Erdnase Change. I prefer to use John
Carney’s idea of pushing the top card forward with your left little fingertip as the
left hand is turned down to cover the face up deck. This avoids the usual forward /
backward / forward action that is so often a giveaway for this change. The left hand
pushing forward, slightly out-jogging the top card by half an inch, is hidden by the
larger action of the hand turning palm down onto the deck.

As in the standard move, you can now contact the second card, the blank facer, with the
fleshy pad at the base of your left thumb. Move your left hand backwards, sliding the
blank facer with it, until you feel its front end clearing the back end of the out-jogged
top card - you’ll feel a slight “click” [Photo 1]. The moment you feel this, your left hand
starts to move forwards again carrying the
blank facer with it using a light touch. The
hand also twists very slightly to the left
so the little finger of the right hand goes
beneath the blank facer, the tip of the little
finger pressing up on the back of the card.
The hidden blank face card is going to slide
across your right fingertips as you move
your left hand forwards. Your left thumb
should be kept touching the side of your
hand as you slowly go forwards. You’ll reach
a position where the left fingertips cover
the far end of the out-jogged card and the
left hand also completely covers the top of
the deck [Photo 2]. The hand position needs
to be precise because at this moment your
right 1st finger pulls the out-jogged card
back in flush with the deck. The left fingers
completely hide this action.

38
The left hand rotates again to the left, but
leaving the blank card behind this time. As
it does so, the left thumb opens up to leave
a triangle of space [Photo 5a & 5b, face
down to clarify position]. This is the critical
position and what gives the Fade Change its
impact. You’ll see that the left thumb lies
along the line of the inner end of the blank
card, concealing this edge – this is why the
amount of out-jog was critical. Behind the
thumb (on your side) the index and pip of
the two are clearly visible. In the triangle
of space there is white card which appears
to be the face of the two, but is in fact the
blank facer.

To carry out the change only two things

happen. The right first finger pulls the blank
card very slowly in flush with the deck. As
it does this, the left thumb slowly wipes up
the surface of the two, basically using the
base of the thumb as a fulcrum. It moves
at the same speed as the leading edge of
the blank card as this slides back onto the
deck. You’ll see that the area of white
triangle, although it appears stationary,
is actually the sliding surface of the blank
card. When your thumb gets to the index on
the two, it just appears that you are wiping
it away [Photo 6a & 6b, face down to clarify
position].

39
Finish with the blank card square on the top of the deck and the change is complete
[Photo 7].

Get the most

1. Throughout the change itself, it is very important that the left hand remains
stationary other than the moving thumb. You should not move this hand backwards.
Try pressing down slightly with the left hand onto the tips of the right fingertips, thus
“locking” the hands in place. The only things that move are the right first finger and
left thumb.

2. Once you get used to moving the thumb along with the leading edge, as the card is
pushed in by the right 1st finger, the change can be done with a red and a black two
instead of a blank card. This takes more care, as you thumb is hiding the pip of the
two as it slides across the deck.

3. You can use other gaffed cards instead of the blank. If you have a card which is blank
except for a two index at one corner this is very effective It appears you just wiped
one index off, leaving the other intact.

4. Another touch, if the circumstances are right, is to put a little bit of black ink on the
underside of your thumb – the surface you wipe the card with. You can then really
“sell” wiping the pip off.

Back to Tyler’s words...

5. Jack described the get-ready as an Erdnase Change because it’s a common sleight
which almost everyone is familiar with. However, that is not the true method Jack
uses to set up The Fade Change. His preferred method is to use Robbie Moreland’s
Cloud Change to first cause the blank card to change into a Two, and then use The
Fade Change to turn it blank again.

40
 The method Jack uses when he only wants to change the card once (rather than twice
with The Cloud Change) is as follows:

With the deck in right hand Dealers Grip, bring the left hand over the deck palm
down. Under cover of the left hand, pull the right fingers back slightly as if
performing a Glide. This will expose the front edge of the blank card underneath,
allowing the left pinky to contact the front left edge of this second card. Push
forward with the left hand, bringing the blank card with it, until the you feel the
comforting click signaling you’ve cleared the top card. Bring the left hand back
slightly, at which point you will be in perfect position to form the triangle with the
thumb and go into the change.

This setup for The Fade Change is essentially an Erdnase Change from the front rather
than the back, and bears certain similarities to Erdnase’s second method for a color
change. It reduces the amount of movement needed by the left hand to setup the
change compared to the previously described method.

Shout outs
Robbie Moreland’s Cloud Change can be found in the August 2004 issue of MAGIC
• ������������������������������������������������������������������������
Magazine.

• The Glide, in a crude form, can be found in Reginald Scot’s book The Discoverie of
�����������������������������������������������������������������
Witchcraft (1584) within the routine How to Deliver Out Four Aces, and to Convert
them into Four Knaves.

Erdnase’s colour changes can be found in Expert at the Card Table (1902) under the
• �����������������������������������������
title Transformations. Two Hands. First Method. and Transformations. Two Hands.
Second Method. Erdnase’s second method is sometimes referred to as The Malini
Change as it was his colour change of choice.

• ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
For another great use of a card’s blank space in conjunction with a Colour Change, be
sure to check out Don England’s Visual Retention Color Change from his book T.K.O.’s:
Technical Knock Outs (1980), written by John Mendoza.

• �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������
With The Fade Change, Jack is essentially ripping off squeegee kids worldwide. Way
to go Jack!

41
 Routine
Examination
 999,999 versions of
Ambitious Card on the
wall, 999,999 versions

Compost IT
of Ambitious Card. Take
one down, Riffle Pass it
around, 999,998 versions of
Ambitious Card on the wall.
999,998 versions of Ambi…

See
Veronica selects and signs a card before it’s lost in the deck. The magician pulls out a
pad of Post-it Notes, writes “Top” on one of them and asks Veronica to add her initials
to it. He explains that since it says “Top” and has her initials, sticking the note to the
top card should cause it to become her card. He demonstrates this principle a few
times, increasing the impossibility every time. He states that the Post-it Note controls
everything, so the only way to make it stop is to write an “S” in front of “Top”, literally
making it “Stop.”

To cement this fact, the deck starts slowly disappearing right in front of Veronica’s eyes,
until the only card left is her selection. The magician has no choice but to “Stop.”

Gear
• A deck of cards
• A marker pen
• A 1.5” x 2” Post-it Note pad

Do
Ask Veronica to select and sign a card. During the signing procedure, secretly turn over
the top two cards of the deck and hold a break beneath them. Ensure that you keep the
deck angled towards yourself so that you don’t flash the face up cards. Take the signed
card back and place it face up on top of the deck to display it. Perform a Triple Turnover
and insert the top indifferent card into the center of the deck.

After tabling the deck, ask, “Do you know what the most powerful things in the world
are?” Point to your biceps saying, “Well, other than these!” However Veronica responds,
bring out the Post-it Notes and say, “You’re very close, actually it’s Post-it Notes. I have

45
a theory that these things can do anything
in the world, with the exception of spell
checking. I always have trouble with
hippopotamus.” Offer to demonstrate their
power by writing the word “TOP” at the
upper short end of the note, with the sticky
side to your left, followed by an “X” and a
line at the bottom short edge. [Photo 1].

Pull off the note and place it in front of

Veronica so she can sign her initials on the
line [Photo 2]. Take the marker back and
place it in your left front pants pocket.
Say, “So if my theory is correct, by placing
this Post-it Note on the top card …” turn
over the top indifferent card “… the Five
of Diamonds [or whatever] ...” and turn it
back down, “… the top card will become
your card!” To match actions with words,
place the Post-it Note on the top card of
the deck facing the audience, along the
short border closest to you [Photo 3]. During
the last line, be sure to point to the word
“TOP” and to her initials when you say, “top
card” and “your card.” This will cement
what’s about to take place and why it’s
apparently happening. Perform a Double
Turnover to reveal Veronica’s selection. Let
this sink in briefly as ,believe it or not, it’s
actually a strong magical moment for an
audience, so don’t plow through on to the
next phase without a bit of a pause.

Say, “The only way to really test a theory,

is to repeat it.” Flip the double back over
and turn the top card 180° so the note is on
the outer edge and insert it into the center
of the deck. Keep it out-jogged to clearly
display the situation [Photo 4] and remove
the Post-it Note. Push the out-jogged card
flush with the deck and stick the note to

46
the top card the same way as before. Let Veronica turn over the top card herself for the
revelation.

While she’s holding her selection, get ready for Tilt (I personally use the Bored of
Ostentatious Tilts Yet? method (page 25) in this situation). Say, “Let’s test the other
aspect of the theory. Since it says ‘TOP’, let’s see what happens to the Post-it Note if
we don’t take it off your card before
we put it in the middle?” Push the left
index finger into the Tilt break to match
actions with words. While the finger is
in there, push the second card forward
about the width of the border [Photo 5].
The first knuckle of the index finger will
hit the top tilted card to push it forward
as well so the second card isn’t jetting
out the front of the deck.

Take Veronica’s card back and

insert it under the second card. The
separation between the second and
third card creates a slide which makes
the insertion a no-brainer. When the
selection has been inserted to the point
where the Post-it Note is stuck on,
pushing it further will slide the note off
the selection and cause it to stick to
the card second from top. Angling the
card during insertion will ensure perfect
results every time [Photo 6].

Drop the top card flush with the deck and push down with the left fingers to assure the
Post-it Note has applied itself to the second card. Say, “If everything goes as planned, it
should take about three seconds to see any results. One … Two,” and perform a One-
Card Pass to visually cause the Post-it Note to appear on top of the deck. Performing
the Pass on “Two” rather than “Three” allows the move to be done with a lot less heat,
typically catching Veronica off guard. Say, “I guess my watch is a little slow, but it
worked!” as you perform a Double Turnover to display the selection.

47
Say, “Now, here’s what I want you to do …” turn the double back over and clip the
corner of the top card in your teeth with the back facing out [Photo 7]. Start mumbling
and making noises as if you’re trying to issue instructions with a card in your mouth.
During your mumbling session, openly count four cards off the deck into the left hand,
reversing their order. Make large gestures while you’re doing it so it looks like it is part
of the instructions. Put the four card packet back on the deck and remove the card from
your mouth with the right hand. Say, “Do you understand?” to which she’ll usually laugh
and decline.

Place the left hand’s card on top of the deck and remove the Post-it Note from its
back. Hand it to Veronica and ask her touch the back of one of the cards while you
spread them from hand-to-hand. In the process, cull the fifth card under the spread in
preparation for Hasselhofzinser �����������������������������������������������������
(page 28)��������������������������������������������
. When she touches a card, ask her to place
the Post-it Note on its back as you load the culled selection underneath. Place the left
hand’s cards on the table, point at the top of the right hand’s packet and say, “Now this
is the top of the deck, does that still count?” Perform a Double Turnover to show the
selection.

Add the tabled cards under the packet in the right hand to reform the deck. Turn the
double over and take the deck into left hand Biddle Grip. With the right thumb, slide
the top card into right hand Dealers Grip and reach forward to allow Veronica to remove
the Post-it-Note, saying ”There’s one last test needed to prove the theory, but since
it involves three ferrets and some rubber cement, let’s try this instead.” Dribble the
cards on top of the supposed selection in the right hand, stopping when two cards are
left in the left hand, but hold them as one. After a dramatic pause, turn the left hand
palm up with the expectations of the card(s) being the selection. When it turns out to
be an indifferent card, pause for a moment as if you’re trying to understand what went

48
wrong. Say, “Whoops, I’m such an idiot, I forgot the most important part!” Reach over
with the right hand to take the Post-it Note from Veronica as the left hand turns back
palm down. During the reach around, lightly brush the right hand against the double
being held in the left hand and allow the lower most card to drop onto the deck, leaving
only the selection. Think of it almost like a top change, only a lot easier and fully
burnable. It also helps if the deck is still messy from the dribbling to allow cover in case
the ditched card doesn’t align perfectly. The move was inspired by Martin Nash’s Ghost
Switch.

Take the Post-it Note back from Veronica with your right hand and stick it to the back of
the card in your left hand. Hand her the card to turn over, then during this misdirection,
prepare to palm off the entire deck with the exception of the top card. To do this, bring
the left hand over, push the top card forward slightly and use the right index finger
to push the rest of the deck back into the crotch of the left thumb. Pull the left hand
away, leaving only the top card in the right
hand, and place the deck into your left
front pants pocket as your body swings to
the left. Bring out the marker from the
same pocket. The card in the right hand
should be held in a modified Erdnase Grip as
if it was still the whole deck
[Photo 8].

Say, “My theory is correct, this Post-it Note

has full control over everything! There’s only one way I know to make it stop.” Uncap
the marker with only the left hand. Write an “S” in front of the word “TOP” so it now
says “STOP” and say, “How’s THAT for anti-climactic?!”

Carry on, “No really, now we have to stop,” and stick the Post-it Note to the face of the
selection, allowing ¾ of it to be hanging off the short edge of the card [Photo 9].

49
 Say, “Because if we try it again, look what
happens.” Turn it face down and pretend to
place it into the “deck”, really just putting
it below the single card as if performing Tilt
[Photo 10]. The front edges of the two cards
should be aligned but the back edges should
be held about an inch apart. Because of the
protruding Post-it Note, the selection will
appear to be somewhere in the center of
the deck.

With the left hand covering the gap from the left side, very slowly allow the top card to
drop gradually until it rests flush against the selection. It will look just like the deck is
visibly vanishing in slow motion until there is only one card left. Turn over the double in
the right hand to show the only card left is the selection with the Post-it Note on it! Can
I get a woot woot?

Get in
This can be performed FASDIU if you have a marker and some Post-it Notes with you. So I
guess it would be more accurately described as FASDIUIYHAMASPINWY.

Get out
If you plan on performing more card tricks after this routine, mention that you have
to “STOP” because the cards went back to where they came from: your pocket. Reach
in and pull out all the cards to reveal a transportation effect rather than simply just a
vanish. Drop the face up double on the face up deck to allow the left hand to remove
the Post-it Note. You’re clean.

The most powerful way to end this routine and continue on into other material is to
switch the empty card case for a full one as soon as you start your first routine, which
is probably at least one or two routines before busting out Compost-It. Yes, the cards
reappearing back into the card case, which has been in full view the entire time, is
stronger than pulling the deck from the pocket, but the real power of this method
comes not from where the deck re-appears but rather what you can do with them for
the next routine. It would be a crime to not have that new deck stacked for a major
miracle. Whether you’re a story deck fan, a memorized deck user or a gaffed deck
aficionado, you’re set to bust into your next miracle thanks to the built-in deck switch.

50
If it’s your closer, sadly put the double card in the empty card case and say, “I hope
you’re happy now, I’ve been reduced to only being able to do coin tricks.” Open the
case back up and remove only the selection with the Post-it Note, saying, “Dagnabbit,
why am I bothering to keep it? I can’t do anything with only one card, I may as well just
give it to you.” Hand it over to Veronica, then put the dirty case away to end clean.

Get the most

1. To truly get the most from Compost-It, you’ll have to treat it differently than the
typical Ambitious Card Routine. Compost-It shifts the entire focus of the routine from
the selected card to the Post-it Note. All attention should be focused on the two
important properties of the note; what it says and where it resides. It is the vehicle
through which the magic travels, so make it a big deal every time you stick it to the
top card. The “mistake” at the end further reinforces the fact that nothing is possible
without the note.

The shift in focus also opens many doors with regards to endings. A standard issue
among many magicians is how to truly and effectively conclude an Ambitious Card
Routine. One school of thought is to end by performing an incredibly impressive rise
to the top, either using a visual rise such as the Braue Pop-Up move or a confined
rise such as Daryl’s Ultimate Ambition or Sankey’s Rubber Room Rise. The problem
with this style of finish is that a properly structured Ambitious Card Routine should
progressively get more impressive and impossible with each rise, so what’s to say
there still isn’t another even more impressive rise after one of these final phases.
Essentially, the magician stops the routine by yelling “Uncle” because he can’t top
the previous phase. Hardly a fantastic system for developing an ending.

The other school of thought for Ambitious climaxes, is to finish with a completely
unrelated effect such as Card-To-Impossible-Location or Colour Changing Back. The
problem with this type of ending is the complete lack of continuity, the surprise finish
comes completely out of nowhere and completely out of context. When the entire
effect is focused on the selected card rising to the top, it’s a bit of a cop out to cop
out the card and produce it from some unrelated locale, like a cop outfit.

It’s a catch-22, either end the routine by saying “I can’t do it anymore,” or by saying,
“Ha ha, you didn’t see THAT coming, now did ya?” The only way I know how to solve
this problem is to run away from it, shifting the focus to something entirely different
than the card rising to the top. I have played with several presentational ploys to
accomplish this (as have many other magicians), but I keep coming back to the Post-it
Note idea for the sheer range of creativity possible, you can write anything on those
things (other than hippopotamus).

51
2. There will be instances when the time comes to palm the deck, but one or more
people are looking at you rather than the selection. These days when this situation
arises, I’ll use a gag to create complete physical cover. I turn to the person on my
right and say, “I can’t reach, do you mind patting my back for me?” I then continue
turning until I’m fully turned around. It’s now a super simple matter to palm the deck
to the pocket. If you decide to use this ploy, be sure to anchor the left elbow to the
torso to prevent a flaring elbow from giving the subterfuge away to Veronica.

3. If you think palming a whole deck is a little too heavy, you can end the routine by
adding an “S” in front of “TOP” and then showing the deck to made up of blank
cards. The only differences in handling, is that you would have to force the only legit
card at the outset of the routine. You also wouldn’t be able to do the final change
after dribbling the cards into the right hand. Instead, just dribble everything but the
selection, take the Post-it Note and add it to the back of the selection before turning
it over.

4. Finally, if you’re not comfortable performing a One-Card Pass but would still
like to perform this routine, here’s an alternative set of events which will act as
compensation:

First of all, the entire routine will be
performed with the Post-it Note at a
90º angle, so the word “Top” is along
the upper adhesive long section of
the note and the signing line is along
the bottom long side [Photo 11]. The
note will be continually placed along
the same border as in the previous
description, although now the
adhesive will be parallel to the short
edge rather than the long edge [Photo
12].

Perform the first two phases as
described until you arrive at the Tilt
phase. Get into Tilt position, but
this time there’s no need to push the
second card forward, just insert the
selection into the break normally and
don’t worry about trying to scrape the

52
 Post-it Note off. To create the effect
of the selection rising to the top,
perform a Half-Erdnase Change (for
lack of better term) as follows:

Bring the left hand over the deck

palm down, allowing the pinky to
push the top card forward a little
[Photo 13, exposed for clarity]. With
the base of the left hand contacting
the second card, pull back for about
an inch and a half. Unlike a standard
Erdnase Change, you won’t be pulling
the second card back far enough
to transpose positions with the top
card, you’ll simply be pulling back
far enough to fully expose the Post-it
Note. Push the left hand forward
again, making sure the Post-it Note
slides over the top card and scrapes
up onto it [Photo 14, exposed for
clarity]. You’ll now be left in the
same position as mentioned after the One-Card Pass. Congratulations.

Shout outs
• Richard Neve is credited with the Double Lift as well as a crude Ambitious Card
routine from his book The Merry Companion: or, Delights for the Ingenious (1712).

• The idea for automatically scraping the Post-it Note off the selection and onto the
back of an indifferent card (during the Tilt phase) came from John Scarne. He used
the idea with a postage stamp in a game of Three Card Monte from his booklet Three
Card Monte (circa 1933) written by Audley Walsh.

• Martin Nash’s Ghost Switch can be found in his book Any Second Now (1977) written
by Stephen Minch.

• The method described to palm the deck is Phillipe Socrate’s variation of a stage
manipulation move, described in Williamson’s Wonders (1989). The idea for the deck

53
 vanish was also inspired by David Williamson’s brilliant 51 Cards To Pocket from the
same book.

• The final phase of slowly vanishing the deck is a David Harkey move called Tailwind,
which is based on Ben Harris’ Floating Ambitious. It can be found in The Magic Menu
(Issue 55, September/October, 1999). Harkey uses it in a different context than I do,
by lowering the top card of the deck from a standard Tilt break he creates the illusion
of the selected card rising to the top as an Ambitious Card move. It’s a truly beautiful
move, so thanks Ben and David!

• 999,998 versions of Ambitious Card on the wall, 999,998 versions of Ambitious Card.
Take one down, LePaul Spread Pass it around, 999,997 versions of Ambitious Card on
the wall. 999,997 versions of Ambi…

54
Dirty stinkin’ ape
in the middle . . .
Most authors jokingly describe their sandwich routines as if they were a real
sandwich. Well that’s just baloney. I want this book to cut the mustard and that
won’t happen if I fill it with cheese. I’ll just come across as a turkey if I try to
ham it up, so I guess that means I’m in a pickle. As my second grade teacher, Mrs.
Alfalfa Sprouts, once told me “Some say ‘Tomato’, some say ‘Tomato’.” (I guess it
just doesn’t have the same effect on paper)

Did you want that on white or brown?

See
If Ferris Bueller were to perform a sandwich routine, this would be it.

Do
The great thing about this routine is that it only uses one move to accomplish everything
simultaneously. Let’s do it.

Run through the deck with the faces towards you and remove the two red Aces. Place
them face down on the table with the Ace of Hearts being lowermost while saying,
“We’ll get to these in a moment.” Thank
Betty for coming home with you from the
bar and ask her to select a card.

Insert her selection halfway down the deck

but leave it out-jogged for half its length
[Photo 1]. Turn the right hand palm down to
flash the face of the selection one last time
in the center.

55
 After returning to a palm up position, pull
the selection flush with the deck using the
right index finger on the outer left corner
[Photo 2].

Once the card is almost flush, pull the card

to the right to slightly angle-jog it [Photo 3,
thumb pulled away for clarity]. Cover the
protruding corner with the right thumb, and
push it back and to the left. This will cause
the selection to become in-jogged.

I’ve just described a basic technique to

in-jog a card, but feel free to use any
technique you’re comfortable with.

To hide the in-jog from almost all angles,

bevel the deck towards your body using the
right index finger and bring the right pinky
to the back left corner of the deck [Photo
4]. The deck is now covered from the front,
top, and sides; the only vulnerable angle is
from directly behind.

Say, “Betty do you remember these cards

that we placed off to the side earlier?”
Point to the two tabled Aces. Pick them
up with the left hand and turn them over
bookwise on the deck. Say, “They’re the
Ace of Hearts and the Ace of Diamonds,”
and match those words with the following
actions. Under the guise of showing the
identities of the cards, the selection will be
loaded between them.

Place the left index and middle fingers on

the rear short edge of the Ace of Hearts
while contacting the underside of the
selection with the left thumb. Pull up with
the left thumb until the selection touches the underside of the Ace [Photo 5]. As the
words “Ace of Diamonds,” are said, pull the deck away from the left hand in a gesturing

56
 motion to display the Ace of Diamonds
underneath. This will leave the Ace of
Hearts and the selection in the right hand
[Photo 6]. Be sure to apply slight pressure
with the right pinky towards the thumb
base during the strip-out as this will ensure
the two cards stay aligned throughout the
move.

There are two forms of misdirection in play

here which hide the move extremely well. First, most of the audience is vocally curious
about the identities of the face down cards at the outset. This means when the time
comes to display the Aces and simultaneously do the move, their attention tends to stay
with what the cards are rather than what they’re doing. Secondly, you’re not pulling
the Ace of Hearts away from the deck; you’re pulling the deck from the Ace. From
what I understand, the human eyes tend to follow moving objects, so their attention
will be drawn to the deck. Even if all that psychobabble is actually nonsense (I’m not
a psychologist), I can verify through years of performances that the audiences’ eyes
always follow the deck. Always.

The reason I’m mentioning all the cover for the move is because you may be worried
that the cards won’t align perfectly coming out of the deck. This is a valid concern, but
after trying it out a few times you’ll notice that the cards not only align extremely well,
but some minor spreading will probably go unnoticed based on the previous observations
along with the fact that the hands are always in motion.

With that out of the way, it’s time to replace the double back on the deck. Although
instead of bringing the deck back to the left hand’s cards, reach forward and deposit
the double on the outstretched deck. With the work all done, now it’s time to play this
bad boy up!

Ask Betty to place her finger on the top card and make sure she doesn’t take it off
throughout the routine. Stick your tongue deep in your cheek and say “With your finger
on this heart [the center pip], I want you to dig down deep inside your own heart, and
on the count of three wish for anything in the entire world. Please keep in mind that
your wish will be appearing right under your finger, so please don’t ask for a pony. One
... Two ... Three!”

One of two things will happen here, she will either blurt out her wish or she’ll keep it to
herself. If she blurts it out, say, “Didn’t your mamma teach you anything? If you say it
out loud it won’t come true!” Similarly, if she keeps her wish to herself, ask “What did

57
you wish for?” Wait for a reply and continue, “Ahh, it was a trick question! Didn’t your
mamma teach you anything? If you say it out loud it won’t come true!”

Either way, say, “No problem, let’s just start with baby steps and wish for something
small like … oh I don’t know … how about your card? On the count of three silently wish
for your card … One … Two …Three!” With
Betty’s finger still on the card, ask her to
slowly move her finger to the side. This
will drag the Ace of Hearts along with a
bit of the selection to dramatically reveal
a face down card between the Aces which
have been under Betty’s finger “the entire
time” [Photo 7]. Allow her to remove the
face down card and show everyone that her
petty dream came true. Ask Betty if she has
a sister.

Get in
This routine is FASDIU baby!

Get out
You’re left squeaky clean.

Get the most

1. The only cards that are displaced during the routine are the two red Aces and the
selection. This means you can retain any previously acquired stack or setup. If the
black Aces were on top at the outset of the routine, they will still be on top at the
end, ready to be produced any way you like. If you don’t know any four Ace routines
but would like to learn one, pick up ANY book EVER written on card magic.

2. The presentation reads very serious and dry on paper, but should drip with sarcasm in
actual performance. Just have fun with it!

3. Andi Gladwin likes to perform this routine with a little more pizzazz. His
embellishments create a feel to the routine more akin to The Apex Ace, so give it a
go.

Perform the standard Dirty Stinkin’ Ape In The Middle routine up until the strip out

58
 move. Instead of just placing the double on top of the deck, execute a Paintbrush
Change to make it appear as though the Ace of Diamonds vanishes in a cloud of smoke
(the smoke part is optional). Drop the remaining Ace of Hearts on the deck face up,
and perform a Classic Pass to cause it to vanish as well. Spread through the deck to
reveal both Aces in the center, with one card trapped between them. If all goes well,
there’s a pretty good chance that sandwiched card will turn out to be the selection.

This is almost a hybrid of Dirty Stinkin’ Ape in the Middle and the following routine,
Clean Sanchez. So read on, and thank Andi will ya!

3. Bueller? ... Bueller?

Shout outs
• This routine was originally published in the January, 2005 issue of MAGIC Magazine.
Joshua Jay did an absolutely phenomenal job describing it, so I strongly suggest
checking it out if possible.

• Things are a little sketchy when it comes to crediting the strip out move used from
the in-jogged position. I’ve seen it credited to various people, athough the major
players are Nate Leipzig and John Brown Cook. Leipzig’s move, Ambitious Card
Quickie, can be found in Dai Vernon’s Tribute To Nate Leipzig (1963) and Cook’s
move, The Transfer of a Card, can be found in Arthur Buckley’s Card Control (1946).
They each used it in the context of turning a double over as it’s pulled away from the
deck for use as an Ambitious Card sequence or control.

• The Apex Ace can be found in Harry Lorayne’s Close-Up Card Magic (1962). Jay Ose
added the concept of the Aces vanishing to find selections within Lorayne’s routine.

• The name comes from the fact that this routine bears aesthetic resemblance to
Bill Goldman’s excellent marketed routine Monkey In The Middle. It’s gaffed but
ooooooooh so clean! Other attempts at ungaffed variations of Goldman’s routine
include David Regal’s Primate from Up Close and Personal (1999), Jack Avis’ No Rough
Monkey from Ahead of the Pack (2002) and James Swain’s Gorilla in the Middle from
Miracles With Cards (1996). They’re tasty.

59
Clean Sanchez . . . . . .
Quick, straightforward approach, with an enjoyable hook. But enough about my
bowling style.

This routine uses a very similar method to Dirty Stinkin’ Ape in the Middle,
but creates an overall different effect. It is assumed you are familiar with the
preceding routine before tackling the Sanchez.

See
Two selections are lost in a very clean manner, only to be found exactly where they’re
supposed to be.

You’re thinking “Hmm, that doesn’t sound very magical.” Well, read on!

Gear
• One deck of cards
• Two blank-faced cards (the backs do not have to match the deck)
• One marker

While you’re at the magic shop getting the blank-faced cards, pick up Phil Goldstein’s
Midori. It has nothing to do with this routine, I just really like it.

Pre-do
On one of the blank-faced cards, write
“Whatever you do, don’t” with the marker.
On the other card, write “Look here.”
A beautiful gambit suggested by Jamie
Badman, is to draw an ambiguous feature
under the word “here” which can either
look like an underline or a set of arrows
pointing in opposite directions [Photo 1].
It’s just an optional bit ‘o business, but I think it adds a nice touch later in the routine.

60
With both cards face down, place the “Look here” card on top and place both of them in
a convenient pocket until you’re ready to perform. Make sure the cards are orientated
the same way; public schools these days don’t teach our youth how to read upside
down.

Do
Bring out both blank-faced cards, leave them on the table face down, and say, “We’ll
get to these cards a little later.” Ask Betty, who is on your right, to touch the back
of any card as the deck is spread from hand-to-hand. Show the selection around and
control it to the top in, what is commonly referred to as, a “convincing” manner (i.e.
the selection appears to be out-jogged near the center of the deck, but it’s really
secretly controlled to the top or bottom
of the deck, it is an indifferent card out-
jogged, acting as a decoy.). I personally use
Lee Asher’s Losing Control to accomplish
this, but whatever floats your goat.

Immediately fan the deck and ask Veronica,

who is on your left, to take any card aside
from Betty’s selection, with the left hand
pointing to the out-jogged card [Photo 2].
Once Veronica has removed a card, close
the fan without disturbing the out-jogged
card. Ask for her card back, then insert it
into the deck from the front about 15-ish
to 20-ish cards from the top-ish, leaving it
out-jogged a little less than “Betty’s card”
so both can be seen at all times [Photo 3].

Turn your right hand clockwise horizontally

to show both ladies that their cards are in
different parts of the deck [Photo 4]. Turn
your right hand back to its natural position
and very slowly push “Betty’s card” flush
with the deck using the right index finger.
Turn your right hand palm down to flash
Veronica’s card before turning the hand
back over. The insertion of Veronica’s
selection will look identical to Betty’s, but
will become in-jogged in the process.

61
This is accomplished using the same modus operandi as described in Dirty Stinkin’ Ape in
the Middle, including the bevelling and pinky placement to hide the in-jog.

I know I just took an awful lot of words to describe the selection and control procedure,
but one of the strengths of the routine is the slow and deliberate manner in which it is
performed. This style of routine requires the entire proceedings to appear exceedingly
clean and direct, more so than, say, the card-to-impossible-location genre. Because the
selections are found still within the deck at the climax, Betty and Veronica firmly need
to believe their cards are not only truly lost, but far apart from each other as well. The
pay-off is strengthened greatly because of it.

The current situation reveals Betty’s card sitting pretty on top of the deck while
Veronica’s card is in-jogged roughly a third of the way down. Say, “Finding your cards
has never been easier,” and point to the two blank-faced cards which have been on the
table the whole time (remember them?). Continue to Betty, “Do you know what they
are?” The most common response, by far, is, “Our cards, right?” Pick the cards up with
the left hand and turn them over as a group bookwise on top of the deck. Say, “Actually,
these are the instructions for the trick, I always seem to forget where I’m supposed to
find your cards. Luckily for us, these instructions aren’t from Ikea.” Read aloud, “It says
‘Whatever you do, don’t.’” To reveal the rest of the instructions, pull the top card back
off the deck, loading the in-jogged card underneath in the process. This is accomplished
using the same mechanics as described in Dirty Stinkin’ Ape in the Middle. Finish reading
the line, “Look here.”

Now that the incredibly detailed instructions for the routine have been revealed,
“Whatever you do, don’t look here,” place the double card back on top of the deck. Ask
Betty and Veronica, “Do you know why we shouldn’t look there?” Wait for a - usually
negative - response, then pull the top card back, mimicking the way it was done earlier
during the loading sequence, and toss it off to the side to reveal the second instruction
card has vanished, saying, “Well, because there’s nothing there.”

The selections are now on top and third

from top, so all that remains is to centralize
them for the revelation. If you have a
favorite shift you like to use, now’s the
perfect time for it (with the exception of
the Turnover Pass because the cards need
to stay face down). If you would rather pass
on the Pass, a simple cut will do just fine.
Ribbon Spread the deck to reveal a face up
card in the center [Photo 5] and pull away

62
 all the cards apart from the ones directly
on either side of the instruction card [Photo
6]. Say, “In fact, the instructions state
emphatically that you’re supposed to look
here,” as the three cards are spread to
reveal the words, “Look here” [Photo 7]. If
you included the optional underline/arrows
on the card during the preparation, this is
where it adds a nice touch. Ask Betty for
the name of her selection and turn over
the card in front of her to reveal it. Do the
same thing with Veronica.

Sterilizing Sanchez
There is an opportunity within the original
routine to exploit, so if you’re not opposed
to a little extra work, I think it’s time to do
some exploitin’, shall we?

This version of the routine is aesthetically

similar to the original up until the climax,
however it changes methodically in two
places. The preparation also changes
slightly: one blank-faced card and one
double-blank card are required. On the
double-blank card, write the statement
“Whatever you do don’t” on one side as
per the previous description, the back side
being where things change. Write “Five
of Diamonds Jack of Spades” along with arrows pointing to either side of the card,
signifying the Five of Diamonds to the left and the Jack of Spades to the right
[Photo 8]. On the blank-faced card, write the statement “Look here” and pocket both
cards in a similar fashion to the original description. Finally, place the Five of Diamonds
on the bottom of the deck, with the Jack of Spades riding shotgun second from bottom.

To perform, bring out the two prepared cards and place them on the table, not allowing
them to spread further than the width of the border (or lack thereof in this case).

The first change of method, and I think it’s fairly obvious by this point, is that Betty &
Co. will have their selections forced upon them. To force the Five of Diamonds on Betty,

63
spread the deck from hand-to-hand, culling the bottom card in the process, and perform
Hasselhofzinser ������������������������������������������������������������������
(page 28) ��������������������������������������������������������
on the card she touched. Turn your head away during the
Double Turnover so it appears the selection’s identity remains unknown to you. Turn the
double back over on the deck while bringing your head forward. With the right thumb,
push the top indifferent card forward for half its length on the right hand’s packet and
drop the left hand’s portion on top. Push back on the deck directly under the out-
jogged card using your right index finger - a small packet of cards from the middle of
the packet (and directly under the selection) will protrude from the rear [Photo 9]. In a
Hindu Shuffle style grip with the left hand,
take the packet from the rear and place it
on top under the context of “burying the
selection a little further down in the deck.”
In reality, Betty’s card is now on top of the
deck, with an indifferent card out-jogged
about ¾ of the way down.

To force Veronica’s card, the Jack of

Spades, perform the standard Spread Force
using a bottom/reverse cull. Allow her to
physically take out her card and show it around before returning it about 15 or so cards
from the top, out-jogged a little less than “Betty’s card.” From here, continue along as
in the original routine until right after the second instruction card vanishes.

The second change of method does not require tossing the top instruction card off
to the side, but instead place it forward in a centralized position on the performing
surface.

Again, continue along as per the original routine until the very end, with only the four
primary cards in play [Photo 10]. At this point, ask Betty and Veronica, “Did you two get
a chance to look at the instructions before I started?” They will obviously say, “No,” so

64
reply, “That’s strange, because the instructions clearly state loud and clear for you,
Betty, to pick the Five of Diamonds and you, Veronica, to choose the Jack of Spades,”
as the first instruction card is flipped over to reveal the final blow [Photo 11]. My little
box of Raisin Bran has two scoops of raisins, but so does my big box, does that mean I’m
getting screwed for raisins in the latter?

Get in
Keep the instruction cards in a card wallet or in the cellophane around the card box to
be ready, steady and Eddie.

Get out
To fully reset, put the instruction cards back where you got them to be left clean,
serene and aquamarine.

Get the most

1. If your chicken scratch looks like, well, scratches from a chicken, there are files
included on the accompanying CD which can be printed directly onto the blank-faced
cards. Refer to Stick it to the Man for instructions detailing how to print on playing
cards using your home computer and printer.

65
2. If you decide to use a printer for the writing, please keep in mind that Fixatif finish
on the cards will act as a roughing agent. This means performing the Sterilizing
Sanchez version of the routine will have to be altered slightly. If not, the bottom
instruction card will follow the top card as it’s being pulled off the deck. To remedy
this situation, as soon as the instruction cards are flopped on the deck to reveal the
writing, gingerly pull the top card back a half an inch as it’s being read. This will
allow the strip out to be performed with no worries. There’s no need to follow this
advice if you decided to write the instructions with a marker, or if performing the
original routine (with or without using a printer).

3. I have, at times, found myself wanting to perform this routine without the instruction
cards on hand. It was a simple matter to write the instructions on the back of two
random cards from the deck, placing them face up on the table to hide the writing.
It doesn’t look as classy, but it definitely gets the job done. It should also be noted, if
using this on-the-fly set up, that red backed decks allow the writing to show up best.

Shout outs
• I don’t know the history of writing messages or instructions on cards, but the routines
which first got me exploring the concept are Chad Long’s Back & Forth from his notes
The Lost Cheesy Notebook Volume 1 (1994) and Joshua Jay’s Written Favorite from his
book Magic Atlas (1999).

• Lee Asher’s Losing Control can be found in his notes Hand Jobs (2001) as well as the
Losing Control CD-ROM.

66
 #
B52 shooter < < < < < < < < < < <
Triumph. The classic among
classics. There have been
more variations on this
routine than probably
any other in history, yet most
of the innovations have come from
focusing on only one area of the routine:
the mixing procedure. Don’t get me wrong, if the
mixing procedure isn’t convincing, the trick is dead on
arrival, but that’s only a small portion of the full Triumph
experience. For example, once the audience is convinced
the cards are hopelessly mixed face up into face down, when in fact they are
genuinely straightened out, how do you reveal the situation? With only a few
notable exceptions, there hasn’t been much progress in this department.

It’s time to do something about that.

See
The magician realizes that Veronica is pretty cool, so he decides to let her in on a
secret he’s been holding back for some time. He’s really only half man … and half love
machine, baby! Although, he admits that what he really loves, is to sort cards. So that
just makes him a card sorting machine.

To demonstrate his love, he has a card selected, remembered, and lost in the deck. He
then shuffles half the cards face up into half the cards face down in an extremely fair
manner. The magician gets excited with such a mess and states that he’s going to sort
them by finding each individual face up card in the entire deck and shoot them out, all
while doing a shuffle with one hand!

In a flurry of motion, face up cards start shooting out of the deck and across the
table during the one-handed shuffle. After the dust settles, the magician confesses to
Veronica that he lied to her earlier. It turns out that he’s only four-ninths man, four-
ninths love machine, and one-ninth cheeky S.O.B. because he didn’t shoot every face up

67
card out of the deck, he left one in. He spreads the cards to show one card face up in
the face down deck, Veronica’s selection.

Do
In short, you pretty much do what you claim to do. It sounds, looks, and tastes
incredibly difficult, yet it’s so deviously simple that you’ll laugh the first time you see
yourself do it. You can apply this revelation right away to any Triumph you currently do,
so I’ll describe that part first. Later on I’ll describe the handling I use throughout the
entire routine.

Let’s do it!

Training wheels
This is the simpler of the two methods to shoot the cards out of the deck, and should be
learned before going on to the actual version I use. It’s based on a principle pioneered
by Eric Anderson, Guy Hollingworth and Joshua Jay which allows cards to side-jog
during the cascade of a riffle shuffle. It has mostly been used within the context of false
shuffles, although Joshua Jay brilliantly used it as a method to conceal cards under a
Ribbon Spread ala Charles Nyquist.

All of these uses for the principle have been implicit; the audience is never aware of
the separation. We are going to be using the principle very explicitly by taking it to the
extreme. The cards will not just side-jog an inch, they will completely shoot out of the
deck as much as a few feet.

To begin, you’ll need to be in the situation almost every Triumph routine leaves you in
- all the cards face up with the sole selection face down. In this case you’ll want the
selection to be about a quarter of the way from the face, rather than a more traditional
centralized location.

Holding the deck in right hand Dealers Grip, cut off slightly more than half the deck
with the left hand and turn it face down. Begin to Straddle Faro the face up portion into
the face down half, retaining face down cards on both top and bottom. The Faro Shuffle
doesn’t need to be anywhere even remotely close to perfect, so don’t let that scare
you. Coalesce the halves no more than an inch and re-grip the telescoped deck with the
right thumb and middle finger at the center of the long edges.

Come over with the left hand to bridge the cards into a shuffle, but there’s going to
be a difference. The left hand only contacts the cards at two points; the upper-left

68
 corner with the pad of the ring finger, and
the lower-right corner with the pad of the
thumb [Photo 1]. All other fingers avoid
the cards like a moody girlfriend or they’ll
just get in the way of the cards’ flight
path. Bend the telescoped deck upwards,
releasing grip with the right hand, to
start the cascade a few inches above the
performing surface. Apply the majority
of the pressure with the left ring finger,
allowing the thumb to mainly just be a
contact point.

Let loose!

Because of the pressure points, all the face up cards will quickly shoot out to the
right, and all the face down cards will simply drop to the table in a pile, with the only
exception being the face up selection which ends up in the face down portion [Photo 2].
Push the face up cards out of the way so you can spread the face down half to display
the selection’s unique situation.

This method was how I originally performed it and does the trick nicely. However I have
since begun using the following variation which I think has a lot more going for it. Try it
out and decide for yourself.

Big rig
This is very similar to the previously described method, however this time the face
down cards stay in the left hand during the shuffle rather than falling to the table. As
well, the face up cards shoot out a lot farther, creating a much larger and more startling
effect. It’s a tad more knacky, but then again so is getting Silly Putty off your left
nipple. Don’t ask.

69
 The first half of the method remains the
same as the previous description, weaving
the face up portion into the face down
half in preparation for the shuffle. The
difference begins right before the cascade.
The first cards to shift when the pressure
is released are the bottom few from the
face down portion. Instead of simply letting
them fall to the table, catch the front edge
against the left pinky’s second joint
[Photo 3]. This will prevent the rest of the face down cards from falling to the table,
keeping them in the hand. Because of this, the face up cards build more tension against
them and shoot out faster and farther.

The release of tension from the left ring finger is the knacky part I mentioned. You may
find it hard to get any cards to shoot the first couple of times, where they just stay in a
bridged condition. Alternatively, you may have the tension shoot the entire deck all over
the place. Fifty-Two Pick-Up anyone? A little experimentation will go a long way with
this, as unfortunately there’s just no way I can describe the amount of pressure in print.
Sorry.

Now that you know an incredibly visual way to end your favorite Triumph handling, allow
me to describe my favorite handling for this revelation.

All together now

Begin with the deck face up and a reversed card at the bottom. If you’re picky about
discrepancies, make sure the reversed card is the mate of the face card. In this
situation, I’m not.

Tell Veronica, “I’ve got something to tell you, something I don’t tell a lot of people. I’m
actually only half man … and half love machine! Do you know what I love? To sort cards!
I guess that makes me somewhat of a card sorting machine. Let me show you what I
mean.” Spread the cards out from hand-to-hand, being careful not to flash the reversed
card on the bottom. Say, “Take out any card you like, just don’t let me see which one.”
This gets a laugh because all the cards are face up.

Once Veronica has removed a card, close the spread and hold the deck in left hand
Biddle Grip. Turn your left hand palm up while pointing to other people asking her to
show it around to everyone, which subtly reverses the deck. Transfer the deck to right
hand Dealers Grip and take the selection back from Veronica. Insert it face up into the
apparently face up deck a little further than halfway down, getting a break below it.

70
Say, “This is going to look crazy, I know, but it has to be done.” Perform Tenkai’s Optical
Revolve at the break so one packet is face up and the other one appears face down.
In this situation, I personally don’t like the position of the hands which the Optical
Revolve results in because it requires some awkward re-positioning of the packets
before a Faro Shuffle is possible, at least the way I perform the shuffle, with the lower
packet in the left hand. So instead, I use the following method which accomplishes the
same outcome, but leaves the cards in ideal position to be given a Faro Shuffle:

With the break under the selection,

grab the deck in left hand Biddle Grip,
transferring the break to the left thumb. It
will help in a moment if the left thumb is
at the far right inner corner, touching the
base of the right thumb. Bring the right
hand back, allowing the right thumb and
middle finger to slide along the edge of the
deck until they reach the end. Let them
pinch the portion below the break and
push down and forward at the same time,
causing it to pivot against the left fingers at
the front of the deck [Photo 4] until they’re
back in right hand Dealers Grip. This was
inspired by Bob Farmer’s Trapeze Switch.
When the lower packet is halfway through
its rotation, bring the left index finger
across the center of the right long edge
of the upper packet and pull up, causing
it to rotate too [Photo 5]. Place the left
hand’s packet in-jogged on the lower portion so the two halves of the deck seem to be
orientated in opposite directions.

Whether you used the original Optical Revolve or my variation, you are left in a similar
position. Take the face down packet in the left hand (even though it’s not actually face
down, that is how I will refer to it) and turn both hands over to display each side of
the packets, it will look as kosher as a pickle. Say, “I’m actually going to mix these up
unlike you’ve ever seen before.” Return the hands to their previous position to Faro
Shuffle the two packets together, allowing the top and bottom cards of the face down
portion to remain on top and bottom. This is easily facilitated because the face down
packet is larger based on the fact that the selection was returned slightly below center.
Again, the Faro Shuffle doesn’t need to be perfect or anywhere even close for that
matter.

71
As soon as the weave starts, bring the right
pinky down and contact the bottommost
card. As the two halves are being pushed
together, pull up with the pinky almost as if
doing the old rising card bit [Photo 6]. It will
be coming up as the rest of the cards are
being pushed down. To prevent the edge of
the card being seen during its travels, allow
the right thumb and ring finger to follow up
along side the corners of the card, blocking
the view. Stop coalescing the packets when
the deck has been telescoped about half its
length.

Congratulations, you’re in perfect position

to perform the ultra-convincing Jennings/
Goodwin Display. Holding the face down
portion of the deck in right hand Dealers
Grip, slowly riffle the out-jogged face up
cards upwards from about three quarters of
the way down, being careful not to expose
the reversed card at the bottom. To match
actions with words, during the riffle say,
“Face up …” Grasp the deck with the left
hand from the front, thumb on top and
fingers below [Photo 7], and flip the deck
over placing it back into right hand Dealers
Grip. Perform the exact same riffle display
while saying, “… into face down. Ugh.”
Coalesce the packets by pushing in on the
out-jogged portion at its outer right corner.
This will cause it to enter at an angle. With
the deck in left hand Biddle Grip, say, “In
the biz, this is what we refer to as …” Turn
the left hand face up for one final display of
the situation [Photo 8]. Turn the hand back
down, squaring everything nicely together
and continue with, “… a mess.”
Say, “Veronica, isn’t this exciting? With all

72
these cards going in all different ways, I get to sort them!” During this statement, carry
out a Braue Reversal to the top card by getting a break under it and undercutting half
the deck to the top, flipping the packet over in the process. Continue by undercutting
the rest of the cards under the break and transferring them to the top, flipping them
over as well. Keep a right pinky break below this final packet. Not only did those actions
clean up the non-selected reversed card, but several face up and face down cards were
displayed in the process.

One final cutting sequence will be used as a false display of the apparent situation
before the revelation. These proving displays are not used in the context of “Hey look,
they really ARE mixed up,” but rather used to support the words you’re saying. Here
comes the bombshell statement: tell Veronica in an excited voice, “I get to find each
individual face up card in the entire deck and shoot them out, all while doing a shuffle
with one hand!” The false cutting display I use during this statement is an in-the-hands
variation of the Up The Ladder Cut, which also bears similarity to Lennart Green’s
set of Circulation Shuffles. Start by transferring the deck to left hand Biddle Grip and
Kick Cutting all the cards above the break into right hand Dealers Grip. Kick off three
quarters of the remaining portion in the left hand and take it above the cards already
in the right hand, keeping a break between the two packets. Bring the left hand over
as if to Kick Cut some more cards into the right hand, but really just transfer the left
hand’s cards for the cards above the break in the right hand. This is done by gripping the
packet above the break by the left thumb and middle finger as the right thumb reaches
over and slides the left hand’s cards into Dealers Grip [Photo 9]. It will appear that
there is still more cards in the left hand, but they are really the cards which were just
stolen. Kick Cut a quarter of those cards to the right hand and slap all the remaining
cards on top of it all. Multiple backs and faces will show throughout the sequence.

73
Bust out the champagne or cheap sparkling wine (depending on your level of income),
because you’ve just set yourself up for the final revelation as described earlier. All the
cards are face up with the exception of the selection which is a quarter of the way
down. High five!

After the shoot-out sequence, admit to Veronica, “I lied to you earlier. I’m really only
about four-ninths man, four-ninths love machine, and one-ninth cheeky S.O.B. because
I didn’t shoot every face up card out of the deck. I left one in.” Spread the face down
portion to allow the selection to stare her in the face. Now perform Forgetful Freddie.

Get in
I used to use Krenzel’s Mechanical Reverse to get the bottom card in position, but now I
use an alternative method under the context of a gag:

Spread through the face up deck and cut any Queen to the rear of the deck. Turn the
deck over, getting a break under the top two cards, and mention how you want to try
a mind reading experiment. Perform the K.M. Move with the double above the break,
stealing the second card back onto the deck, reversed. Bring the single card (the Queen)
up to Veronica’s face and ask her to think about it, picturing it in her mind. Say, “Ooh
this is tough, I think I see a 6 …no no wait, I think it’s a 7 … no no wait, I can’t tell. It’s
either a 6 or a 7, which one is it?” She will obviously deny both guesses. Flip the card
over so you can see it and pause. Say, “Oh come on, she’s totally a 6 or 7! The Queen of
Hearts is a 10, you know what I’m saying? I love those redheads.” Obviously just name
any other Queen than the one you’re holding.

This never fails to get a laugh, but more importantly it gives a reason to execute the
K.M. Move which is far less angle sensitive than any sort of a Half Pass.

It obviously plays better if you use a male spectator for this mind reading stunt. Reggie
will do just fine.

Get out
Force Veronica to clean up the mess you made all over the table and then ask her to
bake you a pie.

74
Get the most
1. The cards will shoot out a lot farther if the cards are in good condition. Plain and
simple.

2. My good friend Ryan Pilling came up with the idea to catch all the cards in the right
hand as they’re shooting out, eliminating the need for a table. It’s not something I’ve
put a lot of time into, but it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds. Another alternative to
avoid a table would be to just use the original technique of simply side-jogging the
cards rather than shooting them out. It would lose a whole heck of a lot of its visually
stunning nature, but the overall effect would remain relatively intact.

3. Generally I strongly dislike the idea of telling Veronica what’s about to happen, unless
I’m completely lying through my teeth (all four of them). This routine is different,
however, for a few reasons:

First of all, you tell Veronica what’s going to happen, but you build it up to mythical
proportions until she simply won’t believe anyone could actually do it. Look at the
difference between saying, “I’ll shoot the face up cards out of the deck,” and, “I’m
going to find each … individual face up card in the entire deck … and shoot them
out … all while doing a shuffle … with one hand!” By breaking up the details and
including a flat out lie (the shuffle isn’t one-handed, only the cascade is), I routinely
have spectators say, “Yeah, right,” and wane attention because they think I’m full of
it. When I come through with my promise, it seems to hit them twice as hard.

Secondly, you want Veronica to understand what’s happening as it’s happening. If you
didn’t tell her what was about to take place, she may just assume you were a sloppy
shuffler, letting cards slip out all over the place. You really want her to appreciate
what she’s witnessing.

Lastly, you don’t fully disclose all the details. There’s still the final climax of revealing
the lone selection amongst the talon. This seems to catch people off guard. I’m not
sure if they merely forgot a selection was ever made by this point in the game, but it
really seems to strike a chord when they see their card staring them in the face.

4. If the “love machine” presentational hook doesn’t fit your style, there are plenty
of other options available. For example, the revelation can easily be adapted to a
Sankey-esque Time Travel theme, as if the cards are rushing back to the moment the
mental snapshot was taken.

75
 Here’s the presentation I use if I feel the audience is just too conservative for my
usual routine (which is hardly ever the case):

Have Veronica take out any card as described before, although this time state, “Oh
no, you chose the least attractive card in the entire deck!” Spread through the deck
and remove the Ace of Spades claiming that it is actually the most attractive card,
placing it off to the side.

Continue with the routine up until it’s time to start shootin’, pardner. Hand Veronica
the tabled Ace of Spades and ask her to decide whether she wants it face up or face
down, placing it on the table in the appropriate orientation. If she places it face up,
continue with the routine as described, however if she places it face down, flip the
deck over in your hands before going into the revelation.

Move the bridged deck towards the tabled card just as you release pressure for the
shoot-out. It will look as though, “The most attractive card,” is attracting all the
similar cards from the deck, either face up or face down. The only odd one left in the
left hand’s packet is the selection, “The least attractive card!”

5. Changing something as simple as the revelation will change the actual effect itself.
Purists will argue that these routines are no longer in the Triumph genre solely
because the cards do not magically right themselves in the end. Try thinking about
ways you can alter the revelation of one of the routines you already do.

6. This technique can also be used as a visual colour separation.

Shout outs
• Dai Vernon’s Triumph can be found in Stars of Magic (1961).

• The controlled bridge idea for a false shuffle was published by Eric Anderson in Ah-Ha
(1997) under the title Shuffle-esque. Joshua Jay’s use of the concept was published in
Magic Atlas (1999) within his Trumped Triumph routine.

• Other notable revelations for Triumph include John Carney’s Rip-Off Triumph from
Carneycopia (1991), Steve Mayhew’s Mayhew’s Middle Deal Miracle from Labyrinth
(Number Three), Justin Hanes’ Strip Tease from The Looking Glass (Winter 1996) and
Andi Gladwin’s superb Banded Triumph which is currently unpublished.

• �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Bob Farmer’s Trapeze Switch can be found within his Stealing The Hotel Tao routine
from The Looking Glass (Winter 1996).

76
• Tenkai’s Optical Revolve was published in Tarbell 1 (1927), within the Tenkai’s Reverse
Cards Mystery routine.

• The Jennings/Goodwin Display can be found in Larry Jennings’ Up In Smoke notes

(1990).

• The Braue Reversal was published in The Royal Road To Card Magic (1951). When
used within a Triumph style context, this move is known as the Flipover Undercut and
belongs to Paul Swinford from Jerry Mentzer’s Card Cavalcade 2 (1974).

• The Up The Ladder false cut was published in Expert Card Technique (1940) under the
title of Gamblers’ False Cut. Lennart Green’s variations, called Circulation Shuffles,
can be found on his Green Magic Volume 1 video.

• Ken Krenzel’s Mechanical Reverse was published in Epilogue Special Number 2

(undated).

• The K.M. Move was published in a booklet of the same name and was created by Tony
Kardyro and Ed Marlo (1962).

77
 ______
Warning: The following trick is extremely difficult. The moves

 aren’t hard, but you’ll find it a challenge to resist eating your

props. Good luck!

See
The classic Coin In Bottle trick took a wrong left turn somewhere.

Gear
It’s time for a field trip to the convenience store. You need:

• Several large cola bottle gummy candies

• A clear plastic baggie that the candies
come in
• A quarter
• A non-serrated knife
• A stove
• A pan

The cola bottle candies that you require

cost about 25¢ and are roughly the length of
a playing card [Photo 1].

Pre-do
Note: If you’re not old enough to remember watching Knight Rider, He-

J Man, MacGyver, and 21 Jump Street, please let your mommy and daddy
do this setup for you.

Remove one of the candy bottles from the baggie and place the rest of them aside,
still in the baggie. You’re about to create a cavity in this bottle big enough to insert a
quarter, before sealing it back up. Here’s how ...

78
 Insert the blade of the knife into the left
side of the bottom of the bottle until it
reaches the neck [Photo 2]. Slide it to the
right side so a huge slit is now along the
width of the interior. Remove the blade
and insert a quarter into the newly formed
cavity. Work the quarter up inside as far as
you can, the further it’s pushed up away
from its point of entry, the better and more
deceiving it will look [Photo 3]. Don’t be
tempted to lick the knife afterwards, were
you raised in a barn?

Place a pan on the stove and turn the dial

halfway between “Low” and “Med” (I have
no idea what the actual temperature is, but
it doesn’t have to be exact by any stretch).
With the pan heated, rub the bottom of the
bottle back and forth on the surface to melt
and seal the slit back up. When the bottle is
removed from the pan, it will stick a bit and
leave little hangy things (for lack of better
term, or heck any term) which need to be
removed. Just rub your finger back and
forth on the bottom to smooth it out and
make it almost performance ready.

The only thing left to do is let it cool

down and add one more small touch.
The bottom will now be shinier than the
regular cola bottle candies, so it’s a good
idea to repeatedly tap the bottom against
something dusty or dirty to dull it out a bit
[Photo 4].

Congratulations, you’ve just doubled the value of your candy.

This procedure sounds like a lot of work, but it’s actually pretty speedy. There’s a little
bit of a learning curve when you first start out, but you’ll eventually be able to pound
one out in less than a minute.

79
Before the performance, place a loose gaffed bottle in the front right pants pocket and
throw the baggie containing the regular bottles on top of it. Let’s roll!

Do
Finish up a card trick and say, “Card tricks
are great, but they’re for kids. Do you
know what’s for adults?” Reach the right
hand into the pocket to grab the bag and
the gaffed bottle. Bring out the bag with
the bottle hiding underneath it [Photo
5, exposed for clarity] and say, “Candy!”
Reach into the bag with the left hand and
pull out a bottle while offering them to
Veronica. Allow her to reach in and take
a bottle if she wants, and ask to borrow a
quarter. A presentational ploy for
asking for the quarter (and always getting a
quarter) is to ask someone if they want a
candy. If they say yes, respond with, “OK.
They’re 25 cents each. Get your money out
lady.” While she’s looking through her
pockets and purse for a quarter, reach
the left index and middle fingers into the
bag with the left thumb behind it. Grab
the gaffed bottle from underneath with
the thumb and pull it out from behind the
bag while the left fingers pull out nothing.
Because of the clear plastic, it will look
just like the bottle came from within the
bag [Photo 6] (even though there’s already
sufficient misdirection of Veronica and
company searching for pocket change). Put
the bag back in the pocket.

When Veronica hands you a quarter, take it with the right hand and say, “Thanks, I’ve
got to pay for these somehow!” The gaffed bottle should be held upright in the left
hand with the index and middle fingers covering the coin with the thumb on the back
[Photo 7]. Ask, “Have you ever thrown candy at money before, Veronica?” This is such a
ridiculous question and will usually receive a strange look followed by a “No” answer, or
some variation thereof. Follow up with, “Why not?” The answers you’ll get from this are

80
usually pretty entertaining. Respond accordingly to what she says and continue, “I can’t
believe you’ve never thought to yourself ‘Gee, I wonder what would happen if I were to
throw some sweetness at a coin?’, I’ll bet that also means you’ve never thought about
throwing an ice-cream sandwich at some bubble-wrap or throwing a french passport at
a gerbil. You don’t get out much, do you?”

Gesture with the quarter while saying, “I’ll do it once so you see what you’ve been
missing out on, and then I’ll leave you to your own devices. Are you ready for this?”

Perform Jay Sankey’s Two-Way Toss to

visually cause the quarter to appear inside
the bottle as follows: Hold the quarter on
the right palm at the base of the fingers
with the left hand held approximately 10
inches above it [Photo 8]. Throw the bottle
down at the right hand as both hands drop
sharply a few inches. The quarter will be
momentarily suspended in the air because
of the sharp drop. The left fingers are left
slightly open so they can scoop up the
quarter right after it lets go of the bottle.
The bottle will land on the right palm in the
same area the quarter was sitting and it will
appear as though the quarter simply melted
visually into the bottle [Photo 9]. If you’re
familiar with David Williamson’s Striking
Vanish, this is very similar, only this time
both objects fly through the air instead of
just one.

Give the bottle to Veronica and say, “Here you go. Now if you hurry, you may just get to
the French Embassy before its passport office closes.” Dessert is served.

Get in
Place a bunch of loose gaffed bottles in your right front pants pocket and throw the bag
of regular bottles above them. You’re now set to perform Coke Inhabit all night long.

81
Get out
The end of the routine leaves you secretly holding out the quarter in the left hand, so
feel free to go south with it. I don’t mean go to your pocket with it; I mean go south
with it! Go down to Mexico, buy a couple of stolen stereos, and come back up to find
out no one even knew you were gone. The simple fact is that everyone tries to get
a closer look at this “impossible object,” so you can do whatever you want with the
quarter you’re left holding out, they’re not watching, believe me.

Get the most

1. If Sankey’s Two-Way Toss isn’t really your style but you’d still like to perform Coke
Inhabit, here’s an alternate handling for the fusion:

Place the gimmicked bottle so it’s pointing toward yourself in the fingers of the right
hand and position the borrowed quarter on top so it’s covering the inner-coin. This
should be done with the bottle necktied so Veronica can’t see into the hand until the
coin is already in position. Display the situation by holding the right hand parallel to
the floor and perform Dai Vernon’s Through The Fist Flourish as if you’re squeezing
the two of them together. They will emerge with the quarter still covering the dirty
work. Perform the flourish one more time. For the third and final time, position them
in the palm rather than the base of the fingers, so when the flourish is repeated,
the package will flip over allowing the right fingers to hold onto the quarter as the
left hand pulls on the neck of the bottle as before. This time it will be seen that the
quarter has fused with the bottle, without the need for projectiles.

It should be noted that this handling will require a slightly different presentation
as you are now apparently squeezing them
together rather than throwing one at the other.

2. I usually make 30 gimmicked bottles at a time,

in two phases. First, I sit down and insert the
coins in all of them, and second, take them all
over to the stove to seal them up. I just do it
while watching an episode of Knight Rider, He-
Man, MacGyver, or 21 Jump Street.

3. If you need to set up on the fly and don’t have a

stove around, you can just use a lighter to seal
the bottom. The results are not as pretty, but
then again neither is my girlfriend [Photo 9].

82
4. I played around with doing a longer routine causing the coin to go in and out of the
bottle several times, but in this case I found that the simplest overall effect is the
strongest effect.

5. Sometimes, when I’m feeling cheeky and want it to look like I did the trick with
the bottle Veronica took, I’ll switch her bottle for the gaffed one using a planned
accident. With the bag still in the right hand, I take Veronica’s bottle back and start
gesturing with it over the bag as I’m talking. I “accidentally” drop the bottle into the
bag and reach in to get it back, but actually pull out the gaffed bottle from behind as
per the original instructions.

6. When I first started doing this routine at the restaurant, I assumed that if some
strange guy came around offering unwrapped candy to people, no one would even
think about taking one. Boy was I wrong! It’s still shocking just how many people
reach in and help themselves to the yummy goodness!

7. If performing for magicians, you can present it as if you’re doing a real Coin-In-Bottle
routine and then look at their faces when you bring out candy bottles. Jack Parker
has a fantastic idea if performing this for magicians; after the climax he says “Do you
want to know how I did that? I used a folding coin,” and shows that the coin inside
the bottle is actually a folding coin.

Shout outs
• Sankey’s Two-Way Toss can be found in his book Sankey Panky (1986). He credits Ken
Krenzel’s Marionette Multiple Coin Vanish as his inspiration. If you’re interested,
Krenzel’s move can be found in Apocalypse Volume 1, Number 4 (April, 1978).

• The idea of using Dai Vernon’s Through The Fist Flourish to secretly reverse a packet
of cards was published by Robert Walker in Jon Racherbaumer’s Lecture Notes 1
(1976).

• The friendly clerk at 7-11 who hates his job tells me the brand name of the cola bottle
candies is Koala.

83
MatriMoney $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Essentially this is just a presentational ploy for Coins Across. It gives a reason for
the coins travelling from one hand to the other and also allows for a kick-in-the-
pants climax. If you already perform a Coins Across routine, you can simply add
this climax and presentational ploy to your existing routine to breathe some new
energy into it. If you don’t already do a Coins Across, I’ll describe the method I
use which is a jacked up version of Tenkai Pennies.

See
Celebrity Death Match between Coins Across and Ring Flight. Who will win? You!

Pre-do
• Wear pants

Do
Ask to borrow a ring from Betty; try to get a wedding or engagement ring if possible.
With the ring in your right hand, say, “Ah, the wedding ring symbolizes so much,” look
at the other women in the audience and say, “Love … Commitment … Sacred Vows …”
Shift your gaze to the men and continue with “Money … Money … Money!” Offer to show
them the power it has over cash and retrieve your wallet with the left hand.

Pull out three quarters from your wallet (although the audience will only be aware of
two) while saying, “I’m cheap, so we’ll just use a couple of quarters for this.” Put the
wallet back in the rear left pants pocket
while holding all three quarters in the left
hand. Toss two of the quarters into the right
hand to join the ring: this is easily done
by simply holding one of the quarters back
with the left thumb during the toss. Curl
the left hand into a fist while putting its
quarter into Tenkai Pinch. Extend the left
index finger and slip the ring onto it
[Photo 1]. Because it’s a woman’s ring, it

84
 probably won’t make it past the second
knuckle.

Pull the left hand away and open it up to

show the condition; two quarters in the
right hand and “none” in the left hand
[Photo 2].

Close both hands into fists while putting

one of the quarters from the right hand into
Tenkai Pinch. Do a magical gesture while
getting the quarter back from Tenkai Pinch
in the left hand. Open both hands to show
that the ring can’t be stopped from getting
its money [Photo 3].

Close the left hand into a fist again while

putting its quarter back into Tenkai Pinch.
Extend the left index finger, point to the
remaining quarter in the left hand and
comment on how easily the ring can take
money away from you [Photo 4].

Turn the left hand palm up while opening

it so the fingers are under the right hand
[Photo 5].

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Release the quarter from right hand Tenkai Pinch into the waiting left fingers and pull
the hands apart [Photo 6]. The coin on the left fingertips will appear to be the same one
which was in the hand earlier even though you just switched it out, go ahead and pat
yourself on the back.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Perform the exact same actions which were done earlier; close both hands while putting
the right hand’s quarter in Tenkai Pinch and bringing the left hand’s quarter out of Pinch
position. After a magical gesture, open both hands to show that the ring has attracted
all the money [Photo 7].

For all intents and purposes, the trick is over for Betty. Close the right hand into a fist
and retrieve the quarter from Tenkai Pinch as the right index finger and thumb take
the ring from the left hand. The hands spread apart into an applause cue ready for
the standing ovation you should be receiving (try your best to dodge the panties being
thrown at you). The situation is two quarters in the left hand and a quarter and very
expensive and delicate borrowed ring which Betty was stupid to lend you in the right
hand.

Under cover of the applause, you will be performing some very sneaky stuff during some
very natural movements. Once the applause starts, bow down and put the left hand in
front of the stomach while the right hand goes behind the back. This is the standard
bowing action and it’s a perfect opportunity to get your hand behind your back without

86
the slightest bit of suspicion. While the right hand is back there, drop the ring in your
rear left pocket and hopefully into the wallet itself (don’t worry if you miss the wallet,
it’s not a big deal). For consistency’s sake, come up and bow again but reverse the arm
positions; the right hand goes in front and the left hand goes behind.

Come up from the bowing and act as if you just got an idea. Offer to let Betty try
holding the coins during the trick. Give her the two quarters from the left hand while
pretending the quarter in the right hand is her ring. Close your right hand into a fist and
make a magical gesture. Open your hand and say, “Look it worked, I got one of your
quarters!” She will immediately open her hand and show that she still has both of her
quarters. Look confused and then act startled while pointing out that the ring is missing
(as hard as it is to believe, when attention is focused on the quarter when the hand is
opened, most spectators don’t realize their ring is gone until you mention it, not that it
even matters when they do notice).

Doing your best Columbo impression, try to piece together what just happened, “Wait,
if the quarter didn’t come from your hand, then where else could it have come from?
Hold on, I had more quarters in my wallet!” Hand your quarter to Betty and show both
hands empty before slowly reaching for the wallet. If the ring went right in the wallet,
you’re home free. If it just fell into the pocket but missed the wallet, there is plenty of
time to drop the ring in the wallet while your hand is in the pocket (remember how slow
everything is being done). Bring the wallet out and show that the ring doesn’t bother
with small change when there’s big money to be had. Now do a Top Change.

Get in
If you always keep three quarters in your wallet, you’ll be able to perform this routine
anywhere. Well, at least until you’re broke and have to spend it on cat food.

Get out
Place the three quarters back in your wallet to reset.

Get the most

1. My wallet is a “George Castanza Wallet” which means it’s overstuffed with way too
much crap. This is actually beneficial for this routine because it creates an extremely
large opening for the ring to fall in. If you don’t want to use a normal wallet (for
whatever cracked up reasons you have), you could always just use a coin purse. If you
keep it open in your back pocket, it would be an excellent target for the ring.

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2. Obviously with close-up magic, audiences don’t always applaud. If you’re worried
about bowing with no legitimate applause at the climax of the Coins Across phase,
either tell a really lame joke and accept the booing by bowing, or over exaggerate
the bowing to make fun of the fact that no one is applauding. There are a lot of
possibilities for interpretation, let the situation dictate where to go with it.

Shout outs
• Tenkai Pennies can be found in Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic (1952).

• Other notable Coins Across routines which make use of a finger ring include Paul
Gertner’s A Familiar Ring from Steel & Silver (1994), Daniel Garcia’s Your Personal
Safe from Blueprints (2004) and an unpublished routine by Terry Hedges. Their
handlings, presentations and uses for the ring all vary greatly, so I urge you to check
them out.

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Stick it to the man ...
It seems to be a well known stereotype that men won’t stop to ask for directions.
Well, if the directions say “Apply to infected area,” I wouldn’t stop to ask
someone either.

To be honest, I don’t think anyone likes directions. Yet in the field of close-up
mentalism, many routines unfortunately fall victim to cluttered directions and
procedures as soon as spectators are allowed to handle props. Whether it’s a
drawn out PATEO Force or a complicated process with cards behind the back,
I feel such strict and lengthy directions accomplish nothing but attract undue
attention to themselves, ultimately taking away from the impact. If we’re going
to get spectators involved, let’s get them really involved, giving them free reign
with their actions. Anything less would be cheating them out of that ideal we all
strive for.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying carefully structured Equivoque and whatnot
can’t still give the perception of unadulterated freedom, I just feel there’s a
noticeable difference between a spectator thinking they were fooled by the
performer’s genuine mind power, and a spectator thinking they were fooled by a
cleverly constructed procedure.

Rant over.

See
The magician offers to play a game with Betty and brings out a card case labelled
“Predict This.” He claims the rules are simple; Betty simply has to predict what’s inside
the box. She guesses a deck of cards to which she is proven not only wrong, but nowhere
even close, as the magician removes Post-it Notes from within. Magician 1 – Betty 0.

He insists that was just the preliminary round and doesn’t really count and tells Betty
she should get ready to play hard in the next match. The magician proceeds to write
different body parts on the Post-it Notes, sticking them to the appropriate areas on his
body, one each for “Head,” “Left hand,” “Right hand” and the fairly obvious “Six pack.”

The magician tells Betty that her job is to rearrange them so they’re all mixed up. She

89
goes to town, peeling off the Post-it Notes and switching them with each other until
she’s satisfied. Assume the “Head” ends up on the abdomen, the “Left hand” ends up on
the right hand, the “Six pack” ends up on the left hand, and the “Right hand” finishes
on the head, no forces.

With Betty’s job done in this game of “Predict This,” the magician states that his job
was to predict this; everything that has happened so far. He reveals that the card case
not only housed the Post-it Notes, but one card as well. Betty pulls it out to show a
drawing of a man on it. The man is a little disfigured however, as it turns out his head is
in his abdomen, his left hand is where his right hand is supposed to be, his left arm has
a six pack attached where the hand should be and there’s a large right hand resting on
his neck. Everything perfectly matches with Betty’s rearrangement!

Core
In the routine’s barest bones, this a multiple outs scenario. For every possible way Betty
can stick the Post-it Notes on you, there is a different “prediction” card. The number
of permutations, or possible outcomes, for a situation like this is 24. I’m not sure about
you, but I would rather snort minced cabbage than keep track of an index for 24 outs.
Let’s look at ways we can dwindle down the number of possible outs.

The first, and most obvious, ploy we can use to limit the number of possibilities is to
actually limit the available places for Betty to stick those bad boys. This can be done by
telling her that all the Post-it Notes have to end up in different places than where they
started. A better way to actually phrase it will be mentioned later on, but that’s the
scoop on what’s really going down.

Bam, we’re now down to only 9 possible outcomes.

The next method we can use for scamming purposes, involves never letting Betty stick
the “Six pack” Post-it Note on the head. That’s a little misleading; the “Six pack” can
be placed on the head, but it won’t be staying long because you’ll be asking a second
person to rearrange the body parts as well. They will inevitably move the “Six pack” off
your head, leaving you in pristine condition to finish.

Splat, there are now a mere 6 outs with which to deal with.

That’s still too many possibilities for my comfort level, so the last bit ‘o business we can
throw at the problem involves using some good ol’ ambiguity. The use of both hands as
body parts allows for some sneaky subterfuge. The drawings on the predictions look like
hand prints, meaning each hand can masquerade as the other, if needed. For example,

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holding the right hand up as if to say “Hi” displays it to Betty with the thumb on the
right side of the hand, whereas holding the right hand’s palm against the prediction card
as if to make a hand print displays the thumb on the left side of the hand.

Kaplooie, we’ve now made it possible for only the following 4 prediction cards to cover
every conceivable scenario [Illustration 1]. That’s good enough for me.

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Gear
• A card box with the cellophane still around it
• Three blank faced cards
• A double blank card
• A pad of Post-it Notes
• A marker pen
• A computer
• A printer
• A cable to hook the computer up to the printer
• Electricity to make the computer and printer work
• A can of Workable Fixatif Spray, or a glossy spray finisher of a similar brand
• A roll of tape

The blank faced cards and card box should all have the same back design and colour.

Pre-do
Pop the included CD into your computer and open the Stick It To The Man PDF file. Print
out one copy as is; you’ll notice that the drawings are the perfect size to fit on a playing
card. This allows you to tape the double blank card on top of the first drawing and tape
the three blank faced cards on top of the remaining three drawings, blank side up. Run
it through the printer again, this time the drawings will print on top of the cards.

Allow the ink to dry for a minute and then take the sheet into a well ventilated area.
Spray a light coat of the workable Fixatif over the cards to prevent the ink from
smudging. You’ll be left with cards which can be handled like any other.

For the last bit of prep, take the double blank card, and tape it over the “Predict This”
logo, blank side up. Run it through the printer again so the card has a drawing on one
side and the logo on the other. Spray it as before. Mmm … don’t you just love that
smell?

Post-pre-do
The four cards will be placed in and around the card box for an easy index and retrieval
system. The order of the cards on the PDF file on the accompanying CD will be the same
order that they’re placed around the card box, from the top down.

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The first card, the double blank, is placed on the cut-out side of the box, with the logo
side up, under the cellophane. The second card is placed face down underneath the first
card. The third card is placed face down inside the card box. Finally, the fourth card is
placed face down under the cellophane on the opposite side of the box [Photo 2].

Put the pad of Post-it Notes in the box as well, and put everything, along with the
marker, in a convenient pocket.

Do
Ask Betty if she’d like to play a game. If she’s up for the challenge, bring out the card
box with the logo side out and spin the box around a full 360°, saying, “The game is
called ‘Predict This’. It’s fairly easy; all you have to do is predict what’s inside.” No
matter what she says, reply with a smile and say, “Oh, you’ve played this before?” as
you open the case towards yourself. She’ll usually say, “No,” to which you can reply
“Good. Because you haven’t gotten off to a great start,” as you dump out the Post-it
Notes. This should be said very jovially.

Close the box back up and place it off to the side with the label showing, commenting,
“We’ll get back to this later,” so there’s no surprise when the prediction is produced
from the box at the climax. As you remove the marker from your pocket say, “Don’t
worry, that was just the preliminary round. I have undying faith in your abilities to
whoop some serious pants in this next round.” Continue, “I’ll label some body parts
for entertainment purposes only … I should hope we’re past the point where this is
educational.” Write “Head” on the first Post-it Note and stick it to your forehead. Next,
write “Left hand” and stick it on the back of your left hand, then repeat the process
with your right hand too. For the last one, ask Betty, “Would you like to take a gander

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as to what the last one will be? Yes, I just said gander.” Allow her to name any body
part, to which you reply, “Oh come on, this should be pretty obvious. It’s my six pack!”
Stick this final Post-it Note on your abdomen [Photo 3, caught live at one of Tyler’s
performances]. If you’re ripped and actually have a Six pack (attention: Joshua Jay),
this probably won’t get quite as big of a laugh.

Tell Betty, “I’d like you to rearrange these. I want you to rearrange them so well that
they all end up in different places from where they started. I’m serious; I want you to
go to town!” Wait until Betty comes back from town - she will either swap two Post-it
Notes at a time until she’s satisfied, or pull them all off and stick them back on one at a
time, either way is fine.

Once she’s done having her fun, note whether the “Six pack” Post-it Note is visible.
If you can see it on one of your hands or your abdomen, proceed directly to the next
paragraph. If it’s not, that means it’s on your head, requiring one more step before
moving on. Without skipping a beat, move to Veronica and say, “I want these body parts
to be as random as possible, so do you mind mixing them up as well?” You should make
this look as though it’s normal and you always go to a second spectator. Now that the
“Six pack” is resting on a different body part, it’s time to move in for the kill.

Here comes the first and only time you actually have to do any work. The card box
index is broken up into two sets of pairs; the logo card and the card underneath it are
the “top” pair, and the card in the box along with the card on the other side of the box
are the “bottom” pair. The two cards which make up each pair are mirror images of
each other. The “Six pack” and “Head” Post-it Notes are the keys to the whole setup
(the hands play absolutely no role) so you’ll need to spot where Betty placed them. I’ll
describe what to do in each of the possible situations.

94
 The “Six pack” Post-it Note is on the left hand while the “Head” is on
the right hand: the prediction is on the other side of the logo card.

The “Six pack” Post-it Note is on the right hand while the “Head” is on
the left hand: the prediction card is underneath the logo card.

The “Six pack” Post-it Note is on the left hand while the “Head” is on
the abdomen: the prediction card is inside the card box.

The “Six pack” Post-it Note is on the right hand while the “Head” is on
the abdomen: the prediction card is on the other side of the card box.

There is no need to memorize anything; just break it up into steps. The first thing to
do is look for the “Six pack” Post-it Note. Since the previous phase ensured that it
cannot be on your forehead, it can only be found on one of your hands. If it’s on the left
hand, the proper prediction card will be the upper card of either the “top” pair or the
“bottom” pair. I remember this as if it’s reading, left to right, top to bottom. Needless
to say, if the “Six pack” is on the right hand, the proper prediction card will be the
lower card of the pair.

Now that you know which card of the pair to bring out, all that’s left to find out is which
pair to use. The “Head” Post-it Note finishes this up nicely. If it’s on one of the hands,
use the “top” pair, whereas if it’s on the abdomen, use the “bottom” pair. I remember
this because I think of the arms being higher up on the body than the abdomen (even
though technically the hands rest lower than the midsection, so shoot me).

It sounds fairly confusing, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. There is also plenty
of time to make these assessments, so don’t feel like there is any rush. Right after
Betty is finished rearranging, and while this one-time-only brain function is occurring,
say, “Betty: that was your role in the game of ‘Predict This’. My role in the game of
‘Predict This’ was to predict THIS, everything that has happened so far.”

That statement gives way more than enough time to figure out where to pull the
prediction from, so now’s the time to tell Betty where the prediction is before you
actually pick up the card box. The object is to make it look extremely obvious that the
prediction should be coming from wherever you get it, as if there’s no other logical
place for it to be. For example, if you need to pull it out of the card box, say, “I wasn’t
being completely truthful to you earlier when I said the only thing in the box was Post-
it Notes, there’s one other thing.” Open up the box and allow Betty to pull out the lone

95
prediction card. Another example, if you need to pull the prediction card from the other
side of the box, say, “Remember that card I showed you on the other side of the box
earlier? It has a drawing on it.” That’s why it’s good to twirl the box 360° at the outset,
the card on the back is disguised as the card box if you don’t need to use it, however if
it turns out that you do need it, you can claim you showed Betty the prediction from the
very beginning. Anyway, by now I think you get the picture of how to sell the location of
the prediction before ever reaching for the box.

Once the proper prediction card has been brought into play, immediately place the card
box in your pocket to remove all potential evidence for anyone who has been watching
C.S.I. a little too much. This is the home stretch, so it’s time to milk everything for what
it’s worth, and right now in Canada, milk is worth about $1 per litre. Turn the prediction
around to display the drawing, letting the abstract image sink in for a short moment.
Say, “It’s a drawing of a slightly disfigured man. It turns out that his six pack is on his
…” Point out each match one by one, pulling off each Post-it Note as you progress. There
is no specific order you have to follow when pointing out the matches, however I always
start with the “Six pack” and “Head” as the first two because they are the undeniable
concrete matches. When it comes time to show the matching hands, address the hand
print issue first so Betty understands what to expect for each “proof.”

Once the prediction has been shown to match completely, say, “Wow Betty, you’re the
best team-mate I’ve ever had for this game! Have you ever considered going pro?”
Shake her hand in true sportsman like conduct, but refrain from illegitimately fathering
several children in true sportsman like conduct.

Get in
The card box is already setup, meaning you can sail into this routine directly after your
favorite colour changing scented bath oil routine.

Get out
At the conclusion of the routine, you’re left with four Post-it Notes to dispose of.
Instead of hunting down a garbage can after each performance, simply stick them onto
Betty’s arm and say, “For a lovely parting gift, here’s the home game.” All that’s left
is to put the Post-it Note pad back in the card box and return the prediction card from
whence it came. You’re fully reset.

96
Get the most
1. Even though the actual number of possible outcomes is only 24, people seem to
believe it’s a whole lot more. I routinely hear comments such as, “The chances of
that are, like, one in a million,” proving that public schooling isn’t what it used to
be. I really don’t know why this perception exists, but I doubt it would be the same
if I asked someone to rearrange the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. I can only hazard a guess
that using various body parts masks the number and focuses on the identity, the
multitude of potential other body parts possibly also playing a role. I have absolutely
no education in psychology, this is nothing but pure speculation based solely on
repeated performance, so take it with a box of Kosher salt.

2. As we’ve already discussed, there are two restrictions involved with the routine:
nothing can be placed back where it started, and the “Six pack” Post-it Note
cannot remain on your head. During the presentation, these should not be played
as restrictions but rather enhancers as you should make it seem as though the
proceedings are even more random because of them. As well, the first restriction
is just kind of thrown in there between two other sentences telling Betty to mix
everything up well. A last note, is that no negative words are used when mentioning
the restriction, words like “don’t,” “can’t,” and “no” are avoided, again, so it
doesn’t sound like a restriction.

3. There will be times when the “Six pack” and “Head” Post-it Notes are in the
acceptable positions yet you notice that Betty placed the “Right hand” Post-it Note
back on the right hand, or similarly the “Left hand” on the left hand. In this situation
don’t tell her to change it, instead say, “Well, I wanted you to move them ALL
around, but I guess you’re a rebel and like to break the rules. No problem, I like
your style.” You’ll look like a rock star because Betty didn’t even follow the rules yet
you’ll still able to successfully predict the outcome, based on the ambiguity factor.

4. I remember being worried at first that the hand ambiguity was going to be too
transparent to the audience. On the contrary, using both hands seems to actually
strengthen the prediction as I hear comments like, “Wow, he even nailed which hand
goes where!” As a result, I’ve learned to never undersell the hand matching.

5. I don’t perform this routine for any less than three people at a time. This is just in
case the second spectator doesn’t move the “Six pack” Post-it Note off the head. It’s
never actually happened to me, but I want to make sure I have that third person to go
to if I have to.

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6. In the case of having a second spectator rearrange the Post-it Notes as well, I like to
increase my odds of having them take the “Six pack” off the head right away. I do this
by bending down at the waist so my head and hands are right in front of her. This also
automatically brings the abdomen out of play, meaning there are really only three
available body parts within her reach. The odds are now 2 out of 3 that she’ll move
the “Six pack” off my head during the first swap of two Post-it Notes. Them there are
bettin’ odds son. The bending down should be done under the context of trying to get
close enough for her to reach everything, in essence helping her.

7. To be honest, the backs of my hands are

just too freakishly hairy for the Post-it
Notes to adhere, so I have to stick them
to my palms at the base of the fingers
[Photo 4]. Until I get sponsored by Mach
3, this won’t be changing any time soon.
I still believe, however, that having the
Post-it Notes on the back of the hands is
better for this routine.

8. There was a time when I tried changing the wording around so Betty could get all
the credit, making it look like she predicted the drawing, rather than the drawing
predicting her rearrangement. This didn’t seem to play as well, I think it’s a little
more confusing to play off the idea that there’s some random esoteric drawing in the
case and Betty predicted it. Even though the current presentation technically has me
“winning” the game, I treat Betty like a team-mate rather than opponent, giving her
all the accolades as if she was instrumental in the successful outcome.

Shout outs
• If you’d like to see how a real writer describes this routine, look no further than
David Acer’s eloquent yet hilarious write-up of it in the March, 2006 issue of Genii
(Volume 69, Number 3).

• Andi
�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Gladwin produced the graphics for the cards that I use. He’s a friendly guy, so
has allowed me to include them on the accompanying CD so that you can use them
too. If you could have seen what I used to use before Andi so graciously donated his
incredible artistic skills to this routine, no doubt you would have felt ill at the sight.
It was made with Microsoft Paint, ‘nuff said. So please everyone say, “Thank you
Andi!” Thank you Andi!

• Thanks 3M!

98
Paul Mase’s Trick .....................................................................................

This is an Open Travellers routine with a technicolor twist.

You may ask, “Why are you bothering us with yet another handling of this already
done-to-death plot, Tyler?”

The simple answer: because I can.

If you’d rather a somewhat detailed answer, it’s an attempt to create a more in-
depth scenario for the plot, as a cheat would not only have to palm the Aces out
to his hand, but also locate them within the shuffled deck in the first place. This
creates an additional three magical moments for the plot without deviating from
its core concept. But that’s boring, so just stick with the simple answer.

See
Larry Jennings meets Crayola.

Gear
• A blue backed deck
• Four red backed Aces
• A red backed indifferent card (we’ll assume it’s the Queen of Hearts)

Pre-do
Stack a face down packet with the red backed cards in this order from the face:
• Ace of Diamonds
• Ace of Clubs
• Queen of Hearts
• Ace of Hearts
• Ace of Spades

Place these cards in a convenient pocket or wallet until you are primed and ready to
perform.

99
The only setup needed for the blue deck is to cut the Queen of Hearts to the top. If you
don’t want the blue backed Aces to show up during the routine, make sure they’re all in
the bottom half of the deck. If you don’t care, then neither do I.

Do
With the deck tabled, explain to Veronica, “Every time I bring out a deck of cards,
people always say the same thing; ‘Can you cheat at poker, Tyler?’” Wait a moment,
clear your throat, look Veronica directly in the eyes and say, “People ALWAYS say ‘Can
you cheat at poker, Tyler?” This is usually enough to get the point across so she says,
“Hey Tyler, can you cheat at poker?” Reply with, “Gee, thanks for asking. Yes, yes I can
cheat at poker,” then continue, “The next thing people always ask is, ‘Tyler, where did
you learn how to cheat?’” Veronica should be conditioned now to repeat the question
without any further prompting. Reply, “Video games! I used to use those cheat codes all
the time as a kid and now I’m reaping the benefits.”

Veronica will probably look a little confused, so add, “Allow me to clarify, cheating
with cards is really hard and I’m not that good, so all the poker I’ve been playing these
days has been online, where cheating is much easier. Here let me show you.” Tell her
that it will be easier to follow if you use cards with a different coloured back design
and remove the red backed packet from your pocket/wallet. Turn it face up and Ascanio
Spread to display the four Aces. Turn the packet face down in right hand Dealers Grip
and spread the top three cards into the left hand without reversing their order. Drop
these cards onto the deck and transfer the remaining double to left hand Biddle Grip.
Turn the left hand palm up to display the Ace of Diamonds and table the double face
down [Photo 1], saying, “You can usually get lucky with one good card naturally dealt to
you.”

100
 Pick up the deck in right hand Dealers Grip
and mention to Veronica, “The other Aces,
however, will require more than just luck
to obtain.” Insert each red backed card in
separate areas of the top half of the deck
while maintaining the same order (i.e. the
first card should still be the uppermost), but
leave them out-jogged for about half their
length [Photo 2]. Perform Jerry Sadowitz’s
Cover Shift as follows:

With the deck in right hand Dealers Grip,

the right thumb along the side and the right
index finger curled underneath, bring the
left hand over with the left index finger
curled on top and the left middle finger
stretched across the out-jogged cards at
the outer right corner [Photo 3]. Pulling the
cards into the deck from that position will
cause an angle-jogged condition on the left
side. Drag the right thumb along the side of
the deck to give the appearance of squaring
the deck and leave the deck in left hand
Biddle Grip. With the left pinky contacting
the angle-jogged cards at the outer left
corner, pick up half the deck with the left
index finger in preparation for a Swing Cut.
Bring the right hand over to receive the
top half and contact the top card with its
thumb to push it over in alignment with the
bottom packet [Photo 4]. The deck should
be necktied in order to hide this Slip Cut
style action. It will also hide any sloppiness
with the top card’s alignment in case it
flashes the red backed cards underneath.
Because of the left pinky’s contact with the
angle-jogged cards, they will stay behind as
the rest of the top half makes its way to the
bottom [Photo 5].

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The entire shift should only take a second or two and appear to be just a simple swing
cut. It will leave all three red backed cards in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions while
keeping the blue backed Queen of Hearts on top.

Phew, if you’ve made it this far, you’ll find the rest of the routine smooth sailing.

Disclose to Veronica, “I still remember the first cheat code I ever found by accident.
I just pressed all the buttons at once.” Draw attention to the top of the deck and
perform the Erdnase Change, but instead of immediately removing the left hand to
reveal the red back, press on the top of the deck as if you’re smooshing all the buttons
in with the palm.

Say, “It makes the online dealer bring the next Ace to the top of the deck.” Reveal the
red backed card and thumb it off, placing it in Pitching a Tent Vanish (page 16) position
with the back facing outward. It will be the Ace of Spades, but miscall it as the Ace of
Clubs.

Perform the Pitching a Tent Vanish but don’t reveal the vanish yet, keep the left hand
in a cramped palm position in front of your body, saying, “The next cheat code is the
most important. It causes a glitch in the system so other players won’t be able to see
the card. It’s up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, A, B, start.” To match actions
with words, press in different areas on the top of the deck with the right thumb as if
inputting the code. Turn your left hand toward yourself as if checking to see if the card
is still visible, but make sure Veronica can’t see into your hand. Say, “Whoops, I put in
the wrong code, that one gave me incredible strength,” and start flexing your muscles
as if you’re a flesh-coloured Hulk.

With the left hand back in a cramped palm position in front of the body, say “I think I
know what I did wrong, let’s try this again, up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right,
B, A, start,” emphasizing that “B” and “A” have been reversed, and press the imaginary
buttons on the deck with the right thumb as before. Look at your left palm again, but
this time smile and turn it over completely so Veronica can see the card has become
invisible. The Ace is now reversed on the bottom of the deck; a condition which will be
exploited in a moment.

Say, “It worked! Can you see it?” and allow the moment to sink in. Continue, “Now the
dealer can give me the card without anyone being the wiser,” and perform your best
robot movements as if you’re a computer program laying down a palmed card. When the
left hand reaches the table, split the tabled double causing the second card to appear

102
by using Ross Bertram’s finesse. This is done by placing the left edge of the left palm
next to the tabled double [Photo 6]. Roll the palm down on the tabled cards, the rolling
action will separate the double to reveal the “palmed” card [Photo 7].

Pick up the two tabled cards and push out with the left thumb to form a reverse spread
while placing them diagonal-jogged to the upper-right on the deck [Photo 8]. Take the
leftmost card, flip it face up while mentioning it’s the Ace which started it all, and place

it side-jogged to the left on top of the

deck for display purposes [Photo 9].
Turn the second Ace face up and call
attention to its identity as being what was
just in the deck moments ago and place
it directly beneath the Ace of Diamonds,
side-jogged even further to the left [Photo
10]. Bring the left hand over to grab the
two Aces in a Biddle style grip with the
thumb contacting the back left edge
of the deck and the left middle finger

103
 contacting the front left edge. In a Side
Steal type action, the right fingers push
the bottom card to the left so it remains
hidden underneath both Aces [Photo 11,
from underneath]. The left thumb and
middle finger act as rails so the bottom card
remains aligned during its travels.

Pull the three cards as if they’re just two

out to the left and use the right fingers and
thumb to help square the packet, it should
still be in a Biddle style grip. Use the right
thumb and middle finger as pivot points to
allow the left hand to turn the packet face
down and re-take back in Biddle Grip. As
your left hand moves away with its packet,
the right fingertips contact the underside of
the bottom card to slide it out [Photo 12].
The left hand places the packet to the table
in preparation for the next Ace.

Say, “That’s one heckuva Texas Hold ‘Em hand, but the best part about the codes is
that you can use them as many times as you want. Here, check it out.”

The previous actions are repeated all over again: Erdnase Change, miscall card (this
time as the Ace of Spades), Pitching a Tent Vanish, table revelation, display and loading
move from the bottom of the deck. This time, slide out two cards from the packet in
Biddle Grip so it looks like a three card spread. You can also repeat this process for the
final card if you wish, but I like to end with this different handling:

The current condition is that the four Aces are on the table while looking like only
three, with the blue backed deck in right hand Dealers Grip with the blue backed Queen
of Hearts on top and the red backed Queen of Hearts directly beneath it.

Inform Veronica, “That’s how the old-timers like me cheat. But today there are guys
even better. They’re able to cheat invisibly just by downloading a program which
does it all for them. They can even do it right out in the open,” and demonstrate by
performing a One-Card Pass to visually produce the final “Ace” while simultaneously
sending the blue backed Queen of Hearts to the bottom of the deck. Take the top card
with the left fingertips and flip the deck over with the right hand. Spread the deck while

104
mentioning the difficulty involved with
finding the Aces among a fully computer
shuffled deck [Photo 13].

Place the left hand’s face down card on top

of the face up deck, miscalling it as the Ace
of Hearts. Tell Veronica, “But still, there
are guys even better. They can download a
program that doesn’t even need the card
to be in the deck, they can steal what
they need right out of someone else’s hand,” and perform the Rub ‘N Tug Vanish (page
13) on a separate area of the performing surface away from the tabled Aces. Bring the
hand up as if palming the card but don’t reveal the vanish yet. Say, “But still, there are
guys even better. They can write their own programs which not only allow the Ace to
become invisible, but also cause the dealer to become increasingly more handsome.”

With fingers spread wide apart, reveal the card to have been invisibly palmed for
the last time. This will leave the red backed card reversed on the face of the deck,
conveniently showing the Queen of Hearts to eliminate any discrepancies. Finish with,
“So join me for a game online, my screen name is Hell Toupee,” and reveal the final Ace
on the table for the climax. I think my cell phone vibrates louder than it rings.

Get in
As mentioned earlier, if you keep the required five cards in a convenient wallet, all
that’s needed to set up is to cut the Queen of Hearts to the top of the deck. Rock on.

Get out
To display the final four Aces in a manner which get them back in their original order
(and reset the whole trick), the following actions should take place directly after
revealing the final face down card to have appeared on the table:

Pick up the four card packet with the left hand without squaring them. Get a break
under the top card of the deck before taking the two rightmost cards with the right
hand, retaining the other two with the left hand. Allow the leftmost card in the right
fingers to fall face up to the table followed by the remaining card in the right hand. Flip
the rightmost card from the left hand onto the tabled pile and finally the last card.

Scoop the Aces up with the left hand and place them on top of the deck to square.
Pick up all the cards above the break (with the deck still showing a Queen of Hearts)

105
and table the deck to the right. Take
the Ace packet into right hand Dealers
Grip and spread the top two cards
into the left hand. Separate the hands
while spreading the top card of the
right packet to display all four Aces
[Photo 14]. Place the left hand’s Aces
underneath the right hand’s cards, and
voila, your packet is reset. All that’s left
for a complete reset is to cut the blue
backed Queen of Hearts back to the top of the deck.

Get the most

1. This routine must read like a Dostoevsky novel, but I promise you it’s pretty
straightforward. I just seem to have a natural ability to drag descriptions out longer
than an episode of Full House. Give it a go and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how
easy it really is.

2. Okay, I lied. Every time I bring out a deck of cards, the only thing people ever say is,
“Hey, can you do that one where my card ends up on the other side of the window!?”

3. Some may not like the fact that the Aces and deck make contact in the routine.
This was essentially a byproduct of an element I disliked from the classical handlings
which I wanted to remove. I didn’t like the fact that the magician constantly had to
put down and pick up each packet so many times throughout the routine. I realize
this was to create distance between the two packets, but I personally found it tiring
and awkward to not only do, but even to watch as well. In essence, it just wasn’t my
style.

The deck being held in the right hand throughout Paul Mase’s Trick economizes the
handling and cuts down on what I would consider clutter. Since you need both hands
for some of the actions, it should appear as though the deck just happens to be in the
right hand during the proceedings rather than focusing any actual purpose on it.

After performing several versions of Open Travellers, not surprisingly I found the
vanishes and appearances to be what audiences gasped and talked about. So that’s
where I decided to focus attention with this routine, on making the vanishes and
appearances as strong as possible while keeping the handling economical and
streamlined. The distance factor became a sacrificial lamb in order to simplify the
look of the routine, while adding three magical moments to it at the same time. It’s a

106
 compromise, but I firmly believe I’m giving up far less than I’m getting. Your mileage
may vary.

4. I toyed around with the idea of secretly utilizing the blue backed Aces to allow the
showing of each Ace before and after every travel, but I ultimately decided against
it. If you’re interested in a routine which allows for such displays (without the
technicolor aspect), check out Doug Conn’s Tricked Traveler for a truly superb version
of the Open Travellers plot. It can be found in his book Tricks of my Trade.

5. My friend Chris Mayhew has a great idea when performing this routine without a soft
surface around, he uses the card case as a stage instead. It’s very easy to set a double
on the case perpendicular so it hangs off the side, allowing for an easy pick-up later
on. The only issue you must face is that the doubles must be absolutely spot on, as
the elevated state of the cards will give away any imperfections more so than if they
were resting on the table. Try it out, it’s a great idea. Thanks Chris!

Shout outs
• The original version of the Ascanio Spread (El Culebreo) was executed with the cards
held by the long edges. It was described in English in Karl Fulves’ Epilogue Special
number 4 (1976). Handling the cards by the long ends (as we perform it today) is
generally known as Marlo’s Vertical Ascanio and was published in Jon Racherbaumer’s
Ascanio Spread Manuscript (1976). However, it has been said by a number of Ascanio’s
friends that he would frequently use a vertical grip, depending on the context of the
move.

• Jerry Sadowitz’s Cover Shift can be found in Cards Hit (1984). The standard Elias
Multiple Shift can be found in Ed Marlo’s book The Multiple Shift (1960).

• Loading the bottom card of the deck under the two or three on top is very similar to
Bill Simon’s lovely Cover for the Side Slip from Effective Card Magic (1952).

• I strongly suggest looking into other handlings of this plot if you don’t already know
any. The history of the plot is incredibly muddied so I won’t even attempt to lay
down the entire history here, but I will give nods to Bill Miesel, Larry Jennings, Bruce
Cervon, Ed Marlo, Dai Vernon and Bugs Bunny.

• The
��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
code I described to turn the card invisible is commonly referred to as The Konami
Code or The Contra Code, due the fact it was used in many Konami games for the
original Nintendo Entertainment System. For instance, if you enter the code during
the title screen of Contra, you’ll start with 30 lives. Oh my god, I have no life.

107
Scarred warp. . . .

r
Please excuse me while I put on some
kid gloves for the following description,
although to be honest, they don’t fit very
well (but then again neither do the kid pants).
The reason I have to be so careful is because
I’ll be describing my version of Roy Walton’s
classic trick Card Warp, which is a marketed
item. This means I can’t just go around exposing its
inner workings, so I’ll be describing my variation with the
assumption that you are already familiar with the original M.O.

Unlike most variations of Card Warp which strive to improve it by adding cleaner
and more convincing displays, this variation adds a second effect to the mix
without (hopefully) cluttering it. This stems from asking myself, “What would the
center of Card Warp look like if it was exposed?”

Suffice it to say that if you don’t already own Card Warp, go out and buy it right
now. It’s easily one of the coolest card tricks ever created. Ever.

See
The magician admits to Veronica that he’s not as invincible as he looks: he’s actually
afraid of Queens and Threes. He musters up the courage to demonstrate why they’re so
frightening and proceeds to remove a Queen and a Three to fold them in half. He inserts
the lengthwise folded Queen inside the widthwise folded Three so one end is sticking
out. The magician claims that the part which scares him the most is right at the entry
point between the two cards. He claims the only way to see what happens at that point
is to push the Queen through the Three so it comes out the other side. Upon doing this,
the Queen emerges from the other side, flipped over!

The Queen is pushed through again to flip it back over, returning to the starting position.
He tells Veronica that even though the one point on the card scares him, there’s a
different point on the card which actually terrifies him, and points to the middle of the
Three. The only way to demonstrate what happens at that point is to rip a hole right
out of the midsection of the card. Now when the Queen is pushed through the Three,
nothing is visible through the hole! Nothing. The Queen is pushed back and forth a few

108
more times, emerging out the other end of the Three flipped over, but with absolutely
nothing in the middle!

The magician can’t take anymore of the terror and decides to rip the cards in half,
right through the middle. Before handing the pieces to Veronica, he uses them to make
a memento for her to keep and remind her of the unique experience she just shared.
Wow, that sounds pretty sappy.

Gear
I personally use standard Bicycle Rider Back cards in performance, but I will be
describing the routine using Tally-Ho Circle Back cards because their natural features
allow for easier understanding of the procedures. I’ll touch on the use of Bicycle cards
in the Get the most section.

• A Three (any suit) Tally-Ho Circle

backed card
• A Queen (any suit) Tally-Ho Circle
backed card
• A Xacto Knife
• A surface which you won’t mind
destroying [Photo 1]

Pre-do
The standard Card Warp preparation is used in this
routine, along with two additional quick bits of
prep. These are small slits made with the Xacto
Knife along the back of the Queen. Before you start
slashing the card up like Freddy Krueger, look for
all the inverted triangles which form a big circle
around the center of the card. Each triangle has
“Middle blob”
three white blobs inside, although you’ll only be
concerned with the middle blob [Photo 2].
2

109
From the middle blob of the third triangle to
the right, cut a slit with the Xacto Knife straight
across the card until the middle blob of the
third triangle to the left. Turn the card around
180° and perform the same slits with the new
blobby blobs [Photo 3]. The knife will go right
through the cards, so make sure you’re not
cutting over top of your receipt from that Avril
Lavigne CD you bought, or you’ll never be able
to return it.
3
Place the prepared Queen and unprepared
Three in a pocket or wallet. You’re ready to go!

Do
Tell Veronica, “David Blaine may be fearless, but I’m afraid of Queens and Threes.”
While pulling out the prepared Queen along with the regular Three. Get into standard
Card Warp position by having Veronica fold the Three in half widthwise, back outwards,
and inserting the lengthwise folded Queen inside it [Photo 4]. I personally get in this
position by using David Acer’s Card Warp Get Ready as I think it’s much more efficient,
but Walton’s original method will do just fine.

Holding the package by the bottom in the left fingertips, say, “Actually, what scares me
is what happens right here.” Point to the area where the lengthwise card is entering the
widthwise card [Photo 5] and continue, “If you want to see what happens there, we’ll
have to push the card through that spot and see how it comes the other side. But I’m
standing back for this.” Ask Veronica to to hold up her thumb as if she’s hitchhiking her
way to a better place with a better magician, then with the lengthwise card protruding
from the left side, allow her to push on it slowly, showing the Queen to emerge face up
from the other side.

110
 Re-grip the package by grasping the
protruding portion with the right index
and middle fingers, allowing the thumb to
contact the back of the widthwise folded
card. This will cause the front half of the
widthwise card to open up slightly. Bring
the left hand in from the front, fingers
closed, and pull the front half up to show
the entire Queen has turned face up, letting
the left fingers cover the dirty work
[Photo 6]. Reverse the actions to get back
into standard Card Warp position.

Turn the package around 180° so the Queen

is protruding from the left side again,
and allow Veronica to slowly push it with
her thumb back into the widthwise card,
showing it to materialize face down out the
other side.

No more Mr. Nice Guy. Say, “As much as

that part scares me …” pointing to the
same area you noted before, “… this area
over here absolutely terrifies me!” Point
to the middle of the widthwise folded
card [Photo 7] and tell Veronica, “The only
way to see what happens there, is to rip
a big hole into it.” To prepare for the rip,
move the lengthwise card down until the
borders from both cards line up and grip the
package between the right middle and ring
fingers [Photo 8]. With the left hand, rip a
semi-circle into the card along the inner
circle of the Tally-Ho Circle Back design.
The rip can come further inwards along
the length of the card, but it can’t really
deviate much further from either end along
the width [Photo 9]. Don’t skimp on the rip,
for the best illusion you’ll want to make
the hole as big as possible, without the risk
of compromising the following sequence.

111
 Trying it out a few times will give you the
confidence needed for perfect holes every
time.

After placing the ripped off portion onto

the table, open up the back side of the
widthwise folded card with the left hand to
display the hole to Veronica. Say, “The first
frightening part is that this hole makes
my thumb look fat,” while sticking your
very real left thumb through the very real
hole. As the thumb enters the hole, pull
down on the midsection of the lengthwise
card with the right thumb. This will fold
over the middle portion of the card, leaving
a long gap to be exploited [Photo 10, second
card removed for clarity]. Sometimes the
middle section will make a small noise when
it’s folded down, so make sure to time it
with the insertion of the left thumb through
the hole. Any noise should be attributed to
the left thumb and not any extracurricular
activity behind the scenes.

Bring the left thumb away and fold the

widthwise card back onto itself as it was
previously. Rotate the package with the
right hand so it’s being held at the open end
of the widthwise card, the lengthwise card
sticking out from the top [Photo 11]. Say,
“The second terrifying part comes when you see what happens when I move the card
over to the hole …” and match actions to words by sliding the lengthwise card so it’s
along the spine of the widthwise card, showing the lack of pasteboard through the hole.
Continue, “… nothing! Nothing happens because there’s nothing there, it’s terrifying!”
Push the lengthwise card through as before to reveal the same turnover sequence, but
this time it will look like the middle of the card has vanished, nothing will show through
the hole [Photo 12].

Turn the right hand over, flipping the package 180°, and push the card through again
to show what it looks like from the other side. Push it back up from the bottom so it’s
halfway between the widthwise card and stop. Ask Veronica, “Does this frighten you

112
 as much as it does me? I just can’t take
anymore.” Bring the package up in front
of your chest so the hole is uppermost and
rip the package in half, right down the
middle of the hole. With half in each hand,
place the respective thumbs within their
respective widthwise halves, respectively.
Push up on both folded over portions of the
lengthwise card, causing them to unfold
while simultaneously opening the widthwise
halves. Place each widthwise portion on the table, about eight inches apart [Photo 13].

The pieces in your hands aren’t examinable at this point, they each still have a slit in
them, so you could simply rip them up a few more times to hide the evidence. If you’d
like a more elegant clean-up and ending, check the Get out section. Wax on, wax off.

Get in
Hand the deck to Veronica to be shuffled thoroughly. When she’s satisfied that it’s
mixed, say, “Now there’s no way for anyone to know where any specific cards are,
correct? So if I were to be able to tell you exactly where a Queen and a Three are
located after you completely shuffled the deck, would you be impressed?” Allow her to
respond as you look at the deck intensively and say, “I keep them in my pocket,” while
pulling out the cards or wallet. Continue, “I keep them out of the deck because I’m
actually scared of them …” and you’re into the routine.

Get out
You’re about to clean up while
simultaneously creating a unique souvenir
for Veronica to take home.

Offer Veronica the two remaining pieces

that are in your hands, but bring them back
as if just getting an idea. Say, “Actually,
if I’m giving you these to keep, why don’t
I make a memento out of them for you.” Bring the pieces together behind your left
fingers so they’re facing the same direction with the slits lining up [Photo 14]. Start
slowly ripping down along the slits, although because there will be nothing to actually
rip for the first half of the card and therefore no resistance, make a slightly exaggerated
effort to begin with. Once you reach the end of the pre-cut slits the ripping will become

113
 real, so don’t alter your movements or
pace. Stop ripping about half an inch from
the edge, albeit this is just a guideline
as the exact position doesn’t really make
a darn tootin’ bit of difference. Make an
almost 90° turn with the ripping pattern
and start tearing the pieces toward the
bottom with a slight angle towards the
outside edge. Stop about a half an inch
from the bottom of the pieces [Photo 15].

Separate the pieces and unfold them so

one is face down and the other is face
up. Lay the face down piece on top of the
face up piece with the rips facing opposite
directions and slide each ripped portion
within the other [Photo 16]. The pieces
will now be locked together, looking like a
single card half face up and half face down
(though a little shorter). Fold it in half
along its length as before and place it in
between the two halves already tabled for a
nice display [Photo 17].

Get the most

1. Don’t worry about people spotting the
slits: I assure you that it won’t happen.
When the card is inside the package, the
slits are always covered by the outer card
so there is no opportunity for them to be seen. The only time they’re out in the open
is at the outset of the routine before the folding begins, but they are so hard to see
even when you’re looking for them that you simply don’t have to worry about it.

2. As I mentioned earlier, I actually use Rider Back Bicycle cards for this routine. There
are also built-in features in the back design of these cards to allow easy Xacto Knifing,
but there isn’t really a guide for ripping the hole later on in the routine.

To prepare the slits on the Rider Back, find the rightmost bird next to the upper angel

114
 riding the bike. Cut a straight line
across the angel until reaching the
inner edge along the large circle
[Photo 18]. Lather, rinse, turn the
card 180°, and repeat.

Ripping the hole during the

routine with Rider Backs will
be sketchy until you become
confident with the placement of
the rips. I tend to start ripping
outside the middle propeller-like
rod and finish the tear at an equal
distance from the center. Again, 18
there’s plenty of room for artistic
freedom, but you just don’t want to go too far or you’ll risk exposure later on during
the final push-through phase.

3. Because I don’t like to take chances, I incorporate a fail-safe moment into the
routine to prevent any embarrassing occurrences. During the first push-through
after ripping the hole out, I insert my left index finger into the hole when the card
hasn’t quite fully been pushed through so that only the length of the border is still
protruding from the top. Pushing the remaining portion of the card with the finger in
the hole will prevent any edges from accidentally being exposed in case the ripped
hole is too large. If that’s the case, you’ll feel the edges push against the finger
while there’s still a sliver of the card still protruding from the top. Remove the finger
and don’t push anymore, simply turn the package 180° and continue as previously
described.

This will make more sense when you try the routine out a few times at the beginning
as the holes will probably tend to be pretty sloppy. After that you’ll probably never
have to do it anymore; however I still do just to be safe. It’s a non-move and is
done while saying, “There’s really nothing there,” so it looks like you’re inserting
the finger as a proving method rather than a holy-crap-I-don’t-want-to-look-stupid
method.

115
Shout outs
• Card Warp is a marketed manuscript by Roy Walton (�������������������������
September, ��������������
1973) and was
released by Davenports.

• David Acer’s The Card Warp Get-Ready was published in Magic Menu (Issue 37,
September/October, 1996) and his book Natural Selections II (1999).

• Michael Close’s Rubik’s Dollar Bill from Workers 2 (1991) is an unrelated routine,
however it gimmicks a dollar bill in a way which arrives at a similar end result to the
Queen’s situation during the ripped hole phase of Scarred Warp. Damn, I should be
a politician. While on the topic of Michael Close and Card Warp, check out his Dr.
Strangetrick from Workers 1 (1990) as it was the version of Card Warp I used to use
and has some of the best displays extant.

• Jamie Badman was the brains behind using the inner circle on Tally-Ho Circle Back
cards as a teaching tool for ripping the hole. Thanks Jamie!

• Andi Gladwin, Jack Parker, Tomas Blomberg and Jamie Badman were all instrumental
in fuelling my creative juices to conceive the final give-away card. Thanks guys!

116
Sven who? > > > > > > > > > > > >
Have you ever wanted to perform a Svengali Deck routine using a normal deck? Me
neither, but here’s a routine inspired by our favorite gaffed deck anyway.

See
The magician places a prediction off to one side and asks Betty to select a card (e.g.
King of Clubs). The prediction is triumphantly revealed to say “Not red.” The magician
admits to cheating and shows every card in the deck to be black. He waves his hand
over the deck to turn every card red as he mentions how much more impressive
the odds would have been in this case. With another wave, the deck is shown to be
completely normal, made up of red and black cards. To conclude, the magician proves
just how accurate the prediction really was by showing the King of Clubs to be the only
blue backed card in the entire red backed deck. It truly was the only card which was
“Not red!”

Gear
• A
�����������������
red backed deck
• Any
���������������������������������������������������������������������
black card with a blue back (we’ll assume it’s the King of Clubs)
• A
����������������
piece of paper
• A writing instrument (such as a ballpoint clarinet) <insert rimshot here>
����������������������������������������������������

Pre-do
Split the red backed deck into reds and blacks with the reds on top. Place the blue
backed King of Clubs on the face of the deck. You’re ready to go.

Do
Bring out the pen and paper and write “Not red” as a prediction, fold it up a few
times and place it aside. As you bring out the deck say, “I’ve been doing this trick a
LONG time, probably ever since I was about 5 foot 17.” Force the blue backed King of
Clubs on Betty using any method you know, ensuring that the back can’t been seen. I
personally use Hasselhofzinser �������������������������������������������������������
(page 28)����������������������������������������������
, but even something like the Cross Cut Force

117
would work well. You don’t want her turning the card over before the climax to the
routine, so place it off to the side a bit but still in plain view.

Say, “I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of predictions before, but nothing like this. Most are
so incredibly vague that they could mean anything, but my prediction is so amazingly
accurate that I predict you’ll tell your therapist all about it.” Ask Betty to unfold the
prediction and read it aloud. Because you folded the prediction up a few times, it will
usually take her a few seconds, so as she’s doing this, split the deck in half and perform
an Out Faro. The Faro doesn’t have to
be remotely perfect; in fact you could
get away with just doing a riffle shuffle,
however the closer the weave is to
being perfect, the smoother the displays
will look later on. Don’t complete the
shuffle, leave the halves separate for
about the width of the border [Photo
1, slightly exaggerated]. The right hand
should be palm down (showing the black
face card) to allow the back of the hand
to hide the true condition of the deck.
To hide the condition from the sides,
the thumb grips the deck by the corner
closest to the body and the middle
finger grips the opposite corner. The
index finger rests curled on the face of
the deck [Photo 2].

By this point Betty will have read the

prediction and it will have gotten a
laugh. Say, “You laugh now, but when I
was doing this as a kid, I would cheat
and use a deck made up of nothing but
black cards” and bring the deck up to
chest height, angled so the front edge of
the deck is aimed just above her head.
With the index finger of the left hand,
slowly riffle through the cards from the
face of the deck through to the back
[Photo 3]. Because of the Incomplete
Faro, the cards will act like a Svengali

118
 Deck and only display every second
card, which just happen to be black.
This is the display which looks smoother
with a tighter Faro Shuffle.

Turn the left hand palm up and contact

the back of the deck with its fingers.
Rock the right hand back to deposit the
deck onto the left hand fingertips as
the left thumb clamps the face. Turn
the left hand palm down and gesture
towards the King of Clubs, the left hand will still hide the condition from the front
[Photo 4]. Say, “But my mom told me that it would be much more impressive if I did the
same trick using a deck full of red cards instead.” Curl the left hand down and inward
to place the deck face up in right hand Dealers Grip with the left hand still holding the
deck from the front. Release the deck
with the left hand and lay it down on
the face of the deck to perform an
Erdnase Change. Because of the deck’s
condition, you won’t need to push the
top card forward to get a grip on the
card below, cool huh?

This will reveal a red card on the face

to match actions with words, but don’t
completely remove the left hand from
the deck after the change, let its fingertips hang out at the rear to once again hide the
deck’s condition. Grip the bottom of the deck with the left thumb and pivot it up so the
right hand can grab it in the same position as the previous display [Photo 5]. The left
fingers will also pull the face card up during the transfer of the deck so it aligns with the
up-jogged cards. Riffle the deck again to show the entire deck is made up of only red
cards. Square the deck.

Say, “But my Grandma always said ‘Stop that or you’ll go blind!’ ... she also told
me to just be myself and use a regular deck of cards. She said people will find it
more impressive than using a trick deck.” Riffle the deck as before to show the deck
containing red and black cards. One thing to consider: there is a noticeable difference
between riffling 26 cards (as was done previously) and riffling 52 cards now. To hide the
discrepancy, only riffle about 26 cards from the middle at the same tempo as you did
earlier and shotgun the rest of them.

119
Fan the deck face down and say, “So now that you know where this trick came from,
not to mention my entire genealogy, you’ve got to admit it’s pretty amazing, right?
You’d be surprised how many people aren’t amazed because they think the odds are 1
in 2 that I’d be right. They don’t seem to understand that the odds are actually 1 in 52,
because your card is truly the ONLY card that is ‘Not red.’” Turn the King of Clubs face
down to provide a good spankin’. Creamed corn anyone?

Get in
Keep the blue backed King of Clubs in the rear left pants pocket for when nature calls.
If you’re like me, chances are pretty good that at any given time your deck won’t be
coincidentally split into reds and blacks. To remedy this situation without having to
resort to ugly boring ol’ sleight of hand, use the following gag:

With the faces toward yourself, cut a group of two or more black cards to the face. Say
“Betty, I’d like you to send all your thoughts to me.” while up-jogging the last black
card in that first group. Stop, and then rapidly run through the deck, up-jogging every
red card in the process, saying “Whoa, I’m getting a flood of info from you. All the
way back to when you got beat up for your lunch money, last week.” When finished,
strip the up-jogged cards out with the right hand and say “Betty, do you have a favorite
card?” When she answers, reply “Do you have, um, about 19 of them?” as the right
thumb riffles down the packet as if to estimate the number of cards.

Here’s where you get sneaky, bring the right hand down so the faces show and push the
sole black card halfway off the deck saying “You’re not going to believe this, but one
of them is a 5, right?” (or whatever the value of the black card is) for a laugh. As this is
taking place, the left hand reaches around back to steal the blue backed King of Clubs
onto the face of the packet. Bring it back around and coalesce the packets so the King
remains on the face of the deck, the deck is now set-up for the routine. Say “Aren’t I
amazing?” to which a lukewarm response is usually received, continue “My mind reading
skills are good, but my real abilities involve predicting the future. I’ve been honing
them since an early age.” and launch into the routine.

As an aside, if you paid attention to the identity of the red card under the lone black
card in the left hand, it can be used as a key card later as the deck is being split for the
Faro Shuffle.

If that doesn’t suit your style, for years I used to separate the colors using a ploy called
(surprise surprise) Separating The Colors. It’s a variation of the Slop Shuffle, so I would
do it in a preceding routine which incorporated the shuffle as part of its M.O., allowing

120
me to go straight into Sven Who? without having to “toy” with the deck at the outset.
To ring in the blue backed King of Clubs, I would keep it in the same pocket as the pen
and paper. It was a simple matter to palm the King as the other items were brought out.

Get out
Putting the blue backed King of Clubs away leaves you in position to go into any routine
that can be performed with an unprepared deck.

As an added bonus, if the Faro performed during the routine was perfect, the deck
is left in (almost) prime position to go into a plenitude of routines using that set-up,
Tamariz’s Blown Away (aka Neither Blind Nor Silly/Stupid) being one of my favorites .
All that’s needed is to swap the face card with the card directly beneath it (essentially
undoing the earlier Erdnase Change). And as an added bonus to the added bonus, Blown
Away ends in the prime position to go straight into Sven Who? The circle of life is at
work my peeps.

Get the most

1. The movements have been carefully choreographed to allow as much cover of the
deck’s Incomplete Faro condition as possible, so try to keep that in mind as you’re
performing the routine to avoid flashing.

2. When I’m performing, I carry Post-it Notes to

perform Compost It (page 45), so I use them to write
the prediction on. This allows me to fold the note
up with the adhesive portions towards each other,
making it a little more difficult to open. This adds
more time to casually perform the Faro Shuffle
without being rushed. By no means is it necessary to
use this ruse, but it rhymes.

3. Seriously, my Grandma [Photo 6] is pretty damn cool!

Shout outs
Max Holden’s Cross Cut Force can be found in Anneman’s 202 Method’s of Forcing
• ���������������������������������������������
(1933).

• ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������
For information on the Faro Shuffle and the Incomplete Faro, check out Ed Marlo’s
Revolutionary Card Technique series (1958).

121
• The Erdnase Change can be found in Expert at the Card Table (1902) under the title
Transformations. Two Hands. First Method.

• Separating the Colors can be found in the Sundry Sleights section of Expert Card
Technique (1940). Sid Lorraine’s original Slop Shuffle was published in Subtle Problems
You Will Do by Stuart Judah and John Braun (1937).

• �������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Juan Tamariz’s Blown Away (aka Neither Blind Nor Silly/Stupid) can be found in
Apocalypse Volume 10 Number 7 (July, 1987), in his book Sonata (English translation,
1991) and on his Lessons In Magic videos.

122
Sloppy 30 seconds ******
Many creators claim that their routines are their babies and therefore can’t pick
favorites. I think babies are ugly so I have no problems stating that this routine is
my favorite creation with cards.

It was designed specifically for restaurant use, so you’ll have to be performing

under similar conditions to pull it off. The conditions require the spectators to
look up to you while performing, meaning they’ll probably be seated while you’re
standing up. If you never perform under these conditions, there may be other
elements of the routine of interest. Or maybe not.

See
The magician accidentally drops the Queen of Hearts on the ground as he’s shuffling.
“Don’t worry,” he jokes, “We use the 30 second rule here. I guess that means we only
have 27.5 seconds to finish this trick.” With haste, the magician spreads the deck
towards Veronica and says, “Alright, you can have any card you like … well … obviously
except for the Queen of Hearts.”

Assuming Veronica picks the Nine of Spades, the magician explains, “On the count
of three, the Nine of Spades will be the only card face up in the entire face down
deck.” Before the magician even gets to “Three!”, the deck visually turns face up! He
states, “Uh oh, I think we just broke the 30 second rule. Do you know what this means?
Everything gets reversed. All the cards are now face up ... except one!”

The magician claims, “I’m serious, EVERYTHING gets reversed. Check it out, now you’re
wearing my underwear! I’m just kidding,” he says, “I don’t wear underwear.” The
magician proves the reversed situation by removing the face down card and showing it
to be the one card that couldn’t have been picked, the Queen of Hearts! Veronica’s eyes
dart towards the floor to see the Nine of Spades staring her in the face!

123
Gear
• A
��������������������������������������������������������
double faced card (as you’ve probably already guessed)
• A
����������������������������������������������������������������������
matching deck which contains the two cards shown on the double facer

From the commercially available double faced decks, I tend to use the combinations
Queen of Hearts/Nine of Spades, King of Spades/Eight of Hearts, etc, because of the
highly contrasting identities on either side.

Pre-do
Place the double faced card on the face of the deck, it doesn’t matter which value is
facing which way. Place the two matching cards on top of the deck, the lower value
card being uppermost.

Assuming we’re using the Queen of Hearts/Nine of Spades combination for this example,
the setup from the top down is:

• ��������������
Nine of Spades
• ���������������
Queen of Hearts
• ��������������������
50 indifferent cards
• �����������������
Double faced card

Do
Holding the deck in deep left hand Biddle
Grip, chat up Veronica while placing the
right index finger across the front short
edge of the face card. Pull back with the
right index finger towards the left thumb
causing the double facer to buckle, similar
to the Mercury Card Fold [Photo 1]. Stop
when the front edge of the card has been
pulled back ¾ of its length and allow it
recoil back into its original position. The
object here is to give the card a slight bend
across the middle, but not to crease it in
any way [Photo 2].

124
 Start an overhand shuffle by peeling the
double faced card off into the right hand,
but allow it to fall to the floor. It will land
in one of two ways; with both short ends
lifted off the ground [Photo 3], or arced
with a gap under the middle [Photo 4].
Assuming it landed with the Queen of
Hearts facing up, say, “Don’t worry we
use the 30 second rule here. I guess that
means we only have 27.5 seconds to finish
the trick!” This should come off as just a
funny throwaway remark, you don’t really
want Veronica to make the connection
that it’s part of the trick.

Stare at the card on the floor and say,

“What is that? The Queen of Hearts?
Oh, it’s okay we don’t need that card
anyway.” Asking, “What is that?” as if
you’re having trouble seeing it will cause
the majority of people to look down at
the card to verify the identity, if they haven’t already done so. You really want to make
sure at least a few people see what card is on the floor, obviously if no one sees it, the
ending will be a lot less astonishing.

Say, “Veronica, please touch absolutely any card you like …” Peel off the top three
cards into the left hand reversing their order, to match actions with words as you say
this. Bring both hands apart and back towards yourself as you look down to the floor and
say, “… well, obviously except for the Queen of Hearts.” You really want to drive the
identity of the card home so it’s startling when they see it in your hands at the end of
the routine.

Bring both hands back together and

spread the cards from the right hand on
top of the three cards hanging out in the
left hand [Photo 5, exposed for clarity].
This is a Marlo technique for getting into
the Spread Force without needing to cull
the force card. When Veronica touches

125
a card from the spread, break the spread at that point with her selection being the
lowermost card in the left hand portion. Squaring the left hand’s portion against the
right hand will cause the three cards riding under the spread to become the new bottom
cards. Veronica will think the face card is her selection, but it’s really the Nine of
Spades.

Allow her to take the Nine of Spades and reform the deck by placing the left hand’s
cards beneath the right hand’s portion. As she’s showing it around to everyone, turn
your head to the right and cover the left side of your eyes with the left hand. This is
done under the guise that you don’t want
to get a glimpse of the selection, but it’s
really done for your benefit. Covering
your eyes from view will allow you to look
down at the card on the floor as you turn
it over with your feet.

Depending on which way the card landed,

there are two different ways to turn it
over. If the short ends are raised off the
floor, stepping on one of them will cause
the other short edge to rise higher into
the air [Photo 6]. The other foot can now
come in under the card and flip it over
[Photo 7]. If the card is arced with a gap
under the middle, stepping on the center
of the long edge will stabilize the card as
the other foot gets in under the arced gap
to flip it over [Photo 8]. Either way, the
change is done so faggedabout it.

Turn back around, take Veronica’s

card, and say, “There’s no possible
way I can know what card you chose,
right?” When she says, “No”, proclaim
“Actually, I can just turn it over and
look at it,” while taking a glimpse of
the selection. Continue, ”But other than
that, there’s no way I can know what
your card is, right?” It gets a laugh but

126
more importantly it allows the card to remain face up for the rest of the routine. Place
the selection on the table face up and say, “Here’s what’s going to happen,” while
spreading the deck face down between the hands. Close the spread while performing a
Half Pass to the bottom card, the Queen of Hearts. Transfer the deck to left hand Biddle
grip and continue, “On the count of three, your card …” and gesture towards Veronica
with the deck, turning the left hand palm up in the process. This will casually turn the
deck over, but it will still appear face down because of the face down Queen of Hearts
on top. Transfer the deck into right hand Dealers Grip and finish with “… will be the only
card face up in the entire deck.” To match actions with words, place Veronica’s Nine of
Spades face up in the center of the deck, out-jogged for half its length [Photo 9]. Pause
in this situation to create a visual frame of reference for Veronica because in a moment

everything will be completely reversed.

Push the Nine of Spades into the deck while keeping a break below it and say “We
need someone who’s good at counting, did anyone watch Sesame Street this morn…?”
Immediately perform a Classic or Riffle Pass to visibly cause the deck to become face
up. Look down at the deck with a puzzled look as if you don’t know what the heck
just happened, act as if a light bulb just went off in your head and check your watch
(if you’re not wearing one, grab Veronica’s arm and check hers). Say, “Oh my god, I
think we just broke the 30 second rule, do you know what this means? Everything gets
reversed. All the cards are now face up … except one!” Spread the deck to show its
condition and out-jog the face down card and square the rest of the deck [Photo 10].
Say, “I’m serious, everything gets reversed. Do you remember the one card you weren’t
able to pick?” Use Displayboy (page 34) to reveal the Queen of Hearts. There’s no need
to mention the card on the floor; all eyes jump to it immediately anyway.

If the routine were to play out with the Nine of Spades face up when the card hit the
floor:

127
During the phase of spreading the cards for Betty to touch one, the initial handling
changes slightly. Since you will need to force the Queen of Hearts on her in this
situation, peel the first card into the left hand followed by the second card BENEATH
the first card and finally the third card above everything. Continue exactly as described
from then on. Yahtzee!

Get in
This is meant as an opener, so just set the three cards in position prior to performance.
If the double facer is kept in a pocket or card wallet, the entire setup takes mere
seconds to accomplish.

Get out
To clean up, throw the Queen of Hearts on the table and transfer the deck to the left
hand with the thumb on top of the inner left corner and the fingers below. Bend down to
pick the Nine of Spades up off the floor with the right hand. Hold it in Dealers Grip and
place the deck on top of it as the left fingers hold back the bottom card (the legit Nine
of Spades). It will look as though you just swapped the deck for the card.

Throw the Nine of Spades on the table next to the Queen of Hearts so they’re clean.
Whenever the moment is right, cop or palm off the double facer to finish the clean up.

It sounds like a lot of work just to end with examinable props, but I strongly believe
that any item which has been affected by magic during the course of a routine should
be available for examination at the denouement. It’s perfectly natural for people to
want to tactually experience the tangible items which have been affected by magic,
and I don’t think sidestepping the issue with witty remarks will do anything but frustrate
the audience if they ask to see an object. I certainly don’t say, “Here, check these out.
They’re not gimmicked or anything,” but if someone were to touch them at the end of
a routine, I would certainly allow it (as long as it’s at the end of a routine so it doesn’t
interrupt flow) and not treat it as some form of heckling (as I’ve unfortunately seen
done before). If anything, our magic only gets stronger by allowing the audience to
interact with not only us, but our props as well.

That being said, if you don’t want to go through all that work (and don’t care about
examinability) simply pick up the double facer and place it in your back pocket while
saying, “Eww, it’s all dirty now.”

128
Get the most
1. When performing for larger tables, spectators at the other end of the table won’t
be able to see the card on the floor at the outset. It is therefore imperative to have
as many people near the front see the grounded card, while at the same time not
drawing too much importance to it. These people will relate the impossibility of what
just happened to their friends at the other end of the table. Obviously, the spectators
further away will still be able to witness the Inversion-esque rest of the routine.

2. Don’t worry if you notice someone keeping an eye on the grounded card when you
turn away to flip it over. Remember that the opening comments are just a joke,
so no one knows what’s supposed to happen. You can easily abort the trick and
use the selection for another routine. It happened a lot more to me when I first
started performing the routine (I think it was because I put too much emphasis on
the grounded card), so that’s why I use it as an opener, I have the option of doing a
couple other routines and then closing with it instead, or simply not even performing
it at all if I don’t feel like it.

3. I never get any reactions when I spread the face up deck to show a face down card in
the middle. People aren’t stupid, the selection was apparently inserted into the deck
reversed, so there should be no surprise there’s a reversed card in the middle. I think
they assume I turned the deck over really quickly, which is great because that line
of thinking leads them down the garden path. It comes as that much more of a shock
when the face down card is shown to be the Queen.

4. A completely untested idea which you may feel the need to experiment with is a
variation for cocktail party style situations (where everyone, including yourself,
is standing up). When the card is dropped on the floor, make the usual comments
and kick it right behind your feet so it’s mostly out of view from the spectators’
perspective. Get the furthest person from you to make the selection so people
have to look away from you to get a glimpse of it. This should hopefully (although I
honestly have no idea) allow for enough cover for you to do the same “eye cover foot
turnover move” as previously described. Again, keep the card directly behind your
feet so it’s out of view. When it comes time to reveal the card on the floor, just step
out of the way. For the last time, this could simply be a big poopy pipe dream.

5. I’m assuming all of you are familiar with the “30 Second Rule” concept. If not, it’s a
rule usually mentioned when someone drops food on the ground, meaning the person
has 30 seconds to salvage the food before it becomes uncouth to eat it. I believe 9 of
the Colonel’s herbs and spices come from KFC’s use of the rule.

129
 Because of this, if you’re performing in a restaurant setting, you MUST make sure
the audience realizes you’re just kidding around about using the 30 Second Rule. If
you’re more of a straight edged performer and have any doubts as to whether you can
get away with this presentation, change it to something else. You do not want patrons
thinking they’re eating food off the ground (even though they probably are).

Shout outs
• �������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Nathan Kranzo independently created a method for changing a card on the floor,
although his method is vastly different. It can be found in Half-Baked magazine (Issue
5, July, 2001) under the title Old Shoe.
Grilling
* *
Tyler Wilson Vs
Andi Gladwin
Andi Who the hell are you?

Tyler Well, I got my first magic kit at the age of sev... hold up, I’ll cut the clichés.
I’m just a guy who’s out to have a good time and bring everyone else with
me. Whether I’m holding a deck of cards, holding a non-alcoholic beverage,
or holding up a bank, no one is safe.
Fun facts: I bowl without my thumb in the hole.

Andi Apart from a few performances to magicians, your first introduction is

through the written form. Why is this?

Tyler Let’s face it, I’m ugly. Thanks for bringing it up.
Fun facts: My bowling average is 27.

Andi Your magic is as much about the presentation as it is the method. Do you
think the written word is the best way to teach this kind of stuff?

Tyler Well, the only downside I see, is not having John and David from the L&L
audience as my spectators.

Andi David is the ideal audience member - he’s the only person in the world
that actually screams with excitement after watching an Ace Assembly!

Moving on - someone just flicking through this book will probably first
notice your off the wall presentations. In your eyes, is presentation the
most important part of a trick?

Tyler Hell no. Presentations don’t create the magic, but rather frame it.
Presentational tools can definitely heighten or reduce the overall strength of
a routine, but a strong magical effect must still be at the core.

134
Andi I agree with that. In fact, that’s why I’m pleased that we’ve given your
patter word-for-word in this book – it gives people a good idea of the
direction that they can take the routine. Should people actually use your
patter and presentation, though?

Tyler To be completely honest, I don’t even use it word-for-word. The scripts

included are merely just a backbone to allow me to go off and adlib with
whatever the situation dictates. If I’m not getting much energy back from the
audience, I can always just anchor myself back to the script.

Every time I perform these routines, I try for a completely unique experience
for not only the audience, but for myself as well. This keeps things fresh and
helps prevent sleepwalking through my 1,782nd performance of the same
damn routine.

Even if someone were to recite my presentation word-for-word during their

performance, they would no doubt sound completely different than I would.
I believe that’s where the majority of hostility comes from regarding the
video vs. book debate when students are being labelled clones. It’s not that
they’re saying the same words; it’s that they’re saying the same words in
the same way and, in certain cases, even adopting the same mannerisms.
Books have a tendency to prevent part of this issue, although whether or not
that’s a good thing is up to the individual. If anyone is planning on stripping
the routines in this book and incorporating all new presentations, I’ll send
mucho respect their way. Many of the handlings were developed along side
the presentations, so they’re very much intertwined and, I would imagine,
somewhat difficult to separate. I would love to see what people do with these
routines.

It should also be noted that there are certain lines from this book I almost
never use. As an example, it’s extremely rare you’ll catch me bringing up
ice-cream sandwiches or French passports during Coke Inhabit. Instead, I’ll
always try to name objects I can see in the near vicinity to create a more
unique situation for the audience, so I may say “... or throwing a fake
diamond at a cheap suit.” As I leave the table I’ll call-back to it with, “Now if
you’ll excuse me, I think your fake diamond and cheap suit need some alone
time.”

135
Andi I understand that you make a lot of it up, but where do the gags originally
come from? Do you sit down and write them, or do they start life as adlibs?

Tyler Yes.

Andi Good! I like to watch how people react to magicians and I notice that they
immediately warm to you. You’re kind of like the cool older brother they
didn’t have. Is this something that you consciously manipulate?

Tyler Well, considering how much of a stud my dad was, I very well could be
everyone’s older brother.

Andi Do you consider your performance character to be an exaggeration of your

true self? Surely you can’t be this crazy all the time?

Tyler Instead of an exaggeration of my true self, I would consider it just one

component of my true self. I like to kickback and chill as much as anyone,
however that’s not the component of my true self which would shine in a
performance environment.

I’m not sure how these routines come across in print, however I would not
consider them “crazy” or “zany” at all. In fact I don’t enjoy watching zany
performers like Jim Carrey or Will Farrell because they seem so distant and
disingenuous, I find it very difficult to connect with them.

I’m not sure how my bashing comes across in print. In fact, I don’t enjoy
reading bashhappy authors like Tyler Wilson because they seem so distant and
disingenuous, I find it difficult to connect with them.

Andi There’s also a bit of an edge to your performances. You’re a live wire
and people don’t really know what you’re going to do next. Does this
intimidate people?

Tyler I’m like a blender, I have different settings. When I first approach a group,
I try feeling them out (not physically) and judge their energy level pretty
quickly. If they’re fairly low key, I’ll adjust accordingly and stay away from
being an uncontrollable maniac. That’s not to say I’ll come right down to
their level, but I’ll try to stay about one level above where ever they are at
any given time and pull them up to where I am. If they’re full of energy and
are having a great time already, I’ll let the full Tyler Wilson out of the bag

136
 and see what he does. One of my goals with every group I perform for is to
leave them at least one energy level higher than I found them. If I accomplish
that, I know I’m doing something right.

Andi Okay, so let’s say I’ve decided I need a new presentation for a trick I’ve
been working on, but I’m stuck and have no idea where to go next. What
now?

Tyler Try not to fall immediately into the “K, why?” trap. This comes from tunneling
your focus into building a presentation around explaining “Why?” The idea
behind asking “Why?” is that the magic you perform can be confusing and
raise many questions, so your presentation should be built around answering
those questions, setting up the entire routine to flow and make complete
sense. This is a very sound principle, and one I use quite frequently as you can
see from the routines is this book, however contrary to popular belief, this
line of thinking isn’t the only game in town.

For starters, try flipping the entire process around, allowing you to ask the
questions and your magic to answer them. I’ll use Scarred Warp to illustrate
this concept:

Traditionally with Card Warp, the presentations built around it have been
fairly limited as to their scope. They’ve been focused on answering why the
center card is reversing itself while contained within the cover card. This led
to presentations of time/interdimensional travel or personifying the cards,
with little variance outside this small group. I never felt I could get away
with either of these styles of presentation, as it felt a little condescending
to suggest I was opening a portal between dimensions or whatnot, no matter
how jovial I approached it. It just wasn’t my style.

The presentation I ended up developing for the routine is interesting because

I never once even attempt to explain why the card is turning over. Instead,
I attempt to explain why I have a phobia of Queens and Threes, which gets
answered by the freaky imagery of a card inverting while fully confined.
By inducing the questions at the outset, “Gee, I wonder why he’s such a
pansy?” the magic becomes the release, “Oh now I see, that’s some scary
S#@*$!@#*!T.” To use a comedy analogy, the magic becomes the punchline.

That’s just one example of a way to dodge the “Why?” question, experiment

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 with others. Even though asking oneself “Why?” can create exquisite pieces
of magic, it’s easy to see how it’s possible to lose sight of other opportunities
and focus on only the one technique. It’s the “K, Why?” trap, don’t fall into
it.

Andi Interesting. Those thoughts will really lubricate my ideas. How do you first
field test your ideas?

Tyler With as much confidence as I can. If it’s a new routine using techniques and
principles I’m already comfortable with, introducing it into the set isn’t an
issue at all. However, if I’m using brand new ideas (especially if they’re my
own), I have to show no fear and go in there guns a blazin’, even though
I’m usually thinking to myself “There’s no way they’re going to fall for that,
they’ll see right through it.”

Andi But they don’t see through it, right?

Tyler Luckily it’s very rare. I always give the audience as much credit as I can,
with the assumption they’re incredibly intelligent and completely incapable
of being deceived. I believe that sort of mild paranoia is actually helpful to
the development of the routines, as I won’t settle for something that is, in
my opinion, half-assed. This also creates excitement on my part when these
new ideas actually work as well as I had hoped. Although I must admit that
performing a victory dance as I’m leaving a table is probably not the most
professional exit.

I’ll then dance my way over to the next table and try the new routine again.
If I’m introducing new material, I’ll do it as much as I can in a night so I’ll
have a schwack of field data to examine when I get home. I can then fine tune
the routine as much as needed, or I can decide it’s unsalvageable and scrap
it. It’s a never ending process.

Andi Going one step prior to that - take us through the creation of one of your
tricks - is their a Darwin-esque evolution theory, or do ideas just appear in
your mind?

Tyler Darwin Ortiz had nothing to do with them, although he seems like a nice man.

They each happen in their own way, some quicker than others. They usually
start out as a problem, and end up far different than how they were originally

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visioned. It never turns out to be one big problem that requires solving, but
rather many small ones over the course of the routine’s building process.
As an example, I can still remember most of what took place during the
conception of Sloppy 30 Seconds.

The problem was how to change a card on the floor, while keeping it
practical. The first method which came to mind involved dropping a double
on the floor face up with some wax on the top card, so when I stepped on the
card, it would stick to the bottom of my shoe, leaving the other card behind
(which is reminiscent of Annemann’s Walk Around Discovery). This didn’t
fulfill my requirements for practicality as I would have to spend too much
time constantly resetting before each performance, as well I couldn’t get
the card to stick to the bottom of my shoe 100% of the time, which was not
encouraging.

At some point the idea hit me to use a double faced card, which now seems
like a pretty obvious solution, but for some reason it wasn’t among my first
ideas for the problem. I tried it out by dropping a double facer on the carpet
and seeing if I could turn it over with my feet, success!

I then started coming up with ideas for handlings which would allow for a
transposition between a card on the floor and a card in the hands. Anytime
I come up with a card change, the first avenue I go down seems to be
transpositions. I don’t know why, probably because it’s the easiest and I’m
pretty lazy. I ended up with a nice streamlined handling for the transposition,
but no presentation yet, just the mechanics. Then a major setback struck, I
was practicing the routine in the kitchen (don’t ask why) when I realized it
was impossible to turn over the card wearing shoes on a hard surface, in other
words, the exact situation I always perform in. I was so stupid for not trying it
out that way in the first place, socks on carpet is nothing like shoes on a hard
floor. I had to go back to the drawing board and come up with another way to
create a card change on the floor.

The trick ended up on the backburner for a while as I was working on other
things. Then at one performance I accidentally dropped a card in the middle
of a trick, and immediately adlibbed, “Don’t worry, we have the 30 second
rule here,” which in hindsight was probably not the best thing to say at an
establishment that serves food. It ended up getting a surprisingly decent
laugh, so I thought to myself, “Great, now I have a line for if I accidentally
drop a card.”

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 I then put two and two together and realized I could structure the card
change on the floor around a 30 second rule scenario. So I went back and
tried to make the double faced idea work. It was a slap-in-the-head moment
when I realized I could just put a slight bend in the card to make it easier to
flip with shoes. This motivated me to create a better structure for the routine
as well, as I now wasn’t limited to a simple transposition, I could open it up
to “breaking the 30 second rule.” I still kept a transposition as part of the
overall effect, but that wasn’t the focus. The focus, and therefore the actual
effect I was trying to convey, became “everything reversing itself.” With
this in mind, I stretched the concept so the deck changed colour at the end
as well, although I stopped performing that version. I felt that it ended up
cluttering the effect and actually detracting from the rest of the routine.

Sloppy 30 Seconds was by far the most nerve-racking routine I ever introduced
into my working repertoire. I still remember just how far outside my comfort
zone I was in when I was first forced to perform a secret move with my
friggin’ feet in front of an audience. I had no idea what to expect and also
had no idea whether it would actually fly. The phenomenal reactions I got
from that first performance cemented the routine in my A-List from then
on. There were a few stumbling blocks along the way, such as when I would
inadvertently focus too much attention on the grounded card so some people
would keep their eyes on it when I was supposed to do the dirty work. This
was quickly overcome and no longer became an issue. The only issue I face
with it now is when people request it, as it’s a little challenging to perform
the routine when someone says, “Hey, can you do that one where the card
changes on the floor?”

From the evolution of Sloppy 30 Seconds, it becomes apparent what I meant

by many small problems needing solving rather than one big problem.

Andi I find that I can spend months working on an idea, then all of a sudden an
even better idea will appear in your mind, almost from nowhere. Does this
happen to you?

Tyler Absolutely. In contrast to Sloppy 30 Seconds, B52 Shooter was developed in

mere minutes.

For quite some time in the back of my mind, I was thinking it would be cool
to use the controlled cascade principle explicitly rather than implicitly. So
one day when I was sitting on the john, I grabbed the deck of cards which sits
on my toilet and tried it out. By the end of my “session,” I had toyed with

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 the handling enough so it worked like a charm. By the time I had washed my
hands and went downstairs to the living room, I had already created the Love
Machine scenario. It was honestly that quick. I had simply tacked on one of
my handlings for Triumph so there was a framework with which to showcase
the revelation, and I was done! The only other alterations I made to the
routine after that, were changing from the Training Wheels technique to the
Big Rig technique for the revelation, and creating the “6 or 7” gag to cover
the setup in an entertaining way. These were just natural evolutions from
performing the routine so many times.

I still attempted to evolve the routine by trying alternate presentations and

handlings in an effort to improve it, but my original ideas for the routine
ended up as my favorites. Sometimes it just works out that way.

Even though B52 Shooter was so quick to develop, it’s still one of my favorite
routines to perform. If you hand me a deck and ask me to do a trick, you can
bet your bottom I’ll be doin’ a little shooting ...

Andi I guess that it comes down to the fact that there’s no secret creativity
technique: just what works for you, and normally, that’s a whole bunch
of things. I’m similar to you in that I try to improve a routine one step at
a time and perform the routine at each stage. This lets me decide how to
take it further – constantly striving to reach miracle status. This allows me
to add things that I’d never have discovered from sat at home thinking up
tricks.

Throughout the book we’ve described the psychological subtleties that

you use in performance. Were they created in performance, like I do, or
at home on the crapper?

Tyler Actually, I’ve tried to include as little of that as possible, only where it’s
truly needed. As I’ve already mentioned elsewhere in this book, I’m not a
psychologist. I have NO authority whatsoever to even pretend I know what
a person is thinking at any given time, I can only relate experiences on how
people act and react. If something I do causes people to look toward a certain
thing, or move a certain way, that’s a fact, a verifiable observation. It’s not
knowing what a person is thinking, it’s knowing how the majority of people
will act in a certain situation based on repeated testing.

Basically I try not to develop what I call “Magician P.H.D.”, which would sound
a little something like, “The spectator is thinking ...”, or “The spectator

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 won’t remember the middle of the trick ...”, etc., for when I hear or read
such remarks, my brain starts to hurt and I twitch uncontrollably. As much as
I would give my left navel to be given the power to know what someone is
actually thinking about at any given time, I don’t have that power, so claiming
otherwise in a teaching context would be flat out lying.

I call it “Magician P.H.D.” because sometimes we get so accustomed to trying

to read and understand our audience, that we’ll start behaving and spouting
off advice as though we had just earned a psychology degree out of thin air.
Heck, even psychologists can’t read minds, or they would be lining up at
Randi’s doorstep to collect the $1,000,000 prize.

Sometimes we have to keep ourselves in check by understanding what’s

fact and what’s conjecture. That’s why I haven’t included an abundance of
psychological subtleties, I’m just trying not to flap my lips on a subject I’m
not fully qualified to dispense advice about. If you ever see me doing that,
just say “Hey Tyler, when did you get your P.H.D.?”

Andi Right. I can only think of two actual studies from psychologists detailing
what people actually experience when watching magic, and unfortunately
none of them discuss the things that magicians explain in lectures and
books.

Most books are filled with filler (somewhat like this section) – I’ve seen
you perform these tricks a lot and based on the detail that we’ve put in
the descriptions, it’s quite obvious that you do perform them constantly.
Does this book make up your full repertoire, or do you use other people’s
effects too?

Tyler It would be a crime not to use other magicians’ material. There are
unbelievably talented magicians out there who create routines which are
nothing short of brilliant. It would be foolish of me to let my ego get in the
way and not perform these routines simply because I didn’t create them
myself. The giants out there will have me as a piggybacker, whether they like
it or not.

However, I will let my ego get in between me and sponge balls.

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Andi Reasonably early on in your career you’re publishing a book featuring the bulk
of your repertoire. Where do you go from here?

Tyler Bulk? Muwahaha, icebergs have tips my friend.

Andi Good chat son. I think we’ve given a pretty good insight into that
somewhat deranged mind of yours. Let’s finish this interview on a high:
tell us a joke.

Tyler Okay, so there’s this woman who’s cleaning the house when she finds an old
lamp. She rubs it and suddenly hears a knock on the front door. When she
opens it, she sees a man standing there who says “I am a genie and I will
grant you three wishes, but only if we fornicate.”

Um ... hmm ... I can’t really remember the rest, but it turns out the guy
wasn’t even a genie.

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Outie . . . Andi gladwin
One of my favourite articles with regards to publishing a magic book was penned by
the incomparable Stephen Minch. Those who just flicked through the pages of Genii
magazine (Volume 60, Number 5, 1997) in a Johnny Five like manner were probably
bewildered by the unorthodox title of the article: “Santa Claus, Lipograms and Other
Problems of Publishing a Magic Book.” Although Lipograms and Santa Claus don’t
particularly interest me; what the learned Mr. Minch has to say does:

“When I consider it — and I think I will right now — it strikes me as foolish not to foster
fresh talent when it stands on its hind legs and whistles at you. It would seem that
some authors and publishers are afraid, in the glutted and highly competitive market
that magic publishing has become these days, to deal with names that aren’t commonly
known. Their fear, I would guess, is that books by or about these new creators won’t sell
when set beside such proven commodities as Larry Jennings or Paul Harris or Michael
Ammar. The truth is, at least in my experience, that genuine talent will out, no matter
what the name value of the inventor. Sales may take a little longer to get rolling, but
as word of mouth spreads, those new books by new names sell just as well as the latest
tome by one of the big guns. The key to succeeding with a new name is creative talent.”

Of course, that small paragraph could pertain to some of the best magicians in the
world – many of them undiscovered thaumaturges that are happily on a pilgrimage to
success - but in my mind, today Mr. Minch’s words apply specifically to one man: Tyler
Wilson.

I’m not a big shot publisher, or one of the big guns that Mr. Minch discusses. I do,
however, pride myself on being a good judge of character and to a similar extent, a
good judge of creative talent. It is these two simple traits that convinced me to work
with Tyler to publish a book on his magic. You can see through this book that he’s
different, but what you may not be able to see is that he’s a nice guy - and that’s the
most important thing to me.

When I first met Tyler, I immediately recognised that his style of magic was different,
but I couldn’t pinpoint how and why he was so diverse in comparison to other magicians.
Of course, he’s freakishly tall and abnormally hairy, but besides that, there was
something about him that said, “I am not a normal magician.” He seemed to have

144
qualities that are rarely seen in magicians his age (he is now 25). After spending more
time with him, I realised that there isn’t one thing that makes him different from you or
I: Tyler is just Tyler. He’s not trying to be Larry Jennings or Paul Harris; he’s just being
himself, doing what he does best – and that, I think, is the key to his imminent success.

Those who haven’t yet had the pleasure of seeing the big guy perform shouldn’t think
that my testimonial is the closest thing that you have to actually getting to know him.
Magic books are designed to portray a magicians’ tricks and ideas, but we wanted to
extend that a little. We have made every effort to ensure that Tyler’s personality shines
through every word, that his crisp handlings are evident in every photograph and that
his sense of fun was illustrated through the humour and layout of the pages. I genuinely
think that we have succeeded in this.

The world needs more magicians who naturally look from a different angle, in the way
that Tyler does. But for now though, I will leave you to flick back through these pages to
further get to know the world’s first half magician – half ape creature.

Andi Gladwin
United Kingdom
February, 2006

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Get the boast

Tyler will ONLY sign your

computer screen here
 DOMINATRICKS CD
This CD-ROM contains a movie of Tyler performing the moves from this book, printable
PDF files for some of the tricks explained in the book and the version of the book you
are reading right now.

You will find your

cd in your cd drive